Chapter 579: with translation of chapter title

What exactly happened, I, a lowly officer, didn't dare ask further, but these words were spoken personally by Chen Wuji, so they must be correct. Tang Yu took the winnowing basket from Yang Yu's hand and poured the grain inside into a sack.

Yang Yu brushed off the dust and debris on his body, "I originally thought this battle wouldn't be difficult, but I didn't expect him to finish it so quickly, just a few days."

"Such a short time isn't enough for us to gather military intelligence, yet Chen Wuji has already won the battle. Lu Ping'an led out over ten thousand troops, which counts as a sizable force, yet he suffered a crushing defeat in just a few days—I really want to call this man a good-for-nothing."

Tang Yu laughed, "Strategist, why get angry? Lu Ping'an's surrender is hardly a bad thing for us, is it?"

"It can hardly be considered a good thing." Yang Yu rose and walked slowly forward.

Directly in front of the granary lay piles of hay, as high as a mountain, prepared for the livestock, and it also served as a chicken coop.

The chickens that Yang Yu specially ordered people to raise laid eggs very diligently; basically one or two baskets could be gathered each day, which were taken to make soup for the soldiers to improve their rations.

The slow-paced Yang Yu held a basket, rummaging through the haystack for eggs, while saying, "Chen Wuji shows his sharpness, eager to advance; this person poses a greater threat than Lu Ping'an."

"When I was in Hezhou, I had specifically asked Chen Wuji if I could see his camp, but I was harshly refused. However, I observed his personal guard and the soldiers defending the city walls; their military might far surpasses ours, and there is one frightening thing: his subordinates are excessively loyal."

"Strategist, are you perhaps inflating Chen Wuji's arrogance a bit?" Tang Yu, following behind Yang Yu's backside, also picked up an egg and asked somewhat unwillingly.

Yang Yu shook his head, "When you mention me in front of your subordinates, what is their reaction?"

"Respect, admiration!"

"Those are two decent words, but do you know what reaction I got when I mentioned Chen Wuji in front of the Hezhou troops?" Yang Yu paused, then sighed softly, "It was frenzy, a frenzy so intense they would gladly sacrifice their own lives!"

"During that period I was puzzled—what exactly did Chen Wuji do to make ordinary soldiers trust him to such an extent? Later I inquired from various sources, and then I felt it was understandable."

Tang Yu asked curiously, "What did Chen Wuji do?"

"Generous military pay, extremely high rewards, pensions for the fallen, the government office taking care of soldiers' families, and so on—Chen Wuji did nearly everything to the utmost for the Hezhou troops." Yang Yu said.

"Chen Wuji also likes to eat and lodge with the soldiers, and when idle he writes letters home for them in the camp. If a family encounters difficulties, he even dips into his own private funds to advance money to the soldiers; he has done so many things that I can't even explain them in a few words."

Yang Yu turned his head to look at Tang Yu, "You say, what would such a person do after occupying Nan Jun?" We would be standing in front of Nan Jun, like a bothersome stumbling block.

"The Strategist's concerns are indeed reasonable, but aside from our two commanderies, the rest of Lingnan Six Commanderies is occupied by the Qiang people. Chen Wuji could completely strike westward and recover the territories of our Great Yu." Tang Yu said.

Yang Yu shifted the half-full basket backward, then sat directly on the haystack, "Tang Yu, I've said a lot, but you still don't understand what I'm really saying."

"Chen Wuji follows the way of kings and hegemons; in Hezhou he governs his subordinates entirely with imperial arts! The present emperor favors nefarious ghost‑swamp tricks, doing only things that cannot see the light of day, but Chen Wuji… the orphan of the Chen clan, rising from humble mountain wilds, practices only the grand and upright way of kings and hegemons."

"Those imperial arts, if seen by those retired imperial tutors, would surely earn them praise. Such a person—how could I not be on guard? I dare not let my guard down!"

Tang Yu fell silent.

"What king‑hegemon way, what imperial arts—he doesn't understand."

"But he always felt that his own Strategist was perhaps exaggerating a bit."

"Just these words, he didn't dare say them to his face, so he could only mutter them quietly in his heart."

Yang Yu patted the spot beside him, gesturing for Tang Yu to sit, "This is why I insisted on placing you in Hongde City—Chen Wuji has swallowed Lu Ping'an's force of over ten thousand troops, his strength has grown again, and from now on your pressure will surely be great; you must bear it."

Tang Yu's expression shifted, "Please rest assured, my lord—as long as I, Tang Yu, am alive, Hongde City will not become Chen Wuji's city; he cannot take it!"

"No, bear it when you can, and don't stubbornly hold on when you can't." Yang Yu waved his hand, "This world isn't worth us fighting to the death right now; future matters will have to be taken step by step."

He gave a bitter smile, "Perhaps… forget it, this isn't appropriate to say to you for now."

The conversation shifted, and Yang Yu asked, "Wenkou Town has no battle to fight—does Chen Wuji have anything to say?"

"Indeed, he wants our army to attack Guangtongzhou and Yushan Prefecture!" Tang Yu said, "I didn't dare agree privately, made an excuse to request instructions from the superior, and hurried back here."

"He is already eager to recover all of Nan Jun; we ought to help with this busywork and not go back on our word." Yang Yu said, "I shamelessly asked for a favor, and now that they have finished fighting, we would just pat our backsides and leave—totally improper."

"Yushan Prefecture, Guangtongzhou… Yushan is actually just an empty shell now, so it's not hard to take; with only over a thousand Qiang people and a disordered provincial troop, laying siege for a few days will surely yield a result."

"But Guangtongzhou might be a tough nut to crack, for its mountain‑built city is naturally easy to defend and hard to attack; I've heard that Shi Dao, relying on Lu Ping'an, has managed to recruit quite a few troops."

Tang Yu's ear twitched, "My lord's meaning is, have us attack Yushan Prefecture?"

"What kind of ears do you have—don't just hear half of what's said!" Yang Yu rebuked, "Both Guangtong and Yushan need to be attacked; I was just speaking offhand, as for how exactly to fight this battle, you should follow Chen Wuji's military orders."

Tang Yu gave an embarrassed chuckle, "Listen, listen to him. I'm just worried that this kid will treat us as cannon fodder, deliberately wearing us down."

"Not at all!" Yang Yu laughed and waved his hand.

"Put that little thought of yours away, and whatever you do, don't let Chen Wuji see through it. I've wandered the officialdom for many years, and I ask myself that in judging people I won't make any mistake."

"If I'm not mistaken, Chen Wuji will not only not treat our soldiers as cannon fodder, but your trip might actually gain you some benefits. However, be content with what you get—don't be greedy."

"Furthermore, we could consider sending the Buddha westward—if Chen Wuji, after taking these two prefectures, still has other plans, we could lend a hand. But we must see his sincerity and attitude."

"This person must be strictly guarded against, but in this matter it's unnecessary—don't forget that we are now allies, back‑to‑back, with our fists clenched together."