ngs. It's fortunate that this is taking place at Yuèyángguān during the time of universal conscription; otherwise, in any other location, such an order wouldn't even be considered. The common people w...Chapter 997: Liaodong Army

Li Chen had to admit that when it came to professional matters, it was still necessary to have professionals oversee them.

For instance, he was indeed reminded of this point by Su Zhenting.

A wise man's thousand calculations will inevitably have one error, referring to just such a situation.

However, Li Chen's words had already been spoken. It would be difficult to take them back immediately without appearing to go back on his word, which would be detrimental to Li Chen's control over Hu Shifan.

This is when one can see Hu Shifan's level of skill.

As a veteran and having been personally trained by the God of War, Hu Shifan understood the reasoning behind it. He immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, I believe that changing the marching route would be best, focusing on minor roads and mountain paths. This way, we can maximize our avoidance of being intercepted by local officials and soldiers. Even if they discover us, I will split the army into smaller units and march quickly. By the time they arrive, they will likely find nothing."

Li Chen was very satisfied with Hu Shifan's intelligence.

He glanced at the military map and said, "Your Majesty has considered this well, I understand. But there is no need for such trouble."

"The two major provinces, Xishan and Nanhe, needn't worry about Xishan. The current Prefect of Nanhe is also under my control. He will find a way to cooperate. The only concern is Dongshan."

"Once discovered by the Dongshan people, they would certainly do everything in their power to obstruct and impede the advance of the Liaodong army. Therefore, we just need to change our approach."

Li Chen tapped the location of Dongshan Province on the map and said, “The Liaodong army is divided into two routes. One route of 20,000 troops will immediately enter the Jingbei region and station their troops behind the capital city. All matters here are still under this palace's control, so there is no need to worry about being obstructed.”

The other 20,000 elite troops did not need to take the mountain paths. They marched directly from the capital region into the Dongshan province by forced march, blocking all roads leading from Dongshan province into the capital region.

Li Chen looked at Hu Shifan and said in a deep voice, “From Liaodong to Dongshan Province, the route is actually longer than going through Nanhe. Compared to Xishan, these two places don't need to dispatch troops, otherwise, it would just disperse our forces. Only Dongshan Province has strong soldiers and a united front, like an impenetrable iron barrel. The most important task of the Liaodong army this time is to crush Dongshan and prevent them from sending even one soldier into the Jingji region.”

Hu Shifan, upon hearing this, exchanged glances with Su Zhen Ting, and then bowed and said, "The last general will obey."

Hu Shifan had a heavy workload, so he couldn't stay in the Xizheng Hall for long. After half an hour, Li Chen escorted him to the entrance of the Xizheng Hall.

"General Hu."

Li Chen addressed Hu Shifan, saying: "With the current turmoil in the country, everything we do is for consolidating the foundation of the nation and maintaining stability. Your Liaodong Army has a very important mission this time. If there's truly going to be war, then the entire Beijing region will be dragged into it. At that time, we will rely on General Hu."

Hu Shifan gave a carefree smile and said, "Your Highness, I am old now. To be able to contribute to the court in my final years is already a great fortune."

“When I first enlisted, I was just a common soldier. It was all thanks to the War God's favor and guidance that I rose through the ranks. I followed him in countless battles, earning some military merit along the way. Later, I received the imperial court’s grace, which brought me to my current position. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to the boundless benevolence of the Emperor.”

"Though I am old, I will always be ready to fight when called upon. When in battle, I will always emerge victorious. The duty of a soldier is to obey the commands of the royal family. Your Highness can rest assured. This time, I have brought the truest and bravest men from Liaodong. None of them will be afraid." united in their hearts, loyal to your Highness without wavering!"Not until all the officials had repeated his answer three times, did Li Chen's face finally show a satisfied expression.He raised his...