Chapter 338

"The world situation has changed, and the layout in the Guanzhong region must accelerate its progress.

We lack a foundation there and can only rely on the local anti-Yu forces.

Whatever the rebel army there lacks, we will provide it to them.

At all costs, make Guanzhong chaotic!"

Wei Hao said with a serious face.

Plotting for Guanzhong is a long-term plan; in the short term, his strategic goal is still to seize the Shu region.

If one wants to partition the Shu region, one must first take Hanzhong; this is the experience left by our ancestors.

The rebel army in the southeast has suffered setbacks, and the situation is precarious; he must accelerate the progress.

Once Wu and Chu are defeated, the strategic focus of the imperial court will shift to the Shu region.

"Prince, please rest assured; I will personally handle this matter.

Within half a year, I will definitely be able to set off a wave of anti-Yu sentiment on the land of Guanzhong!"

Xu Yanyu guaranteed immediately.

Since the rebel army entered Shu, the Shaanxi side has strengthened the defense of Hanzhong.

If Guanzhong is not chaotic, wanting to seize Hanzhong is almost impossible.

If one cannot get Hanzhong, partitioning the Shu region is a joke.

Below Wuchang City, the horn for the charge sounded once again.

How many times have they attacked the city? Wang Weijiarui can no longer remember; anyway, the earth has long been dyed red.

The corpses of the fallen soldiers were loaded onto one ship after another.

The cruel war made Wang Weijiarui become numb.

The death of soldiers, in his eyes, was just a set of cold numbers.

In troubled times, the least valuable thing is human life.

If soldiers die, just conscript more from the people.

For the sake of victory, he can pay any price.

"Prince, it is getting late; it is time to sound the gong and withdraw the troops."

Fang Kecheng reminded him tactfully.

Under the forced attack policy, many units undertaking the siege task were at full strength in the morning, but by the evening, they had lost more than half of their personnel.

Everyone came out of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, and in the past, there was still some friendship.

No matter what kind of unit it is, as long as it is pulled to the battlefield to fight a battle, it is basically ruined.

Wanting to restore vitality is by no means something that can be achieved by simply replenishing personnel.

The first to be lost were naturally the collateral armed forces.

The unstable factors of the past were all consumed in the great battle.

This wave of borrowing a knife to kill can be said to be a perfect score.

Unfortunately, this is not what Wang Weijiarui wanted.

There are plenty of opportunities to clear out dissidents; it's not worth sacrificing so many troops.

"Pass the order down, sound the gong and withdraw the troops.

Tell logistics to issue more wine and meat to appease the morale of the army."

Wang Weijiarui said with a complex expression.

The war has progressed to this point, and he has no way out.

Either try hard to fight and win the Battle of Wuchang, or be defeated and return to continue being a wandering bandit.

Having made such a big commotion earlier, no matter where he goes in the future, he will be hunted down by the imperial court with full force.

Countless people are waiting to use his head to exchange for progress in their official careers.

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Fang Kecheng agreed immediately.

Besides appeasing the morale of the army, there is not much they can do now.

The imperial army's defense line looks like it is tottering, but no matter how they attack, they just cannot break through.

Seeing hope and then ending in failure is the cruelest thing.

Inside Wuchang City.

The pungent aroma of meat wafted from the rebel army camp, stimulating the taste buds of the defending soldiers.

Li Mu, who was patrolling the defense line, vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Logically speaking, after the war fell into a stalemate, the rebel army's logistics should have encountered problems.

Occasionally improving the meal with stewed meat is understandable.

Doing this for several days in a row—no matter how wealthy Jiangxi is, there are not that many livestock.

"Pass the order down, let the people below prepare some food to add a meal for the soldiers defending the city."

With doubts, Li Mu issued the order.

The city naturally has meat reserves, but it is not the pork, beef, or mutton that everyone likes, but mainly fish.

And this fish is also salted.

Wanting to supply fresh meat is something that can only be done in the post-industrial era.

With current refrigeration technology, the cost of preservation is far higher than the meat itself.

Not having pork, beef, or mutton does not affect the fact that the imperial army's logistics are stronger than the rebel army's.

The vegetable oil and sugar extracted from the economic crops planted by the garrisons were all sold to the imperial army.

"Big brother, now the world is so chaotic, that bunch of White Lotus Sect people are shouting all day long that the White Lotus Holy Mother has descended to the world.

Even if the rebel army stewed meat for several consecutive days, it only whetted everyone's appetite and had not yet reached the point of shaking the morale of the army.

"Obey the order!"

After saying this, Wu Dage immediately sent someone to convey the order.

