Chapter 1197 – Battle Against Xu Pei, First Kill Among Rulers (Sixty-Seven)
“Something’s off—this is really off—according to my calculations, Han Yu should’ve made a move by now. Why is there still no sign?”
If it weren’t for Yang Si’s confidence, he might have started to doubt his judgment.
Qi Guanrang waved the feather fan in his hand, making a whooshing sound to dispel the heat around him.
“Han Yu is no simple character. If all his actions were well within your calculations, then it would be you who triumphed in the battle at Gu Xu, not him.” He heard Yang Si muttering and frowned, “In my opinion, if Xu Pei wants to change the situation, his only chance is to launch a surprise attack.”
Yang Si replied, “The army at Shanweng City is entirely under our watch. Where would he get the troops for a stealthy attack?”
Yang Si had his forces surrounding Shanweng City, keeping an unbroken watch for twelve hours straight. Any movements inside the city wouldn’t escape the scouts’ eyes. To put it bluntly, they had figured out the enemy’s manpower. How could a bunch of demoralized, unwilling soldiers manage a surprise attack to turn the tide?
He was perplexed.
A successful surprise attack relies on an imbalance of information between the enemy and us; with Yang Si grasping the enemy’s movements, they’d be walking right into a trap.
But—
Could Han Yu possibly be oblivious to this?
Yang Si said, “I really dislike people like that. Feels like they have the upper hand everywhere.”
Qi Guanrang showed a solemn expression.
He agreed with Yang Si’s assessment of Han Yu; the opponent was certainly not a coward resigned to fate, but he couldn’t quite guess what the other party was thinking at this moment.
“Regardless, it’s always wise to be prepared,” Qi Guanrang said coldly. “Order the troops to increase nighttime patrols. No suspicious characters should be overlooked, and simultaneously, assign someone to closely monitor Shanweng City to prevent Xu Pei from pulling off a trick.”
Xu Pei was the head of the opposing forces; letting him go was like letting a tiger return to the mountain or a dragon enter the sea—endless trouble ahead.
Yang Si remarked, “Responding to change with constancy? That does seem like a viable plan, but we can’t get a read on Han Yu’s movements…”
Listening to their conversation, Jiang Nongqin felt a tad bewildered.
“Shanweng City’s defeat is already a given; why is Han Yu still trying to struggle? Just look at Xu Pei’s face; it’s clear he’s doomed.”
Yang Si smiled wryly and said, “Even ants try to survive; what more a human?”
Just because one is at a disadvantage doesn’t mean they should give up the fight. History is full of instances where the weak prevailed against the strong, launching a counter-offensive from desperation.
With some effort, perhaps victory is attainable.
Jiang Nongqin added, “From what I hear from you two strategists, Han Yu seems to be quite the talent.”
Yang Si replied, “He is one of Mr. Yuanjing’s four apprentices, sharing the same school as I do. Naturally, his skills are not to be underestimated.”
“He’s not as good as you.”
Jiang Nongqin casually praised with a dispassionate expression, her demeanor increasingly resembling that of their leader.
Yang Si was taken aback by the sudden compliment.
Having worked alongside Jiang Nongqin for years, he had never heard her praise anyone other than their leader; he was the first.
“Such high praise from Captain Jiang, I’m truly flattered.” Yang Si said, “What exactly about me caught your eye?”
He needed to know, so he could enhance that trait.
Jiang Nongqin raised an eyebrow, a small, nearly imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
“Your eyes.”
Yang Si: “…”
It took him a moment to process—was Jiang Nongqin saying his eyes were better than Han Yu’s?
“Han Yu chose Xu Pei; he’s simply blind.” Jiang Nongqin supplemented, “While you’ve wandered off the right path at times, you’ve at least found your way back.”
Her leader was certainly the only wise ruler under heaven; those who chose other lords weren’t blind—what else could they be?
Yang Si: “…”
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Fans like that are just too terrifying.
