Chapter 432 This brat is not worth plotting with!

Yuwen Ye frowned and reached up to touch his forehead.

I feel a little dizzy.

But he straightened up, shook his head, and immediately came to his senses. He then smiled faintly at Shang Ruyi and said, "It's nothing."

"real?"

Shang Ruyi recalled that during his fierce battle with Xue Xian, he had almost exhausted himself several times. Looking at him now, his face was also a little pale, so she said softly, "But your complexion is not good."

Yuwen Ye laughed and said, "After this battle, no one will look too good."

"..."

"Alright, that's all. I still have things to say to them. You should rest."

After saying that, he gently patted Shang Ruyi's shoulder to indicate that he was alright, then turned around and strode out. In a short while, his figure disappeared into the night.

Shang Ruyi watched his retreating figure in silence for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

Kexin, however, did not let go.

Before the expedition, Yuwen Yuan and the others had been worried about his health. Although today's battle can be considered a victory, he must have been greatly exhausted. They would have to make sure he got proper nourishment in the days to come.

Just then, a very light footstep approached the door.

"Young Madam..."

Shang Ruyi looked up and saw Wo Xue. She must have seen Yuwen Ye leave before she cautiously approached. Shang Ruyi asked, "What is it?"

Wo Xue said, "The medicine that the young mistress instructed me to brew was already brewed, but it's gotten cold now."

"oh……"

Shang Ruyi then remembered that before Xue Xian came, she had planned to brew some medicine for Yuwen Ye to nourish him.

Wo Xue asked, "Does the young mistress still want the second young master to drink that medicine?"

Shang Ruyi nodded: "Yes, go heat it up a bit, and remember to add some water, but not too much."

"yes."

Upon hearing this, Wo Xue immediately turned around and left.

Shang Ruyi walked to the door again. Although it was already very late, the sky in front of her was inexplicably glowing slightly. This was because the entire Fufeng had not yet fallen into night. The ecstatic soldiers and civilians were still lighting lamps and holding torches, cheering and jumping for joy in the city. The clamor could be heard from afar.

The area in front of the government office was also brightly lit.

Yuwen Ye was going to go there to discuss with the garrison commander how to defend Fufeng City. In addition to holding the city, they also needed to repel Xue Xian's army to ensure the safety of Daxing City.

That's why he just said that the real test is yet to come.

Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart—and it wasn't just the battle of Fufeng. She always felt that, besides the war, there was an invisible stone, one that she herself didn't know where it came from, weighing heavily on her heart.

It's suffocating.

|

Meanwhile, in the brightly lit council hall, Yuwen Ye sat imposingly at the head of the table.

His gleaming armor shone brightly in the surrounding candlelight. His clothes, soaked from the fierce battle on the Xiaolin River, were now warmed by his body heat, and the steaming heat spread around, giving the entire council hall a faint smell of blood.

The military supervisors and deputy generals sitting to his left and right were all intimidated by the invisible aura emanating from him, and dared not even breathe loudly.

Even the supervising officer, Yin Changyue, was being extremely cautious at this moment.

Only the army commander Song Yu had a gloomy face, and his brows seemed to be filled with resentment.

After Mu Xian and Cheng Qiao reported the situation after clearing the battlefield, Yuwen Ye's already furrowed brows deepened, and he said, "The enemy suffered more than 9,100 casualties, and our army captured more than 1,300 people?"

Mu Xian said, "Yes."

Yuwen Ye said, "Therefore, the enemy's losses in one battle were no more than ten thousand men."

"……yes."

"Where are our troops?"

"More than two hundred people were killed or injured."

Yuwen Ye remained silent, his face grim.

Seeing his expression, the atmosphere in the council hall became somber. Yin Changyue thought for a moment and then smiled, "General, your first battle has been a resounding success, congratulations!"

Yuwen Ye glanced at him.

Although military supervisors are always the most disliked people by generals who go out to fight, especially after Kou Yunliang's rebellion last time, he was even more wary of such people. But this time was indeed different. After all, Yuwen Yuan had been promoted to Grand Chancellor and was in charge of the government. Although the military supervisor sent this time was not directly handled by him, he had been in the hands of Eunuch Yu. Along the way, it was clear that Yin Changyue was not a troublemaker.

On the contrary, it reveals a hint of cowardice and timidity.

As long as such people don't make things difficult for him, Yuwen Ye never makes things difficult for them. So he said, "Lord Yin is too kind. Although we won this battle, there's nothing to be so happy about."

Upon hearing his words, everyone's expression changed slightly.

Yin Changyue forced a smile and said, "What the General means is—"

Yuwen Ye said, "Xue Xian won't underestimate his opponent every time."

"..."

"Although they suffered a defeat today, it is clear that the Longxi army is well-trained. Although Xue Xian's horse was injured, his men immediately came to protect him when we attacked. Moreover, their retreat was quite orderly. It was only because of our charge that they were unable to cross the river in time, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several thousand men."

