Chapter 1064: All-Out Firepower

Feng Linchuan was indeed stimulated, and the stimulation was not small.

Otherwise, that kid couldn't have done something like this.

Over forty thousand people captured just over a thousand; this number, the disparity is really too huge.

Chen Wuji smiled and said, "Mr. Xu, just look at Xie Fengxian's reaction to know what's going on; these two people encountered something of the same kind, but if we really compare, Xie Fengxian is actually a bit worse off."

"I understand, it's indeed not their fault." Xu Zengyi shook his head and said, "Our understanding of the Uyghurs is insufficient; suffering these two dark losses is somewhat unjust; these soldiers didn't die on the battlefield, but instead perished in…… alas."

Chen Wuji's mood also suddenly became not so pleasant: "Xie Fengxian suffered some misfortune; on Feng Linchuan's side it's still okay—his Sima is cautious, kept an eye out, and wasn't hit. Fortunately he kept that eye, and Feng Linchuan and Cao Mu are more receptive to advice; otherwise our army might lose tens of thousands of troops, those civilians aren't secretly stabbing with knives but directly using poison."

Xu Zengyi drew a soft breath, "Really a fortune in misfortune; I recall Feng Linchuan's army's Sima is called Shang Lu, right?"

"It's him!" Chen Wuji said.

"He's from Hezhou, a very studious young man; in two years he rose from an ordinary soldier to this position; if he can keep this momentum, he will surely become a great talent."

"I remember now, the lord specially picked Feng Linchuan's partner!" Xu Zengyi said.

Feng Linchuan emerged from the ranks of ordinary soldiers by relying on his formidable military merit; Chen Wuji casually paired him with a similar partner, preferring such fresh combinations full of infinite possibilities and hope.

"My lord, Shang Lu actually lacks a master now; if a master guided him, he could surely advance further." Xu Zengyi said with a hint of a smile, implying something.

Chen Wuji pointed at Xu Zengyi and said, "Mr., saying this, you seem moved; I won't interfere—if you have free time, take him on. This kid is eager to learn and has relentless drive; he's indeed a fine disciple."

Chen Wuji thought Xu Zengyi was moved, but didn't expect him to shake his head: "I do feel some inclination, but I'm truly stretched thin these days—no free time to take on a disciple; I mean, Lord Lu San could take this disciple in."

"Third Master?"

"My lord, don't underestimate the Third Master's abilities; his skills are profound, he's just old and mature, so he speaks little."

Chen Wuji laughed heartily, "Hey, don't slander me—I've never looked down on the Third Master's abilities; these few elders are the treasures of my Nan Jun prefecture!"

"……"

"When I have time, I'll talk to the Third Master to see if he's willing to take on a closed-door disciple and mentor him."

"I'll do the talking; I have several reasons the Third Master can't refuse, so he should agree."

"Then you go! It's a perfect chance to make that kid Shang Lu owe you a favor; if I went, he'd probably think it's just his due."

"Yes, but forget the favor—I've never cared about such things."

"Shang Lu, the herb that reduces swelling, promotes urination and defecation, and detoxifies and dissolves stagnation—if not processed, it's deadly poison. I don't know whether this kid is toxic or not, whether processing is needed to become a good medicine!" Chen Wuji suddenly laughed and sighed, suddenly realizing that in this world there are truly no misnomers.

Xu Zengyi said, "Here with the lord, he is already a good medicine."

……

Xu Zengyi, Chen Li, Chu Xiu, Guo Shuhan, and Zhao Chen spent three days drafting a troop deployment map, which detailed where each unit should go first after the armies split, and where afterward.

They pooled their wisdom, even offering several suitable sites for stationing troops and countermeasures for various possible scenarios for the army commanders as reference.

The content was comprehensive, encompassing marching routes, troop stations, ambushes, and a dozen or so corresponding tactics.

This was the first collective effort of Chen Wuji's think tank, from upright and peaceful yang strategies to sideways yin plots, even to underhanded tricks; everything they could think of was attached to it.

On the day the troop deployment map was completed, Chen Wuji sent over a hundred cavalry from the Jinwei Ying, divided into seven teams to urgently deliver the map to each army's front, handing it to the commanders.

The war having reached this point, Chen Wuji can be said to be going all-out.

The seven armies, seemingly chaotic in form, each rushed toward their objectives; only Chen Wuji remains relatively idle at present.

He led the central army, still following the original plan, slowly marching toward the Uyghur southern fortified city of Guihua City, as if completely unaffected by the other routes.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye several days passed.

The seven armies fighting separately; this time, Chen Ruoshui's guilty army was the first to send a battle report.

He led his forces to storm a Uyghur army pass on the outskirts of Modu Shan; with no reinforcements, he held it for seven days, slaying over three thousand enemies, then led his troops to break out and return to their original route.

When this battle report arrived, Chen Wuji had just reached the northern edge of Modu Shan, where he was stationing his troops to observe.

"This female maniac!"

Chen Wuji finished reading the battle report, then threw Chen Ruoshui's memorial onto the opposite table.

There sat a full crowd—Xu Zengyi, Guo Shuhan, Chu Xiu, and others, none missing—they were using intelligence from the spy camp and scouts to estimate the Uyghur army's troop deployment around Modu Shan.

Xu Zengyi finished reading the memorial, then passed it to others, saying, "Ruoshui must have been driven to desperation!"

"What does she have to be desperate about?" Chen Wuji frowned, puzzled.

"Nobody's forcing her to do anything; what does she have to be desperate about?"

Xu Zengyi chuckled lightly, "My lord truly doesn't know the thoughts of these officers below?"

"Do they have other thoughts?"

Chen Wuji truly isn't clear on this matter; not only does he not know, he hasn't even thought about it.

"It's not other thoughts either; it's just that they're competing fiercely now, each full of drive. Otherwise, why would the lord have Lu Ji stationed to guard Yǐnmǎchuān, that kid loitering outside the lord's tent every day!" Xu Zengyi laughed.

"Under the lord's command, the officers can now be called shining stars; but since ancient times there's been no first in literature, no second in martial prowess—among these people, who would be willing to play second fiddle as a good-natured gentleman?"

"Lately, the lord has incorporated designation numbers into military merit evaluations; the rivers and lakes crowd has also taken extra interest in the lord's generals, coming up with several strength rankings—these generals' eyes are practically turning red."

Chen Wuji's interest sparked at once: "There's still this thing in the rivers and lakes? How come I didn't know?"

Xu Zengyi pointed at Chen Wuji's desk, saying, "My lord, it's right there underneath."

Chen Wuji slapped his forehead, "I remember now—the spy camp sent those a few days ago; I've been swamped today, no time to look at those things; since you brought it up, sir, please explain."