Chapter 454: Meng Zhang's Countermeasures
As night fell, the flickering firelight illuminated the tired and heavy figures of the soldiers.

The cracks in the dam looked particularly hideous in the night, as if they were a scar on Mother Earth, silently telling of pain and helplessness.

"Captain, are we really leaving like this?"

The young soldier couldn't help but speak, his voice trembling with a hint of fear for the future and the unbearable sight before him.

The captain stopped and looked back at the land that was about to be swallowed by the flood, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"We have completed our mission, and the rest can only be left to God's will."

His voice was low and powerful, but it could hardly conceal the heaviness in it.

"But those innocent people..."

The older soldier was hesitant to speak, his heart full of contradictions and struggles. He wanted to obey military orders, but he didn't want to be the culprit for this disaster.

"In war, there is no absolute right or wrong. Our duty is to obey orders."

"As for the safety of the people, the court will consider it."

The captain was silent for a moment, and finally spoke slowly.

His voice was cold and firm, but it could hardly conceal the helplessness and sadness in it.

"But, Captain, we are also human beings with flesh and blood! Can't we make a little change for the sake of those innocent lives?"

The young soldier was somewhat agitated.

"That's enough! Have you forgotten the strictness of military orders? As a soldier, you should put the overall situation first!"

"If anyone hesitates again, don't blame me for punishing you by military law!"

Upon hearing this, the captain frowned and spoke sternly.

His voice was like thunder, causing the soldiers present to feel nervous and lower their heads.

The young soldier wanted to say something else, but the older soldier grabbed his sleeve.

"Stop talking. Military orders are as strong as mountains. We can't do anything about it."

He whispered in a soothing voice, his eyes full of helplessness and acceptance of reality.

In the end, the soldiers could only follow the captain silently, their backs lengthening in the night, as if carrying a heavy load of sin and regret.

At this time in Qianyuan County, the Yellow Turban Army swept in like a torrent, unstoppable.

However, in the midst of this rapid progress, Meng Zhang, the chief commander of the Yellow Turban Army, felt vaguely that something was wrong.

His heart was like the deep water in an ancient pond. Although it looked calm on the surface, it was actually undercurrents surging and extremely sensitive.

At this moment, a secret letter arrived from the south. The messenger was a Luowang soldier sent by Su Ye, who was carrying important military intelligence.

Su Ye was on his way north to Hengzhou at this time, but he was always paying attention to the situation in Qianyuan County.

The letter was written in an urgent tone, revealing a host of crises.

"As expected, the world is like a chess game, and there are always changes in the game! This Emperor Daqian actually planned to dig up the 'Han Lancang River' next to Qianyuan County, and wanted to turn this place into a swamp, drowning hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban troops and the private soldiers of those aristocratic families."

"If this plan succeeds, the lives of people in Qianyuan County will be devastated, and millions of innocent people will be displaced. The consequences are disastrous!"

"The Emperor Daqian is indeed ruthless!"

Meng Zhang opened the envelope and read the contents of the letter. His brows gradually furrowed like clouds gathering on mountains.

He immediately summoned his subordinates including Qiao Shefei and Niu Mowang. They also looked solemn at this time, obviously aware of the seriousness of the situation.

The lights in the tent flickered, reflecting the solemn expressions of everyone.

"Commander-in-Chief, are we just going to sit there and wait for death?"

"That Si Xiaofei is so cruel that he dared to flood Qianyuan County! Doesn't he care about the lives of millions of innocent people in Qianyuan County?"

A hint of anger flashed across Qiao Shefei's brows, and he asked with a bow.

"No. The Art of War says, if you know yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. The situation is unclear now. If we rush to take the lead rashly, we may fall into someone else's trap. As for Si Xiaofei, he is the emperor of Daqian, but he is so cruel and ruthless that he doesn't care about the lives of the people. It is really a misfortune for the world." "We still need to wait for the opportunity and preserve our strength. At the same time, we must also inform the entire army to prepare for retreat, just in case."

Meng Zhang shook his head, looked deep in thought for a moment, then shook his head and said.

"The commander-in-chief is absolutely right! That Si Xiaofei is simply a lunatic!"

"Doesn't he know that once the 'Han Lancang River' is dug up, not only will we be threatened, but those innocent people will also suffer?"

"How can such an emperor govern the world?"

The Bull Demon King was a man of generous character. He was also very angry at this time and slammed the table and stood up.

"Si Xiaofei's cruelty is indeed outrageous. But we can't lose our composure because of this."

Meng Zhang sighed, looking somewhat helpless.

"Pass my order down, the entire army should slow down and do not fight with the Yellow Turban Army of the Taiping Sect."

"At the same time, we must closely monitor the water level changes of the Han Lancang River and be ready to act in accordance with orders at any time."

"Once the Hanlancang River bursts its banks, retreat immediately!"

Then he gave the order in a deep voice.

"General, are we just going to watch Si Xiaofei dig up the Lancang River and turn Qianyuan County into a water town?"

"Is there no way to stop him?"

Upon hearing this, the Bull Demon King on the side became even more angry and asked in a deep voice.

"Water and fire are merciless. How can human power stop the collapse of the sky?"

"Since Si Xiaofei has already laid out such a vicious plan, I believe the Daqian army must have already made preparations under several dams of the Han Lancang River."

"Even if we send troops to stop them now, it would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and we would only bring humiliation upon ourselves."

Meng Zhang shook his head, his expression solemn, and spoke slowly.

"What's more, once the Lancang River bursts its banks, the raging flood will wreak havoc like a ferocious beast."

"Our Yellow Turban Army can't even make a splash under the might of the gods, so how can we stop the digging of the dam?"

He paused, looked deeply at the vast night outside the tent, and continued.

When everyone in the tent heard this, they all fell silent. They knew very well that what Meng Zhang said was true.

What a terrible sight it would be if the water of the vast Lancang River burst its banks.

When they thought of that scene, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness in their hearts.

"What the commander-in-chief said is very true. Fire and water are merciless, and human power has its limits."

"In the face of natural and man-made disasters like these, we are truly powerless."

Qiao Shefei also looked gloomy at this time. He sighed and said.

Meng Zhang nodded. He knew very well that although the Yellow Turban Army was powerful at that moment, it seemed so small and powerless in the face of the power of nature.

"But we can't just sit there and watch."

"Although we cannot stop Si Xiaofei from digging the dike, we can prepare in advance and try to gather as many civilians as possible along the way to protect as many soldiers and civilians as possible."

He pondered for a moment and continued.

"But……"

There was another person at the bottom who wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Meng Zhang.

"No need to say more. Pass my order down. The entire army should pay close attention to the changes in the water level of the Hanlancang River. If there is any change, retreat immediately!"

(End of this chapter)