They looked at each other, but none of them seemed to have an answer. Che Bu hesitated and said, "The Heavenly Jade School dared to swallow Nanzhou because they have the support of Xiao Yao Palace and the other two sects. Not to mention others, can Niu Youdao fight against the entire Heavenly Jade School? Even he has to rely on the Heavenly Jade School to gain a foothold. Otherwise, he would have been killed long ago. "
Haozhen shook his head and said, "You all underestimate him. This man is far-sighted and has prepared a backup plan. It won't be easy for the Heavenly Jade School to touch him. He already has something in his hands to balance the Heavenly Jade School. It's just that he's good at hiding it and didn't let others know."
The others were surprised. Gao Jianhou asked, "What does he have in his hands? If no one knows, how did the Prince find out? "
Haozhen waved his hand and said, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I can't. Some things may not be a good thing to know."
…
The Valiant Cavalry stayed in the capital's encampment. After the court was dismissed, Huyan Wuhen didn't go home but went straight to the military camp.
Cha Hu accompanied Huyan Wuhen straight into the central military tent.
Inside the tent, two generals were standing in front of a marked map, discussing something while pointing. When they heard the call of "Great General has arrived," they turned around and quickly stood in a row. They cupped their fists and greeted, "General!"
Huyan Wuhen grunted and walked to the map. He stared at a map of Yan Nanzhou that had been specially hung. The map was filled with intersecting lines of the enemy's and his own forces. He asked, "Is it all marked?"
One of the generals replied, "According to the information gathered from Nanzhou, the battle situation from beginning to end has been marked. Even if there's a discrepancy, it shouldn't be too big."
This was something Huyan Wuhen had instructed them to do before.
To other people, the battle of Yan Nanzhou might have been a simple victory or defeat, or a conflict of interests. However, in the eyes of the generals who led the battle, it was different. Six hundred thousand against eight hundred thousand. Moreover, the latter had sufficient logistical support. Yet, in just a few days, the entire line collapsed!
Huyan Wuhen believed that he wasn't the only one who was taken aback by the battle's quick conclusion. The generals of the various countries were also taken aback. So long as they had the means, they would've paid close attention to this battle. They would've done everything they could to gather information about this battle in order to understand what had happened in the end.
Huyan Wuhen scanned the map and asked, "What do you think of this battle?"
A general said, "This is an unheard of and unseen example of a battle. The goal is not to eliminate the enemy, but to greatly reduce the losses to the people of Nanzhou. Just this point alone is a great merit. This was an extremely masterful battle of containment, using the method of containment to disintegrate the enemy. The entanglement of nearly 1.4 million troops was complicated but not chaotic. Without a masterful command, it could collapse at any time. This battle is a classic, and can be used as a model to learn from. Our conclusion is that this should not be Feng Lingbo's doing. "
Huyan Wuhen's eyes swept across the map. Slowly, he replied, "It should be Meng Shanming!"
The two generals looked at each other. They had calculated the entire battle situation for a long time before coming to this conclusion. They didn't expect the Great General to see through them so easily.
Huyan Wuhen extended his hand and took the tidied up report from one of the generals. Shortly after, he raised his hand and waited for the two generals to leave the tent. He paced back and forth in front of the map, flipping through the tidied up battle situation. From time to time, he would raise his head to look at the progress of the troops on the map.
Cha Hu didn't utter a word and stared at the map. However, he wasn't an expert in this aspect. The situation on the map was too complicated. Looking at it gave him a headache, so he turned his head to the side.
After finishing the report, Huyan Wuhen stood in front of the map and scrutinized it for a long time. This time, it lasted for almost four hours.
Someone came in from outside to ask if they wanted to eat, but was dismissed by Cha Hu with a wave of his hand.
"Ai!" Huyan Wuhen suddenly let out a light sigh.
Cha Hu walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Huyan Wuhen pointed at the map and sighed, "As soon as the battle started, all 600,000 soldiers had abandoned their supplies and rushed forward without any reservations. Even the slightest mistake could result in the annihilation of the entire army. This Meng Shan Ming is really daring. A group of elites kept a close eye on the enemy's commander-in-chief and mobilized the entire enemy's forces. The rest of the troops made hundreds and thousands of turns, delaying the majority of the enemy's forces. Then, they coordinated with the elite troops that launched a surprise attack and toyed with the 800,000 enemy troops. This Meng Shanming is really an expert. He's amazing. If I were to meet him on the battlefield, he would definitely be a formidable opponent! But, it's a pity that he won't live long! "
Cha Hu was a little surprised. "What do you mean? Even if he has a fatal injury, as long as it's not beyond help, he shouldn't be unable to be treated with so many cultivators by his side, right?"
Huyan Wuhen replied, "Today's morning assembly was discussing the situation in Southern Yan Province. According to the intelligence obtained by the imperial court, Shang Chaozong's forces have already been separated and scattered. They can't easily regroup. From the looks of it, they want to deprive Shang Chaozong of his military power and support Feng Lingbo. Shang Chaozong is very likely already under the control of Heavenly Jade Sect, and Meng Shanming is the trusted aide of both the Shang family's father and son. "
Cha Hu asked, "General, are you saying that Heavenly Jade Sect wants to kill Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming?"
Huyan Wuhen replied, "If he wasn't the commander of this battle, he might still be alive. Most importantly, he fought this battle too well. I'm afraid that Heavenly Jade Sect can no longer tolerate him. "
Cha Hu was surprised. "Is winning a battle a fault?"
