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

"Duke Zhenguo, an envoy from Northern Yan requests an audience."

"welcome."

Inside the main tent of the Goryeo army camp, Murong Xiang, the envoy from Northern Yan, met Shen Lang, looking travel-worn.

His first words were an angry question: "Duke Zhenguo, what are you up to? My Great Yan's hundreds of thousands of troops have been trapped in Wandu for two whole months, why haven't you sent troops to Rangzhou yet? What exactly are you planning?"

"presumptuous!"

Shen Lang shouted sharply, interrupting Murong Xiang.

"How dare you speak to me like that? Even Murong Ke treats me with utmost respect. Who do you think you are to question me?"

Murong Xiang placed his left hand on his chest and replied in a softer tone, "I apologize. I misspoke just now. Please forgive me, Duke Zhenguo."

"But the war is currently at a stalemate. My Great Yan and Great Chu have an agreement: my Great Yan will hold off Goguryeo, while Great Chu will attack Rangzhou from the rear, launching a pincer attack to completely destroy Goguryeo."

Shen Lang: "When did I ever forget our agreement with the Yan Kingdom?"

"I also want to end this endless war as soon as possible, and then return to the capital to enjoy a peaceful life. Do you think I don't want that?"

Murong Xiang: "Since that's the case, then hurry up! Right now, the main force of Goguryeo is completely tied down by our Great Yan on the Liaodong front."

As long as the Duke of Zhenguo leads his troops to harass Gao Zang from the rear, preventing him from attending to both ends, this battle will be a great victory. Such a strategic opportunity should not be wasted.

Shen Lang: "I don't need you to teach me how to do things. If I could do it this way, I would have done it long ago, but the reality doesn't allow it. Do you understand?"

"Why not?" Murong Xiang retorted. "The Duke of Zhenguo has 50,000 Goryeo troops under his command, while the garrison in Rangzhou has only 5,000. That's a tenfold difference. We can easily surround and kill them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Lang slammed the command order heavily on the table.

"Come, try commanding me. I'm handing over command of these 50,000 Goryeo troops to you. I'd like to see what happens."

"How did you command them to take Rangzhou? Come, take it! I'm giving you this chance."

Murong Xiang stared in disbelief at the command token on the table, his eyes filled with astonishment and surprise.

"Do you think I don't want to? But it's no use. Those idiots are afraid of death and can't fight a tough battle at all. Didn't you see that when you entered the camp?"

This bunch of idiots scattered the moment they hit the battlefield. Gathering the remnants took longer than the battle itself. If they were any easier to command…

"I would have been drinking and laughing with you long ago, carrying Takazō's head on my back."

Murong Xiang: "Are the troops of Taiji Kingdom really so easily defeated?"

"To correct you, there were soldiers but no horses. The 50,000-strong army only had 600 horses, and the other 500 were mules to make up the numbers. The horse-breeding land in Goryeo was all in the hands of the Goguryeo people."

After listening to Shen Lang's account, Murong Xiang became completely dejected and lost all her energy.

"What can we do? Our Great Yan has just experienced the Tianlang Rebellion, and now we are launching a war against Goguryeo at the risk of national annihilation."

The domestic situation is already precarious, and public discontent is high. If a swift victory cannot be achieved, the Great Yan Dynasty may well fall into disarray.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang showed an understanding expression, patted Murong Xiang's shoulder, and comforted him gently, "Don't worry, give me a little more time, and I will definitely be able to take Rangzhou City."

Murong Xiang: "Please give me a definite deadline, Duke Zhenguo, so that I can go back and give an explanation to the Lord."

Shen Lang: "Three days later, our guild will continue its advance towards Rangzhou, determined to achieve victory in one fell swoop."

Murong Xiang: "Alright, then I will go back and report to the lord. I hope the Duke of Zhenguo will hurry, as the food supplies of our Great Yan army are about to run out."

"Well, don't worry."

After watching Murong Xiang leave, Shen Lang called over Ban Dingyuan, who was listening intently behind the screen: "Dingyuan, what do you think?"

"Commander, I believe the time for the decisive battle has indeed come."

"With 50,000 against 5,000, and nearly 2,000 Cloud Kingdom war guerrillas monitoring the situation, we may not necessarily lose this battle."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang shook his head almost imperceptibly: "Although a large number of people are essential in battles involving cold weapons, they have never been the decisive factor."

In terms of both equipment and tactics, Goguryeo completely overwhelmed Taeguk. And in cold weapon combat, cavalry plays a crucial role on the open battlefield.

Ban Dingyuan frowned: "But the Taiji Kingdom doesn't have enough cavalry."

Those supervisory teams, though fearless, were no match for the heavily armored cavalry.

"Who told you I don't have cavalry?" Shen Lang suddenly blurted out. "You don't really think that I've been doing everything I can to avoid a direct confrontation with the Goguryeo army all this time because I'm worried about casualties, do you?"

To be honest, whether it's Taiji Kingdom or Yunshang Kingdom, as long as they aren't my Chu soldiers or civilians, I don't care about their lives at all.

But sending them to their deaths in vain is meaningless. What I want is for them to die with some value, so that at least my Great Chu can have influence over the Liaodong region.

Ban Dingyuan was taken aback and was about to ask the reason when Cui Yizheng suddenly entered the tent and knelt down in front of Shen Lang: "Reporting to the Duke of Zhenguo, I have completed the task you asked me to do."

"very good."

Shen Lang immediately went outside the tent and looked towards Rangzhou City: "In that case, let the decisive battle with Goguryeo begin."

……

Three days later, in the wilderness sixty miles outside Rangzhou City.

woo-

Boom, boom, boom——

Bugles sounded in unison, and war drums thundered.

The 50,000-strong army of Taiji Kingdom, under the supervision of the Yunshan Kingdom's supervisory team, slowly advanced towards Rangzhou City.

"Halt!"

Shen Lang, who was riding on horseback, suddenly ordered the entire army to stand by and form ranks on the spot.

"Roar--"

With a roar of excitement, the 50,000-strong army lined up in formation. The shield bearers at the front, amidst the shouts and curses of the Japanese soldiers, nervously raised their shields in front of them.

Behind the tree shields, organized groups of archers were nervously preparing to draw their bows.

To their left and right were rows of spearmen, breathing continuously in place.

Four or five months of intensive training did have some effect; at least these Taiji soldiers knew what they were supposed to do and how to form ranks to meet the enemy.

However, that's all.

An army that has never experienced the baptism of war, no matter how well-trained, is just a showy but useless piece of trash.

Shen Lang closed his eyes, his true energy slowly surging within him, and his earlobe twitched involuntarily.

"It's cavalry, a large force of cavalry, preparing for battle."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shunlong immediately spurred his horse and shuttled back and forth between the various formations, shouting repeatedly, "Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!"

"No one can back down!"

"Taiji Kingdom!"

"Must win!"

"Victory is certain!"

Fifty thousand people shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the heavens, making Shen Lang want to say, "Very spirited."

Clack clack—

The heavy sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, causing all the Taiji Kingdom soldiers to clench their teeth.

Even the Japanese supervisors looked tense.

When a black line appeared on the horizon, stirring up endless dust and sand, the soldiers of Taiji Kingdom were filled with despair and fear.

That was the armored cavalry of Goguryeo, a nightmare for infantry formations.