Chapter 587

Shi Dao was stunned.

"How could the people of San Guan Jun get tangled up with Chen Wuji? And even serve as their vanguard—does Yang Yu have something wrong with his head?"

The officer who had risen earlier said, "Commandant, I suspect that the Grand Strategist's swift defeat is due to this matter."

"Chen Wuji and Yang Yu secretly colluded, framing the Grand Strategist; otherwise, in an open and aboveboard battle, the Grand Strategist leading over ten thousand troops could not possibly have been defeated in just a few days."

The others all nodded in agreement.

Shi Dao rubbed his face hard and said, "Put that way… it actually makes sense."

"It's fine, Chen Wuji is formidable, but we're not made of mud! If he can take a bite out of Ningyuan City's walls, does he really think my two hundred thousand troops are just for show?"

Shi Dao's words were bold and lofty, yet the expressions of those present grew heavy.

"'Peng Jingxuan, go deliver the order—I want to convene the generals to discuss military affairs!' Shi Dao barked."

The officer who had risen earlier clasped his fists in acknowledgment and hurried out of the courtyard.

After he left, another scholar rose from the assembly, walked to Shi Dao's side, and whispered two sentences in his ear.

Shi Dao's expression shifted slightly; he rose and took the scholar to the East Wing Quiet Room.

"'Master Nan Li, what did you mean by that just now?' As soon as he entered the door, Shi Dao asked anxiously, a hint of anger in his voice."

Master Nan Li stroked his long beard and spoke earnestly: "My lord, it's not that I'm boosting others' morale while undermining our own; it's simply that Chen Wuji and Yang Yu are not easy opponents. To put it bluntly, their skills were honed on the battlefield, one blade and one spear at a time, and they have countless victories."

"However, the troops of Guangtong rarely see battle; in terms of soldierly strength, we lag behind them. Right now we don't even know exactly how many troops Chen Wuji has mobilized, but even if they only sent a vanguard, if we meet them head‑on our chances of victory would already be slim."

Shi Dao shouted angrily, "I see you, old man, just boosting others' morale while crushing our own—how could our troops not be strong? They've also endured countless big and small battles."

Master Nan Li remained silent, looking at Shi Dao with a helpless expression.

That gaze made Shi Dao uncomfortable; he suppressed his irritation and said, "Yes, our wars have been about bullying civilians, but at least they involve real blades and spears, bloody combat."

"'My lord, that's not the same.'"

"'Fine, I'll hear your plan first.' Shi Dao stopped being obstinate and said patiently."

Master Nan Li said, "My lord, you must quickly forge alliances and request reinforcements from other provinces."

Chen Wuji defeated the Grand Strategist and, riding the momentum of his great victory, has made it clear he intends to seize all of Nan Jun's provinces; we are merely the first. If they do not send troops to help us now, none of them will escape.

Shi Dao hesitated, "Those little grandsons of Nan Jun are all petty and miserly—would they be willing?"

"'You need to lay out the situation frankly to them, my lord; if the provinces can see the circumstances clearly, they will certainly not begrudge sending troops.' Master Nan Li said firmly."

"'Understood, I'll give it a try.' Shi Dao said."

"'But honestly, I still think you, old man, are boosting others' morale while undermining our own; we are defending the city, and even if Chen Wuji had thirty or fifty thousand troops, he might not be able to gnaw through Ningyuan City.'"

"'Besides, I still have two hundred thousand troops. Even setting aside combat effectiveness, that's a solid two hundred thousand soldiers; if I led them out of the city and let Chen Wuji hack at them standing there, he'd have to keep chopping for a while.'"

Master Nan Li shook his head. "My lord, this war isn't fought or calculated that way. You don't need to argue with me about this; let's look at it another way: if other provinces send troops, couldn't you save most of your own forces?"

"'Better to let others die than our own people; their strength would be weakened while ours would suffer little loss. Once we defeat Chen Wuji, my lord, you could consider recovering Nan Jun.'"

Shi Dao's eyes lit up. "Look, look—if you'd said that earlier, it would have been settled. Saying it like that makes me happy and sounds pleasant. Let's do this: I'll go write them a letter right now, telling them straight that Chen Wuji swallowed my uncle's troops, raised an army of thirty thousand, coming with a mighty force, declaring he'll wipe us all out—hehe."

Master Nan Li: ……

……

Amid the chaos in Ningyuan City, with orderlies scurrying about the gate like rats discovered by a cat, Tang Yu and Xie Fengxian led their troops to a point two li outside the city.

It was a place of clear mountains and beautiful waters.

In ancient times, people erected many pavilions on the gently rolling hills, each pillar bearing a plaque inscribed with poems from the twilight years.

Tang Yu ordered the troops to rest temporarily, then rode out to find Xie Fengxian, who was surveying the terrain.

"'General Xie, may we have a chat?' Tang Yu initiated the conversation."

Xie Fengxian turned and clasped his fists, saying, "Commandant Tang, speak plainly; no need for such formality—I'm a rough fellow who never learned to beat around the bush."

"'You don't look like it at all!' Tang Yu chuckled after sizing him up."

Xie Fengxian smiled slightly. "Commandant Tang doesn't look like it either."

"'We… seem to be like scholars.' Tang Yu held back a moment, then burst out laughing."

Finding someone so similar to oneself in such a situation is also quite amusing.

"'I love literature, but I'm just stupid—I can't learn it!' Xie Fengxian said with some regret."

Tang Yu nodded deeply in agreement. "'To be frank, I'm the same!'"

The two exchanged a glance and burst into loud laughter.

"'How about we go up this mountain to imbibe a little literary air, chatting as we walk?' Tang Yu proposed."

"'Good!'"

One, a pseudo‑scholar in a long robe holding a long spear, and the other, a pseudo‑scholar bearing no weapon but an Iron Bone Folding Fan in his hand, happily agreed to this.

The two wound their way up the twisting mountain, reciting the ancient ink treasures left by the ancients, savoring them slowly, until they reached the summit where Ningyuan City came into view, at which point they turned the conversation to the matter at hand.

"'General Xie, as a newly appointed commander, do you intend to earn some merit, or are you just going to go through the motions like a monk chanting for a day?' Tang Yu asked, shaking his folding fan."

Xie Fengxian's expression turned solemn. "'Commander Chen is a wise lord and also a heroic lord; having encountered such a lord, one naturally cannot merely go through the motions like a monk chanting for a day. In this battle I must earn merit—ideally, I will demolish this ruined city gate before the commander's main force arrives.'"

Having said that, he turned his gaze to Tang Yu. "'Commandant Tang, what do you think? Did Grand Strategist Yang send you here to genuinely help out this situation, or are you just going through the motions, merely doing it for show?'"