allendalepharm Page 135
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Lu Junyi slowly straightened up, her chest heaving violently. The crimson in her eyes faded, leaving no trace of sorrow, only an emptiness as cold as eternal ice and an unfathomable cruelty. Her gaze swept over the two corpses on the ground. The intense emotional turmoil made her the eye of a storm in the subspace, a terrifying subspace tide sweeping across the entire Daming Prefecture from her center! Her body remained unchanged, except that two brilliant golden unicorn horns slowly emerged from her forehead, and three clusters of flames, like a profusion of flowers, floated above her head.
Lu Junyi used the souls of 0 Song soldiers and his two beloved lovers as sacrifices to awaken the dragon's blood.
【Dragon Blood · Flame Jade Kirin】: Strength +12, Agility +12, Constitution +12, Charisma +12. Physical Defense +12, Magic Resistance +12, All Damage Reduction +12 (equivalent to character level). All attacks inflict 【Fine Fire】, dealing an additional 36 points of Fine Fire damage to the enemy's spiritual energy (equivalent to 3 times character level). The user is immune to fire but vulnerable to water and ice.
【True Dragon - Flame Jade Qilin】Strength +12, Agility +12, Constitution +12, Charisma +12. Physical Defense +12, Magic Resistance +12, All Damage Reduction +12 (equivalent to character level). All attacks inflict 【Samadhi True Fire】. Immune to fire, vulnerable to water and ice.
[Divine Fire]: Deals 12 points of Divine Fire damage (equivalent to character level) to the enemy's physical armor and magic resistance, and reduces the enemy's character level by 1 to 4.
[Fine Fire]: Deals an additional 36 points of Fine Fire damage to enemies' psionic abilities (equivalent to 3 times the character's level).
[Civilian Fire]: Deals an additional 24 points of civilian fire damage to enemies (equivalent to twice the character's level).
Chapter 389: Siblings' Intimacy Within the Sect
Seeing that Lu Junyi had fulfilled his wish, Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. Daming Prefecture was indeed not a place to stay for long, so he simply looted as usual, then led his troops to retreat and took the money to build a base.
At this moment, Liangshan Marsh had become its complete form. Its four ports in the east, west, south, and north handled hundreds and thousands of ships, and its four major strongholds stood majestically, forming a defensive triangle that protected the great city between the seven peaks of Liangshan. The city walls, which had seven gaps, had long since been replaced with stone instead of wood. The Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness stood high among the seven peaks, and the apricot-yellow banner proclaiming "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" fluttered in the wind! The entire island could accommodate 150,000 people, and its scale was even comparable to that of Juye, the capital of Jeju Province.
In Dengzhou, it had become Liangshan's largest military factory. At the tip of the Shandong Peninsula, there were vast mountain ranges containing rich iron ore, coal, and various other mineral deposits, which were being continuously mined.
Meanwhile, many excellent ports, with Penglai as the leading example, transported large quantities of ore mined inland to Penglai, Liangshan's military industrial center, where they forged a large number of weapons, armor, and various military supplies.
However, the bulk of the military expenditure was spent on ports: several giant shipyards, led by Penglai, built three giant sailing warships, each fifty meters long, according to Liu Hong's standards. Although they couldn't enter inland waterways, they were virtually invincible at sea. With naval standards that were ahead of their time, and aided by tools like compasses, Li Jun's navy could now cross the Bohai Sea and reach Liaodong directly, instead of slowly sailing along the coastline. This greatly shortened the communication distance between Shandong and Liaodong. The most direct benefit was that trade with the Jin Dynasty became much more convenient.
Later, this fleet of galleons will become one of Liangshan's trump cards.
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In a secluded waterside pavilion somewhere in Liangshan Marsh, a crescent moon hung in the sky, and a few fishing lights flickered in the distance. The table was littered with cups and plates, and two empty wine jars lay overturned on the ground. The air was thick with the aroma of fine wine, and the embers in the charcoal brazier crackled softly, illuminating two faces with contrasting expressions.
