Chapter 378

Gentlemen, the imperial army now presses upon our borders; though our Yellow Turban Army is brave, we still need a fierce general to lead our troops against the enemy.

I intend to recommend General Weichi Wudi; his martial skill is superb, and he will surely lead our army to a great victory.

Seeing so many people feigning death when it came time to exert effort, Meng Zhang's voice, like a great bell, broke the silence within the tent.

Hmph!

Commander Meng, could it be that you intend to use this opportunity to weaken our strength in the army, so that you alone may dominate?

Before his words had finished, a man clad in black robes, with a sinister visage, spoke in a cold voice.

He is the representative of one of the behind-the-scenes black hands, the 'Shadow Pavilion'.

His words revealed deep hostility; evidently he was dissatisfied with Meng Zhang's proposal to recommend General Weichi Wudi.

Your Excellency, your words are mistaken. I act solely for the public good; how could I have selfish motives?

General Weichi Wudi's martial prowess is evident to all; if he were to fight, for our Yellow Turban Army it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

Meng Zhang smiled faintly, his composure unperturbed.

Commander Meng's words are reasonable, but General Weichi is indeed brave, yet the Ox Demon in our army is no ordinary fellow.

I wonder why Commander Meng does not recommend the Ox Demon for battle?

Another representative, clad in white that surpasses snow, ethereal and unworldly, the young master of the Cloud Mist Sect, spoke.

A glint flashed in Meng Zhang's eyes; he knew these behind-the-scenes black hands were coveting his Ox Demon King under his command.

Gentlemen, this skirmish with the imperial great army is truly a matter of life and death for our Yellow Turban Army; how could I treat it as a game?

As for why I do not recommend the Ox Demon for battle, there are difficulties that are hard to speak of.

Faced with the gazes of the crowd, Meng Zhang remained calm and unhurried; he gently stroked his long beard, his voice deep and steady yet powerful.

In today's minor skirmish between our army and the enemy, the Ox Demon's offspring, the Red Boy, fought bravely but has unfortunately suffered grave injuries, nearly losing his life.

The Ox Demon, loving his son dearly, is grief-stricken to the point of despair; his condition is now extremely poor, making him unfit for battle.

He paused, then continued speaking.

Upon these words, everyone fell silent.

They naturally knew the Red Boy's status in the Yellow Turban Army, and understood the deep father-son bond between the Ox Demon and the Red Boy.

Meng Zhang's words also constitute a reasonable explanation.

Commander Meng, is this true? The Red Boy's grave injury and near death—why have we not heard of it?

However, the representative of the Shadow Pavilion, Mo Han, gave a cold laugh and questioned.

Brother Mo Han, this is absolutely true. After the Red Boy was injured, I have continually ordered people to treat him secretly, fearing it would affect army morale.

If you do not believe me, you may go investigate.

Meng Zhang's brows furrowed slightly, yet he remained composed.

Therefore, the Ox Demon is indeed a major asset of our army. However, facing this imperial great army, which is no trifling matter, I believe General Weichi is more suited to assume command of this operation.

Of course, if you have better candidates, please feel free to propose them for joint discussion.

Meng Zhang paused, then continued speaking.

At this moment, a green-clad lady rose gracefully; she is the emissary of the Azure Wave Pool, Lv Qi.

Commander Meng, I have a remark I do not know whether I should speak.

Her voice was soft and melodious, like an oriole's song.

Miss Lv Qi, please speak freely.

Meng Zhang nodded in assent.

I believe that whether it be General Weichi or the Ox Demon, both are rare fierce generals. Yet this battle concerns the grand plan of our Yellow Turban Army; the selection of a commander must be undertaken with utmost caution.

I do not know whether Commander Meng already has a flawless plan.

Lv Qi's words were earnest, her gaze revealing trust and anticipation toward Meng Zhang.

Meng Zhang secretly praised Lv Qi's wit and tact; her remarks both expressed concern for the war situation and subtly probed his plan.

I indeed have confidence, but I require your wholehearted assistance to succeed.

He took a deep breath, then spoke solemnly.

Upon these words, the tent fell instantly silent as the grave, and all eyes focused on Meng Zhang.

The Cangzhou great army this time comes with mighty force, but we are not wholly unprepared; I have already reached an agreement with several generals of the Great Qian troops stationed in the rear of the Cangzhou great army.

He will lead troops to sneak-attack the enemy's main camp from the rear, while we set an ambush here; when the enemy falls into chaos, we will strike in one fell swoop and surely win a great victory.

Meng Zhang looked around at everyone, then continued speaking.

Commander Meng, you scheme well! But just who are these several generals of the Great Qian army? Why have we never seen them before?

If he betrays trust and abandons righteousness, would we not be attacked from both front and rear?

Mo Han, hearing this, gave a cold laugh.

Brother Mo Han, you worry too much. These generals are all outstanding heroes of the present age, with sterling reputations. Having already agreed to join forces with us, they will certainly not betray trust or abandon righteousness.

Moreover, the key to this operation lies in whether we can unite as one and jointly resist the enemy. If you still harbor doubts, I, Meng, will not insist.

Meng Zhang's expression remained unchanged, and he said, 'You talk too much, you damn bastard!'

When the fight starts later, I'll chop you first!

What Commander Meng said is quite right. At this moment, we should set aside our prejudices and jointly resist the enemy; we are willing to give full support to Commander Meng's plan.

A man in splendid robes rose to his feet and bowed with clasped hands.

The Azure Wave Pool likewise supports Commander Meng's plan. May our Yellow Turban Army, after this battle, rise to even greater heights.

Lv Qi also nodded in agreement,

Following the declarations of that splendidly robed man and Lv Qi and others, the other representatives likewise expressed their support for Meng Zhang's plan.

Seeing this, Mo Han said no more, merely a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.

Meng Zhang secretly let out a breath of relief, then drank and discussed with the others.

After three rounds of wine, Meng Zhang made an excuse to leave his seat, leaving the others to continue drinking and making merry inside the tent.

Although the talks appeared harmonious on the surface, underneath there were surging undercurrents.

However, this was exactly the result he wanted.

Only by letting these people check and fight each other could he securely hold the Fishing Terrace and command the fate of the entire Yellow Turban Army.

As night deepened, the lights within the Yellow Turban linked camps gradually went out.

Yet in that darkness, countless eyes watched everything around, awaiting the coming storm.

Meanwhile, Meng Zhang stood outside the tent, gazing at the starry sky, already having a plan in mind.

This game has only just begun…

The moon hung high, stars scattered, the night was deep, yet inside the Cangzhou Army's main camp the lights remained bright.

At the same time, in the distant Cangzhou Army, Su Ye also closely monitored the movements of the Yellow Turban Army.

His intelligence network had already taken in everything inside the Yellow Turban linked camps.

In the main tent, Su Ye sat alone before the desk, his gaze like torches, playing with two letters in his hand, his thoughts flashing like lightning.

One, with elegant handwriting, came from the opposite side's Yellow Turban Chief Commander, Meng Zhang.

Meng Zhang frankly said that he had already placed several general‑level insiders in the rear of the Cangzhou Great Army and even within the Great Qian Army.

But surprisingly, these commanders were not secretly turned by him.

Rather, they had defected of their own accord, intending to lend the Yellow Turban Army a hand, to capture Lu Zhou and point straight at Qian Zhou.

Such news was, to Su Ye, like a thunderclap that shook his mind and spirit.

(End of chapter)