Chapter 84: Military Council!!

"Four treasure chests: three first-tier, one common."

"We’ll open them when we get back."

"I hope they drop something good," Zhu Ying thought, anticipation rising within him.

Three first-tier treasure chests.

One was earned by raising all my stats above 2000, another by slaying Xie Manji’er, and the third by killing over two thousand enemies; the common chest came from killing the Northern Yuan’s fifty-thousand-commander.

Anyone holding a rank above lieutenant may receive a treasure chest—the higher your title or official position, the higher the tier of chest you earn.

"Estimate the situation of the Yuan forces in Jincheng."

"General Zhao," Fu Youde asked, turning to Zhao Yong.

Upon hearing this.

Zhao Yong bowed and replied to Fu Youde in a low tone: "I was not the first to breach the city, nor the first to storm the general’s residence—I have no clear knowledge of the Yuan forces inside."

"You should ask General Zhu."

Saying this.

Zhao Yong immediately lowered his hand.

Yet everyone in the hall could hear the resentment in Zhao Yong’s words.

"Reporting to General Fu."

"From the resistance we encountered after entering the city and the Yuan troops fleeing from the eastern gate."

"Our forces have killed or captured over forty thousand Yuan soldiers; fewer than thirty thousand escaped," Zhu Ying immediately stepped forward and said.

At this moment.

Zhao Yong had made Fu Youde lose face—clearly, he resented Fu Youde’s favoritism toward Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying could not let Fu Youde truly lose face.

"Good."

"If this is truly the case."

"Then as long as our casualties are light, this is a great victory."

"General Zhu."

"You led the charge and fought the fiercest battles against the Yuan—your casualties must have been heavy. You must personally comfort your troops," Fu Youde said.

"Rest assured, General Fu."

"I’ve already ordered my officers to tally our losses—our casualties will not exceed two thousand: one thousand dead, one thousand wounded," Zhu Ying replied loudly.

Upon hearing this.

"Hmph."

"General Zhu, you’re exaggerating your battlefield results too much."

"You commanded only ten thousand men. You stormed the city and clashed with tens of thousands of defending Yuan troops—how could your losses be so low?" Zhao Yong sneered.

"That’s right."

"My own troops entered the city later and still suffered three to four thousand casualties,"

"Your Qianshi Camp faced the Yuan head-on—your losses must have exceeded five thousand," Wang Bi also sneered.

"General Zhu, don’t brag so wildly."

"Two thousand casualties? Impossible."

"Battle casualties are recorded facts—General Zhu, no need to falsify them."

The Huaixi warlords all chimed in with mockery.

Clearly.

Zhu Ying’s reported number was too low—so low they thought it was fake.

Facing the mockery of the Huaixi warlords, Zhu Ying’s expression remained unchanged, calm as ever: "My men are all valiant. These are our true losses. Do you all think I, Zhu Ying, would falsify casualties to embezzle relief funds?"

"I don’t know if others would do such a thing."

"But I, Zhu Ying, would never commit such a despicable act."

"These casualties were tallied by my officers after securing Jincheng, and the Military Inspector may now enter my Qianshi Camp to verify them."

"If I, Zhu Ying, falsified our losses, I shall be punished by military law."

Zhu Ying’s voice echoed through the hall.

After being rebuked like this.

Zhao Yong and Wang Bi exchanged a glare but said nothing more.

Clearly, Zhu Ying had displayed too much confidence.

Two thousand casualties!

First into the city.

It was simply hard to believe.

But it was real.

After all, Zhu Ying led the charge, single-handedly holding off thousands, and his authority and official seal granted his troops a boost of eighty percent in morale, combat power, and endurance.

The combat power increase for each soldier was immense.

Moreover, Zhu Ying himself had shattered the Yuan defenses, like the ancient Western Chu Overlord, directly preventing even greater losses among his men.

In short.

Such low casualties could only have been achieved by Zhu Ying—irreplaceable.

"General Zhu."

"Are you certain your casualties are truly only two thousand?" Fu Youde asked, surprised.

"Please send the Military Inspector to verify," Zhu Ying replied at once.

"Good."

Fu Youde nodded and asked no further.

Though he had known Zhu Ying only briefly, he believed Zhu Ying spoke truthfully.

"Now that Jincheng has fallen."

"The remnants of the Yuan army are fleeing eastward."

"We must pursue swiftly, cut off their escape, and prevent them from being reorganized by Naha Chu."

"This task falls to the cavalry," Fu Youde said gravely.

"My First Cavalry Garrison Command has already left the city in pursuit."

"This cavalry unit has been resting and conserving strength throughout the battle, waiting for the moment to breach the city and strike the Yuan hard," Zhao Yong said at once.

"Hmm."

Fu Youde nodded: "General Zhao, your deployment was sound—but not enough."

Saying this.

Fu Youde waved his hand.

The Personal Guard commander immediately understood.

Unfurled a map.

It was the Liaodong map.

"Jincheng is the shield of Liaodong. After their defeat, the Yuan will flee east toward Gaizhou. The cavalry must lead the pursuit—the infantry must not stop..."

In this moment.

The strategy for the pursuit was settled.

Clearly.

Zhu Ying had claimed the honor of breaching the city.

Zhao Yong and the others would not let Zhu Ying gain another great achievement.

So they kept speaking up, deliberately denying Zhu Ying any chance to deploy his troops.

As for this.

Zhu Ying cared nothing.

He had already secured the great achievement.

What lay ahead was merely pursuit and skirmishes.

The true decisive battle would come only when they reached Naha Chu’s stronghold in Liaoyang.

Zhu Ying was in no hurry.

There would be more battle merits to earn.

"You go ahead and grab the glory."

"I’ll let my men rest," Zhu Ying thought to himself with quiet amusement.

When the military council ended.

Zhu Ying, surrounded by his personal guards, returned to camp.

Inside the camp now.

Most soldiers had already finished eating and fallen asleep.

Only the wounded camp echoed with moans.

Zhu Ying did not head straight to his quarters—he went to the wounded camp.

Looking out.

Those with minor wounds were fine; the exhausted had already fallen asleep.

But the severely wounded soldiers—those pierced by arrows, slashed by blades, or impaled by spears—filled the camp with moans and screams.

This bloody battle, a direct confrontation, may have seemed light in overall casualties, but to Zhu Ying, the losses were heavy.

“General.”

The soldier on duty in the wounded camp bowed deeply as Zhu Ying arrived.

Zhu Ying waved dismissively and strode into the wounded camp.

“Commander Yan.”

“How is the situation?”

Zhu Ying immediately asked the military physician in charge of the wounded camp.

“General Zhu.”

“Nearly a thousand wounded, most of them severely injured.”

“I can only do my best to treat them.”

“But given the current state, it would be good if even three in ten survive.”

The Yan-named military physician spoke slowly.

…

PS: Update complete. Please support enthusiastically, thank you, deeply grateful.





(End of Chapter)