Not long after Hu Hao finished deploying his troops, Commander Jiang Kai called. Hu Hao had no idea why Jiang Kai was contacting him, but he felt a twinge of guilt.
Overall, Jiang Kai genuinely appreciated him. However, Hu Hao also knew that Jiang Kai still intended to follow the Emperor’s orders and act according to His Majesty’s directives.
Based on the information Hu Hao had gleaned from Jiang Kai, the Emperor was merely using Jiang Kai. Ever since he was conferred the title of Viscount, Jiang Kai had been set up as a target. Hu Hao had tried to warn him.
But Jiang Kai either had no intention of resisting or simply lacked a better countermeasure.
His promotion to Viscount was originally a maneuver by the Emperor and the Grand Marshal to check the power of the military clans. Now, however, the conflict had devolved into one between Jiang Kai and the Grand Marshal. The military clans had their sights set firmly on Jiang Kai; any dissatisfaction they harbored was directed straight at him. Yet, Jiang Kai likely hadn’t even realized this yet!
“Hello, Commander. This is Hu Hao!” Left with no choice, Hu Hao answered the phone.
Although he felt guilty toward Jiang Kai, Hu Hao believed his current actions were right. For any nation, the people must come first. If the people were deeply dissatisfied, the nation would be in grave trouble.
The Eastern Spirit Empire was the wealthiest nation in the world and boasted the fourth most powerful military globally. Yet, faced with an invasion, it lacked any ability to resist. It retreated step by step, entirely abandoning its citizens to the slaughter of the Allied coalition.
Furthermore, instead of reorganizing the military for a counter-offensive, the Emperor was still fixated on purging the military clans. This thoroughly disgusted Hu Hao. In reality, eliminating the military clans and launching a counter-offensive were not mutually exclusive!
Therefore, Hu Hao refused to be cannon fodder. If he had to die in battle, he would do so fighting on his own terms. Even if he lost and truly died in combat, he would do so willingly. Just like the rest of the troops here, even if it meant death, they would advance. They would never retreat!
“Hu Hao, how is the battle against the Limaguo 11th Corps progressing?” Jiang Kai immediately asked upon hearing Hu Hao’s voice.
“We are still fighting. The Allied forces deployed fighter jets this morning. We had no choice but to halt our offensive. Without air cover, we can’t defeat them!” Hu Hao replied.
Jiang Kai definitely knew about the fighter jets; his side also had radar.
“I know. Are your troops still unable to break out?” Jiang Kai asked heavily.
“We can’t break out. I don’t have many troops. We can only rely on Late City to mount a defensive counter-attack!” Hu Hao quickly answered.
“Ah, right. The reason I called is to tell you that His Majesty called me this morning. I told him about your situation.
“His Majesty said that as long as you can successfully break out and retreat, he will make a special exception and directly promote you to a Lieutenant General Corps Commander! From then on, you will be able to legitimately command an entire corps!” Jiang Kai sighed as he relayed the news.
“Thank you for the recommendation, Commander. I want to retreat too, but the Allied forces have deployed fighter jets, and their ground forces outnumber mine considerably. Breaking out is simply too difficult.
“Furthermore, the Mara Empire’s 1st Corps is expected to reach us around midnight tonight. We are completely surrounded. Our only option now is to resist from within Late City!” Hu Hao replied with a chuckle.
“I see. By the way, are there any citizens left in Late City?” Jiang Kai continued.
“The local citizens have all fled. There are some refugees left who ran out of money and didn’t want to run anymore, so they settled here. There are probably a few hundred thousand refugees here right now,” Hu Hao stated.
“That’s good. That’s good. I requested permission from His Majesty, and he agreed to let you recruit your own troops, as long as the total number doesn’t exceed 60,000. His Majesty promised me this personally.
“So, while you’re there, if you have the weapons, go ahead and recruit. Since you annihilated a Mara Empire corps yesterday, I assume you captured some infantry weapons. And with your attack on the Limaguo forces today, you probably secured even more.
“You can use the captured weapons to arm your new troops. But remember, do not exceed 60,000! Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain it to His Majesty!” Jiang Kai instructed earnestly.
“Oh, His Majesty agreed? Thank you, Commander!” Hu Hao feigned extreme joy. He currently had far more than 60,000 men—he had enough for four or five forces of that size.
“Remember, absolutely do not over-expand. Just replenish whatever casualties you suffer. His Majesty has taken note of your name. Once we rescue you, you will be directly promoted to Lieutenant General. Do not ruin your own bright future!” Jiang Kai urged.
“Thank you, Commander. I will remember!” Hu Hao quickly replied.
“Do you need any other assistance from my end?” Jiang Kai asked.
“No. We are surrounded now, so nothing else will help. By the way, Commander, how are your defensive deployments coming along?” Hu Hao inquired.