Lu Junyi's hair was disheveled, and the collar of her plain white brocade robe was ripped open, revealing two full, round breasts. Tears and wine stains mingled on her face, and her eyes, once bright as cold stars, were now murky like a deep, misty pool, staring intently at the flickering candle flame on the table. She gripped a half-empty cup of wine tightly in her hand, her knuckles white, as if she were holding her enemy by the throat.
“Junior Brother Liu Hong…”
Lu Junyi's voice was hoarse and broken, with a heavy nasal tone and a long, drawn-out ending, like a dull knife cutting flesh.
"You...you tell me...this world...this human nature...what exactly...what kind of world is it?"
She suddenly raised her hand and gulped down a mouthful of wine. The spicy liquid rushed down her throat, choking her and causing her to cough violently, tears and snot mingling together. After a brief pause in her coughing, she abruptly raised her head, her bloodshot eyes blazing with deep pain and confusion as she stared intently at Liu Hong, who sat opposite her, relatively sober.
“I, Lu Junyi, have always been upright and honorable! How could I have ever mistreated that vile Jia?! I provided her with fine clothes, sumptuous food, gold, silver, and jewels; if she wanted the stars, I would have plucked the moon from her hands! But… but why…”
Lu Junyi's voice suddenly rose, filled with a tearing sob, like a dying beast roaring.
"Why, when I was at my lowest point, when my life hung by a thread! When I needed people the most! When I thought there was someone in this world who would never abandon me! Why did she betray me? And why is she even less than one of my servants, Yan Qing?"
Lu Junyi's words were choked by an even more violent sob. Her massive body, over three meters tall, trembled violently, as if being repeatedly pounded by an invisible giant hammer. She raised her hand and wiped her face fiercely, then slammed her fist heavily on the table, smashing the stone table to pieces. Fortunately, Liu Hong reacted quickly and snatched two jars of fine wine, preventing her from breaking them.
"Why?! Liu Hong! Tell me why?! What is she after?! Why did she choose to stab me in the heart when I was at my most vulnerable and needed it most?!"
Lu Junyi could no longer hold back his tears, which streamed down his face like a burst dam. This once spirited and domineering tycoon now lay paralyzed amidst the ruins, like a child abandoned by the world, sobbing uncontrollably as he repeated over and over, "Why...why...wasn't I good enough to her?...Where did I go wrong..."
Heavy breathing and suppressed sobs echoed in the waterside pavilion, mingling with the sounds of water and the crackling of charcoal fire outside the window to create a desolate atmosphere.
Liu Hong listened silently, then took a big gulp of wine from the jar. He then handed another jar to Lu Junyi.
"Sister, you are sincere and upright, but you made a mistake in taking Jia Shi as someone to share life and death with. She was nothing more than a vine clinging to your Lu family's gate, clinging to the jade tree and sucking the sweet dew! When the jade tree falls and the sweet dew dries, do you expect that vine to still entwine you and go to the Yellow Springs together?"
Liu Hong said firmly, "She never cared about how you treated her. All she thought about was how to quickly grab a new, higher branch when the sky fell! Brother, your misfortune was the sky falling in her eyes! She only cared about protecting herself, she didn't care about your future. You expect her to use so-called gratitude or marital bonds to fight against her survival instinct? The wealth in front of her? That's wishful thinking!"
"Sister, do you know Lady Huarui? The female poet who wrote, 'The king raises the surrender flag on the city wall, how could I, in the deep palace, know? One hundred and forty thousand men lay down their arms, not one of them a true man!' She was a concubine of the King of Shu. After Shu was conquered by Emperor Taizu, did she perish with Shu? No, she turned around and joined Emperor Taizu's harem, continuing her life of debauchery in the Song Dynasty's harem."
Liu Hong lowered his voice, as if stating an age-old fact.
"Some people's hearts are born into a dry well; even if you pour out the waters of three rivers, you still can't fill it. Their eyes can only see the mud beneath their feet. My sister's pain, grievances, and sincerity? They are too heavy for her to bear, and she doesn't even want to understand! In her eyes, if you fall on hard times, you're just a pile of dust, and she'd rather not get your hands on you. How can that compare to the new patron and the promised future?"
