C195

Half a month later, Ye Tian led his army to a large river called the Black River. At this moment, Zhang Tianlei walked up and reported, "Your Majesty, once we cross the Black River, we'll arrive at the black city that borders with the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. However, it's said that the black city has already been occupied by the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain.

Ye Tian looked at the pitch-black river and asked, "Do we have to pass through this Black River to go to the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain?"

"We must pass through this city in order to return to your majesty. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of citizens of the Chang Long Empire in this black city. We cannot let them fall into the hands of those barbarians." Zhang Tianlei replied.

"This I know, but did you notice that the black river in front of you is so quiet that it's scary?" Ye Tian spoke.

It is indeed a little too quiet. If this was a jungle in front of me, I would definitely think that there was an ambush here, but according to my knowledge, not only is the river faintly corrosive, the river water is also abnormally cold. Ordinary people are simply unable to withstand it. Zhang Tianlei replied after thinking for a while.

"Since that's the case, then the old general will send people to cross the river and snatch the Black City back. However, we must be careful. For some reason, we still feel uneasy." Ye Tian reminded.

"Hehe! Your Majesty, you are overthinking it. This time, this old servant will personally go. I will take the Black City back within two hours." Zhang Tianlei smiled.

Following which, Zhang Tianlei led five thousand soldiers on a ferry towards the black city on the other side of the river. This black river was about a hundred zhang wide, and the river was pitch-black.

Zhang Tianlei and his five thousand soldiers rode on the boats and headed towards the black city. At the beginning, there was nothing abnormal about it, but when they reached the middle of the river, the river suddenly erupted with shouts of war, and soon after, small boats were overturned one after another. Saber wielding soldiers calmly appeared in the river, hacking at the unprepared Chang Long Empire soldiers.

The change was too sudden. In just an instant, the black river was dyed black red by the blood. Ye Tian hurriedly shouted when he saw this, "Prepare the boat. Everyone attack. We must save Old General Zhang." When the generals heard this, they all boarded the boat and rushed towards the middle of the black river.

Two hours later, the generals supported the wounded Zhang Tianlei back to the shore. Upon seeing this, Ye Tian asked with concern, "General Zhang, are you alright?"

Hearing this, Zhang Tianlei did not care about the pain in his entire body as he knelt down towards Ye Tian and said with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty, this old official is guilty. This old official has fought a lifetime of war, but I never expected that I would fall into the trap of those barbarians and lose troops before even reaching the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

"This matter isn't your fault. I am the commander, and I nodded my head in agreement to attack the city. In terms of responsibility, this is also my responsibility, so the old general needn't take it to heart." Ye Tian helped Zhang Tianlei up as he spoke.

After bringing the soldier to help Zhang Tianlei rest, Ye Tian asked the generals at the side, "How many people have we lost this time?"

"Reporting to your Imperial Majesty, we have lost more than seven thousand people." One of the generals answered with an ugly expression.

"Seven thousand?" Didn't only five thousand people cross the river? Why did we lose seven thousand? " Ye Tian was furious.

To reply Your Majesty, this time, not only are the Southern Barbarians lying in ambush in the water, but their weapons are also highly toxic. Many of the soldiers died because of poisoning, and they seem to have discovered that the one leading them was Old General Zhang, and wanted to capture him alive. That's why they didn't use poison arrows to kill Old General Zhang. the general replied.

"We've lost over 7,000 people before even reaching the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. Truly hateful. All of you, leave. Let us calm down." Ye Tian spoke with a dark expression. When everyone saw the Emperor angry, they bowed and took their leave.

That day, Zhang Tianlei was among them. Seeing that everyone's expression did not look too good, Ye Tian smiled and said, "Generals, there is no need to do this. Although we lost the first match today, we even lost several thousand soldiers. However, in my opinion, this is an opportunity. Do you all understand what I mean? "

Zhang Tianlei was stunned at first, but then he opened his mouth and asked, "Your Majesty, you mean to take it by surprise?"

How about this, Old General Zhang, we will give you another five thousand soldiers tonight. You can cross the river during the night and take over the black city, and during the day, I observed for a while and found that the black river is always surrounded by a thin layer of fog. I think that at night, the fog will be even thicker. Ye Tian spoke with a serious expression.

"This old official accepts the order. If I don't take down the Black City, this old official will not return to see His Majesty." After saying that, Zhang Tianlei went out in preparation.

