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In the Starfall Kingdom, danger lurks everywhere. However, Sun Liang and Bao Rui are not concerned about what is happening behind them; their current focus is on how to help the Eastern Dragon overcome this crisis.
In contrast, the Hua Ri Kingdom has a completely different approach. Their king believes that the Eastern Dragon Empire will surely be unable to withstand the combined assault of three nations. Therefore, after receiving the imperial edict from Shangguan Ji, he publicly pledged full support to defend Dragon Glory City while secretly contemplating how to secure his own position once the Eastern Dragon Empire falls. His first thought is to ally with the Southern Tiger Empire, which is located just across the mountain.
Thus, the King of the Hua Ri Kingdom gathered two hundred thousand soldiers and ordered his general to lead them to reinforce Dragon Glory City. However, the king's command was that they could not advance more than twenty miles each day. He also secretly sent people into Dragon Glory City to wait for an opportunity. Once Dragon Glory City is breached, those he sent must immediately find the commander of the Southern Tiger Empire and inform him that the Hua Ri Kingdom intends to ally with them, willingly becoming a vassal state of the Southern Tiger Empire, provided that he remains King of the Hua Ri Kingdom.
The Hua Wind Kingdom shares similar thoughts as the King of the Hua Ri Kingdom. Their king ordered his army to camp fifty miles outside Dragon Glory City. As soon as Dragon Glory City falls, this thirty-thousand-strong army will return home at full speed and send their contacts to negotiate with the commander of the Northern Bear Empire, seeking terms similar to those of Hua Ri. However, the Ruler of the Hua Feng Kingdom is more astute than the King of the Hua Ri Kingdom; he instructed his troops that if by some miracle the Eastern Dragon Empire turns the tide and prevails, then this thirty-thousand-strong army would rush into Dragon Glory City at once to serve as a crucial defensive force, effectively positioning themselves as fence-sitters.
The most moderate approach comes from the Huayue Kingdom, which directly dispatched two hundred thousand soldiers into Dragon Glory City and concentrated all its forces in its Capital City. From the perspective of the Eastern Dragon Empire, it appears that Huayue has sent troops to assist in defending the city. Should Eastern Dragon fail, they would have a chance to negotiate with other empire commanders based on their troop presence.
At this moment, the situation for the Eastern Dragon Empire is not favorable. Aside from full support from Starfall Kingdom, other kingdoms harbor their own agendas. However, none of this escapes Shangguan Ji's notice; he understands that the key battle lies in Dragon Glory City. If they can hold onto Dragon Glory City, their nation will remain stable; if they lose it, they could face attacks from both sides.
Consequently, Shangguan Ji appointed his Second Prince Shangguan Junpeng as the commander for this defense mission, overseeing four hundred fifty thousand troops within Dragon Glory City and an additional two hundred thousand reinforcements from Huayue Kingdom. Since all reinforcements from Starfall Kingdom and Five Star Nation are under Liu Guanfeng's command, Shangguan Ji also dispatched Sixth Prince Shangguan Junhong to manage thirty-five thousand troops from Starfall Kingdom and fifteen thousand from Five Star Nation—a total of fifty thousand.
However, Shangguan Ji instructed Shangguan Junhong to station these fifty thousand troops outside Dragon Glory City while leaving the defense task to Shangguan Junpeng. Only if Shangguan Junpeng finds himself in dire straits can Shangguan Junhong use his imperial decree to replace him as Grand Marshal of Dragon Glory City.
This is a test for Shangguan Junpeng and perhaps his last chance; if he successfully defends Dragon Glory City, his chances of seizing the throne will greatly increase. Conversely, if he fails and loses command to Shangguan Junhong, he will almost certainly lose this opportunity. Whether Shangguan Junhong can rise depends on his true performance.
Both princes understand how critical this defense battle is for them. However, Second Prince Shangguan Junpeng has always enjoyed martial pursuits since childhood; at sixteen, he actively requested Shangguan Ji's permission to train in the military. Thus, from a young age, he began training alongside soldiers and generals. He treats all warriors equally and often provides assistance to soldiers facing difficulties at home with some gold coins. Consequently, Shangguan Junpeng enjoys high prestige within the military camp; many soldiers in his kingdom admire him and wish to fight alongside him. This has become one of his most advantageous conditions in vying for the throne.
On the other hand, outside Dragon Glory City, Shangguan Junhong initially faced skepticism due to his youth and lack of achievements. However, everything changed after Liu Guanfeng's appearance. Following a suppression operation that showcased his capabilities, Shangguan Junhong's reputation soared dramatically. Remarkably, during this operation, he only deployed his private troops—merely two thousand men—and yet managed to defeat an opposing force nearly ten times larger while capturing numerous prisoners.
His achievement quickly became legendary; some even exaggeratedly claimed that during this conflict, Shangguan Junhong single-handedly challenged four Divine Knights and generals and defeated them all, causing all rebels to surrender in fear.
It was from that moment on that Shangguan Junpeng suddenly felt that his Sixth Brother had grown up, and the threat he posed was becoming increasingly significant. Even the aloof and proud First Prince, Shangguan Junfei, who had always looked down on his Second Brother, began to pay attention to his Sixth Brother.
