Shuangjiang smiled. “Everyone has their own assignments. However, the Dragonshadow Guards are the elite of our Jinyang Army, so they’re given more missions.”
The Dragonshadow Guards were not only the best of the best—they were also Jiang Jin’s personal guard. Even when Xia Chanyi joined the fighting here, a contingent of Dragonshadow Guards would remain at Jiang Jin’s side.
Hua Ruo asked curiously, “Have you been following the Lord for a long time?”
Shuangjiang nodded. “I was on the verge of death back then. The Lord saved me, then taught me martial arts and forged me into an immortal.”
Her voice was filled with pride. “The Lord even gave me my name. I like it very much.”
A smile appeared on Hua Ruo’s face as well. “My Bloodmoon Twin Blades were also reforged for me by the Lord at the weapons workshop. They’re countless times stronger than they used to be.”
Shuangjiang’s eyes curved into a bright smile. “Captain Xia used to wield a sword too. She only switched to a saber later.”
Hua Ruo raised an eyebrow. “Swords really aren’t very suitable for the battlefield.”
Xia Chanyi returned to Shanguan County on the afternoon of the following day. Not long afterward, Zhou Sui also returned from Pingwan County, which they had just captured.
Jiang Jin studied the map and said helplessly, “Tang Tishou must be an extremely cautious man. His next move will most likely be to stay behind his city walls and refuse to come out.”
Dong Si frowned. “That will be troublesome. Not to mention Heichun, even Dancheng has a wide moat and countless traps dug around it. A frontal assault will be difficult.”
Zhou Sui nodded. “There are many Han civilians in both Dancheng and Heichun. They may use them to threaten us when the time comes.”
Qu Zhao often did such things.
A look of grief and indignation flashed across Dong Si’s face. “A barbarian tribe like that deserves to be struck by lightning.”
Everyone fell silent. It was a grave problem. If they wanted to take the city, they could not avoid casualties this time.
Jiang Jin frowned and looked toward Mu Ning. “Can the hidden pieces make contact?”
Mu Ning nodded. “Yes.”
Jiang Jin was satisfied. “Make the preparations. Activate them at any time.”
“Send word to Daqing and Lin County. The time is nearly right. Let them seize the opportunity for themselves.”
Mu Ning replied, “Understood.”
In Dancheng, Commandant Han Ning paced anxiously back and forth.
Magistrate Qu Liu’s face was gloomy. “It seems that the Jinyang Army’s next target will be our Dancheng!”
Han Ning dropped heavily onto the low couch. “That’s right. If the Jinyang Army makes a move, Dancheng will undoubtedly be their first target.”
Qu Liu slammed a palm onto the desk. “Then we’ll fight them to the death! We have five or six thousand soldiers inside the city, and countless traps outside the walls. I’d like to see how the Jinyang Army plans to get here!”
“That’s right. We also have the General stationed in Heichun County. He can send reinforcements when the time comes,” said a burly man with a full beard in a hoarse voice.
He was Han Ning’s deputy general, named Luo Zha.
Han Ning said helplessly, “I’m afraid the General won’t send us any reinforcements.”
Pointing to the map, he continued, “Fuchuan and Xianglu are already in the Jinyang Army’s hands. If the General sends troops to reinforce us, we can’t say whether the Jinyang Army will ambush him along the way.”
“Even the Jinyang Army in Fuchuan won’t let such an opportunity pass. They’ll certainly attack Heichun while it’s weakly defended.”
Luo Zha knitted his brows, his expression growing grave.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Qu Liu offered some reassurance. “There’s no need for everyone to worry too much. Didn’t the General say that all we need to do is hold the city? We only have to see how the Grand Chanyu makes his arrangements. He may send us reinforcements at any moment.”
Han Ning rubbed his temples, his head throbbing. “The Grand Chanyu probably can’t spare any troops right now. Don’t forget about Lin County and Daqing Commandery.”
So far, the Flood Dragon Army had not attacked Daqing Commandery. It was obvious that the Flood Dragon Army, Daqing, and the Jinyang Army had formed a temporary alliance.
Qu Zhao was in grave danger this time.
He let out a heavy sigh. “I only hope the Grand General can finish things quickly.”
Qu Liu nodded. “The letter didn’t say that the Grand General should be able to take the entire Ze’a Commandery within the next few days?”
Han Ning replied helplessly, “I’m only afraid something may change. I have a feeling the Jinyang Army won’t let us take Ze’a Commandery so easily.”
Luo Zha frowned. “The Jinyang Army’s reach can’t extend that far. We’re still here.”
Han Ning sighed. “That’s precisely what worries me. The Jinyang Army’s ambitions clearly go beyond Donghu Commandery. Ze’a Commandery must also be one of their targets.”
“So I suspect the Jinyang Army will make its move very soon. Only after taking us will they have the time to deal with Ze’a Commandery.”
Qu Liu sneered. “Aren’t you giving the Jinyang Army too much credit? How many troops do they have in total?”
Han Ning shook his head. “Do any of the things the Jinyang Army has accomplished look like they could have been done by an army that small?”
When others attacked a city, didn’t they surround it with tens of thousands, or at least thousands, of soldiers?
But the Jinyang Army had taken several counties in Donghu Commandery overnight with only a small force, forcing them to hide behind closed gates. Who did things like that?
Qu Liu had nothing to say this time, because he too felt that the Jinyang Army’s actions were bizarre. They always achieved results in ways no one could have imagined.
Take the situation now. Dancheng was clearly the closest to the Jinyang Army’s territory, yet the Jinyang Army had chosen not to attack it.
That was because the Jinyang Army knew Dancheng had made thorough preparations. More importantly, if the Jinyang Army attacked Dancheng, the troops stationed in Heichun County would inevitably come to its aid.
Taking Dancheng would not be easy for the Jinyang Army.
So the Jinyang Army had done the opposite of what they expected, capturing Fuchuan and the other counties they had never even considered targets.
And the Jinyang Army had actually succeeded. Now Dancheng and Heichun were surrounded, trapped so completely that escape was impossible.
Most remarkable of all, this situation meant that even if one of the two cities came under attack, neither dared to send reinforcements to the other.
The two cities were clearly connected, yet they had become each other’s “isolated cities.”
Qiu Liao looked at the note in his hand, a smile spreading across his face. “Donghu Commandery will soon belong to the Lord.”
Nan Wen munched on a roasted sweet potato. “So can we make our move soon?”
Qiu Liao smiled faintly. “Not yet. Let’s see what Qu Zhao does first.”
Before the New Year, they had recruited several hundred soldiers from among the people of Lin County. By now, the city’s forces had grown to three thousand men.
After the New Year, Jiang Jin sent a number of experienced bricklayers and construction workers to Lin County, and construction within the city had already begun according to plan.
“Make absolutely sure the cement works and brick-and-tile works remain safe,” he instructed.
There were many places around Lin County with clay, but only two deposits of limestone had been discovered. He chose the more secluded location and built the workshops there.
It was said that Gefeng had developed in much the same way—building cement works and brick-and-tile works while surrounded by Qu Zhao’s forces. Now they were merely following Gefeng’s old path.
Nan Wen nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ve stationed our people to conduct patrols and reconnaissance for more than ten miles in every direction.”
Looking at Nan Wen, who was eating noisily, Qiu Liao could not resist teasing him. “All you know how to do is eat. Just wait until you get fat—then we’ll see how you plan to fight the barbarians.”
