Wu Yan shook his head, "Marshal Han's troops were flooded by the Daling River this time. Could it be that the river also has spirituality? It flooded hundreds of thousands of our Chu troops, but not the tens of thousands of defeated Zheng troops?"
"Maybe because the city wall is separated by the moat, Zheng Jun's losses were relatively small?" Fu Tong replied hesitantly.
"But are you sure they have 50,000 people? Are they bluffing?" Wu Yan stared at Fu Tong and asked.
Fu Tong shook his head, "No way, not only are they not showy, but they seem to be deliberately hiding their strength!"
"Oh, what do you say?" Wu Yan frowned.
"According to the report from the detective horse, Zheng Jun's army buried many marching stoves with soil. Only a small half of the marching stoves were actually exposed outside. I sent some more people to the scene to count them. There are only about one out of five people outside, which means that there are only 2,000 open stoves, and there are as many as 8,000 hidden stoves. According to five people per stove, I calculated that this Zheng army has 50,000 people. Everyone."
Wu Yan nodded while listening and said: "Don't they want to attack my new capital with just these 50,000 people?"
"I couldn't see it. They had already bypassed the new capital and headed towards Chen County in Zheng Di. I asked Tan Ma to keep an eye on them less than ten miles away from them. This Zheng army showed no sign of turning back. " Fu Tong said.
"This is strange. In the small town of Chen County, there are only more than 300 Hubei auxiliary troops maintaining law and order. There is not even a decent city. In addition, the Hubei auxiliary army has little combat effectiveness. It needs to be used. Are you going to attack with 50,000 troops? Besides, that small town in Chen County has no strategic significance at all. Zheng's army itself is short of troops, so what's the point of going to such trouble to attack it?" Wu Yan looked at Fu Tong with doubts on his face.
"Sir, if you think that this Zheng army is preparing to attack Chen County, you are totally wrong!" Fu Tong quickly waved his hand when he saw Wu Yan analyzing the Chu army's movements in this way.
"Oh, then you mean that this Chu army is not preparing to attack Chen County?" Wu Yan looked at Fu Tong.
"Sir, what is the place behind Chen County, only more than a hundred miles away from Chen?" Fu Tong asked Wu Yan.
"It is the Cicada City of Zheng State that borders Xinyang Pass of Chu State, but hasn't it been merged with Xinyang Pass by us now?" Wu Yan said, suddenly slapped his thigh and screamed, "Okay Cunning Zheng Jun, they are clearly heading towards our Xinyang Pass. They probably know that we currently do not have enough troops stationed at Xinyang Pass, and want to take advantage of it. If Xinyang Pass is breached by them, then what is behind Xinyang Pass? The Wusheng Pass is even more vulnerable because our troops and horses have been transferred to Xinjing!"
Fu Tong shook his head again, "Sir, I am not worried about our Wusheng Pass, but I am worried about the new capital city where we are currently stationed. Think about it, if Xinyang Pass is successfully attacked by them, then this new capital city will become a In this isolated city, we will lose our only communication and supply channel with the country. At that time, in order to save our lives, we may have to abandon this new capital and withdraw to the country. This is the strategy of the Chu army to defeat the enemy without fighting and avoid being directly killed. They attacked the city of Xinjing, which has high walls and deep water, and lost everything because they don’t have many troops now. I estimate that the Zheng army of 50,000 people is the largest force they can dispatch. They are taking a risk and making a desperate move. If they succeed, Then the Zheng Kingdom will be restored successfully!"
"Haha, they thought well, but it's a pity that they met me!" Wu Yan sneered! "Pass our military order to assemble the garrison in Xinjing City and follow behind this Zheng army. When they launch an attack on Xinyangguan, we also attack behind them. We will attack front and back with the garrison at Xinyangguan and annihilate this force in one fell swoop. Zheng Jun.”
"My lord, you must not do this!" Fu Tong quickly waved his hand to stop him.
Wu Yan glared at him, "The biggest taboo for a general is to be indecisive. Fighting opportunities are fleeting, and you are constantly being disrupted by them. How can you lead an army in a war like this?"
Fu Tong sighed, "Sir, I understand what you are saying, but the military order given to us by the Emperor and Chief Assistant is to station in the new capital. We lead the army out of the city without authorization. What should we do if there is something wrong with the new capital? I think we two Why don't you send a letter to the emperor and the chief minister to let them know, and let them make the decision?"