Liu Hong leaned forward, picked up the wine pot, and refilled Lu Junyi's cup, then poured one for himself. He raised the cup, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Junyi's eyes, which had been repeatedly washed by tears:
"My sister's sincerity and honesty are worthy of being entrusted to her brothers-in-arms who would share life and death! Worthy of being entrusted with the principles of loyalty and righteousness! Worthy of being entrusted with the righteous cause of Liangshan Marsh! To cry for her? It's not worth it!!!"
Liu Hong's voice was like the clanging of metal, powerful and resonant. He handed over another jar of wine.
Lu Junyi stared blankly at the wine glass Liu Hong handed him, the wine shimmering faintly in the flickering candlelight. The pent-up grief and indignation had not completely dissipated, but Liu Hong's resolute words, like a heavy hammer, shattered his chaotic thoughts, revealing a glimmer of pain.
She suddenly tilted her head back and gulped down the cup of bitter wine that seemed to be burning, as if swallowing all her humiliation and tears. The scalding liquid burned down her esophagus, bringing no intoxication, but rather igniting a spark deep within her chest. The overflowing nectar flowed down her delicate lips, across her slender neck, and onto her full breasts. She threw aside the empty wine jar and, fueled by her drunkenness, passionately and unrestrainedly kissed Liu Hong's lips.
Liu Hong was also drunk at this moment. He skillfully removed his senior sister's dress, which was soaked with wine, revealing a large area of her fair and delicate skin. He felt the burning heat and amazing softness of her mature and voluptuous body with his hands.
The jade unicorn felt somewhat uncomfortable. Usually, she was the one who took the initiative, but today she was the one who was passive. She tried to push her junior brother away, but what she got in return was an even more proactive and passionate kiss. His hands, which were so hot they were burning, were taking whatever they wanted from her round and proud breasts.
The power that once pierced through thousands of troops gradually lost the strength to push away his junior brother. He collapsed into Liu Hong's arms, his breathing heavy, like a piece of soft brocade. He was at Liu Hong's mercy, lying on the ground like a dog, supporting his mature and voluptuous body with his knees and elbows. His two snow-capped peaks hung down like bells, drawing two heavy yet beautiful arcs in the air.
Liu Hong walked behind his senior sister, gently pinching her pair of golden unicorn horns with both hands, as if controlling the handle. The long spear swept across her trembling back and full buttocks. With a scream intertwined with pain and pleasure, Liu Hong gently plucked the full and sweet fruit, possessing her passionately, admiring her trembling back, spasming legs, and swaying breasts again and again.
This senior sister was no ordinary woman; her stamina was so exaggerated that she could single-handedly and slowly defeat an army of 100,000. The two of them made love and danced together again and again, from the starry night sky to the crowing of the rooster and the rising sun, to the high moon, and then to the golden dawn. They fought for a full sixteen or seventeen hours, until their skin was red and swollen, before reluctantly leaving this frenzied pleasure to prepare for the new day's work.
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P.S.: My ex-girlfriend's three-month pact has come to an end. She said she wouldn't find anyone for at least two years and would come back to me in three months. In the end, she found a man who perfectly agreed to all her conditions. Hmm, thinking about those dowry demands that added up to nearly a million, whether the guy genuinely dared to agree or was just teasing her for fun, I can only say he's amazing. I feel like this comedy could continue.
Chapter 390: Dragon and Demon Clash in Divine Sense
Just as Liu Hong had been fighting for sixteen or seventeen hours, his body and mind exhausted to the limit, a chaotic and distorted area deep within his consciousness began to twist and deform.
In the darkness, a figure stood out, exuding a powerful aura that pierced through the gray mist, and a raging inferno!
She was clad in a suit of heavy armor crafted from fine gold. Each plate was as thick as a mountain, yet its edges were as sharp as razors, gleaming with an inner, molten gold-like luster in the dim light. The armor's design was flamboyant and grotesque; the shoulder armor depicted a raging beast swallowing its prey, the breastplate was embossed with a twisted, pained face, and the skirt armor was layered upon layered, its edges like shattered blades.
In her hand, she gripped a massive halberd. A jeweled bow and steel arrows hung from her slender waist—it was Shi Wengong!
"Finally, finally this day has come!!!"
