Chapter 1913: Preempted

Li He watched the busy crowd inside the command room.

They were all making more accurate predictions and intelligence analyses for the battle that was about to happen.

They were determining how their troops should be deployed next.

Now that their entire force had been exposed to the enemy's sight, an enemy attack could arrive very soon.

Before this attack arrived, their troops had to be prepared.

But that was before Li He had seen the memorial from his father; now, for the sake of future operations, he had other tactical ideas.

Li He called for everyone to stop.

"Everyone, stop what you are doing; our battle plan must be changed."

The crowd stared blankly at Li He, not understanding what he was saying.

Li He's Deputy, Fu Cang, said: "General, I do not understand what you mean."

"If we stop now, we will be unable to predict the enemy's next move, and this will very likely cause our troops to be ambushed by the enemy."

Li He glanced at Fu Cang and said: "No, I mean we must withdraw from here and enter the deep mountains; this place cannot become our military stronghold."

The crowd was stunned; according to the original plan, after destroying the enemy's arsenal, they were to use this place as a base.

They were to launch attacks on the surrounding enemy forces and destroy as many of the enemy's troops as possible to reduce the pressure on their final assault on the port.

If they withdrew from here, all the effort made in the early stages would be in vain.

"Why, General? This battle plan was one you personally formulated!"

Li He walked to the front of the map, pointed to a French position relatively close to them, and said in a deep voice: "This French position is only twenty kilometers away from us; if they launch an attack, we will have no choice but to fight."

"Of course, we have also prepared to fight; the work you are doing now, and the war we are about to face, are all preparations for this."

"But I am telling you, we are withdrawing now!"

"Preserve our strength!"

"I know you may not understand why we must do this."

"But it must be done now; plan the retreat route."

Li He said in a tone that brooked no refusal; the crowd was stunned, and although they were confused, they still carried out the order Li He had issued.

Fu Cang frowned tightly, pulled Li He aside, and whispered: "Big Brother, you should know what withdrawing now means. Why do this? You must give a reason, otherwise it will damage our current morale!"

Li He scanned the crowd and pulled Fu Cang into his room.

He instructed Ge Dazhuang: "Guard the door; no one is allowed to enter without my permission."

Ge Dazhuang nodded and took his post at the door.

Li He pulled Fu Cang inside and said: "This matter was not supposed to be known by you, but the situation is special now, and since you asked why, I have decided to let you know some of the inside story..."

Fu Cang frowned tightly as he looked at Li He, who had never been this serious before.

But when he heard Li He's reason for withdrawing, his pupils suddenly constricted.

"Big Brother, is this true!"

Li He nodded; Fu Cang felt as if his heart had been struck hard, and he murmured: "How could it be, how could it be like this!"

Li He said in a deep voice: "This matter must absolutely not spread through the army, or you know the consequences!"

Fu Cang nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm his mind.

"Go out."

Fu Cang did not linger and left; Li He narrowed his eyes as he watched the back of his brother leaving.

In the dim room.

Delu sat alone and took out the

latest intelligence he had received.

After Delu opened it and took a look, a smile appeared on his face.

He used a candle to ignite the letter and burned it to ashes.

Not long after, Delu left the place.

And after he left, the non-French troops on Tasmania immediately made adjustments.

And at this time, Li He's Dragon Flame Army was retreating.

Everything the French troops did seemed as if they had foreseen the retreat route of the Dragon Flame Army, coordinating with the Resistance Army.

On the way to withdraw, according to the original intelligence plan, they were supposed to engage in a battle.

But the French troops adjusted their strongholds at this time, and the Resistance Army did not encounter a single French soldier.

This could not help but make people feel it was miraculous.

But even more miraculous things happened afterward.

When the Resistance Army reached the evacuation point, they saw a person.

A French person they all hated to the bone.

"Delu!"

"Do you want to die by appearing here!"

Fu Cang shouted coldly; the entire Resistance Army entered a state of combat readiness. Although there were only Delu and his two attendants, no one dared to take it lightly.

Li He walked out from the army, looked at Delu blocking his path, and said coldly: "Great merchant of France, planner of this war, Delu, you don't want to die by being here, do you?"

"Everyone here would love to eat your flesh and drink your blood!"

Delu looked at the orderly and murderous Resistance Army, smiled, and said: "General Li He, since I dared to appear here, you should know that I am not the only one here."

"And you should also know why I have come to find you; I believe you have already guessed it."

"Put down your weapons and let us talk, or perhaps you want to have a decisive battle with the French troops here and send everyone to Hell?"

"It is all for you to choose."

Li He watched Delu make a gesture of invitation, and he took the opportunity to glance at the surrounding jungle, where rustling sounds emerged from the silence.

He knew that Delu would never place himself in such a dangerous situation; there were definitely French troops ambushed within these woods.

Li He took a deep breath and shouted in a low voice, "Everyone, fall back!"

"Guard the perimeter!"

He looked at Delu and said indifferently, "I want to have a talk with General Delu."

Delu curled the corners of his mouth and said indifferently, "That is a smart choice."

He clapped his hands, and the sound of footsteps came from the woods; one could tell just by the sound that quite a few troops were ambushed in there.

The Resistance Army listened to the sounds and saw General Li He walk to the table Delu had prepared in advance and sit down; everyone broke into a cold sweat.

Their musketeers and crossbowmen had already aimed at Delu's head.

If anything went even slightly wrong, they could easily take Delu out, but the same logic applied to Li He as well.

Delu brewed a pot of tea, personally poured a cup for Li He, and made a gesture of invitation.

"Taste this, it is Biluochun from Longyan; this is rare, fine tea that I prepared specially for General Li."

Delu also poured a cup for himself, sniffed the faint fragrance, and revealed a smile.

Li He glanced at it but did not drink: "Let's talk business; I have no friendship with you that warrants drinking tea."

Delu paused his teacup, took a sip of tea, looked at Li He's icy expression, and said, "I want to ask you to kill someone."

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