201: Chapter 0201 I Want It All

Lin Xiao suppressed his heartache and rushed forward to try and get a share of the action.

The soldiers watched Lin Xiao leading by example and charging at the very front, and they were all deeply moved!

Even in a pursuit battle with no real pressure, Lin Xiao refused to fall behind a single step, insisting on charging at the very front!

Why was this? Naturally, it was because he cherished the lives of his soldiers and did not want to suffer any casualties!

"Brothers! We cannot always let General Lin bear the burden for us! We must show our worth!" Chen Chuan shouted.

"That's right! General, you should stay in the rear; we will absolutely slaughter them until not a single piece of armor remains!" Commander Bai Buhei said, his eyes reddening with emotion.

"Don't let a single one escape! Divine Archer Battalion! Catch the stragglers!" Li Xu led his troops to intercept.

Lin Xiao was almost amused to the point of laughter; how did he end up firing them up like this!?

Xie Juner, who arrived late, found the battlefield already filled with the sounds of killing when she reached it.

When she saw Lin Xiao's heroic figure and heard the shouts of his soldiers, she couldn't help but be stunned!

Last time at the city gate, it was also Lin Xiao who went alone, putting himself in danger to kill the Earl of Anyang and repel the Shazhou Army.

"So... he has always been like this..."

"No wonder everyone loves and respects him so much..."

"Even after becoming an earl, he never forgot his original intentions, advancing and retreating alongside his soldiers."

"Compared to him, what am I, a princess relying on the shade of my ancestors, worth?"

"No wonder... he looks down on me..."

Xie Juner felt ashamed of her own inferiority. She had originally felt aggrieved, but now, she realized more and more that she truly was not worthy of Lin Xiao.

Not to mention anything else, she simply couldn't do what Mu Wanying and Leng Bingyan did—go to the battlefield to kill enemies alongside him.

This man possessed peerless martial arts, exceptional literary talent, and a business mind that could save the people and the world...

Everyone called him a God of Slaughter, but deep within this God of Slaughter was a humble gentleman, warm and compassionate.

He was charging into battle, disregarding his own life, for the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army and for the common people who supported him...

Tears streamed down Xie Juner's face before she realized it. She hated herself; she hated that she hadn't known these things sooner.

If she had known him sooner, she wouldn't have used a fake identity to test him, leading to this current awkward situation.

After seeing such a peerless hero, how could she ever look at any other man in her life?

"Lin Xiao, I, Xie Juner, will marry no one but you in this life!"

At this thought, Xie Juner drew her sword and followed them into the fray.

Unfortunately, the Zhenbei Army's momentum was like a rainbow, and even Lin Xiao had to fight for his share of the action. Xie Juner naturally had no chance to show her skills, which directly made the princess cry in frustration!

Damn it, why is it that every time she resolves to go to the battlefield, there's never a chance to show what she can do!?

A chance encounter in the wilderness, and the battle ended in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!

The Zhenbei Army lost fewer than ten men and had over a hundred wounded, yet they had almost wiped out the enemy's three thousand light cavalry!

After the fight, even Lin Xiao was startled by this terrifying casualty ratio.

You have to understand, he had only snatched over two hundred kills himself; the remaining two thousand seven hundred were truly the achievement of the five-thousand-strong army.

Unknowingly, this Zhenbei Army, tempered by blood, had already undergone a transformation!

"Husband, are we really going to Huanglong Prefecture?"

Mu Wanying, who had just enjoyed the slaughter, rode over and asked.

"Naturally. The enemy army has already left the city; I cannot let such an opportunity slip by!"

"Then what about E Prefecture? My father and I have already agreed with Feng Yuzhang! They are all waiting for the Zhenbei Army over there!" Xie Juner said anxiously.

"What are you panicking about? Let the White King's Army and the Yan King's Army fight it out first! Once I take Sha Prefecture and cut off the White King's Army's retreat, are you afraid I won't be able to take E Prefecture?"

Lin Xiao's counter-question left Xie Juner speechless.

That's right! If Sha Prefecture is taken, wouldn't E Prefecture be like taking something from one's own pocket?

Moreover, capturing two prefectures in one go would completely rewrite the situation in the Northern Border!

Mu Wanying, Leng Bingyan, and the other officers all had their eyes light up with excitement!

