"Alright, go back and tell Zhang Chengyan that we'll march into the capital together at noon tomorrow!"
The envoy from the Red Turban was dumbfounded: "General Lü, our King of Yan said that we should attack at midnight, which is the most advantageous time for us. The enemy has already increased their vigilance at noon. Wouldn't that be bad?"
Lu Tu was too lazy to waste any more words with him. Nie Yun, who was standing to the side, glared at him and said, "What do you know about leading troops and fighting? Do you think the people in the capital don't know that your army has been besieging the capital for so long? What's the difference between attacking at noon and attacking at midnight?"
"Okay, then I'll go back and report it truthfully."
After the man walked away, a hearty laugh came from the commander's tent. Everyone could see that the Red Turban Army led by Zhang Chengyan was completely incompetent. If they could even capture the capital, then the Great Yu Dynasty had no hope.
"Brother, should we launch a feint attack tomorrow?"
Lu Tu nodded: "Of course! Nie Yun, Tuoba Yue, Xiang Ze, the three of you, listen to my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Upon hearing this, the three men straightened up and stepped forward to bow.
"Tomorrow, each of you three will lead an army of 50,000 to attack the Red Turban Army camp from the west, south, and north! After capturing Zhang Chengyan, you will be responsible for blocking all the vassal kings and local armies in your respective directions!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lu Tu only needs to manage the strategic deployment now; as for how to fight the specific battles, that's up to them to handle.
After all, they have been following Lü Tu for so long. If Lü Tu were to teach them how to fight, their growth would be too slow, and they would never be able to sit in this position.
Moreover, Lu Tu had already taught them how to use landmines and cannons, and had specially selected many soldiers from his trusted confidants to train as artillerymen. Let alone just attacking Zhang Chengyan, with the troops they brought, it wouldn't take them more than two days to march directly into the capital.
The main reason is that Lu Tu needs a legitimate reason, and Zhang Chengyan is about to complete the most important task of his life.
In truth, Zhang Chengyan might not trust Lü Tu either, as they were both scheming against each other. However, he knew that his path had been blocked. If he didn't rely on Lü Tu, he would never be able to leave Yanzhou, let alone possess the territory he currently had.
This situation is quite common. For example, Zhang Chengyan has already taken his pants off and is only trembling with fear. Even if the person in front of him is ugly, he still has to bite the bullet and go for it.
So when he learned that Lü Tu had agreed to attack him together at noon the next day, he immediately gave the order: "At midnight tonight, we will attack the capital! We must be the first to enter the city! This Lü Tu is too arrogant. Does he really think I don't know history? As long as I seize the throne and have the Imperial Seal in my hands, even if I am defeated and flee, I can still make a comeback and will not be controlled by him!"
...
That night, Lü Tu was suddenly awakened by a series of urgent shouts: "Brother, the situation has changed!"
"explain!"
"Zhang Chengyan has launched an attack ahead of schedule and is now attacking the capital. Should we make a move now?"
After pondering for a moment, Lü Tu simply waved his hand and said, "Tell Nie Yun and the others to proceed according to the established plan and make their move at noon tomorrow! If Zhang Chengyan can so easily storm the capital, then Zhao Qihong deserves to die!"
Hearing this, Chai Yong felt much more at ease: "Brother is right. Moreover, letting them wear down each other's forces is also a good thing for us. We can attack when the defenders are exhausted. At that time, all the people of the capital will be grateful to you!"
Lu Tu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, brothers. Let everyone take turns sleeping tonight, and send out more scouts to report back at all times!"
"Yes, sir!"
Now that Lü Tu had been awakened, he was no longer sleepy. This place was still more than 30 miles away from the capital, and there were many towering mountains nearby, so naturally he could not see the situation in the capital. He could only get information through the continuous stream of scouts returning.
"Reporting to the general! The Red Turban Army's morale is growing stronger, and some have already scaled the city walls!"
At this moment, Nie Yun and the others were sitting around Lu Tu's tent. When they heard the news, they immediately panicked: "Brother, why don't we set off ahead of time? If Zhang Chengyan really picks up the fallen peaches, won't we suffer a huge loss?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "Don't be impatient. Do you think the capital is so easy to take? It's just that some people have climbed the city walls. You should know what kind of fighting force the Red Turban Army is."
Soon the scout returned with another report: "General! The Red Turban Army has launched several large siege engines from the rear, and when I returned, they were already ramming the gates of the capital!"
Hearing this, Nie Yun asked curiously, "Where did these guys get their siege engines? How can such capable people be among a bunch of guys who can't even get enough to eat?"
Lu Tu laughed and said, "They don't have any, but most of the powerful families and clans along the way do. Otherwise, why do you think Zhang Chengyan would agree to cooperate with us? He must have something to rely on."
Even though Nie Yun knew he should suppress his emotions, his strong desire to make a name for himself still made him somewhat impatient.
“Brother, if we let them into the city first, it’s a small matter if they storm the palace. But if they slaughter a large number of people and steal the Imperial Seal, that would be a real problem.”
Lu Tu patted him on the shoulder: "No matter how desolate the Great Yu is, it's not something that Zhang Chengyan's few hundred thousand men can take over directly. You underestimate the imperial army!"
Before long, the third scout returned and reported: "General!"
Tuoba Yue stepped forward and urged, "What's the situation? Has the capital fallen?"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the generals present stood up, ready to set off to attack the capital.
The scout swallowed hard. "General! The garrison in the capital has somehow acquired a lot of explosives, which are very similar to our Heavenly Might Detonators, but much weaker, only about one-tenth the power. However, the sheer number of them is overwhelming, and they have already driven back Zhang Chengyan."
"What! How did they get detonators and explosives?"
Then everyone noticed that when Lü Tu heard the news, he calmly drank water, as if he had known about it all along.
"Brother, you knew they had explosives all along?"
Lu Tu nodded: "Have you forgotten? When Xu Jing led his assassins to raid our village, he used gunpowder to escape. Even Xu Jing had it, do you think the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works of the Great Yu Dynasty didn't know that?"
Xiang Ze frowned and said, "But if that happens, they'll use it against us when we attack the capital again!"
Lu Tu smiled wickedly: "That's why I told you to stay calm. Wait until they're bloodthirsty and everyone in the capital starts to panic and be afraid, then we'll storm into the Red Turban camp. Do you think they'll use the remaining gunpowder against us?"
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