"Generals, let us consider our next steps." As Ye Tian spoke, he began discussing the next step with the other generals. In the middle of the night, the flames of the opposing black city suddenly flared up, and the shouts of battle shook the heavens. Ye Tian quietly watched from the other side of the river.

At this moment, the tower of the black city suddenly lit up with a beacon fire. Seeing this, Ye Tian's face relaxed. This was Zhang Tianlei's agreement. After seizing the black city, he would ignite a beacon fire to signal the army to enter the black city.

After that, Ye Tian ordered the army to cross the river and enter Black City. On the morning of the next day, Ye Tian interrogated the captured Black City Southern Barbaric Commander, Meng Zhaoxuan, at the Black City's former government headquarters. He saw Ye Tian sitting in the great hall. Below him was a man covered in sweat. This person was over eight feet tall, had a full beard, and was wearing bronze armor. When he saw Ye Tian, he immediately turned his head and coldly snorted.

"You're the Supreme Commander of the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, Meng Zhaoxuan?" Ye Tian asked.

"Your grandfather is Meng Zhaoxuan. If you want to kill him, kill him. Cut the crap." Meng Zhaoxuan said coldly.

"How dare you!" How dare you say such arrogant words when your majesty isn't kneeling? " "Kneel, kowtow to the Barbarian King. Why must I, your father, kneel to you, you yellow-furred child?" Meng Zhaoxuan coldly snorted as he spoke, "Kneel to the heavens, Kneel to the Barbarian King. Why must I, your father, kneel to a yellow-furred brat like you?" Meng Zhaoxuan didn't kneel no matter how hard the soldier tried to hit him.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Tianlei and the other generals were all furious. They all wanted to pull out their swords to kill Meng Zhaoxuan. Ye Tian stopped them and said, "Hehe, everyone need not be angry. We will not lower ourselves to a barbarian."

"Pah! You are the barbarian, my boy! Isn't the Chang Long Empire more fertile?" Otherwise, you would be like us, unable to eat without covering your body. " Meng Zhaoxuan cursed.

"Heh, that's a bit interesting. You're already my prisoner, and you're actually even more arrogant than me. Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you?" Ye Tian smiled.

"Hmph, how could anyone be afraid of death? Since you've killed me, Meng Zhaoxuan, the Barbarian King will naturally avenge me." Meng Zhaoxuan snorted coldly.

"Are all of you Southern Barbaric Nether Beasts as fearless of death as you?" Ye Tian suddenly asked mindlessly.

"I, the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, am not a coward." Hearing this, Meng Zhaoxuan's expression became serious.

"Hehe, very good. I like your personality very much. Men, let him go, send him back to the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, and at the same time put the captured Southern Barbaric Nether Domain members back together." Ye Tian instructed.

"Your Majesty, yesterday on the Black River, this fellow set us up. He caused us to lose so much military power. We can't just let him go like this." When the generals heard this, they all tried to persuade him, leaving only Zhang Tianlei standing at the side who had yet to speak.

"I have made up my mind. There is no need to persuade me anymore." Following that, the soldiers on the left and right of Meng Zhaoxuan let go of their bindings.

"Hmph. Don't think that I will be grateful to you. I will definitely come again to attack the black city when I return." Meng Zhaoxuan said coldly.

"You're courting death." Hearing this, the generals were immediately enraged and wanted to kill Meng Zhaoxuan on the spot.

"Alright, let him leave." Ye Tian walked towards the back of the hall after he finished speaking. After a long while, Ye Tian, who was resting in the back hall, was awakened by a sound.

"This humble official pays his respect to Your Majesty, Xu Hongfei." This person was one of the following generals, Xu Hongfei, who was conversing with Ye Tian on the shore of the Black River.

"Hehe, so it's General Xu. What is it?" Ye Tian smiled.

"Your Majesty, this humble subject has come here on behalf of the generals to inquire about a matter with Your Majesty." Xu Hongfei bowed.

"What is it? Are you accusing me of letting Meng Zhaoxuan go?" Ye Tian carelessly said.

As ministers, how could we dare to question His Majesty? It's just that after yesterday's battle, the losses sustained by our army were not small, and now that we managed to capture that Meng Zhaoxuan, His Majesty had finally released him, the generals were a little disgruntled inside. Everyone wanted to know the intentions of His Majesty, but unfortunately, no one dared to ask anything. Xu Hongfei replied with a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing.

"Hehe, I can hear that you are extremely dissatisfied with my method." Ye Tian smiled.

