bookpub Chapter 2614 At any cost!
Chapter 2614 At any cost!
Chapter 2614 At any cost!
“I can’t say for sure. The king is still kind to the old lands,” Hu Min muttered. “Everyone says that it would have been great if you had been there during that time, so you could have managed Xiluo!”
He Lingchuan scoffed, "How absurd!"
But he basically understood it.
Zhong Shengguang was born in the Western Roman Empire and had an extraordinary affection for the country. Perhaps for various reasons, he did not carry out radical reforms or overhauls of it.
He Lingchuan wished he hadn't been kicked out of the Panlong World by Dafanghu back then!
He had no feelings for Xiluo, but he was decisive. He didn't mind repeating what he had done in the Maohe Plain, nor did he mind being "Butcher He" again!
To win people's hearts, one must always use both kindness and severity. General Hong could destroy a country in half a month, but when He Da, who subsequently took over Yuheng City, took over, he used countless means to eliminate the river bandits and subdue the Maohe Plain, eventually winning the hearts of the Maohe Plain and making it the lifeline for Panlong City's external exchanges.
This time, Panlong swallowed up the former territory of Xiluo, as if the past had returned, but "Helingchuan" had fallen into slumber. Within Panlong, there was truly no one else with such skillful methods of subjugation and governance. In addition, Bega must have used the same old tricks to secretly support the rebellion in the former Xiluo territory, making this place a huge destabilizing factor for the Panlong Kingdom.
Therefore, during these three years, the relationship between Panlong and Beijia was merely lukewarm. Occasionally, conflicts would erupt, but these were only to cooperate with the needs of Lingshan. The two sides did not completely break off relations.
Who could have imagined that just eighteen months ago, Bega would suddenly turn on them and send five armies to invade the former territory of Xiluo!
Bega's method was the same one He Lingchuan used when he instigated the Dragon God War: when he strikes, it's all or nothing, but when he does, it's devastating. Since the goal is to launch a surprise attack, the aim is to maximize the results!
Fortunately, Bega's five armies originated from three vassal demon kingdoms, and Panlong noticed the unusual troop movements early on. Zhong Shengguang and General Hong immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly made arrangements; otherwise, Panlong's losses would have been even more severe.
Upon hearing this, He Lingchuan asked, "What was Bega doing before his massive invasion of the Xiluo region?"
"They're attacking the Sand River basin east of Bega; their focus isn't here." Hu Min paused, then whispered, "I heard that Lingshan urgently requested the King to send a large force from Panlong to disrupt Bega and relieve the Sand River's immediate crisis. The King did indeed send troops, but..."
He Lingchuan nodded, but this still couldn't solve the predicament of Shahe, and Lingshan was not satisfied.
Panlong and Lingshan's strategy often involves cooperating with each other around Beijia, leaving Beijia vulnerable to attacks from both sides and unable to focus all their efforts on one side.
The problem is that the Shahe River Basin has developed too fast in recent years, and Beka probably also discovered that it has the shadow of Lingshan behind it.
The rise of Panlong is already enough of a headache for Bega. If another malignant tumor grows up beside him, sandwiching him in the middle, then Bega will be strategically put on the defensive.
Furthermore, compared to the militarily powerful Panlong Kingdom, the rising star Shahe is still relatively weak, so Bega might be willing to pick on the weaker target first. Looking back at past strategies, Bega is probably very annoyed at letting Panlong rise to power, and this time he doesn't intend to give the Shahe region another chance.
In short, it put too much pressure on the Shahe River basin. Perhaps for this reason, Master Qianhuan had no choice but to reveal Panlong's most treasured secret to buy his own people some breathing room.
He Lingchuan let out a furious sigh.
"The one who betrayed Panlong was Qianhuan," this was the information gap between him and Zhong Shengguang, and also the information that could never be spoken aloud.
If he could have stayed in Panlong World for the next few years, he could have helped Zhong Shengguang effectively avoid and delay the arrival of this disaster.
Thinking of this, a thought struck him.
Is it because Panlong has reached a critical juncture in its own destiny that Dafanghu let He Lingchuan in?
If he hadn't activated the mechanism on the blessed pool in the secret realm, Panlong's future might have been irrelevant to him.
But he made a vow to protect Panlong and help him achieve an ending different from reality.
From this moment forward, it will be the time for his wish to be fulfilled.
Without a doubt, if the Great Square Pot had a spirit, it would certainly want him to succeed. Otherwise, Panlong City would have long been lost to history. Why would the Great Square Pot allow it to be reborn and give it a second chance?
This also marks the beginning of the second trial bestowed by the Deity of Fate.
It's really interconnected.
Keep a tight rein on him and don't give him a chance to fail.
He Lingchuan composed himself and asked about the battle situation again.
In fact, you can tell from the sand table that Panlong's situation is not good.
Within just one and a half months of the start of the war, the entire Xiluo region was captured by Bega.
When Bega attacked, he went all out, leading a massive army of 230,000 men in five routes, which stormed into Xiluo as if it were empty.
Even if Panlong had discovered its intentions earlier, it wouldn't have anticipated that it would mobilize such a large force so quickly. At that time, Panlong's army within Xiluo territory numbered less than 30,000, making the disparity in numbers between the two sides overwhelming.
Worse still, Panlong Kingdom's foundation in Xiluo was indeed relatively weak, and its popularity among the people was low. On the contrary, Bega's power was like a myth, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people. When they heard that Bega was raising an army to attack, the people of Xiluo cheered, hoping that they would be taken over by Bega.
The Bega was so powerful and wealthy that even a tiny bit of benefit would allow the people of Xiluo to live a good life.
Under these circumstances, Panlong could not hold Xiluo. General Hong decisively ordered the army to retreat and engaged in guerrilla warfare with Beijia. However, as the enemy quickly captured the entire territory of Xiluo, the Panlong army's space for maneuver became smaller and smaller. Without the advantage of terrain, they could only retreat westward back to the Maohe Plain.
For the next year and a half, the Maohe Plain became the main battlefield for both sides, and a veritable meat grinder!
Unlike the Xiluo region, Panlong had cultivated the Maohe Plain for many years, making it as impenetrable as an ironclad fortress. When Bega rushed into this area, it was like sinking into mud, making progress extremely difficult.
It's worth noting that back then, General Hong and He Lingchuan held off the Beijia army east of Yuheng City for two years, preventing them from advancing an inch. As a result, Yuheng City was transformed into a heavily armed bridgehead.
The method used to obstruct Bega is simple, straightforward, and brutal:
Reinforcements.
Send more troops.
Continue to send reinforcements!
In just five months, Bega sent a total of 900,000 troops to reinforce the Maohe Plain! Some were attacking Yuheng City, and some were attacking Takikawa.
There are still hundreds of thousands more to come.
This number has astonished the world.
Sending over a million troops to fight is an extreme measure, even for a powerful nation like Bega.
How much financial and material resources, and how many lives, will this consume?
Panlong and Bega have been at odds for quite some time. All the nations are baffled; did Panlong desecrate the ancestral graves of the northern demon kingdom? Otherwise, why would Bega launch such a massive invasion without regard for consequences?
Opposition within the Bega court grew louder and louder, but the orders issued by the Holy Venerable Lingxu were resolute, thorough, and unquestionable, with a clear core:
Destroy Panlong at any cost!
(End of this chapter)