Liu Tang, seeing the situation, did not move forward but instead stepped back several paces, his gaze constantly wandering between the feather message and Yu Guanhai, "What now? What now? Speak up!"
Yu Guanhai repeatedly reviewed the feather message word by word, ensuring he hadn’t missed or misread a single word. After confirming this, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
"Please, Liu, have a look!"
He closed the feather message and handed it to Liu Tang, but was startled by the volume of his own voice after he spoke.
Liu Tang paid no attention to his behavior. He glanced at Yu Guanhai again to ensure that he was permitted to read the message, then eagerly reached out to slowly receive it and quickly scanned through it.
With just one look, he slapped his thigh and loudly exclaimed, "The Great General is damn brilliant!"
Yu Guanhai: "That’s not what you just said!"
Liu Tang closed the feather message and handed it back to Yu Guanhai with both hands, "General Yu, I, Liu Tang, request to scout for the army!"
Yu Guanhai, startled, hastily reached out to help him up, "Please get up, Liu, do not put Yu in such a difficult position, it’s forbidden!"
He, a border commander, dared to use a brocade guard commander as a scout? Was he delivering a knife handle to those officials in the capital?
Liu Tang confusedly said, "What is forbidden about this? Our brocade guards are indeed responsible for being the eyes and ears of the royal forces. I, as a border commander, see it as my duty to lead the way for our royal forces. How does this concern prohibition?"
Yu Guanhai hesitated, then realizing, exclaimed, "Liu truly thinks of everything. Then, the important task of being the army’s eyes and ears shall rely entirely on you, Liu!"
Liu Tang happily said, "Thank you, General Yu, for your support!"
Yu Guanhai, smiling, patted his shoulder, took a deep breath, looked up, and shouted, "Someone, beat the drums, gather the generals!"
"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."
The spirited drum beats were deafening!
...
The three armies of Wei advanced north from the Great Wall, chasing the three divisions of the enemy deep into the Northern Desert Grasslands.
Because Yang Ge’s central army biting closely at the enemy’s central division was relentlessly victorious, the enemy’s left and right divisions were too busy trying to merge with their central division, despite their advantageous numbers and being on home ground. They had no time to regroup to fight the pursuing forces, only able to constantly send cavalries to harass the pursuers, preventing them from catching up...
The six divisions of forces stretched across hundreds of miles, chasing and sidelong dispatching scouts to communicate, penetrating deep into the Northern Desert Grasslands towards the northwest.
Eight days after crossing the border, the three enemy divisions merged near the Wonan River, with three hundred thousand of their forces stationed near the Three Gorges, ready to face the pursuing forces.
They had to fight, for further in was the origin of Meng Yuan by the Wonan River. If Wei’s cavalry were to tread on the Wonan River, the life force of Meng Yuan, though barely alive, would be utterly dispersed.
Furthermore, fighting at the Three Gorges, rather than being pushed back to the Wonan River and fighting with their backs against the water, would greatly increase their chances of victory!
As the three enemy forces merged, the three divisions of Wei’s army from the pursuing towns also successfully rejoined.
Liaodong Town, thirty thousand infantry, twenty thousand cavalry, commanded by Jiang Kui.
Jizhou Town, forty thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, commanded by Zhou Fu.
Datong Town, sixty thousand infantry, five thousand cavalry, commanded by Yu Guanhai.
In total, a force of one hundred sixty-five thousand soldiers.
...
That night, within the Wei military camp.
"We can’t delay any longer..."
Yang Ge, clad in armor, slapped the sand table, interrupting the quarreling generals, "The enemy’s supplies are nearly exhausted. If we delay further, we won’t be facing thirty thousand weary soldiers, but thirty thousand desperate and starving ghosts!"
"Listen to me, let General Zhou temporarily command the three armies. Starting tonight at midnight, cavalry will harass the enemy camp, and at dawn, we will launch a total assault, ending this in one battle!"
"They originated from the Wonan River, right? Let’s crush them at the Wonan River!"
As soon as he spoke, the voices of argument in the tent ceased, and the generals unanimously bowed their fists, "We will strictly follow Marquis Luting’s orders!"
Yang Ge waved his hand, "Everyone return to your camps to prepare... Xie Yu!"
Wang Dashi was momentarily stunned, seemingly not realizing he was being addressed.
Shen Fa quickly nudged him, and Wang Dashi, as if awakening from a dream, hurriedly bowed his fist, "I am here!"
Yang Ge, with a stern look, gazed down at him, "I entrust all seven cavalry guards to you. Can you lead them to achieve the greatest victory with the fewest losses?"
The generals, bewildered, glanced at Yang Ge and then at Wang Dashi. They were all experienced generals who deeply detested such demanding orders, yet here such an order was issued from Yang Ge himself.
