Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Three thousand Guram cavalrymen surged forward like a tide! The Black Armor Army's circular formation remained unmoved, their front platoons like a forest of long spears, their rear platoons unleashed a volley of powerful crossbows! Arrows pierced the air, sending the foremost Arab cavalry reeling and falling! However, the enemy, outnumbered and fearless, soon crashed into the Black Armor Army's ranks. Scimitars and long spears clashed fiercely, metal clashing and blood and flesh flying everywhere!

Meng Zhi led the charge, wielding his lance like a dragon, striking down several enemy generals in quick succession! The Black Armored Army soldiers also fought bravely, one against ten! But the Arab cavalry continued to surge, breaching the circular formation at several points, and the situation became critical!

At that moment, a deafening horn suddenly blared from the direction of Yumen Pass! A large banner with the Chinese character "Qin" fluttered in the wind, and a large contingent of Black Armor Army reinforcements arrived! It turned out that Meng Zhi had made a backup plan before leaving the pass. The defenders inside the pass immediately arrived to assist upon hearing the signal!

The arrival of fresh troops instantly reversed the situation! Seeing the situation was dire, Khalid ordered a hasty retreat. Meng Zhi refused to allow him to escape and led his troops in pursuit, pursuing him for over fifty miles. He beheaded over a thousand and seized countless horses and weapons. Khalid fled westward with only the remnants of his army.

The news of the great victory at Yumen Pass was transmitted back to Shuofang City at an accelerated speed of 800 miles.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Mulu City, Ying Qi, disguised as the merchant "Mohammed," was "negotiating" a medicinal herb deal with the Governor-General's treasurer. From the corner of his eye, he discerned the guard posts and shift patterns along the Governor-General's outer walls. That night, using the caravan as cover, a skilled Tingfeng Guard successfully infiltrated the Governor-General's archives and stole Khorasan's troop deployment map and copies of secret correspondence with the Western Regions.

After their theft, Ying Qi and his crew immediately evacuated. However, just as they were about to escape the city, the Governor's Mansion suddenly imposed martial law, searching for the "Eastern Spy"! It turned out that the archives were so well-organized that, although the theft was not discovered on the spot, a secret alarm had been triggered.

In this critical moment, Ying Qi acted decisively, ordering his men to split up and break out separately, agreeing to rendezvous at an oasis a hundred miles outside the city. He personally led off the pursuing troops, engaging a large group of enemies in the maze-like alleys of Mulu City, sustaining multiple stab wounds. Ultimately, thanks to his superb martial arts skills and keen understanding of the terrain, he managed to escape.

Ten days later, the wounded Ying Qi returned to the Shuofang City headquarters with the information he had obtained with his blood and life.

Qin Ming carefully reviewed the troop deployment map and secret letter Ying Qi had risked his life to bring back, his face grim. The map revealed that Khorasan had deployed 100,000 troops, mostly elite, on the western frontier of the empire! The secret letter confirmed that Cheshi, Kucha, and other states were secretly colluding with Khorasan, agreeing to jointly resist the Great Qian!

"Your Majesty," Ying Qi knelt down and apologized, "I failed in my duties and lost two brothers, so..."

"No, you've performed a great service!" Qin Ming interrupted him, personally helping him to his feet. "This information is priceless! The fallen soldiers will receive generous pensions, and their children will be raised by the imperial court!" He scanned the map with a sharp gaze. "A hundred thousand troops... what a grand undertaking! It seems this Khorasan governor is determined to challenge our Daqian!"

He pondered for a moment, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

"Meng Zhi!"

"I'm here!" Meng Zhi stepped forward with the clang of his armor.

"I'm aware of the great victory at Yumen Pass. However, this battle only slightly dampened the enemy's momentum. The real battle is yet to come!" Qin Ming tapped his finger heavily on the location of Mulu City. "Propagate my decree: The troops of Hexi, Longyou, and Beiting will enter wartime alert from today! We will fully guarantee the supply of food, fodder, and weapons!"

"Also, send a message to the four Anxi towns via carrier pigeon: Closely monitor the movements of Cheshi and Kucha. If any misconduct occurs, take preemptive action!"

