Chapter 252: The Four Nations Converge on the Yellow River!

Finally!

The Empress Qianyuan's phoenix eyes, even concealed behind a ghost mask, radiated a chilling, heart-stopping brilliance.

Zhou Xuan involuntarily felt a cold chill, as if trapped in an ice cellar, his body subtly trembling.

The Empress's gaze swept across the battlefield sand table.

Xuzhou, Bozhou!

Both were key northern strongholds, yet now abandoned, as troops retreated en masse to Yuezhou.

Yuezhou is mountainous and densely wooded, with the Yellow River as a natural barrier—unlike the flat plains and rolling hills of the other two provinces.

Wu Ying unfurled the map, the battle formations of both armies already taking clear shape in her mind.

The generals under Qianyuan were all battle-hardened veterans; now they frowned deeply and murmured:

"Does Beifeng intend to fight a rear-guard battle against the mountains in Yuezhou? This move is highly suspicious…"

Upon saying this,

a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, as if this deployment clashed with the current battlefield reality.

"The Art of War says: 'Only when cornered can one find life; only when placed in mortal peril can one survive.'"

The general spoke:

"Beifeng has positioned its forces in Yuezhou, with the Yellow River as a natural barrier on the left, the Yueshan Mountains as a shield behind, and the Zhi River on the right—effectively securing both flanks."

"Yuezhou's terrain is complex and narrow, making it impossible to deploy large forces at once; troops must advance in waves. This limits manpower deployment but also reduces the risk of chaos and trampling."

This tactic, known in military texts as "fighting with one's back to the water," or "sinking the boats and smashing the cauldrons," is a desperate, all-or-nothing strategy used by outnumbered troops.

Yet the current scene bred deep suspicion.

The northern lands are now called Yan.

Yan is merely one region of Daqing; Beifeng is an entire nation.

Beifeng's army is not only vast, capable of assembling fifty thousand troops.

It also has the natural advantage of the Yellow River; logically, it should have ambushed the Yanbei army as it crossed the river and delivered a fatal blow.

Yet!

Beifeng has done the opposite—abandoning the advantages of two provinces to fight a rear-guard battle against the mountains in Yuezhou. This decision is baffling.

Upon closer thought, the drawbacks are obvious.

Beifeng has forsaken the vast strategic depth of the north and its intimate familiarity with that land, effectively surrendering all initiative and adopting a purely defensive stance.

Is Beifeng so terrified it's surrendered before even fighting?

The Art of War is cunning and ever-changing—perhaps Beifeng is feigning weakness to lure us deeper, then strike back?

Or perhaps they harbor another scheme, aiming to settle the war in one decisive battle.

The battle-hardened generals were perplexed.

Wu Ying smiled faintly and said slowly:

"Tuoba Shuyi is truly terrified—he fears being outmaneuvered again in tactics and strategy, so he's abandoned all complex schemes and simply adopted a posture of mortal combat, hoping to win by brute force."

"It's laughable. The battle hasn't even begun, yet they've already lost three-tenths of their morale. They hold the advantage, yet only cower in place."

Wu Ying grew even more intrigued by this Lu Chen.

Tuoba Shuyi fears this young lord of the Lu family.

She prided herself on her military prowess—her troop deployments never yielded to anyone.

At that moment,

another Qianwei from Heibing Tai hurried into the war tent, bringing fresh intelligence.

"Your Majesty, spies from Chu and Han have delivered urgent military reports."

In war, information is immeasurable—often, a single critical piece of intelligence can reverse the tide and decide victory or defeat.

Since taking command, the Empress has won repeatedly; this glorious record stems not only from her extraordinary military genius but also from the intelligence network she personally built—Heibing Tai.

It is an invisible net, spread beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, providing her with vital intelligence.

The key to war, beyond sufficient grain and strong troops, lies equally in acquiring and utilizing information.

Wu Ying thought of Lu Chen's "Mercury" within the Lu family army.

Known as: "Mercury spills on the ground—seeps through every crack."

The Empress said coolly: "Speak."

The Heibing Tai Qianwei replied:

"Seven days ago, the armies of Han and Chu set up camp fifty li outside Shizhou City, but strangely, they've remained motionless, launching no attacks."

"According to our spies, they only beat war drums every night to create noise, yet have made no move to assault the city."

Hearing this, Zhou Xuan frowned deeply, his mind filled with confusion.

Why have Han and Chu's armies reached Shizhou but delayed their assault?

This behavior contradicts their previous conduct—it's utterly perplexing.

The black-robed man added:

"Yesterday, a thousand troops dispatched from Daqing's capital arrived at Shizhou; their commander is Jia Fu and Cheng Pu of the Lu family army."

"After setting up camp outside Shizhou City, these elite cavalry have been provoking Han and Chu's forty-thousand-strong army since yesterday—but Han and Chu have remained silent, refusing to sortie."

A dark premonition surged in Zhou Xuan's heart!

The current scene mirrored exactly what they had encountered at Jingyang City.

The weaker side didn't retreat—it sent a thousand men to provoke. The same script, baffling.

He knew Lu Chen's military genius well; though they'd never clashed directly, Lu Chen's record was undeniable.

Zhou Xuan himself had once faced the Empress Qianyuan—the memory still sent shivers down his spine.

The Empress's "majesty" convinced him: no one in the world could match her.

It was this profound understanding that led Zhou Xuan to ultimately submit to Qianyuan.

Yet faced with the current situation,

Zhou Xuan weighed his options and pleaded again:

"Your Highness, Jingyang City is critical. Seizing it first is like making a brilliant first move in a game—guaranteed gain! Allow me to lead thirty thousand elite troops and crush that mere thousand of Lu's men!"

Wu Ying listened, then shook her head slowly, returning to her seat with calm, unshakable authority: "Now is not the time to act."

"Then what should we do?"

Zhou Xuan frowned, his impatience unmistakable.

The throne of Chaoling lies within reach.

Right before us.

Wu Ying smiled faintly:

"Wait."

Zhou Xuan was puzzled.

"Someone is even less patient than we are."

Zhou Xuan hurriedly said:

"If we let this situation develop, we'll miss our chance! Imagine—if our army now marches straight for Chaoling, the lands south of the river are ours for the taking!"

"Then Han and Chu will be unable to resist, while Beifeng and Lu Chen fight each other—we reap the benefits as the bystander."

"The throne of hegemony is within reach!"

Wu Ying shook her head gently, choosing silence.

Arguing with a fool only makes you one of them.

Gongsun Pingxi, seeing this, smiled and explained to Zhou Xuan:

"Your Majesty, please remain calm. We must understand: once we seize Jingyang City, the situation will turn dire."

"Beifeng and Yanbei will immediately halt their civil war and turn south, while Han and Chu will unite to encircle us."

"At that moment, Qianyuan's and Your Majesty's Hexi territories will instantly become the target of all."

Zhou Xuan found this impossible.

Gongsun Pingxi sighed and continued:

"Your Majesty, consider this vast, intricate chessboard of the world—every player harbors ambition, unwilling to yield."

"Then who is most likely to be eliminated?"

"Usually, the weakest—or… the strongest."

(End of Chapter)