Wu Yan calmed down and thought about what Fu Tong said. It did make sense, but he was very unwilling to give up this opportunity to completely annihilate Zheng Jun. Therefore, he walked back and forth in the reception room with his shoes on, unable to make up his mind for the moment.
Fu Tong saw the opportunity and added, "Sir, I am not afraid of death. When I came out to join the army, I hung my head on my belt. But I heard that Lord Guo Huai died in the battle last time, and the emperor was furious. We still want to kill the three other clans. If not for the desperate efforts of the Chief Assistant, the heads of the Guo Huai family would have fallen to the ground. You said that we mobilized the garrison of the new capital without authorization without the emperor's decree. If the new capital was lost, I'm afraid Our nine clans are not enough for the emperor to punish!"
Wu Yan nodded helplessly, "Okay, hurry up and send the message to Feige. I'm going to start preparing to gather people. As soon as the emperor's edict arrives, we will immediately lead our troops out of the city to chase the Zheng army."
In the Gongsheng Hall of the Imperial Palace in Yecheng, the capital of Chu, Emperor Xiong Ze of Chu looked pale and sat feebly behind the dragon table. Under the steps in front of him, in addition to the civil and military officials headed by Prime Minister Shi Lei, stood a Officials of the State of Qin in official uniforms.
"Servant Mao, thank you for your reminder. When I see your emperor when I go back, please express my gratitude to him for me!"
Shilang Mao made a summary to Xiong Ze, "Your Majesty, when I came here, the Prime Minister Gao of my dynasty specifically asked me that if your country needs it, we, the Qin State, can send troops to support your country. Our two countries are separated by water, and our lips are dead and our teeth are cold. We are brothers, but please don’t be polite to us!”
Xiong Ze nodded, "I would also like to ask Mr. Mao to go back and thank the Prime Minister of your country on my behalf. If necessary, I will definitely ask your country to send troops to help."
"In that case, I'll take my leave first." Seeing Xiong Ze's weak appearance, Mao Shilang made another comment to Xiong Ze and said goodbye.
Xiong Ze did not hold back, waved to Minister Mao, and then said to Ding Shan, the Minister of Rites of the State of Chu, who was standing behind Gao Jianli: "Ding Shangshu, send the couplet to Minister Mao.
After the Qin State's special envoy Mao Shilang left the Hall of Gongcheng, Shi Lei walked out of the train of civil and military ministers, bowed and said to Xiong Ze, "Your Majesty, I think what the Chu State's special envoy said is quite reasonable. This man is called Chen Xiaomu. It is very likely that Zheng Guo’s troops will take advantage of the lack of troops at Xinyang Pass to sneak attack Xinyang Pass!”
Xiong Ze slapped the dragon case in front of him fiercely, and angrily said: "I thought our Chu State had lost hundreds of thousands of troops, but now I only know the identity of Chen Xiaomu after hearing it mentioned by Mao Shilang of the Qin State. You guys Ask yourself, are you worthy of Lian's imperial favor? A marshal who has been on the battlefield for so many years and has experienced hundreds of battles, the general cannot deal with a young boy. He is defeated again and again in a daze. You have almost wiped out all the wealth of Chu State. Now the United Nations has announced that all military attachés in the DPRK will be demoted one level, and all civil and military officials in the DPRK will be fined three months' salary!"
After Xiong Ze finished his oral speech, the air in the Hall of Success suddenly seemed to freeze, and all the civil and military officials standing in the hall were as silent as a chill, not even daring to speak out.
After finally making it to the end of the court meeting, Shi Lei had just entered the Prime Minister's Mansion. Zhou Qi, Minister of the Ministry of War, followed him in. He cupped his hands at Shi Lei and said, "Master Zaifu, I am really sitting on pins and needles right now. I don't know what to do. I'm here." I’d like to pay my respects to Mr. Zaifu and ask for some advice!”
Shi Lei sighed and said with tears in his eyes: "To be honest with you, Minister Zhou, my son Shi Biao's life and death are uncertain now. Madam mentions it every day. I am really ashamed of my old wife. Now I am so confused that I am afraid I can't handle it." What solution can you come up with to solve this problem?"