"This humble subject doesn't dare to do so. It's just that many soldiers have risked their lives to capture Meng Zhaoxuan. I am truly unwilling to just let him go like this." Xu Hongfei was shocked upon hearing this. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Hehe, don't worry, Meng Xuan will die if we go back. I only have two reasons for doing so, one is to appear magnanimous, and the other is to make the people of the barbarian race unhappy. Think about it, after Meng Xuan captured seven thousand people, not only did I not kill him, but I also released his generals. If I don't kill him, then it'll be a great gift. This way, what will Meng Zhaoxuan's general think in his heart? If we continue to slowly cause internal strife within the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, then we'll be able to completely destroy the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. " Ye Tian smiled as he explained.

Hearing this, Xu Hongfei's face lit up with joy, "So that's how it is. Your majesty's foresight is long and farsighted. This humble subject has foolishly offended Your Majesty. May Your Majesty mete out your punishment."

"Hehe, alright. Remember, you have to keep a long-term perspective. You should go. Remember to keep this a secret for now. If any news comes out, then I will really let Meng Zhaoxuan go for nothing." Ye Tian reminded.

"This humble subject understands." Xu Hongfei bowed and left.

The second day after the Southern Barbaric War, Xu Hongfei came before Ye Tian and reported, "Your Majesty's foresight is truly divine. That Meng Zhaoxuan was captured by the Barbarian King Meng Jiao as soon as he returned. It is said that he has been imprisoned and executed by the King of Berserkers, and the King of Berserkers was furious about the loss of the black city. He personally led fifty thousand barbarians to the black city to capture Your Majesty."

"Hehe, it's just the bravery of a boor. Nothing to worry about." Ye Tian lightly smiled when he heard this.

"Your Majesty, you can't be careless. Although that barbarian army only has fifty thousand soldiers, the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain is famous for being brave and valiant. Fifty thousand soldiers is enough to defend against two to three hundred thousand soldiers of our Chang Long Empire." Xu Hongfei quickly reminded him.

"Oh? "That powerful?" When Ye Tian heard this, his expression turned solemn.

Compared to the Berserker Tribe on the back, the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain is even more of a threat to our Chang Long Empire. Not only are they extremely robust and knowledgeable in military strategy, unlike the Berserker Tribe who only knows martial arts, we cannot underestimate them. Xu Hongfei bowed.

"Yes, the general's words are polite. How about this, let's gather all the generals to discuss the countermeasures." Ye Tian instructed.

After a long while, Ye Tian sat down in the great hall and spoke to the dozen or so generals standing below, "Generals, this time, the Barbarian King is personally leading us. What plans do you have?

Your Majesty, the fifty thousand barbarians personally led by the Barbarian King Meng Jiao are stationed at the foot of the cold mountain, which is not far from the black city. The cold mountain is a lone mountain, which is very steep and hard to defend, but Meng Ge did not choose to camp at the foot of the mountain. Instead, he ordered his men to set up camp at the foot of the mountain. Zhang Tianlei bowed.

"General Zhang means hijacking the camp?" Ye Tian asked.

"Exactly, our Chang Long Empire has always focused on defense in the past conflicts with the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. If we suddenly go to the camp this time around, the Southern Barbaric Army will surely be in chaos, and we can directly defeat Meng Jiao's 50,000 strong army." Zhang Tianlei said.

"Hmm, that's a good idea. Do you have any other ideas, generals?" Ye Tianlang said.

"Your Majesty, this humble subject feels that this matter should not be allowed." Xu Hongfei suddenly stood up and said.

"Oh? General Xu, tell me what you think. " Ye Tian asked curiously. This Xu Hongfei was considered one of the best generals of the younger generation. These two days and nights, he had discovered that Xu Hongfei often had some unique insights in the field of military affairs.

Your Majesty, before I set off, I have read through a large amount of historical data and have a detailed understanding of the local customs and practices of the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain. According to your knowledge, that cold mountain is the boundary between our Chang Long Empire and the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, and it is a steep mountain. Furthermore, the temperature of the mountain is extremely low after nightfall. Xu Hongfei said respectfully.

"What does this have to do with our camp? We're not going to the camp on the Frigid Mountain. Could it be that you're afraid? If you don't dare to go, then I'll just take someone with me." Zhang Tianlei said with dissatisfaction at Xu Hongfei's rebuttal of his opinion.