Shi Wengong let out a long sigh of relief. Looking at Liu Hong, who was exhausted and had fallen asleep, he let out a deep laugh.
"You brat, you really don't know your place. You dare to take in any demon and sign any contract. Who the hell gave you the courage???"
"The logic behind a normal person being able to sign a contract with only one demon is that supporting one demon is already extremely dangerous. It's impossible to support two demons normally, as the two demons would fight each other over souls, offerings, and other things, and wouldn't care about the life or death of the contractor. Unless that person can subdue two demons at the same time without relying on the power of the demons, they can only support one."
Shi Wengong rubbed his hands together, looking at Liu Hong's other demon—a small scale.
"This thing is strange; it can change size at will, and it can transform into armor and weapons. It's a decent demonic power, but compared to my time-stopping ability, it's still too weak. As long as I can take down this little devil, Liu Hong won't be able to use another demonic power, and you'll be exhausted to this extent. I can even kill your soul and take your place with your body!"
After lying low for a long time, Shi Wengong finally revealed his ferocious fangs.
"The demon's immortality! The Liangshan army in Liu Hong's guise! And the time-stopping ability I gained after ascending to demonhood! Who in the world can stop me then! Watch me march on Tokyo! I'll wipe out those damned traitors! Cai Jing! We'll settle both the old and new scores together!!!"
Shi Wengong let out an arrogant laugh, brandishing his halberd in Liu Hong's mind and striding towards the black scale. "As long as I get rid of this, I'll be safe!"
"Roar--!!!"
Just as Shi Wengong swung his halberd at the black scales, a dragon's roar that shook the entire universe of consciousness suddenly exploded! The Dragon King of Jidu emerged from subspace in disbelief—Damn it, who dares to touch my chosen champion?! He built my Dragon King Temple all over Shandong, do I even need this guy to spread my faith?!
Shi Wengong was also startled when he saw the black dragon that suddenly appeared before him—what the hell is this thing? Isn't Liu Hong's ability just a single, unpredictable scale? Where did this black dragon come from?
Ao Ying glanced at Shi Wengong and roughly understood what was going on. The huge dragon head was raised high, and the vertical pupils like molten gold were locked on Shi Wengong. The depths of the pupils were no longer indifferent, but boiling, enough to burn everything!
A pure, indescribable singularity of energy condensed and collapsed in His throat! The surrounding space instantly collapsed inward, light was distorted and swallowed, forming an ever-expanding dark abyss with jagged, dark gold arcs flashing at its edges.
Inside this sphere, there is no emptiness, but countless fine, writhing shadow lightning bolts, like billions of venomous snakes, flowing, colliding, and annihilating! Each collision releases destructive energy powerful enough to tear atoms apart, yet it is tightly bound by the dark sphere, brewing an ultimate explosion!
The next instant, the dark sphere, condensed to its limit, suddenly erupted from the dragon's mouth. It wasn't the breath of a giant dragon, but a torrent of abyss! A tangible river of destruction! It appeared as a dark torrent that blotted out the sky, its core a shadow of an abyss that devoured everything, while its edges were entwined and bursting with billions of violently leaping, brilliant golden lightning bolts. These lightning bolts were no ordinary lightning; they were like living, shadowy serpents, twisting, coiling, and exploding in the torrent of dragon breath. Each flash brought ripples in space and the mournful cries of matter. Wherever the dragon breath passed, the world lost its color! The sun and moon lost their light, and Shi Wengong felt Liu Hong's entire sea of consciousness being covered by the dragon breath!
A ruthless and resolute glint flashed in Shi Wengong's eyes, and an invisible and intangible power, capable of freezing thoughts and solidifying all things, instantly spread out! Centered on Shi Wengong, the entire sea of consciousness—the churning demonic energy, the gushing lava, the raging golden lightning, and even the violent shadow dragon breath—all seemed to have been paused! All colors faded, and everything fell into a deathly gray-white silence!
Shi Wengong immediately brandished his halberd, unleashing a dark storm that reached Ao Ying. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his halberd spun and danced in a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix style! Scales shattered and blood flowed freely as he fought.
