In a Complete Mess

Jiang Ping was already burning with jealousy, on the verge of going mad with anger.

As a result, the moment the Lieutenant said this, he instantly flew into a violent rage.

"What did you say?"

"What do you mean the soldiers refuse to serve?"

"What do you mean they only trust Wu Xingzhou?"

"Hmph! Wu Xingzhou is the former Garrison Commander of Pingling Fort, but I am the current commander. You all had better be clear on that!"

Jiang Ping shouted himself hoarse, his voice tearing through the air.

He felt that the anger he had swallowed in this short moment was more than he had endured in the past several years combined.

But facing such a furious new commander, the Lieutenant remained quite calm and said, "Lord Jiang, there are some things you might not understand."

"Ren Tianye's massive army is surging forward. Lord Wu Xingzhou received the intelligence early on. With Qingfeng Relay Station and Luoyan Ferry falling one after another, panic had already spread through Pingling Fort. It was Lord Wu Xingzhou who, using his prestige, convinced everyone to fight to the death!"

"He also promised that after the battle, he would collect funds from the merchants and distribute a large sum of money to everyone. Only then were the men willing."

"Now, without Lord Wu Xingzhou, there is no money."

"How could everyone possibly fight to the death?"

"Therefore, Commander, the soldiers will not risk their lives."

Jiang Ping immediately roared, "What is so difficult about that?"

"Isn't it just money? I can give it to everyone too."

"It's just that I don't have the money on me right now. Once everyone helps me resist Ren Tianye's army, I will pay everyone their wages afterwards."

The Lieutenant smiled faintly, "Commander, I'm afraid the soldiers don't quite trust you... Moreover, everyone feels that by following Lord Wu Xingzhou, they can fend off Ren Tianye. As for you..."

"Wait until you stop taking a sedan chair to the military camp before you talk about making everyone trust you!"

This was complete non-cooperation.

Unable to endure it any longer, Jiang Ping roared, "How dare you disobey me like this? Who gave you the audacity to insubordinate?"

"Men! Drag this Lieutenant out."

"And behead him!"

Jiang Ping was not entirely without tactics; he knew that in such critical moments, there were only two ways to control an army.

Coercion and bribery!

He had the means to bribe, but unfortunately, he couldn't produce it immediately, which meant he effectively had nothing!

But coercion was possible!

Kill the Lieutenant to discipline the troops!

This would ensure the soldiers no longer dared to defy his authority.

Then, Pingling Fort could be held until the main army arrived.

And after all, he was the newly appointed Commander, his rank much higher. Instantly, a group of soldiers rushed in and surrounded the Lieutenant, their swords already drawn from their sheaths.

However, the Lieutenant's expression remained calm, standing as steady as a mountain!

"Let's see who dares!"

"Heh!" The Lieutenant even had the leisure to mock Jiang Ping. "Lord Jiang, in normal times, as my superior, if you wanted my head, I would naturally accept my fate. But right now, Ren Tianye's army is arriving."

"You think I'm afraid of you?"

Saying this, the Lieutenant swept his cold gaze across the room.

The soldiers with drawn swords immediately took a step back.

None dared to make a rash move.

They allowed the Lieutenant to leave the military camp at his own leisurely pace.

Jiang Ping was so infuriated that he almost snapped the wooden chair in half.

He was angry at this Lieutenant, but even more so... without a way to establish his authority, he could not control this army!

"Commander..."

A soldier whispered, "How about you try to reason with the Lieutenant..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Ping sharply rebuked, "The Lieutenant opposes me, and you actually dare to side with him? He has no regard for the law, and neither do you?"

"Men! Drag this piece of trash who disrupts military morale outside and behead him!"

Soldier: "???"

"My lord, I..."

"I what? Drag him out and behead him!"

Thus, amidst Jiang Ping's roaring, this soldier was dragged out for stepping into the camp with his left foot first. Not long after, a severed head was brought back.

The already oppressive atmosphere in the military camp instantly froze.

Many people's hearts skipped a beat.

After all, they could all see that this newly appointed Commander was truly willing to kill!

And this was exactly the effect Jiang Ping wanted.