Huyan Wuhen replied with melancholy, "A despicable human heart can swallow a ferocious tiger. Since ancient times, how many brave warriors have fought for their families and country? Yet, they didn't die on the battlefield but fell under the despicable human heart? Going too far is as bad as not going far enough! The analysis of those in the imperial court is correct. Heavenly Jade Sect's strength is limited, and they will enter a period of defense soon. Shang Chaozong is not in line with their interests, which is why they removed Shang Chaozong's military power. Since that's the case, why don't they cut off Shang Chaozong's capable wings? "
"Zong Ruo of the Shang Dynasty is obedient. After all, he is Feng Lingbo's son-in-law and Peng Youzai's grandson-in-law. Considering the consequences, he might be able to keep his life, but Meng Shanming will definitely die. If they want to kill Shang Chaozong, Meng Shanming will die as well. They won't give Meng Shanming the chance to seek refuge with someone else and take revenge. This time, Meng Shanming won't be able to escape! "
Cha Hu understood and couldn't help but shake his head.
Huyan Wuhen clasped his hands behind his back and said, "As a general, one must know the right time, the right place, and the right people. What is the right time?"
He stretched out a finger and pointed upwards. "A general who only knows how to fight but doesn't know the right time, so what if he's good at fighting? The ones who can deal a fatal blow are usually not the enemy, but the people above them. If the people above cannot tolerate you, it's useless no matter how good you are at fighting. Those generals who can truly stand in the imperial court are not simple martial artists. Meng Shanming followed Shang Jianbo and fought with his life on the line. In the end, he was crippled and had to retire. This time, he followed Shang Jianbo's son, Shang Chaozong, which is even more dangerous. If this isn't ignorance of the right time, then what is? "
Hearing this, Cha Hu couldn't help but look at him a few more times. To some extent, these words seemed to imply that he was no longer simple and pure. Wasn't this a general who had a foothold in the imperial court?
"What a pity, what a pity!" Huyan Wuhen paced back and forth and looked back at the map. He shook his head and sighed.
…
In a newly occupied government office, Feng Lingbo, who had just finished handling official business, went straight to the backyard.
Peng Yulan, who was chatting with a few noblewomen at the entrance of the backyard, turned to Feng Lingbo and asked, "Finished?"
Feng Lingbo nodded and asked, "Where's Father?"
"Father is waiting for you." Peng Yulan replied and reminded in a low voice, "Everything has been settled. Father will lead everyone back to the capital of Nanzhou tomorrow … With Niu Youdao's escape, Heavenly Jade School's profits from the wine business will suffer a huge loss. The offerings of the three major sects cannot be reduced. I reckon that they will first have to squeeze some from the rich families in Nanzhou to satisfy this year's offerings."
Feng Lingbo nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. He then strode into the depths of the mansion. Peng Youzai, who was talking under a tree, glanced at Feng Lingbo who was walking over and waved his hand to dismiss his attendants.
After Feng Lingbo came forward and saluted, Peng Youzai asked, "Are there any subsequent problems?"
Feng Lingbo smiled and said, "Father, don't worry. Everything went smoothly!"
Peng Youzai nodded and asked indifferently, "What about Meng Shanming's side?"
Feng Lingbo lowered his voice and said, "I have just sent someone to pass a message to Meng Shanming. Using the excuse that he is good at fighting, we still need his help to clean up the mess. Let him stay for now. Shang Chaozong and the others will follow Father back tomorrow. Separate them! "
Peng Youzai said coldly, "Don't blame me for not warning you. Don't leave any evidence behind. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
Of course, Feng Lingbo knew the consequences. If Shang Chaozong found out and made a fuss, he would have to deal with Shang Chaozong as well. It would be hard for him to explain to his daughter. Another thing was that some things were not honorable. Heavenly Jade School did not want the outside world to know that they burned the bridge after crossing the river and killed their meritorious minister. Especially Meng Shanming, who had a certain level of influence in the entire Yan military. If news of this got out, their reputation would be tarnished and the impact would be too great. It would also easily make the soldiers of Nanzhou bitterly disappointed. How would they view Heavenly Jade School? It was not good for the hearts of the people.
"We won't leave any evidence behind. The remnants of Zhou Shouxian's forces have not been completely wiped out. No one knows where they are hiding. It is normal for them to come out and attack us along the way." Feng Lingbo said in a low voice.
In a small courtyard not far from the magistrate's office, it was quiet. Occasionally, birds could be heard singing from the trees.
In the courtyard, Meng Shanming sat quietly in his wheelchair. A general sent by Feng Lingbo said a few words respectfully and presented a sealed document with both hands. Then, he took his leave.
Meng Shanming opened the document and read it. Behind him, Luo An, who was pushing the wheelchair, muttered, "At least Feng Lingbo knows his place. He still needs Marshal Meng's help."
"Princess!" The general who was leaving the courtyard coincidentally bumped into Shang Shuqing. He cupped his hands politely.
Meng Shanming quietly put the document in his hand into his sleeve.
After Shang Shuqing came over and bowed, he asked curiously, "Uncle Meng, what is Feng Lingbo's man doing here?"
Luo An was about to speak, but Meng Shanming spoke first and stopped him. "Nothing. He just came to pay his respects. It's just for show."
Luo An was speechless. He did not know why Meng Shanming did not tell the truth. But since Meng Shanming said so, he did not say anything else.
Shang Shuqing took Luo An's hand and pushed the wheelchair around the courtyard.
Meng Shanming, who had been looking up for a while, asked quietly, "Is there still no news from Daoye?"
"Not yet!" Shang Shuqing shook his head.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
