Chapter 109: Running out of ammunition and food, simply staying by His Highness's side is enough...
Lu Lingyue smiled bitterly to herself.
But he didn't even put up a fight; he simply gave up on the relationship.
That indifferent attitude was the one thing that wronged Yuan Yan the most.
"Minglan, you don't need to worry about me anymore."
Lu Lingyue had figured many things out by this time.
"No matter what, I'm already very content to be able to stay by Your Highness's side any longer."
...
Let's turn our attention back to the Northwest.
After Yuan Yan sent a letter arranging the procurement of grain, he then made arrangements within the army.
To prevent the food shortage from being discovered and to avoid Uriyangtai finding out, she had people pretend that the grain carts were entering and leaving normally. The grain carts were filled with heavy sand and gravel, with only a layer of grain on top, and then driven into the camp on the previously scheduled dates.
This move fooled the vast majority of the soldiers.
Apart from a few aunts and Yuan Yan's trusted generals, no one else in the army knew that the army was about to run out of food.
In Uriyangtai's military tent.
"Have you found out that the Phoenix Army is truly not short of food?" When Wuliangtai saw the scout return, his hawk-like eyes immediately locked onto the man.
"There shouldn't be any." The scout recalled carefully, "The daily food supply for the Phoenix Army has not decreased, and it seems that new military rations have arrived. I have not found any signs of food shortage."
That's strange.
Upon hearing this, Wuliangtai casually waved for the scouts to leave, then sat down imposingly on the wolf-skin rug, using the tip of her knife to pick up the letter in front of her. "The Phoenix Army hasn't run out of food, so what's the story behind this letter?" she said, squinting.
The letter that Uriyangtai mentioned appeared in the camp yesterday.
The letter informed Uriyangtai that Yuan Yan's army was short of food and would soon run out of ammunition and supplies, presenting a good opportunity for a major offensive.
After reading the letter, Wuliangtai was skeptical and did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, he ordered scouts to investigate the enemy's situation.
The deputy general, Ye Hun, said, "General, the people of Huang Kingdom are the most cunning."
"Could it be that the letter writer deliberately set a trap for us, cooperating with the Phoenix Army, just waiting for the general to lead the troops to attack before coming to kill them... Otherwise, there's no way to explain why they would help Liang Kingdom against their own people," Ye Hun speculated. He reminded Wu Liangtai to be careful and not fall into the Phoenix Kingdom's trap.
"It's not impossible."
Wuliangtai picked up the letter and played with it in his hand. "That King Qin of the Phoenix Kingdom is a cunning man and not someone to be trifled with. This letter is strange. Whether it is true or false, we will have to test it on the battlefield to find out."
These days, Wuliangtai has been fighting with the Northwest Army and has clearly felt that the Northwest Army, with the support of Yuan Yan, has become even more difficult to deal with.
Yuan Yan is more cunning than a wolf on the grasslands. Her military tactics are unpredictable, and the Liang army can easily fall into her trap if they are not careful.
The army she led was disciplined and its soldiers were brave and fearless; it was a tough nut to crack.
While Wuliangtai was wary, he also acknowledged Yuan Yan as a new rival in his heart, and couldn't help but feel a sense of itch, as if he had met his match.
To verify the truth, Uriyangtai acted swiftly, personally leading 8,000 elite cavalry to launch an attack on the Northwest Army that very day.
However, in response.
In the Phoenix Kingdom's military camp, the heavy and rhythmic sound of war drums suddenly rang out, one after another, steady and powerful, overpowering the sound of Liang army horses' hooves.
Countless banners fluttered in the wind, creating a magnificent spectacle that seemed to blot out the sky. Among them, the banner representing Yuan Yan stood out prominently, easily spotted from afar.
Yuan Yan shouted loudly from the front lines, "Wuliangtai, have you not suffered enough from the last defeat? Are you asking for trouble again?"
"The young lady of the Phoenix Kingdom, who only won by luck last time, has become so arrogant that she has humiliated the general!"
The deputy general Ye Hun was furious and retorted, wanting to ride forward to take the lead, but Wu Liangtai raised his hand to stop her.
Wu Liangtai squinted at Huang Jun.
The Phoenix Army soldiers before them were all clad in gleaming armor, their swords and spears flashing. Under their commander's orders, they quickly formed a neat spear formation.
These soldiers had ruddy complexions, sharp eyes, and roared deafeningly. Their imposing presence showed no sign of hunger whatsoever.
The Phoenix Army is strong and well-equipped, with a large number of soldiers; it is absolutely impossible for them to be an army without supplies... That letter was indeed fake.
Wuliangtai made a judgment.
"Your Highness, look! The Liang army is scared!" Aman laughed heartily, staring at the Liang army general opposite him, looking eager and ready to fight.
As a fierce warrior of the grasslands, Wuliangtai was so angry at being spoken to like this for the first time that he almost laughed. "Hmph, there's no need to provoke me. This general is just looking forward to a battle with you."
She ordered an attack, and the two armies clashed.
"Release the arrows!" Yuan Yan said calmly.
At her command, a dense rain of arrows rained down on the Liang army from above the camp.
The Liang army's iron hooves were halted, the neighing of horses could be heard, and the vanguard fell into chaos.
Yuan Yan personally led his troops to launch a surprise attack, while Lin Huan, Yuan Shi, A Man, and others led their troops to encircle the enemy from the left and right flanks respectively.
Wuliangtai realized the Phoenix Army's intentions and immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Sound the retreat!"
Seeing the Phoenix Army closing in, she turned her horse around without hesitation and gave a stern order.
The Liang army arrived quickly and left just as fast. After probing the situation, Wuliangtai left without hesitation, leading the Liang army away like a receding tide.
