Chapter 117: The Truth Becomes Clearer the More It Is Debated

County Magistrate Village is just a small village with limited supplies. If Lu Yao were to bring all fourteen hundred people up the mountain, how would he solve the problem of feeding them? By gnawing on tree bark?

Heaven knows how long this rendezvous will last; they must at least wait for the three parties to hold a few meetings, scheme against one another, determine who is the leader and who is the subordinate, set some rules, and then mobilize, encourage, and deploy the rebel troops again before they can even consider ending it, right?

"That is to say, the number of people Wu and Pei brought up the mountain is also small, similar to Lu Yao's." Truly, the truth becomes clearer the more it is debated. "Adding these three parties together, the army rendezvousing at the banks of Linghu has at most seven or eight hundred people!" Lady Ying was bewildered: "How is it only seven or eight hundred? Didn't that cannibal general have seven hundred ambush troops buried at Shaozi Cliff alone?"

"Exactly!" He Chunhua interjected, a glint in his eyes. "These three parties must have agreed beforehand to only bring two hundred people each up the mountain. On one hand, the village's supplies are limited and cannot support more; on the other hand, they can keep each other in check to avoid conflict."

To prevent any accidental discharge of weapons, after all.

Hearing this, the hearts of everyone present settled.

Their own side has a combat force of three hundred, and with the blessing of the State Decree, it can exert the combat power of four or five hundred. The opponent has seven or eight hundred... although the number is twice as large, it is not an overwhelming advantage.

Moreover, the opponents are all routed troops who fled from Woling Pass, like stray dogs, their morale long since broken. As long as their own side works together with sincerity and courage, it is not impossible to break the opponent!

Defeating a strong enemy two or three times one's own size on the battlefield is no myth; there are numerous cases. He Chunhua even fought such a battle himself in his early years.

"This also means these three forces have been guarding against each other all along, and we can make good use of this point. Lu Yao brought seven hundred more rebels from Desheng Town; although it was to scheme against us, the other two parties don't know that." He Yue laughed. "If Lu Yao doesn't make a move on us at night, these seven hundred people are completely useless. So, who can say for sure why they were actually brought here? It's possible he really wants to intimidate the other two parties."

Everyone looked at each other and let out a breath.

He Chunhua's expression had greatly relaxed, and he said: "With these three groups of routed troops rendezvousing, the three generals must determine who is primary and who is secondary to establish the chain of command; otherwise, these thousands of people will just be a scattered mess, useless for any major task later." In an army, there can only be one voice. "If we do some meddling, we might achieve the effect of four taels moving a thousand catties."

He added: "I heard that Wu Shaoyi and Lu Yao have a long-standing grudge. Wu Shaoyi had snatched military merit a few times, and Hong Xiangqian appreciated him even more, which made Lu Yao extremely dissatisfied. Wu once liked a beauty and even wanted to take her as his legal wife, but Lu Yao defiled her first and even cooked her and sent her to Wu Shaoyi afterward. It is said that when Wu Shaoyi saw this beauty, she still had a smile on her face."

He drank some water to moisten his throat: "General Wu overturned the table on the spot and took men to fight Lu Yao. In the end, it was Hong Xiangqian who personally stepped in, relying on his immense prestige in the army, to settle the matter. However, one can imagine that the relationship between these two could never be good."

"There is such a feud?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise. "Lu Yao is a cannibal monster, not a founding member of the uprising; why has Hong Xiangqian kept him all this time?"

"This man is formidable in battle. After joining Hong Xiangqian's command, he had a glorious record of seven consecutive victories. In one instance, he even destroyed the eye of 'Iron Barrel General' Zhao Ronglue, causing him to be severely wounded and die, and Woling Pass was also seized by the rebel army." He Chunhua spoke as if reciting family treasures. "Both soldiers and opponents have an instinctive fear of such a fierce cannibal monster, and this point was also utilized by Hong Xiangqian."

A peerless weapon of war, when held in the right hands, might just be a peerless divine weapon.

"But Hong Xiangqian is already dead." He Lingchuan realized. "The other rebel troops might feel more disgust than fear toward Lu Yao; why rendezvous with him here?" With the one who kept order gone, wouldn't the people below be struggling fiercely?

"I am not clear on that; perhaps they all have their own calculations."

He Yue thought for a moment: "The priority right now is to find the other two rebel armies."

"If they say they are rendezvousing tomorrow afternoon, they should be arriving at the mountain soon, or have already arrived." Mo Zhejingxuan said. "They aren't here for sightseeing; even thieves scout the location before committing a crime. They must come up early to check the terrain."

"There are only two roads up and down the mountain, both leading to County Magistrate Village. The night road is already difficult to walk; they cannot choose other small paths." He Chunhua said to his personal guards, "Bring the guide here."

After some discussion, the group quickly decided on a preliminary plan.

He Lingchuan only started the conversation; afterward, everyone else spoke one after another, leaving no room for him to contribute.

He went to fetch another apple; this one looked riper and shouldn't be as sour.

By the time he finished the apple, everyone had finished discussing, and He Lingchuan added: "Words alone are not proof. Father, you must gain the trust of Wu and Pei, otherwise the three of them will soon bury the hatchet and become one big happy family. Seeing is believing, after all. It would be best, um... best if you let them see with their own eyes that you and Lu Yao are chatting happily."

"See with their own eyes?" Mo Zhejingxuan was thoughtful.

He Chunhua ordered his personal guards to bring paper and pen: "I will also write to the Hebei Regional Defense Command, requesting them to send troops, so we can use a two-pronged approach."

Lady Ying worried: "Will they be willing?"

"If the rebel army is weak." He Chunhua said meaningfully. "Defeated generals dare not speak of courage. Our side is bolstered by the lingering prestige of the great victory at Woling Pass; how could we not take down these rebels who are like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring? It would be another great military merit."

Mo Zhejingxuan coughed lightly: "The rebels intend to settle down here; how can the local Prefect tolerate it? They must take advantage of their unstable footing to quickly remove this malignant tumor."

He Chunhua wrote furiously, finishing in one go. Before sealing the letter, He Lingchuan stole a glance and saw it written "over a thousand routed troops," which made him chuckle.

If the number of routed troops is too high, the reinforcements might not be willing to come. There is a nuance to this "over a thousand"; He Chunhua himself has three hundred elite soldiers. If the Regional Defense Command and local government troops only want to support them, two or three hundred more would suffice; but if they truly want to suppress the bandits, they would need at least two thousand.

However, the number He Chunhua reported cannot be considered wrong; the actual rebel troops ascending to County Magistrate Village to rendezvous are very likely just over a thousand.

Soon, he had everything written and handed them to the corresponding people to carry out.

He Lingchuan watched from the side, feeling admiration in his heart.

He Chunhua serves as an official in a border region, yet he has an understanding of events occurring within the Yuan Kingdom. From the character and temperament of the rebel leaders to the temper of the local Prefect and the troop strength of the Regional Defense Command, he keeps it all in his mind.

What kind of foresight is this? One must know that the Yuan Kingdom's territory is vast; without express delivery, a post horse would take over a month to travel from east to west. He Chunhua guards the most isolated border, yet he can still have a clear grasp of the national situation; this truly requires energy, money, and connections—none can be lacking.

(End of chapter)