After dinner, news of the battle arrived at the headquarters in Zizhou City.
The light of the torches dyed the long streets, the short trees, and the green walls of the small courtyards red after the rain. Although it was already nighttime, half of Zizhou City was already in motion. Facing the increasingly clear situation of the battlefield, the reserve troops braved the night and the General Staff Department began planning the subsequent events.
How to treat the wounded, how to arrange prisoners, how to consolidate the front line, how to celebrate and publicize, how to defend against the enemy's unyielding counterattack, and whether it was possible to take advantage of the victory to launch another attack … Although many things had been roughly planned, when faced with reality, they still needed a lot of discussion and adjustment, as well as detailed arrangements and coordination of who was in charge of which area of work.
Many things should be settled by this night.
Peng Yueyun hurried to the streets near the headquarters. From time to time, he could see people dressed like him walking on the road. Some were in groups of three to five, whispering as they walked. Some were running alone, looking hurried but excited. Occasionally, someone would greet him.
This situation was different from what was described in the stories of the performing arts.
He thought to himself.
Peng Yueyun had grown up in the northwest. As the child of a high-ranking officer in the western army, his childhood life was richer than that of a poor family. He loved reading and listening to stories, and he had a good impression of Takeshi when he was young. Later, when he joined the Huaxia army, he kept his habit of watching dramas and listening to stories.
Even in the many dramas of The Bamboo Story, when describing the war, it was often a few generals and a few strategists on both sides of the battlefield devising strategies and devising ingenious schemes. After hearing it, people were excited and wished they could be in his place. After Peng Yueyun joined the General Staff Department, he had participated in the planning and execution of several conspiracies. At one time, he had imagined himself to be a strategist fighting against Wanyan Xiyin and the others.
But with the outbreak of the war and the Huaxia army fully engaged in the battle, the feeling it gave people was completely different from the image of an all-powerful strategist. The situation in the headquarters and the General Staff Department was more like the machinery that the Huaxia army had put into the production workshops over the years. Wooden wedges were connected to iron drills, gears were connected to gears, and huge water turbines were rotating, causing the huge machinery in the workshop to move together.
In the rumors of the outside world, people believed that Mr. Ning, who was known as the "Heart Devil", was planning a lot of conspiracies all day long. But in reality, in the past few years in the southwest, Mister Ning had led the Huaxia Army in the past few years. What he cared more about was the research and construction of factories in the rear, as well as the establishment of some complex organizations and the planning of procedures. In terms of the army, he only did a small amount of coordination and decision-making work.
Because of this, in the eyes of the outside world, the situation in the southwest was perhaps the Huaxia army's Mister Ning facing off against Zong Han, Xi Yin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian, Ba Lisu, and a group of female heroes. In reality, in terms of intelligence and planning, it was actually the Huaxia army that was more complex and had the advantage of numbers.
Of course, Zong Han, Xi Yin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian, Ba Li Su … and the others were all heroes of their generation. In the eyes of many, they were peerless geniuses. And the 'human wave tactic' in the southwest also had to deal with the problem of coordination and differing opinions. Before the dust settled, whether the General Staff Department of the Huaxia army could compete with the geniuses of the other side was still a matter that made the members of the General Staff Department nervous. However, after being nervous for so long, Peng Yueyun's mood finally relaxed when the battle at Yu Yu Creek finally made some headway.
As he was thinking about this matter, he arrived near the side door of the command center and saw someone coming out. The woman walking in front was carrying an ancient sword on her back and a straw raincoat. She was leading two attendants toward the warhorses that had already been prepared outside the door. Peng Yueyun knew that this was Mister Ning's wife, Lu Hongti. She was highly skilled in martial arts and usually served as Mister Ning's bodyguard. It seemed that she was leaving the city in the middle of the night. It was clear that she had something important to do.
Before Hongti could mount her horse, someone else ran out from behind and called out in a low voice, "Sister Hongti." This person was also a woman. She was Miss Juan 'er, who followed Mister Ning. Over the years, this beautiful, cold, and serious woman had been in charge of half of Mister Ning's secretarial work and had interacted with the General Staff Department many times.
Miss Juan 'er was holding a small bundle in her hand. After she caught up, she whispered a few words to Madam Red Ti. Madam Red Ti smiled and took the bundle from her. Nobody knew what she said. Peng Yueyun walked toward the side door from the other side of the road. Juan 'er saw him and waved her hand. "Little Peng, wait a moment. There's something I need to do."
Thus, Peng Yueyun stopped. The two ladies whispered a few words to each other. Red Ti and two of her entourage rode away. Juan 'er waved her hand as she watched the warhorse leave, then walked towards Peng Yueyun. As she walked, her gaze turned cold. These years, Juan 'er had been working at Ning Yi's side and had participated in many operations. At this time, her eyes carried a hint of worry and anger, making her appear cold and intimidating. But it was not directed at Peng Yueyun. Obviously, she had something else on her mind.
