Chapter 739: The Battle Begins (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"My lord, my lord..."

Even Tao Yan's former subordinates, who were still unwilling to give up, were completely convinced when they saw the irrefutable evidence presented by Huang Lie. He stood there stunned for a long time, his mind replaying all the hardships he had endured recently. Faced with the truth, his perseverance instantly became a joke, and he immediately burst into tears.

"Waaaaah—My lord is so foolish—"

He collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, his head spinning. His legs were stretched out wide, and he pounded them with his hands as he cried, whimpering to express his endless grievances. Thick, stringy saliva connected his two rows of badly worn, yellow teeth.

Huang Lie ordered his men to help him up, then turned to Kang Shi and pleaded for him: "This man is just an ordinary soldier. He had no way of knowing about Tao Shenyu's misdeeds. As the saying goes, ignorance is no excuse. Let's just let bygones be bygones regarding his false accusation against Prefect Shen."

Kang Shi did not say he would pursue the matter further, but he also did not say he would not.

He was only worried about one thing: "How is my lord?"

Whether Tao Yan's former subordinates falsely accused Shen Tang or he chose not to pursue the matter, those weren't the main issues. He only wanted to know the current state of his lord's troops who had fought Tao Yan. Wasn't Huang Lie, as the alliance leader, putting the cart before the horse by pleading for a mere soldier instead of caring about the safety of his allies? Wasn't he afraid of alienating people?

Under Kang Shi's disapproving gaze, Huang Lie finally remembered the matter, and a moment of embarrassment flashed across his face, which disappeared in an instant.

After venting their emotions, Tao Yan's former subordinates calmed down considerably.

He wiped away his tears with the back of his mud-covered hands, choking back sobs as he recounted what he knew. Upon hearing that Shen Tang's troops had been prepared and had still achieved a great victory, Kang Shi's expression visibly relaxed. He said, "The matter of false accusation is not something I can decide. Let's wait for our lord to return and handle it. Does Alliance Leader Huang have any objections?"

“Prefect Shen is the one who suffered the most, and that is only right.”

The other allies of the coalition had no objections.

Kang Shi then took the anxious soldier away. Back in his tent, he ordered his men to prepare some dry rations, water bags, and clean clothes for him: "This place is not safe. You should leave as soon as possible."

Tao Yan's former subordinate was still in a daze. He thought he was about to be beheaded, but to his surprise, he not only survived but was also treated with courtesy. He was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear into the ground. He stammered, "Why...why didn't you kill me..."

He still couldn't quite believe it.

Kang Shi: "Because of your loyalty and ability to distinguish right from wrong, if you still accuse my master when faced with irrefutable evidence, then naturally I cannot let you live."

Having just witnessed it, he only felt a sense of pity and sorrow.

Tao Yan is not worthy of such a loyal and righteous person.

To put it bluntly, how could these lowest-ranking soldiers possibly know about the infighting among those above them? They often lose their lives unknowingly. Besides, no one knows the truth better than him. This man doesn't necessarily have to die, so why not spare his life?

Upon hearing this, Tao Yan's former subordinates wept bitterly once more.

But this time it wasn't because of Tao Yan, but because of being moved.

The two emotional outbursts had exhausted him, leaving his mind somewhat oxygen-deprived, a blank, and disoriented. Kang Shi had the army doctor give him basic treatment, and by the time he regained his senses, Kang Shi had already left the camp with his rations and water bag.

Standing alone in the cold wind.

The Allied camp shrank into a tiny dot behind them.

For a moment, he didn't know where to go. Because of war and famine, he had lost all his blood relatives and was now all alone. Where could he find a place to stay? As if guided by some strange force, he identified the direction and headed towards Longwu County.

The matter of Tao Yan's former subordinates did not cause much of a stir.

Regardless of whether this person made a false accusation, even if it wasn't, with Tao Yan's army already wiped out, winning over Shen Tang was naturally more important. Whether Kang Shi wanted to kill this person or spare his life was of no concern to any of the families; what they cared about was the overall situation!

No sooner had Tao Yan's former subordinates left than Shen Tang's messenger arrived, bringing with him great news that boosted morale!

"Has Prefect Shen captured Cunshan?"

Huang Lie was initially incredulous when he received the news.

He calculated the strength of Cunshan's troops and the forces Shen Tang had led, his eyes darkening slightly. Shen Tang had fought Tao Yan first, and even though he gained the initial advantage, he couldn't have taken Cunshan without suffering losses. In this state, how could they possibly capture Cunshan in a short time?

After the messenger explained the whole story in detail, the allies in the tent were speechless. Who would have thought that Shen Tang would be so bold?

A series of scams completely fooled the guards at Cunshan.

Cunning, so incredibly cunning!

Fortunately, the person surnamed Shen is one of our own. If he were an enemy, he would either be furious or choked to death by such a formidable opponent.

Huang Lie clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Prefect Shen is truly a hero among young men. In terms of courage and boldness, we are far inferior to him."

Zhang He followed up with a cupped-hand salute: "Now that Cunshan has been captured, Alliance Leader Huang, the time is ripe and we cannot wait any longer."

If they wait any longer, the upstream glaciers will melt, and the Miaojiang River will rise during the flood season, making the river turbulent and difficult for them to cross.

Huang Lie nodded in deep agreement: "That's true."

He stroked his beard and asked the men under his command, "What do you all think?"

No one had any objections.

With Shen Tang's troops standing like a nail in Cunshan, constantly threatening the safety of Aoshan County and containing Zheng Qiao's troops from the side, if our side hesitated any longer, Shen Tang would probably be cursing us out. Immediately, they stepped forward to volunteer for battle, their voices full of fervor.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lie slammed his hand on the table.

