Chapter 612: The Pacification of Sibao County (Part 14) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"What?"
"So fast?"
Although somewhat prepared, hearing these words firsthand was still unexpected. Qiu Cheng gripped the armrest of the armrest tightly, concealing his true emotions. Xun Ding followed up with another bombshell: "If nothing unexpected happens, Shen Tang will not only lead his troops here personally..."
He deliberately kept everyone in suspense.
He slowly and deliberately uttered the rest of his words.
"...Still a vanguard general!"
I have never seen such a diligent lord.
One of the scholars recalled the details Xun Ding had previously recounted and asked with some skepticism, "Vanguard General? But didn't you just say that you encountered the vanguard battalion under the command of the bandit leader Shen, and only managed to escape with your troops after a fierce battle? Could it be—that you saw the bandit leader Shen?"
At first glance, the question seemed reasonable, but Xun Ding had grown up relying on his father, and through this upbringing, he had developed a keen sense of shrewdness. He naturally understood the accusation behind the scholar's words—since the traitor was still alive, why not kill him?
The scholar's thinking was not without reason.
The vanguard battalion is generally understaffed, and with over four hundred heavy shield warriors already sacrificed, the losses are irreparable. Why doesn't Xun Ding go all the way and sacrifice the rest, taking the opportunity to wear down Shen Tang, the bandit leader? Wouldn't that be better?
There seems to be a chance.
Xun Ding did not do that.
Xun Ding sneered: "Yes, it is precisely because Shen Tang is a general of the vanguard that I, Xun Ding, have suffered such a great loss. Have you all forgotten, or are you unaware, that Shen Tang was able to compete with Gongxi Chou on the battlefield four years ago? How could I, Xun Ding, possibly keep him here?"
If the vanguard battalion had been replaced, he might not have suffered a loss.
Xun Ding was confident in his abilities.
Everyone: "..."
They had only heard about it; no one had actually witnessed it. In addition, Shen Tang had been too laid-back in recent years, acting like an honest old farmer who only knew how to farm, so low-key that he was practically unknown... Over time, people inevitably felt that his reputation was undeserved.
For a time, people's hearts were unsettled.
Until a loud shout interrupted everyone's thoughts.
"What are you afraid of? You're all cowards, not at all like men! The battle hasn't even started yet, and you're already scared? If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? You should have just tucked your tails between your legs and gone outside the city to kowtow and beg for mercy! You're just a lowly bandit! Didn't you lose to Gongxi Chou back then? Now that Gongxi Chou is working for us, why are we worried about not being able to take his head?"
Qiu Cheng's grip on the armrest loosened slightly.
Yes, he still has Gong Xichou as a trump card.
So far, unless the employer maliciously defaults on payment, Gong Xichou has always fulfilled the terms of the contract until its conclusion. Even though rumors circulate that this man has a terrible reputation and only cares about money, Qiu Cheng feels more at ease employing such a person.
Qiu Cheng had his own ambitions and was not satisfied with the small Sibao County. He had long harbored thoughts of expansion. Hearing that Gongxi Chou was unemployed at home, he took a large sum of money and went to his door to invite him to serve as general. With such a fearsome war god in charge, it was as if he had been given a reassurance.
Xun Ding wanted to roll his eyes when he heard this.
Gong Xichou has become increasingly arrogant in recent years.
Everything must be clearly stated in the contract.
They'll do as much work as they're paid for.
He's currently in Xiaocheng's capital, so it's impossible for him to come to Linshan County. If he wants Gong Xichou to play a role, then he'll have to wait for Shen Tang to lead his troops to Xiaocheng. But you know—they've already been driven to their homeland, and in the end, they only managed to repel the enemy with the help of hired foreign aid. What's there to be arrogant about? Instead of thinking about these things, we should think about how to fight the next battle.
Without supplies, they lost their heavy shield warriors...
This Linshan County is difficult to defend.
Xun Ding pondered how to break the deadlock.
He sat down in a corner, adopting an air of detachment, seemingly oblivious to the clamor and chaos of the council chamber, which resembled a bustling marketplace. He remained unmoved. Then he heard a hot-blooded young martial artist declare that Shen Tang wasn't so terrifying, that his reputation was mostly empty boasting, and that he was willing to swear a military oath to take Qiu Cheng's head. Xun Ding was almost amused to the point of bursting out laughing. Truly—ignorance is bliss.
