Chapter 301 Preparations Before the War

The meeting lasted until nightfall, and it was finally decided that Zhu Song of the Zhu family would be the commander-in-chief. Scions from several families, including the Gu, Xiao, and Cui families, divided up all the important positions within the great army.

However, these people were not fools. While they monopolized the important positions in the army, they were well aware that these younger generation members of their clans had no experience in leading troops.

Therefore, for the positions of Zhonglang General and Colonel, they still employed the veterans from the original Sixteen Guards; they were the true backbone of this war.

After the meeting adjourned, Song Yehong did not go home but went directly to the Zheng Residence, pulling Zheng Ting into a secret room in the backyard.

Once the wine and food were set and all the maidservants and servants were dismissed, Song Yehong spoke up impatiently.

"Brother Zheng, no matter how you look at it, Gao Yuan is our brother-in-law. Why did you..."

Zheng Ting gave a confident smile.

"Do you think I am trying to harm him?"

"Is that not the case?"

Zheng Ting raised his wine cup and clinked it with Song Yehong's, revealing a confident smile once more.

"This Great Qian is already beyond saving; I see this very clearly. Naturally, it is impossible for me to harm Gao Yuan."

"Then what was the meaning of Brother Zheng's actions today?"

"I heard that Gao Yuan wants to expand his army, but he lacks iron armor and warhorses..."

Before the sentence was finished, Song Yehong already understood Zheng Ting's purpose. He leaned forward toward Zheng Ting.

"Are you so sure Gao Yuan can win? What if..."

"Hahaha!"

Zheng Ting laughed loudly, reaching out his arm to pat Song Yehong on the shoulder.

"I have full confidence in our brother-in-law. Zhu Song and the others combined wouldn't be a match for Gao Yuan. This army of seventy thousand is purely going there to deliver military supplies to him."

Song Yehong also realized this. He sat up straight, slapping his thigh while laughing loudly.

"Exactly, exactly. I also have full confidence in our brother-in-law."

However, Song Yehong soon fell into silence again.

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. If this Great Qian is destroyed, I'm afraid our two families will also..."

Zheng Ting was also momentarily stunned, but his gaze quickly became firm again.

"Brother Song, you and I should consider a way out. At the very least, we shouldn't perish along with those fools like Zhao Changluo."

The two discussed for a long time that day. As for the specifics of their discussion, no one knew. All that was known was that soon after, the two began to secretly gather refugees at their estates outside the city, using large amounts of money and grain to settle them down.

While this side was still recruiting new soldiers to prepare for the expedition, the secret guards on the other side had already obtained intelligence sent by the Zheng and Song families. This intelligence was soon delivered to Gao Yuan's desk through multiple channels.

After Gao Yuan finished reading, he could only mutter one sentence.

"The more internal strife and external threats there are, the easier it is to deceive people's hearts. These fellows aren't stupid, but unfortunately, they chose the wrong opponent."

Gao Yuan's expression was very relaxed, which gave several women great confidence.

This time, the first to speak was actually Mu Qing.

"Husband, can you take me and the Imperial Guard Battalion with you on this expedition..."

Gao Yuan was stunned for a moment. Over the years, the women had become mothers one by one. Since Mu Qing gave birth to her child, she had never mentioned going on an expedition again.

Gao Yuan looked at her B-rank evaluation and nodded.

"Fine, since you want to go, then come along. Just treat it as a chance to clear your head."

Pausing for a moment, Gao Yuan felt a bit guilty as he touched Little Chili Pepper's pretty face.

The once fiery girl had now become a sweet lady.

Although managing the Imperial Guard Battalion still gave her a hint of heroic spirit, she was no longer as she was in the past.

However, what he didn't expect was that Mu Qing's next words were completely outside his expectations.

"Although the sisters in the Imperial Guard Battalion are soldiers, they have never seen a real battlefield;"

"So I think, even if it's only once, even if they don't go to the front lines to kill enemies, they must see blood. Only then will they not fail the armor they wear and the banner of the Imperial Guard Battalion."

