Chapter 1017

"One day and night of rushing over two hundred li, we have figured out the enemy's three military camps; your Xùhòu yíng has truly achieved great merit this time." Chen Wuji praised loudly, "Let me speak bluntly: looking across all of Da Yu, I doubt any unit's scout could reach your level."

"A few days ago, several generals mentioned the matter of Designation Number to me, and I agreed."

"Designation Number will become the convention for rewarding merit in our army from now on, but there is a precondition: merit! Here, everything depends on merit! Whether it's a company and a garrison, or a camp and a unit, as long as the merit is sufficient, we will grant a Designation Number."

"Your Xùhòu yíng has achieved enormous merit this time; I can now tell you that you have already secured half a Designation Number."

"Chen Li and the others' expressions instantly became excited, their eyes lighting up at once."

"Designation Number, put simply, is just the name of a unit."

"But this name holds a deadly attraction for both officers and ordinary soldiers."

"Chen Wuji has not yet publicly announced the substantive benefits of obtaining a Designation Number; in fact, the entire army up and down does not really know the hidden welfare and high treatment behind the Designation Number, yet they cannot resist the allure of those two words."

"The Xùhòu yíng is no exception!"

"Actually, the soldiers below have already discussed this many times with Chen Li."

"But Chen Li has always believed that they belong to the Central Army, and the entire Central Army consists of the emperor's personal troops; this status is already enough, making it impossible to receive a Designation Number, so he used this as an excuse to suppress the soldiers' calls."

"He himself never imagined that they also had the right to contend for a Designation Number."

"\"My lord, if our Xùhòu yíng obtains this Designation Number, can we choose our own name? \" Chen Li asked eagerly."

"Chen Wuji's bowl of chicken soup was so thick and rich, as if simmered from a thousand-year-old turtle and ten-thousand-year-old ginseng, making Chen Li instantly feel no fatigue, his blood boiling with vigor."

"Chen Wuji nodded, \"Yes, but you must first submit it to me; if it's roughly acceptable, I can use yours. It's impossible for you to pick something like a ground‑drilling rat or a sky‑climbing monkey, and I still agreed to let you have it. \""

"The few members of the Xùhòu yíng all laughed."

"The spiritual reward indeed seemed to have some effect; the spirits of several people visibly improved greatly."

"At this moment, warm salt water was brought over."

"Chen Wuji had Chen Li and the others drink first, then he turned to Kong Fang and said, \"What you just said—did you hear it all? What are your thoughts now? Do you still want to stick with your plan? \""

"Kong Fang's gaze blanked for a moment, then he nodded heavily, \"My lord, I like to challenge tasks that seem impossible; in a lifetime, one shouldn't always do things that are achievable with just a little effort. \""

"\"However, due to some changes in the situation, I have a humble request to ask for your permission, my lord. \""

"\"Speak! \" Chen Wuji said."

"This kid Kong Fang is incredibly stubborn, and he also has an inexplicable confidence."

"But Chen Wuji is now a little reluctant to take the gamble."

"Three forts, possibly each hiding a hundred thousand troops, have seen their patrol outposts expand to a radius of twenty li."

"This is essentially a dragon's pool and tiger's den."

"Even if Kong Fang is highly capable, throwing a thousand people into a place garrisoned by three hundred thousand troops, if they fail, they might not even make a splash."

"A force of three hundred thousand may perhaps be the Uyghur's nationwide showdown after enduring nearly a century of concealment."

"If that is indeed the case, their chosen vanguard must be the nation's finest elite."

"\"I would like to request another two thousand warhorses! \" Kong Fang said."

"\"Although I am confident in my plan, the enemy forces are too dense; a slight mistake could lead to discovery, so I need to move a bit faster—one person with three horses can ensure safety. \""

"Chen Wuji stared at Kong Fang for a long while without speaking."

"\"Think it over again; I'll give you one day to consider. \" Chen Wuji said in a low voice, \"The Uyghurs have been playing the grandson for nearly a century; suddenly they pull this off silently—what strength will they reveal, and what purpose drives them? \""

"\"My lord, I have already... \" Kong Fang almost blurted out, but seeing Chen Wuji's gaze, he swallowed the rest of his words, nodded, and said, \"I will reconsider. \""

"\"Just think it over. \""

"\"Yes! \""

"Chen Wuji turned and sat down, his brows locked tight enough to pinch a few flies, \"The battlefield has undergone an unexpected major change; I intend to keep the main force at Xinglin Zhen temporarily still, to confuse the enemy and also respond to any possible developments in Yan Zhou, and I will summon Yang Pojun's troops to move north. \""

"Even if Chen Wuji were more confident, the Uyghur People's deployment of such a number of units means he dare not pit his mere thirty‑thousand central troops against them head‑on; he must mobilize reinforcements."

"The main Bīngmǎ of Nan Jun cannot be moved; the situation in the prefecture has just stabilized, and troops must be stationed to hold it."

"At present, the only forces that can be drawn are Yang Pojun's troops and the righteous army still garrisoned in the land of Insidious Poison."

"The current situation has reached the point where pulling a single hair moves the whole body; any adjustment of forces on either side will affect the overall battlefield, so we must proceed with utmost caution."

"After a brief contemplation, Chen Wuji feels that the only force currently able to move is Yang Pojun's troops."

"Once the righteous army moves, the Insidious Poison region and that old fellow Yang Yu will surely act as well."

"His alliance with Yang Yu is like a couple who each harbor different thoughts and are already on the brink of breaking up; they can agree on some matters, but as soon as they touch a point of disagreement, they will surely say they're splitting up and actually split."

"For the land won at great expenditure of effort, if there is still room for maneuver, Chen Wuji does not want to simply hand it over."

"The expressions of everyone in the tent are somewhat solemn."

"\"My lord, we still need more detailed intelligence; merely knowing about the three enemy camps is rather crude. \" Kong Fang said, and then added, \"My words are not for my own plan; the fact is, we truly need more detailed intelligence in order to decide the next step of our strategy. \""

"Chen Wuji waved his hand, \"Don't rush to explain; I already have this figured out. \""

"\"Yes! \""

"Chen Li gulped down the warm salt water in the porcelain bowl, wiped his mouth vigorously, and sprang to his feet, \"My lord, I'll take the brothers out again; this time I'll definitely find out exactly how many pups are hidden in those few dog dens! \""

"\"You kids should rest a while; I'm going with the boss! \" Lu San Ye's voice echoed from the corner; this old man had been shrouded in smoke and mist for a while, but everyone subconsciously overlooked his presence."

"If he hadn't spoken up voluntarily, nobody would have realized that this Old Master was also present in the tent."

"Chen Wuji fell into contemplation for a moment, then raised his hand and said, \"Let's not rush to decide how to fight them; first we must look at ourselves. The acquisition of intelligence can wait until the enemy moves—if they stay still, the information we obtain will always be delayed. \""

"\"This time, our forces cannot launch an offensive; we can only meet the enemy passively. \""

"Kong Fang advised, \"My lord, if we keep our troops still and merely observe the changes, Luoying Camp is not a suitable defensive position; once the enemy blocks the north and south, our army will be like fish in a jar. \""