Before long, he noticed someone's gaze on him, so he followed the gaze and met a pair of sinister and cold eyes. The owner of those eyes was a woman with a striking appearance and minimal makeup, and Xun Ding immediately recognized her.
Rumor has it that she is Qiu Cheng's beloved canary.
Xun Ding neither confirmed nor denied this.
Who doesn't keep their canaries looking glamorous?
The "canary" before me shows no sign of happiness.
He hadn't known Qiu Cheng for long, but Gong Xichou had said that Qiu Wenyan was just like many scions of noble families: he had the heart, the guts, and the appetite for food, but lacked self-awareness and the responsibility of a man. Such people were only good at bullying their own kind.
The so-called canary in the cage knows best whether it is hot or cold.
His ears were ringing, but then he heard hurried footsteps outside the council chamber, and a messenger rushed in: "Report—"
Everyone looked at the messenger.
"The enemy has 20,000 troops and is already ten miles outside the city!"
Everyone's minds went blank for a moment.
They all looked at Xun Ding.
Xun Ding remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was startled.
He only dealt with the vanguard battalion and had not encountered the other two armies, so he really did not know the size of Shen Tang's army.
I never imagined there would be so many—over 20,000?!
Qiu Cheng crushed the armrest of the armrest in one go: "Twenty thousand?"
What does 20,000 troops mean? For a prefecture, it's equivalent to sending out its entire force, and it sends a signal—
We won't stop until they're completely destroyed!
Someone pressed for confirmation again: "Is it really 20,000?"
The messenger replied, "Absolutely true."
The exact number cannot be determined, but judging from the size of the military formation, the approximate number is still correct, and the difference will not be too great.
Miao Shu noticed a detail.
"How big is Longwu County? How many soldiers can it support? Not to mention the border troops that are dividing up military resources... Could it be that the rebels have really come out in full force, leaving the rear defenses empty?" Knowing how much land Longwu County has, one can estimate how many soldiers it can support.
Either the numbers are fabricated, with the 20,000 troops being a fictitious figure, filled with civilians temporarily drawn from the territory, and the actual number of elite soldiers participating in the battle is probably around 10,000. Or perhaps Shen Tang has gone mad, sending out all his troops, leaving not enough people to guard his base... If it's the former, the enemy's fighting strength is not a threat; if it's the latter, they can profit from it.
Perhaps we can take advantage of the situation and turn the tables on Shen Tang.
Miao Shu succinctly pointed out the key point, and Qiu Cheng, following her train of thought, also considered the two points mentioned above. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed: "So, you mean..."
“The traitors are nothing to fear.”
"If we assume now that the enemy is strong and we are afraid to fight, and that our morale is weaker than theirs, we might really fall into the enemy's trap..."
After Miao Shu's eloquent speech, she couldn't help but turn her gaze to Qiu Cheng's clerk, who remained silent throughout.
He was also the top scholar under Qiu Cheng.
The latter looked indifferent.
I neither agree nor disagree.
He only spoke after Qiu Cheng asked him for advice.
"At first glance, this analysis seems correct. However, it overlooks a crucial point—what benefit would Shen have from doing this? This man has managed Longwu County for two years, expending countless efforts, filling the granaries, attracting numerous refugees, and making the territory prosperous... These are not things that can be achieved in a day or two. If no one is left to guard Longwu County, even if he were to conquer Sibao County with all his might, what if he were to lose Longwu County? Would it be worth it? Therefore, in my opinion, Longwu County must be heavily guarded, just waiting for those with naive ideas to walk into the trap. This is most likely a 'luring the enemy into the trap' strategy."
Miao Shu immediately disagreed.
"If it is true that the Longwu County is heavily guarded, how can the rebels afford to support 20,000 troops with their current resources?"
_(:з」∠)_
Hehehe, I finally managed to persuade the doctor to admit me to the hospital! I'll be admitted on the 14th, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll have a C-section on the 15th. I'll be hospitalized for three days and then discharged. I'll probably need to take two or three days off work then.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
