Chapter 845: with translation of chapter title

War has never been merely a stacking of numbers.

There is also no completely fixed pattern.

It is a counterbalance of overall strength, yet it is also filled with all kinds of variables.

But, in a war, the first thing estimated is still troop strength.

Yang Yu finds nothing wrong with Chen Wují's considerations.

Facing three fronts and an enemy of five hundred thousand, preparing a rear line is both reasonable and appropriate.

Precisely because of this, Yang Yu now feels genuinely a bit wistful.

This kid has even prepared a rear route; he really needs to bleed a bit, otherwise it won't work.

"One hundred thousand!" Chen Wují said, extending a finger and speaking solemnly.

"Lord Yang also knows my situation; even if you send a hundred thousand troops to assist, we remain absolutely weak, whether in manpower or armaments, utterly weak."

Yang Yu shook his head: "One hundred thousand? Commander Chen, you might as well weigh my old bones and sell them—at most sixty thousand! How many troops does the Three Officials Prefecture even have? Stop haggling with me."

"Fine, sixty thousand it is."

Chen Wují accepted Yang Yu's sincerity, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

According to the latest intelligence, Yang Yu has accumulated nearly a hundred thousand troops over the years; being able to field sixty thousand shows his sincerity is quite substantial.

That should be sufficient for now.

"Will these sixty thousand troops still be placed under my command, Lord Yang?" Chen Wují asked.

Yang Yu instantly bristled like a puffed-up rooster: "That's impossible; if the entire sixty-thousand army were placed under Commander Chen's command, I fear I'd end up with nothing to show for it, gaining nothing at all."

"In this battle, I will personally oversee command and take charge of the other forces!"

Thirty thousand—he can safely entrust that to Chen Wují for temporary command; it's not a major issue.

But with sixty thousand troops, he dares not take that risk at all.

Tang Yu had already warned him about Chen Wují's deceitful motives.

Once Chen Wují absorbs his sixty-thousand army, the Three Officials Prefecture will basically have nothing to do with Yang Yu anymore.

Chen Wují showed slight regret: "Lord Yang, why do you keep going back on your word? This isn't like your usual style."

Yang Yu raised a hand to interrupt Chen Wují: "When have I ever gone back on my word? I previously said thirty thousand; but this is sixty thousand, so it naturally requires a different consideration."

Chen Wují sighed: "These days I still have to rely heavily on Lord Yang; whatever you say goes, I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything."

Yang Yu's face darkened instantly: "You little bastard, are you trying to play yin-yang games with your grandpa here?"

Is that the same thing?

finalized the scale of the troop deployment, Chen Wuji seized the moment, struck while the iron was hot and divided the battlefields each side would be responsible for, lest Lao Deng, after thinking it over, suddenly change his mind.

Discussing these matters becomes far more complicated: where to place the battlefield, where the troops should come from, which side is responsible for supplies, how to maintain supply lines, and so on.

Even under the bright stars, this matter still hasn't settled on even the most basic framework.

Chen Wují and Yang Yu each have their own considerations and must each look after their own interests; this cannot be settled with just a few words.

The next day, Chen Wují personally brought Yang Yu to inspect the emerging town of Jiējùyǔ, then retreated to a room to finalize the upcoming military plans.

It took a full five days for the two of them to settle all the details.

In summary, it amounts to each being responsible for their own theater and responding flexibly.

In this battle, Chen Wují and Yang Yu each have their own views and methods; there's no way to unify them.

Finally, Xu Zengyi proposed dividing by region, each playing to their strengths, and not hindering one another.

The same principle applies to provisions and other matters.

Once the battlefield zones are defined, the remaining matters are left for each to handle as they see fit.

However, Yang Yu must mobilize troops from the Three Officials Prefecture; whether marching or supply routes, they will have to pass through the area currently under Chen Wují's control, and Chen Wují will then grant him convenience.

They discussed this matter for a full five days, yet Xu Zengyi's speculation about Yang Yu's purpose for coming here was settled by Chen Wují and Yang Yu with just a single sentence.

Yang Yu spoke, and Chen Wují agreed.

Not a word was wasted.

Regardless of Yang Yu's motives for mobilizing troops, he has indeed launched a large-scale deployment; in this minor matter of Shendu, Chen Wují can no longer obstruct him.

The strategy is set, the imperial army is already marching south in mighty numbers; Yang Yu delayed no further, staying at Jiējùyǔ and beginning troop mobilization and assignment the next day.

When the main force arrived, Tang Yu's auxiliary troops naturally returned to their original allegiance.

This person, Chen Wují ultimately failed to win over.

……

Yanzhou.

A divine ridge, as if it split the earth into two worlds.

In straight-line distance, Nan Jun and Yanzhou are not far apart, but because of this divine ridge, the two places are hardly neighboring at all—climate, geography, hydrology differ vastly.

Over the years, the greatest interaction between these two regions has been refugee migration and trade via the ancient plank roads; aside from that, there is hardly any personnel exchange.

Today, the Yanzhou prefectural office is heavily guarded, with layers of armored soldiers three deep inside and three outside, encircling the few buildings like rings.

In the main hall, several officials were chatting happily.

"Gentlemen, after crossing that mountain ahead we will see Chen Wují, that rebel traitor; we need to discuss how to fight this battle."

On the chief seat, a middle-aged official with crimson lips and a purple visage calmly set down his tea cup.

This person is none other than Li Yu, the Pacification Commissioner and commander of this imperial expedition.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone below immediately said: "Sir Li, I dare to ask for a vanguard position, so I can go test just how much Chen Wují is worth."

Li Yu gave an approving glance at the speaker: "Manager Liu, I can grant you the vanguard, but how do you intend to fight this battle? Please tell us your plan."

A dark-complexioned, stout-built deputy manager, Liu Yan, gave a slight sneer: "Sir, frankly I haven't figured out how to fight yet; I've never had fixed tactics in battle—I always adapt to the opponent's moves."

Chen Wuji has already fallen for the adult's plan to divide troops; at this time he must have already divided his forces, sternly drawn up, awaiting our esteemed arrival. I naturally will not let him have his wish; I intend to take the mountain plank road and stab that little Zi's chrysanthemum.

He spoke these words too rudely, causing many in the gathering to frown slightly.

Li Yu chuckled, saying, "That's not a bad idea, but if we take the mountain plank road, provisions would be impossible to sustain, and moreover... Manager Liu, have you considered possibly being trapped to death in Nan Jun?"

"You could take the mountain plank road, but our large contingent of Bīngmǎ cannot; when the time comes, we would have no provisions, no reinforcements—what then?"

Liu Yan said in a low voice, "Sir, as the vanguard, I don't intend to fight right at the outset!"

"What do you mean?"

Others in the gathering also showed puzzled expressions.

What kind of vanguard is it if you don't strike first?