Chapter 234: A Brave Gamble

Seeing Liu Liu Yifei depart into the distance, Tu Tu Kesiluo finally asked.

"Big Brother, now that Miss Liu has left, shall we deploy our troops as well?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu watched her retreating figure, feeling a pang of reluctance in his heart, yet he knew she was departing for the sake of her own ideals; he let out a soft sigh and said:

"Very well, let us set out immediately; the battle situation in Yizhou has reached its most critical moment, and we can no longer afford any delay."

He had learned of the dire situation in Yizhou from his scouts; it turned out that several days prior, Chen Tang's forty thousand troops had been locked in a standoff with Hu Bo's sixty thousand remnants.

Military situations change in the blink of an eye; who knows what complications might have arisen in the few days since, altering the situation over there?

He dared not imagine what fate would befall his allies should Chen Tang suffer defeat.

He dared not imagine what ambitions his enemies might harbor should Hu Bo emerge victorious.

He dared not imagine what ending his dreams would meet should he arrive too late.

Therefore, he must rush to Yizhou without delay to fight shoulder to shoulder with Chen Tang, defeat Hu Bo together, and reclaim Yizhou together.

After the scout galloped away on horseback, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eighty thousand troops also sped swiftly toward Yizhou.

One day later, along the march, Tu Tu Kesiluo asked:

"Big Brother, once we reach Yizhou, how shall we break the enemy?"

Li Dog-Egg also stretched out his neck, his eyes wide and round, clearly waiting for Jiang Jiang Mingyu's reply.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already pondered this question long ago.

"Now that all of Yizhou is already occupied by Chen Tang, we must alter our usual strategy and head straight for Yizhou City."

"Once we defeat Chen Tang, wherever our army's spearhead points, the six commanderies of Yizhou will surely surrender at the mere sight of our approach."

Upon hearing these words, Li Dog-Egg immediately became excited.

"If that is the case, then the entire northern border of Da Feng will belong to us."

"Currently, Fei Hou is cowering in Jingzhou like a turtle, while other rebel forces, including Sun Yifeng, occupy at most a single commandery."

"Speaking of which, our Lord will soon become the greatest warlord within all of Da Feng."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, however, was far less optimistic than him; he let out a sigh.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed into the distance and said in a deep voice: "For the Battle of Yizhou, we must proceed with extreme caution if we are to achieve victory."

Tu Tu Kesiluo pressed further: "Big Brother, may I ask what countermeasures you have already devised? How exactly shall we defeat Chen Tang's army?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head and said: "Nothing is certain yet; we must wait for the latest military intelligence brought back by the scouts, then assess the overall situation before making a decision."

Li Dog-Egg interjected: "Big Brother, I say we strike directly at Yizhou City with a surprise attack, annihilate Chen Tang's entire force in one blow, and thus bring all of Yizhou into our grasp!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and said: "Dog-Egg, while I naturally admire your martial courage, blind recklessness will not work; the fact that Chen Tang could hold back Hu Bo's great army proves he is a cunning opponent, so we must respond with prudence and cannot afford carelessness."

Li Dog-Egg said unwillingly: "Hmph, even if Chen Tang possesses three heads and six arms, I will definitely capture him alive!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo advised: "Dog-Egg, your rashness and lack of strategy will lead to a great loss; we should listen to Big Brother, for fighting steadily and advancing step by step is the correct principle."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and shook his head, knowing that his two brothers represented two distinct voices within the army's heart—one impulsive and hot-blooded, the other steady and experienced; as the commander, he had to balance both sides and formulate a prudent tactic.

He hoped the scouts would bring good news, allowing him to find Chen Tang's weaknesses and seize Yizhou City in a single decisive move.

He also hoped Liu Liu Yifei would remain safe and sound, return to his side soon, and witness the outcome of this war together with him.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu waited day after day until he finally met the scout he had been longing for.

The scout who arrived galloping on a swift horse was a handsome and dashing young man; the bloodstains and scars on his body were the price he had paid to ascertain the military situation.

