Chapter 146: Intimidation

Damn those Great Xia bastards! They deserve to sink in hell forever just like the demons.

William cursed furiously, so angry he felt like committing suicide.

All his previous preparations had vanished into thin air, and half of his fleet had actually been wiped out by Chen Mu.

"General, we must run now. As long as the green hills remain, there’s no need to worry about firewood!"

Several guards standing beside him grew terrified as they watched William plunge into a state of madness, prompting one of them to shout urgently.

William nodded, then immediately turned to them and said, "You are right. I must leave at once; I cannot stay here."

Gritting his teeth, William waved his hand and hurriedly retreated down a narrow path.

After all, William was a renowned commander of his generation and possessed a quick mind. He abandoned all his grain, forage, and heavy supplies behind, using them to create roadblocks.

Personally leading his remaining troops, he rushed toward the back mountain where a small port harbored several transport vessels.

Taking the opportunity, William led his army and fled from there.

As for Chen Mu’s side, they were not entirely familiar with the local geography. By the time Chen Mu reacted and wanted to capture William alive, he received new intelligence.

"You mean William and his men have already escaped? I failed to capture him?"

Chen Mu asked, frowning slightly.

The soldiers under his command knelt on the ground and replied, "Indeed, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. That fellow moves like a monkey and ran remarkably fast; he has already vanished without a trace. What should we do, Your Highness?"

Chen Mu furrowed his brows slightly and then waved his hand dismissively.

"Let him go if he wants to go. In any case, his army has essentially been destroyed and has lost all combat capability."

"For now, let us enter the town and give everyone a good rest. I knew from the beginning that this would be a protracted campaign and results would not appear overnight."

Chen Mu said calmly. Everything was proceeding much as he had anticipated, and he was in no hurry.

His subordinate generals nodded one after another, made some brief preparations, and then marched the troops toward the city.

Meanwhile, the envoy Chen Mu had previously dispatched had already entered the Egyptian city.

The civil administrator of Egypt was overjoyed to receive this envoy.

"Respected Envoy of Great Xia, please take a seat here, and let us have a proper talk."

The envoy nodded slightly and sat down with an imposing, dignified posture.

Looking at the envoy, the civil administrator continued: "We are immensely grateful to our Great Xia friends for sending a massive army to assist us. I wonder how many men His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has led here this time? I need to make proper arrangements so the people of our entire city can prepare food and wine to host you."

The envoy was an old hand at this. He could hear the subtext behind the administrator's words, which was actually an inquiry into the exact size of Chen Mu's force. If the force were too small, the administrator might not think much of it. But if Chen Mu had sent a massive army, this old fox would likely feel terrified and harbor alternative intentions.

The envoy chuckled coldly and stated bluntly: "Our Celestial Dynasty has thirty thousand vanguard troops, with another one hundred thousand main forces following behind. All of them are impeccably uniformed and brilliantly armed. The force currently commanded by His Royal Highness is considered merely moderate in scale compared to the million-strong armies of our Celestial Dynasty."

This single statement from the envoy frightened the Egyptian administrator out of his wits.

Due to years of warfare, continuous conflicts with neighboring territories, and internal turmoil, Egypt’s population was rapidly declining year by year.

A town like theirs, considered a medium-sized or even larger settlement, possessed a population of only ten or twenty thousand people. Yet Chen Mu had brought thirty thousand elite troops in one stroke.

And according to the envoy, a hundred thousand more soldiers were trailing behind—and these troops accounted for a mere tenth of their Celestial Dynasty's military might.

Trembling all over in terror, the administrator quickly said, "Only now do I realize the might of Great Xia! Please, quickly invite His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to enter; I wish to pay my respects in person to my benefactor."

The envoy nodded. "You still possess some understanding of etiquette. I shall convey your kind intentions to His Royal Highness at once."

Knowing his objective had been achieved, the envoy withdrew and reported everything he had seen and heard to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu burst into hearty laughter, patted the envoy on the shoulder, and said to him, "You have done a splendid job. You have truly displayed the might of our nation and thoroughly awed these people."

The envoy half-knelt on the ground and addressed Chen Mu: "I merely did what I ought to do. Furthermore, I suspect that this Egyptian administrator may wish to pledge his allegiance to you."

Growing interested, Chen Mu cast a careful, assessing look at the man for the first time.

"What is your name?"

Overjoyed at heart, the envoy realized the ladder to his advancement had been unlocked, and he hurriedly answered, "My name is Liu Zheng."

"Very good. Remain in this town and serve as an advisor; keep a watchful eye on the Egyptians on behalf of Great Xia."

Thrilled beyond measure, Liu Zheng kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you for your promotion, Your Royal Highness! This subordinate swears to repay your kindness with his life."

Chen Mu nodded, then rewarded Muhammad (Note: referring to the local liaison context smoothly blended, or retaining the narrative flow) with a set of luxurious, magnificent garments and two hundred taels of silver. This was Chen Mu’s method: he never mistreated talented individuals who pledged their loyalty to him when it came to material rewards.

Following this, Chen Mu led his tens of thousands of troops in a grand procession into the Egyptian town.

"Mom, come quick and look! It's the Great Xia army!"

Many children shouted excitedly in the streets, calling out to their playmates and running back to urge their parents to come outside and watch.

It had to be said that the presentation of the Great Xia army—whether their neat appearance or their sophisticated equipment—utterly astonished the Egyptians.

Impeccably uniformed and of the highest caliber, the soldiers occasionally chanted resounding slogans while driving tracked electric vehicles. Such advanced equipment was completely nonexistent in Egypt.

Many ordinary Egyptian citizens gathered on the sidewalks, watching with undisguised awe.

"Great Xia is truly formidable. We only suffer here in Egypt; why shouldn't we seek opportunities across at Great Xia's side?"

Many people shared this inner sentiment, including the Egyptian civil administrator, who watched the display of the Great Xia army from a distance.

"It seems I must find a way out for myself. Continuing to muddle along in Egypt is no way to live. Should I go and pledge my allegiance to this Crown Prince of Great Xia? Perhaps he will grant me a path to rise."

He hurriedly ordered his subordinates to prepare a lavish banquet and selected dozens of the most beautiful maidens to perform songs and dances at the gathering, hoping to catch the eye of these Great Xia nobles.

Seeing the Great Xia convoy approach, he hurriedly bowed down.

"Respected Crown Prince of Great Xia, I am Avad, the civil administrator of the Egyptian Kingdom stationed here."