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墨書 Inktalez
"Mm? Have you come up with a good plan so soon?"
Lei Kai and Lu Qing exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock. They had intended to test Lu Chen, but they did not expect such a quick response. After glancing at the map and asking a few questions, he had already devised a strategy to repel the enemy.
"Gate General, please don't joke around. The defense of the city is a matter of great military importance; we cannot afford any delays. A slight misstep could lead to disaster for both of us," Lei Kai and Lu Qing urged Lu Chen.
"I appreciate your good intentions, generals. My strategy to repel the enemy is no joke. If anything goes wrong while following my plan, I am willing to accept punishment. I will immediately establish a Military Pledge; if I delay any military matters, then you may take my head."
Lu Chen suddenly emphasized his words, speaking clearly and deliberately. He had already thought through his strategy to repel the enemy, and if there were any mistakes, he would accept the consequences.
Seeing Lu Chen's demeanor, which was clearly serious and not joking, Lei Kai was startled and quickly said, "Gate General, you are being too harsh. We were just joking with you; please do not take it to heart."
"I am not joking; I am serious. Once this strategy is proposed, if it fails to repel the enemy, I, Lu Chen, will remove my armor and accept death as punishment. As a general, one must lead by example and keep one's word; how can I set an example for my soldiers otherwise? If I do not uphold my promises, how can I command their respect?"
Lu Chen's words were powerful and righteous, delivered with an imposing presence that left Lei Kai and Lu Qing stunned.
"Bring me paper; I will immediately establish a Military Pledge. If I cannot repel the enemy, then let it be carried out according to what is written in the pledge—no exceptions. Additionally, General Lu Qing, please announce this matter to the entire army; I want everyone to know about this Military Pledge," Lu Chen said as he glanced at Lei Kai, ignoring his astonished expression before turning back to Lu Qing.
"Gate General, this is no trivial matter; we cannot afford to joke about it," Lu Qing cautioned.
"There is no need for further discussion. Bring me paper immediately; a ruler does not speak lightly, nor does a subject make idle promises—no exceptions," Lu Chen insisted.
Lu Qing looked at Lei Kai, unsure whether he should proceed with this course of action. Although Lu Chen held no formal position, his title of Gate General was conferred by Han Dynasty's Sun Zizhao's relatives. If anything went wrong, who would bear the responsibility?
After a moment of contemplation, Lei Kai nodded in agreement for Lu Qing to fetch the paper.
Moments later, paper and ink were prepared. Lu Chen stepped forward, rolled up his sleeves, raised his right hand with the brush poised, and began to write elegantly on the paper.
"Military Pledge, the court has Equal Man leading an army of 150,000 to invade our territory. The situation is Essence. I, Chen, propose a plan: if we cannot repel the enemy and ensure the safety of our land, I am willing to accept punishment and offer my head as an apology. Signed, Lu Chen."
Lu Chen quickly finished writing. His calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, showing solid writing skills, while Lei Kai and Lu Qing looked on in astonishment.
In addition to Lu Chen's impressive handwriting and presence, his concise statement clearly outlined the situation without any ambiguity, demonstrating his determination and instilling confidence in others.
"General Lu Qing, please take this document down and spread the news to boost our troops' morale," Lu Chen instructed. His actions indicated that Equal Baron Luo Yi must retreat; if he did not, they would all perish. Once the document circulated, it would uplift the soldiers' spirits and encourage them to fight with a winning mindset.
"Understood, I will handle it immediately," Lu Qing replied, taking the document and leaving the hall in a hurry. It wouldn't take long for the news of Lu Chen, the Gate General, making a Military Pledge to defeat the enemy to spread throughout Qinghe Provincial City.
"General Lei Kai, I need you to personally oversee the battle now," Lu Chen said, pointing at the sand table.
Lei Kai immediately approached and said, "You can give your orders freely; from now on, I am your soldier. Just let me know what you need."
Lu Chen nodded. Now that Lei Kai trusted him and was willing to follow his commands, he began analyzing the situation by pointing at the sand table: "Luo Yi is deploying his forces in three directions against Qinghe Province. The main force of 35,000 will directly attack Qinghe Provincial City West Gate, which is one of his objectives. The other two flanks will each have around 20,000 troops, half of the remaining total. The side near the Yuan River is a water route, so their progress will be slow; they will arrive at least half a day later than the main force. The other side has mountainous terrain; although they might speed up their march to avoid delays, that area is not suitable for ambushes."
In one breath, Lu Chen laid out the entire process of Luo Yi's military movements and troop deployments in a clear and detailed manner.
Lei Kai found it very reasonable. He realized that while he had only considered what Luo Yi would do upon arrival, Lu Chen had already thought through how to respond before that point. What was Luo Yi's true objective?
