Fangcheng has been in the military for fifteen years, and for thirty-five years now, he has not married or had children.

To him, as a man, having a family made him hesitate three points when facing the battlefield.

Though he was a general in Tongwei City, commanding his own troops, it could hardly be said that he had achieved great accomplishments or gained widespread fame compared to Fangcheng.

If you are going to join the military, then you must become a great general who commands on the battlefield. You should strive for fame, wealth, and honor, and be respected by thousands.

For this reason, over the years, he has actively ingratiated himself with the only royal descendant he could rely on, Jin Li. Jin Li has done many things for him over the years, which is why he was given the task of marching into Beiliang this time.

This is an opportunity for success!

If the world were at peace, then as a veteran of many battles, opportunities to make great achievements and receive promotions would be extremely slim.

Only in times of chaos can one seize the opportunity to achieve great deeds and become famous.

Fang Cheng asked himself if he was afraid of death. As a small army commander who could see the end with one glance, his whole life would be spent guarding this Tongwei City. To him, it was like announcing a life sentence of death.

Therefore, this campaign to the north of Liang is arguably the most promising opportunity for fame and fortune.

In his original plan, he believed that Beiliang didn't have too many stationed troops and that with his 100,000 troops, he could easily break in. Although the lion's share of military merit would definitely be taken by Jin Li at that time, he could also take this opportunity to make a name for himself and become the number one person in Dagan's army.

Now that the Grand General Huanglong has been stripped of his position and wealth, and there are new openings in the army, how can I not rise through the ranks and become a Grand General myself?

This is not an unfounded ambition.

As long as you cultivate a good relationship with Jin Li and leverage his connections, and achieve more military victories on the battlefield, it might not be impossible to become a renowned and powerful general.

But—

The expedition to Bei Liang ended in defeat, with 30,000 out of 100,000 soldiers killed. The remaining troops returned in disgrace. The hard-earned military merit was thus lost.

Fangcheng was unwilling to accept this.

The reason for the defeat was that their army, drawn from various cities, lacked coordination. Once the front line faltered, the rear ranks panicked and the entire army crumbled into disarray, fleeing in chaos.

Thus, he will be defeated and return in disgrace.

Had he known beforehand the strength of the Bei Liang army across from him, and the combat prowess of their soldiers, he would have confidently said that with proper strategy, he wouldn't necessarily have lost!

Right now, there are only tens of thousands of people in Beiliang. To conquer Beiliang would be an unprecedented feat. This opportunity cannot be lost under any circumstances. For this reason, Fang Cheng has decided to strive for another chance no matter what.

If we wait for the imperial court to send troops, then my achievements in this life would truly be at an end.

At this moment, Jin Li saw Fang Cheng kneeling down. He frowned slightly and said in a light tone:

"Fangcheng, back when you marched to Beiliang, the generals of several surrounding cities all said they wanted to personally lead their troops there. After all...they all thought Beiliang had no army left, this was just an opportunity for easy merit."

I chose you because, besides being a veteran, I know you're not content with just being a commander. You have big ambitions, so that's why I sent you.

Speaking of which, he smiled faintly and continued, “Of course, after all, we're considered in-laws now. Your sister keeps telling me how your brother has great ambitions and it's a shame for him to just be a commander.”

Hearing this laughter, Fang Cheng's face flushed red and white.

Two years ago, my own sister became Jin Li's concubine. Since then, Jin Li has indeed taken care of me.

At that moment, Jin Li yawned languidly before speaking in a drawling tone:

"But you also know, after this defeat, how could I possibly send you again? The Northern Liang army isn't large, but do you think... it would be easy to fight? Taking these defeated soldiers with you wouldn't be anything but a suicide mission."

Fang Cheng raised his head, just about to speak, when Jin Li waved his hand.

"You said last time that the general of the Beiliang army... whose name was… Yue something..."

Fang Cheng's face darkened, and he followed with, "Yue Fei"

Jin Li nodded, "Yes, him. I've never heard of this man before. Qin Ze only went to Beiliang a few months ago, and I don't know where he found this fierce general."

With only tens of thousands of men under his command, Yue Fei could defeat your army of one hundred thousand, routing them completely. I wonder if it is because he is too skilled, or... hmm?

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's face became even more unsightly.

Jin Li was fiddling with his jade ring again, then continued:

We don't know how they managed to station so many troops at the Beiliang Pass. It seems they suffered a crushing defeat.

