Chapter 319: Reclaiming Huai County

Chapter 319: Reclaiming Huai County

Qin Xiaoyao ate her meal, glancing at Chu Jin, unsurprised by the outcome.

"So, we can move out tonight?" Striking at night would surprise them.

The main reason, however, was that two neighboring towns were very close to Huanghua Town.

"Yes!" Chu Jin replied excitedly.

Just the thought of reclaiming lost territory was enough to stir excitement.

Qin Xiaoyao turned to Chu Jin.

"Good, then arrange for 500 people to stay behind, and the rest will support me in the charge."

"Got it!" Chu Jin agreed promptly.

After chatting with Qin Xiaoyao for a bit, Chu Jin left.

That evening, Qin Xiaoyao arrived at the training ground right on time.

After assembling the special training team, she led them forward without hesitation.

As they neared the town adjacent to Huanghua Town, they slowed down and dismounted early.

Then, Qin Xiaoyao sent a few scouts into the town to gather intelligence.

Only after confirming the situation matched her expectations did she order the ambush on the town.

The battle went even more smoothly than expected.

There were only about a hundred Liao soldiers in the town, and they were already aware of the situation in Huanghua Town.

Seeing the special training team attack, most of the Liao soldiers chose to surrender.

In this way, Qin Xiaoyao reclaimed two towns in one night.

This made Chu Jin, who was trailing behind, feel that victory had come too easily.

He had expected the special training team to need his help and for him to contribute in battle.

Unexpectedly, throughout the entire operation, he was just there for show.

Aside from taking over the reclaimed territory and helping to detain the surrendered Liao soldiers, he hadn’t contributed to the fighting at all.

But this was a positive sign.

The smoother things went, the weaker the Liao army seemed.

A strong start would boost their confidence for what followed.

Over the next two days, as expected, things went smoothly for Chu Jin.

Qin Xiaoyao led the special training team in attacking various towns, while Chu Jin stayed behind to boost morale and provide assistance when needed.

Once a town was captured, the Imperial Army would quickly arrive to take control.

The pace of reclaiming lost territory was faster than they had anticipated.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaoyao and Chu Jin finally received reinforcements.

Yes, the second prince had sent them more troops.

Moreover, Qin Xiaoyao had received an official military rank, becoming a Xiao Wei, the same level as Chu Jin.

The newly arrived 5,000 reinforcements were now under Qin Xiaoyao's command.

This was like giving a tiger wings for Qin Xiaoyao.

Soon, her attacks on Huai County became even swifter.

At the same time, her title of "God of Death of the Great Jin" quickly spread among the Liao army.

Now, not only did the Liao army know of Qin Xiaoyao, but her name also began to circulate among the Great Jin army and court officials.

On this day, Qin Xiaoyao and Chu Jin finally fully captured Huai County.

From the time Qin Xiaoyao started attacking towns to the completion of the recapture of Huai County, the entire operation took only eight days.

The recapture of Huai County indeed impacted the negotiation process between Jin and Liao.

With the full support of the second prince, the court finally changed its previous attitude and no longer yielded to the Liao envoy.

On this day, Qin Xiaoyao also received a new commission and a letter from the second prince.

Because of the recapture of Huai County, Qin Xiaoyao was promoted to Vice-General and received an additional 5,000 troops.

By now, Qin Xiaoyao had 10,000 troops under her command.

Both Chu Jin and Han Chao became her subordinates.

The two would assist her in continuing to clear out the Liao forces within the borders of Great Jin.

Yes, after securing the court envoy, the second prince was resolved to make a bold move.

He would choke the Liao army's supply lines, preventing Liao reinforcements from entering Tong Pass.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaoyao would work with him to swiftly eliminate the Liao forces.

Thus securing victory in the Liao-Jin conflict.

This outcome was a scenario the second prince had previously deemed impossible.

After all, he could not be everywhere at once, unable to simultaneously block Liao reinforcements and expel the Liao forces disrupting Great Jin.

However, Qin Xiaoyao’s emergence gave him new hope.

And it was a significant hope.

Qin Xiaoyao’s military leadership exceeded his expectations. With such a capable ally, he felt emboldened to dream bigger and act more boldly.

At this moment, not only was the second prince thrilled to gain a formidable general, but Qin Xiaoyao, Chu Jin, and Han Chao were also very excited.

The reclamation campaign was proceeding smoothly; how could they not be elated?

With more troops under her command, Qin Xiaoyao once again accelerated the reclamation of lost territories.

Not only did she kill and capture Liao soldiers within the Great Jin territory, but she also took the opportunity to eliminate bandit threats.

Each day brought new and positive developments.

For a while, both the second prince and the Great Jin court began to feel hopeful.

Some court officials who had originally feared the Liao Kingdom and were wholeheartedly intent on seeking peace with them gradually changed their minds.

Given that the Great Jin had such a formidable general and its soldiers were also capable of fighting, there was no need to humbly seek peace with the Liao Kingdom anymore.

Meanwhile, the Liao army grew increasingly restless.

As time went on, the Liao soldiers within the Great Jin failed to receive reinforcements and were trapped inside Great Jin territory.

At first, they were able to burn, kill, and loot the land of the Great Jin to seize supplies.

However, the land, which had recently suffered from a disaster, could only provide limited resources.

As time passed, they soon faced shortages in military supplies.

Moreover, with Qin Xiaoyao and others gradually closing in, many Liao soldiers became fearful. In despair, some even lost the will to fight back.

This was because, according to Qin Xiaoyao's policy, soldiers who surrendered would not be executed unless they were the ringleaders.

Afterward, when Great Jin and Liao exchanged prisoners, they would still have a chance to return to the Liao Kingdom.

The idea of not killing prisoners was actually proposed by Han Chao.

When it was first suggested, it faced significant opposition.

After all, the Liao soldiers within the Great Jin had all shed the blood of the Great Jin people, and none of them were innocent.

However, Han Chao ultimately convinced Qin Xiaoyao.

There were two reasons: first, if they exterminated the Liao soldiers, it would provoke their will to resist.

With no way out, the Liao soldiers would have no choice but to fight to the death.

This would make reclaiming lost territories more challenging and slow the progress.

Second, it was common practice during negotiations between countries to exchange prisoners. Captured soldiers and civilians were valuable assets.

By capturing Liao soldiers, they could use them to exchange for Jin soldiers and Great Jin civilians captured by the Liao Kingdom.

Of course, exchanging them for money and food was also possible, provided both sides could reach an agreement.

Exchanging or trading prisoners was actually beneficial for both countries.

Three more days passed.

On this day, Qin Xiaoyao personally commanded Huang Fei, leader of the first special training team, and successfully captured the city of Ming County.

Indeed, as Qin Xiaoyao’s forces increased, she expanded the special training units.

Now, she had five special training units, each comprising thirty-five members.

Huang Fei and three others, along with Liu San, became the leaders of these five special training units.

They acted as the vanguard, always leading the charge in reclaiming lost territories.