Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Inside the Nanshan Garrison in Yuxi, Prefect Mu Yuanying sat in the guest seat with a worried expression.

Sitting opposite him was General Tang Zhao, whose expression was equally solemn.

Only Shen Lang and Jiang Shangxian, who were seated to the left and right of the main seat, had calm and unwavering expressions.

As for the other lower-ranking officers of the garrison, they were all waiting outside the hall and were not allowed to enter the hall for the time being.

Shen Lang held the arrow that had shot down the town's gatekeeper from a hundred paces away, examining it closely.

The arrowhead, in particular, emitted a dark blue hue that caught Shen Lang's attention.

Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh.

"The arrowheads are forged from top-grade iron ore, and the bows and crossbows have a draw weight of at least twenty shi (a unit of weight), making it impossible for anyone other than a martial artist to draw such a bowstring."

"It seems the Luchuan person who shot that arrow is at least at the Transcendent Realm in cultivation."

After saying that, he broke the arrow in two and turned his gaze to Mu Yuanying.

"Prefect Mu, tell me about the current battle situation. How is the Luchuan army faring?"

Mu Yuanying frowned, then looked at Tang Zhao opposite him with a questioning look.

Tang Zhao immediately said, "Lord Shen is the Pacification Envoy personally appointed by His Majesty, and has the authority to arrange and participate in all military operations in Nanzhao. Lord Mu need not worry about it."

Mu Yuanying was far from the capital and naturally unaware of the subtle relationship between Shen Lang and the Empress.

Hearing Tang Zhao say this, it seems that he only regarded Shen Lang as a favorite minister of the Empress who came here to gain prestige, and did not have much hope for his abilities.

However, he still replied to Shen Lang: "Lord Shen, the situation in Yuxi, Nanzhao is extremely dire. The Luchuan army is using the Laoshan garrison as its base."

They continuously plundered the heartland of Yuxi. Although Yuxi still has six garrisons...

However, including the local conscripts, the army numbered only seven thousand, which was far from enough to defend the entire Yuxi defense line.

A month ago, the Luchuan army launched a second large-scale invasion, which was repelled by our defending forces, but the losses inflicted on the enemy were less than expected..."

After listening to Mu Yuanying's analysis, Tang Zhao couldn't help but sigh: "I really didn't expect that little Luchuan could bully our Great Chu."

The court is now beset by internal and external troubles. To the north, the Yan state is eyeing it covetously; to the west, the Xia state is making insatiable demands; and even the southern border is not peaceful.

Jiang Shangxian interrupted him: "Alright, stop complaining. The most urgent thing to do right now is to figure out how to drive Luchuan out of Nanzhao."

After saying that, he turned to Shen Lang and smiled slightly: "Lord Shen, tell me, how should we fight this battle?"

Shen Lang ignored him and continued to press, "Where is Li Sheng? The Ministry of War's transfer order should have arrived two months ago, right?"

The distance from Lingnan Garrison to Yuxi in Nanzhao is only about 700 li (approximately 350 kilometers). It should take two months to cover that distance on foot.

Why haven't I seen a single soldier from Lingnan here?

Mu Yuanying sighed: "General Li wrote that he has fallen ill and is unable to lead troops to provide assistance for the time being."

"No way!"

Tang Zhao suddenly spoke up.

"General Li is a late-stage martial artist in the Transformation Realm, and his body is very strong. How could he have suddenly fallen ill?"

Jiang Shangxian snorted coldly: "In my opinion, Li Sheng is definitely a coward who is afraid of death and dares not come."

Mu Yuanying: "Impossible! General Li is definitely not the kind of person who is afraid of death. I worked with him for more than 20 years."

I have personally witnessed his unparalleled bravery and leadership on the battlefield. If Your Highness thinks this way, aren't you afraid of discouraging the generals on the frontier?

Shen Lang immediately interrupted this pointless argument: "Enough. Whether he's afraid of death or fearless, it doesn't matter."

The most pressing issue right now is that Li Sheng, who was supposed to be in charge of commanding the Nanzhao military, has failed to appear.

The commander of the main town must be replaced by someone capable of overseeing the overall situation and organizing the counterattack.

Who do you think would be the most suitable person for this position?

Jiang Shangxian immediately said, "Let's not choose anymore, why don't you take the position, brother?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuanying frowned.

Shen Lang doesn't look twenty years old at all. How can such a young man be in charge of commanding the Nanzhao Guard to launch a counterattack against Luchuan?

it is ridiculous.