"Sister Juan, what's up?"
"Has the news about Yu Yu Creek arrived?"
The two walked inside together. Peng Yueyun nodded. "Yes, I'm here for a meeting."
"In the afternoon, more than 20 people attacked the wounded barracks behind Yu Yu Creek. They were targeting Ning Ji."
"… Is he okay?"
Peng Yueyun now understood where the anger in Juan 'er's eyes came from. Among Mister Ning's family, Miss Juan 'er and Ning Ji's mother, Xiaochan, were like sisters. That Xiaoning Ning Ji was like her child. Now that he thought about it, Madam Hongti must have gone to the front line. No wonder Juan 'er brought a bundle with her …
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Juan 'er, who was beside him, shook her head. "The report said that he was slightly injured … At present, all the scouts with light injuries have been arranged in the general camp for the wounded. Even if Zhou Dong were to reincarnate or Lin Eechan with his men, they would not be able to escape. But since they deliberately arranged people to assassinate the child, I can't let them get away with it. "
Peng Yueyun nodded. Now, the scouts on both sides were the best of the best. This group of scouts from the Huaxia army also included special operations personnel. Many of them were famous masters in the Greenwood Forest or disciples of these masters. In the army, almost all the single ring champions of the military martial arts competition were taken by these people. Most of them could only exchange a few blows with the so-called world's number one, Lin Eechan. Now that more than 20 people had entered such a camp, even if they were the world's number one, it would be difficult for them to escape unscathed.
But under such circumstances, Second Young Master was also slightly injured. He was probably itching to attack again — the people close to the Ning family had more or less heard about the counterattack that had happened in Zi Zhou.
Seeing Juan 'er's fierce expression, Peng Yueyun didn't say these speculations. He only said, "What do you plan to do, Sister Juan?"
"Since there's this, Little Peng, make some plans. Spread the news to the Zhenren that we want the heads of Zhen Zhu and Bao Shan."
How ruthless … Peng Yueyun was secretly speechless. "Are we really going to organize revenge?"
"There's no need to sacrifice people for revenge. Spread the news and scare them. It doesn't matter if we kill them or not. In short, we have to think of a way to keep them on tenterhooks for a while."
Peng Yueyun nodded. His mind turned slightly. "Sister Juan, how about this … Taking advantage of the great victory at Yu Yu River, I will organize people to write a declaration of war, accusing Jin Gou of sending people to assassinate … thirteen years old children. This will make them think that Mister Ning is very angry and has lost his mind. Not only have we organized people to assassinate Wanyan Shiyama and Wanyan Xibao, we have also offered a reward to all the puppet soldiers who are willing to surrender. We will think of a way to send the declaration of war to the front. In this way, we can take advantage of the Jin army's decline to alienate the puppet soldiers around them … "
Hearing Peng Yueyun's idea, a smile gradually appeared on Juan 'er's face. After a moment, her eyes turned cold. "Then I will leave it to you. I will ask about the reward and see how much is appropriate. In the chaos of war, perhaps they will really fight among themselves. That would be the best."
"Well, then I will formally propose this idea at the meeting."
The two discussed for a moment. Peng Yueyun's eyes were solemn as he rushed to the meeting. He said this idea not purely to echo Juan 'er, but because he really felt that it would have a certain effect. Assassinating Zong Han's two sons was originally a difficult and seemingly impractical plan, but since there was such a reason, it was always good to make them suspicious.
In his heart, he warned himself: Never offend a woman in the future.
Peng Yueyun had his own meeting to attend, and Juan 'er, who was in the secretary's office, naturally had a lot of work to do. The entire Huaxia army's movements would be reported to her for a round of overall planning. Although the news that came in the afternoon had already determined the general direction of the whole thing, what followed was only a sleepless night.
The air was clear after the rain, and there was a thin starlight in the sky at night. After summarizing the information to a certain extent, Juan 'er walked through the courtyard of the headquarters. Several meetings were held in the nearby rooms, and the faint fragrance of the cooks preparing supper wafted over. Entering the courtyard where Ning Yi was temporarily staying, the lights were not on in the room. She gently pushed the door open and entered. She placed the two summary reports on the desk. On the bed on the other side of the desk, Ning Yi was hugging the quilt and sleeping soundly.
She smiled and turned to leave. A voice came from the other side. "What time is it … Have they finished fighting …"
"It's not yet nine o 'clock, the news won't be so fast … You should continue to rest," Juan' er said softly.
"Oh … Don't stay up late. Sleep for a while too."
