Chapter 426: Chapter 221: The Plan of Surprise Attack – 3
Translator: 549690339
The other wealthy lands to the east and south of Xiangyang Prefecture can be given to the imperial court.
After all, although these territories are wealthy, they also directly face Nanyang Prefecture of the Zhou People and Jiangxia Prefecture of Liang Country, making the situation extremely complex.
If Lu Yuan takes these territories, he would need at least a hundred thousand troops stationed there, otherwise it would be impossible to defend it.
But where would he get so many soldiers and horses?
Instead of that, it’s better to defend the three prefectures to the west of Xiangyang Prefecture. Although the place might be poorer and the population smaller, the mountainous terrain is perfect for deploying their troops.
Here, they would only need to stockpile thirty to fifty thousand troops, and with the defenders of Tianmen Prefecture, as well as an Inborn Grandmaster watching over them, it would be enough to hold onto this territory in the north of the river.
Fortunately, Lu Yuan meets all of these conditions.
Now, with the addition of the Miao Soldiers, he still has 140,000 troops. Even if he loses some in battle, having 110,000 to 120,000 left would not be a big problem.
As for the Inborn Grandmaster, it’s his own Queen.
At that time, they could leave fifty to sixty thousand soldiers in the north of the river, led by himself or Lan Cai’er, to guard the territory.
The remaining people would guard Jiangnan.
In this way, the distribution is just right to maximize the combat advantage stemming from having two Inborn Grandmasters on their side.
The plan is indeed perfect.
However, the only problem is whether Bai Mengyang, or the imperial court behind him, can agree to it.
That’s why after proposing these conditions, Lu Yuan looked at Wuan Marquis and waited quietly for his reply.
If the other party doesn’t agree with his self-preservation condition, then their intentions towards him and the imperial court would be quite obvious.
It could be said that there was no sincerity for cooperation at all.
In that case, what’s the need for any further cooperation?
Lu Yuan might as well lead his troops back to Tianmen Prefecture, defend the city, and fight a war of attrition against the Zhou People.
As for the imperial court and the two state masters that came with it, what can they do?
Let them be.
Lu Yuan doesn’t believe that these people would dare to go against him.
If they really do dare, he will surrender directly to Zhou Country and invite the Zhou People to march southward.
Won’t they just be hurting each other then?
Who’s afraid of whom!
Luckily, the worst-case scenario did not occur.
After hearing Lu Yuan’s request, Bai Mengyang’s expression changed slightly, but after careful consideration, he finally nodded: “This matter can be done, I can represent the imperial court and agree to Your Majesty’s conditions.”
As the Wuan Marquis, he is now the person with the highest position in the imperial court besides the Grand General Shen Qiu.
Bai Mengyang’s words still carry great weight.
Therefore, when he speaks, Lu Yuan immediately feels relieved, knowing that the matter has been settled.
Thinking of possibly expanding his territory by three prefectures after this war, he couldn’t help but feel elated.
As his cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book deepens, Lu Yuan becomes more and more aware that the more territory and people he rules, the greater the benefits it has for his cultivation of this Dao Law.
That’s why this time, he proposes these demands. The main reason is to occupy more territory so that his cultivation of the Taiping Dao Book can progress more rapidly.
At this moment, this plan has been achieved.
As a result, he cannot help but smile, “In that case, I have no other conditions. Tomorrow, I will lead the army northward, attacking and breaking through Guining Prefecture and advancing towards Xiangyang City.”
Lu Yuan said this and looked to Bai Mengyang: “At that time, Wuan Marquis, please cooperate closely on this side.”
He alone cannot launch a surprise attack.
In order to keep the Zhou People from discovering this side’s true intentions, the cooperation of Wuan Marquis in this matter is extremely important.
Otherwise, the Zhou People would catch on to his intentions and send troops to rescue before he had even captured Guining Prefecture.
At that time, let alone a surprise attack, whether they could capture Guining Prefecture at all would be a problem.
Bai Mengyang also understands this principle, so he looked at Yan Wangqiu and Su Xuange, saying: “Isn’t it? The two great kings have heard King Changsha’s words.”
When King Changsha leads the troops tomorrow, please send your troops and follow me in a fierce attack on Dangyang City. In this way, we will attract the attention of the Zhou People and create an opportunity for King Changsha.”
When Lu Yuan leads his troops away, he’ll even take twenty thousand of Bai Mengyang’s elite soldiers. In that case, there will only be thirty thousand left under Wuan Marquis.
With this number of soldiers and horses, it’s impossible to attract the attention of the Zhou People.
Accomplishing this naturally requires the cooperation of Nanhai and Ninghai Countries.
Lu Yuan also understands this, so he looks at his two allies as well.
Being watched by both the enemies they dread and the allies they rely on, Su Xuange and Yan Wangqiu naturally feel immense pressure.
Fortunately, the two of them had come prepared to lose their hundred thousand troops in the north, fully aware of their cannon fodder status.
Thus, when facing this request, the two hesitated very little. At that moment, Yan Wangqiu readily agreed: “King Changsha and Wuan Marquis can rest assured that tomorrow I will have the soldiers ready and hand them over to Marquis Wuan’s command.”
“I do not fully understand the ways of war, but whatever Wuan Marquis thinks is the best way to use them, please proceed and arrange it. My country’s soldiers will have no complaints.”
For Yan Wangqiu, he just wants the war to end quickly and return home to enjoy his leisure time.
Now that there is a quick way to end the war, he naturally won’t let it pass and supports the plan wholeheartedly.
Although it may require him to pay a little more, he can bear it.
The loss of a hundred thousand people is nothing to Nanhai Country.
With 700,000 households and over 3.7 million people, losing a hundred thousand soldiers is not a big deal.
After five to six years of recuperation, they can fully recover.
His own safety, on the other hand, is more important to Yan Wangqiu.
Seeing that Yan Wangqiu had expressed his stance, Su Xuange was also somewhat unwilling in his heart.
But since Lu Yuan had made such a sacrifice, as an ally, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
So Su Xuange had no choice but to say, “I can also hand over my military power to Wuan Marquis’s command.”
“Good!” Bai Mengyang, hearing these words, could not help but feel gratified. Clapping his hands, he laughed, “With the help of the three great kings, the defeat of the Zhou People is not far off.”
On hearing this, Lu Yuan and the other two revealed smiles.
However, the meaning behind these smiles is known only to themselves, like drinking water and knowing its warmth or coldness.
Regardless, the strategy to conquer the Zhou People has been settled this morning, and all that remains is to carry it out.
May Heaven bless them, and victory will be theirs in this battle!