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

Five days later, on the first day of the third month, at dawn.

Tens of thousands of Imperial Guards soldiers and twenty thousand supply troops had already lined up outside the western city of Jinling an hour earlier, waiting for the bugle call to sound.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Jiang Mengxuan and Shen Lang walked side by side, followed by hundreds of officials, towards the west gate of the city.

At this moment, Shen Lang, dressed in a light blue military uniform and wrapped in a black cloak, stood out with a cold and stern expression.

"I have already entrusted Prime Minister Ye to arrange the provisions for the expedition. You will receive the provisions once you arrive in Jingzhou."

News has also come from Hukou Pass that the Western Xia troops have been besieging the pass for a long time without success, and are now showing signs of withdrawing due to a shortage of food and supplies.

"The Ministry of Works reports that the road to Luoyang is still in good condition. If there are any areas that need repair, you can contact the local government directly."

"in addition……"

At this moment, Jiang Mengxuan was like a newlywed wife about to part with her husband, repeatedly telling Shen Lang about everything she had done for him.

She was now terrified that Shen Lang's departure this time would be a permanent separation.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, this humble general will certainly live up to your trust and recover Heluo as soon as possible, restoring the land and civilization of our Great Chu!"

"I await your triumphant return!"

Jiang Mengxuan's reluctant gaze revealed a hint of unwavering trust.

If it weren't for the complex situation in the capital that required her to be in charge, she really wanted to personally lead the expedition and go to Heluo with Shen Lang.

"General Shen, the rise and fall of our nation hinges on this moment; everything depends on you."

Behind him, Ye Mo bowed respectfully to Shen Lang.

"You can go with peace of mind. This old minister will manage the court well for Your Majesty."

Shen Lang took a deep breath: "Then I'll have to trouble Prime Minister Ye. If the Yan Kingdom makes trouble, I ask Prime Minister Ye to keep them calm. Just hold them off for a few months."

Ye Mo replied, "General Shen, there is no need to worry. With His Majesty and the old ministers in the court, there will be no mishaps."

Shen Lang nodded to Ye Mo.

He then bowed to the Empress and the officials, and strode out of the city gate.

Outside the city gate, a guardsman was already waiting, leading a black warhorse.

That was the warhorse that Jiang Mengxuan personally selected for Shen Lang; it could travel four hundred li a day.

Without saying a word, Shen Lang mounted his horse and headed towards the Imperial Guard formation.

"Your Majesty, then I shall take my leave as well."

After bidding farewell to the Empress and the others, Jiang Shangxian, who had been appointed as the military supervisor, jumped onto another warhorse with his plump body and followed Shen Lang away.

Accompanying them were two officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites who were there to learn the tactics of the new army.

One of them was named Wang Xuance, and the other was named Ban Dingyuan.

Jiang Mengxuan's gaze remained fixed on Shen Lang, never wavering for even a moment.

Only after Shen Lang's figure disappeared into the gate did he disregard the obstruction and take the lead in climbing the city wall, lying on the crenellations to look out of the city.

Outside the city gate, there was an endless blue ocean, and the Chu banner fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound as the silk touched the air.

"Xu~~"

After surveying the front of the formation on horseback, Shen Lang suddenly pulled on the reins.

The warhorse beneath him immediately let out a shrill neigh.

"Soldiers of the Imperial Guard, do you still remember my new army oath?!"

"Love the people! Be loyal to the king! Protect the nation! Kill the enemy!"

"Very well. Now the Great Chu Kingdom is in dire straits, with nomadic tribes from the northwest invading our territory."

Do you see those people from Heluo who fled here? What exactly happened to them?

The city of Luoyang has fallen, and the people there are suffering enslavement at the hands of those barbarians.

Your brothers are being mercilessly murdered, your sisters are being violated, and your children are being gouged out of their eyes and noses and enslaved for eternity.

Faced with this situation, what should you, as the most elite and valiant warriors of Chu, do? Answer me!

"eye for eye!"

"eye for eye!"

"eye for eye!"

The roar of the new army shook the heavens and the earth, sweeping across the land in layers.

Every soldier's face revealed a fearless and resolute spirit.

The new ideology indoctrination of the Imperial Guard has gradually detached them from the old army's mentality of simply wanting to collect pay and get by.

Unification and revenge—the pure doctrines of the Gongyang School of Confucianism are most likely to ignite the passion of every ambitious person.

Shen Lang instilled in them a sacred military spirit, inspiring in them an instinctive sense of mission and honor, and making them proud from the bottom of their hearts to be soldiers of the new army.

