Chapter 234: Dare to Risk It All

Seeing Liu Yifei depart far away, Tukesiluo finally asked.

"Big brother, now that Miss Liu has left, shall we also mobilize our troops?"

Jiang Mingyu watched her back, feeling a pang of reluctance, yet he knew she had gone for her own ideals. He sighed softly and said:

"Alright, let's move out quickly—the situation in Yizhou has reached its most critical moment; we can't afford any more delays."

He had learned of Yizhou's dire situation from scouts. Originally, Chen Tang's forty thousand troops had been holding their ground against Hu Bo's sixty thousand remnants—this had been several days ago.

Military intelligence shifts by the hour; who knew what had changed in that region after all these days?

He dared not imagine what fate awaited his ally if Chen Tang fell.

He dared not imagine what ambitions Hu Bo would unleash if he won.

He dared not imagine what would become of his own dream if he arrived too late.

So he must reach Yizhou swiftly, fight shoulder to shoulder with Chen Tang, defeat Hu Bo together, and reclaim Yizhou together.

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

One day later, on the march, Tukesiluo asked:

"Big brother, once we reach Yizhou, how do we break the enemy?"

Li Goudan also stretched his neck, eyes wide open, clearly waiting for Jiang Mingyu's answer.

Jiang Mingyu had already pondered this question.

"Yizhou is now entirely under Chen Tang's control, so we must abandon our old strategy and head straight for Yizhou City."

"Once we defeat Chen Tang, our army's momentum will compel all six commanderies of Yizhou to surrender without resistance."

Hearing this, Li Goudan grew excited.

"If that's the case, then the entire northern frontier of Da Feng will be ours."

"Right now, Fei Hou is cowering in Jingzhou like a turtle, and other rebel armies—including Sun Yifeng—have seized at most one province."

"If so, our lord will soon become the largest warlord in all of Da Feng."

But Jiang Mingyu was far less optimistic; he sighed.

Jiang Mingyu gazed into the distance and said solemnly: "In the battle for Yizhou, we must proceed with caution to secure victory."

Tukesiluo pressed: "Big brother, what strategy do you have? How do we defeat Chen Tang's army?"

Jiang Mingyu shook his head: "Not yet certain—we must wait for the latest intelligence from the scouts, then assess the overall situation before deciding."

Li Goudan interjected: "Big brother, I say we strike straight at Yizhou City with a surprise attack and annihilate Chen Tang's entire force—then Yizhou will be ours!"

Jiang Mingyu smiled: "Goudan, I admire your bravery, but blind recklessness won't work. Chen Tang held off Hu Bo's massive army—he's no fool. We must respond with caution, not complacency."

Li Goudan grumbled: "Hmph! Even if Chen Tang has three heads and six arms, I'll capture him alive!"

Tukesiluo warned: "Goudan, your impulsiveness will get you killed. We should follow Big Brother's lead—steady, methodical progress is the right way."

Jiang Mingyu smiled and shook his head; he knew these two brothers represented two voices within the army—one fiery and impulsive, the other cautious and seasoned. As commander, he had to balance them all and devise a sound strategy.

He hoped the scouts would bring good news—revealing Chen Tang's weakness, allowing him to seize Yizhou City in one decisive blow.

He also hoped Liu Yifei was safe and sound, that she would return to him soon, and stand beside him to witness the outcome of this war.

Jiang Mingyu waited day after day, until at last the scout he had longed for arrived.

The scout who galloped in was a handsome young man, his bloodstains and wounds the price he paid to gather vital intelligence.

He knelt before Jiang Mingyu and spoke respectfully:

"My lord, I confirmed five days ago that Chen Tang and Hu Bo fought another battle."

"It was a brutal clash—Chen Tang lost more than half his troops and has now retreated with his remaining twenty thousand men into Yizhou City."

Li Goudan's eyes lit up and he rushed to ask: After the scout reported the situation, Li Goudan immediately pressed: "How many men does Hu Bo have left? Can he hold Yizhou?"

The scout replied: "Report, Young General—Hu Bo has only forty thousand men left and is now cornered."

Tukesiluo frowned: "How is that possible? Yizhou was already under Chen Tang's control—he could recruit more troops. How could Hu Bo, with just forty thousand, take it?"

The scout explained: "Fei Hou forced Hu Bo to win within half a month—or else he would exterminate his entire family. That's why Hu Bo is attacking Yizhou with such desperation."

Tukesiluo sneered: "How tragic—to serve under Fei Hou, Hu Bo suffers so. Fei Hou calls himself emperor, yet can't even send reinforcements—what a pitiful ruler."

Jiang Mingyu pondered deeply: "Fei Hou is exhausted—we must strike while he's vulnerable and seize Yizhou in one bold move."

Li Goudan exclaimed: "Exactly! As soon as we arrive, we crush Hu Bo—Chen Tang is already spent. Then Yizhou will be ours for the taking!"

Tukesiluo cautioned: "Don't get overconfident. The situation in Yizhou is complex—we must proceed with caution."

Jiang Mingyu nodded: "Tukesiluo is right. With Chen Tang still in Yizhou, the city won't fall easily. We must advance steadily to win this hard battle."

Li Goudan protested: "With me on the field, I'll cut Chen Tang down myself and claim the first victory for Big Brother!"

Jiang Mingyu smiled and shook his head—he knew seizing Yizhou wouldn't be simple.

Jiang Mingyu thought briefly, then turned to the scout and asked:

"Have Chen Tang and Hu Bo learned of our army's approach?"

"My lord, what should we do?" Tukesiluo asked.

"Tukesiluo, look over there." Jiang Mingyu pointed to a spot on the battlefield.

Tukesiluo followed his gesture and saw a narrow path leading to the back gate of Yizhou City.

"My lord intends to…" Tukesiluo's eyes brightened.

"Exactly. We send a portion of our troops to cut off Chen Tang's reinforcements, then lead the main force straight at Yizhou City. While they're still locked in battle, we'll seize the city." Jiang Mingyu said.

"My lord is brilliant!" Li Goudan praised. He was Jiang Mingyu's sworn brother and his bravest general.

"What do you think, Tukesiluo?" Jiang Mingyu asked.

Tukesiluo paused, then said: "My lord, I advise caution. Though Chen Tang and Hu Bo are locked in conflict, neither is incompetent. If we act rashly, we may invite disaster."

Jiang Mingyu patted his shoulder: "Don't worry—I know what I'm doing. This is the critical moment—we must strike now, before Chen Tang can regroup."

Tukesiluo hesitated: "My lord…"

Jiang Mingyu said: "No more talk. I've decided. We will win the battle for Yizhou!"

Jiang Mingyu gave the order, and the army surged forward. Li Goudan cheered excitedly; Tukesiluo remained uneasy but obeyed, following his lord's troops into motion.

Jiang Mingyu's heart was uneasy too—the outcome of the battle for Yizhou was uncertain—but he understood that to win, he must dare to take the risk.