179: Chapter 179 Shared Hatred

In every corner of the northern border, hundreds of thousands of militiamen were also intensifying their training under the rigorous drills of retired veterans from the Panshi Army.

Although their equipment was crude and their combat skills unrefined, their high morale to defend their homes and country, along with eyes filled with perseverance and determination, were enough to make any enemy who dared to underestimate them pay a bloody price!

The entire northern border was united as one, sharing a common hatred for the enemy!

An iron will, capable of making the heavens and earth change color, quietly coalesced above this land, which was brimming with vitality!

Everyone was waiting, waiting for that final judgment of blood and fire that would soon determine their future destiny!

However, at this tense moment when the storm was about to break, a group completely unexpected by everyone knocked on the thick and majestic South Gate of Yan King City.

It was neither the murderous vanguard cavalry under Cao Meng, nor the bloodthirsty barbarian scouts from the grasslands.

It was a massive "congratulatory" delegation, consisting of over a hundred servant guards escorting several magnificent carriages loaded with gold, silver, jewelry, and fine silks.

On the delegation's banner, a flamboyant "Wei" character appeared so glaring and filled with endless irony in the biting cold wind of the northern border.

Zhang Guan, the chief strategist for the King of Wei, Cao Meng—the "poisonous strategist" who had secretly orchestrated the vicious plan of a pincer attack from the north and south—had actually entered this majestic city, which he had long regarded as already in his grasp, under the pretense of "congratulating the northern border on its harvest and improving neighborly relations."

That night, a grand welcome banquet, specially prepared for this "honored guest," was held in the Chengtian Hall of the Yan Kings Residence.

Inside the great hall, it was brightly lit, as bright as day.

Gao Feng sat high on the main seat, his expression calm, revealing no joy or anger.

To his left and right sat Liu Chengfeng and Xu Changqing, the two heads of the Panshi civil officials, sitting upright with composed expressions.

Du Wei, Zhao Yu, Xiang Hao, and a group of new and old star generals were lined up on both sides. Watching Zhang Guan, who sat below with a beaming, harmless smile, their eyes flashed with undisguised, icy Killing Intent.

If not for Gao Feng's strict orders, they would have probably torn this insidious, poisonous strategist, who hid a knife behind his smile, into pieces on the spot!

Zhang Guan, about forty years old, was dressed in an elegant cyan robe, with a thin face and three long strands of beard under his chin, looking quite like a renowned scholar.

However, deep within his seemingly murky old eyes, a cold and sharp glint, like that of a poisonous snake, flashed from time to time, tearing his feigned elegance to shreds.

"Oh my! I have long heard that Your Highness is a Dragon among men. Seeing you today, I realize that hearing of your reputation is not as good as meeting you in person! Your Highness walks with the stride of a dragon and tiger, possessing an appearance of the heavens; you are truly an unparalleled hero of our Central Plains, one not seen in a century!" Zhang Guan raised his wine glass, stood up with a fawning face, and his sickening sycophantic words made all the Panshi generals present feel a wave of nausea.

Gao Feng just smiled faintly, raised his glass noncommittally, and signaled for him to please himself.

Zhang Guan did not feel embarrassed. He drained his cup in one gulp, then immediately turned his gaze to the mountain of delicacies meticulously prepared by the royal chefs, especially the exquisite dishes made with "Shennong No. 1" new rice as the main ingredient, a trace of undisguised greed and astonishment flashing in his eyes.

"Under Your Highness's rule, the five grains are abundant, and the people are happy; it is truly enviable!"

Zhang Guan clapped his hands in admiration and said, "My King of Wei often says that the northern border and the Central Plains are separated only by a strip of water and should look out for each other. Now that the northern border has had a bountiful harvest, while my Central Plains land suffers from famine due to years of war. I wonder if Your Highness could, for the sake of the friendship between our two nations, sell a batch of 'Shennong' grain seeds to relieve the urgent needs of my Central Plains? My King of Wei is willing to pay ten times the price to purchase them!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the great hall instantly became several degrees heavier.