Following Shangguan Ji's instructions, Shangguan Junhong brought Bao Rui and his 150,000 soldiers, while Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu led another 350,000 soldiers stationed outside the city. Just after they finished setting up their camp, nearly 30,000 mercenaries from Dragon Glory City voluntarily joined Shangguan Junhong's ranks, led by the leader of the Red Star Mercenary Group, Song Haitao. This brought the total number of soldiers under Shangguan Junhong's command, including his private troops, to 560,000. Additionally, Platinum Wen had procured a large quantity of advanced weapons through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce from various Merchant Guilds in the Eastern Dragon Empire. These included siege crossbows and powerful catapults for long-range attacks, as well as a substantial supply of fire oil bombs and crossbows. All advanced weaponry known to Liu Guanfeng was concentrated in the military camp.
Although outsiders were unaware of the purpose of these weapons, everyone present understood their significance. When all saw these weapons, they smiled with relief, believing that even with these fine arms, their 560,000 troops could certainly withstand an assault from the opposing force of over a million soldiers.
Just as the armies of the three empires were preparing to launch their attack, an unexpected event occurred. Each army was typically accompanied by a large number of blacksmiths—one for every thousand soldiers—tasked with promptly repairing damaged weapons to ensure sustained combat capability.
However, on the eve of their attack on Dragon Glory City, all blacksmiths from the three empires suddenly appeared in front of the Marshal's Tent at each military camp and informed the three Grand Marshals that they would no longer forge iron.
This sudden development immediately disrupted their original plans. Without the assistance of blacksmiths, their weapons could not be repaired, leading to a significant risk that some soldiers would lose their combat effectiveness due to lack of weaponry.
When the three Grand Marshals inquired about the reason for this decision, all blacksmiths provided the same answer: this order came from the Blacksmith Guild and was issued by its President, Jiao Yang. The content stated that during wartime against the Eastern Dragon Empire, all blacksmiths within the three empires must cease any activities related to blacksmithing. Any existing blacksmith found in violation would have their qualifications revoked and would be permanently barred from forging anything; those who disobeyed would face severe penalties.
Although Jiao Yang had only recently taken office as President of Headquarters, his status was one that all blacksmiths envied. He was a disciple of former President Qifeng Ge, who was himself a disciple of Xuanwu—the founder of blacksmithing in this realm. In terms of lineage, Jiao Yang was considered an ancestor to most blacksmiths in this world.
Moreover, Jiao Yang's forging skills were regarded as surpassing those of his master Qifeng Ge—though this was before Qifeng Ge went to Diaoyu Island. While Jiao Yang's forging abilities had approached those of Qifeng Ge's current level, he still lacked some refinement compared to him.
Despite this, Jiao Yang quickly gained recognition among all blacksmiths within a short time frame. Almost all blacksmiths shifted their admiration from Brother Qi Feng to Jiao Yang since Jiao Yang was significantly younger than Brother Qi Feng. Thus, although Jiao Yang had not held the position of President for long, his prestige remained unaffected by any influence; coupled with his status, when he learned that the three great empires planned to unite against the Eastern Dragon Empire, he immediately issued this directive.
After receiving this order, all blacksmiths extinguished their forge fires and closed down their Blacksmith Shops. Instantly, panic spread across all three empires—including Guardian Nation. Following this command, Jiao Yang also shut down the Blacksmith Guild and extinguished all forge fires there as well. He then entered the Eastern Dragon Empire with his Vice President and steward before reaching Northern Bear Empire and went to meet with his master and senior brothers at Chinese Chamber of Commerce to discuss insights on forging.
Blacksmiths held a very esteemed position throughout this realm; even Grand Marshals dared not offend them in any way. After greeting the three Grand Marshals, these blacksmiths promptly left the military camps.
The three Grand Marshals found Guo Huai to inquire about what had happened. At that moment, Guo Huai learned the news: "Gentlemen, the incident involves President Jiao Yang of the Blacksmith Guild. However, you can rest assured that His Majesty will help resolve this issue."
At this time, Feski asked, "Lord Guo, without the blacksmiths' assistance, our soldiers' weapons and armor will wear out quickly. If things go poorly, many soldiers may find themselves unable to enter the battlefield due to a lack of weapons by the end of the day."
Upon hearing Feski's words, Guo Huai's expression darkened: "Feski, Grand Marshal, are you questioning His Majesty's capabilities with such a statement?"
Feski immediately lowered his head: "I dare not, my only concern is for the soldiers' equipment."
"Feski, Grand Marshal, while it is true that our soldiers may suffer losses due to unrepairable weapons, have you considered that if you can capture Dragon Glory City in a short time, we can launch a large-scale attack? If we can annihilate the Eastern Dragon Empire, the entire war will come to an end. What could those blacksmiths say then?"
"I was reckless; I hope you will forgive me, my lord."
"I understand your concern for your soldiers, Feski, Grand Marshal. However, there is no other way. If you can take Dragon Glory City, what are these losses in comparison?" Guo Huai's method of giving a slap followed by a sweet date worked well on someone as straightforward as Feski.
"I understand now," Feski said as he bowed to Guo Huai.
"All Grand Marshals, even if the Eastern Dragon Empire receives help from the Blacksmith Guild, they are merely blacksmiths and cannot sway the outcome on the battlefield. Therefore, I ask you all to return to your camps and reassure your soldiers. As long as we conquer Dragon Glory City, what awaits us next will be heaps of gold coins and beautiful women."
The six Grand Marshals and Vice Marshals stood up simultaneously and clasped their fists toward Guo Huai: "We will do our utmost to ensure the capture of Dragon Glory City."
"Prepare yourselves, Grand Marshals. The full assault will officially begin tomorrow."
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