Chapter 84

"Seventh Legion has breached Pingjun City, the Grand General of Dongxuan Kingdom has been captured, and countless supplies have been seized..."

"This is a great victory, the greatest in the history of the Empire. The Seventh Legion is mighty! Emperor Qiankun’s achievements are unparalleled..."

"The territory has advanced three hundred miles, with over a hundred thousand casualties in the Dongxuan Kingdom, and their main forces have been reduced by thirty percent. They will no longer pose a threat to the Lan Yin Grand Duchy..."

The streets of the capital were filled with such news. People were elated, and the gloomy mood that had been suppressed by the heavy snow for a month was suddenly lifted by this great victory.

On the streets, in shops, and in restaurants, almost everywhere one could see smiling faces.

The only ones who did not fit this atmosphere were the elder Tong Wanshan from the Xuan Yuan Heavenly Sect and his subordinate.

"What the hell is going on!" Tong Wanshan slammed a cup to the ground, his face as dark as if it could drip water.

"Didn't they say the Seventh Legion was out of food? Didn't they say they could hold out for a short time? How could Pingjun City fall in just ten days?" Since hearing this news, this question had been troubling him. They had the upper hand, but now...

Thinking of the smiling face of the Empire’s negotiation minister, he felt an irresistible urge to explode.

"And what about Hongyuan City? Why has there been no news from Hongyuan City in ten days? That bastard who impersonated Mu Shaodong, didn’t he confidently assure me that he would cause panic in Hongyuan City... Why, why didn’t Duke Dingshou even ask the Empire for help!"

Tong Wanshan panted heavily, his face twisted in a ferocious expression. The blow was too great, and he had completely lost his usual calm.

"Elder... Elder!" After a long while, the young man cautiously called out.

"What?" Tong Wanshan turned his head sharply, his fierce gaze making the young man flinch.

"Wha... What should we do about tomorrow’s negotiations...?" The young man swallowed, and asked in a low voice, "They refuse to share the technology for making sheep gut strings, only agreeing to give us drums. How should we respond?"

"Phew~" Tong Wanshan took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger. After a moment of thought, he said, "They are asking for the sky, and we will counter with a reasonable offer! They are just as greedy as we are... They must know that we cannot abandon Pingjun City, so they are waiting for us to make the first move!"

The young man narrowed his eyes and said, "Then we won’t make the first move. Since they will definitely lack food next year, we will insist on the method for making sheep gut strings... As for Pingjun City, they probably won’t be able to hold it for long. A supply line of three hundred miles will be a huge burden. Although the Dongxuan Kingdom is no longer capable of a counterattack, we still have seven other kingdoms. With enough time, we can mobilize a significant force..."

Tong Wanshan raised his hand to interrupt him, shook his head, and sighed helplessly, "If you wait to mobilize your forces, they will have already turned Pingjun City into ruins. What use will Pingjun City be then... Without this fortress, the Dongxuan Kingdom will always be exposed to the attacks of the Seventh Legion!"

"What do you mean, Elder?" The young man asked hesitantly.

"We must get Pingjun City back, even if the supplies inside have been moved. We must get it back before they tear it down... We can give up on the method for making sheep gut strings, but we can propose to buy it, sign a contract, and exchange it for food!"

"Ah!" The young man sighed heavily, only able to shake his head helplessly.

In the following two days, the minister in charge of the negotiations was beaming with joy. No minister in history had ever had such a smooth negotiation with the Xuan Yuan Heavenly Sect, and Tong Wanshan was almost unable to hold his head up.

In the end, the other side had to agree to exchange a large amount of food for a certain number of sheep gut strings. As for the current Pingjun City, it was probably already an empty city, so giving it to them was no big deal.

Although Pingjun City, which had been taken by countless soldiers, was returned to the Dongxuan Kingdom, the soldiers were not dissatisfied. They knew the content of the negotiations, and solving the Empire’s food problem for the next year was the ultimate victory!

After signing the treaty, Tong Wanshan and his subordinate returned to the Xuan Yuan Heavenly Sect in a dejected manner. Before leaving, the young man asked Tong Wanshan, "Elder, what about Hongyuan City? The plan has failed, and the spy we planted there for years is likely to be exposed!"

"That fool, it’s best if he gets exposed and killed, he’s more of a hindrance than a help..."

Although he said this, in the end, he still instructed the young man, "Send him some money to cover up the matter... Tell him, if this happens again, I will flay him alive!"

In the following days, the content of the negotiations spread quickly, and the panic caused by the heavy snow affecting next year’s spring planting was overshadowed by this news.

Immediately after, the main character of this great battle, the Seventh Legion, became the subject of people’s conversations. In a society where warriors held high status, the Seventh Legion’s great victory sparked the admiration of countless people. Whether it was the students of the Imperial Academy, the children of the nobility, or the common people, the number of young men enlisting in the Seventh Legion doubled.

