My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Hu Lao Pass, as one of the most precarious passes under heaven, sat between two mountain peaks from where one could overlook the Lingzhou Plain in front and lead an assault into the Lai State Basin in the rear. During times of peace, it served little purpose, but once a war erupted, it became a crucial battleground for military strategists.

And not just because of its treacherous terrain.

More importantly, Hu Lao Pass controlled the Zhanan River, which after traversing through half of Lai State, directly connected to the Tongtian River and served as a vital waterway for transport.

Waging war.

The most crucial aspect was the supply of food and forage.

Transportation by land led to substantial losses, hardly one in ten would arrive, but with a waterway, the efficiency of transportation could suddenly increase many times over. That was why it was essential to hold Hu Lao Pass. Once lost, food and forage could continuously enter Lai State through Zhanan River, potentially leading to a prolonged war lasting two or even several years. On the contrary, if they could defend Hu Lao for one hundred days more, the provisions at Yong Yue Prefecture would be depleted, and the war could end within a few months.

"Hu Lao Pass, we've arrived."

Far in the distance, ten miles away, a towering city sprawled amidst the rugged terrain, with adjacent mountain peaks resembling Demon Suppression Pillars, and the pass in between appeared as if it was suppressing a demon tiger.

"Report—"

"Assistant General Liang Pi, I am the defender of Hu Lao Pass."

An assistant general had come to receive them.

"Liang Pi."

Chen Sansi asked, "Tell me about the current situation at Hu Lao Pass."

"The troop strength is less than three hundred, and provisions are also insufficient."

Liang Pi, looking at the Xuanjia Army's robust and formidable horses, said worriedly, "Especially with so many warhorses, the daily consumption of forage is an alarming figure."

Fang Qingyun asked, "How long does it take to allocate food?"

"The nearby Eight Prefectures have run out of provisions long ago. It has to be transported from Tongtian River's dock, and all calculations considered, it will take about one hundred days."

Liang Pi, with his fists clasped, said, "Additionally, there is a traitor in Hu Lao Pass, a centurion who received benefits from Nan Xu Country often leaked information. The person has been killed, and the head is hanging on the city wall."

"I understand."

Chen Sansi ordered, "From now on, you and your men will leave Hu Lao Pass and handle the provisioning matters. I will take over all defensive duties inside the pass."

"Understood!"

Liang Pi took his leave. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

After entering Hu Lao Pass, Chen Sansi instructed, "Zhao Kang, you lead a team of cavalry, scout outside the pass, find out the vanguard's generals and troop strength, then return to report."

"Yes!"

...

Yong Yue Prefecture.

"Report!"

"Prince!"

"Bad news!"

"..."

At Midnight.

Resting in the Grandmaster Chair, Li Gong was awoken by his subordinate's hurried voice, and he slowly opened his eyes, saying, "Speak."

"Nan Xu!"

The subordinate reported, "The scoundrels from Nan Xu, after entering Lingzhou, didn't immediately attack Hu Lao Pass; some of them went to Ziwei Mountain while others controlled strategic locations in Lingzhou, killing any officials who thought to resist."

"Shameless!"

Deputy General Liu Huanrong cursed, "Are they here to be allies?!"

"Keep your calm."

Li Gong sneered, "From the moment we invited them in, Lingzhou was doomed never to be reclaimed. Draft a letter to Shuzhen, tell him Lingzhou can be his, but remember, quickly take down Hu Lao! We should not fixate our eyes solely on just one state!"

"Prince."

Liu Huanrong muttered, "There's something else that's a bit odd."@@novelbin@@

Li Gong glanced at him, saying, "You're talking about Ziwei Mountain, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Liu Huanrong analyzed, "The Sheng people are taking substantial risks, it feels rather abnormal."

"Ziwei Mountain."

Li Gong pondered, "It's been in our possession for a hundred years in Daqing; although previous emperors have searched, nothing unusual was ever found — either there is nothing there, or only the Cao Family can find it."

"Related to the Immortal Path?"

Liu Huanrong said, "Emperor Longqing, they say, is truly an Immortal."

"He is, but isn't our Emperor an Immortal too?"

Li Gong said sarcastically, "What do you think? That woman in our Capital, a mere female, has in just a few years under the former emperor's watch won over most officials, and after seizing power through a coup, quickly stabilized the situation. Do you really think she just relied on politics?"

"This..."

Liu Huanrong was shocked, "Prince, I had no idea about this."

"The world has already changed!"

Li Gong said with a deep gaze, "Grand Ancestor Cao Xie's stories are all true! The reason he was able to defeat more than two thousand in armor is because he was not merely a Martial Artist. Centuries have passed, and it is likely that many similar occurrences will emerge. Immortals and Immortal Traces will continue to surface, and we, we are merely narrow-minded."

"If that's the case..."

Liu Huanrong said, "Nan Xu must also have an Immortal Trace. Are we really just giving them Ziwei Mountain?"

"That's for the Emperor to consider, it does not concern us."

Li Gong said solemnly, "Our only task is to fight this battle well, and also, have you checked again for information about Chen Sansi's family?"

"Using the Divine Eagle, it took a lot of effort to mobilize our spies within Sheng territory to finally obtain a detailed dossier. It's just that with the battles raged during the day, I almost forgot about it."

Liu Huanrong slapped his forehead and hastily said, "That Gu Xinlan, exiled from Sheng Country since Emperor Longqing's fifty-fifth year, you surely know more about the events of that year, Prince. But she surnames Gu, a descendant of a Sheng Dynasty official, what relation could she have with our Empress?"

"What if she doesn't surname Gu?"

Li Gong nodded, saying, "I think I know who she is. Let's keep it a secret for now, until the war ends. Also, tell Shuzhen, I want Chen Sansi's head!"