"Furthermore, in my name, I will write a letter and send it directly to the Caliph's palace in Baghdad! I will question the Governor of Khorasan for his provocative actions, demanding severe punishment for Khalid, and that he withdraw from our Western Regions vassal states within a certain timeframe! If you fail to arrive within the deadline... don't say I didn't warn you!"

"I obey your order!" Meng Zhi's blood boiled and he took the order and left.

Inside the Anxi Grand Administrator's headquarters, candlelight cast the shadow of Qin Ming reviewing military reports across a vast map of the Western Regions. The aftermath of the victory at Yumen Pass still lingered, but even more dire military developments were looming.

"Your Majesty." Ying Qi's voice was slightly hoarse. He appeared silently in front of the table and presented a bloodstained sheepskin letter. "Kucha... has rebelled."

Qin Ming's hand paused, the cinnabar staining the memorial with a dark red. He took the secret letter and scanned the scribbled characters. Three days prior, the King of Kucha had suddenly launched an attack on the garrison commander's office in Kucha, the headquarters of the Daqian Anxi Protectorate. The commander and over a hundred soldiers had died fighting for their country. At the same time, Kucha had cut off the southern trade route to the Western Regions, openly siding with the Arabs.

"What's the situation in Cheshi Kingdom?" Qin Ming's voice was calm, but his fingertips unconsciously stroked the jade pendant on his waist.

"The King of Cheshi is still waiting and watching, but the voices of those in favor of war are growing stronger within his country. Furthermore... the cavalry of the Black Khanate's King Zuo Guli has been frequently spotted on the Cheshi border recently," Ying Qi whispered. "Also, reports indicate that the Governor-General of Khorasan has dispatched his son with 10,000 elite Gulams. The vanguard has already reached the upper reaches of the Shule River, less than 400 miles from our Yumen Pass."

The situation takes a sharp turn for the worse! Kucha rebels, trade routes are severed, the Cheshi are wavering, and reinforcements from the Arabs are approaching! The chess game in the Western Regions is suddenly full of danger.

Qin Ming slowly stood up and walked over to the map. His gaze swept across Kucha and Cheshi, finally settling on the black arrowhead representing the Arab reinforcements.

"Chuan Mengzhi."

A moment later, Meng Zhi, his armor stained with dust, strode in and saluted, "Your Majesty!"

"How many troops are there at Yumen Pass now?" Qin Ming asked, his eyes still fixed on the map.

"Eight thousand elite soldiers in black armor, twelve thousand soldiers from the Hexi Prefecture, and six thousand light cavalry from Longyou, totaling more than twenty-six thousand people. The food and grass can last for three months, and the military equipment is sufficient." Meng Zhi answered straightforwardly.

"Twenty-six thousand..." Qin Ming pondered for a moment, then pointed his finger heavily at Yancheng, the capital of Kucha. "The King of Kucha thought that he could stop the heavenly soldiers with the natural barrier and his limited military force? Ridiculous!"

He turned around suddenly, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light: "Meng Zhi!"

"Chen is here!"

"I give you 10,000 elite soldiers: 5,000 Black Armored Soldiers, 3,000 Hexi Crossbowmen, and 2,000 Longyou Light Cavalry. I'll give you one month to capture Yancheng! On the day the city is captured, not a single member of the Kucha royal family will be left alive!"

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Meng Zhi's eyes, but he still had doubts: "Your Majesty, if I lead the main force south to attack Qiuci, Yumen Pass will be empty, and the Arab reinforcements will take the opportunity to attack..."

"I will personally command Yumen Pass," Qin Ming said firmly. "Just go ahead and fight! I want to see whether the walls of Kucha are stronger or the swords of my Daqian men are sharper!"

"I obey your order!" Meng Zhi did not hesitate any longer and left.

Qin Ming looked at Ying Qi again and said, "Send an order to Hexi and Longyou to dispatch another 20,000 soldiers to reinforce Yumen Pass. Tell the Ministry of Revenue that the money and food needed for the war in the Western Regions must be allocated first, without any mistakes!"