The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Border military camp...

Looking at the men below pointing weapons at him, Ma Hongtao asked incredulously, "Dongfang Ming, are you trying to rebel?"

Dongfang Ming sneered, "General Ma, do you still think this is the same military camp that Ji Lingfeng is in?"

"Ji Lingfeng is completely dead, and the military camp is now nothing but a disorganized mess."

Twenty days have passed since the news of Ji Lingfeng's assassination attempt by the Daqing Kingdom broke.

Ji Lingfeng still hadn't sent any news back, and the whole Great Xia Kingdom was saying that this renowned general had died.

The soldiers were already in a state of panic.

Ma Hongtao has tried his best to manage, but his prestige is ultimately lacking.

These days, many of his subordinates are saying that many officials have already packed their bags and are ready to flee at any time.

This is not the fault of those people; the situation at the border has always been very tense.

The surrounding small countries often offended the Great Xia Kingdom.

Especially now that it's cold, every year at this time, the surrounding nomadic kingdoms, lacking food for the winter, would risk coming to rob the people of the Great Xia Kingdom of their food.

Previously, with Ji Lingfeng guarding the border, those people were suppressed by him and only dared to rob secretly.

Now, news has spread that Ji Lingfeng is dead. Scouts have reported this several times, saying that they have seen neighboring small countries secretly gathering troops, ready to go to war at any time.

The soldiers in the camp were also filled with panic because they heard that war was about to break out.

Especially recently, the Crane Battalion and the Ji Family Army were secretly transferred away, which further confirmed the rumors that Ji Lingfeng was dead.

The Crane Battalion and the Ji Family Army have never left the border in history.

They had always obeyed Ji Lingfeng's orders; their departure meant that Ji Lingfeng would not be returning.

Ma Hongtao looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Dongfang Ming and said, "Ji Lingfeng is dead, but I, Ma Hongtao, am still here. As long as I am here, I will never allow people from other countries to invade even a single inch of my Great Xia Kingdom's land."

"Hahahaha..." Dongfang Ming seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

"With just you and that mere 30,000 troops?"

"Thirty thousand? Isn't it a hundred thousand troops?"

"You mean there are still Lieutenant General Li's and Lieutenant General Tian's troops?"

"They're much more pragmatic than you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Deputy General Li and Tian Fujun walked in.

Lieutenant General Li advised, "Hong Tao, stop struggling. Without Ji Lingfeng, the Great Xia Kingdom is nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn, it won't last much longer."

"Not to mention the surrounding nomadic kingdoms, even the Great Qing Kingdom and the Persian Kingdom are eyeing our Great Xia Kingdom covetously."

"The Great Xia Kingdom is doomed this time."

"Why not take advantage of the opportunity while we still have it and surrender to the Great Qing Kingdom? Maybe we can even become a great general in the future!"

"Bullshit! The Great Xia Kingdom is gone, what kind of general are you?"

Ma Hongtao spat at Li Weiguo, "Li Weiguo, how can you face your ancestors?"

"Hehe, when I become a great general, it will be a glorious thing for my ancestors. As long as Ji Lingfeng is around, I will never have a chance to rise to prominence."

Looking at his former comrades-in-arms who had fought alongside him in this state, Ma Hongtao closed his eyes with heartache.

"Well, General Ma, have you made up your mind?" Dongfang Ming asked with an air of confidence.

"Daqing? You're a spy from the Daqing Kingdom?"

Dongfang Ming touched the hilt of his sword. "Spy? I am not a spy for the Great Qing Kingdom. I am the Great Qing Kingdom itself."

"Hahahaha..." Ma Hongtao never expected that he, who had been so wise all his life, would be blinded by a spy from the Great Qing Kingdom.

Dongfang Ming has been with her ever since she picked him up when he was ten years old.

Unexpectedly, the person I had carefully cultivated for many years turned out to be the one who let a wolf into my house.

Oh well, oh well, it's all fate. It's just that he won't be able to see his grandson marry his granddaughter-in-law.

I have failed my son's trust.

"Was it you who did General Ji's affair?"

"Hahaha... You only realized it now?"

"Isn't it a bit too late?"

“You now have only 30,000 soldiers, while I have 70,000. To be honest, I really can’t bear to see you die at the hands of your own people.”

"You have raised me all these years."

"General Ma, listen to my advice, surrender."

"I promise that when the Great Qing Kingdom conquers the world, I will appoint you as the Grand General of the Great Qing Kingdom, and a king of a different surname. How about that?"

"Pooh!"

"You're delusional. I, Ma Hongtao, would rather die standing than live on my knees."

"I just didn't expect that the Great Qing Kingdom had been plotting against our Great Xia Kingdom for so long. They really made this move very early."

"You keep talking even when you are about to die."

Dongfang Ming drew his sword and ordered his men not to make a move; he wanted to deal with Ma Hongtao himself.

There was no fear in Ma Hongtao's eyes. He gripped the spear tightly and nodded to the person next to him.

Upon receiving the signal, the people nearby immediately gathered together and threw several smoke grenades into the middle of the tent.

The tent immediately fell into chaos, and Ma Hongtao and his men took advantage of the confusion to slip out through the back door.

They need to hurry to where the main army is stationed and assemble their troops in order to have a chance of winning.

Dongfang Ming and his group only brought a few dozen people, which shows that their decision to carry out this operation was made in a hurry.

The group mounted their horses and galloped towards the garrison three miles away.

Dongfang Ming ordered Vice Generals Li and Tian to leave and return to their respective garrisons to assemble the troops, while he pursued Ma Hongtao alone.

Dongfang Ming failed to catch up with Ma Hongtao, so he had no choice but to turn around and head to the garrison of Deputy Generals Li and Tian.

The two groups of men quickly assembled. Fifty meters apart, Dongfang Ming shouted, "General Ma, don't make a futile struggle. How can your mere thirty thousand troops withstand my seventy thousand?"

Ma Hongtao ignored him and instead shouted to the 30,000 troops behind him, "All soldiers of the Xia Kingdom, listen to my command!"

"To!"

"As soldiers, we would rather die standing than live on our knees."

"I'd rather die standing than live on my knees!"

"Even without General Ji, we will prove that we are not to be bullied."

"I'm not someone to be trifled with!"

"I'm not someone to be trifled with!"

"A true man should defend his country!"

"I will never be a traitor!"

"I will never be a traitor to my country!!!"

The shouts of the 30,000 soldiers shook the heavens and the earth. Some of the soldiers in the army behind Dongfang Ming were actually wavering, for they were also citizens of the Great Xia Kingdom.

They also do not want to fight against people from their own country.

However, they are soldiers and must obey orders.

Looking at the stubborn Ma Hongtao, Dongfang Ming instructed Li Fujun, "Prepare for battle."

Just as Deputy General Li was about to give the order, the ground suddenly shook violently.

A troop of soldiers on horseback charged toward them in perfect unison from a distance.