The Jingzhou battle report quickly reached the headquarters. Fu Jian was so angry that he looked at Di Chen with suspicion. Gnashing his teeth, he said, "This is your promise to me?"
His words were filled with anger. Fu Jian felt that he had been tricked. Before the army set off, Di Chen had made a solemn vow. Who would have thought that things would turn out like this?
Di Chen was ashamed and speechless for a moment.
In fact, no one was more depressed than Di Chen. More than half of the 50,000 soldiers he had brought were lost in the Jingzhou battlefield. Although they had gained some contribution points, they were far from what Di Chen had hoped for.
Because of this expedition, Di Chen owed Lord Chunshen and the others a big favor. Although these fellows did not say anything, they were probably laughing their heads off in their hearts.
But facing Fu Jian's accusation, Di Chen did not know how to refute and felt wronged. A large part of the reason for the defeat at Jingzhou was due to the 100,000 Qin soldiers.
If not for the fact that the Qin soldiers did not listen to their commands, burning, killing and pillaging along the way, the Jin army would not have been slowed down, giving the Jin army sufficient time to set up the ambush formation.
But it was also a fact that Lian Po had delayed the battle by gathering rations along the way. Di Chen did not have the confidence to refute. Moreover, Fu Jian was in a fit of anger. If he talked back now, he would be asking for trouble.
Di Chen wanted to gloss over the matter, but someone stood up and said, "Your Majesty, Lian Po was ordered to march south, but he did not gather rations along the way. This is really neglecting the essentials. He should be held responsible for this defeat."
The speaker was Yao Chi. When the two learned of the defeat at Jingzhou, their eyes flashed with a strange light.
Fu Jian nodded and said, "Lian Po is really muddle-headed."
Di Chen was furious and cursed in his heart, "Shameless!" When a large amount of rations arrived at the headquarters, Fu Jian was full of praise for Lian Po. Why did he change his mind in the blink of an eye?
But facing Fu Jian, Di Chen could not find anyone to reason with and could only blame his bad luck.
It was a good discussion, but in the end, they parted on bad terms.
… …
Fu Jian had thought that the defeat at Jingzhou was bad enough. He did not expect an even bigger disaster to come. The next day, battle reports came from the north.
Cao Chun's army's attack in the north had finally stirred up the Qin situation.
The three elite cavalry units cooperated with each other and launched a surprise attack on the advancing Qin army, causing great damage. The first few days were fine, but as more and more troops were attacked, the entire north suddenly became tense.
For a time, rumors spread everywhere.
As the saying goes, "Three men make a tiger." When there are enough people spreading rumors, the rumors will become the "truth."
Yesterday, there were finally some troops that couldn't hold on any longer and dispersed. This caused a chain reaction, and a wave of deserters appeared in the entire north. Moreover, it seemed to be getting more and more intense.
At this time, the news of Murong Chui and Yao Chi being placed under house arrest also spread. Upon hearing this news, the Qiang Tribe and Xianbei Tribe within the Qin Empire began to grow restless. Most of the soldiers fleeing were from these two tribes.
After some of the soldiers escaped, they were secretly hidden in the former Qin territory under the organization of people with ulterior motives.
Undercurrents were surging in the entire north.
When Fu Jian received the news, he was so anxious that he could not sit down.
The loss at the front line and the fire in the backyard shook Fu Jian's firm confidence in the war again.
Because of this, Wu Qi and Fu Rong had no choice but to rush back from Shouyang in an attempt to strengthen Fu Jian's confidence. Wu Qi said, "Your Majesty, the 300,000 soldiers in Shouyang have already completed their initial reorganization and can enter the battlefield. As a result, we still have 600,000 soldiers at the front line. We have an absolute advantage and the situation is still under control. "
"Then what should we do about the internal chaos?" Fu Jian asked.
Wu Qi said, "As long as Your Majesty arranges for a general to lead a group of cavalry back to the north with Your Majesty's order to clarify the rumors, the situation in the north will stabilize. There is no need to worry."
Of course, the matter was not as simple as Wu Qi made it out to be. However, as a general of the [Yan Huang Alliance], Wu Qi had to ensure that Fu Jian's will to fight again. Otherwise, everything would be over.
The successive blows had caused Fu Jian to lose his composure. Hearing Wu Qi's analysis, he was like a drowning man grasping at a straw to clutch at. He did not think too much and instinctively believed it.
"Alright then!" Fu Jian nodded.
Right now, Fu Jian was in a difficult position. If he fought, there was little hope of victory. If he retreated, Fu Jian was unwilling. Moreover, if he returned to the country with his tail between his legs, where would he put his face?!
As a result, before the situation completely deteriorated, Fu Jian could only brace himself and advance. He had no other choice.
… …
That night, in Murong Chui's tent.
In the tent, besides Murong Chui, Yao Chi was also present.
There was a letter on the table, already opened.
"What do you think?" Murong Chui asked Yao Chi.
Yao Chi said, "No matter what, let's leave the camp first."
"Are they trustworthy?"
"We have to give it a try. It's better than being trapped here."
"Alright, then let's give it a try!" Murong Chui knew that this chaos in the north was the best time for him to rise up. If he missed it, he would never have any hope of restoring the country.
After the two finished their discussion, they disguised themselves and quietly left the camp, coming to a secluded place on the west bank of the Fei River. There, members of the Xia Dynasty's Navy were already waiting.