Xie Yu, however, was visibly elated, and without hesitation, he knelt on one knee, his face flushed as he shouted, "If I fail, I will bring back my head!"
Yang Ge, expressionless: "You have only one chance, if you fail to seize it... you know the consequences!"
Xie Yu: "I will not disappoint you, Marquis Luting!"
Yang Ge waved his hand, "Go take over those seven cavalry guards and after a full meal, make sure to rest well."
Xie Yu: "Yes, sir!"
He bowed again, got up, and hurriedly rushed out of the command tent.
"Xie Yu?"
Among the generals, Jiang Kui scratched his cheek in deep thought, muttering softly, "Why does this name sound so familiar?"
Yu Guanhai glanced at him and whispered, "Cavalry of Liaodong."
Jiang Kui’s mind brightened as he exclaimed, "The Xie from Marquis Zhaowu’s family, the valiant cavalry general Xie Yu?"
He remembered. This was the former commander of the Liaodong cavalry, the vice commander-in-chief of the Liaodong military region, and a valiant cavalry general.
When he had become the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong military region, apart from his notable military achievements in the thirteenth year of the Xiping era when he decisively defeated the Wulangha Tribe, it was mainly because he had benefited from the downfall of the Xie family of Marquis Zhaowu, resulting in the uprooting of all generals in Liaodong Town.
Back then, this valiant cavalry general was unrivaled in Liaodong. His thirty thousand Liaodong cavalry roamed freely through Yan Yun, invincible, to the extent that even the elite cavalry of the powerful Wulangha Tribe didn’t dare easily invade Liaodong Town...
"Enough, stop dawdling, everyone go back to your camps and rest. We have a fierce battle to fight tomorrow,"
After speaking, Yang Ge was the first to walk out of the command tent.
Seeing this, Shen Fa looked at Jiang Kui still murmuring with Yu Guanhai, then quickly turned to catch up with Yang Ge’s pace: "The person you’re waiting for, have they come?"
Yang Ge shook his head slightly, lowering his voice, "Perhaps it’s not time yet."
In this trip to the north, aside from that stroke in Jizhou Town, he had not used any godlike level of military capability on land.
He wanted to create an illusion, an illusion that he had come to assist Wei in winning this great battle, and not to kill that old monster.
Only then might that old monster come out and negotiate terms with him...
But as of now, he still hadn’t sensed the presence of that old monster.
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He hoped that old monster was just observing, hesitating.
Otherwise...
There was no otherwise!
From the conduct of Zhang Xuansu and Jiang Ping, it was evident that these old chaps were like Voldemorts, who wouldn’t take active roles unless the sky fell, and he didn’t believe that old monster would risk his life over the rise and fall of the Tartars!
If that old monster could do so, he would have been at the outskirts of Jizhou Town when the Tartars divided their forces into three to attack Jiubian.
If that old monster hadn’t gone, it meant he was only willing to cover for the Tartars, not exert effort for them!
Tomorrow they would strike at the base of the Tartars. Experience tales at Freewebnovel
That old monster should show up then!
"Xie Yu, what do you plan to do?"
Yang Ge asked while walking.
Shen Fa sighed silently: "From the time he actively sought me out, I knew that no matter what I said or did, it would be in vain..."
Yang Ge: "So you’re just going to watch him die?"
Shen Fa softly hummed in agreement: "For him, perhaps it’s a release."
Yang Ge walked silently for a while, then sighed lightly, "Try convincing him again. It’s good to be alive..."
Shen Fa looked at him: "Have you convinced yourself?"
Yang Ge: "I have."
Shen Fa: "Was it useful?"
Yang Ge: "Somewhat..."
Shen Fa: "Then I’ll try again later..."
Yang Ge: "Alright, goodbye Shen."
Shen Fa: "Alright, goodbye Yang Ge."
The two parted, one east and the other west.
Yang Ge returned to the military tent, lit the oil lamp, took out the still-unfinished phonetics textbook, and sat down to meticulously mark each word with a charcoal pencil.
Time passed unmarked until suddenly, a slight tremor came from the ground. Yang Ge picked up scissors, trimmed the wick of the lamp, and then continued to concentrate on marking.
After an undetermined amount of time, an ancient voice suddenly spread throughout the camp: "Yang, let us end this campaign and shake hands. What do you say?"
Yang Ge’s charcoal pencil paused briefly, then he focused and completed marking the last "character."
Then, looking regretfully at the dozen or so remaining characters, he neatly stacked the manuscript papers, stored them in a wooden box, and placed a letter on top before slowly closing the box.
With a puff, he blew out the oil lamp, picked up the Cold Moon Blade, and slowly walked out of the military tent.
Shen Fa and others who had hurried over on horseback only saw a dazzling golden light cut through the night sky, illuminating the heavens.