"General! You must think twice before you act. This is a very sensitive juncture. If we defend this rocky pass, we can maintain the initiative. But once we get out, we won't have a choice!"
"Yes, General. Although Zhang Chengyan has retreated, he may come back at any time. After all, he has been coveting your Heavenly Might Thunder Pipe for a long time. If he wants every siege battle to go smoothly, he must seize this thing. Then we will be at a disadvantage!"
"All our troops combined right now number only 100,000. If we were to encounter Zhang Chengyan's army of over 400,000, the disparity would still be enormous!"
The generals who raised these opinions were almost all former Red Turban Army leaders who had just surrendered. It is normal for them to have such doubts and lack of confidence.
In stark contrast, there were the original forces of Tuoba Yue, Liu Hong, Sun Kuang, and others, as well as the Wuchuan border troops led by Zhu Zhaozhou.
In their minds, they had long regarded Lü Tu's words as truth. Almost all of Lü Tu's tactical plans had been proven to be correct, so they naturally supported them very firmly.
Liu Hong stepped forward: "I don't think so. Right now, we're taking the initiative, and even you are opposing it. This shows that even Zhang Chengyan would never have imagined that we would take the initiative even when we are at a disadvantage. We can catch them completely off guard."
Xiang Ze nodded: "That's right! Moreover, given Zhang Chengyan and Xiang Ze's situation, their 400,000-plus troops are no longer a fighting force, but a burden. No matter where they want to attack next, it will be clumsy and slow. On the other hand, we are well-rested and have detonators. Even if we are outnumbered, our chances of winning are still very high!"
Zhu Zhaozhou stepped forward and concluded, "I think the general is right. After all, Longcheng is an important transit point for the entire border region. Most of the grain, salt, iron and other goods come from Longcheng. If we wait for Zhang Chengyan to go south and plunder before attacking Longcheng, we will still be trapped in Wuchuan by them."
For a time, both sides started arguing fiercely. Lü Tu naturally wouldn't call a halt quickly. A commander should have the magnanimity to listen to other voices. If one is stubborn and self-willed, then defeat is not far away.
Even if Lu Tu had absolute confidence in his decision, listening to other voices would have allowed him to consider things more comprehensively.
The argument raged for the duration of two incense sticks burning in the tent. Gradually, both sides quieted down, knowing that they had already argued their points and explained their views. The final decision rested with Lü Tu.
All eyes turned to Lü Tu, who rose from his wooden chair and surveyed the crowd with satisfaction: "Whether you advocate for war or defense, your ideas are good, very good!"
He Yong and the others who surrendered did not expect that Lü Tu would actually listen to their opinions. To be honest, they really did not want to fight Zhang Chengyan and his men, firstly because they were outnumbered, and secondly because they were surrendered soldiers. According to past historical precedent, if a battle broke out, they would definitely be sent to the front lines as surrendered soldiers.
Lu Tu nodded and continued, "But what I want to say is that Zhang Chengyan is not necessarily a must-attack right now, but Longcheng must be rescued! Not for any other reason than that Longcheng is an important hub for information. If the post stations in Longcheng are cut off for a day, we will have to continue to be deaf and blind for another day!"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in unison, finally understanding the main reason why Lü Tu wanted to pass through the rocky pass.
At this point, those who had previously opposed the plan fell silent and all agreed, saying, "This subordinate agrees with the general's plan!"
Lu Tu waved his hand: "Since that's the case, then go and do it! Remember one thing, you must obey my orders in everything. Anyone who dares to cause trouble for me at this time will be killed without mercy!"
Everyone trembled upon hearing this: "Your subordinate obeys!"
The message spread rapidly through the ranks. When all the soldiers heard that they were going to launch an attack, their behavior was completely opposite to what had happened in the camp. Almost all the soldiers were willing to pursue Zhang Chengyan or go to protect Longcheng.
As the saying goes, soldiers are almost always willing to make a name for themselves, especially when they are under the command of a war god like Lü Tu from Wuchuan, where the chances of making a name for themselves are even greater. What man hasn't dreamed of having his own page in the family tree?
The strict military-style management of the past few days has instilled a habit in all the soldiers, and everyone has begun to pack up their tents in an orderly manner, preparing to set off.
All that's left is to wait for Nie Yun to arrive with three days' worth of rations. Lu Tu knows that gambling with 100,000 men is quite risky, but he firmly believes he will win.
Leaving aside whether he can defeat Zhang Chengyan, he can take Longcheng. Although he is now the Commandant of Wuchuan, this title was conferred by Prince Duan and lacks legitimacy in the imperial court.
Right now, we must make Lü Tu's name resound throughout the court and the country by protecting Longcheng. We must make the emperor on the high throne realize that Lü Tu must be given an important position. This is the point that Lü Tu is willing to gamble on.
By noon the next day, Nie Yun arrived with enough food to feed 100,000 people for 10 days.
Before Lü Tu could speak, Nie Yun explained, "Brother, this is the grain that my sister-in-law asked me to bring. She said that it's the same for a poor family to travel with plenty of grain, and it's the same for leading troops into battle. Having surplus grain at home will give you peace of mind."
Lu Tu smiled knowingly upon hearing this, recalling Song Yuxi's expression when she said those words, and nodded happily, saying, "Ten days it is. Let's arrange the passage. Half of our people can go first!"
"clear!"
All 100,000 people lined up in the open space in front of the passage and entered the passage in an orderly manner. The passage, which could only accommodate two people at a time, had been cleared of corpses by Tie Hang and his men several days ago, and now it was passing through very smoothly.
Tie Hang and Tuoba Yue still led the charge, while Liu Hong continued to lead 1,000 soldiers to guard the mountaintop. They were the last line of defense, and regardless of whether Lü Tu succeeded or not, they had to hold their ground here.
That evening, Lü Tu's entire army of 100,000 men emerged from the Luanshigang Pass for the first time, the only barrier between Wuchuan and Longcheng.
Standing atop the mountain, Liu Hong raised a bowl of wine to Lü Tu, bidding him farewell: "General, we await your triumphant return!"
Thousands of guards shouted in unison, "General, we await your triumphant return!"
The bold and rough roar pierced through the howling sandstorms of the north, invigorating the spirits of 100,000 soldiers. They all exclaimed in their hearts, "This is what it means to be a soldier!"
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