NOVEL NEXT Ch. 5
Chapter 5: The Situation in Anxi
On the blood-stained bluestone avenue, the young Prince of Anxi slowly parted the wall of people.
With every step he took, the blood droplets on the royal sword bloomed into crimson lotuses upon the ground.
The dark-golden armor shimmered beneath the dying sun, emanating a brilliance that stole one’s breath away.
“Since I am recognized by the people as the Prince of Anxi, how could I abandon my soldiers in peril?”
His voice was not loud, yet it resonated through every soul like the deep toll of a great bronze bell.
The royal guards suddenly realized that their hands, which gripped their blades, were trembling—not from fear, but from an instinctive urge to submit.
The Life Fate · Imperial Authority—truly terrifying.
When Jiang Zhaoming stood ten steps away from the Black-Armored Army’s leader, the air over the entire street seemed to freeze.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he actually sheathed his sword and clasped his hands behind his back.
“You have rendered great service in aiding this prince to defeat the enemy. Are you willing to serve under my banner and join me in building a glorious age?”
Qin Wei nearly cried out in disbelief, but at that moment, the masked leader halted abruptly. His mysterious iron saber struck into the stone pavement with a resounding *clang*.
In the deathly silence, the man who had just massacred troops like a god of slaughter suddenly knelt on one knee and produced a coiled dragon jade token from his chest.
“Your servant, Zhang Yan, Commander of the Black-Armored Army, leads his troops to pledge allegiance to the Prince!”
Boom—!
A thousand suits of black armor struck the ground in unison, shaking the rooftops and sending dust cascading down.
The two Vice-Generals pressed their foreheads to the ground. “We are willing to die in service to the Prince!”
Then came a thunderous roar like mountains and seas surging together:
“To fire and water! To death without regret!”
The echo of their cry made the guards’ weapons tremble in their grasp, and their hearts quiver with awe.
Jiang Zhaoming’s lips curved faintly.
As he reached out to receive the jade token, it seemed that a clear dragon’s cry resounded from the heavens above.
He raised the jade high above his head.
The setting sun poured down ten thousand rays of golden light, draping him in an invisible dragon robe.
Among the royal guards, a young soldier could no longer restrain himself.
He pounded his chest with a fist, the clang of iron echoing as he roared hoarsely—
“Willing to die for the Prince! To defend Anxi!”
That shout was like a spark falling upon dry plains—instantly igniting the hearts of the entire guard.
The clash of armor rang out endlessly.
Hundreds of soldiers knelt in succession, their weapons striking the ground with thunderous resonance along the bluestone avenue.
“Willing to give our lives! To guard the western frontier forever!”
The common folk, hidden inside their homes, heard the cries that had once been filled with killing intent turn into a tide of vows of loyalty.
They pushed open their windows in astonishment.
When they saw the figure standing in the center of the street, the elderly, women, and children alike opened their doors.
The setting sun burned crimson, and there stood the young monarch, holding his royal sword before ten thousand troops—like an unrivaled sovereign descended upon the mortal world.
Jiang Zhaoming suddenly raised his arm.
The royal sword traced a brilliant golden arc through the twilight.
Wherever the sword’s edge pointed, whether it be kneeling black-armored riders or newly pledged guards, every heart surged with blazing battle spirit.
As his clear voice resounded through the entire city, the last ray of the western sun struck the sword tip, bursting into a blinding brilliance that none dared to meet directly—
“From this day forth, you are all the Prince’s Army!”
The sword turned lightly, carving a trail of sparks upon the ground.
“Within the borders of Anxi Prefecture—”
“Those who invade—execute!”
“Those who rebel—behead!”
“Those who bring calamity upon the realm—annihilate their clans!”
Each word struck the hearts of all like heavy hammers.
When the echo of his last decree had yet to fade, the citizens who had stepped outside had already fallen to their knees, one after another.
Even as the smoke of battle lingered, Jiang Zhaoming led his guards through the ruined streets.
