Jiuxi

Chapter 728 726 [Surprise]

As time entered June, the balance on the battlefields in various parts of Jiangbei tilted increasingly towards Jing's army.

Especially on the western front, the Jing army attacked from all sides with superior forces. In less than half a month, they had captured six towns and pushed the front line back to Jingzhou.

Yongqiu City was gradually isolated.

This time, the Jing army learned from the bloody lesson of a year and a half ago and did not rush to target Yongqiu City. Under the command of Wuyan Shu, they continued to encroach on the territory outside Yongqiu City and gradually compressed the defense line of the Qi army.

The Qi army was always in a very passive situation, and they could only heavily guard strategic points such as Yongqiu, Taikang and Fenglin.

There was smoke rising from all directions along the thousand-mile battle line.

For a time, all kinds of rumors were rampant, such as that the Emperor of Jing State would continue to dispatch troops and that a large number of reinforcements would move south to continue attacking Jingzhou.

The people of the three states north of the Yangtze River were in a panic, and almost everyone's eyes were looking towards the north.

It is said that Lu Chen, the Duke of Shanyang, personally led a large army to attack Yaoshan Pass. If he could open up this important road leading directly to Heluo as soon as possible, perhaps the Jing army would have to suspend its offensive and withdraw its troops to provide support.

An extremely depressing atmosphere shrouded the land of Jiangbei.

The simple yet strong hopes of the people of Great Qi came quietly, making the Qi army officers and soldiers outside Yaoshan Pass feel more pressured, and anxiety inevitably emerged in the army.

But the pass still stood in their way.

It's like a chasm that can never be crossed.

Inside the central army's tent, the generals were able to remain calm.

This was not only out of trust in Lu Chen, but also because they knew that their soldiers had not given their all. They were just continuing to exert a certain amount of pressure on the Jing army inside the pass so that the other side would not be too relaxed.

Moreover, compared with the original lineup, there are two long-missing faces in the coaching staff today.

Pei Sui, the commander-in-chief of the Zhenbei Army, and Xu Gui, the deputy commander-in-chief.

"Now you should have a clear understanding of the war situation on the eastern and western fronts."

Lu Chen spoke calmly and without panic: "In short, whether our army can break through Yaoshan Pass is related to the success or failure of this war. If our army is always blocked by the enemy, we can only watch the enemy attack Jingzhou, or be forced to hastily transfer troops to the south, and then fall into the trap that Wu Yanshu has already woven."

Although the generals were able to maintain a calm state of mind, they were blocked outside Yaoshan Pass. Who wouldn't be feeling pent up and angry?
Liu Jiangdong was the first to speak: "Sir, I am willing to lead the Ningyuan Army to take the lead in the attack!"

During this period, Lu Chen had been sending the An Army and the Guangling Army to take turns knocking on the pass. The Ningyuan Army and the Feiyu Army were mainly responsible for intimidating the Jing Army in the southwest of Yaoshan Pass.

Even though no one would think that Lu Chen was biased, Liu Jiangdong still felt a little unconvinced.

Like Song Shifei, he was one of the first generals to join Lu Chen's army. Later, he commanded the Ningyuan Army, which was formed with the Rui Shiying infantry as the skeleton. He considered himself to be one of Lu Chen's trusted aides, but he had not been able to take on the main attack for more than half a month. The reason he could endure until this time was entirely because of his calm nature.

"Commander Liu's ambition is commendable, but the Ningyuan Army's mission tomorrow is not to attack the pass."

Lu Chen signaled him not to be impatient, then looked around at everyone and said, "The war is imminent, and I know you still have a lot of doubts in your hearts, such as why our army is determined to fight to the death at Yaoshan Pass? Why don't we do our best? Am I, Lu Chen, sitting back and watching the war on the western front deteriorate so that I can grab more power?"

Li Bingxue said without hesitation: "Grand Commander, no one would think so."

All the generals echoed.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "You certainly don't think so, but some people do. Although I have been in the military camp, I also know that there have been some rumors recently, pointing out that I have evil intentions and am unwilling to be loyal to the country. I didn't tell you before because many things are still in the planning stage and have not been implemented. Even I can only take one step at a time. Now I tell you because the general framework of this war has been established, and I can't let you step into the battlefield in a muddle."

Normally, Song Shifei would be the first to jump out at this time. Now he led the Feiyun Army to guard the northern part of Dingzhou. However, Xu Gui, who came with Pei Sui, was equally upright and shouted, "Please give me your instructions, sir!"

Lu Chen said, "Why do our troops want to fight to the death at Yaoshan Pass? The reason is very simple. This time, the focus of the Jing army is on the western battlefield. The Emperor of Jing and Wu Yanshu must be prepared to deal with the appearance of the Dingzhou army. It's not that I don't believe in the strength of my soldiers, nor do I think that I will definitely fail if I transfer troops to the western front, but that means that the Jing army can always take the initiative on the battlefield. For us, obviously we can't be led by the enemy."

"As long as we can take down Yaoshan Pass, the road to the west will be smooth and Heluo City can be reached at any time. Wu Yanshu must make a decision. Based on my observation of him during this period, he will not return with his entire army. He will most likely only send a part of his troops to support Heluo."

"Why did I stay outside Yaoshan Pass for a while, and why did I let Liu Shouguang defend Taikang and other important cities? It was because I wanted the Jing army to extend the battle line to attack Jingzhou. When our army breaks through Yaoshan Pass, Wu Yanshu will not be able to withdraw his entire army. I want to strengthen his confidence in sending only a part of the troops to support us."

"When that time comes, our army's goal will be to eat up the Jing army."

"Wu Yanshu has always wanted to surround and attack the reinforcements on the western front. What we need to do is to give him a taste of his own medicine!"