"Everyone is still awake. It seems like they are waiting for the news. I'll go and look for supper."
"Young people … can't stay calm …"
Ning Yi mumbled on the bed. Juan 'er smiled and went out. The courtyard outside was still brightly lit. After the meeting, people left and came in one after another. The staff of the General Staff Department waited in the courtyard while discussing.
When it was almost nine o 'clock, Juan' er came back from outside. She closed the door and walked to the bed while unbuttoning her blue cotton-padded jacket. Taking off her jacket, she sat on the bed, took off her shoes, socks, and long skirt. Ning Yi moved to one side under the quilt, and Juan 'er, who looked slimmer, fell asleep under the quilt.
After nine o 'clock, it was three o' clock in the morning. Ning Yi quietly got up from the bed, and Juan 'er also woke up. Ning Yi signaled her to continue to rest.
After washing up a little, Ning Yi returned to the room and picked up the summary report on the desk. He went to the next room and roughly read it under the oil lamp. At a quarter to four o 'clock in the morning, someone hurried in from outside the courtyard.
"Report …"
"Keep your voice down. Did Yu Yu Xi finish fighting?"
"Yes, last night at 11 o 'clock, the battle of Yu Yu Xi came to an end. General Qu ordered me to come back and report …"
The people in the courtyard lowered their voices and talked for a while. The night was quiet. Juan 'er got out of the bed, put on her cotton-padded jacket, skirt, shoes, and socks, and walked out of the room. Ning Yi sat on a low stool in the corridor under the eaves, holding an oil lamp in his hand and illuminating the letter in his hand.
Juan 'er heard strange cheers from afar. She moved a stool and sat down beside him.
"Yu Yu Xi won."
Ning Yi handed the letter to her. Juan 'er took it and read it. It recorded the preliminary results of the battle: more than ten thousand enemies were killed, more than twenty-two thousand people were captured, and more than ten thousand defected. During the attack on the Jurchen camp that night, Qu Zhengyan and the others relied on the defected Han soldiers in the camp and broke through the enemy's outer camp. During the battle in the camp, several old Jurchen generals encouraged the army to resist stubbornly and defended the inner camp that led to the mountain road. At the same time, the Jurchen soldiers who were trapped in the mountains and had not returned in time saw that the camp was broken and risked everything to come to the rescue. Qu Zhengyan temporarily gave up the plan of uprooting the entire Jurchen camp that night.
The preliminary count of the casualties of the Hua Xia army had already exceeded two thousand and five hundred, and the wounded who needed treatment were more than four thousand. Some of the people here might be included in the list of casualties in the future. The number of lightly injured and exhausted people was uncountable … In such a situation, they still had to look after more than twenty thousand captives. It was no wonder that Zizhou had already sent out reserve troops when they received the news of the start of the plan. At this time, the fourth and fifth divisions in Yu Yu Xi's mountain were already as dangerous as a string that was stretched taut.
"… Qu Zhengyan called the plan of taking the initiative 'Devouring Fire'. He wanted to ruthlessly defeat the enemy at their strongest point. After defeating the enemy, he would also suffer great losses. This was predicted long ago. This exchange competition was still good, very good … "
Ning Yi sat there and said this. Juan 'er thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Commander Qu withdrew his troops at nine o' clock. Until now, he still has to look after more than twenty thousand captives. Will there be any problems?"
"He withdrew on his own initiative. There will be no problems. Qu Zhengyan, he walked on a tightrope again. " Ning Yi laughed, "Yu Yu Xi has nearly fifty thousand soldiers. The twenty thousand Jurchen main force in the middle was directly defeated by our fifteen thousand people. Considering the exchange ratio, Zong Han's two hundred thousand main force is not enough to exchange for. He won't even be able to cry now …"
Under the eaves in the clear winter night, Ning Yi said this. His gaze had already become relaxed and indifferent. More than ten years of training, the accumulation of blood and fire, and the two months of planning during the war. The battle in Yu Yu Xi this time had a deeper and more complicated meaning than what was said now, but there was no need to say it now.
Juan 'er sat for a while with the letter in her arms and said with a light smile, "Zong Han should have escaped."
"He won't escape." Ning Yi shook his head. His gaze seemed to pass through the layers of darkness and cast on the sky above an unparalleled object. "Through the hardships of Zong Han's generation and decades of hard work, the Jurchen created the foundation of the Jin Kingdom. Without victory in the southwest, the power of the Jurchen will fall from its peak. Zong Han and Xi Yin do not have another ten or twenty years. They will not allow the Great Jin that they created to be destroyed in their own hands. The path before them is a desperate one. Just wait and see … "
"… What comes next will be an even calmer counterattack."
Ning Yi said quietly. He had no complaints about what was destined to happen.
In this world, people would meet tigers.
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