Chapter 1016

Chapter 1016: Ambitions for the World

The morale of the Yan army’s forward squad crumbled.

The soldiers in the forward unit were the most valiant and skilled fighters in the Yan army, and they held Yan Xiaoyun in the highest regard, both in faith and admiration.

In their hearts, this Grand Commander was invincible, destined to lead them to conquer Hanhai Pass.

Yet, just as the decisive battle was about to commence, Yan Xiaoyun fell dead.

No one wished to accept this grim reality, but there was no denying the sight of Yan Xiaoyun’s body swaying on the city wall, his iconic Qilin armor gleaming under the sun. How could they continue to deceive themselves?

“Ah~”

Many soldiers dropped their weapons; some knelt and wept, while others pounded the ground in anguish.

A few even charged toward the city wall in a frenzy.

They were swiftly met with a barrage of arrows!

The shockwave from the commander’s demise rippled from the forward squad to the central and rear forces, causing the morale of the hundreds of thousands of Yan soldiers to plummet. Countless men exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do next.

“Taibao Wang, should we send troops out to charge?”

Shangguan Wuji, seasoned and astute, knew that deploying a cavalry unit at this moment would yield significant results.

“No need.”

But Wang Chen shook his head and replied, “It’s unnecessary.”

The three martial honors of the Yan Kingdom had been utterly defeated in battle, and Yan Xiaoyun’s corpse hanging on the city wall had already dealt a devastating blow to the Yan army.

Yet, the main force of the Yan army remained largely intact, outnumbering the Hanhai army by more than tenfold. If their commanders rallied their troops for a vengeful charge in Yan Xiaoyun’s name, the Hanhai Cavalry would surely face annihilation.

Even with Wang Chen leading them, it would not be enough.

The Yan army was no match for the likes of White Wolf’s bandits!

Most importantly, Wang Chen needed a fully intact Hanhai army to carry out his grand plans.

Thus, he allowed the Yan army’s forward squad to retreat.

The Yan army withdrew ten miles, regrouping and establishing a new camp.

But this once-mighty force had lost its spirit and morale.

That night, the entire Hanhai City erupted into jubilant celebrations of victory.

Earlier, when the Yan army had launched its massive assault, the city had been shrouded in despair, with many preparing to flee.

However, the Hanhai army had sealed the inner and outer city gates, conducting extensive searches for spies, which only heightened the atmosphere of tension and panic.

Now, with the Yan army’s commander and two martial honors fallen at Hanhai Pass, the Yan army had effectively been broken, posing no further threat to Hanhai City.

How could anyone not feel overjoyed?

Princess Qingyun was undoubtedly the most elated. In the name of the Royal Family of Daliang, she conferred upon Wang Chen the title of Taibao and the rank of Supreme General of the State, granting him Hanhai County as a reward for his unparalleled achievements.

In truth, given Princess Qingyun’s status, she had no authority to make such a grant.

But with Emperor Shaowu deceased and Prince Jing scheming to usurp the throne, Princess Qingyun’s decision to raise the banner was not out of place. It was a bold declaration of her intent to claim Daliang’s throne.

With the support of Shangguan Wuji and fifty thousand Hanhai soldiers, along with the legendary warrior Wang Chen, there was not a whisper of opposition in all of Hanhai City.

Even if there were any, they would be immediately suppressed!

The next day, Hanhai City announced a change of banner, breaking away from the rule of Emperor Yuanjing of Daliang.

At the same time, the Yan army outside the pass sent a negotiation delegation.

They wanted to retrieve Yan Xiaoyun’s remains.

"Sure."

After hearing the report from the duty soldier, Wang Chen’s mindset quickly shifted, and he understood immediately: "General Shangguan, I will leave the negotiations entirely to you."

He added meaningfully, "I’ve heard that the Yan Kingdom is very wealthy, so we can’t let them off easily."

Shangguan Wuji understood perfectly: "Got it."

Although Yan Xiaoyun was dead, his prestige among the Yan army was incredibly high. Retrieving his remains would unite the tens of thousands of mourners and prevent the entire army from collapsing.

The new commander of the Yan army wanted to bring this massive force back intact while preserving its spirit, so they could not allow Yan Xiaoyun’s body to continue hanging on the walls of Hanhai Pass.

This was a perfect opportunity to take advantage!

How could the experienced Shangguan Wuji not grasp the situation? He eagerly welcomed the Yan army’s envoy.

Wang Chen observed the negotiations closely.

Then he witnessed the changing expressions of the Yan army’s envoy, which could easily serve as a teaching example for northern films.

As for the final negotiation result, Wang Chen could not help but shed a tear of sympathy for the pale-faced Yan envoy.

It was tragic.

But sympathy aside, nothing of value could be left behind!

After the negotiations ended, Yan Xiaoyun’s body was taken down, and his Qilin Armor was carefully placed into a purple sandalwood coffin.

Though the Qilin Armor was a national treasure of Dayan, to Wang Chen, this reportedly priceless armor had little significance; it was better to use it to exchange for military supplies.

Of course, Yan Xiaoyun’s body could not be sent back immediately.

That afternoon, accompanied by the deep horn sound, hundreds of thousands of Yan soldiers broke camp.

They left behind thirty thousand warhorses and a mountain of grain and military equipment, as well as all of their catapults and siege engines.

The warhorses of Dayan were of exceptional quality, rarely exported, and very expensive.

These thirty thousand warhorses were undoubtedly a significant treasure, worth as much as ten million taels of silver!

The Yan army lost both face and substance this time around.

Shangguan Wuji estimated that for at least twenty years, they would not dare to invade Hanhai Pass again.

With the external threat eliminated, the Hanhai army, now under Princess Qingyun’s command, turned its military might toward the inland of Daliang.

Interestingly, on the second day after the Yan army’s retreat, a cavalry unit of five thousand arrived at Hanhai City.

This cavalry was sent as reinforcements from West Sea County.

However, as expected, they were swallowed whole by the Hanhai army, not even leaving behind a scrap.

After all, West Sea County was already in their grasp.

After discussions with Shangguan Wuji, Wang Chen decided not to attack West Sea County for the time being but to start comprehensive military preparations.

First, they expanded the Hanhai army to one hundred thousand, meaning they needed to recruit another fifty thousand soldiers from the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Hanhai City, with all necessary military equipment coming from spoils.

At the same time, the military manufacturing camp expanded, recruiting many craftsmen and apprentices from the city to produce better quality and lighter artillery and flintguns.

The manufacturing blueprints for the flintguns, of course, were provided by Wang Chen.

These newly forged weapons would fully arm the newly recruited soldiers.

To obtain enough raw materials for gunpowder, Wang Chen sent out teams to search for and purchase sulfur.

Under his command, the entire Hanhai City, or rather Hanhai County, began to operate like a giant war machine, gradually revealing its fierce fangs.

And Wang Chen’s fortune value continued to increase!

He was already very clear about his goals.

Ambitions for the world!