The subsequent rewards from the Empire further fueled this trend.

The commander of the Seventh Legion, Wu Tianfeng, was granted the title of Second-Class Marquis.

The deputy commander, Bai Zhanjun, was granted the title of First-Class Baron.

The deputy commander... the commander of ten thousand... the commander of a thousand... the commander of a hundred...

The entire Seventh Legion, from the commanders of a hundred to the captains of ten, and even the common soldiers, received rewards.

While the Seventh Legion was at the height of its glory in the Empire, the next round of rewards was somewhat puzzling.

The commander of the First Legion, Tang Chuxue, was granted the title of Second-Class Marquis for her recommendation.

"Recommendation, what recommendation?" Everyone was confused. The Seventh Legion had fought hard, and Wu Tianfeng had only received a Second-Class Marquis.

You, Tang Chuxue... Well, even if Tang Chuxue is the goddess in the hearts of countless young people, the top young martial artist of the Empire, and the most beautiful woman, it shouldn’t be like this. How exactly did she contribute through her recommendation?

Many people had such questions, but the Empire did not provide any explanation, and people naturally did not dare to inquire casually.

When Tang Chuxue of the First Legion saw the rewards, she couldn’t help but laugh. She had only intended to help Wu Tianfeng, as this was a rare great victory in the history of the Empire. But she hadn’t expected that it would lead to negotiations with the Xuan Yuan Heavenly Sect, and even result in her own promotion.

"The higher the rank, the harder it is to achieve. Others have to fight hard, but I just talked and got a Second-Class Marquis. I really feel unworthy... I wonder what Wu Tianfeng and the others will think when they see this... But it’s really strange, why didn’t Jiang Xingchen, who made such a great contribution, receive any reward? Is it because Duke Dingshou has to do it himself... That makes sense, after all, he is a noble under his jurisdiction!"

Tang Chuxue said, and laughed again, "Jiang Xingchen, you really gave me a big surprise..."

Wu Tianfeng, who had withdrawn from Pingjun City, was also speechless when he saw the rewards, but after some thought, he calmed down. If it weren’t for Tang Chuxue’s recommendation, Jiang Xingchen wouldn’t have been able to come, and the Seventh Legion wouldn’t have its current glory. Most of the soldiers would have died in battle.

Wu Tianfeng’s calm attitude contrasted sharply with the agitation of the commanders of the Third Legion, Chen Xuan, the Sixth Legion, Wei Ning, and the other three legion commanders. As high-ranking military officials, they knew the entire course of the battle and were almost envious and jealous of Wu Tianfeng and Tang Chuxue.

"Jiang Xingchen, it’s that kid again. How can Wu Tianfeng have such good luck? Just when the sheep gut strings and drums were made, he used them. In the freezing cold, with no food, and when the city attack was difficult, this kid actually managed to catch tens of thousands of fish from under the ice... And Tang Chuxue, did you place Grandfather Tang by his side just for this purpose..."

The legion commanders were now regretting not sending one of their own to be Jiang Xingchen’s bodyguard, even if it meant owing someone a favor. Look, a Second-Class Marquis, and he’s already ahead of us!

While the legion commanders were envious and jealous, Duke Dingshou was deep in thought in the Hou residence of Hongyuan City. "Why didn’t Jiang Xingchen, who made such a great contribution, get mentioned... And why didn’t I receive any news? What does the Emperor mean?"

Standing up, he walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, he stopped and said softly, "Right, Jiang Xingchen also had the merit of curing a terminal illness... I understand, the Emperor is trying to protect him!"

In an instant, Duke Dingshou understood the Emperor’s intentions. Although Jiang Xingchen was a model he had set up, his rise was too fast. If he continued to rise, it would certainly cause dissatisfaction among the conservative forces, especially the old stubborn nobles. If they targeted him, it would be difficult for him to rise further.

Now, the Emperor is not withholding the reward, but accumulating his merits to silence everyone in the end.

Understanding the reason, Duke Dingshou’s mind opened up, and he recalled Jiang Xingchen’s previous request.

"Expanding the territory, if even the Emperor is accumulating his merits, this might not be impossible... " This thought sprang to mind, and Duke Dingshou immediately thought of writing to the Emperor.

"Expanding the territory, such a reward is rare in the history of the Empire. If it happens in my territory... Moreover, if Jiang Xingchen really gets the reward of expanding the territory, it will greatly promote the Emperor’s policies!"

"Actually, with Jiang Xingchen’s two merits, even giving him the reward of expanding the territory would be reasonable, but since the Emperor wants to hold back, then... It seems I need to go to the capital for a trip!"

With this thought, Duke Dingshou no longer hesitated, immediately wrote a letter, and sent it to the capital.

Then, he wrote another letter to Jiang Xingchen and gave it to his subordinate to deliver to the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group.

At this time, Jiang Xingchen, who had suffered for many days, was finally carried back to his territory by the old man.

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