Everyone knew what kind of sinister intentions were hidden behind this seemingly reasonable request! Once Cao Meng obtained such divine seeds, within three years, his national power and military strength would surely experience explosive growth! By then, with one side declining and the other growing, the northern border would be in danger!

Before Gao Feng could speak, Liu Chengfeng, the left chancellor beside him, stroked his long beard and began to laugh leisurely.

"Mr. Zhang Guan, you are mistaken." Liu Chengfeng's voice was gentle yet full of strength. He quoted classics and spoke eloquently, "The 'Book of Rites' says: 'If a neighbor is in mourning, do not pestle grain in rhythm; if there is a funeral in the village, do not sing in the lanes.' The King of Wei and our Prince are both outstanding talents of the current age and should be like branches of the same tree. However, the King of Wei sits on the fertile land of the Central Plains, with elite troops and ample provisions, yet covets the bountiful harvest of our northern border. This is not the conduct of a gentleman, nor is it the way of an ally."

He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming firm yet gentle: "As for those 'Shennong' grain seeds, they are sacred items bestowed by Shennong himself upon our Prince, who sensed the will of heaven, and they are the crystallized fruit of the countless efforts of our northern border's Agricultural Institute. This item is only suitable for the soil and water of our northern border. Once taken south, I fear there will be the worry that 'a tangerine grown south of the Huai River becomes a tangerine, but north of the Huai, it becomes a trifoliate orange.' If the King of Wei's farming season were to be missed because of this, would we not become sinners through the ages?"

His words were airtight; he not only stood on the moral high ground by quoting classics but also blocked the other party's request with a seemingly reasonable excuse.

A trace of imperceptible gloom flashed across Zhang Guan's face, but he quickly returned to his smiling appearance.

"Chancellor Liu is right; it was my rudeness." He changed the subject again and turned his gaze to the Panshi generals, who were clad in fine armor and exuding monstrous Evil Qi, a flash of even more intense greed appearing in his eyes.

"I have heard that the northern border's Hundred Crafts Institute is masterfully skilled, and the weaponry they forge is the best in the world. Now, the barbarian tribes of the grasslands have wolf-like ambitions and are not only a great enemy of our northern border but also a major threat to our Central Plains. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to sell a batch of standard-issue weaponry to our army? We are willing to build a Great Wall together with the northern border to resist foreign humiliation! In this way, it can also reduce the pressure on the northern border; is this not a win-win strategy?"

This time, before Liu Chengfeng could speak, the right chancellor, Xu Changqing, who had been silent while holding a feather fan, sneered and spoke up.

"Mr. Zhang Guan, this is even more absurd!" Xu Changqing's voice was cold and sharp, like a drawn Sharp Weapon, piercing straight to the heart, "Our Panshi weaponry is a Sharp Weapon for defending our home and country; every battle saber and every suit of armor condenses the heart's blood of our northern border craftsmen and is soaked in the blood of our Panshi soldiers! How can such a Divine Artifact be easily shown to others? Furthermore..."

A trace of undisguised mockery and disdain flashed in his eyes.

"Although our northern border is newly established, our soldiers are dedicated, and we are united as one. Why should we care about mere barbarian tribes from the grasslands? Our Panshi Army has the ability to ensure the peace of our borders and protect the safety of our people! There is no need for the King of Wei to trouble himself with this matter!"

Xu Changqing's words were firm and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation! That powerful self-confidence and soaring arrogance, originating from the marrow of his bones, made it impossible for Zhang Guan to keep up his hypocritical smiling face any longer!

His face instantly turned extremely gloomy. His fists, hidden under his long sleeves, clenched tightly, his fingernails even digging deep into his palms!

The banquet broke up on bad terms in a strange atmosphere filled with sharp verbal sparring and hostility.

The next day, under Gao Feng's "warm" arrangements, Zhang Guan "toured" Yan King City.