"Uncle, the rebel army's logistical supply is not right; they cannot possibly have so much meat.

The opportunity to disintegrate the enemy army's morale has arrived.

You can notify those families; now it is time for them to perform!"

Returning to the commander's camp, Li Mu immediately said to Li Yuan.

As the imperial army occupies the upper hand on the battlefield, the number of families willing to pay 'life-buying money' is also constantly increasing.

This is the price that must be paid for the failure of speculative actions.

However, just paying money is not enough; they must also cut ties with the rebel army.

"Are you saying the rebel army is eating people?"

Li Yuan asked with a grave expression.

In troubled times, cannibalism is not a new thing.

However, those were only a few; large-scale cannibalism mainly occurred in the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

After modern times, with the popularization of Confucian culture, this behavior has been banned.

The Great Yu Code has a clear provision: those who eat people shall die!

Hundreds of thousands of troops eating people together—such a morally corrupt thing happening in reality is truly too shocking.

"Besides this explanation, there is no reasonable source for the rebel army's meat.

Even if the Wei traitor mobilized all the livestock in Jiangxi and Zhejiang to the front lines, they could not withstand such squandering.

It is estimated that there are people in the rebel army camp who have sensed that something is wrong.

If this news is leaked, there will definitely be chaos within the enemy army.

If the insiders stir it up a bit more, even if it cannot trigger a large-scale mutiny, it can shake the enemy's morale.

If everything goes smoothly, defeating the enemy will be in the next few days."

While speaking, a cold light appeared in Li Mu's eyes.

Having been in the army for so long, this is the first time he has wanted to kill.

He has seen many perverse acts, but this is the first time he has encountered something that challenges the bottom line so much.

If it is not suppressed with thunderous means, there will be countless followers imitating it later.

"Good, I will go arrange it right now!"

Li Yuan nodded and said.

Challenging the bottom line is something that not only Li Mu cannot tolerate, but he also cannot accept.

Looking at each other, the two understood each other's meaning; this time, they are going to start a great slaughter.

All participants must not be let go.

The remaining rebel soldiers must also be strictly guarded after the war.

Rebel army camp.

"Seventh Young Master, this is a letter from home."

Taking the secret letter from the attendant, Fang Kecheng opened it in front of the two maids.

Without any surprise, it was full of daily greetings.

"You go prepare some hot water; I want to bathe."

Dismissing the eyes and ears around him, Fang Kecheng sprinkled tea on the letter, revealing rows of small characters on the back of the letter.

After reading the letter, without the slightest hesitation, he directly lit it on the candle.

Having completed the work of destroying the evidence, Fang Kecheng quickly recovered.

Serving in the Chu State seems like an accident, but in reality, it was all arranged by the family behind him.

Hedging bets is a common method used by noble families.

The name and identity he is using now are all forged; the real Fang Kecheng has long been dead.

According to the established script, he will live on using the identity of Fang Kecheng.

Even if a new dynasty is established, he cannot restore his identity.

Li Yuan's answer made Li Mu slightly stunned, and then he returned to normal.

As a reward, his family in the clan will be focused on and cultivated.

Even if the force he defected to fails in the struggle for hegemony in troubled times, it will not implicate his family.

However, all of this, with the arrival of the letter, was completely broken.

The family's little actions were discovered by the imperial court, and now he needs to cut ties with the rebel army.

Anyway, it was Fang Kecheng who participated in the rebellion, and it has nothing to do with him, Mr. Yang.

Theoretically speaking, as long as he completes this task, he can restore his previous identity and return to his former life.

However, this is limited to theory.

In the Chu State, he is the Minister of War with great power, whose words can decide the life and death of countless people.

Returning to the clan, he is just a down-and-out scholar.

Perhaps the elders in the clan, remembering his merits, will reward him with some property and land afterward, but life certainly cannot compare to the present.

If he is unlucky, he might die in the chaotic army before returning to the clan.

"Sigh!"

After a sigh, Fang Kecheng made a helpless decision.

It is not that he wants to betray the Prince of Chu; it is purely that the Prince of Chu is courting death himself.

Military failure can still be sought to make a comeback.

Since ancient times, seizing the world has rarely been smooth sailing.

Suffering setbacks halfway is the norm.

But once the hearts of the people are lost, they can never be found again!

Using human flesh as military rations—such a shameful thing was actually discovered by the imperial court.

Once such a thing is exposed, the title of "Great Demon King" will certainly be inevitable.

People of insight in the world will not defect to such a notorious master.

This is not an era of moral corruption; from the moment the secret was leaked, it was destined that the Prince of Chu would have no fate with the world.