Pointing at the severed head, he said, "This man dared to publicly defy my orders. I have taken his head to serve as a warning. I hope the rest of you do not follow his example, otherwise, my blade is more than sharp enough!"

These words were spoken with an imposing aura.

The crowd in the military camp responded one after another.

Only then did Jiang Ping let out a sigh of relief. He immediately said, "The military situation is urgent right now. First, take me to inspect the military camp. I promise that once we block Ren Tianye's army this time, I will request merits for you all from the imperial court."

"I guarantee that every one of you will be promoted and receive noble titles!"

The crowd replied weakly.

"Are you all deaf? Did you not hear me?"

"Yes!" The crowd finally answered firmly.

And Jiang Ping finally felt the heavy stone in his heart drop to the ground.

Although the situation was more difficult than expected, with his abilities and the forces backing him, he could definitely hold Pingling Fort.

Therefore, he first reviewed the various deployment documents of Pingling Fort within the camp. The more he read, the more alarmed he became. That Wu Xingzhou had actually thought of absolutely everything.

Many scenarios far exceeded his own considerations.

"Hmph, this Wu Xingzhou does have some skill."

"But he's just making a wedding dress for me. The wife is mine, and Pingling Fort is mine. What can he possibly achieve?"

Jiang Ping quickly leveled his mindset. He walked out of the camp gates to inspect the grounds. Going first to look at the defensive fortifications, he was shocked to see that the almost-completed double-layered palisade was missing a large section.

Moreover, there were people actively dismantling and filling in the horse-pit traps and hidden stakes!

These were vital defenses for protecting Pingling Fort.

How dare they do this?

He loudly reprimanded, "What are you doing?"

As a result, upon hearing his shout and seeing it was him, the soldiers who were working immediately threw down their tools and turned to run, completely ignoring him.

"No, what are they doing?"

Jiang Ping shouted his question, the anger that had just been extinguished boiling over once again.

He asked several times in a row, but no one dared to answer.

He finally grabbed someone: "Speak, what are they doing?"

"If you don't speak, you will be dealt with by military law!"

Left with no choice, the man stammered, "M-my lord, they probably want to fill in those areas so that if Ren Tianye's army charges in, it will be easier for them to escape!"

"What?" Jiang Ping said angrily. "Ren Tianye's army hasn't even arrived, and they're already thinking of running away?"

"Not only that..." the man continued. "My lord, the barricades have been dismantled, the heavy guards protecting the granary have fled, and... just now, many people have already started to desert."

"Deserting?"

"Yes, no one has the will to fight. They feel defeat is inevitable, so they've all run away. Even those who remained are no longer manning their posts or doing their shifts."

"Also, the carrier pigeons have been stolen, the fast horses have been taken, and the guards for the rations and gunpowder have started to flee."

"The most hateful are those merchant guilds. Originally kept in check by Lord Wu Xingzhou, they didn't dare make a peep. But now... they are openly moving their goods and hiding their grain!"

"Right now..."

"The military's morale is completely shattered!"

Jiang Ping was instantly dumbfounded.

He had just arrived, and the situation had already come to this?

He had even gone out of his way to execute someone just to establish his dominance!

Did it really have no effect whatsoever?

Could it be that these people only respected Wu Xingzhou and not him?

Why the hell should that be?

Unable to believe it, Jiang Ping hurriedly led his men to inspect the camp, only to discover that the situation was far worse than he had imagined. The soldiers had completely lost their morale. Every single one of them looked like they only cared about saving their own skins. Without morale to sustain it, the entire defensive system had essentially collapsed.

As for those merchants...

They were all planning to flee!

Furious, Jiang Ping executed several more men in a fit of rage.

However, not only did this fail to stem the tide of desertion, but it also made the men even more brazen. The soldiers now dared to flee right in front of his eyes, paying him absolutely no heed.

In less than half a day, the once relatively orderly military camp was left in complete shambles, entirely stripped of its combat effectiveness.

At this moment, Jiang Ping wanted to weep but had no tears to shed!

Without these soldiers standing guard, Pingling Market could no longer serve as a solid defensive line against Ren Tianye. What was the damn point of looking for Qin Shuyao now?

Even if he found her tonight, he wouldn't even get to enjoy himself for two days before losing his miserable life right here!

...