"Report!"
A lone rider came tearing through Jinzhou like a blade slicing through wind, his horse lathered in foam and breath coming out in harsh bursts, and before the guards could even finish shouting his arrival, he had already dismounted and rushed straight toward Lu Xiangsheng.
"My lord," the scout said, barely steadying his voice, "the Manchu have already learned that we are massing forces in Jinzhou, and they have completed their preparations for battle. Heavy troops have been deployed around Daling River City."
Daling River City.
The name alone carried weight, history, and a trace of something foul.
That was the city Zu Dashou had once handed over after killing He Kegang and surrendering, a decision soaked in blood and betrayal. Once upon a time it had stood in distant opposition to Jinzhou, the two cities forming a defensive pair across the land like interlocking blades. Now, it had become the forward bastion where Ming and Qing forces would clash head on.
The scout continued without pause, clearly aware that every second mattered.
"The Qing forces have dug an enormous number of trenches around the city. The ground is completely ruined. There are pits everywhere, low walls scattered across the field, small stone mounds every few steps, and large water-filled holes every few paces. The entire perimeter has been turned into a broken maze. It is impossible to form proper battle formations there."
Gao Qiqian, who had been standing nearby trying to look important, blinked in confusion as if his brain had tripped over itself.
"They dug the ground into ruin so even formations cannot be deployed? Then how are they planning to fight?"
Lu Xiangsheng did not share his confusion. Instead, he calmly pulled out a magazine with the title Armored Blitz Warfare printed across the cover, flipping through it with practiced familiarity before speaking in an even tone.
"It is obvious. The Manchu are preparing defenses against our armored units."
Gao Qiqian leaned over, squinting at the pages as if staring harder might magically produce understanding.
"And what exactly is that supposed to be?"
Lu Xiangsheng did not even bother to respond to that question. Explaining advanced warfare concepts to Gao Qiqian was like explaining mathematics to a brick. He turned back to the scout instead.
"What are they planning?"
The "they" in his question clearly referred to Li DaoXuan and his faction.
The scout lowered his voice instinctively.
"They have also sent out scouts to investigate the defenses around Daling River City. After confirming the layout, they have chosen not to act immediately. They are waiting."
"Waiting?" Lu Xiangsheng frowned. "Waiting for what?"
The scout shook his head.
"I do not know, my lord, but it is clear that they are waiting for something specific."
That answer only deepened the unease.
Lu Xiangsheng pulled out the stack of magazines he had obtained from Sun Chuanting and began flipping through them rapidly, scanning page after page filled with diagrams, weapon designs, and theoretical tactics. He searched for anything that might hint at the next move, anything that could explain what Li DaoXuan was preparing.
He found nothing.
The irritation built slowly, tightening like a knot in his chest.
Then, just as his patience was wearing thin, something else caught his attention.
Not far away, a group of soldiers approached Cao Wenzhao, bringing several local villagers with them.
"General Cao, we have brought some locals."
Cao Wenzhao's expression brightened immediately.
"Bring them forward."
The villagers stepped up respectfully, offering a quick bow before speaking.
"General, for at least the next two days, there will be no strong winds."
Cao Wenzhao's eyes sharpened.
"Are you certain? This cannot be wrong."
The villagers nodded with confidence born from experience.
"Our families have lived here for generations. Look at the clouds in the sky. They are gathering instead of dispersing, which means there is no wind at higher altitudes to scatter them. In weather like this, there is usually no strong wind for at least two days."
Cao Wenzhao's expression shifted into unmistakable satisfaction.
"Good."
He turned immediately to the nearby officers.
"Pass the order. The entire army prepares for battle."
The effect was immediate and dramatic.
Jinzhou, which had been resting moments ago, suddenly came alive like a machine switching from idle to full power. Soldiers poured out of barracks in waves, boots striking the ground in rapid rhythm. Bedding was folded with astonishing speed into neat, uniform blocks, and within moments, troops were already assembling in formation on the drill fields.
Platoon leaders began counting their men and reporting upward. Company commanders verified numbers and passed them along. Battalion leaders received the reports and relayed them further. The entire structure operated with clean, precise efficiency, each level feeding into the next without delay or confusion.
Order. Discipline. Control.
A complete system in motion.