The biggest difference between modern armies and feudal warlords has never been the gap in weaponry, but rather the difference in ideology and awareness.

This is the charm of Sinology: it has continued the brilliance of China's two thousand years of feudalism, created a strong national cohesion, and served as an important reference for the awakening of national thought in modern times.

The officials on the city tower, witnessing such a passionate scene, were all filled with awe and respect.

When they were young, weren't they also full of ambition?

Faced with reality, they chose to compromise, to go with the flow, and gradually became numb, engrossed in partisan struggles.

The glimpse of the Imperial Guard's actions brought them back to the passionate and patriotic era they once were, a time of pure innocence.

Jiang Mengxuan bit her lower lip lightly with her pearly teeth, her jade-like hands clenched slightly, trying to suppress the trembling of her delicate body.

This is the spirit that my Great Chu army should have, and this is the strong army that I, Jiang Mengxuan, am determined to build!

"Sound the horns! Beat the drums!"

"Guards!"

"Set out for war!"

woo-

dong dong dong-

The war drums sounded, and the bugles echoed.

The Imperial Guard soldiers immediately turned sideways and slowly advanced towards the northwest.

The next moment, the battle song began.

"The mist and waves, spreading and obscuring the masts and oars, surge and engulf in the blink of an eye, sinking to the bottom of the river, Fengdu."

"Tusu wine, swallowed day and night, winter has gone but spring's chill lingers, accompanied by cold nights and dark rain."

"Swords and axes, their blades gleaming across the five lakes, their scattered remains and heroic bones far away, how can they turn back and look on with reverence?"

"Step by step, the cries of the mournful cry echo through the three realms. When will we see the world again, with our broken armor and weapons laid down!"

"Outline the Book of Life and Death!"

“Count the number of people who have died out and are destitute.”

"A long roar echoes across the heavens and the earth!"

"Ren, the border town stretches for thousands of miles, the lonely souls of the villagers are left behind, and the land is overgrown with weeds."

"Alas, palaces and rivers have changed a hundred times, songs of parting are sung in sorrow, and the dilapidated bridge is blurred."

"Who will speak of the resounding drums and warhorses? Let no one speak of good or evil, for tears fall as a thousand sails drift into the distance, their shadows lost in the distance..."

"The rise and fall of worldly affairs—"

Accompanied by stirring battle songs, the Imperial Guard soldiers resolutely embarked on a new journey.

"Ah Lang, I'll wait for you, until the day you return in triumph, with songs of praise resounding!"

……

Outside Hukou Pass, the Western Xia army camp.

"What did you say?! Say it again!"

General Helian Qianjun grabbed the kneeling servant and stared at him with wide, copper-bell-sized eyes.

"My lord, please calm your anger. Everything I have said is true. Our envoy, Lord Lian Helian, and all of them have been executed."

When I returned, I heard that the State of Chu had decided to send troops to fight a decisive battle against my State of Xia!

"roll!"

Helian Qianjun threw the servant out of the tent, his face contorted with rage.

"How dare the State of Chu kill an envoy of our Great Xia? This is outrageous! If we don't teach them a lesson, do they really think our State of Xia is weak and easily bullied?"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and directly gave the order to shout.

"Issue my order: the entire army is to launch an attack and capture Hukou Pass in one fell swoop. I will march to the gates of Jinling and capture that empress, that little vixen, to serve as a prostitute in Chang'an!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a scholar who looked to be under thirty years old sitting behind him spoke up.

"General, please calm down. It is clearly unwise to start another war with the Chu army now."

Since the State of Chu dared to kill my envoy, it is clear that they had made preparations beforehand.

Once the armies of Chu from all over the country gather, then the general will be in trouble.

Helian Qianjun scoffed, “The Chu people are utterly pathetic, a bunch of cowards who only know how to cower behind the city walls. Once we clash in the open field, one of my Xia soldiers can take on ten of them.”

The scholar said, "General, what you say is very true. However, our army is currently short of food and supplies, and lacks sufficient weapons for siege warfare. It would be disadvantageous to launch another attack on Hukou Pass."

"It would be better to temporarily withdraw to the Heluo region to rest and regroup, first scout out the Chu army's movements, and then order the powerful clans of Guanzhong to prepare provisions for the main army."

Helian Qianjun pondered for a moment, but reason prevailed in the end: "Very well, after days of fierce fighting, the army is exhausted."

"Let's retreat to the Heluo region to rest and regroup for now, and then launch a full-scale attack to annihilate the Chu army when they arrive!"

The scholar rose, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "General, you are wise."