"..."

"So we only won this battle by luck."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cold laugh rang out in the council chamber.

Mu Xian frowned subconsciously and turned his head to see Song Yu, the army commander sitting to Yuwen Ye's right. Song Yu had been sitting with a gloomy face. He stood up, glanced at Yuwen Ye, and said coldly, "General, your words are a bit too encouraging to the enemy and diminishing our own prestige."

"oh?"

Yuwen Ye slowly turned his gaze to him: "What are your thoughts, Lord Song?"

Song Yu sneered, "I have no brilliant idea. I just want to ask the general, why didn't we take advantage of the situation and cross the river today? Since the enemy underestimated us and suffered a great defeat, we shouldn't let such an opportunity pass us by."

"..."

"But General, you sounded the retreat halfway through the campaign."

"..."

"General, your actions are far too cowardly. You must know that on the battlefield, even a woman's compassion is insufficient—"

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Qiao, who was standing to the side, pointed at him angrily and said, "How dare you criticize the General like that!"

Song Yu glared at him and said, "Am I wrong?"

"..."

"What does it mean to only win against Xue Xian in today's battle? The biggest mistake is for a general to be cowardly and afraid of battle, and to retreat halfway through the campaign!"

"..."

"By not pressing our advantage today, we've given the enemy a chance to recuperate and launch a counterattack. If that happens, it will be your dereliction of duty as the general! And that's a capital offense!"

"you--"

Even Mu Xian couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and glared angrily at Song Yu.

But Song Yu showed no fear in front of them, and even placed one hand on the sword at his waist.

Just then, a hand rose and gently waved.

It was Yuwen Ye's hand.

He remained seated calmly, his breathing not even faltering, but with a wave of his hand, Mu Xian and Cheng Qiao immediately fell silent and took a step back.

Yuwen Ye then turned to Song Yu and said, "It seems that Lord Song is dissatisfied with my performance in this battle."

Song Yu sneered, "Whether I'm satisfied or not is irrelevant. But General Yuwen came here on the orders of the imperial court. If you abandon this battle halfway, will the court be satisfied?"

Yuwen Ye said, “I have my reasons for not pressing our advantage. Xue Xian’s troops have won several battles in Longxi. They defeated Huangfu Ding, who was on his way to quell the rebellion, and a few days ago they also defeated Ma Xu and killed more than 80,000 people in Fufeng. Their morale is high, and we should avoid their sharp edge.”

Song Yu asked, "So, are you still going to fight today?"

Yuwen Ye said, "This battle of mine was originally very dangerous. It was not to defeat them, but to rebuild the confidence of the soldiers and people of Fufeng."

"..."

"With confidence, it is easier to defend the city."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xian and Cheng Qiao both nodded slightly.

Yin Changyue also seemed to be deep in thought.

Yuwen Ye continued, "They commanded 300,000 troops, a formidable force. Although they were defeated in this battle, it did not cripple them. If we pursue them relentlessly, it will only provoke a strong counterattack from them. At that point, the outcome will be uncertain."

"..."

"Moreover—they have come from afar, and their food and supplies may not be sufficient."

"..."

"What we should do is hold our ground, deplete their supplies, and wear down their will. Only then will we have a chance to win."

Upon hearing this, Dai Junliang, who had been silent all along, murmured, "I see."

Seeing his reaction, a flash of anger crossed Song Yu's face, but he immediately sneered and said with a disdainful expression, "Is this the skill you have as a general? You don't even dare to fight anymore, all you do is stall?"

"..."

Is there any war in this world that can be won by dragging it out?

Yuwen Ye looked at him and said, "As long as we can win, that's fine."

Song Yu's face darkened further after being silenced by those words. He angrily retorted, "As a general, to be complacent and only think about delaying is a disgrace to any commander!"

Although Yuwen Ye had stopped him before, Mu Xian finally couldn't hold back as he watched Yuwen Ye's words become increasingly outrageous. He stood up again and said, "How dare you speak to the Grand General of the Imperial Court like that!"

Song Yu sneered, "I am also the military commander appointed by the court. Yuwen Ye is a general, yet he is cowardly and afraid of battle. Of course I have to take charge!"

"you--"

Seeing that the two sides were about to start arguing again, the supervising officer Yin Changyue hurriedly stood up and advised, "Gentlemen, matters concerning troops should be discussed in detail. We should not lose our composure."

With a loud "smack," Song Yu slammed his hand heavily on the table.

He stood up, glanced coldly at everyone in the hall, and his contemptuous gaze fell on Yuwen Ye, who was sitting calmly above him. He sneered, "This brat is not worth discussing things with!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

The people left in the hall were all at a loss for what to do. Yin Changyue hesitated and turned to look at Yuwen Ye: "General..."

Yuwen Ye remained unmoved.

He watched Song Yu walk away quietly, then turned to Dai Junliang and suddenly asked, "General, how many wells are there in Fufeng City?"