In contrast, the Tianxiong Army, the Xuanfu troops, and the capital's so-called elite young masters stood there in visible confusion, caught off guard by the sudden shift. They did not know whether they should follow, hesitate, or simply watch.
So they did what uncertain men always do.
They looked at Lu Xiangsheng.
Lu Xiangsheng reacted quickly, raising his hand and issuing his own command.
"We may not understand their plan, but we cannot fall behind. Form up immediately."
That was enough.
The Tianxiong Army and Xuanfu troops snapped into action, rushing to align themselves properly, though their speed still lagged behind Gao Village's forces.
Only the capital troops remained a problem.
They moved slowly, awkwardly, fumbling with their armor as if dressing themselves for the first time. Even basic preparation seemed to require far too much effort.
Gao Qiqian saw this, and his heart dropped straight into his stomach.
This was bad.
Very bad.
If Li DaoXuan used this as an excuse, claiming that he had failed in his role as supervisor, then that earlier threat of being hung from the city wall for a month would no longer be a joke.
It would become reality.
Panic triggered action.
He rushed forward like a man trying to outrun his own fate and began shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Move faster, you useless idiots. If anyone delays the march and slows down allied forces, I will personally have him hung from the city wall for a month."
The Gao Village officers nearby watched this with amused expressions.
He had learned quickly.
Very quickly.
Crude, but effective.
At the very least, he now resembled something close to a proper military supervisor, which was already a vast improvement over his usual obsession with squeezing out profit wherever possible.
Before long, the army was ready.
The Guanning cavalry took the lead, eager and burning with the desire for revenge. Zhao Guangyuan marched at the head of the second formation, his urgency almost visible in the way he moved. Behind them came the main Gao Village force, organized, steady, and heavy with purpose. Finally, Lu Xiangsheng and Gao Qiqian followed with their combined troops.
A massive army began its advance toward Daling River City.
The ground trembled beneath the weight of it.
---
At the same time, inside Daling River City.
The Manchu general Ajige stood facing the southwest, his expression dark and tense.
Days earlier, intelligence had already confirmed that Ming forces were gathering in Jinzhou. Under normal circumstances, the Qing army would never allow such a buildup to proceed undisturbed. They would strike early, harass constantly, and disrupt formation before the enemy could fully assemble.
That had always been their way.
But the current reality was no longer the same.
After repeated defeats and heavy losses, their manpower had been reduced to the point where offensive strategy was no longer sustainable. What remained forced them into a defensive posture.
Ajige had no choice.
He could only hold the line at Daling River City and hope that the Ming army would hesitate, that the faction within the Ming court advocating peace would succeed in slowing the advance through bribes and negotiation.
But that hope had already collapsed.
The Ming army had come anyway.
From the city walls, Ajige could see them clearly.
Banners stretched across the horizon. Tens of thousands of soldiers advanced in a vast formation, spreading outward in a fan shape across the southwestern approach. It was not just an army.
It was pressure.
"...So they have come after all."
He drew in a slow breath, forcing calm into his body.
"We must hold. We must hold at all costs. If this line breaks, everything is finished."
Daling River City stood only about three hundred and fifty li from Shengjing. If the Ming army broke through here, nothing would stop them from driving straight toward the heart of Manchu power.
There would be no second chance.
Then, as he continued watching, something changed.
At the rear of the Ming formation, something large began to rise.
A balloon.
Slowly, steadily, expanding as heated air filled it.
"They are going to use that thing."
Ajige's heart tightened instantly.
Around him, the Eight Banners soldiers reacted the same way. Tension spread like a silent ripple. Many of them had already encountered these strange flying devices before, and stories about their destructive capability had spread wildly among the ranks, growing more exaggerated with each retelling.
Fear did not need logic.
It only needed memory.
As the balloon inflated, unease spread rapidly through the army.
Ajige knew he had to act immediately.
If morale broke now, the battle would be lost before it even began.
"Do not be afraid," he shouted, projecting authority into every word. "Do not be afraid. The Emperor has already studied that thing. It flies slowly and cannot carry much. Once it carries a man, there is little space left for explosives. It is not a serious threat."
Officers throughout the ranks immediately echoed him.
"Do not panic. It is only one balloon. One soldier. A few bombs at most. There is nothing to fear."
Their voices spread outward, reinforcing the message, stabilizing the line.