A hoarse voice came from inside the cloak: "He's right. We have a fortified city in front, pursuers behind, and our supplies have been cut off. If we gamble everything now, we'll be throwing our lives away. Young Commander, I suggest we go and meet up with General He first, and then we can decide what to do."

Neither Yang Qingzhi nor Li Yunqing made a sound.

The man in the grey robe said, “I know everyone is unwilling to accept this, and I am too, but we need to stay calm now. Although Nantong City has been lost, the three cities of Yunmeng are still there. We can retreat to Yunmeng first and plunder the food supplies from the three cities to tide us over for a while.”

"I didn't expect that even with all my caution, I would still fall into Zhao Cheng's trap. He knows how to take advantage of the timing and location, and he can also see through people's hearts and think what I'm thinking. We underestimated him. He seems to be a genius who is good at devising ingenious plans, but in reality, he is a true strategist. I need to calm down and reflect carefully, and reread his character."

Yang Qingzhi frowned, probably feeling more and more uncomfortable as the gray-robed man spoke highly of Zhao Cheng.

Feng Jing was defeated in three days, and Xiao Luofeng was defeated in five days.

He originally thought that with his leadership skills and the wisdom of the gray-robed man, he could make Zhao Cheng taste the bitterness of defeat.

But to my surprise, he still managed to outmaneuver me.

Thinking of this, Yang Qingzhi often sighed, feeling utterly desolate at this moment, all his former high spirits now seeming incredibly lonely.

Zuo Zhu, who had remained silent, glanced at the gray-robed man and Yang Qingzhi alternately before saying, "Young Commander, the strategist is right. Although we seem to have lost, the casualties among our soldiers are not high. If we regroup, there is still hope."

Yang Qingzhi pondered for a moment, then took a deep look at the Zhao-character commander's flag on the city wall before saying, "Then let's follow the strategist's advice and retreat first."

...

In the council hall, all the generals were beaming with joy, their happiness overwhelmed.

The generals were excited mainly because this victory was hard-won, and Zhao Cheng's decision to prevent the entire army from engaging in battle left many feeling frustrated.

The longer something is suppressed, the stronger it will erupt.

Especially when everyone realized that it was all a scheme orchestrated by Zhao Cheng, they suddenly understood that they were not being overwhelmed by the enemy, but rather that the enemy had been constantly being schemed against by Zhao Cheng.

Just thinking about it makes me feel so good!

Zhao Cheng sat behind the desk, a smile on his face, his expression filled with joy.

"Feigning cowardice and disregarding the objections of his generals, he deliberately ceded the low-lying city of Nantong to the Southern Zhou army, then held firm and waited for the heavy rains to ruin Nantong's weapons and provisions before delivering a fatal blow to the Southern Zhou army. The general's foresight is simply divine!"

As Cheng Xu reviewed the game, his admiration for Zhao Cheng rose to a new level.

Zhao Cheng said, "My fear of death is not an act; I am genuinely afraid of death. As for being a god, I don't think so either. Cheng Xu, you are well-versed in military strategy and are good at learning. Remember that tactics and strategies are nothing more than three points."

"Take advantage of favorable timing, utilize the terrain, and understand people's hearts."

"As long as you make good use of these three points, you will be invincible."

Cheng Xu said solemnly, "Xu, I have learned a lot!"

Zhao Cheng looked at Zhao Yan and asked, "Third brother, how was your battle with Nie Zheng?"

Zhao Yan said, "Merlin Overlord lives up to his name; he is skilled in both offense and defense and is not easy to deal with."

Zhao Cheng laughed and said, "He couldn't do anything to you. You're so much younger than him, and you're the one who's more capable."

Zhao Yan said, "Although he cannot forcefully suppress me, I also cannot break his Overlord Body Technique."

Zhao Cheng nodded and said, "If this person continues to help the Southern Zhou army, it will indeed be a problem."

Zhao Yan said, "Probably not. After General Tuo Tie led his men to attack, Nie Zheng left. He told me that if I had the chance to go to Southern Zhou in the future, I should go to Meilin to find him."

"Why would you want to see him?"

He said I was qualified to play chess with him.

Zhao Cheng thought for a moment and said, "So it seems he's gone back to Merlin. What about me, Xiao?"

Zhao Yan said, "I, Xiao, am slightly better than Cui Wuming. After Cui Wuming withdrew, I, Xiao, also left."

Zhao Cheng said, "Fortunately, these two grandmasters are unwilling to serve the court, otherwise I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough for me to have only Zhao Hu and Heng Wenhao by my side."

"Take off the black flower sticker, Zhao Hu, Heng Wenhao!"

"exist!!!"

"The three of you performed well in this battle. Your military merits will be recorded for now. After we drive Yang Qingzhi back to Southern Zhou, I will ask His Majesty for a reward for you!"

"Thank you, General Xie!!!"

Zhao Cheng looked at Cheng Xu and asked, "Strategist, what do you think the Southern Zhou army will do next?"

Cheng Xu had already analyzed the situation ahead, saying, "Yang Qingzhi has retreated to Yunmeng City. They are surviving on the grain they plundered from the three cities of Yunmeng, but this is not a long-term solution. After all, the grain from the three cities of Yunmeng was plundered by them a few months ago, and the people's food reserves are running low."

"Yang Qingzhi can only place his hopes on the support of the Southern Zhou court. But..."

"His fall into the General's trap this time, which is undoubtedly a great opportunity for those in the Southern Zhou court who oppose him. If the court continues to support his northern expedition, he will probably choose to proceed cautiously and fight a protracted war with us. He has ways to maneuver if the war drags on, but if he loses, his situation when he returns will probably be dire."

"But if the court does not support his continued northern expedition, then... we just need to wait, and he will have no choice but to withdraw his troops."

Zhao Cheng nodded and said, "I really sympathize with him. The internal strife in the Southern Zhou court is fierce. He has great skills, but he has to be cautious and can't use them freely."

Cheng Xu gently waved his feather fan and smiled, "Yang Qingzhi must be very envious of the General."

"The right to speak is something that must be fought for."

Zhao Cheng stood up, pulled up his trousers, and said, "Yang Qingzhi is in a very passive situation now. Wasn't my father in the same situation back then?"

When this was mentioned, Zhao Yan, Zhao Hu, and the others did not show any change in expression, but Cheng Xu and the others were slightly moved.

Cheng Xu then realized something and said, "General, judging from the timeline, Tu Wei's message should have already been delivered to the Empress Dowager."

"Of course," Zhao Cheng said calmly.

Cheng Xu suggested, "I suggest... General, you should write a letter to the Empress Dowager in your own handwriting."

Zhao Yan said, "I ordered the killing. I will explain to the Empress Dowager when I return."

Cheng Xu nodded to Zhao Yan and continued to Zhao Cheng, "That's true, but if the General sends a letter, it will make things easier for Her Highness the Princess."

Just as Zhao Yan was about to continue speaking, Zhao Cheng pressed down on his shoulder and said, "The strategist is right. This letter must indeed be written. The Empress Dowager doesn't have many relatives left, and I should comfort her. The war is not over yet, and the palace cannot be in chaos."

Cheng Xu said, "General, you are wise!"

Zhao Cheng walked a few steps in the hall and called out, "Yuan Fei!"

“Here!” Yuan Fei stepped forward.

Zhao Cheng instructed, "This period will be another busy time for you. Organize men to closely monitor the movements of the Southern Zhou army. Yang Qingzhi is a very resilient man, and that gray-robed strategist probably won't give up so easily either. Keep a close eye on him!"