Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
With Liu Yuan's tremendous efforts and the repeated mistakes of the Rebel Army, this battle ultimately ended in Liu Yuan's victory.
"Good! Truly worthy of being my beloved minister! You have not disappointed my expectations!" Upon hearing the good news, Murong Cheng was overjoyed, repeatedly praising Liu Yuan and bestowing generous rewards.
Liu Yuan felt immensely proud inside, yet he maintained a facade of humility: "Your Majesty's blessings are abundant; it is all thanks to Your Majesty's favor that we achieved this victory."
Having served as Murong Cheng's confidant for many years, Liu Yuan had mastered the art of pleasing him and knew exactly what words would make Murong Cheng ecstatic.
As expected, Murong Cheng's face lit up with joy upon hearing Liu Yuan's compliments.
The surrounding ministers looked at Liu Yuan with a mix of emotions—envy, jealousy, disdain, and contempt.
However, none of these gazes affected Liu Yuan; he only saw those who were above him in status and was solely focused on climbing higher. As for the opinions of those lowly ants beneath him, he regarded them with utter disdain.
"Your Majesty, now that the Rebel Army has suffered a great defeat and retreated a hundred miles away, what are your orders for the next step?" Merely repelling them was far from enough; he needed to annihilate the Rebel Army completely and shatter their forces to demonstrate his capabilities.
Murong Cheng countered, "What do you think, Minister Liu? Is it possible to pursue them while they are in disarray?"
If feasible, Murong Cheng would have liked to lead the charge himself and crush Gu Bei and Murong Jing underfoot. However, he had not yet become so arrogant as to lose his senses; he understood that he was not suited for leading troops into battle.
Liu Yuan had gained fame at a young age and possessed exceptional knowledge; he was not merely a boastful individual. Yet his treacherous heart was as innate as his talents.
"Your Majesty, our victory this time is not only due to Your Majesty's blessings but also because there is infighting within the Rebel Army," Liu Yuan analyzed. "The Third Prince is inexperienced in battle and may clash with General Gu."
Murong Cheng was well aware of Murong Jing's temperament; expecting him to obediently follow someone else's command was nearly impossible.
"So you mean we should decide the battle now?" Murong Cheng grasped Liu Yuan's implication. The longer they delayed, the less friction there would be within the Rebel Army.
Although Murong Jing was flamboyant, he was not someone who lacked awareness; he would not cause trouble in significant matters. As for Gu Bei, with his rich experience in leading troops, guiding a newcomer would merely be a matter of time.
At this moment, it wouldn't be too long.
"Indeed. When the prince and Gu Bei can truly cooperate, it will be a great disaster for the emperor and Dongchuan," Liu Yuan thought to himself. He was well aware that winning this time did not guarantee victories in the future.
When it came to the intrigues of interpersonal relationships, Liu Yuan was confident that even Gu Bei was no match for him. However, when it came to leading troops into battle, he would not delude himself into thinking he could easily defeat Dongchuan's top general.
Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of both allies and enemies was an important condition for climbing higher.
After all, this was how one could find the right stepping stones.
Murong Cheng felt somewhat displeased by Liu Yuan's high regard for the Rebel Army's strength. Yet, this was a fact he had to admit, with no grounds for rebuttal.
"Since that's the case, my dear minister, you shall strike again and pursue them relentlessly." Such a pressing concern could not be allowed to grow stronger.
However, Liu Yuan had a different opinion. "A decisive battle is necessary, but as for pursuing them..." A chilling smile crept onto his lips. "We will pursue, but not the Rebel Army; we will pursue their reinforcements!"
As Liu Yuan had anticipated, after suffering a heavy blow, the Rebel Army fell into chaos and could no longer continue fighting. They had no choice but to retreat and wait for reinforcements within the city.
"General Gu, I would like to hear why this supposedly sound battle plan fell apart in actual combat," Murong Jing said, his frustration boiling over after losing to the incompetent Murong Cheng he had always looked down upon. He couldn't help but speak to Gu Bei with a harsh tone.
Gu Bei did not retort but also did not try to ingratiate himself. He simply stated the facts: "On the battlefield, situations change rapidly; no single tactic can cover all bases."