"What does the Gate General mean?" Lei Kai asked skeptically.
“Military Strategy It is said that we should suppress their sharpness and avoid their brilliance. Luo Yi has come this time with his brilliance fully displayed and high morale. We absolutely cannot engage them directly, and holding Qinghe City is definitely not a solution,” Lu Chen said.
Although the walls of Qinghe City have been reinforced, they are still not suitable for a prolonged defense due to terrain issues and supply shortages. If Luo Yi lays siege for three months, Lu Chen and the others will surely perish.
“Does Gate General mean we should take the initiative?” Lei Kai asked incredulously. In such a situation, Lu Chen actually wanted to take the offensive against Luo Yi.
Lu Chen nodded firmly and said, “That’s right. We must take the initiative. According to my plan, Luo Yi’s Left Wing Legion will be traversing mountainous terrain, which is difficult to navigate. The steep mountains make it hard for Luo Yi to split his forces into three routes effectively. Our goal is to suppress their sharpness and defeat his Left Wing Legion.”
Lei Kai nodded. Although this plan was somewhat risky, it was worth a try.
Lu Chen continued, “I will lead five thousand troops to break through Luo Yi’s Left Wing Legion. After that, we will see how Luo Yi responds. If he divides his forces to support the left wing, then our central force will immediately strike against the main force of the Robe Legion. That’s one option. If Luo Yi refuses to support the Left Wing Legion, then I will directly crush his Left Wing Legion, suppressing their sharpness.”
Lei Kai nodded and said, “That’s a good strategy, but isn’t five thousand troops a bit too few?”
Lu Chen waved his hand and replied, “Quality over quantity is key in warfare. A smaller but elite force can be more effective than a larger one. With fewer troops, we can retreat easily without carrying heavy supplies; just three days' worth of food and water will suffice.”
Lei Kai nodded again. Everything that Lu Chen thought of was something he hadn’t considered before. His impression of Lu Chen had completely changed; he felt that Lu Chen was not just a person but a god—the god of Military Strategy.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen stood tall and pointed at the sand table, continuing, “This is the first part. The second part: if Luo Yi supports the Left Wing Legion, then I ask General Lei Kai to personally go online and launch a surprise attack on Luo Yi. I will arrive as quickly as possible. Even if this action does not yield immediate results, it will be enough to dampen Luo Yi’s spirit.”
Lei Kai nodded vigorously and said, “Alright, no problem. We’ll arrange light cavalry scouts for communication.”
Lu Chen licked his lips and continued, “The premise is that we must complete this before the arrival of Luo Yi’s Right Wing Legion. We only have half the time left; after that, the Right Wing Legion will inevitably arrive, and the consequences would be dire. Moreover, it seems that there are urgent orders for all of Luo Yi’s forces; the Defender of the Realm has given him little time because he also needs to head north to support the battlefield in Qi Kingdom. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be advancing so aggressively.”
Upon hearing this, Lei Kai suddenly felt enlightened and said, “You’re right! The speed at which Luo Yi is marching is indeed abnormal; it shows he is under pressure and must leave soon to support the battlefield in Qi Kingdom. How did I not think of this?”
“This makes things interesting. Truly, Gate General, you are remarkable! When do you plan to set out?” Lei Kai asked Lu Chen.
Lu Chen did not hesitate and responded casually, "Let's have a good rest tonight. Ming Lingchen will rebel at midnight and set off at dawn. General Lei Kai, please take care of the troop mobilization. We need five hundred archers, one thousand cavalry, and three thousand five hundred infantry. They must be strong and capable."
Lu Chen instructed Lei Kai to immediately gather the troops and prepare everything: five hundred archers, one thousand cavalry, and three thousand five hundred infantry, all of whom must be skilled fighters. After all, Luo Yi's Left Wing Legion had over twenty thousand mercenaries, nearly five times Lu Chen's strength, so there could be no slack.
Lei Kai nodded solemnly and said, "Alright, I will take care of it right away. Does Gate General have any other requests?"
Lu Chen shook his head and replied, "That's all for now. Thank you, General."
Lei Kai nodded and left the hall to gather the troops. Lu Chen stood in front of the sand table, taking a deep breath, appearing contemplative. Shortly after, Lu Chen also left.
Time passed quickly; as night fell, Lu Chen did not rest but sat alone in a chair thinking about matters.
He had already put on his Yanlin Armor and silently counted the hours. When he felt it was about time, Lu Chen walked out of his room and headed to the training ground.
Sure enough, five thousand soldiers had gathered: five hundred archers, one thousand cavalry, and three thousand five hundred infantry. These soldiers were full of energy; they indeed appeared to be skilled.
After reviewing the troops, Lu Chen found no issues. He distributed a bag of rations to each soldier but decided against providing water since they were on the move and there would be plenty available along the way.
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