Gao Yuan was stunned, a different kind of emotion for Mu Qing stirring in his heart.

This time he nodded seriously, no longer in the capacity of a husband, but as the supreme military commander of the Nanyue Kingdom.

"Very well, for this expedition, half of the Imperial Guard Battalion will be mobilized, led by Mu Qing to accompany the army."

Mu Qing took a step back and solemnly cupped her hands in a salute to Gao Yuan, shouting in a firm tone.

"Understood!"

While Gao Yuan was making his plans, the Great Qian Imperial Court was busy preparing for the southern expedition.

With full meals to eat, military pay to receive, and land to be distributed after winning the war, this attracted many people to join the army.

In less than three months, eighty thousand soldiers and thirty thousand laborers had been recruited, followed by intense training work.

Although Zhu Song had never led troops as a primary commander, he had served in the military before, and he managed the training in an orderly fashion.

His performance gave the heads of the Powerful Families great confidence, and they praised his performance highly.

Before a single battle had even been fought, these talents of the Powerful Families were already being touted as the famous generals of the age.

In Capital City, in a private room on the second floor of a wine shop, several frustrated middle-aged men were eating bland food.

"Brother Ma, you also went to see the new recruits drill a few days ago. What did you think?"

General Ma Zhiyuan drained his wine in one gulp and shook his head.

"Strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They only look good, but on a real battlefield, they'll just be embroidered pillows—all show and no substance."

Jiang Huaizhen, having been idle for many years, already showed signs of old age with many white hairs at his temples. He said nothing, only sighing.

Meng Zhenshan was full of worry.

"They're all just green recruits. I really don't know where they get the confidence to challenge the Nanyue Army."

Song Ren also drained his wine in one gulp.

"It's not entirely like that. I heard that the Beiwei Army went on a western expedition long ago. In this battle, there should only be that so-called Xuanjia Army;"

"Presumably, with eighty thousand troops in Zhu Song's hands, as long as he plays it safe, he should have an eighty percent chance of victory."

"Eighty percent? Brother Song, you overrate Zhu Song too much. I think they'd be lucky to have a thirty percent chance of victory."

Meng Zhenshan could be said to be the one among those present who had fought Gao Yuan the most and suffered the most losses.

"Exactly. That Gao Yuan is a veteran of the battlefield. I don't believe he doesn't have a fresh force in his hands."

Jiang Huaizhen also nodded.

"Think of how Dragon Soaring and Flying Tiger were both tiger-like generals of their time, yet they still suffered greatly at Gao Yuan's hands."

General Ma Zhiyuan raised his wine cup.

"Alright, alright. We're all just idle people now, why worry about those things? Drink, drink, drink!"

"Right, right, right. Drink, drink, drink!"

"Sigh, this food is getting blander and blander."

"There's no choice. If you want to eat salt, you have to pay extra. How can we afford that extra money for salt?"

"If even we can't afford salt, the lives of the common people must be even harder..."

The atmosphere of this gathering remained very oppressive. Even when it ended, the several men still had faces full of sorrow.

At the end of August, Zhu Song submitted a memorial stating that the army was well-trained and fully equipped, ready to set out at any time.

This news made the monarch and ministers in the court very excited. They seemed to have already foreseen the day when the Red Plume Messenger would gallop into Capital City with news of a great victory.

Only a few people were watching coldly at this moment, quietly preparing their way out.

On the other side, as soon as Great Qian's new army moved, Gao Yuan began to make rapid preparations.

Five thousand troops of the Xuanjia Army drawn from various places had already headed to Yuzhou under the leadership of Ma Song to set up defenses.

The main force of the Imperial Guard Division currently remained in Panyu, not in a hurry to go to Yuzhou.

Gao Yuan was waiting. First, he was worried that the old foxes in the imperial court would use a feint, appearing to attack Yuzhou while actually launching a surprise attack on South of the Ranges.

At the same time, Gao Yuan also harbored another idea: if Ma Song could hold off the enemy army in Yuzhou, then he could pull the rug out from under them.