After the two sides met up, they quietly sneaked into the Fei River, then went upstream into the Huai River.
… …
The next morning, the news of Murong Chui and Yao Chi's disappearance spread throughout the Qin army's camp. Some said that the two had escaped, while others said that the two had been secretly executed by His Majesty.
The officers and soldiers discussed animatedly, casting a shadow over the military camp.
In the central tent, Fu Jian's expression was gloomy. The disappearance of Murong Chui and Yao Chi made Fu Jian even more uneasy. He knew their influence in the country too well.
"Damn bastards, if I had known, I would have killed them," Fu Jian cursed.
In the tent, Di Chen, Wu Qi, and Fu Rong looked at each other, speechless. It was inevitable to be depressed. Bad news came one after another, like a chain reaction.
If this continued, the Qin army would probably collapse without a fight, just like in history.
Wu Qi knew that he had to say something. He stepped out and bowed. "Your Majesty!"
"Speak!" Even Fu Jian's voice was cold.
Wu Qi did not mind, saying, "Your Majesty, you can announce that Murong Chui and Yao Chi were secretly sent back to the country by His Majesty to deal with the chaos in the north and calm the restless soldiers at the frontline."
To the soldiers of the other races, Murong Chui and Yao Chi had been promoted. Being sent back to the country by His Majesty was a normal choice and would not raise any suspicions.
Hearing this, Fu Jian nodded reluctantly.
To Wu Qi, Fu Zhen could not complain. Everything that could be done, the Governor had done.
"We can only blame the army for not living up to expectations," Fu Jian sighed in his heart.
Wu Qi continued, "Murong Chui and Yao Chi have most likely fled back to the country. When they appear in the north, there will be a chaotic battle. The plan now is to attack Eastern Jin before the situation worsens. As the saying goes, if you are in a dead end, you will be able to survive. As long as we defeat the Jin army, no matter how Murong Chui and Yao Chi jump around in the country, they will not be able to do anything. "
It had to be said that Wu Qi's eyes were extremely sharp.
Hearing this, Fu Jian did not immediately make a decision. Once the battle started, there would be no way out.
Seeing this, Wu Qi and the others were anxious, but did not dare to urge him.
After a long while, Fu Jian raised his head and looked at Wu Qi with a burning gaze. "How confident are you?"
Wu Qi said, "More than eighty percent."
"Really?" Fu Jian seemed to be able to see through Wu Qi.
Wu Qi said calmly, "Really!"
In fact, Wu Qi did not even have sixty percent confidence. The battle of Jingzhou had proved that the million Qin army was not something they could afford. If Wu Qi had enough time, he was confident that he could turn something rotten into something magical.
But in just ten days, even if Wu Qi was a god, he could not do anything.
If used well, the 300,000 Qin soldiers in Shou Yang would be a great help. If not, they would be a time bomb.
But Wu Qi had no other choice.
Fu Jian did not know if he really believed Wu Qi. "Then let's fight!"
Once the decision was made, Qin had no way out.
"Yes!"
Wu Qi, Fu Rong, and Di Chen all nodded in agreement.
The battle of Fei River unexpectedly ushered in a decisive battle. The battlefield was still at Fei River, but no one knew if history would repeat after the battle, or if there would be a counterattack.
After the meeting, Fu Rong was ordered to return to Shou Yang and lead 300,000 soldiers to the south. They gathered at the headquarters and prepared for a decisive battle with the Jin army.
At the same time, the warships brought by Xiong Ba intended to enter Fei River and control the river.
But their every move was monitored by the Cliff Mountain Fleet. How could they allow the Zhoushan Fleet to do as they pleased? The two fleets started their first battle at the junction of Fei River and Huai River.
Because the river was narrow, no one could gain an advantage.
…
On the east bank of Fei River, the headquarters of Eastern Jin.
The taste of victory was always wonderful, especially for the lords who arranged for their armies to go south to Jingzhou. The huge amount of contribution points made them feel that this trip was worthwhile.
The unusual movements of the Zhoushan Fleet were quickly reported to the headquarters.
Ouyang Shuo brought Huo Qubing and Jia Xu to the central tent again.
Although Jingzhou had a great victory, Xie Shi and Xie Xuan were not very happy. This was not surprising. The Xie Family and the Huan Family were sworn enemies. How could they be happy when Huan Chong was so proud of himself?
Huan Chong's request for merit had already been reported to the imperial court.
In this way, the pressure that Xie Shi and his nephew had to bear was even greater.
After secretly sending Murong Chui and Yao Chi away, Ouyang Shuo knew that the Qin army would definitely make a move. The unusual movements of the Zhoushan Fleet undoubtedly confirmed Ouyang Shuo's guess.
After discussing with Jia Xu, Ouyang Shuo had a clear judgment.
"Are you saying that the Qin army wants to fight with us?" Xie Shi was shocked after hearing Ouyang Shuo's words.
Ouyang Shuo nodded and said, "This is their only chance to turn the tables."
"Since they want to fight, then let's fight!" Xie Xuan was full of fighting spirit.
Huan Chong's victory had undoubtedly stimulated Xie Xuan. Privately, Xie Xuan had ridiculed Huan Chong, saying that Huan Chong's victory was entirely due to the mutant army and that he was just a lucky bastard.
However, merit was merit. His Majesty would not pursue this matter. Thus, Xie Xuan longed for war more than anyone else.
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