Ao Ying was confused. He only felt that he had just started to breathe dragon breath, but the next second, Shi Wengong actually charged from a hundred meters away to his front, and half of his face was cut into a bloody mess by the Fangtian Halberd.
"Time paused?"
Ao Ying was slightly startled, because at this moment Ao Ying, Liu Hong, and Shi Wengong were one entity, so she instantly recognized Shi Wengong's ability.
"You old mudfish! No matter how powerful you are, before frozen time, you're nothing but a lamb to the slaughter!"
Shi Wengong laughed wildly, his figure transforming into a streak of dark golden light. Holding the halberd, he thrust it straight at the black dragon's forehead, attempting to deliver a fatal blow!
However, just as the halberd tip was about to touch the dragon scales, a sudden change occurred! Countless viscous, liquid lightning burst forth from the edges of the black dragon scales, enveloping Ao Ying's entire body, as if an ethereal shadow dragon had suddenly donned flowing liquid lightning armor, transforming into a lightning dragon!
Ao Ying dared not expose his face and heart to the Fangtian Halberd, so he stretched out his huge dragon tail and, taking advantage of his size, suddenly wrapped it around Shi Wengong. The shadowy dragon body that blotted out the sky turned into a cage of energy.
Shi Wengong knew things were going badly. He tried to break through by charging left and right, but he was blocked by Miaoying's enormous size and repelled by the liquefied lightning armor covering her entire body. In front of this Dragon King of Jidu, Shi Wengong was as insignificant as an ant!
Fortunately, Shi Wengong managed to hold out for a minute before the gods, pausing time a second time. But it was too late. The frozen, solidified shadow dragon's body and thunder dragon armor had formed an impenetrable cage of lightning, trapping Shi Wengong inside. Desperately, Shi Wengong tried to break free, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree. The halberd could indeed tear through the thunder armor and cleave the dragon's scales into a bloody mess, but to sever this giant dragon in six seconds was simply wishful thinking!
At the seventh second, time resumed its flow, the Thunder Armor self-repaired, and countless chains of lightning plasma, like living venomous snakes, instantly coiled around Shi Wengong's shattered demonic body! Ignoring her struggles and screams, they pierced deep into her limbs and bones, penetrating her demonic core! Each chain's penetration was accompanied by the explosion of golden lightning and Shi Wengong's heart-wrenching screams! Ancient runes on the lightning plasma chains lit up, branding themselves deeply into her soul like a branding iron!
"what--!!!"
Shi Wengong's screams reached their peak as countless black shadows and golden lightning bolts wrapped around her body like threads, eventually enveloping her in a dark golden cocoon of shadow lightning, which Ao Ying held tightly in his dragon claws, watching this demon who dared to challenge a god.
Chapter 391: Liangshan Marsh Prepares for Battle
When Liu Hong regained consciousness, he suddenly realized that Shi Wengong was gone. Before he could even wonder what was going on, Ao Ying reappeared and solemnly advised him.
"Don't make a pact with a demon so easily! Demons are not slaves or servants who can take whatever they want, but rather a calamity that may stab you in the back at any time if you fail to meet their demands! I've temporarily suppressed Shi Wengong for you. It's only because I'm here that she has already killed your other demon, taken over your mind, put on your skin, and regained her freedom."
Liu Hong broke out in a cold sweat, never expecting Shi Wengong to plot against him here. He thanked him repeatedly, and then scrutinized his inner demon with even greater caution.
Meanwhile, the Song Dynasty was also having a terrible headache from the Liangshan Marsh. In ancient times, the economy, transportation, and food supply were all very poor. Mobilizing 100,000 soldiers and 400,000 auxiliary troops, a total of 500,000 people, to fight Liangshan Marsh was almost the limit for a local war. If Gao Qiu gritted his teeth and mobilized 200,000 soldiers and 800,000 laborers, it wouldn't be impossible for him to fight a war of one million people.
But could these people defeat Liangshan?
Qin Ming's first defeat can be attributed to the imperial court's lack of cavalry and navy, making it difficult to defeat Liangshan in an away game.