So Lin Xiao's ambitions were this grand!?

Although it sounded crazy—after all, Sha Prefecture had seven or eight prefectures, fifty thousand garrison troops, and an unknown number of White King's Army soldiers.

But... as long as Lin Xiao said so, they had confidence!

Lin Xiao immediately ordered scouts to return and notify General Wu Jinzhe, who was behind them, to come directly to Huanglong Prefecture when the time came, instead of going to E Prefecture.

Subsequently, he led his cavalry, which had suffered almost no losses, and continued to ride south to kill.

On the way, they indeed encountered the ten thousand reinforcements from the Shazhou Army.

When these infantrymen saw that it was the iron cavalry of the Zhenbei Army, the striking "Lin" character on the banners directly terrified them into a stupor!

Because this meant that the three thousand cavalry led by Liu Yizhun had been wiped out!!

The Registrar of Huanglong Prefecture, who was in charge of leading the reinforcements, saw Liu Yizhun's head and was so scared that he scrambled and immediately surrendered!

Are you kidding? On the plains, heavy cavalry fighting infantry—isn't that purely a massacre?

Fight? Absolutely not!

Run? No chance at all!

Anyway, the officers of the White King's Army were all dead, and the officers of Huanglong Prefecture had no psychological burden; they just surrendered!

They were close to Yangquan and had long heard that after Yangquan was taken over by the Zhenbei Army, life was incredibly good, and soldiers' pay was never delayed.

Deep down, they had long been looking forward to this day of being incorporated!

Prince Bai? Screw him! We are government troops!!

Before nightfall.

Lin Xiao successfully entered Huanglong Prefecture with five thousand Zhenbei Army troops and ten thousand incorporated Shazhou Army troops.

The Prefect had already received the news and brought civil and military officials to welcome them at the gate.

Compared to recapturing a prefecture in Cang Province before, Lin Xiao clearly felt that the resistance was much smaller.

It was obvious that his reputation had risen and the influence of the Zhenbei Army had grown, so the officials and common people were more accepting.

After resting for a night, the next afternoon.

General Zhao Kuan arrived in Huanglong Prefecture early, dusty and travel-worn, and found Lin Xiao at the temporary residence.

"Brother Lin, do you really intend to retake Sha Prefecture first?"

In General Zhao Kuan's eyes, there was eagerness, struggle, and restraint.

Lin Xiao had long guessed that his decision would make General Zhao Kuan feel uncomfortable.

But he had no choice; friendship was one thing, but he certainly had to prioritize the big picture.

"Brother Zhao, you must be disappointed, right?"

General Zhao Kuan sighed, "At first, I was a little angry, feeling that you had deceived me. We agreed to go help the Cold Iron Guard, but you took the opportunity to attack Sha Prefecture."

"But after I calmed down and thought about it carefully, this move of yours is indeed brilliant; it exploited the psychology of the White King's Army."

"Moreover, even if we take E Prefecture, facing the pincer attack from the Yan King and Prince Bai, E Prefecture would not be stable."

"But if we can take Sha Prefecture first, the situation will be completely different, so... you are right."

Lin Xiao sighed with emotion; as expected of the mature and steady old Zhao, his rationality had conquered his emotions so quickly.

"However..."

General Zhao Kuan frowned and said, "The subsequent attacks on the prefectures of Sha Prefecture will definitely require siege equipment, and we will need to mobilize provisions and supplies; it should take quite a while."

"By the time we take Sha Prefecture, the war in E Prefecture might have already ended, and the opportunity will have been missed..."

At this point, General Zhao Kuan's eyes dimmed.

Many of the Zhao family would likely die in this battle.

The Cold Iron Guard, one of the five great iron cavalries, might also follow in the footsteps of the Golden Scale Guard.

"No!" Lin Xiao smiled confidently. "I want Sha Prefecture, and I also want E Prefecture and the Cold Iron Guard!"

"Brother, what do you mean?" General Zhao Kuan was stunned.

Lin Xiao tapped a map of the Northern Border on the wall with one hand.

"Brother Zhao, next, we will split our forces into two!"

"You will continue to retake Sha Prefecture, and I will go to save the Zhao family in E Prefecture and the Cold Iron Guard!!"