It is not only Fang Kecheng who is suffering; many high-ranking officials in the Chu army are undergoing intense psychological struggle.

Wang Weijiarui is truly good to them.

Respecting the virtuous and lowering himself, all kinds of treatment are maximized; everyone is very satisfied with their status and position in the Chu State.

If it weren't for the sudden change, they would likely follow this "wise master" for life.

Even if the struggle for the world fails, they have lived a magnificent life, not wasting their own knowledge.

Unfortunately, reality does not have so many "ifs."

On one side is the Prince of Chu who allows them to display their ambitions; on the other side is the family that raised them.

Now caught in the middle of the two, no matter what choice they make, they must betray one side.

Late at night, in the rebel army camp.

"Have you noticed that the meat in the last few days tastes a bit wrong?

It's definitely not pork, nor is it mutton, and it certainly wouldn't be beef!"

As soon as the young man spoke, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

They also noticed that the taste of the meat was wrong.

Being a soldier in the Chu State is also a bitter errand.

Making do with coarse grain, they can barely eat their fill, and meat is not to be expected.

This is not because the Prince of Chu is stingy; it is mainly because the Chu State army is too large, and the domestic animal husbandry is not developed.

The limited meat supply is prioritized to satisfy the generals above.

Soldiers like them might not even be able to eat meat once a month.

When encountering an improvement in food, they can usually only get a bowl of meat soup.

"Zhang Lao Si, you are full and have nothing to do.

If it's not pork or mutton, could it be beef? You talk as if you've eaten beef before.

Regardless of what meat it is, being able to eat meat in these years is the greatest happiness.

If it weren't for the Prince's benevolence, where would we get our share!"

A companion on the side spoke up to reprimand him.

Being at the bottom of the army, not seeing meat for a long time, having something to eat is good enough; there is simply no mind to pay attention to what kind of meat it is.

"Wang Qi, you can't say it like that.

Zhang Lao Si is not wrong; this meat is indeed a bit wrong.

Have you noticed that those old soldiers in the camp haven't eaten much.

I have seen them vomiting in private, as if they had eaten something disgusting."

As soon as the bearded man finished speaking, everyone's faces changed one after another.

They had also seen similar scenes.

At first, they didn't think there was a problem, but now that everyone mentioned it, they instantly realized something was wrong.

"Besides pork, mutton, and beef, it couldn't be horse meat, right?

Those are treasures; no one is willing to eat them.

Otherwise, let's go ask Zhou Zhou Lao Liu next door; he is old and knowledgeable, he should be able to..."

Before Wang Qi finished his words, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

It seems that Zhou Zhou Lao Liu, who had always been active, suddenly became silent in the last few days.

He was as active as he could be when eating before, but now he is as slow as he can be.

He had even mocked Zhou Zhou Lao Liu for not being active in eating.

"Brother Wang, the meat in the last few days is indeed a bit wrong.

I once ate a bone that looked a bit like a finger, and you also..."

As soon as the thin young man's words came out, everyone's faces turned pale instantly.

In disaster years, there are those who eat human flesh, but those are all legends.

These people have lived in the land of fish and rice like Huguang and Jiangxi since they were young, and their little lives were relatively good.

Besides farming at home, they could also go out to work, and their outlets were far more than the people in other regions.

Even if they encountered a disaster year, the situation was stronger than in other regions, and it had not reached the point of exchanging children to eat.

After the great war broke out, they either actively or passively joined the rebel army.

Relying on plundering the gentry, filling their stomachs is not difficult.

Being able to eat their fill, a person's moral bottom line can be maintained.

Suddenly intensifying to cannibalism is seriously contrary to the education they received in the past.

In the blink of an eye, several people felt nauseous and vomited one after another.

Similar scenes were constantly staged in the camp.

The news of eating human flesh spread rapidly in the camp, causing a great uproar.

The news filling the sky soon attracted the attention of the rebel army generals.

By the time the news was reported layer by layer to the Prince of Chu, it was already noon the next day.

Prince of Chu's camp.

"Who is spreading rumors in the camp?"

"Why didn't you stop it the first time?"

Wang Weijiarui questioned with insufficient confidence.

Rumors are not terrible; the truth is the sharp knife.

Using human flesh to make military rations was originally a top-secret in the army, known only to a very few people.

Now that it has been stirred up like this, everyone knows the truth.

"Prince, we have carried out refutation, but the effect is not good.

Why not open the warehouse and let the soldiers go in to check, so as to stabilize the morale of the army?"

Fang Kecheng offered a bad idea with a straight face.

(End of chapter)