He saw the wide, clean streets bustling with traffic, the prosperous markets lined with shops and teeming with people, and the simple faces overflowing with genuine happiness and hope.

He saw the towering Panshi University filled with the sound of reading, the giant workshops bustling with people and brimming with vitality, and the "Peaceful Abodes" built by the government and provided free of charge to the elderly and the lonely.

All of this was a world of difference from the northern border he had imagined—a place that had just experienced the ravages of war and should have been devastated and waiting for reconstruction!

How could this look like an emerging force that had been established for less than a year? This was clearly a powerful kingdom that had been developing for decades, with a solid Foundation and flourishing national power!

And when he was "granted permission" to enter the Panshi Army camp on the outskirts of the city and saw with his own eyes the tens of thousands of Panshi Army soldiers clad in "Panshi Type II" refined steel plate armor, holding "Panshi Type II" standard-issue battle sabers, with magnificent military bearing and soaring Killing Intent, his powerful heart, which had always prided itself on being infallible, was finally completely filled with unprecedented fear and shock at this moment!

He saw Du Wei's Tiger Guard Battalion, that terrifying, airtight shield formation that was like an iron Great Wall!

He saw Zhao Yu's cavalry, that deadly rain of arrows that came and went like ghosts!

He even saw from afar the "Divine Power Battalion" heavy infantry, led by Xiang Hao—three thousand soldiers who were like ancient demons and gods; just by standing there, they exuded a terrifying aura capable of making the earth itself tremble!

"This... how is this possible?!"

Zhang Guan's face turned as pale as paper, his lips trembling uncontrollably, and his usually cold eyes were filled with unprecedented horror and disbelief!

He had never dreamed that this person, who in his eyes was just an upstart with a peasant background who had succeeded by luck, could have built such a terrifying iron army in such a short time!

The excellence of this army's equipment, the high morale, and the firmness of their will were even a cut above the fifty-thousand-strong army of the King of Wei that he was so proud of!

That night, Zhang Guan left Yan King City overnight; he didn't even dare to stay for another moment!

He had to go back immediately and tell the King of Wei everything he had seen here, exactly as it was!

He had to tell the King of Wei that this Gao Feng was by no means a creature of a small pond! He was a terrifying dragon, about to transform, ascend to the heavens, and devour the world! He must, at all costs, be completely strangled in the cradle before he had fully grown!

And just as Zhang Guan's fleeing carriage disappeared into the night.

In the Yan Kings Residence, on the star-gazing platform that towered into the clouds, Gao Feng stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the departing convoy, a cruel smile filled with endless coldness and mockery curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Changqing, what do you think he will say to Cao Meng after he returns?" Gao Feng asked without turning his head.

“Reporting to you, my lord,” Xu Changqing shook his feather fan, his wise eyes flashing with a cold smile identical to that of Gao Feng, “He will tell Cao Meng that we are very strong, strong to the point of being unimaginable. He will use the most exaggerated language to describe the excellence of our army, the prosperity of our city, and the wealth of our people.”

“And after Cao Meng hears this, how will he react?”

“He will become even more impatient and even more underestimate the enemy.” A fox-like cunning flashed in Xu Changqing's eyes. “He will believe that all of our strength is just a castle in the air built upon ‘Divine Seeds’ and ‘Divine Artifacts’. He will think that our Foundation is shallow and that we are unworthy of our position. He will think that as long as he can use his 500,000 battle-hardened veterans to crush our main force in one battle, all the prosperity we have created will become trophies within his grasp!”

“Correct.” Gao Feng turned around slowly, his eyes, deep as the stars, burning with a raging ambition and supreme tyranny capable of incinerating the entire world!

“I want him to see our ‘strength’! I want him to take this ‘strength’ back, to make Cao Meng more determined to attack, and even more underestimate the enemy!”

“I want him to take his 500,000-strong army and his conviction of certain victory, and crash headlong into this inescapable net I have carefully prepared for him!”