Not only him, but even Tang Zhao, who had witnessed Shen Lang's suppression of civilians, thought the same way.

After all, suppressing civilians and fighting on the battlefield are two completely different things.

Moreover, Shen Lang only brought five hundred guards with him this time.

While the rifles in the hands of those guards were indeed very strong, in a battlefield with tens of thousands of people, it was simply wishful thinking to expect a force of a few hundred men to turn the tide of the battle.

In short, apart from Jiang Shangxian, both Mu Yuanying and Tang Zhao were very dissatisfied with Jiang Shangxian's proposal.

But he is the current Empress's uncle, and they dare not contradict him.

"I?"

Shen Lang couldn't help but laugh when he heard that he was to be in charge of commanding the garrison's counterattack.

He pointed at Tang Zhao and Mu Yuanying: "Even if I wanted to command, would those two be willing to cooperate?"

Jiang Shangxian immediately became serious: "His Majesty said when he came that if the situation changes, Lord Shen will be in charge of everything."

Anyone who dares to disobey His Majesty is slapping him in the face. With Li Sheng away, I don't trust anyone else besides you."

These words made Mu Yuanying very embarrassed.

He was a veteran of the battlefield, responsible for border defense for many years, so why did he seem so distrusted in Jiang Shangxian's eyes?

Shen Lang pondered for a moment, then looked at Mu Yuanying: "Prefect Mu, if I were to lead the troops at the front line of the garrison in a counterattack, would you fully cooperate?"

Mu Yuanying clasped his hands and replied, "In response to Lord Shen's question, I am a soldier by birth, a rough and uncouth warrior."

I've always been straightforward, and since Lord Shen has asked, I'll tell you the truth.

Lord Shen, have you never been to a battlefield? The battlefield situation changes rapidly; it's not as simple as you think.

This is not something that can be made up for simply by reading a few military books. If you, sir, are to lead the garrison troops in the battle against Luchuan, I do not have a high opinion of your abilities.”

Shen Lang smiled and said, "You are quite straightforward, but you are wrong about one thing. I have been serving in the Bingzhou army since I was five years old."

I was discharged from the army at the age of seventeen and was recommended by the prince to serve His Majesty in the Jingwei Guard. Counting my military service, I have been in the army for almost thirteen years.

He grew up dealing with the people of Yan from a young age, and is definitely not the ignorant scholar-madman you imagine.

Now it was Mu Ying's turn to be shocked. He never imagined that Shen Lang had been in the military since childhood, and that he was in the Bingzhou Camp, which was known as the iron wall of the northern border of the Great Chu.

For a moment, Mu Yuanying felt ashamed of his previous recklessness.

Just then, Jiang Shangxian started boasting again: "You guys really underestimate my brother. My brother once defeated tens of thousands of Yan cavalry with a small team of a hundred men."

He personally charged into enemy lines, personally spearing the heads of vanguards back to the front. He had participated in over a hundred battles, large and small, most of which were tough and difficult fights.

Do you think my brother is qualified to command you in a counterattack against Luchuan?

These words made Mu Yuanying even more ashamed, and he thought of getting up to apologize to Shen Lang.

Even Tang Zhao was dumbfounded, not knowing that Shen Lang had served in the army. No wonder he was recruited into the Jingwei Division, and no wonder he showed no mercy when suppressing civilians.

Shen Lang stopped Mu Yuanying's actions: "Prefect Mu, spare me the unnecessary words. I already read the military report about Luchuan on my way here."

"Since I've been put in charge of the war against Luchuan, you must cooperate fully with me. Only with unity of purpose can we win this fierce battle."

"I will obey your orders, sir!"

Even though she still distrusted Shen Lang, Mu Yuanying still accepted Shen Lang's order to organize the garrison to launch a counterattack.

"Very well, Prefect Mu, now that my identity is the Commander-in-Chief of the Frontline..."

My first order was to assemble all the cavalry units within the Nanzhao territory.

Remember, I need cavalrymen skilled in horsemanship, and the horses must be warhorses, not civilian mules!

Mu Yuanying was taken aback: "Warhorses? May I ask, Lord Shen, what do you need warhorses for?"

Shen Lang: "Naturally, we should launch a counterattack against Luchuan. Holding out and waiting for reinforcements is not my style. I want to move the battlefield to Luchuan territory!"

"If they can go, so can we. We must fight them until they beg for peace!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuanying and Tang Zhao's minds went blank.

At that moment, only one word came to mind:

madman!

This is a lunatic!