Chapter 582: then translation of title

Xu Zengyi spoke with a hint of emotion: "My lord just said I took Guangyuan Prefecture with one hand, but saying that about me is somewhat exaggerated; after all, Guangyuan Prefecture, I won it in the chaos."

Yang Yucai can truly be said to have taken San Guan Jun with one hand, and the time was only a short half year. The situation inside San Guan Jun is no less than the chaos in Guangyuan Prefecture, and outside there are Qiang People running rampant, making the war so complex and harsh that there is hardly any chance of victory.

But in such a situation, Yang Yucai entered San Guan Pass alone on horseback, not only succeeding but doing so brilliantly—internally stabilizing troop and civilian morale, externally driving out the Qiang People, winning successive great victories!

Chen Wuji nodded: "You two are both awesome; you can't not be convinced!"

"My lord, they are the truly formidable ones." Xu Zengyi, regarding Chen Wuji lumping him together with Yang Yucai for comparison, is not that approving.

Getting back to the previous topic, my lord doesn't even put Lu Ping'an in his eyes much; how could Yang Yucai possibly, out of fear of his attack, move his top fierce general from the front line against the Qiang People to Hongde City?

Tang Yu's only purpose in Hongde City is to guard against my lord, or to attack my lord!

Chen Wuji let out a light hiss, then said: "Talking with you people really requires mustering up twelve points of spirit. Yang Yucai once said that himself, but I didn't think deeply about it at the time, just took it as polite talk."

After all that fuss, he actually really is guarding against me—this big shot is giving me too much face? Do I have that kind of weight?

Xu Zengyi remained silent for a moment.

My lord now commands nearly seventy thousand troops; in these Lingnan Six Commanderies, his weight should be among the top few. However, since Yang Yucai himself said these things, my lord need not temporarily worry that he will take the initiative to attack. He has laid his words out in the open; at the very least, he bears no great ill will toward my lord.

"Wait!" Chen Wuji instantly became alert: "Where did these seventy thousand troops come from?"

I brought six thousand troops from Guangyuan Prefecture, plus Lu Ping'an's surrendered forces; if I haven't miscalculated, the total strength seems to be about seventy thousand." Xu Zengyi said.

Chen Wuji stared, stunned: "Finished, I feel like I'm already seeing myself selling myself to support the troops—seventy thousand troops… how can I feed them? The stored grain and money now can't even last half a year."

Recently this troop-expansion speed is just whoosh, out of nowhere adding tens of thousands.

At this speed, Chen Wuji genuinely feels a bit panicked.

Xu Zengyi laughed: "Once we take Qingzhou, my lord's worries should ease a little."

"But troop numbers definitely still need to increase!" Chen Wuji felt a wave of baldness.

Grand plans and hegemony are quite alluring, but the concrete matters are also quite wearisome.

Their conversation stopped abruptly because of footsteps outside the tent.

Commander, Colonel Tang has arrived!

Chen Li brought Tang Yu to appear at the entrance of the Big Tent.

"Please come in quickly!" Chen Wuji said enthusiastically.

Tang Yu walked in, clasped his hands toward Chen Wuji, and said, "Greetings, General Chen."

"Don't be so polite; I don't know how Marquis Yang Jinglve replied?" He asked immediately.

Tang Yu replied: "My lord says he will surely exert all efforts to assist the general. This time I have come bringing three thousand Bīngmǎ; the remaining over five thousand Bīngmǎ are on their way and should arrive within about two days."

To avoid arousing the general's suspicion, I have stationed my troops fifteen li south of Wenkou Town; if the general has other arrangements, my troops can move at any time to await the general's orders.

I have left an idle Daying in Wenkou Town for you, Colonel Tang, to temporarily station!" Chen Wuji sighed: "Marquis Yang Jinglve is indeed magnanimous; he can trust me this much, and I cannot let down his goodwill. In that case, Colonel Tang will rest for a day, then at dawn the day after tomorrow pull out the troops to Guangtongzhou."

Here!

Chen Wuji chuckled and asked: "I don't know if Marquis Yang Jinglve has any other instructions?"

Tang Yu shook his head: "Nothing else; my lord only instructed one thing—everything is to await the general's dispatch."

"Marquis Yang Jinglve is indeed straightforward." Chen Wuji sighed again: "In that case, Colonel Tang may first bring the Bīngmǎ over, then come here in the evening; I will set up a banquet to welcome the colonel."

"Thank you, General, for your kindness!" Tang Yu clasped his fists.

The conversation ended quickly, after just a few words.

Tang Yu came in haste and left in haste once again.

Just as he stepped out, Chen Wuji's smile instantly faded: "Old Xu, how should we attack Guangtongzhou, how should we allocate the troops—from now on I'll need your labor."

My lord should find taking Guangtongzhou quite easy; it seems I won't need to labor at all." Xu Zengyi laughed.

How so?

Xu Zengyi clearly knew the situation of Guangtongzhou as well, and immediately said: "The one responsible for guarding Guangtongzhou is the nephew of Lu Ping'an's wife, Lady Stone; this person is reckless and arrogant, looking down on everyone."

Such a person is best lured out; my lord should send a small force of Bīngmǎ as vanguard to insult and provoke under the city walls, which should be enough to draw him out for a big battle. Then, when the troops withdraw, he will surely pursue; if he does not pursue, it's also fine—return and continue mocking and taunting until we lure him into our prepared trap.

Chen Wuji asked with some doubt: "Can it really be that easy?"

If nothing unexpected happens, this battle can be fought this way." Xu Zengyi said: "If Shi Dao doesn't take the bait, we'll just use other methods; I happen to have some experience dealing with such people."

Seeing Xu Zengyi reveal that expression of having a pearl in his palm, his mocking skills maxed out, Chen Wuji's heart instantly settled—this battle is probably truly secure.

Old Xu usually looks like an utterly honest, honest-to-the-core honest person; even though he now holds a high position in Hezhou, his habitually simple attire means that, even when walking in the Government Office, many who don't know him still regard him as an insignificant person.

In a crowd he is even more transparent than transparent; hardly anyone notices him.

He rarely shows such an expression.

But once he shows this confidence to the point of even pulling out a mocking expression, Chen Wuji knows someone is surely going to suffer; whenever he has this expression, he certainly isn't lacking a single method—he has a whole bunch of them.

In the afternoon, Chen Wuji saw the six thousand troops that Xu Zengyi had brought from Guangyuan Prefecture, casually chatted with them to learn about their situation, then had a few drinks together with several lower-ranking officers to get acquainted.

But regarding how to place these personnel, Chen Wuji momentarily found himself at a loss.

Now each division's officers are almost at full strength, even overstaffed; assigning more people would again become the situation of Yang Tiejiang earlier, where a commander might end up with a bunch of Negotiation Colonels under him.

Chen Wuji couldn't come up with a good solution; following the principle that whoever raises a problem solves it, he casually tossed this difficulty back to Xu Zengyi.