We're not familiar with the terrain there. Moreover, the temperature is extremely low on the mountain, so the mountain must not be much better off. The physiques of the barbarians have always been stronger than the physiques of the citizens of our Chang Long Empire, so they can withstand the low temperatures, but our soldiers might not be able to. If we were to go to the camp, the moment we get close to the mountain, the soldiers would feel their hands and feet go numb. Xu Hongfei said with a smile.

"Then what do you think we should do? Should we wait for the barbarians to attack us? This old man has always believed in one thing, and that is to make the first move first, and then suffer later. " Zhang Tianlei said in a clear voice. Zhang Tianlei was a famous general who had spent half his life fighting his horse. Now that a junior was rebutting him in front of him, he naturally felt a bit unhappy in his heart.

Ye Tian smiled faintly when he saw this. "Haha, since General Xu knows so much about the Southern Barbaric Nether Domain, I presume you already have a strategy to deal with it. Tell me about it."

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble subject has indeed thought of a plan this morning. I just don't know if it'll work." Xu Hongfei bowed.

"Tell me about it." Ye Tian asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there is a flat land between the Frigid Mountain and the Black City, and there is no forest for us to set up an ambush. This humble subject wonders, could we use the flat terrain to set up a Smoke Illusion Formation and lure the barbarians into it, making them fall into chaos? When our forces suddenly attacked, we would definitely be able to force the barbarians to retreat." Xu Hongfei bowed.

"General Xu, why don't you ask the Barbarian King, Meng Gumo, how did he manage to break through such a small array?" Zhang Tianlei asked.

"Hehe, it's because this Smoke Illusion Array is too common. Everyone knows that it's just a smoke formation that affects the vision of the enemy, or a hidden crossbow that shoots down the enemy. But who would have thought that we would be covered in nails underground?" Xu Hongfei said confidently.

"Covered with nails? What does that mean? " Ye Tian asked.

Hehe, Your Majesty, in terms of common sense, the first thing we should do in order to enter the illusion array is to guard against the enemy's crossbows, because the smoke is so thick inside the array, and the enemy cannot also attack. Since Meng Jia has a deep understanding of the art of war, then we should know that the enemy must also defend against the enemy's crossbows, but your majesty, if we were to secretly shoot strong crossbows and nails in the array, then the Southern barbarians would not be invulnerable. Xu Hongfei explained patiently.

"Haha, what a good idea. General Xu is truly a genius." Ye Tian laughed when he heard this.

"Your Majesty, you flatter me. However, this matter must be carried out smoothly. I will need your help, Old General Zhang." Xu Hongfei bowed.

"Speak, what do you want this old man to do?" Zhang Tianlei seemed to agree with Xu Hongfei's idea and asked directly.

"Hehe, everyone knows that Old General Zhang is a famous general, and that the Southern barbarians have a great reputation in the Chang Long Empire. Therefore, what I mean is to ask Old General Zhang to lead 10,000 troops to the outside of Meng Jiao Barbarian Army's encampment and insult him. If he leads the army and loses the battle, then when Old General Meng Ge loses the battle, he will definitely lead the army to kill him. You must know that with the old general's prestige, if he is captured, the morale of the Barbarian army will definitely rise." Xu Hongfei laughed.

Heh heh, you brat, you are quite a ghost. It's not a bad idea of yours, so I'll listen to you. Hearing this, Zhang Tianlei did not show any dissatisfaction and instead chuckled.

"Mm, since that's the case, then it's settled. General Xu, you can go and prepare the Misty Array. Once you're ready, General Zhang will leave in the evening. If Meng Jiao falls into his trap, at night, the Misty Array will be even more useful." Ye Tian instructed.

"This humble subject will proceed to handle it now." Xu Hongfei withdrew as he spoke.

In the evening, Xu Hongfei came to report everything that had been prepared. Ye Tian looked at Zhang Tianlei, who was wearing a military uniform, and said with a stern face, "Those barbarians are all abnormally brave. Old General should be careful. We will send people to support them."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. This old servant will not fail his mission. If I am unlucky enough to die in battle, this old servant will repay the favor that Your Majesty has given to my Zhang Family." Zhang Tianlei kowtowed and said.

Ye Tian frowned when he heard this before shouting out, "Zhang Tianlei, listen to the decree. I order you to come back alive no matter what. Otherwise, you will be disobeying the decree."

"This humble subject obeys the decree and thanks Your Majesty for his grace." Zhang Tianlei said as he once again kowtowed to Ye Tian.