“In this battle, not only must I win, but I must win so thoroughly that Cao Meng loses everything and can never recover!”

However, what Gao Feng and Xu Changqing did not know was that while they were strategizing and determining victory from a thousand miles away, a hidden move they had personally laid was quietly fermenting in a corner they hadn't expected.

Before leaving Yan King City, Zhang Guan was still unwilling to give up. He used his last bit of time to find that inconspicuous little beggar at the foot of the city wall—Douzi.

He had assumed that with a few fragrant meat pies and a few taels of silver, he could easily extract some useful information from this naive child.

However, he never dreamed that deep within the big, dark eyes of this little beggar, whom he considered as humble as an ant, lay wisdom and vigilance far beyond his age.

After accepting the meat pies and silver, Douzi played along, using the fake information he had pieced together from the “Skylark Propaganda Team” and rumors on the street—information already deliberately spread by “Skynet”—and embellished it to tell Zhang Guan.

He told Zhang Guan that although the Panshi Army's new weapons were sharp, they were extremely prone to chipping and could not support high-intensity combat.

He told Zhang Guan that there were deep conflicts between the new and old generals of the Panshi Army, as incompatible as fire and water, and that a large-scale brawl had even broken out in the barracks a few days ago.

He told Zhang Guan that although the granaries in the northern border were piled high, the defenses were lax and the management chaotic, and a single surprise force could easily burn them to the ground.

And all of this was seen by a “Skynet” secret agent disguised as a peddler nearby.

That night, a detailed report on the matter was delivered to Xu Changqing's desk.

Xu Changqing looked at the report, his usually composed face revealing a strange expression of being unable to laugh or cry.

He shook his feather fan and muttered to himself: “This Douzi... is a talent worth molding. Very well, since the enemy has taken the initiative to provide us with an excellent channel for spreading fake information, how could we not make good use of it?”

A war of intelligence, without smoke but even more dangerous, quietly began in such a dramatic way.

Just as the entire northern border was making final, intensive preparations for the upcoming southern war.

An even more unexpected piece of news exploded like a thunderclap among the core decision-makers of the Yan Kings Residence!

Late at night, Yan Kings Residence, secret chamber.

An old man with a hunched figure, a face full of weathering, and wearing a ragged grassland fur coat, looking like an ordinary herdsman, was kneeling before Gao Feng, trembling violently all over.

His face was filled with infinite fear, unwillingness, and the last shred of hope for survival.

“Great king of the northern border, the eagle of the grassland, the Incarnation of light!” The old man said in a voice filled with awe and humility, kowtowing, his voice hoarse, “This humble one is Batu, the chief shaman under the Gray Wolf King. Today, I am here on the orders of my King to offer the loyalty and knees of our entire Gray Wolf tribe to you!”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present, including Xu Changqing and Liu Chengfeng, who were usually as calm as Mount Tai, gasped!

The Gray Wolf King!

That new grassland noble who had just reached a secret agreement with Cao Meng to attack the northern border from the north and south, had actually sent someone to surrender?!

This... what on earth was going on?!

“Look up.” Gao Feng's voice was calm without a ripple, but those deep eyes were like two invisible sharp swords, as if they wanted to see through the Soul of the old man before him.

Batu dared not disobey in the slightest. He raised his head tremblingly, his wrinkled old face filled with infinite bitterness and despair.

“Reporting to the great King,” he said with a trembling voice, “We... we have been deceived by that despicable Han Chinese, Cao Meng!”

It turned out that just when the Gray Wolf King reached a secret agreement with Cao Meng to assemble a large army and head south to plunder, the King of Donghu, who had been eyeing them covetously, got the news from somewhere. In the name of “maintaining grassland peace and punishing the faithless,” he brazenly dispatched 200,000 iron cavalry to launch a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared Gray Wolf tribe!

Overnight, the Gray Wolf tribe suffered heavy casualties, livestock were plundered, and several small tribes were even cruelly slaughtered by the Eastern Hu Tribes!