He shouted, "Good! Success or failure hinges on this! In this battle, we will surely slay the dragon's head and restore a bright and clear world to all the people!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the tent followed suit.

"We are willing to follow our leader!"

"Cut off that bastard Zheng Qiao's head!"

Zheng Qiao did not miss the commotion on the Allied side. He coldly watched as the fish kept swarming around, eager to bite the hook, stirring the water as if it were boiling. He then ordered, "Men, bring all of these up in the net."

The fish are eating the bait.

Little did they know that they too would end up on the chopping block.

Watching the fish thrashing about in the basket after leaving the water, Zheng Qiao sneered. She wondered how many of them could actually escape the basket.

"Those who dance well will all be rewarded."

After saying that, he burst into laughter without warning.

The palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby were horrified.

Just when they thought Zheng Qiao was about to go berserk and kill again, he changed his expression in an instant, calmly ordering a group of court officials to come and discuss state affairs. He hadn't been just loafing around lately; he had ordered people to prepare all the necessary arrangements.

This is the last battle; we must fight it well.

"I will personally oversee the battle."

War is imminent.

Unexpectedly, the first battle to break out was not on the Miaojiang battlefield, but on Shen Tang's troops, who were secretly threatening Zheng Qiao.

She spent several days stabilizing Cunshan, and the next step was to plan an attack to make Zheng Qiao's side truly feel the crisis: "Judging by the time, the Allied forces should have received our message by now. I asked some local farmers, and they all said that in a few days, the weather will warm up rapidly, and the water level of the Miaojiang River will start to rise sharply... which will be extremely unfavorable to us."

The Allied forces probably know this too.

This is the last chance to take action in the near future.

If you miss this opportunity, you'll have to wait until the flood season is over.

Shen Tang decided to take a gamble and trust these unreliable teammates. They'd been offline for so long; surely they'd be reliable for once?

Xie Qi: "Zheng Qiao has sent troops to keep an eye on Cunshan."

Shen Tang replied without hesitation: "Then let's call!"

Xie Qi said, "They might hold out and refuse to come out."

It's not a possibility, it's a certainty. Xie Qi came all the way from Zheng Qiao's side, so he knows all too well the orders Zheng Qiao gave to this army. The order is simple: stall, stall Shen Tang's forces, and prevent her from supporting Huang Lie and the others.

It would be best to block Shen Tang's troops at Cunshan and prevent them from leaving.

Xie Qi actually wanted to persuade Shen Tang to send troops to raid the granary, which would solve the problem once and for all. However, knowing Shen Tang's attitude towards the granary, as a newcomer, he dared not risk bringing it up before he had a good grasp of his new lord's temperament.

Shen Tang frowned: "So the only option is a direct attack?"

They're trying to forcibly dismantle someone else's turtle shell again.

Xie Qi replied, "The only option left is a direct assault."

But how to launch a strong attack is also a skill.

Breaking through the enemy's defenses isn't the problem; the challenge lies in achieving it with minimal losses. A direct assault would inevitably provoke fierce resistance. Therefore, their only option is to strike unexpectedly, catching the enemy off guard. A surprise attack is a tried-and-tested tactic.

Xie Qi was very familiar with the defenses of Ganzhou.

Relying on the latest intelligence he brought, and combining it with Wei Shou's version, Shen Tang and the others stared at the map and discussed for a long time without reaching a conclusion. It wasn't that they lacked battle plans, but rather that there were too many plans, and everyone held their own opinions, making it impossible to reach a consensus for the time being.

One version involves directly defeating the opponent.

Version Two: Flank behind and stab the opponent to death.

Version three combines the two solutions above.

The direct confrontation was quite brutal, and there was a general consensus on the matter. The only point of contention was the arrangement of the military formation's incantation.

The version about flanking and creating death is more complicated, with differing opinions on the specific methods of flanking.

Jiang Sheng and others preferred to dig tunnels.

However, this method wasn't very effective. The area around Miaojiang had a well-developed underground water system, and it would take time to explore it thoroughly. Chen Tang's side had limited manpower, and even if everyone worked together, the schedule was tight, especially with the flood season being so crucial. When Xie Qi first heard this idea, he looked at Jiang Sheng with horror in his eyes.

Dig a tunnel to get there?

How can we possibly keep up with digging for months at a time?

Wei Shou had never witnessed the power of tunnel warfare.

He gave an unfriendly sneer: "Crawling underground behind the enemy? Why not just fly over their heads?"

Jiang Sheng rolled his eyes at him, but Wei Shou remained unfazed.

Chu Yao and his men preferred to attack from the weakest point, break through and then advance rapidly, with their own forces splitting into two groups to encircle the enemy. This suggestion was feasible, because the "weakest point" that Chu Yao mentioned was exactly where Shen Tang had previously taken a risky gamble and looted.

If they choose this path, they'll have ample time, and troop losses can be minimized. Seeing that everyone's voices were about to reach a consensus, Shen Tang, gazing at the map, rested his chin on his hand, harboring other thoughts.

"Going underground would take too long, going in the air is beyond our capabilities, and going on the ground would require us to fight someone first. How about going by water?"

She pointed to the river on the map: "Shizang said that these troops are specifically watching us, so it's easy for them to spot our large-scale marches. But if we take this waterway and follow the water... will they still be able to find us?"

Beyond the precipitous riverbank lies a blind spot.

(︿)

I'm stuck on this. I have to explain Ah Nian, write about both battlefields, arrange Zheng Qiao's exit and kills, and I'm getting dizzy from doing so many practice questions for the driving test... I get sleepy as soon as I start practicing, I don't know what's wrong with me.

P.S.: Want to guess what happened to Ah Nian? Hehe.

(End of this chapter)