Received an edict from the Luoyang court, ordering the southern army to clear out the bandits occupying Jingzhou and open up the road to Jiangnan.

  For years, the Southern Army, which was directly under the emperor's command and had a very good salary and treatment, could not find any reason to disobey orders. In short, an order is an order, whether it is reasonable or not, it must be executed. The complex-minded soldiers of the Great Qin Southern Army had no choice but to abandon their hard-earned homes and prepare to assemble and march north, following the imperial court's instructions, preparing to use military force to open up the inland waterway from Luoyang to Panyu, which was thousands of miles away.

  The city gate is on fire, and the fish in the moat are also affected! The righteous army in the Jiangnan region doesn't need to get anxious for now. The ones who will be most affected are the Xinghan Army, which occupies nearly half of Jingzhou. This isn't because the Southern Army intentionally wants to make things difficult for Chen Liang, but rather it's impossible to avoid this stumbling block when taking the Lingqu water route.

  Knowing that the Qin army was advancing north, Chen Liang hastily convened a meeting with the Chen clan's generals and representatives of the surrendered forces, including Si Tu Ya and Miao Renfu. They spent the whole night in the government office discussing countermeasures, planning troop deployments and supplies to fight against the strong enemy invasion. Soon after, he received another urgent military report from 800 miles away, saying that Jingnan Yongzhou had fallen into enemy hands, and the wolf was really coming.

  After capturing Yongzhou, the Qin army rested in place for three days. The southern troops then followed the Xiang River downstream and went straight to the gate of Changsha County, Hengzhou. If this city is lost again, it will only be a matter of time before Changsha, the heavy town of Jingnan, falls. By that time, not only the area south of Dongting Lake but also the entire Yunmeng Marsh will no longer belong to the Xing Han army. Chen Liang, who was once famous for occupying one state and being a powerful force in the world, was inevitably beaten back to his original shape and degenerated into an insignificant character.

  Rushing to retreat is an inevitable choice, Chen Liang is naturally unwilling to be swept out of the historical stage as soon as he takes the stage, and all his wisdom and energy are used to understand and solve this great crisis.

  "General Sze-to, having been in the army for a long time and being familiar with naval battles, are you confident of defeating the enemy?"

  Family members know family matters, Chen Liang humbly asked for advice from Situ Ya, without any airs of a great general.

  The army is a large organization, how to mobilize the people to guarantee logistics, how to dispatch military equipment and supplies, these are very professional matters. Relying solely on the plot of a novel, devising strategies can capture a big city, and relying on personal charm can persuade captured generals to surrender. The protagonist of this legendary story was still illiterate just a few years ago, it's not an exaggeration to say that Chen Liang is a born genius, but he is not a saint who knows everything from birth. Knowing when one is not capable is absolutely more important than knowing when one is capable.

  Upon hearing this, Situ Ya's expression turned serious and he stood up saying:

  "I report to the General, our naval forces are stationed in three locations: Jiangling, Wuchang and Yuezhou. We have over 60,000 troops and more than a thousand large and small warships, with a significant advantage in naval battles. The enemy's southern army is also an elite force that has been through many battles, and if we engage them one-on-one on land, I fear we will not gain the upper hand. Our only chance of victory lies in concentrating our forces for a decisive battle. Since you have asked my opinion, I humbly request that you personally lead the expedition, mobilize all the forces of Jingzhou, and engage the enemy in a life-or-death struggle on Dongting Lake."

  At this time, Chen Liang had already heard the implication of Situ Ya. He nodded silently and followed with a loud slap on the desk. Chen Liang said loudly:

  "General Sito is indeed a seasoned general in the army, and this statement is quite reasonable."

  As Mr. Sze-yah said, when facing a strong enemy and adopting the strategy of dividing troops to defend, it can only drag on for a while, but in the end, there is still only one dead end.

  The officials of various levels in Jingzhou, from top to bottom, were all remnants of the old Qin Empire, and Chen Liang had not even had time to meet with them one by one. The little loyalty they showed to the Xing Han army came only from their fear of force and their hope for gain. If they encountered unfavorable winds on the side of the Xing Han army, it was likely that they would scatter like birds taking flight, and if they turned to surrender to the Qin army, they would not have any psychological burden. To avoid this kind of sudden collapse, the only safe way was for Chen Liang to show a strong and dominant attitude, intimidating those who were easily swayed, before he could talk about defeating the enemy.

  "My mind is made up. The whole army will march out and engage in a decisive battle with the Qin army at Xiang River. If anyone else speaks again, they will meet the same end as this case."

  As soon as the words fell, Chen Liang raised his hand and with a "ding" sound, he drew out the horizontal knife from his waist and cut off one corner of the desk, to show his unshakeable determination not to retreat in the face of danger.

  Heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony are the three most important things in the art of war. One thing to note is that during the struggle for dominance, human harmony is less important than geographical advantage, and geographical advantage is less important than heaven's timing. However, once dominance has been achieved, these three elements need to be understood in reverse order. In short, one can conquer on horseback but cannot rule on horseback; this is the simple truth of ruling the world.

  "... Humbly beseech the revered deity, protect and bless my disciple."

  It was night, and the bronze incense burner was burning precious incense. In the rising mist of smoke, Chen Liang knelt down in front of the Huo Mountain God's tablet, praying with a sincere heart, reciting words from memory.

  Human strength can be exhausted at times! Even if all human wisdom is exhausted, there are still unforeseen factors that cannot be grasped. The Xing Han army is like a sapling that has just sprouted, and with time, it will surely grow into a towering tree that people look up to. However, this severe storm test came too quickly, and it's hard to say whether the sapling will wither midway. Therefore, at this critical juncture where luck and strength are equally important, Chen Liang could not find a better solution other than hoping for divine protection.