Although the Gray Wolf King fought to the death, he was outnumbered and beaten back, retreating in a sorry state. Now he could only take less than 50,000 remnants and retreat to the barren and arid “Wolf Howl Valley” to linger on his last breath.

And that King of Wei, Cao Meng, who possessed an army of 500,000, never sent a single soldier to help from beginning to end!

Only at this moment did the Gray Wolf King finally realize that he was nothing more than a pitiful pawn in Cao Meng's hands, used to test the reality of the northern border and consume its strength!

Now, with 200,000 Donghu troops besieging him from the front and Cao Meng's betrayal and indifference from behind, he had no way out. He could only pin his last hope on this king of the northern border, whom he had once regarded as a deadly enemy, but who might now be his only savior!

“My King is willing to offer his most beloved warhorse, his most beautiful daughter, and all the wealth our Gray Wolf tribe has accumulated for generations! I only beg the great king of the northern border to send troops to save us from fire and water! From now on, our Gray Wolf tribe is willing to be your most loyal hunting dog, to trample down all enemies on the grassland for you!”

After Batu finished speaking, he heavily knocked his forehead against the cold and hard floor, not daring to lift it again.

The entire secret chamber fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was completely shocked by this sudden and earth-shattering change!

“Your Highness! Absolutely not!” Great Commander Du Wei was the first to stand up, his dark face filled with unquestionable determination, “This Gray Wolf King is by nature a jackal, fickle and capricious! A moment ago he was colluding with Cao Meng, plotting against our northern border, and now that he is defeated and weak, he comes fawning to surrender! How can we trust such a treacherous person? In the humble opinion of this general, we should sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, letting them and the Eastern Hu Tribes fight until both are injured, and then we can reap the benefits!”

“Commander Du's words are wrong!”

Zhao Yu immediately retorted, “War is about deception. Although the Gray Wolf King cannot be trusted, his tens of thousands of cavalry are the combat strength our northern border urgently needs! If we can incorporate them, our cavalry strength will definitely be greatly enhanced! Furthermore, when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold! Once the King of Donghu annexes the Gray Wolf tribe, his strength will inevitably expand unprecedentedly! By then, what we will face will be an even more terrifying enemy that has unified the entire eastern grassland!”

For a time, the ministers were divided into two factions again, arguing endlessly.

One faction advocated not letting the wolf into the house and sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

The other faction advocated making a quick decision, incorporating the remnants, and strengthening themselves.

Just then, Gao Feng stood up slowly. He walked to the huge map, his deep eyes quietly gazing at the vast and boundless grassland, his voice calm, yet filled with unquestionable decisiveness.

“This King has decided to accept the allegiance of the Gray Wolf King.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked!

“Your Highness!” Du Wei wanted to persuade him again.

But Gao Feng just raised his hand to stop him.

“Du Wei, I understand all your concerns.” Gao Feng turned around slowly, his eyes, brilliant as stars, scanning everyone present, “But you have all overlooked the most important point.”

“The Eastern Hu Tribes are powerful and have become a serious threat to our northern border! If we let them annex the Gray Wolf tribe, their strength will skyrocket, and by then, the next one will be us! Instead of sitting and waiting for a strong enemy to come to our door, it is better to take the initiative and burn the flames of war on the enemy's land!”

“By incorporating the Gray Wolf remnants, we can not only immediately obtain tens of thousands of battle-hardened elite cavalry, but also push our defense line hundreds of miles to the north, gaining a crucial strategic buffer zone!”

“More importantly,” Gao Feng's eyes erupted with unprecedented, peerless tyranny!

“This King wants to take this opportunity to let all the tribes on the grassland take a good look! What kind of wealth and glory those who follow Gao Feng will receive! And what a miserable end awaits those who oppose Gao Feng!”

“This King wants to establish a brand new absolute order on this grassland of survival of the fittest, dominated by Panshi Land!”