171: Chapter 0171 The Marquis is very satisfied

Because they were traveling downstream and had just achieved a great victory, the army was as fired up as if they had been injected with adrenaline!

Yangquan Commandery, which should have taken half a day to reach, was arrived at a full hour ahead of schedule!

Except for a few who were seasick, most of the Zhenbei Army had rested well on the ships.

After docking at a county wharf in Yangquan, the army assembled rapidly and marched toward Yangquan Commandery!

The wind and snow were endless, and their iron armor clattered!

Gnawing on dry rations and drinking cold boiled water, the soldiers did not rest for a single moment!

There was light in their eyes, and they were all holding back a surge of energy in their hearts!

The General took his two wives, captured Qin Water, recruited five thousand troops, and wiped out five thousand troops!

In one go, the three of them took care of an army of ten thousand!

These five thousand of theirs included the Golden Scale Guard and heavy infantry, who could be considered the elite of the Zhenbei Army.

Many were regulars on the Golden Scale Ranking, and they had received so many bonuses that their hands were tired!

But training is training, and actual combat is actual combat!

If they couldn't show off their skills and earn some military merit in the great battle to recover Yangquan, wouldn't they be laughed at by their comrades when they returned?!

Fighting spirit burned crazily in the hearts of the soldiers!

And the movements of such a mighty army could naturally not be hidden from the defenders of Yangquan.

In the afternoon, the sky was gray.

Linyuan Marquis Mansion.

Marquis Xie Shang was in his study, holding the battle report he had just received, his expression of shock frozen for a long time.

At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Xie Juner ran into the room in a hurry.

"Father! I heard from the maid that someone delivered a letter? Was it from the firm in Qin Water?"

The Xie Family primarily engaged in trade and had secretly built an intelligence network through merchant caravans in various places.

In business, the greatest taboo was slow news, which led to missed opportunities.

The Xie Family had operated in the Northern Territory for many years; aside from some critical military intelligence they couldn't obtain, they could quickly acquire most information.

"You... see for yourself."

Marquis Xie Shang handed the letter to his daughter.

Xie Juner took it and read it, and her expression instantly became extremely colorful.

"This... how... that's impossible, right?"

Marquis Xie Shang was also dumbfounded, "I was thinking the same thing, but the handwriting and secret codes are correct. How would my subordinates dare to deceive me?"

"Mu Wanying, through her own efforts, killed Master Gao Jinyi and captured Qin Water without losing a single soldier!?"

Xie Juner gasped, "Doesn't that mean the entire Zhenbei Army could enter the city without any casualties!?"

"Correct. This is yesterday's news. If nothing unexpected happened, the Zhenbei Army has already entered the city and begun fighting the White Kings Army."

"What a daughter General Mu Tiexin has. Truly, a tiger father has no dog for a daughter. That Master Gao Jinyi has been famous for decades, only to fall into the hands of a younger female generation. It is truly the irony of fate!"

Xie Juner's eyes showed admiration, but at the same time, she felt a trace of pressure in her heart.

Su Wansha, Mu Wanying—these two women by Lin Xiao's side were both so outstanding...

To be able to make such a heroic female general willing to be a concubine, Lin Xiao is truly blessed.

As for herself... other than the status of a princess, she really had no advantages.

Marquis Xie Shang's eyes were excited, "If the Zhenbei Army has occupied the city, the losses shouldn't be very high, and Lin Xiao can hold on."

"If this is true, the Zhenbei Army has avoided a disaster!"

Xie Juner didn't know why, but her heart started beating faster.

She clearly had no intention of marrying Lin Xiao, so what did the Zhenbei Army have to do with her?

That's right, she was doing this to continue cooperating with the Northern Trade Alliance to make money!

Yes, it must be that!

"Marquis! Marquis!! —"

The Old Butler ran over in a hurry and said anxiously, "The Inspector General has come again! He seems very anxious and is asking for you to go over!"

Marquis Xie Shang and his daughter looked at each other and smiled slightly, thinking that he must also know that Qin Water had fallen.

Now that the White Kings Army has lost its advantage, he must be anxious, right?

"Let's go, Juner. Come with me to see Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan and see what he intends to say this time."

"Daughter obeys!" Xie Juner was in a good mood.

As soon as the father and daughter arrived at the living room, they saw Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan's face was ashen and heavy.

"Marquis!! Marquis!! Something terrible has happened!!"

