Chapter 77: Jia Xu Returns to the Gu Family, A Surprise Attack on Longxi

Liangzhou.

When Gu Wei received the news from Gu Chen, he was stunned.

"He actually took Wudu so quickly?"

He whispered to himself, finding it somewhat hard to believe.

Was this really his own younger brother?

Having not seen him for many years, Gu Wei’s impression of his brother Gu Chen was still stuck in the past.

Gu Chen had indeed been the child who performed the worst in the entire family.

Who could have imagined that in just a few short years, there would be such a change?

Regarding this, Gu Wei was quite pleased.

He immediately went to see Huangfu Song and told him the news.

"General, Ziyan has already captured Wudu."

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Song was also stunned for a moment, and likewise found it hard to believe: "It happened so rapidly?"

Gu Wei smiled and nodded.

Seeing this, Huangfu Song could not help but gasp, the complexity on his face deepening as he sighed: "He is truly worthy of being a descendant of Duke Gu; to possess such talent."

Gu Wei handed Gu Chen’s letter to him.

Huangfu Song read it carefully, and his expression suddenly changed: "Is the Young Master planning to employ the strategy of the late Marquis of Loyalty and Martial Valor?"

In the letter, Gu Chen simply asked them to pin down the forces of Ma Teng and Han Sui from the front.

The current situation in Liangzhou was truly just like it was back then.

——Ma Teng and Han Sui were carving up Longxi;

Utilizing the terrain of Longxi, combined with the ferocity of Ma Chao, they had blocked Huangfu Song’s great army.

Meanwhile, Li Jue and Guo Si were established in Anding Commandery.

They had created a pincer formation against Huangfu Song, which was the fundamental reason why Huangfu Song was currently unable to make any progress.

Huangfu Song came from a military family; just by seeing the contents of the letter, he immediately guessed Gu Chen’s intent.

"Indeed."

Gu Wei also nodded slightly, "I expected that Ziyan would have this very idea."

"No, absolutely not!"

Huangfu Song’s expression changed drastically, and he said quite anxiously: "I ask that you immediately notify the Young Master; this moment is different from the past."

"The ferocity of Ma Chao far exceeds that of Wei Xiao in the past."

"If the Young Master risks crossing Longshan, the moment he encounters Ma Chao, he will surely fall into a state of total destruction."

"And with Li Jue and Guo Si on the flank, we are unable to exert our full strength to attack Longxi."

"If we are the least bit careless, our great cause will be lost."

Huangfu Song’s tone was very serious.

He belonged to the type of general who fought steadily and surely.

Although the military campaigns of Gu Xiao in the past could be called legendary, looking through history, how many people could compare to Gu Xiao?

How could he be at ease?

But Gu Wei shook his head directly, looked at Huangfu Song, and sighed: "General, there is no need to worry; as for Li Jue and Guo Si, I can handle them."

"As for whether Ziyan can succeed in a surprise attack..."

He paused slightly in his tone, did not continue, but instead looked at Huangfu Song and asked in return: "General, in your opinion, given the terrain of Longxi,"

"If we were to attack by force, when would we be able to pacify it?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Song fell silent all at once.

Gu Wei looked at him and continued: "The world is already in great chaos, and the Central Plains are plagued by constant warfare."

"If my calculations are correct, the landscape of the Central Plains will surely change drastically after this battle."

"Should the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu emerge victorious,"

"How are we to cope while trapped in the lands of Liangzhou?"

His tone was very calm.

But the questions he posed were like needles, piercing directly into Huangfu Song’s heart.

They truly did not have much time left.

Regardless, they had to seize this opportunity of great chaos to increase their strength.

"But..." Huangfu Song still wanted to say something.

But Gu Wei interrupted him directly: "General, those who achieve great things must have a firm will."

"This is something my grandfather said more than once when educating us, the descendants of the Gu family."

"Just as he was in the past."

"Whether facing natural disasters or wishing to revitalize the Great Han, my grandfather never hesitated."

"We are now merely facing a Longxi; what is there to hesitate about?"

Gu Wei’s confidence was displayed under these circumstances.

Huangfu Song’s expression grew increasingly complex; he stared intently at Gu Wei, and after a long silence, he said again: "How does the Young Master intend to deal with Li Jue and Guo Si?"

"Several months ago, I sent someone to secretly contact their strategist, Jia Xu."

When speaking of this matter, Gu Wei’s expression also became strange, and he said with some uncertainty: "This man is willing to defect to the Great Han."

"Hmm?" Huangfu Song sensed the abnormality in Gu Wei’s attitude and frowned again.

Gu Wei shook his head slightly, not knowing how to speak of this matter.

He had indeed made contact with Jia Xu.

And Jia Xu had also said he was willing to defect to the Great Han.

But his request had truly exceeded Gu Wei’s expectations.

That was, after the situation was pacified, to let him go to the Julu Gu family to enjoy the rest of his life in peace.

