Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

“Your Majesty, Marquis, the Red Peak Basin lies further ahead. I suggest we do not advance rashly and instead send out more scouts to gather information.”

Inside the central army tent, Mord privately met with Li Yuanzhao and Fang Zheng Yi.

To be honest, after observing the Da Jing army for so long, he truly acknowledged their combat effectiveness.

It could be said that among the countries watching the war, none could single-handedly contend with Da Jing.

Even the countries capable of fielding two hundred thousand troops were few and far between.

However, Da Jing now seemed to be blinded by their continuous victories, pushing their army to its maximum speed and deeply into enemy territory.

Mord, a veteran of many battles, had never seen such an unusually smooth situation before.

Having grown wary halfway through the journey, he felt that if they continued to advance, something bad would happen.

It would be one thing if the Da Jing people suffered, but if a war broke out, they and their entourage would also be dragged in.

The guards he brought couldn't do anything on the battlefield.

“Oh? General Mord, if you have any insights, you may share them with Us,” Li Yuanzhao said, glancing at Fang Zheng Yi.

Mord pondered and said, “Your Majesty has likely seen the towns we passed along the way. I wonder if Your Majesty noticed that the towns were extremely impoverished, with only the old and weak, and no able-bodied men. It is evident that the enemy is desperate to raise military funds.”

“Judging from this situation, excluding the personnel needed to maintain their units, their regular army likely numbers over a million.”

“Currently, Da Jing only has two hundred thousand troops. Their forces are five times, or even more, than Da Jing's. If they were to set up an ambush in the Red Peak Basin, I'm afraid.....”

Mord stopped speaking at this point.

Fang Zheng Yi smiled and said, “General, are you familiar with the Red Peak Basin?”

Mord shook his head. “I have never been there, but the Tai Fu Church originated in the west and has been expanding outwards for hundreds of years. The Red Peak Basin has always been a crucial thoroughfare for the Church's important dioceses. Many rebel forces have tried to seize it, and the Church has won many battles there.”

Fang Zheng Yi nodded and said, “The information we have gathered is roughly the same. Before you, two other generals also advised us to slow down and consider carefully.”

“However, we are not afraid of ambushes. If their main force dares to come, Da Jing dares to fight!”

Li Yuanzhao nodded in agreement.

Mord's lips twitched.

He had observed Fang Zheng Yi for a long time and felt that he seemed to have been on the battlefield, but definitely lacked extensive experience.

Compared to him, he was just a greenhorn, but the emperor seemed much more experienced.

Whether it was leading troops or organizing the army, he was very methodical.

Now, the Da Jing emperor was actually listening to the opinion of a greenhorn. Wasn't this being blinded by victory?

If they fell, so be it, but if the battle was too intense, they and their entourage of onlookers would likely be dragged in.

Mord's expression was strange as he asked Li Yuanzhao, “Your Majesty, forgive my impudence, but I speculate that the claim of a million enemy troops is definitely not empty talk! Do you know what a million troops means?”

Li Yuanzhao scratched his face and looked at Fang Zheng Yi in confusion, “A million troops... We know.”

Fang Zheng Yi scratched his head, “Right, a million troops, then what?”

“That's a million troops! Regular army! Since the birth of this land, there has never been such a powerful military force!” Seeing the two men's nonchalant attitude, Mord almost couldn't help but roar, “Da Jing's firearms are indeed powerful, but the disparity in troop numbers is too great. It's impossible to win in a head-on confrontation!”

Had these two become carefree after winning all the way?

Did these two drink too much in the military tent? How many dishes did they have to drink like this!

Mord looked around, searching for a wine pot.

“Our Da Jing also has a million troops. We are aware of that, so rest assured,” Li Yuanzhao reassured him.

“Ah?!” Mord was shocked.

“That's right, our Da Jing has over fifty million people. If we squeeze a little, we can squeeze out two million troops. Rest assured, General,” Fang Zheng Yi added.

“Ah?!! ” Mord's neck shrank back, and a silly hair seemed to pop out from the top of his head.

“How many? Fifty million people! In one country! And two million troops?” Mord completely lost his composure and screamed.

He knew Da Jing was powerful, but he never imagined it was this strong!

He had always thought that two hundred thousand troops were a large portion, at least half, of Da Jing's military strength.

He never expected it to be less than one-tenth?

“It seems the outside world severely lacks understanding of our Da Jing,” Fang Zheng Yi said regretfully, “Of course, that's how it is. Moreover, Da Jing's territory is much larger than the six major dioceses combined.”

“Then why did you only bring two hundred thousand troops?” Mord swallowed.

Li Yuanzhao suppressed a smile and pretended to be profound, “Isn't it because the Church is too weak?”

Mord: “......”

Fang Zheng Yi chuckled: “Our troops are all shipped here by boat. Two hundred thousand is already a lot. General, are you worried that if the war becomes too intense, we will drag you in and your safety cannot be guaranteed?”

Mord quickly adjusted his mentality and said with slight embarrassment, “We...we do have such concerns.”

“Alright.” Fang Zheng Yi raised his hand and said, “Since you are guests who have come to the battlefield to observe, our Da Jing naturally does not want you to be injured, so this Marquis has made some arrangements in advance.”

“What arrangements?” Mord asked curiously.

Fang Zheng Yi smiled, turned and rummaged through a box by the side of the military tent.

Before long, he found several wide and long banners.

Unfolding them, Mord couldn't help but be speechless.

[Battlefield Sightseeing Group]

“Will this work, Marquis?”

“Don't be afraid, there are also a few explanations of your origins. The other side also knows you are here to observe the battle. As long as you stay away from the battlefield, nothing will happen.”

“Then what does this banner written in Da Jing characters mean?” Mord asked, pointing to a banner written in Da Jing characters.

Fang Zheng Yi glanced at it. It was a white banner that read 'I surrender, don't kill me.' He smiled and said, “You don't need to worry about this. Bilingualism is always safer. Take these things back and raise the flags when you follow behind our army. You go ahead and get busy. We have some things to discuss with His Majesty.”

“Then thank you, Your Majesty, Marquis. I will take my leave now.” General Mord picked up the banners and turned to leave the tent.

As he left, he muttered something about fifty million, two million, and so on...

After the tent returned to silence, Li Yuanzhao said, “These foreigners are really short-sighted! Why hasn't anyone unified so many small countries?”

“The West has its own national conditions, so let's not interfere. Besides, isn't it better to be scattered?” Fang Zheng Yi said, “Your Majesty should first consider how to advance the troops.”

Li Yuanzhao nodded and said, “Indeed, a forced march is too exhausting. We plan to rest for a few more days before setting off again. We also need to send out more scouts to understand the situation in the Red Peak Basin.”

Fang Zheng Yi hesitated and said, “The further we go, the more uneasy I feel. Wu Wang is extremely cunning... What if he constantly divides his troops to harass and exhaust our army? How should we respond?”

......