But regardless, I sent a message to the capital. In the next few days, we should receive a reply from there. To deal with the Bei Liang army, we need stronger reinforcements. The troops in Tongwei City are nothing special; they're a mix of soldiers gathered from various places and lack real combat power.

Fang Cheng's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said:

"Master, even if the imperial court sends troops, it will take some time. Before that, are we just going to sit idly by and watch the Bei Liang army wait for reinforcements?"

After the last battle, they must have become more vigilant. They might have even sent people to Xijing. If Qin Ze leads his army back before we know it, then we'll be in trouble!

We should seize this opportunity and continue our attack on the Beiliang Pass! Let me lead another batch of troops there!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jin Li let out a sneer.

Hearing this laughter, Fang Cheng couldn't help but be taken aback.

Jin Li's lips twitched into a smirk, a hint of mockery in his eyes as he looked at Fang Cheng:

"Xijing, that's the place bordering Tu Yuan Guo. As long as Tu Yuan Guo is willing, they can send any number of troops over. This Qin Ze, he's young and ambitious, though he has his father's likeness in him. But his sharpness surpasses even Qin Haotian."

But sometimes being too sharp isn't a good thing. His trip to Xijing was his biggest mistake, you see? Qin Ze bringing back reinforcements? That's a joke!

Can those troops from the Tu Yuan Kingdom really save Qin Ze? I say, he's probably going to be beaten into a pulp by the Tu Yuan army.

"The day Qin Ze went to Xijing, he had already stepped into the mire. Humph, he didn't need the court to deal with him, this Tu Yuan army was already enough for him to endure!"

"Those elemental beings are no pushovers! If you want to solve this matter in Xi'jing thoroughly, it will take at least a year and a half."

Speaking of this, he changed the subject.

"It's natural for the Emperor to be concerned, and Your Majesty too, that Qin Ze might return with his army."

Just wait patiently. When the imperial army arrives, they will launch a swift attack into Beiliang. Once Beiliang is captured, Qin Ze will have nowhere to go and will surely die sooner or later in Xijing.

Okay, I won't say much more.

Speaking of which, Jin Li got up and walked out.

Seeing him about to leave, Fang Cheng hurriedly stood up and followed him out step by step. He bit his lip, pondered for a moment, then grabbed Jin Li's sleeve: "Sir! You are right, I understand."

But the imperial army hasn't arrived yet, and we can't just let the Bei Liang army stay safely at the Bei Liang pass. Let me go again, please, for my sake...

Before he could finish, Jin Li narrowed his eyes and interrupted, "Fang Cheng, do you really want to attack Beiliang?"

Fang Cheng's gaze was resolute, and he nodded solemnly.

"I'm already thirty-five, in a few years I will..."

Jin Li interrupted him again, saying faintly, "In that case... let me think about it.

A moment later, he smiled faintly: "I've had nearby cities send more troops. Last time, those commanders certainly didn't field their best. This time, I'll be overseeing it personally."

"The last time you went to Bei Liang Pass, although you lost, you must have killed some of them, right? A few thousand at least?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's heart tightened.

Last time I was defeated, my army was routed. I don't know how many people I killed on the other side, but tens of thousands? That's definitely not possible.

To be honest, I doubt even ten thousand people...

But at the thought of missing this opportunity, he would truly have no chance to achieve fame and fortune again. Fang Cheng immediately said in a deep voice: “There are many people...”

Now that the Bei Liang army is depleted, if I had just a bit more troops at my disposal, we could surely succeed.

"My lord! Give me another 30,000 elite soldiers! A total of 100,000! This subordinate will surely break into Beiliang!"

Jin Li narrowed his mung bean-sized eyes and pursed his lips slightly.

"Good"

But this time, if you return empty-handed... Hehehe.

Fang Cheng wouldn't possibly not understand, failure is simply to be a martyr!

Life and death are predetermined by fate, while wealth and honor are bestowed by heaven. At this juncture, we must give it our all!

At once, he knelt on one knee, his face grave, and bowed to Jin Li with clasped fists:

Yes, master!

"If we are defeated, I will take full responsibility!"

"But I guarantee! Our city will never be defeated again. I will bring back Yue Fei's head and offer the victory of conquering Beiliang to you!"

Jin Li smiled faintly, patted his shoulder, and left leisurely, holding the jade ring.