Chapter 60: With able-bodied men in hand, the world belongs to me?
"Report!"

"The Northern Liang cavalry has captured Yining City, and the defenders in the city... have all surrendered and betrayed their country!"

"Report!"

"Dongpu City has fallen, the city's defender Sun Yanshou was killed in battle, and the Beiliang cavalry is continuing to march towards Chuzhou City!"

"Report..."

In Chuzhou City.

Reports came in one after another.

Qu Jun and a group of Chuzhou civil and military officials all looked extremely ugly.

It has been a long time since the Northern Liang cavalry broke through Wangbei Pass and entered the Central Plains.

More than half a month has passed!
But in the past half month.

They haven't won even one victory!
Almost every city was unable to stop the Beiliang cavalry.

But there is really no other way!
On the one hand, the Northern Liang cavalry was too powerful, and in the previous battle at Wangbei Pass, they had won over 150,000 surrendered soldiers.

This time we headed south with unstoppable force!

On the other hand.

After all the 100,000 soldiers that Chuzhou originally relied on surrendered, there were no more soldiers available.

Among the cities that blocked the Northern Liang cavalry's southward advance, even those with large military forces had no more than 10,000 soldiers.

Even if the Beiliang Iron Cavalry was divided into several routes, they could still easily march south to Chuzhou City!

Think of this.

Qu Jun and others all turned their eyes to Chen Xiongtu who was sitting on the main seat.

Today it is today.

The Pingxi Army also made almost no moves.

He also never took the initiative to send troops to stop the Northern Liang cavalry.

They really couldn't figure out what King Wuxuan was thinking.

"Report!"

At this time.

Outside the hall, another report was heard.

A scout from the Pingxi Army flew over and saluted respectfully to Chen Xiongtu who was sitting on the main seat in the hall.

"The Northern Liang cavalry has assembled outside Hunyuan Mountain, a hundred miles away from Chuzhou City, and is heading towards our Chuzhou City!"

"We will arrive outside Chuzhou City in one or two days at most!"

The report was finished.

In the hall, Qu Jun and others couldn't help but tremble in their hearts.

In another day or two, the Northern Liang cavalry will be at the gates of Chuzhou? !

So fast? !

Even though they had already expected this, they still found it difficult to suppress their panic.

The Beiliang cavalry marched southwards without any obstruction at all!

and.

Aren’t the Beiliang cavalry too fast?

Even if it's a forced march, it's just this much!
What's more, most of the Chuzhou territory north of Chuzhou City has fallen into the control of the Beiliang Cavalry.

Are they still trying to stop the Beiliang Cavalry?
The Beiliang Iron Cavalry all look like they’re going home!

For a while.

Even Qu Jun couldn't contain his anxiety and panic.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that once the Northern Liang cavalry arrives, they will definitely start a war with us!"

"But they hardly encountered any obstacles along the way..."

"Once the Northern Liang cavalry crosses our Chuzhou territory, they will reach the capital. If the imperial court blames us..."

Having said that, he didn't dare to say anything more.

The imperial court ordered King Wuxuan to lead the Pingxi Army to block the Beiliang cavalry, but during this period of time, King Wuxuan did nothing at all.

It would be better to just surrender!

So that they don’t have to live in fear in this Chuzhou city!
however.

Chen Xiongtu still sat firmly at the top, without showing any sign of urgency.

Instead, he glanced at Qu Jun and asked indifferently, "It has been nearly thirty days since I issued the military order to recruit soldiers."

"How many soldiers have you recruited?" Upon hearing this, Qu Jun and others felt depressed.

As early as when they learned that the Northern Liang cavalry was heading south to purge the emperor's court, they had already received military orders from Chen Xiongtu.

Gather 200,000 troops within ten days!

In this regard.

Almost all the officials in Chuzhou had not slept for several days and nights.

Together with Chuzhou, Liangzhou and Jizhou, they joined forces to collect troops.

It was almost entirely by means of conscripting able-bodied men that they managed to gather this army of 200,000 within ten days!
however.

When they reported it to Chen Xiongtu.

But this person gave another order, giving them another ten days to gather an army of 100,000!
There were a total of 300,000 troops before and after, and they were almost going to capture all the young and middle-aged men in the three states!
How many people are there in the entire Chuzhou?

Even if Liangzhou and Jizhou were added, it would be difficult to gather an army of 300,000 in such a short time!
But now.

The previous 100,000 troops had not yet been fully assembled.

King Wuxuan, who had never heard of war, gave them another order to gather 50,000 troops!

Now, I'm starting to urge him again...

Everyone looked at each other, and their throats moved with difficulty.

That’s a total of 300,000 conscription orders!
Where can they find compensation?
After a while.

Everyone's eyes fell on Qu Jun again.

Now, I can only answer it reluctantly.

"Reporting to Your Majesty..."

Qu Jun took a deep breath and spoke with some difficulty.

"Another twenty thousand soldiers and we'll have... three hundred thousand!"

"However, now that most of Chuzhou has fallen, Liangzhou and Jizhou have also lost parts of their territory to the Northern Liang cavalry."

"It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to recruit soldiers..."

If this forced conscription continues, not to mention the young and strong soldiers, even the old and weak men in these three states will be forcibly captured and sent to the battlefield!

but.

In fact, their hearts were full of doubts.

Previously, even the 100,000 Chuzhou soldiers surrendered without hesitation.

Even if they could gather more than 300,000 soldiers in such a short time, what would be the use?

Is it possible...

Can we still expect these strong men who have never fought in the battlefield to fight against the Northern Liang Cavalry?

Chen Xiongtu frowned slightly, and swept his gaze, full of majesty and indifference, over Qu Jun and the others one by one.

Then he spoke slowly.

"I will give you one more day at most."

"If you can't gather all thirty-five armies within one day."

"Then when the Northern Liang cavalry arrives, you will all join in the battle to kill the enemy."

The words fell.

Without giving Qu Jun and the others any time to respond, he stood up abruptly and walked out of the hall.

Everyone in the hall looked at Chen Xiongtu's departing back, and even cursed him in their hearts.

But they still couldn't suppress the fear in their hearts!
"Master Qu, what should we do?"

"King Wu Xuan... is pushing too hard!"

A group of people hurriedly gathered around Qu Jun, anxiously.

Let them go into battle to fight against the Beiliang Cavalry?
Doesn't this cost them their lives?
What a crime!
In this regard.

Qu Jun was also breathing heavily, but he finally sighed and closed his eyes.

He waved his hand: "Pass the order down..."

"No matter what the cost, we must gather the 350,000 troops that King Wu Xuan needs!"

"Even the old and weak in Chuzhou... let's recruit them together!"

At this point, they have no other choice!
The people of Chuzhou can only suffer...

Can King Wu Xuan really stop the Beiliang cavalry?

He really couldn't understand Chen Xiongtu's plan!

(End of this chapter)