Chapter 1317 – The Defeat of Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (59)
“Report—”
Outside the tent, hurried footsteps and a loud announcement broke the stillness. Qi Guanrang took a moment to react, his voice steady, “What is it?”
Seizing the long-planned advantage, Qi Guanrang unexpectedly suppressed Feng Jue, catching him off guard. Following that, he lured in a wave of enemy forces, forcing Feng Jue to retreat twenty miles. It seemed like an easy victory, but in truth, it came with great risks.
For the past two days, Qi Guanrang had been preoccupied with how to expand their gains, leading to his exhaustion; his voice was hoarse compared to usual.
The Messenger sprinted, his bronze-colored face reddened, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
Regaining his composure, he said excitedly, “Military Adviser, great news! The enemy has retreated!”
Retreated?
Qi Guanrang was momentarily stunned, jumping to his feet, causing his cloak to slide off his shoulders and pile at his feet.
He didn’t share the messenger’s joy; instead, a grave expression replaced his surprise. His eyes darkened, striking fear into those around him.
“The enemy has retreated? When did this happen?”
Could it be another cunning ploy to trick them?
After months of matching wits with Feng Jue, Qi Guanrang felt as though he’d aged years. The schemes against him seemed never-ending.
If it weren’t for him, anyone with a more temperamental disposition might have been fooled by Feng Jue, counting their spoils instead.
What Qi Guanrang feared most was hearing that Feng Jue was up to mischief again—infuriating and unpreventable!
The Messenger explained, “Last night at the fourth watch, the enemy camp’s lights were still on, but this morning, there was no sign of cooking fires. Suspicious, we sent someone to investigate, only to find the camp completely deserted. By the calculated time, they must have left last night.”
Qi Guanrang took a moment to process, doubting if Feng Jue was genuinely retreating or just pretending to draw them out.
It wasn’t without reason he thought so; Feng Jue’s prior exploits made him cautious.
“Send someone to scout again.”
Not long after the Messenger left, Fu Wang entered with an irritated expression, still clad in his heavy armor, which made his already imposing figure seem even larger, creating an atmosphere both suffocating and oppressive.
“Military Adviser, I’ve heard the enemy has retreated—”
Raised by wolves, Fu Wang had a natural disposition for aggression. Jiang Pengji appointed him as commander and had Qi Guanrang help him defend Wanzhou, thinking it would lead to a straightforward battle. Who knew the Military Adviser would only defend and never attack, almost driving Fu Wang mad over the months. Just as he’d finally shifted strategies from defense to offense, the enemy had decided to retreat. It left him feeling like he might spontaneously gush blood.
What was this feeling?
Almost having a taste of victory, only to be cut short—truly inhumane.
Qi Guanrang frowned, “On the surface, it seems so, but I can’t discern the truth. If Feng Jue pulls a counterattack, it will be impossible to guard against.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Wang’s dull eyes suddenly sparked with interest, as if a dried fish had flipped back to life.
Little did he know, Feng Jue had indeed retreated and left without a trace; the thought of a counterattack was nonexistent.
Fu Wang eagerly urged the army to stay on high alert, waiting for the enemy’s return, only to be met with disappointment.
“Is this a true retreat?”
Fu Wang felt increasingly annoyed; he’d been guarding Wanzhou for what felt like ages, and Feng Jue could just tease and then vanish. Was that still a man!?
Absolutely not a man!
Qi Guanrang also appeared puzzled.
Fu Wang suggested eagerly, “Military Adviser, should we send troops to pursue? They’ve only been retreating for a day. With night and day marching, we could catch up.”
Qi Guanrang, frowning as he studied the sand table indicating the enemy’s general retreat direction, mused, “What do you believe is the reason for Feng Jue’s retreat?”
Though Fu Wang was fierce, he wasn’t mindless. Observing the sand table and contemplating the retreat direction, he started piecing together the puzzle.
“It’s the time for the autumn harvest. Our Lord has been patient, and action against Huang Song is inevitable now,” Fu Wang reasoned carefully. “If Feng Jue’s retreat isn’t a trick, he’s probably heading to support Huang Song. Wait—what is Huang Song planning?”
If Feng Jue were to support Huang Song, that meant gathering a significant portion of his forces in one place—was he gearing up for a showdown?
Qi Guanrang furrowed his brow and said gravely, “If Feng Jue’s retreat is genuine, it must be for this reason.”
Fu Wang expressed worry, “Huang Song commands a substantial army. Our Lord might face tough battles. Military Adviser, shouldn’t we lead troops to intercept?”
Intercepting Feng Jue would mean less support for Huang Song, alleviating some pressure from Jiang Pengji’s side.
Qi Guanrang replied, “If we send troops to intercept, what then for Wanzhou? Our responsibility is to ensure Wanzhou’s absolute safety; we cannot take unnecessary risks.”
Fu Wang countered, “But what about our Lord—”
Qi Guanrang, sensing Fu Wang’s frustration, patiently clarified, “Huang Song’s combined forces, if successful, would number about one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty thousand, and that’s already an inflated figure. Our Lord’s army stands at around twelve thousand; add on General Luo Yue’s forces, and the strength is about equal. These troops have been painstakingly assembled with great resources; Huang Song’s odds are at most three in ten!”
With each of Qi Guanrang’s words, Fu Wang’s expression darkened further, like a fish washed ashore, stripped of its dreams.
Qi Guanrang continued, “In terms of morale, Huang Song has suffered several setbacks, and his spirits are low, far inferior to our Lord. His chances of winning are even slimmer. As long as our Lord faces no untoward incident or makes a blunder, victory is virtually assured—”
He felt secure about their Lord’s current position, so Fu Wang might as well abandon the idea of chasing down Feng Jue.
Fu Wang: “…”
Jiang Pengji indeed had the upper hand over Huang Song, but such an advantage did not guarantee victory—out of respect for Huang Song, she wouldn’t take matters lightly. Ever since Feng Jue received word to withdraw from Wanzhou, Jiang Pengji had begun her offensive against Huang Song.
Huang Song was forced to harvest autumn grain while hastily preparing for battle, while Luo Yue waited in the Three Mountain Gorge, restless in his duties, responding to his Lord’s commands and coordinating strikes against Huang Song. With Huang Song forced to split his forces, he relied on the difficult natural defenses of the gorge and the borders of Hujun to stabilize the situation, preventing complete collapse.
This wasn’t particularly good news, but it wasn’t terrible either.
Huang Song set aside distractions and concentrated on the battle.
“Youmo, how’s the autumn grain harvest going?”
Cheng Jing responded, “We’ve harvested fifty percent.”
By their original schedule, it would have topped out at thirty percent, but with Cheng Jing organizing the men to work tirelessly, they’ve managed to reach this level of efficiency. In Huang Song’s mind, he calculated that fifty percent of the autumn grain would amount to over one hundred twenty thousand stones, more than enough to feed the army.
Huang Song said, “Zhonghe County is not a long-term solution. The longer we delay, the worse it is for us.”
Zhonghe County was inherently hard to defend, especially with the enemy attacking from two fronts.
The longer the delay, the heavier Huang Song’s burden became.