Victory and defeat are common occurrences in warfare. Having served in the military for many years, Gu Bei had thoroughly grasped this principle. He was not afraid of losing; as long as he fought honorably, he could accept any outcome.
"What a convenient excuse—'the battlefield changes rapidly!'" This reasoning sounded like a poor excuse in Murong Jing's ears. "Are you saying that losing means one deserves to be unlucky?"
Gu Bei remained composed and replied, "When we lose, we must analyze the reasons behind that loss and avoid making the same mistakes in future battles. If the prince has time to critique me here, it would be better spent reviewing this campaign's records in hopes of deriving what you seek from them. I take my leave."
Gu Bei was constantly busy, having no time to waste on this arrogant prince. He didn't mind sharing his experience with Murong Jing, as long as he was genuinely willing to learn and not just standing by as an outsider offering unsolicited advice.
The news of the defeat quickly reached Yeh Hsiao-Han's ears, leaving her in a state of panic.
"How could we lose? I can't believe it!" In her mind, Gu Bei, as a general, should have been able to crush these unknown foes with just a flick of his finger.
She never expected that Gu Bei would lose to someone as despicable as Liu Yuan.
"What are we going to do now? I really hadn't considered that we could lose at this stage." In other aspects, she might have thought they were not a match for those cunning enemies. But in terms of battle, it shouldn't have been so difficult for them.
Luo Jingxian noticed her furrowed brow and shared her concern. "Is Liu Yuan really that formidable?"
"Formidable my foot! He's just one person!" Yeh Hsiao-Han felt nothing but disdain for Liu Yuan; just mentioning his name made her uncomfortable.
She briefly recounted the past events, causing Luo Jingxian's brows to knit together. "How despicable! How shameless!"
Losing to others was bearable, but losing to such a treacherous enemy who had harmed them was intolerable.
Yeh Hsiao-Han nodded in agreement. "Exactly! He's the kind of person who makes you feel like you're being bitten by fleas all over—just utterly unpleasant!"
After a moment of thought, Luo Jingxian said, "If he won, that foolish emperor will definitely send him out to fight again. Shouldn't we take care of him first?"
"Take care of him?" Yeh Hsiao-Han was momentarily taken aback. "How do we take care of him? We don't even know how to fight."
Luo Jingxian flashed an innocent smile, but a glint of cunning sparkled in her eyes. "Who said we need to go to the battlefield? We're in the capital, right? So let's handle it the capital way!"
"Huh?" Yeh Hsiao-Han looked at her in confusion before quickly realizing. "You mean..."
She thought for a moment and let out a sly laugh. "Not bad, not bad! You're absolutely right! To deal with despicable people, one must use despicable methods to match their vile nature!"
"Mm!" Luo Jingxian nodded. Having been born in the palace, she had seen so many schemes and intrigues that she had become numb to them; she simply looked down on using such tactics. But if it came to actually employing them, there would be an endless supply!
After discussing for a while, the two of them settled on several plans. It was always good to prepare multiple options in case the first one failed.
Liu Yuan was cunning and treacherous; direct contact with him would likely not be easy and could lead to exposure. They decided to target those around him, and the best candidate available was Liu Yuan's concubine, Yang Juanjuan.
Yeh Hsiao-Han had dealt with Yang Juanjuan before and knew her fairly well.
This woman had plenty of malice in her heart, but not much intelligence in her head. It wouldn't be difficult to manipulate her.
She sent someone to follow Yang Juanjuan and soon thoroughly understood her daily habits.
"You mean she often wanders around outside the General's residence?" Yeh Hsiao-Han seized upon a useful piece of information and asked the subordinate who had come to report.
The subordinate replied, "Yes, Madam. It is indeed the case. She doesn't seem to have any ill intentions toward the General's residence, nor does she possess any martial skills. After being stopped by the guards, she didn't attempt to enter again; she just kept wandering around."
Yeh Hsiao-Han smiled lightly. It wasn't that she posed a threat to the General's residence; rather, it seemed she was reluctant to let go of the fond memories from years past.
Very well, this was an opportunity they could exploit.
Comment 0 Comment Count