Chapter 1092

Chen Wuyi's painful days finally ended.

The day of departure has arrived.

In the early morning, looking at the warhorses and fluttering military flags already prepared in the camp, Chen Wuyi almost burst into tears on the spot.

Finally, damn it, it's over.

Heaven knows how he got through these days.

No matter how brutal the battlefield, he never thought of retreating.

But these days, he suddenly wanted to retreat out of the blue, even wanting to dig a hole to bury himself so those few gentlemen couldn't dig him out.

Jia Yujing walked over from afar carrying a huge bundle, like a snail.

"General Wuyi, from now on, I'll rely on you!"

Chen Wuyi hurriedly dismounted, "Not at all, I still ask for your frequent guidance. The lord has already ordered that military affairs are mine, and all other matters are yours to decide. You need not stand on ceremony with me—just give orders as needed."

"Let's discuss and handle the lord's entrusted task well!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

……

In the camp, after the Jiugu drum sounded, Chen Wuji personally presided over the departure ceremony.

This is customary.

Reporting to heaven and earth, hoping for the army's triumphant return.

"My lord, victory or defeat hinges on this single move."

After the ceremony, Xu Zengyi followed Chen Wuji to the Zhongjun Camp, suddenly sighing.

Lately the weather has been fickle—sometimes hot as midsummer at noon, yet cold enough to freeze a person into ice at dawn and dusk. Xu Zengyi has dressed in three layers inside and three outside, plus a greatcoat, yet he still feels poorly resistant to the cold.

Chen Wuji nodded, "Man proposes, heaven disposes. I trust Wuyi and Jia Yujing won't disappoint me. If not for these damned Huihe, I wouldn't be so passive. This winter, I don't really want to wait."

Xu Zengyi seemed to have already guessed Chen Wuji's thoughts, he offered no advice, only saying: "The order to procure winter clothing was issued some days ago, but the reports from the prefectures are scarce. Nanyue and Nan Jun have mild winters and no habit of storing furs. Wanting to procure hundreds of thousands of winter sets in a short time won't be easy, my lord—please wait a bit longer."

"You mention this, and my intestines turn green again." Chen Wuji shook his head and sighed.

After conquering Qiang Land, their spoils were mostly cattle, sheep, and horses; the rest were furs.

But Chen Wuji thought these things were temporarily useless, so he exchanged them all for grain and funds.

Neither he nor his staff officers had imagined that, merely half a year later, they'd be worrying about this.

"Sir, I want to temporarily procure tens of thousands of winter sets, fighting while obtaining winter clothing and furs from the Huihe people—please consider if this is feasible." Chen Wuji asked, having pondered this for days, but always feeling uneasy.

Xu Zengyi lightly sighed, "My lord, haste makes waste."

"I'm not anxious, but want to leave myself a sufficient retreat." Chen Wuji shook his head, "Our main forces are now constrained by the Huihe. Whether Lingnan Six Commanderies erupt in chaos or Shangfang and Jiannan Commanderies encounter trouble, we may lack the strength to respond."

Xu Zengyi said: "Actually, under these circumstances, withdrawing troops to plan northern affairs is the best choice. But frankly, I also don't wish to abandon such a favorable Huihe situation, and finding such a good opportunity again would be difficult."

As they spoke, they entered the Zhongjun Camp.

Chen Wuji flipped the ox hooves roasting above the fire basin, brushed on another layer of fat, and sprinkled spices.

"My lord's skill—just smelling it makes one's appetite surge." Xu Zengyi praised.

These words are no exaggeration, coming straight from the heart.

Eating meat and drinking wine at noon already feels somewhat excessive.

If only eating meat without a drink, it would feel lacking against such hearty fare.

"It's all a skill honed by gluttony!" Chen Wuji laughed.

Last night, he suddenly thought of roasted lamb hooves and braised ox hooves, making him crave so much he couldn't sleep half the night.

After mentioning it to Qin Zhanhong and the other two, one person's craving became four people's.

As commander of the Three Armies, Chen Wuji's midnight craving was easily resolved, but since Marquis Chen cared for his subordinates, he didn't order anyone to prepare it. Four people craving idly spent half the night researching childbirth.

This morning, Chen Wuji immediately arranged this matter.

Both roasted and braised versions are available.

He not only ordered the Luggage and Supplies Camp, but also roasted some himself.

Xu Zengyi silently walked to the northeast corner of the big tent, pulled two jars of wine from a pile of documents, and held them in his arms.

"Sir still hasn't said whether my idea is feasible!" Chen Wuji urged.

Xu Zengyi lifted the folding bed, sat by the fire basin, and passed a jar of wine to Chen Wuji: "My lord, the feasibility of this matter lies not with our army, but with Li Qiming."

"If only our army…… Deputy Officer doesn't want to pour cold water on my lord, but the chance of success is extremely low, possibly wasting the lives of these tens of thousands of soldiers in vain."

"The Huihe haven't reached the point of truly injuring sinews and bones; our army has only slain the Left General's detachment and a small border force. They still have large numbers of elite troops, and the eastern border army firmly guards those three military forts."

"Once these tens of thousands of soldiers enter, they'll face being surrounded, pursued, and intercepted by the Huihe, and the worst part is, our army lacks winter clothing, meaning no reinforcements will come—they'll become a lone army like General Chen Wuyi."

"Worse still, Deputy Officer suspects the Huihe now know our army lacks winter clothing, so……"

Chen Wuyi continued Xu Zengyi's words: "So the Huihe will dispatch large numbers of soldiers to hunt our ten-thousand-strong army, to boost military and civilian morale."

"Exactly!"

"This battle ends here—unwilling to accept it, yet unable to fight. Truly, my intestines turn green!" Chen Wuji threw his head back and sighed, "This affair has made me look at these ox hooves and feel less appetite."

Xu Zengyi smiled, "My lord, if Li Qímíng is willing to cooperate, this method, though risky, can be attempted, though…… the odds of victory certainly won't be high."

"Pinning hopes on others? Better not—moreover, I still suspect this person." Chen Wuji waved his hand, refusing to risk tens of thousands of soldiers' lives on a lunatic.

It seems we can only rely on San Shu and Jiu Shu now.

If they can gather enough winter clothing in a short time, any idea can be considered.

If there's no winter clothing, we can only adapt to circumstances and respond flexibly.

After fighting this long, this is Chen Wuji's first time feeling so passive.

"My lord, have you forgotten Kong Fang?" Xu Zengyi suddenly asked.

Chen Wuji's eyelids snapped up, "In this matter, can Kong Fang still play a role?"

The intent he had just pressed down surged up again because of Xu Zengyi's words.