Liu Wen cried out, "Your Majesty, spare my life! This old minister has been wronged!"
The sounds gradually faded away, leaving only the roars echoing in the hall and the crisp sound of shattered porcelain.
The King of Beixiang took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger.
The defeat is inevitable, and further investigation into responsibility will be of no use.
The most urgent task is to find a better general and send troops out again to avenge the previous defeat.
"Where is Zhao Xuan?" the King of Beixiang asked in a deep voice.
A dashing young general, clad in armor, stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"Your subordinate is here!"
Zhao Xuan is a rising young general in the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
He was known for his bravery, skill in battle, and resourcefulness.
“General Zhao,” the King of Beixiang said, his tone softening somewhat.
"I have appointed you as the commander-in-chief of the three armies for this attack on Shannan Prefecture. Are you confident?"
"This humble general is willing to sign a military pledge: if I fail to conquer Shannan Prefecture, I will bring you my head!"
Zhao Xuan's tone was firm and resolute.
"Good!" King Beixiang was overjoyed.
"I'm waiting for your good news!"
After Zhao Xuan received the order and withdrew, he immediately summoned all his generals.
They discussed strategies for attacking Shannan Prefecture.
"Generals," Zhao Xuan said, pointing to Ghost Cry Gorge on the map.
"Our army suffered a crushing defeat last time because we launched a fierce attack on Ghost Cry Gorge and fell into Lu Yan's ambush."
"Ghost Cry Gorge is a strategically important and easily defended area, making it unsuitable for a direct assault."
"So, what does General Zhao mean?"
A general asked.
"Bypassing Ghost Cry Gorge".
"We will not attack Ghost Cry Gorge, but will instead detour and attack other cities in Shannan Prefecture."
“Shannan Prefecture is located in a remote area with a long supply line. We cut off their supply line, forcing Lu Yan to leave the city to fight.”
"Then we'll have a decisive battle with them on the plains and annihilate Lu Yan's troops in one fell swoop!"
The generals all nodded in agreement, expressing their approval of Zhao Xuan's plan.
"Alright! It's settled then!" Zhao Xuan slammed his hand on the table.
"Pass down the order: the entire army will rest for three days. After three days, we will march on Shannan Prefecture!"
...
In Shannan Prefecture, Lu Yan was practicing martial arts with Li Kui in the backyard.
Ever since Li Kui started following Night Owl...
His martial arts skills have improved by leaps and bounds, and he can now exchange a few blows with Lu Yan.
"Xiao Kui, your 'Monkey Stealing Peaches' move is pretty good, it's just a bit slow."
Lu Yan said with a smile while dodging Li Kui's attacks.
"Sir, this move isn't called 'Monkey Stealing Peaches,' it's called 'Spiritual Monkey Probing with Claws'!"
Li Kui corrected him, but his attack did not diminish in the slightest.
"Good, good, good, the clever monkey reaches out its paw, the clever monkey reaches out its paw."
Lu Yan said with a smile.
"But if you used that trick on the battlefield, you'd probably be riddled with arrows before you even encountered the enemy."
"Sir, please don't make fun of me."
Li Kui scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
"I haven't been on the battlefield yet, you know."
"Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to go to the battlefield and make a name for yourself in the future."
Lu Yan patted Li Kui on the shoulder.
"Don't embarrass me when the time comes."
"My lord, just you wait and see!"
Li Kui patted his chest and assured him.
Just then, Night Owl rushed in.
"My lord, something terrible has happened! The army of Beixiang Kingdom has attacked again!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan's expression darkened.
Those stupid dogs, they really are persistent!
"How many people are there?" Lu Yan asked.
"According to our scouts, the Northern Xiang Kingdom has mobilized an army of 100,000 men, led by Zhao Xuan, and they are heading towards our Shannan Prefecture!"
“One hundred thousand troops…” Lu Yan repeated the number, a playful smile playing on his lips.
"The Northern Xiang Kingdom really thinks highly of me. Last time, 50,000 wasn't enough, but this time they've doubled it."
"My lord, Zhao Xuan is not an easy opponent."
"Night Owl said."
"He is a rising young general in the Northern Xiang Kingdom, known for his bravery, skill in battle, and resourcefulness."
"It is said that he once defeated a much larger force with a smaller one..."
Night Owl was recounting Zhao Xuan's great achievements when Lu Yan impatiently interrupted him.
"Alright, alright, Night Owl, when did you become so fussy?"
"When soldiers come, I'll block them; when water comes, I'll dam it. Even if it's a hundred thousand pigs, I'll slaughter them all without leaving a single one alive!"
A cold glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes. It seemed he would have to play along with these people this time...
After saying that, Lu Yan stood up, stretched, and said to Li Kui:
"Xiao Kui, let's go, gather the generals, and have a battle meeting!"
Inside the council chamber, Lu Fei, Zhang Xun, Han Sheng, and other generals had been waiting for a long time.
"Gentlemen, those bastards from Beixiang Kingdom are here again, this time with a full army of 100,000!"
Lu Yan got straight to the point, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.
"One hundred thousand!"
All the generals gasped in shock; this was no small number.
Li Kui, listening intently, rubbed his hands together and said:
"Sir, let me take my brothers to meet him!"
"I didn't even get to fight in the last battle at Ghost Cry Gorge!"
Lu Yan glanced at him sideways and said with a laugh:
"All you ever think about is fighting and killing. Can't you use your brain? Out of 100,000 troops, how many are you going to take to their deaths?"
Li Kui scratched his head and chuckled:
"Then... what do you suggest we do, sir?"
Lu Yan stood up, walked to the hanging map, and his gaze swept over the terrain of Shannan Prefecture before finally landing on Ghost Cry Gorge.
"Zhao Xuan is a bit clever, but not much."
"We suffered a loss at Ghost Cry Gorge last time, so we definitely won't launch a direct attack this time."
"My lord, what do you mean..." Lu Fei asked tentatively.
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