After Lu Chen finished speaking, the generals suddenly understood, as if the fog had dissipated and a bright future was revealed.

"This is the momentum of rolling up the pearl curtain."

Lu Chen turned his head and saw Qin Zilong and two of his personal soldiers unfolding a map. He stood up and raised his hand to draw a circle in the south of Heluo City, and said calmly: "This is where I expected to kill the enemy. After our army broke through Yaoshan Pass, we did not go to Heluo City but turned southwest to wait for the Jing army to come back and defeat them in one fell swoop. Now, do you understand?"

The generals could no longer conceal their excitement and said in unison: "Understood!"

"The symbolic significance of Heluo City does not need to be elaborated, but I will tell you a truth today."

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said slowly: "No matter how the situation changes, Heluo City will always be there. We will go back sooner or later. This is one of the most important missions of our army, but we can't be too persistent. We must remember that the primary goal of war is to destroy the enemy's living strength."

The generals could not help but fall into deep thought. After a while, Pei Sui said respectfully, "Sir, every word you say is a pearl. I will learn from your teachings." "Old Pei, don't tell me that you can't see through these details."

Lu Chen laughed and joked, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Pei Sui said sincerely: "Although I have some guesses, how can I compare to your thorough understanding?"

All the generals nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's get down to business."

Lu Chen put away his smile and said calmly, "To achieve this mid-term goal, our army must take Yaoshan Pass. Previously, I challenged the Jing army at the pass and called for a ten-day deadline. Now more than half a month has passed. I think I have become a laughing stock in the eyes of the Jing army. This is of course intentional. The Jing army inside Yaoshan Pass is not to be feared, but the 20,000 Jing army infantry stationed on the flank outside the pass cannot be underestimated. The nearly 20,000 cavalry brought by Pucha are even more difficult. In addition, Pucha suffered a great loss at Luwu Mountain, so he will definitely be very cautious at the beginning."

"The only way to lure the Jing army into a decisive battle with our army is to provoke them first and then make them despise me."

Lu Chen turned around and sat down, saying sternly: "Tomorrow, our army will open up two battlefields at the same time. Duan Zuozhang."

"The general is here!"

"Tomorrow you will lead all the soldiers of the Lai'an Army to line up outside the pass, and then launch the attack after hearing the order."

"The last general takes command!"

Duan Zuozhang's face was filled with solemnity, and others couldn't help but cast envious glances at him.

The Qi army's previous attack on Yaoshan Pass was not a pretense. It would have been better if they could have broken through the pass earlier, but in the end, no progress was made.

Tomorrow will be different. Lu Chen has made up his mind. In the eyes of the generals, Yaoshan Pass will definitely be breached, which means that Lai'an Army will have the sole credit for being the first to reach the pass.

Lu Chen looked at the others, knowing their thoughts very well, and then said: "As for you... follow me tomorrow to attack the Jing Army camp southwest of Yaoshan Pass. The goal of this battle is to eliminate the 20,000 infantrymen and the Jing Army cavalry brought by Pucha!"

Now no one envies Duan Zuozhang anymore, because this is also a foreseeable war.

Lu Chen then made more detailed arrangements on how to deploy the troops tomorrow and made preparations in advance for possible situations.

He is not Han Zhongjie, and he will not wait until an accident happens before regretting it.

After more than half an hour, all the generals took their leave contentedly. They also needed to report matters to the officers under their command.

The general's tent became quiet. Qin Zilong and several of his personal soldiers glanced at Lu Chen, then tactfully retreated.

Lu Chen picked up the warm tea and took a sip, then raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows.

Li Bingxue looked at the fatigue on his face that he no longer tried to hide, and asked with concern: "It must have been hard during this period?"

"Fortunately."

Lu Chen sighed and said, "The hardship is secondary. The main thing is the torment. I have to wait for the response from the western battlefield, and also wait for the Jingzhi Bureau to send intel from the north."

Li Bingxue nodded and went straight to the point: "You just assigned tasks to everyone, except for the Feiyu Army. I don't think you doubt the strength of me and the Feiyu Army. Although there are many newcomers in the army, I promise that I will not lose your people on the battlefield."

"Of course I won't doubt you."

Lu Chen slowed down his tone and said seriously: "It's only because your mission is special that I want to talk to you alone."

Li Bingxue said: "You say."

Lu Chen took a deep breath and said slowly: "The cavalry under Pucha's command will be the variable in tomorrow's battle. I hope you can resolutely obey orders at that time, don't worry about my safety and the safety of the central army, and feel free to deal with the enemy's cavalry."

Li Bingxue stared into his eyes, and after a moment she said firmly: "Everything is up to you."

Lu Chen couldn't help but smile with relief.

The next day, when the sun was rising.

At Yaoshan Pass, Pucha looked at the movements of the Qi army with a slightly surprised expression.

Wu Yantuo, who was standing next to him, said with a smile: "General, Lu Chen finally couldn't help it. It seems that today will be the day of our army's great victory!"

"He wants to stalk the cicada while the mantis is stalking him. Why can't I wait for the oriole to come?" Pucha also laughed, patted Wu Yantuo on the shoulder and said, "I'll leave this to you."

Wu Yantuo said loudly: "Please rest assured, General, Yaoshan Pass is indestructible!"

Pucha's eyes were sharp. He took one last look at the mighty Qi army formation outside the pass, then turned around and strode away.

At this moment, his mood suddenly became relaxed, and he whispered to himself: "Do you think that your bluffing during this period can make me underestimate you? Lu Chen, I guess there must be elite troops hidden behind you. I just don't know if you can guess that I have prepared a surprise for you as well."

"The revenge of the past shall be repaid double today!"

(End of this chapter)