While the two were standing in the courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion talking, a carrier pigeon flew in with fluttering wings. Shi Lei stretched out his palm out of habit, and the carrier pigeon flew steadily to his palm and stood down. Shi Lei untied the pigeon's legs. He unfolded the note wrapped in it, looked at it, and then handed it to Zhou Qi, who was standing opposite him, without saying a word.
Zhou Qi took it and took a look. It turned out to be a letter from Wu Yan, the Chu army stationed in the new capital of Zhengdu. After reading the content of the note, he raised his head and said to Shi Lei: "Master Zaifu, it seems that this is what Mao Wenlong, the special envoy of the Qin State, said. That’s right, this little bastard from the Zheng Kingdom is really trying to set his sights on our Xinyang Pass!”
Shi Lei sneered, "Now I'm afraid that his appetite will be too much for him. Now you come with me to the palace to meet the saint. I will personally take command and lead the troops to rescue Xinyang Pass!"
"But Mr. Zaifu!" Zhou Qi said worriedly: "The Chu State really has no troops to mobilize. A few days ago, even the troops that had never been moved in order to prevent the northern grasslands made the Qin State change their expressions. The frontier troops attacking with cavalry had some of Yecheng's Imperial Guards mobilized to attack Zheng's Tianquan County last time, leaving a loophole in Yecheng's defense. They had no choice but to send 20,000 people back to defend the capital of Ye. The city, not to mention the border troops on the border between Qi and Qin, is almost defenseless!"
"Can you bring back another 20,000 people from the prairie cavalry defense? Add the auxiliary troops recruited from Hubei." Shi Lei asked Zhou Qi in a consultative tone.
"Absolutely not!" Zhou Qi immediately refused without hesitation: "The weather is getting colder day by day. It is the time for the prairie cavalry to go south to plunder every year. It is not that Lord Zaifu does not know the situation of the Hubei auxiliary army. Let them maintain it. Local security and food and grass transportation are okay. If they are actually sent to the battlefield, combat effectiveness will not be discussed. They may take the lead in escaping and cause a complete rout. If some of the more powerful soldiers who were suppressed by us in Hubei come over and fight back. If so, the situation would be even worse!”
"The situation in Xinyang Pass is extremely critical now. If we don't increase our troops, we are very likely to miss. What do you think we should do?" Shi Lei asked Zhou Qi angrily.
"Master Zaifu, why don't Zheng's 50,000 soldiers and horses attack their capital, Xinjing? Instead, they go far away from Xinjing?" Zhou Qi reminded Shi Lei.
"Xinjing is much harder to fight than Xinyangguan. Their few soldiers and horses are not enough to fill the moat outside Xinjing. If we didn't have internal agents in the city to open the city gate for us, we would have at least fought under Xinjing. One hundred thousand people died!" Shi Lei said contemptuously.
Zhou Qi pointed to the piece of paper untied from the pigeon's leg in his hand and said: "According to Wu Yan's report, Zheng's army came from the direction of Tianquan County, and they deliberately concealed themselves along the way. The march bypassed an important pass on the road to Xinjing, Xinhe County. Because we have not received a report from our garrison in Xinhe County until now, I concluded that this is an army without backup and logistics. The lone army is currently the largest force that Su Chengxuan can bring out. If we wipe out his army, Zheng Guo will actually be destroyed! There will no longer be any force to fight against us! "
Shi Lei suddenly narrowed his eyes, looked at Zhou Qi's face, and said, "You mean to let Wu Yan, who is stationed in Xinjing, lead his troops to follow this Zheng army. When they start to attack Xinyang Pass, they will be with Xinjing." The defenders of Yangguan came and attacked them from both sides and annihilated them in one fell swoop?"
Zhou Qi nodded calmly, "Su Chengxuan is making a desperate move. Although our Xinyang Pass only has some old, weak, sick and disabled sergeants, half of them are auxiliary troops from Hubei, but the number is close." With 50,000 people, there should be no problem in defending until Wu Yan's elite troops stationed in Xinjing can catch up. Su Chengxuan made a desperate move. Let's also make a desperate move and let Wu Yan leave a few auxiliary troops from Hubei to maintain Xinjing. Public security, the rest of the troops will go out of the city to pursue this Zheng army, and strive to eliminate them all in front of Xinyang Pass!"
