My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Qiu Mingzi!

He came himself.

"Boundless blessings, Heavenly Venerate."

Qiu Mingzi, holding a horsetail whisk, said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, it's been a long time."

"Indeed, it's been a long time, Real One."

Chen Sansi knew full well, "May I know the reason for your visit, Real One?"

"Recently, I've sent invitations several times, but you have not attended the Daoism conferences. I understand you've been busy with military duties. I didn't mean to bother you. I merely wished to present a gift."

Qiu Mingzi took out an incense bag from his broad sleeves, "Mr. Chen, you donated incense last time, and I hadn't had the chance to reciprocate. Hearing that your wife is pregnant, I personally crafted an amulet that nurtures the spirit and protects the fetus. Please accept it with a smile."

"Very well."

Chen Sansi took the incense bag.

"Additionally, my junior brother, the current temple master of Ci Yun Temple, has returned from his travels with profound insights. He's prepared to preach and solve doubts for everyone. I hope Mr. Chen can attend; it will be beneficial for you. Of course, whether to go or not is still up to you. I just wanted to let you know."

Having spoken, Qiu Mingzi performed a Taoist salutation, bowed with cupped hands, and took his leave.

[Amulet: Nourishing Herbs, Lan Youzi...]

[?:??]

The spices and herbs inside the amulet indeed have properties for nourishing the spirit and protecting the fetus, but like the Nourishing Spirit Soup, it's mixed with something else!

Chen Sansi was seething with anger.

He wouldn't attend some damn preaching conference, and they even targeted his home, planning to give it to his pregnant wife, Sister Lan. Preposterous.

"Boom—"

Chen Sansi threw the incense bag into the fire in the kitchen stove, burning it completely.

He knew the amulet was likely a test to see if he would notice anything unusual. Even so, it couldn't be kept; who knows what immeasurable consequences might arise from keeping it.

Ci Yun Temple!

Chen Sansi needed to devise a way to probe the depths of this Taoist temple.

Sometimes, startling the snake on purpose isn't a bad thing, but a strategy.

Especially in a situation where he had been targeted.

Otherwise, how could he rest easy leaving his wife and child behind when he was to depart for a campaign in Ming State, potentially for half a year?

Setting aside these thoughts.

Chen Sansi returned to his quarters and, with Si Qin's assistance, donned his armor, then mounted his White Swan Horse and headed to the military camp for reporting.

Upon his arrival, he received the notification.

Three days later, the army would embark to suppress the rebel Chi Mei Army in Ming State.

This deployment would include forty thousand troops from Liangzhou.

The forces comprised the Reserve Camp, the Sky Wolf Camp, along with twenty thousand elite garrison soldiers from Liangzhou. Since both the generals of the Sky Wolf Camp and the Reserve Camp had recently taken their posts, General Zhao was appointed as the lead for this campaign.

Lu Ji and others needed to stay in Liangzhou, ready to deal with potential barbarian invasions.

"Assemble!"

The sound of the bugle rang out.

At the Martial Arts Arena.

The deputy general of the Reserve Camp, who was effectively the main general, began the pre-battle mobilization.

This person, named Yuan Dai, had been transferred from You State. He was at the Early Stage of the Profound Image Realm. He held an eight-foot snake spear in his hand, but he was relatively sophisticated in appearance, tall but not overly so.

The main task of their Reserve Camp was to assist, with the Sky Wolf Camp taking on the primary attack responsibilities.

After the speech.

Special personnel distributed silver, clothing, and food along with additional shares of Supplemental Medicine to every soldier, advising everyone to say goodbye to their families in advance.

"Xu Wencai, Wang Li, Xu Bin, Feng Yong... you guys, come with me."

Chen Sansi called them by name, then entered the tent.

As a Thousand Captain, he naturally had his own tent, albeit a small one.

Inside the tent, maps and sand tables were fully prepared, all arranged in advance by the old scholar.

"Let's talk, any thoughts?"

Chen Sansi called in those who were somewhat intelligent among his subordinates.

After listening to Mr. Hou, he would study the maps whenever he was free and noticed that the situation in Ming State was quite strange.

He might not command the grand strategy, but he still needed to be well-informed. In case of any situation, he could also approach General Zhao for clarification.

"Sir, I'm not talented, but when I came to Liangzhou, I discussed the situation in Ming State with Mr. Fang, so I do have some insights to share. Let's start with the specific deployment of the troops."

Xu Wencai, holding a feather fan, gestured on the sand table and spoke confidently, "Ming State, located beyond Yan State, is the westernmost region of the Great Sheng Dynasty. From the court's side, there are eighty thousand soldiers, and the rebels amount to twenty thousand."

"General Dong An is on the western border of Ming State, confronting tens of thousands of troops from the West Qi Kingdom."

"The Red Eyebrow Army is near Mei Mountain in the southernmost part of Yan State, seizing the opportunity of foreign threats at the border and the vulnerability of the heartland to start their rebellion. By the end of last month, they had already captured six cities and expanded their forces to thirty thousand troops."

"Currently, they are halted around Golden Spring Manor, which has stabilized the situation temporarily."

"General Dong can only spare thirty thousand soldiers to suppress the rebellion, due to insufficient forces, hence the Ministry of War approved the dispatch of forty thousand soldiers to provide assistance, aiming to recover all lost territory and execute the rebel Liang Jinian as the ultimate goal."

He completed the summary of the situation.

After arriving in Liangzhou, Fang Qingyun had been a great help to him.

Now, Xu Wencai's perspectives had broadened significantly, and his understanding of the military forces of the world had deepened considerably.

Chen Sansi stood in front of the sand table with a deep look in his eyes. "Old Xu, don't hold back. I know you haven't finished speaking. Continue."

He shook his head.

This old scholar was still cautious about outshining him, using quite a few tricks.

"Sir, you are wise. You must have already noticed the clues, so I will just say it."
Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Xu Wencai started with flattery, then said, "Using only twenty thousand troops, the rebels managed to capture six cities within just two or three months. Even if the heartland of Ming State is vulnerable, it shouldn't have happened like this."