Chapter 11: Mobilizing the Army

In the Neutral Lands, mercenaries were renowned for their fierce and bloodthirsty nature. Those who had climbed from ordinary mercenaries to generals were even more so. However, while they excelled in bravery and combat, most of them were novices when it came with fleet battles.

Even with Qian Ye’s experience, he felt that at least two frigates, attacking from both front and rear, would be needed to safely and without damage, eliminate the entire escort fleet. Otherwise, if one followed these generals’ claims, did they intend to tear apart the warships with their bare hands? Even if a single soldier could indeed destroy a small boat, how could they stop the others from fleeing?

Nan Ruohuai stood in the corner, listening with a smile, seemingly not feeling any remorse for inviting wolves into his house.

At this moment, a general pushed open the door and said, “Sir, all the troops have assembled and are awaiting your orders.”

Qian Ye pondered for a moment, then pointed to several places on the map, saying, “Let half of the troops board the ships and capture these three towns. The rest will follow me directly to Yuanjing City!”

A general asked, “Sir, won’t we leave anyone to guard this place?”

Qian Ye glanced at Nan Ruohuai and said, “Isn’t His Highness the Prince here? Let him give them a warning. Whoever dares to rebel will be committing treason!”

Nan Ruohuai’s usually calm face suddenly paled slightly. This move was clearly a declaration of vying for the throne. Normally, he only dared to think about it in his heart. Even if Qian Ye came to his doorstep and forced him to submit under duress, he had never really thought about rebelling.

However, Qian Ye acted much faster than he had anticipated. As soon as he arrived on Yonglu, he immediately tore off all pretenses and directly dispatched troops to seize territory. The problem was that this was done in Nan Ruohuai’s name, leaving him no room for retreat.

Nan Ruohuai thought for a moment, steeled his heart, left the room, and pulled the town mayor and captain into a side room. After a brief discussion, he returned and placed a document in front of Qian Ye, saying, “There is no problem now.”

Qian Ye picked up the document and saw that it was something akin to a pledge of loyalty, stating that they fully supported Nan Ruohuai’s claim to the throne. The signatures at the bottom were those of the town mayor and the captain of the town guard. With this document signed, the mayor and the captain effectively handed over their lives and families to Nan Ruohuai. If he failed, this document would be evidence of a capital offense.

Qian Ye smiled and returned the document to Nan Ruohuai, saying, “Well done. How did you get them to agree so quickly?”

Nan Ruohuai glanced at Song Lun beside him and said somewhat shyly, “I borrowed Mr. Song’s idea.”

Qian Ye understood. Nan Ruohuai had used the same tactics Song Lun had used against him and applied them to the town mayor and the captain of the town guard. Although these two were minor figures, they were local powerhouses, and their support was crucial for maintaining stability. Jishui Town, though unremarkable, was strategically located next to the Wang family estate, making it easy to secure without bloodshed.

Nan Ruohuai, himself not weak, learned quickly and was pragmatic, making him quite a talent.

Now that Qian Ye had assigned the tasks, the logistical troops that arrived with the transport ships began constructing temporary camps outside the town for the soldiers to rest.

The town’s residents, after initial panic, discovered that the newly arrived soldiers, though looking menacing, would not harass them if left alone. Soon, rumors spread that the prince’s uncle had returned, and these soldiers were his.

It was unclear when the prince’s uncle became the uncle, but as long as they were not bothered, the town’s residents were relieved and did not care about such trivialities.

The town’s residents lived modestly, and there was little to be gained by requisitioning supplies. Qian Ye, following Song Zining’s style, ensured that the logistics were well-prepared and implemented an elite soldier policy. Most of the transport ships carried supplies, eliminating the need for local requisitions. This approach, while requiring more time and cost initially, avoided the biggest hassle of occupying a place.

The next morning, Qian Ye’s troops set out, with warships and transport ships roaring overhead, heading towards the distance.

The occupation of Xudong Island went smoothly, with no resistance from the various forces. The island’s towns and villages had guards of similar quality to Jishui Town, with most of the listed soldiers non-existent. Even the few who dared to fight were no match for Qian Ye’s elite mercenaries and were quickly killed.

After eliminating the troublemakers, Nan Ruohuai’s men calmed the populace, explaining the situation, and people reluctantly submitted.

The only complication was Yuanjing City, which had a formed defense fleet and a structured army. The city lord was appointed by the royal capital.

When Qian Ye’s battle cruiser arrived above Yuanjing City, he saw the burning remnants of airships outside the city and frowned.