Bai Yuexia was like this, and Jiang Nongqin too; the thought that his leader doesn’t regard Wei Ci as a mere shield was something he really couldn’t accept.
“Maybe you and Qi Guanrang are overthinking this—”
Jiang Nongqin also found herself grappling with the same question; she pondered it for a long time without any resolution.
From any angle, Shanweng City was a dead game; for Han Yu to revive the board, he would have to launch a surprise attack to take a shot at survival. However, with the timing, troop strength, and terrain all against him… Jiang Nongqin believed he had no foothold. In her view, rather than risk everything, better to hold fast to Shanweng City; who knows, maybe Jiang Pengji would withdraw… though that chance was minuscule.
Jiang Pengji was currently engaged in a game of chess with Bai Yuexia. Hearing Jiang Nongqin’s words, she supported her chin with her wrist and looked at her thoughtfully.
“I actually think Wen Zheng and Jing Rong are right to be concerned.” Jiang Pengji smiled, “Analyzing the battlefield requires not only considering the enemy and our forces and terrain but also factoring in the personalities of the people under our command. With Xu Pei bedridden, Han Yu becomes the main decision-maker, and the troops at Shanweng City must adhere to his will. In a sense, understanding Han Yu is akin to grasping the overall movements of the enemy—”
If Yang Si believes Han Yu is not the kind to sit idle, then the troops of Shanweng City wouldn’t blindly defend the isolated city.
Unless—
Han Yu got pulled down from his position, and someone else took over.
From the information gathered so far, that possibility seemed incredibly slim.
“Then what do you think Han Yu will do, my Lord?”
Jiang Pengji stared at the chessboard, contemplating for a moment.
“Xu Pei’s camp is even more reliant on him; I’m eager to see what surprises he will deliver for me—” she said nonchalantly, “Regardless of his schemes, I’m here to take them all on. Xu Pei’s forces are limited; even if they unleash all they have, they won’t be able to cause me any lasting harm.”
Jiang Nongqin felt a surge of interest in the unseen Han Yu.
She wanted to see just how capable Han Yu actually was to challenge their leader.
The night was even noisier than the day, as various little creatures came out to play, rustling about.
For the audience watching the live stream, the night life was just getting started, while for those from ancient times who rose with the sun and slept at dusk, it was past bedtime. Yang Si was no exception; after a quick wash-up, he dove into bed, resting on a mat infused with the aroma of bamboo, a thin blanket covering his lower body to avoid chills at night. He dozed off but suddenly remembered something and shot up.
“Not good… I completely overlooked this.”
Yang Si crawled out of bed, hastily grabbed his clothes, slipped into his wooden sandals, and as he walked swiftly, he finished putting himself together.
Qi Guanrang’s tent was not far off, and Yang Si called out a few times from a distance, waking the half-asleep Qi Guanrang.
“Yang Jingrong, what are you doing?”
Yang Si’s attire was disheveled, his nightclothes still hanging out, and his long hair sprawled across his shoulders and back—he had zero sense of decorum!
“I suddenly remembered! Is there any information that the scouts gathered here?” Yang Si blurted out, urgency overtaking him.
Qi Guanrang glanced at the disturbance disrupting his sleep but still threw on some clothes and got up to find the relevant information.
Yang Si studied the documents by the oil lamp, his expression growing serious.
“What’s wrong?”
Qi Guanrang leaned over to take a peek; Yang Si was looking at reports about fleeing soldiers.
Ever since Shanweng City was besieged, the number of defectors had been steadily increasing; Xu Pei’s situation was… wait!
With a loud crash, Qi Guanrang slammed the candlestick on the table and snatched several bamboo slips.
“Great—a stellar plan for deceiving the heavens and crossing the ocean secretly!”
Are the fleeing soldiers truly just fleeing?
Not necessarily!
They might well be ambush troops!
Yang Si clutched several bamboo slips and rushed, “This needs to be reported to the Lord urgently.”
Just as the two exited the tent, they saw flames roaring in the direction of the central military camp—