This request was far too strange for Gu Wei, leaving him unable to make a judgment.

"General, there is no need to worry; leave this matter to me."

After hesitating for a moment, he did not reveal the matter, not wanting to distract Huangfu Song further.

Seeing this, Huangfu Song did not ask any further questions.

He now had absolute trust in Gu Wei.

After the two discussed the subsequent situation a bit more, Gu Wei walked out of the camp.

Immediately, he sent someone to see Jia Xu again.

He intended to meet with Jia Xu in person.

Gu Wei still had absolute confidence in his own talent.

No matter what hidden thoughts Jia Xu might have, Gu Wei still firmly believed that as long as they met, he would surely be able to guess his intentions.

Originally, Gu Wei thought that Jia Xu might not necessarily come to see him.

But unexpectedly, just after he sent the message, before a few days had passed, Jia Xu sent back word agreeing to the matter.

The two sides met on a piece of wasteland between Hanyang and Anding.

Night.

The moonlight was like a wash, and the stars were brilliant.

The surrounding torches flickered in the wind.

By the dim firelight, Gu Wei looked at the somewhat gloomy man before him and could not help but frown: "Are you Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe?"

"Jia Xu pays his respects to the Young Master."

Jia Xu did not hesitate at all and immediately bowed to Gu Wei.

"Wenhe, no need for such formalities." Gu Wei returned the salute, staring intently at Jia Xu as he asked: "Can your words from before be taken as true?"

He stared fixedly at Jia Xu, wanting to discern his thoughts through his expression.

"Naturally." Jia Xu nodded without the slightest hesitation, "If the Young Master can agree to this matter, I can assist the Young Master in dealing with Li Jue and Guo Si."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wei was stunned.

He had seen nothing at all.

Jia Xu’s tone remained as calm as ever.

He was silent for a moment, and in the end, could only ask directly: "Why is this?"

"With your talent, Wenhe, why would you want to go to my Gu family?"

Julu was the base of the Gu family.

Now that the Gu family had completely chosen a different path, returning to Julu was a tacit admission of withdrawing from all worldly affairs.

Although Gu Wei was confident, he could not risk the entire family.

Jia Xu sighed leisurely and said with some helplessness: "The sages say, the world is bustling, all for profit; the world is jostling, all for gain."

"But I am different."

"I will not hide it from you, Young Master; what I have sought until this day is merely a place to settle down in peace."

"I have thought about it for a long time, and the only place that can make me completely at ease is Julu."

Having said this, Jia Xu bowed to Gu Wei once more: "I hope the Young Master will assist me in going to the Julu Gu family; from this day forth, I am willing to ask nothing of worldly affairs."

Gusts of wind whistled past.

Gu Wei kept his eyes fixed on Jia Xu, and after a long silence, he finally spoke: "How does Wenhe intend to proceed?"

"Young Master, rest assured, as long as you agree to my proposal."

"I can ensure that Li Jue and Guo Si do not attack you, and perhaps even... have them slaughter each other."

Under the flickering firelight, Jia Xu’s already somewhat cold and sinister face appeared even more chilling.

Gu Wei could not help but knit his brows, feeling a sense of inexplicable unease in his heart.

"Is Wenhe not afraid that this action will invite the scorn of the scholars of the world?"

He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he could not help but ask.

Yet Jia Xu did not care in the slightest, smiling indifferently: "What does the mere scorn of scholars matter?"

"My actions may harm the heavens and harm others, as long as they do not harm me, that is enough."

From beginning to end, his tone remained just as casual.

Gu Wei’s hand trembled inexplicably; looking at the Jia Xu before him, he hesitated for a long time before finally nodding.

"Very well!"

——Although he had reached an alliance with Jia Xu.

Gu Wei naturally would not trust Jia Xu completely.

There was no helping it; in his view, Jia Xu’s conditions were simply too unrealistic.

Looking at the current state of the world, what talented person would have such thoughts as Jia Xu? This could be said to be completely contrary to the current era.

Gu Wei specifically left behind some troops, guarding Hanyang himself.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Song launched an all-out attack on Longyou.

Longyou, with its back against Longshan, was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Facing Huangfu Song’s offensive.

Ma Teng, Han Sui, and the others were not in the least bit flustered, immediately preparing their troops to use the terrain for defense.

Of course, they had naturally received news that Gu Chen had taken Wudu Commandery.

But human nature has always been this way.

Even with the fate of Wei Xiao from years past, they were unwilling to believe that anyone would cross Longshan to execute a surprise attack.

Because this matter was, in itself, an incomparably difficult task.

Not just anyone could become Gu Xiao.

They merely arranged for Ma Chao to guard some key passages, while they faced Huangfu Song head-on and sent word to Li Jue and Guo Si.

This had already become an unspoken understanding between the two sides.

Whenever Huangfu Song attacked one side, the other would immediately mobilize troops to strike from the front and rear.

But this time, an accident occurred.

Li Jue and Guo Si were prepared to mobilize their troops.