He knelt before Jiang Jiang Mingyu and spoke respectfully:

"My Lord, your subordinate has confirmed that five days ago, Chen Tang and Hu Bo fought another battle."

"That battle shook heaven and earth; Chen Tang lost more than half his troops again, and now he has retreated into Yizhou City with the remaining twenty-plus thousand men."

Li Dog-Egg's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked; after the scout finished reporting the military situation, Li Dog-Egg eagerly pressed: "So exactly how many men does Hu Bo have left? Can he possibly hold Yizhou?"

The scout replied: "Reporting to the Young General, Hu Bo has only forty-plus thousand troops remaining and has already fallen into a desperate situation."

Tu Tu Kesiluo asked in confusion: "How is that possible? Yizhou was already occupied by Chen Tang, so he should be able to conscript new soldiers; with merely forty thousand men, how can Hu Bo possibly conquer it?"

The scout explained: "This is because Fei Hou forced Hu Bo to achieve victory within half a month, threatening to exterminate his entire family otherwise; that is why Hu Bo is attacking Yizhou with such desperation."

Tu Tu Kesiluo sneered: "Truly pitiable; serving under Fei Hou, Hu Bo suffers too much; Fei Hou declares himself Emperor yet cannot even dispatch reinforcements, showing he is nothing special after all."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu reflected deeply: "Fei Hou's strength is exhausted; this is precisely our chance to strike into the void and seize Yizhou in one decisive move."

Li Dog-Egg said excitedly: "Exactly! Once we arrive, we can crush Hu Bo, and since Chen Tang is already an arrow spent at the end of its flight, Yizhou will then be ours for the taking!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo reminded: "Do not be overly confident; the situation in Yizhou is complex, and we must act with caution."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded and said: "Tu Tu Kesiluo is right; with Chen Tang present, Yizhou will not easily fall into another's hands; we must fight steadily and advance step by step to win this tough battle."

Li Dog-Egg said defiantly: "With me here, I will definitely slay Chen Tang beneath my horse and earn the First Merit for Big Brother!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and shook his head, understanding that capturing Yizhou would not be so simple.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered briefly, then turned to ask the scout:

"Do Chen Tang and Hu Bo already know the news of our great army's approach?"

"My Lord, what should we do?" Tu Tu Kesiluo asked.

"Tu Tu Kesiluo, look over there," Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, pointing to a spot on the battlefield.

Following Jiang Jiang Mingyu's gesture, Tu Tu Kesiluo saw a small path leading to the rear gate of Yizhou City.

"Does My Lord intend to..." Tu Tu Kesiluo's eyes lit up.

"Correct; we will first dispatch a portion of our troops to cut off Chen Tang's reinforcements, then lead the main force to strike directly at Yizhou City; while they are still engaged in chaotic fighting, we can seize the city," Jiang Jiang Mingyu said.

"My Lord is wise!" Li Dog-Egg exclaimed in admiration; he was Jiang Jiang Mingyu's sworn brother and also his brave general.

"Tu Tu Kesiluo, what is your opinion?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked.

Tu Tu Kesiluo pondered for a moment and said: "My Lord, this subject believes we must still exercise caution; although Chen Tang and Hu Bo are locked in endless conflict, neither is incompetent; if we act rashly, we may invite disaster upon ourselves."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu patted his shoulder and said: "Rest assured, I have my own judgment; right now is the critical moment, and we must strike quickly to annihilate Chen Tang before he can reorganize his army."

Tu Tu Kesiluo hesitated: "My Lord..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, "No need to say more. I have already decided. In the Battle of Yizhou, we will surely win!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand and ordered the army to continue advancing at high speed. Li Goudan cheered excitedly; Tu Tu Kesiluo still felt slightly worried, but could only execute the order and march out with the lord's army.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart was also uneasy; the outcome of the great battle in Yizhou was hard to predict, but he understood that to achieve victory, he must bravely make a gamble.