Huyan Zhuo was defeated for the second time. It could be said that Xu Ning's betrayal was too fatal, as he provided the rebels with the deadly hook-and-sickle tactic used by the Imperial Guards against the Liao cavalry.
Guan Sheng's third defeat could also be attributed to Gao Qiu's poor command.
But when Tong Guan was defeated for the fourth time, it was truly terrifying. Liu Hong gathered all of Liangshan's elite troops, and his two thousand cavalrymen utterly defeated Tong Guan's one hundred thousand! This fighting power meant that Liangshan's cavalry was now completely comparable to the most elite cavalry of the Western Xia: the Iron Falcons; the most elite cavalry of the Liao Dynasty: the Mourning Fang Iron Forest; and the Jingse Army of the early Song Dynasty, as well as the most elite cavalry of the Shatuo people: the Crow Army! Even with another two hundred thousand, they might not have been able to win!
Therefore, the court changed its approach—we can discuss the matter of granting amnesty later; there's no rush. But could we first ransom Tong Guan? We're willing to offer five thousand taels of silver.
Liu Hong needed money everywhere at this moment. Since he couldn't be granted amnesty in the short term, selling Tong Guan for money was a good option. The two sides negotiated slowly in Jizhou for more than a month and finally reached an agreement. Liangshan would return Tong Guan to the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty would generously accept the payment. Since this year was the year of allying with Jin against Liao, they didn't need to pay tribute to Liao. Instead, they took the tribute originally intended for Liao: 100,000 taels of silver and 250,000 bolts of silk, totaling about one million taels of silver.
The Song Dynasty, or rather, Gao Qiu, Cai Jing, and Yang Jian, pooled their resources and paid Liangshan a full 500,000 taels of silver. In return, they brought back Tong Guan, the most capable warrior in their group.
This was a huge sum of money, 500,000 taels of silver, which was equivalent to 500,000 strings of cash. It was five birthday gifts for Cai Jing. The three treacherous officials could easily have taken out this amount of money, but they preferred to spend the national treasury rather than touch a single penny of their own private coffers.
Liu Hong didn't stand on ceremony. After receiving the huge sum of money, he replaced Tong Guan with him and immediately used the money for army building. On the same day, more than one million people in the area actually controlled by Liangshan in Shandong received the notification.
Winter is coming, and since you don't farm anyway, Liangshan will send messengers to set up camps near each county town and organize combat training for you. Any able-bodied men aged 16 to 40 can participate. Those who are willing to come will be provided with meals by Liangshan and will receive twenty copper coins every day.
This caused an uproar throughout Shandong. Twenty coins! That was almost double the standard wage for migrant workers in the city at the time! And it even included meals! Could there be such a good deal in the world?
Therefore, a large number of people responded enthusiastically; of the one million people within Liangshan's control area, approximately one hundred thousand joined the effort. The daily cost was two million coins, or two thousand strings of cash. But Liu Hong didn't care; the five hundred thousand strings of cash he obtained from selling children's belongings could support his training for over two hundred and fifty days, eight months, and more than enough for a winter of three months.
After arriving at the Liangshan military camp outside the county town, each of these people underwent a basic test. The physically strong farmers were assigned spears, giant axes, and hook-and-sickle spears for training in close infantry formations. The agile hunters were assigned a matchlock gun with a spear and trained in skirmish tactics, harassment, and charging.
Most importantly, the officers of Liangshan rigorously trained these peasants in discipline. Once an order was issued by a superior officer, they were to obey it immediately. They were taught how to advance without stopping and how to stand at attention without moving. They were also taught the most basic formations. In any war, discipline is of paramount importance.
As for more complex formations, Liu Hong didn't expect to teach them all in one winter; he'd teach the most basics first.
As for whether the Song Dynasty court would intervene, the county magistrates in these areas were already in cahoots with Liangshan. When they saw a Liangshan officer leading thousands of farmers to set up camp and conduct military training near the county seat, they trembled with fear, praying that Liangshan was truly training troops and not preparing to attack the county seat. They dared not utter a single word of dissent! In fact, 100,000 men were scattered across the counties of Shandong, training for an entire winter, more than three months.
