Four fronts (2)

In the Samfeng Province's southern front, three armies marched through the rocky and hilly expanse. Although the weather fared better with the warming winter days, the resulting snow melted into a muddy terrain. It was quite difficult to navigate through, especially with their carriages, making everyone angsty. There was approximately one hundred thousand soldiers from Jian, Jun, and Shui Families. They were clearly divided into three groups for each of the three families as a clear sense of hostility arose between them. There was little to no sense of unity despite facing a common threat, which was not surprising. The Four Great Nobility Families never got along with one another. The Jian Family had Prime Minister Pon-Wai, who led the Imperial Council, as the second most powerful man in the empire. The Jun Family had Minister Keigon, who led the empire's armed forces, and clashed with the kingdom's forces the most. The Li Family, which had roots in the Imperial Family, was the strongest family. Even the Shui Family, which emphasized neutrality, was also subject to criticisms. There was always plenty of rivalry and bad history between them.

"I'll be commanding the three armies this time and I won't have any complaints," a bulky muscular man declared from his warhorse. His armor had shown its age, and his body revealed scars, hinting at his extensive military service. When he spoke, he spoke with confidence. It was General Goumeng from the Jun Family!

"I don't think so," a pale-faced man replied. He was much younger, wearing overly extravagant and impractical armor. He looked like a nobleman on an outing, not a valiant general on the battlefield. Waving his fan and locking eyes with General Goumeng, it was General Tang from the Jian Family!

"You haven't even grown hair down there, so what makes you think you can command an army? Get your father to talk to me," General Goumeng sneered.

"Your mouth is as foul as your appearance," General Tang replied. "This is why the Jian Family rules the Imperial Council, and your family is subservient to it."

"Say that again, and you might find how subservient we really are."

"Resorting to threats? Go ahead. You can explain to your patriarch why we lost after."

General Goumeng fumed and General Tang smiled, while a third person was off to the side, admiring the scenery with a relaxed and tranquil face. He was completely disinterested in the conversations and the upcoming battles with the kingdom, as though it had nothing to do with him at all. He already had a plan. He would support General Goumeng and General Tang in the rear with his forces, so that he could claim that he participated. Then, if things went poorly, he could be the first to retreat. There was practically no risk to him whatsoever. This cowardly behavior belonged to General Songlin from the Shui Family! The three generals continued their journey through the southern front.

In the western front, a long river cut through the landscape like a snake. As one of the largest rivers in the northern provinces, it provided an essential source of food, water, and transportation for those living near it. It was also an important natural barrier defenders could utilize against an invasion. In time, people called it the Tailong River! Currently, forty thousand soldiers faced a hundred and twenty-five thousand from across the river. It was the Imperial Council and the Li Family's forces respectively. The Li Family had created an impressive defense network, holding key chokepoints and blocking accessible routes into their territory. It would take considerable effort to breach. And yet, despite the immense numerical and positional advantage, the Li Family did not advance, and the Imperial Council's forces did not stress. In fact, it was quite serene and peaceful.

Two men played Weiqi with a gorgeous view of the river, bathed in nature's embrace, and touched by the winter snow. It would have been better in the autumn with the myriad-colored leaves, or the spring with fields of blooming flowers, but the spot still rang of incredible beauty. It was a breathtaking place! But although they played, drank, and ate to their heart's content, one of them slapped the table furiously, shaking the pieces loose. He was livid!

"I can't believe that whore assigned us here!" one of the men shouted. "How are we supposed to gain any merit from the rear?"

"Why not take it easy? It's clear that Unit Commander Haea doesn't trust us," the other man said.

"I messed up one time and she won't let me hear the end of it."

"Yes, yes…" He decided not to mention how big that scandal really was.

"She'll be begging for our help soon enough. Just wait and see."

"I can only hope you're wrong." It would not be good for anyone if Unit Commander Haea lost.

In the northern front, the terrain was much smoother than the southern front. Soldiers hurried along quickly towards their next destination, as a general overwatched from a cliff. From here, it looked like a swarming mass of men and metal that stretched the horizon. The total was one hundred thousand! And unlike the southern front, since these soldiers belonged to the empire's official Tai Feng Army, they were unified under a single leader. Their efficiency and power were on another level. Truly, the powerful scene as they marched through the earth could scare and shock the heavens alike!

"Reporting! We should be exiting the Huang Wu Steppe in three days."

"Not good enough!" the general shouted, frightening the officer silly.

"Pardon me for saying so, but… we're a day ahead of schedule already. Shouldn't we slow our pace down and match the other two fronts under the plan Unit Commander Haea created? This could…"

"You think those kingdom dogs have a chance at beating us?" The general curled his lips up condescendingly. "They're on their last legs now. Since they sent the Sword King and their main forces to the central front, we can circle behind them and capture their general. We can't let the southern front beat us to it! Now, hurry up and inform the men. I want to exit the steppe in two days!"

"…As you command."

In the central front, at the Samfeng Province's capital of Guanhuang, soldiers filed into the city and filled the cobblestone streets. It was a slow, but organized process, as they fortified the city and prepared for the inevitable clash. Civilians could evacuate along the southern corridor towards the Quiton Gates, but emptying a city as big as Guanhuang was a large undertaking. Thankfully, most of the people left with the Li Family when they retreated to the Tailong River. Fifty thousand soldiers now took their place. While their numbers seemed inadequate for the strategic location, numbers alone did not paint the full picture. The city itself was extremely well-fortified and defendable, as Imperian Qiang once said, allowing a smaller defense to prevail over a much larger offense. A fifty thousand strong army was more than enough against the kingdom's siege!

The provincial government would normally hold discussions in the main assembly hall, but due to their absence, the army refashioned it into their temporary headquarters. Since it served the four fronts and a three hundred thousand strong force, it was the definition of hectic. Officers and messengers were constantly rushing around, delivering important updates to various divisions. Inside one room, a large map of the province was laid out and surrounding it was Unit Commander Haea Li and her fellow subordinates. On one side of the map, it was covered in green pieces symbolizing their armies, and on the other, there was a clump of blue pieces symbolizing the kingdom's armies. The atmosphere was tense.

"The western front is demanding to be sent to the frontlines again," someone sighed.

"I don't want to hear another complaint from them again," Unit Commander Haea said. "Any updates from the northern or southern fronts?"

"The southern front hasn't decided on a general to command their forces yet."

"Give it to General Goumeng of the Jun Family."

"But the Jian Family will…"

"Do as I say," Unit Commander Haea ordered. "What about the northern front?"

Someone awkwardly replied, "The northern front has been inconsistent in reporting recently. We should be hearing from them later in the afternoon…"

"That impatient pighead of a general… Tell the southern front to hurry up. I want them to reach the Xushi Point in two days' time!"

"Understood!"

"Have we heard anything from the kingdom?" she changed topics.

"Our informants haven't received much information lately, which leads us to believe our sources have been compromised. Regardless, we know that they have fielded one hundred and ninety thousand of their total two hundred thousand into the province. We don't know their exact whereabouts and arrangements beyond that though."

"They left ten thousand to guard the Yunyun Stronghold? Good. Let Admiral Kang know to stage an assault on the stronghold. I want to capture their headquarters while they're distracted!"

"Understood!"

"Now then… how will the Alzar Kingdom respond?" Unit Commander Haea mused with a smile.