A frigate approached, and its captain, unable to wait for docking, leaped onto Qian Ye’s cruiser. Kneeling on one knee, he said, “I have failed in my mission, please punish me, sir!”

Qian Ye looked at the frigate’s damaged hull and the burning wreckage on the ground, and said, “Didn’t you already destroy them? What else is there?”

The captain replied, “With three frigates, destroying these small boats is nothing special. But the city’s defenders are stubborn and refuse to surrender. I tried to attack the city but was repelled.”

Qian Ye’s brows relaxed slightly, saying, “You tried to assault the city with just a few frigates? That’s too far-fetched!”

Frigates, unlike dedicated ground-attack vessels, were fast and powerful but poorly protected. Without cover and sufficient strength, attacking a well-defended city was bound to fail.

Qian Ye walked to the cruiser’s bow and looked down at Yuanjing City, asking, “Have you encountered the city lord? What is his cultivation level?”

The captain, ashamed, whispered, “I haven’t seen the city lord yet. I was hit by the city’s turrets and had to retreat.”

Qian Ye nodded, saying, “Good that you didn’t force it.”

This captain, originally from the military, truly understood fleet warfare. Underestimating the island’s defenses and attempting to assault the city was rash, but he showed good judgment by not escalating the losses. If it were one of Qian Ye’s mercenary generals, they might have crashed the ship into the turret in anger.

Qian Ye noticed that Yuanjing City had four main turrets, each covering and supporting the other, well-protected by the outer city—a layout by an expert hand.

After observing, Qian Ye knew what to do and asked, “Which turret hit you?”

The captain pointed to one turret, “That one.”

Qian Ye nodded and told the cruiser’s captain, “Destroy that turret for me.”

“Got it, no more than two shots,” the captain replied, hurrying back to the bridge. In moments, the cruiser circled the city, dived, and fired a massive arrow, hitting the turret!

With a thunderous boom, the turret collapsed, and a huge fireball rose into the sky.

The shot was precise, and it seemed the captain had given himself some leeway. Knowing the risks, the cruiser captain was cautious, not wanting to embarrass himself or his colleagues.

The cruiser then pulled up, flying gracefully over the city, its engines roaring and heat waves causing chaos below. The city retaliated with arrows and force bolts, but the cruiser’s thick armor shrugged off the attacks like a scratch.

The cruiser turned and began accelerating, preparing to attack the second turret.

Meanwhile, the turret officers, hoarse from shouting, tried to aim the massive crossbows, but the human-powered crossbows were slow and difficult to aim at the cruiser’s speed.

As the cruiser turned, a figure flew out of the city, shouting, “Stop! Do you want to make an enemy of the Zheng Kingdom?”

The figure, likely a thirteenth or fourteenth-level cultivator, was presumably the city lord.

Qian Ye raised his hand, and the cruiser slowed, hovering just outside the city. It stopped a mere few meters away, almost over the city walls. With the turret just destroyed and no other threats, the cruiser was safe.

Qian Ye flew out, standing before the man, saying coldly, “Who are you, daring to obstruct my fleet? Do you wish to rebel?”

The man, staring at Qian Ye, was shocked and uncertain. He couldn’t gauge Qian Ye’s strength, and the cruiser indicated a formidable background. Zheng Kingdom had no warship to match the cruiser.

He bowed, respectfully, “This is the Zheng Kingdom, and I am the city lord appointed by the King. How can I be a rebel? Sir, who are you? I have not heard of you in the Zheng Kingdom or its neighbors.”

Qian Ye said indifferently, “My identity is unimportant. You will understand when you see him.”

Qian Ye turned and gestured to the cruiser, “Come here.”

“Me?” Nan Ruohuai, standing by the window, pointed at himself. Qian Ye floated in the air, but Nan Ruohuai, still a step away from being a battle master, could not.

Qian Ye called again, and Nan Ruohuai, with no choice, leaped out. With his skills, he wouldn’t die from the fall, just get a bit battered. When he reached Qian Ye’s level, he suddenly felt solid ground beneath his feet.

Startled, he looked down and realized he was standing on nothing. Qian Ye had used his force to create an invisible platform.

The city lord, not understanding, looked at Nan Ruohuai, finding his face familiar, and exclaimed, “You…you…”

“By birth order, I am the thirty-first prince. It’s normal you don’t know me. But I remember the previous city lord wasn’t you. My fifth brother must have appointed you, right?”

The city lord replied, “Yes, Your Highness. Do you know the fifth prince well?”

However, his expression and tone showed he had no recollection of the thirty-first prince, having never even heard his full name.