The same thing happened in the second and third years. The people of Shandong usually farmed their own land, but in the winter they were brought over for training. The farmers in this area received highly professional and modern soldier training led by Lin Chong and Xu Ning, with Liu Hong as an assistant, for a full nine months. To put it bluntly, even the increasingly decadent, incompetent, and corrupt Imperial Guards of the Song Dynasty might not have been as well-trained as these 100,000 farmers.
Of these 100,000 men, 30,000 were dedicated military households and conscripts. They possessed the best physical fitness and received the highest level of training. The remaining 70,000 could also serve as auxiliary troops. In these three years, Liangshan's military factories achieved mass production of muskets and cannons, and the number of galleons increased dramatically from three to six per year—doubling in size.
It's not that the ship is particularly large or difficult to build; the main problem is the sheer volume and complexity of its equipment. A galleon is 52 meters long, with 92 broadside cannons and eight parabolic mortars at the bow and stern, bringing the total number of cannons to over 100. Li Jun's sailors need specialized training on how to operate such a massive warship, and Ling Zhen's artillerymen need to learn how to fire accurately on rough seas. Everything requires a period of adjustment. Given the current production capacity and training speed, producing one ship ready for combat per year is already quite fast.
As for the issue of granting amnesty, the two sides have still not reached an agreement.
During the three years that Liang Shangou developed in Shandong, the war in which the Song Dynasty allied with the Jin Dynasty to destroy the Liao Dynasty broke out in full force.
Chapter 392: The Clash Between Liao and Song in Youzhou
The wings of history, like those of a butterfly, were slightly deflected because of Liu Hong's existence.
Originally, the imperial court planned to attack Liangshan Marsh several more times to boost Liangshan's record. However, because Tong Guan's defeat was too outrageous, the entire Song Dynasty was terrified of Liangshan. In addition, the terms for the amnesty could not be agreed upon. Gao Qiu slapped his thigh and decided to take the ten military governors who were originally going to attack Liangshan and head north to attack Liao!
Cai Jing nodded. Gao Qiu had lost most of his political prestige after his previous failures. Now that the Liao Dynasty was on its last legs from the Jin Dynasty, it seemed like an easy target. It would be good to let Gao Qiu boost his record. So he issued ten edicts, ordering the various military governors to go to Daming Prefecture to attack the Liao Dynasty and await orders.
Those ten military governors were no ordinary men; each led an army of ten thousand, and they were to advance together on a set date. These ten armies were: Wang Huan, military governor of Henan and Hebei; Xu Jing, military governor of Shangdang and Taiyuan; Wang Wende, military governor of Jingzhao and Hongnong; Mei Zhan, military governor of Yingzhou and Runan; Zhang Kai, military governor of Zhongshan and Anping; Yang Wen, military governor of Jiangxia and Lingling; Han Cunbao, military governor of Yunzhong and Yanmen; Li Congji, military governor of Longxi and Hanyang; Xiang Yuanzhen, military governor of Langya and Pengcheng; and Jing Zhong, military governor of Qinghe and Tianshui.
These ten armies were all elite troops who had been trained in the past. Moreover, the ten military governors were all former outlaws who had been granted amnesty and rose to high-ranking positions. They were all brave and capable men who had not achieved their fame overnight. On that day, the Secretariat set a deadline and issued ten official documents, ordering these ten armies to arrive in Daming Prefecture on time. Those who were late would be punished according to military regulations.
In Jiankang Prefecture of Jinling, there was a naval force commanded by a commander named Liu Menglong. He was extremely skilled in naval warfare, leading 20,000 troops and 500 ships, guarding the south of the Yangtze River. Grand Commandant Gao wanted to seize this naval force and its ships, and came to him under cover of night to await orders.
Grand Commandant Gao had many fierce generals under his command, among whom two were the most outstanding: one named Dang Shiying, and the other Dang Shixiong. The two brothers, appointed as commanders, each possessed the courage of ten thousand men. Grand Commandant Gao then went to the Imperial Guard and selected 80,000 Imperial Guards from the Eastern Capital, along with countless other military commanders and supervisors, totaling 200,000 troops from various regions. He first ordered officials from various routes to supply provisions and pay tribute along the way.