  Just as Chen Liang was about to kowtow to the god, a flash of golden light appeared before his eyes, and a golden statue of a person with a height equal to that of a human suddenly emerged in mid-air. Seeing this scene, Chen Liang was initially delighted, but when he looked clearly at the face of the divine person under the shining golden light, his mouth immediately opened wide in shock.

  For a moment, Chen Liang couldn't help but let out an exclamation of surprise and said:

  "Big Brother Lin!"

  At the sound, for the first time in front of Chen Liang, Lin Xu slowly revealed his true face and said:

  "Shinobu Chen Liang, the lord of this prefecture has arrived, why haven't you come to pay your respects?"

  With only a handful of men, he grasped the vast Jingzhou, commanding thousands of horses and soldiers. Chen Liang was not that kind of bastard who only knew how to shout "My dad is xx". After being shocked at first, he quickly calmed down, lifted his skirt and bowed down to pay respects, saying:

  "Disciple Chen Liang, paying respects to the honored deity."

  At this time, Lin Xu smiled slightly, and the golden light around his body converged. He bent down to help Chen Liang up, saying:

  "Alright, you can get up now! Earlier, I had to ask you to kneel down due to procedural issues, but you wouldn't understand even if I explained. Just call me Big Brother Lin instead! I didn't plan on revealing my true intentions so soon, but it's not my fault your luck is bad. If I don't take matters into my own hands this time, who knows how things will end for you?"

  With a nervous heart, Chen Liang looked up at the familiar stranger in front of her, and with mixed emotions, she said:

  "...... Brother Lin, I have today, isn't it all arranged by you?"

  At the sound, Lin Xu hastily waved his hand in denial and said:

  "Of course not, you will eventually have to take this path of contention for hegemony anyway, I just took the initiative and pushed you a little earlier."

  Whoever suddenly realizes that they are just a puppet in someone else's hands, being manipulated by others, will definitely feel anxious and depressed. When Chen Liang thought that he was now at the critical moment of life and death, his personal affairs, no matter how important, could not compare to this matter of life and death.

  Chen Liang suppressed the endless doubts that had been accumulating in his mind and cut to the chase, saying:

  "Brother Lin, Qin's army is attacking Hengzhou, and Yongzhou fell in just three days. I'm afraid Hengzhou won't last much longer either. Situ Ya suggests that the entire army launch a counterattack on Dongting Lake to engage in a decisive battle with Qin's army. Gathering our forces will take some time, do you have any strategy to break the siege?"

  Since he had appeared in front of Chen Liang, Lin Xu couldn't possibly have been unaware of the predicament Chen Liang was facing, and so he nodded immediately and said:

  "This is easy, I'll give you ten days. Chen Liang, Heaven has given you the mandate of an emperor, but whether or not you can become one depends on the path you take. The way of man and the way of heaven are different after all, there are many things that I can only watch from the side without being able to intervene, you need to have a clear mind yourself."

  Lin Xuan said, implying Chen Liang that all his achievements were obtained by himself, and also to reassure him, not to worry about becoming a puppet at the end. Whether Chen Liang understood or accepted Lin Xuan's words, he had no other choice at this moment. Even if it was clear that drinking poison to quench thirst, he had to get through this difficult pass first before considering anything else.

  Chen Liang's face was uncertain as he said after a moment of silence:

  "I understand."

  Upon hearing this, Lin Xu revealed a smile of satisfaction in her heart, and for the time being, it could be considered as an approval of the tacit understanding between the two parties.

  Travelers detest wind and rain, the road conditions in ancient times were not good to begin with, coupled with the fact that it was the end of the dynasty, local officials were corrupt, and remote areas had been unrepaired for years, leading to various disasters, which was a common occurrence. Although the army's march was different from ordinary travelers, overall, there was not much difference between the two. If they encountered bad weather conditions such as heavy rain or thick fog during the march, it would be impossible to continue normal marching and fighting, let alone setting up camp to wait for good weather, a group of old men squatting in the military tent would feel uncomfortable all over their bodies.

  On the second day after the Qin army's southern troops occupied Hengzhou City, the weather which had been clear for many days suddenly changed. A rain that was neither big nor small fell continuously for over ten days.

  It's obvious that the dampness is so severe that it's appalling. Even the leather armor, shields and bowstrings of the Qin army are all severely affected by moisture. The grain and hay carried by the soldiers have also gone moldy and rotten on a large scale. If things continue like this, even if the weather clears up immediately, it won't be possible to resolve this mess in just three or five days.

  Taking advantage of the good opportunity that the Qin army was affected by the sudden change in weather and could not advance, Chen Liang's Xing Han army withdrew 115,000 water and infantry troops from various counties such as Jiangling and Wuchang, and boarded warships to rush to the front line against the current of the Xiang River.

  After rushing along the way, they finally arrived in Changsha ahead of the vanguard of the Qin army. Chen Liang led all the mobilizable forces to block the Qin army's southern troops, which had been sweeping south like a broken bamboo, at the southern border of Changsha County. At this point, the two armies were facing each other from a distance, and a major battle was imminent.

  "The whole army will rest for one day and go into battle tomorrow!"

  As Chen Liang gave the order, the entire Xing Han army was like a large and intricate clockwork, with gears meshing tightly in an orderly manner. Everyone's ultimate goal was only one: to defeat the enemy in front of them with all their might.