Chapter 289: Deciding Strategy (I'm Not Good at Writing This Stuff, Everyone Just Make Do)

Afraid? I, Lü Gu Yun, have never known how to write the word 'fear'!

Today I just have important matters, so I cannot prolong the battle. If you disagree, we can fight another day!

Lü Gu Yun heard this and laughed loudly.

Having said that, Lü Gu Yun turned and waved at the cavalry behind him.

Those cavalrymen immediately understood, closely followed Lü Gu Yun's rear, and swiftly withdrew.

Not long after, the Deputy Commander of the Great Yong Dragon Sparrow Army led his troops to arrive.

General, should we pursue?

He looked at Long Jun Zuo standing alone amidst the devastated forest and asked.

No need. This nameless War God came only to delay our steps.

The night deepened, and the wind in the dense forest grew stronger.

However, the Que King Army is now like a startled bird, surely they dare not linger.

He knew this battle had just begun!

Meanwhile, inside Wenzhou...

Long Jun Zuo waved his hand, gazing deeply in the direction Lü Gu Yun departed.

Hold the fortress, preserve strength, await the King's order; remember not to act rashly.

What the Prince said is absolutely correct.

Shang Guanlie said in a low voice, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

Yes! the Deputy Commander responded, turning to relay the order.

As for whether to weaken the Vassal King Allied Forces or the Que King Army.

Shang Guanlie and Li He pressed the offensive, swiftly capturing all important city gates within Wenzhou.

We can forgo pursuing the victory, seize most of Wenzhou in one go, and incidentally weaken it.

Pass the order: keep the whole army vigilant, strengthen patrols.

Li He lightly stroked the jade flute in his hand, smiled faintly, his demeanor calm.

I suspect the Vassal King Allied Forces have greater plans. The urgent priority now is to first return to Wenzhou Prefecture City.

What the General said is quite right. Then, how should we proceed next?

Long Jun Zuo stood in the night, his eyes glimmering.

Also, send people to closely monitor the Vassal King Allied Forces' movements; report immediately if anything occurs.

Yun Yi, although this time we only achieved a temporary victory.

The Deputy Commander heard this and nodded.

But Long Jun Zuo's Que King Army suffered no major losses, its strength remains, not to be underestimated.

Long Jun Zuo withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked toward his warhorse.

Then it's a case of benevolent seeing benevolence, wise seeing wisdom.

Or perhaps both apply?

The night was like ink, the starry sky dotted.

Li He, clad in a Dao robe, stood alone atop a high building, gazing at the darkness below the city wall, his eyes flashing with an unknown light.

He well knew Long Jun Zuo's tactics were formidable, his martial arts strong, and he also commanded Dao Soldiers - Great Yong Dragon Sparrow.

If they truly clashed head-on, the Vassal King's great army would likely be pressed to the ground and rubbed.

Thus, we cannot meet force with force; we must rely on strategy.

The night was deep, the moon hung mid‑sky, silver light poured down like water, covering the manor's bluestone paths.

Li He, wearing a green Dao robe, walked lightly through the corridor to the study's door.

He gently knocked; the door opened, revealing Shang Guanlie's deep, expectant face.

Yun Yi, coming to see me this late—do you have any clever plan?

Shang Guanlie's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Li He smiled faintly, stepped into the study, and casually closed the door.

Inside the study, lights blazed; military maps hung on the walls, battle reports and strategy books lay scattered on the desk.

My lord, as Long Jun Zuo retreats to Wenzhou, this is an excellent opportunity for us to set our plans.

He looked around, then began to speak slowly.

Shang Guanlie heard this, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes, signaling Li He to continue.

First, we can employ the 'Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao' stratagem.

As Long Jun Zuo withdraws, he will surely rush to reinforce; we can send light cavalry to circle behind, feign an attack on his rear, forcing him to divert troops to assist.

Thus, we can both disperse his forces and slow his retreat to Wenzhou.

Li He walked to the map, pointing at the terrain around Wenzhou Prefecture City.

This plan is feasible, but we must ensure our light cavalry can withdraw swiftly to avoid being encircled by the enemy.

However, our Jingzhou Army now has the War God Gu Yun; even if we cannot win head‑on,

self‑preservation is more than enough.

Shang Guanlie nodded, thought, and added,

My lord, rest assured, I have made all arrangements.

General Lü Gu Yun knows what to do.

Li He smiled faintly, continuing, 'Next, we can use the 'Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain' stratagem.'

When Long Jun Zuo reaches Wenzhou Prefecture City, he will surely be exhausted.

We can send out several envoys of the vassal kings, pretending to seek peace, to lure them into lowering their guard.

Shangguan Lie's eyes lit up.

Feasible!

It can both exhaust the enemy's strength and create opportunities for our subsequent attack.

Originally, in this makeshift alliance of vassal kings, each harbors ulterior motives.

Under these circumstances, due to various conflicting reasons,

Having a few cowardly traitors who cling to life and fear death is quite normal.

"Not only that, we can also cut off his grain supplies and reinforcements while Long Junzuo is holed up in Wen Prefecture's capital."

"This would both weaken his combat strength and force him to engage us in open battle outside the prefectural capital."

Li He continued speaking.

As for whose army will be fighting Long Junzuo in Wen Prefecture's capital later,

Who knows!

As long as it's not from Jing Prefecture, it's fine!

"This"

"Sir, your plans are brilliant! Cutting off Long Junzuo's grain and reinforcements leaves him like a turtle in a jar, unable to escape even with wings!"

"In that case, it's a great opportunity for those vassal kings to attack!"

Shangguan Lie stared for a moment, then, in perfect accord, said.

"However, to ensure absolute safety, we still need a stratagem called 'Blossoms on the Tree'."

Li He shifted the conversation.

He pointed to the area around Wen Prefecture's capital on the map and said, "We can set up decoy troops here, make a show of strength, and let Long Junzuo mistakenly believe that large reinforcements are coming our way. This will both deter the enemy and force him to split his forces to defend."

"Sir, this plan is excellent! It can both confuse the enemy and create favorable conditions for our subsequent attack."

Shangguan Lie nodded in praise.

The moonlight was like water, and the lamplight in the study cast the two men's deep silhouettes.

Their voices were low and powerful, as if they could penetrate the dust of history and echo in the night sky.

"What should we do next?"

Shangguan Lie gazed at Li He with bright eyes, anticipating his next plan.

"My lord, the way of war is to attack the heart first. Next, we can employ the strategy of 'strike when unprepared, appear unexpectedly'."

Li He pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Shangguan Lie asked curiously.

"Long Junzuo has suffered repeated defeats; he must be feeling fearful. We can take advantage of his unsettled mind to launch a sudden fierce attack, catching him off guard."

Li He explained, "At the same time, we can spread rumors to undermine his morale, causing internal chaos and achieving victory without battle."

After hearing this, Shangguan Lie nodded in approval: "This plan is excellent! It can inflict a heavy blow on Long Junzuo while avoiding excessive losses on our side."

(End of chapter)