"Given our many years of friendship, you must save this subordinate!!"

Marquis Xie Shang couldn't help but laugh and pretended to be ignorant, "Inspector General Jiang, why do you say that? Why can't I understand what you are saying?"

"Marquis, please stop joking with me!"

Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan said with a long face, "In less than half an hour, the Zhenbei Army will be here to attack Yangquan City! There is no time left!!"

"What?!"

Both Marquis Xie Shang and his daughter exclaimed.

The Zhenbei Army has reached Yangquan!?

Weren't they fighting the White Kings Army in Qin Water!?

"You really don't know!?" Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan realized that the two of them were not lying.

"Didn't the White Kings Army go north? Did they not encounter the Zhenbei Army?" Xie Juner couldn't help asking.

"They went, but the White Kings Army was completely wiped out!!"

Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan said with a bitter face, "I just received news that the riverbank is full of debris from the White Kings Army's warships!"

"I don't know exactly what happened, but in short, none of the ten warships survived!!"

"A survivor escaped to the shore and said that Lin Xiao killed their entire army of five thousand by himself!"

"But that person was delirious and looked scared out of his mind, so what he said is naturally untrustworthy!"

"I'm afraid the Zhenbei Army had long since ambushed people inside the cabins, destroyed the warships, and worked from the inside out to defeat the White Kings Army!"

"Now all the Zhenbei Army has landed at Yangquan and is rushing toward the city!"

Even though Marquis Xie Shang was knowledgeable and experienced, at this moment, he felt his brain couldn't keep up!

They just captured Qin Water yesterday, and today they wiped out five thousand of the White Kings Army?

The way this battle is being fought... the speed of intelligence updates can't keep up!

Xie Juner, on the other hand, was surging with emotions, her beautiful eyes shining brightly.

What a Lin Xiao, a master of military strategy! Every step is truly unexpected!

Just listening to Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan's account made her blood boil!

Lin Xiao... you were able to rise rapidly from obscurity; it was truly not just luck!!

"Marquis, you are Lin Xiao's father-in-law, and the Princess is his imperial-bestowed wife. You two must save this subordinate and save the people of Yangquan!" Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan pleaded.

"Inspector General Jiang, why do you say that? Don't you still have five thousand troops on hand? If you refuse to surrender, just defend Yangquan to the death!" Marquis Xie Shang said with a smile.

"Marquis, please don't joke! You know what kind of quality these garrison troops of mine are. How can they resist the tiger-and-wolf army of the Zhenbei Army?!"

Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan lost all his usual arrogance and said dejectedly, "If I resist, I fear my head will not be safe!!"

"Really? Is the Zhenbei Army that powerful?"

Marquis Xie Shang pretended to be surprised and said, "I remember you said yesterday, Inspector General Jiang, that the Zhenbei Army's luck had run out and they were about to collapse?"

"This subordinate is guilty! This subordinate shouldn't have spouted nonsense!!"

Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan knelt directly on the ground and repented with a humble face, "This subordinate kowtows to you two for what happened yesterday!"

Marquis Xie Shang stroked his beard, and the feeling in his heart was beyond exhilarating.

What a Lin Xiao; before he has even officially become a son-in-law, he has already made an Inspector General of a province come to the Marquis Mansion to kowtow!

Not bad, not bad!

Xie Juner's beautiful eyes rolled, a plan formed in her mind, and she stepped forward to help him up.

"Inspector General Jiang, there is no need for this. You are the Inspector General of Cang Province, a fourth-rank official of the imperial court; why fear Lin Xiao?"

"Since Lin Xiao is the Zhenbei General personally appointed by His Majesty, and has received the imperial order to take over the troops of the Six Prefectures of the Northern Territory, wouldn't everything be fine if you just handed over the military power?"

Inspector General Jiang Shengyuan was stunned and looked at Xie Juner, "Does the Princess mean... that you are willing to guarantee for this official?"

Xie Juner chuckled, "Actually... I have never met Lin Xiao and do not know what kind of person he is, so how could I guarantee for you, Inspector General Jiang?"

"It is just that... now that the situation is lost, rather than putting up a futile resistance, it would be better for you to surrender. I believe Lin Xiao will not kill everyone."

Marquis Xie Shang looked at his daughter thoughtfully and muttered to himself:

Is this daughter of mine planning to accumulate a dowry for marrying into the Lin Mansion?