But just before they could move, Jia Xu stopped them.

"Do the two Generals truly intend to just die defending this Anding Commandery?"

Facing Jia Xu’s question, Li Jue and Guo Si both frowned.

Jia Xu’s status in their hearts was now quite extraordinary.

The two of them could be said to follow Jia Xu’s every word.

"Two Generals, the current situation in the world is in chaos, and the wars in the Central Plains never cease; when the wars in the Central Plains end, no matter who wins or loses."

"For us, it will all be unfavorable news."

"Could it be that the two Generals truly believe that by relying on the territory of a single commandery, you can sleep soundly?"

Li Jue and Guo Si’s expressions grew increasingly serious.

Jia Xu watched them calmly, and after a moment of silence, he said again: "At this juncture, we must occupy the entire Liangzhou."

"Only then can we have a glimmer of survival."

"This must also be the reason why Huangfu Song is exerting all his strength to attack Longyou."

"If the two Generals mobilize now, you might resolve the battle of Longyou, but what benefit would that bring us?"

"On the contrary, if Huangfu Song and Ma Teng and Han Sui both suffer heavy losses."

"At that time, the two Generals can send troops to take Hanyang and Longyou, and occupy the entire Liangzhou."

"Have the two Generals never thought of this?"

This simple sentence could be said to have struck straight into the hearts of Li Jue and Guo Si.

Their expressions suddenly became quite vivid.

"Is the Mr. saying that we should now reorganize our troops and wait to watch Huangfu Song and Ma Teng and Han Sui slaughter each other?" Li Jue asked with an excited look.

Guo Si’s eyes also lit up, staring fixedly at Jia Xu.

"Precisely!" Jia Xu did not hesitate in the slightest and nodded directly.

Seeing this, the two looked at each other, finally made up their minds, and then nodded one after another.

"Good! We will listen to Mr.!"

Wudu Commandery.

Gu Chen was leading his troops, heading straight for Longyou.

He had already divided his troops into two routes.

One route consisted of the three thousand most elite soldiers, led by him personally, to cross the mountains and ridges for a surprise attack on Longyou.

And the other route was to attack Longyou to attract the attention of Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Gu Chen’s judgment of the overall war situation was indeed extraordinary, and he had long since planned the specific route for this surprise attack.

——First, head north along the Xihan River valley, avoiding the main passes of Longnan.

Rest by day and march by night, cross Mount Quchi to enter Qishan, avoid the main Qishan road, detour from the west side of Qishan at Yanguan Town, pass through the Maoshui River valley, and head straight for the Longyou granary, Shanggui.

This endeavor was destined to be incomparably difficult.

Whether for the commander or the soldiers under his command, it was an unprecedented test.

But Gu Chen was quite confident about it.

The Gu family specifically kept books on surprise attack tactics.

All current circumstances perfectly matched the prerequisites for a surprise attack.

It was late autumn, which could avoid flash floods;

The morale of the soldiers under his command was as high as a mountain;

Gu Chen had looked at the terrain maps left by the clan more than once.

These various prerequisites gave Gu Chen full confidence.

The army marched forward continuously, and just as they were about to step into the mountain forest, Gu Chen suddenly stopped, his gaze like a torch, scanning every soldier present with a solemn expression.

In the mountain forest, the wind whistled.

"Brothers!" Gu Chen’s voice rang out like a great bell, echoing in the mountain forest with the wind, "In this battle, we must recreate the feat of our Gu family ancestors descending like divine soldiers!"

"No matter how difficult the road ahead is, or whether the outcome is success or failure, our Gu family will never let you brothers down!"

His eyes revealed firmness and determination, "I, Gu Chen, swear here that even if I die, I will be before all of you!"

"If this battle is won, we will go down in history together, and let future generations remember our glory!"

Boosting morale is a prerequisite for every general to become a commander-in-chief.

Gu Chen’s resonant words were like heavy hammers, striking the heart of every soldier.

Everyone stared fixedly at Gu Chen, the admiration in their hearts reaching its peak at this moment, and they immediately raised the weapons in their hands.

"Willing to follow the General, defeat the enemy, return in triumph, and leave our names for a thousand years!"

The voices converged, breaking the silence of the mountain forest and soaring straight into the sky.

Gu Yi had been watching Gu Chen, and his expression gradually became complex.

Who would have thought that after so many years, the descendants of the Gu family would actually recreate that scene from the past?

A surprise attack on Longyou again?

If this matter truly succeeds, the reputation of being "skilled in surprise attacks" will likely be permanently attached to the Gu family.

Thinking this, Gu Yi could not help but smile, not intending to interfere.

A person like Gu Chen is destined to become stronger and stronger amidst various trials.

If he were to interfere constantly.

It would only affect Gu Chen’s path to success.

All he needed to do was to protect Gu Chen’s life at critical moments, and that would be enough.

Ps: Begging for monthly tickets.

(End of chapter)