The western and southern districts of the inner city were almost completely reduced to rubble.
Charred beams jutted from heaps of debris; here and there, unextinguished flames still spewed black smoke.
The air reeked of blood and scorched flesh.
From beneath the ruins came faint, intermittent groans.
“Pass down the order—have all remaining soldiers in the city assist in restoring order.”
At his command, the Red-Armored Female General immediately went to direct the cleanup efforts.
“Your Highness…” Qin Wei held out a blood-stained ledger.
“It has been tallied. Excluding the army, more than eight thousand seven hundred civilians in the inner city perished. The wounded number over ten thousand.”
Jiang Zhaoming sighed lightly and said, “Erect as many temporary medical shelters as possible, and open the granaries to relieve the victims.”
Inside the Prince of Anxi’s residence—
After temporarily settling the civilians, Jiang Zhaoming sat cross-legged before his desk.
Before him was a mountain of scrolls, threatening to bury him entirely.
These bamboo slips recorded the military and administrative affairs of Anxi Prefecture over the years.
“Your Highness, these are the recent archives. Please take a look.”
The Red-Armored Female General stood by his side, now dressed in plain clothes, revealing the face once hidden beneath her armor.
Her skin was as white as snow, her brows delicate and features exquisite—bearing the gentleness of a Great Zhou woman; yet her well-built figure exuded the fiery allure of a woman from the Western Regions.
Her name was Gulanda. Her father hailed from within Great Zhou’s borders, while her mother was a native of the Western Regions.
Given Gulanda’s achievements in the recent campaign, and the fact that Jiang Zhaoming had only just arrived in Anxi Prefecture without trusted aides, he decided to appoint her as Captain of the Royal Guard.
Jiang Zhaoming closed a document and rubbed his brow. “I will read these later. For now, tell me about the current situation.”
Gulanda gathered her thoughts and began to explain. “Anxi Prefecture governs twenty-three counties, divided east and west by the Chiyan Mountains.”
“The thirteen counties to the west have all fallen. Of the ten in the east, aside from Yili County, Loulan has been lost. Six counties are mired in rebel strife, and the remaining two have yet to rebel—but their loyalties are uncertain.”
Jiang Zhaoming frowned. “So, in truth, the only county we can control is Yili, where the prefectural city stands?”
“Not entirely,” Gulanda clarified. “In truth, Anxi still holds considerable military strength—but it is all tied down.”
“At Chiyan Mountain, our forces must guard against the rebels’ eastward advance. In the eastern counties, we must suppress uprisings. That left the prefectural city defenseless, allowing the rebels to exploit the gap.”
“Tell me the details of our troop deployments.”
Gulanda nodded. “The most elite force in Anxi is the Anxi Army, led by General Wan Donglai of the Dragon Elephant Realm.”
Seeing Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes light up, Gulanda gave a bitter smile. “Unfortunately, that army is pinned down by the western rebels—unable to move an inch.”
“In addition, there are the Yili Army and the Blue Wolf Army. Both have several commanders of the Divine Power Realm, but…”
Noticing her expression shift, Jiang Zhaoming asked, “But what?”
“The Yili Army is currently assisting the Anxi Army, while the Blue Wolf Army…”
After a brief hesitation, Gulanda finally said, “The Blue Wolf Army has already declared independence in Loulan County.”
Jiang Zhaoming’s face darkened. “So, at present, the only forces we can rely on are the garrisons of the various counties and the city guard?”
Gulanda shook her head.
“Not even that—we can rely only on the city guard.”
Seeing Jiang Zhaoming’s puzzled expression, she hurriedly added in a low voice,
“Your Highness may have forgotten, but aside from Kuqa and Luntai, all other county troops are still busy suppressing uprisings.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhaoming finally lost all hope of reinforcements.
He massaged his temples. “How did Anxi fall to such a state?”
Seeing Gulanda hesitate, he added, “Speak freely. Say what must be said.”
With his permission, Gulanda began to recount the hidden truths she knew, one by one.