“We are fine on our end. The subordinate officers have somewhat learned how to fight. Plus, we are currently constructing the defensive fortifications based on the blueprints you provided earlier. And with the sheer number of troops we have now, holding off the Allied offensive won’t be a problem!” Jiang Kai said confidently.
“That’s good to hear!” Hu Hao nodded. After a few more words, Jiang Kai hung up, and Hu Hao sat back down.
…
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital, Liang Wanyu was reviewing internal military bulletins. The bulletins only contained outdated information!
“Huh?” Liang Wanyu suddenly spotted Hu Hao’s name. The bulletin stated that during the defense of Late City, Hu Hao had successfully annihilated four Allied corps.
“He’s this incredible? He can already command the equivalent of an entire corps, and he wiped out four Allied corps?” Liang Wanyu laughed as she read the contents.
“What are you laughing about?” A colleague noticed her amusement and immediately asked.
“Nothing, just thought of something funny. Oh, have you finished writing your propaganda piece?” Liang Wanyu quickly changed the subject.
“Sigh, what’s there to propagandize? The army retreats every single day. How are we supposed to spin that? The citizens are cursing us everywhere. No one reads the propaganda pieces we write, and certainly, no one believes them!
“So many refugees have brought news of the frontline battles here. The people know we’ve lost more than half of our territory. Right now, all the citizens are dissatisfied with our military clans!” Her colleague, also a young woman from a military clan background, complained bitterly.
“It’s true. We are suffering defeat after defeat on the front lines. There isn’t a single piece of good news!” Liang Wanyu sighed, leaning back in her chair.
“Haven’t you heard? In other areas, people stare down anyone from a military clan. When they see them on the streets, they throw rocks at them! Sigh! It’s only because security is so tight here in the capital; otherwise, it would be exactly the same.
“The Allied forces are massacring our citizens. Tell me, can the people really tolerate our army retreating time and time again? We can’t even deceive ourselves with the articles we write anymore!” the girl said dejectedly.
“Alright, let’s not talk about this. I’m heading out for a bit!” Liang Wanyu stood up, grabbed her bag, and left.
Soon, she arrived outside the office of General of the Left, Ma Zhenling. Everyone there knew Liang Wanyu; she was General Ma’s granddaughter. She just didn’t share the surname Ma, as she took her mother’s surname. Her mother was the sister of Vanguard General Liang Kuan, who managed the Air Force.
“Third Miss is here? General of the Left is inside!” the staff officer at the door announced upon seeing her.
“Yes, I came to see my grandfather!” Liang Wanyu smiled and nodded. The staff officer knocked, and upon receiving a response, opened the door. “Third Miss is here,” he announced to the room.
“Wanyu is here? Quick, come in!” Ma Zhenling smiled warmly upon hearing it was his granddaughter.
“Grandpa!” Liang Wanyu walked in with a smile, and the staff officer closed the door behind her.
“You little rascal! You work in the very same building, yet you never come up to see me. And you don’t even come home after work! You just stay in that villa your father gave you. You terrible girl!” Ma Zhenling scolded her affectionately. He stood up, went to a nearby mini-fridge, and pulled out her favorite beverage.
“Haven’t I been busy? I have to write propaganda articles every day, but the army can’t win a single battle. We have to rack our brains to come up with anything to write. I’m so busy I don’t even have time for a beauty treatment!” Liang Wanyu sat on the sofa, took the drink from Ma Zhenling with a smile and a “thank you,” then opened it and took a sip.
“Yes, it’s true we can’t win right now. It must be difficult for you writers!” Ma Zhenling sighed.
“Grandpa, why won’t they let us write about a certain person? I saw in the bulletins that he’s won many battles, but there’s a specific note stating no propaganda is to be written about him. Why?” Liang Wanyu asked, looking directly at her grandfather.
“Who is it? Someone else won many battles? How come I don’t know about this?” Ma Zhenling asked, immediately curious.
“Hu Hao. The Colonel who annihilated four Allied corps near Bopa City. He’s incredibly impressive. Why can’t we write about him?” Liang Wanyu pressed.
“Oh, him. It’s not that I won’t let you write about him. He is an Army general, and I very much wish we could promote his achievements. But the Grand Marshal forbade it!” As soon as Ma Zhenling heard the name Hu Hao, he understood. There wasn’t a single senior general in High Command who didn’t know that name!
“Why? Did he offend the Grand Marshal? How could a mere Colonel possibly offend the Grand Marshal? They shouldn’t even interact!” Liang Wanyu asked, completely baffled.
“Sigh, just don’t ask anymore. It’s better for you not to know about this matter!” Ma Zhenling smiled wryly at his granddaughter.
(End of Chapter)