Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 451: War Looms, Troops Mobilized

Xiangyang is not far from Jiangdong.

Not long after, Wu Yanqing received a message from Chen Mo inviting him to Xiangyang.

When Wu Yanqing received the letter, his wife, Ye Clan, was also beside him. Seeing her husband’s furrowed brow, she couldn’t help but ask, "Master, has something happened?"

Wu Yanqing nodded, "Something major has occurred. If handled poorly, not only our Wu Family, but even the Great Song may face a change of dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Ye Clan’s expression changed, "Could it be that trouble has arisen again in Luonan?"

"See for yourself."

Wu Yanqing stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

Four hundred years ago, Jin Xia was no match for the Great Song, and it wasn’t even called Jin Xia then. But four hundred years have passed, and the Great Song has grown increasingly weak, to the point that even a small vassal state dares to invade now.

In contrast, Jin Xia has grown stronger, transforming from a tribe into an empire, and a few years ago, they even defeated the powerful Gao Liao, thriving and prosperous.

Such a powerful state now invades the Great Song, and the Great Song is in a state of internal turmoil with scattered morale. Wu Yanqing truly fears that the Great Song, facing Jin Xia, will suffer a disastrous defeat.

"Jin Xia’s invasion, Youzhou has fallen, and now they’ve reached Gaozhou. The Northern Land is in urgent distress, this... could it really be true?" After reading, Ye Clan’s hand trembled while holding the letter, even she knew this was a colossal event.

"This news comes from Xiangyang, it can’t be false." Wu Yanqing sighed deeply, "Word has it that the Royal Capital of Dongyou Kingdom has also been captured by Jin Xia. If I’m not mistaken, Jin Xia is attacking the Great Song on both eastern and western fronts, aiming to annex the Great Song."

"Then why does he want you to go to Xiangyang? Surely he doesn’t intend to send you to the front lines?" Ye Clan asked worriedly.

"I doubt it. If I’m correct, he intends to send me to Huai State to hold the fort," Wu Yanqing replied.

"What purpose does going to Huai State serve?"

"His feud with Prince Huai runs deep. Now that Jin Xia is invading, it is a golden opportunity for Prince Huai. Should Prince Huai take advantage of the situation to attack Huai State while he is engaged with Jin Xia..." Speaking, Wu Yanqing turned around, "Of course, this is only my conjecture. Now that foreign invaders are attacking, we should unite against the common enemy. Prince Huai, being of the Imperial Family, should not commit such acts."

With that, Wu Yanqing’s tone shifted again, his eyes showing determination, "In this critical moment of Great Song’s peril, even if I’m sent to the front lines, I should not hesitate. After enjoying prosperity for so many years, it’s time to contribute. How can we allow foreign foes to covet our Central State land?"

"Master..." Ye Clan’s eyes turned red.

After making up his mind, Wu Yanqing took immediate action.

Furthermore, he did not head to Xiangyang alone, but with nearly ten thousand Jiangdong youths, ready to face the nation’s crisis.

...

Luonan.

Lu Sheng had not yet received Chen Mo’s request for assistance, but he was already aware of Jin Xia’s invasion from Youzhou.

For him, this was actually good news.

A matter as significant as Jin Xia’s invasion effectively overshadowed the impact of his military coup, giving him ample time to seize control of Luonan.

With the Court in his hands, he could refrain from dispatching troops regarding Jin Xia’s invasion, but he definitely had to make a statement.

The first step was to issue an imperial decree in the name of the Emperor, announcing to the realm all factions to send troops to resist the foreign invaders.

Secondly, he ordered all northern officials to unconditionally follow Chen Mo’s orders, granting Chen Mo the authority to mobilize everything in the Northern Land and bestowing upon him the Emperor’s Sword, symbolizing the Emperor’s presence.

Of course, this was akin to a blank check. The Court long lost control over the Northern Land.

The only thing this could provide Chen Mo was legitimacy, allowing him to deploy troops justifiably and without concerns.

...

Xiangyang.

With Chen Mo’s orders, soldiers and horses from all over Linzhou converged towards Xiangyang. To ensure the supply of provisions, Chen Mo had already sent messages to Zuo Lianglun, instructing Yu State to prepare them.

In the drill ground, Chen Mo donned Bright Armor, with a Tang Blade at his waist. Under the sunlight, the armor gleamed with a cold, eerie light, his expression stern.

Below, gathered were ten thousand Divine Brave Guards, ten thousand Divine Martial Guards, twenty thousand Xianzhen Guards, three thousand Brave Cavalry Guards.

Though Chen Mo outwardly claimed to have two hundred thousand troops, the actual number was just over one hundred thousand, with thirty thousand stationed in Huai State, another thirty thousand in Yu State, guarding against Longyou. The troops present on the drill ground were all that could be mobilized. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Chang En stood to the lower left of Chen Mo, gazing at the seemingly endless expanse of soldiers below. His eyes couldn’t hide his amazement, and a sense of uncontainable pride welled in his heart, holding his breath subconsciously.

"You must all know by now. Yes, in March this year, Jin Xia invaded Youzhou, slaughtering our Great Song citizens. Now, damn it, they’ve reached Gaozhou and even intend to spread the flames of war to Qingzhou, to Yu State..."

Standing upright, Chen Mo scanned the soldiers below and said, "Officers and soldiers, do you agree to this or not?"

"No, we don’t!"

"No, we don’t!"

"No, we don’t!"

Tens of thousands of voices shouted in unison, like thunder erupting in the drill ground, and then fell silent.

Chang En tensed even further, subconsciously stepping back two paces, avoiding the countless piercing gazes, and gazing at Chen Mo’s tall figure ahead with admiration in his eyes.

"Very good." Chen Mo drew the blade from his waist, pointing towards Qingzhou, and loudly declared, "Break camp, defend home and country."

"Defend home and country!" the soldiers shouted.

Even Chang En was swept up by the emotion, gripping the hilt at his waist.

"Dong..."

Drums of war thundered.

The more than forty thousand troops, already assembled, advanced northward under the leadership of Deputy General Cui Shuang and Chang En.

This battle naturally had Chen Mo as the Commander-in-Chief.

However, he still had some matters to arrange, so he sent the army to advance first, following with the Personal Guard Battalion later.

After the army left Xiangyang City, nearly a hundred Vermilion Bird Guards were already waiting. Once the army set out, they promptly followed behind, with Ninth-Grade Red-Coat Cannons, covered with black cloth, pulled by pack horses, leaving deep grooves in the dirt road.

...

June 11th.

Wu Yanqing, accompanied by over a hundred light cavalry, arrived in Xiangyang a step ahead.

"Father-in-law, I’ve awaited you for long," Chen Mo greeted him outside the city.

For Chen Mo had already learned that Wu Yanqing not only came personally but also brought nearly ten thousand Jiangdong youths to assist.

"Apologies for keeping the Marquis waiting," Wu Yanqing dismounted, clasped his hands, and saluted Chen Mo.

"Elder Wu, please come inside," Sun Meng said from the side.

Given the urgency of the situation, once inside, Chen Mo was straightforward, "Father-in-law, the reason for inviting you here is to have you oversee Huai State. I will ensure that the troops in Huai State and the Fish Scale Guard heed your command."

The reason for asking Wu Changlin to oversee was because he was an Upper-Grade Martial Artist.

As Chen Mo had to confront Jin Xia, he wouldn’t feel assured without an Upper-Grade Martial Artist stationed at Huai State.