Fortunately, they did not continue fighting, otherwise the Phoenix Army would have run out of arrows.
"Your Highness, we've run out of arrows, and our medicine is almost gone," Yu Liu reported.
"Hurry up and clean up the battlefield, collect any usable arrows. Take the wounded to the wounded camp for centralized care," Yuan Yan said calmly.
Regardless of what happens next, at least we've gotten through this hurdle today.
Having suffered a defeat, Uriyangtai is unlikely to return for some time, which buys the Northwest Army a few days.
Now, the only hope is that the power struggle in the court will come to a conclusion, or that Yi'er will send military rations soon; otherwise, Yuan Yan will really have to take a risky move.
Afterwards, Yuan Yan secretly discussed the matter with the military generals.
"Your Highness, without further supplies, the army will soon be completely starving," the quartermaster reported.
What should the host do?!
The system was frantically pacing in Yuan Yan's mind: [You can exchange for food in the shop, but there's a limit. You can't exchange for this much in a short time. Waaah, it seems I'm going to be unable to help again...]
Compared to the daily consumption of the entire army, this amount from the system is simply a drop in the ocean.
"Exchange as much as you can."
The system had never been used, and Yuan Yan hadn't expected anything from it. Upon hearing this, he simply granted the system the authority to help him exchange grain autonomously.
Then Yuan Yan raised his head and looked at everyone, and gave the order, "From today onwards, I will only eat lunch every day, the generals' rations will be reduced by 20%, and the soldiers' rations will remain unchanged."
Upon hearing this, Xue Lang and the others refuted it one after another.
“Your Highness, this will not do! If your aunt and mother heard that Your Highness is only having lunch, they will be heartbroken,” Lin Huan said.
"Your Highness, as a general, how can you have the strength to lead troops into battle if you don't eat your fill? Be careful not to ruin your health by eating only one meal a day," Yu Liu said with concern.
“Yes, if we’re going to eat less, it should be us eating less,” Aman agreed.
Yuan Yan first looked at Lin Huan, "Lin Huan, in the army we only talk about military orders, nothing else. As the commander, I need to set an example. I'm sure that Governor Lin will make the same decision as me once he knows this."
Lin Huan was speechless.
Yuan Yan then ordered Xue Lang, "Xue Lang, you shall immediately take my imperial seal and go to the surrounding prefectures and counties to requisition stored grain. Anyone who obstructs you shall be punished on the spot according to military law."
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
Previously, Yuan Yan did not send people to forcibly requisition grain in nearby prefectures and counties because he was concerned that such an action would leak the news and shake the morale of the army.
And there is a very high probability that this will become a handle for Yuan Jing's faction to attack her in the court.
But now that things have come to this, these issues are clearly no longer within Yuan Yan's considerations. Compared to the consequences of losing the border, giving others a handle against him is nothing.
Yuan Yan could not rely entirely on the capital, so he could only order people to go and procure grain.
After the generals had received their orders and dispersed, Yuan Yan calmly comforted the anxious system.
"Don't worry, we've done everything we can. The rest is up to fate."
However, the reality was even more critical than Yuan Yan had anticipated.
The Liang army remained quiet for only two days. After that, having somehow gotten wind of something, they began to frequently harass the Phoenix army again, launching probing attacks from time to time.
Due to shortages of food and medicine, the Phoenix Army's combat effectiveness declined, and the number of wounded soldiers in the camp increased. Lin Tai and Yuan Yan emerged from the wounded soldiers' camp with heavy hearts.
"Your Highness, the grain convoy should be back soon, and that will surely solve our urgent problem," Yu Liu said.
However, Yuan Yan was not at ease despite hearing his subordinates' words of comfort.
The grain convoy was supposed to return today, but it's delayed; there must have been some other setback.
"Your Highness."
"Things have come to this point, so a desperate fight is not out of the question." Lin Tai's tone was slightly somber, his brows furrowed, as if he had already made up his mind.
Yuan Yan understood Lin Tai's meaning. Given the situation of the Phoenix Army, the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it became. His aunt wanted to take a gamble and personally lead the troops to fight the Liang Army to the death.
She frowned, about to speak, when she was interrupted by an excited voice.
"Your Highness!" Che Ju, along with a few soldiers, came running over, panting.
The loud voice seemed to want the entire army camp to hear the good news.
"Has the grain arrived?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Tai's tiger-like eyes gleamed.
"Yes, Governor, not only are there grains, but also arrows, weapons, medicine, and other supplies, all in ample quantities and complete." Che Ju spoke quickly, his excited expression still lingering.
Yuan Yan asked them, "Who sent this?"
“They are people from the Prince’s Palace and the merchant caravan,” Cheju replied.
Yuan Yan's mind was as clear as a mirror.
The fact that the visitors were from the Prince's residence and a merchant caravan meant that the grain this time was raised by Yi'er and Lianzhou.
It seems that Yuan Jing is determined this time, and despite the enormous pressure from the court, he will hold off the grain supplies and try to kill her.
In the crucial moment, Yi'er and the others were one step ahead.
Yuan Yan knew that it must have been difficult to raise so many military supplies, and he wondered how much effort Yi'er and Lianzhou had put in to deliver them on time today.
"Good, good, it's good that the supplies have arrived." Lin Tai nodded happily and said "good" several times in a row.
"There is always a way out. With this batch of grain, our army will surely be able to drive out the Liang invaders and defend our territory."
"Great news, host! The food has arrived just before we run out of ammunition and supplies!" the system exclaimed excitedly.
"Men, prepare a meal and let all the soldiers have a good meal."
Yuan Yan said in a deep voice, "The Liang bandits have been harassing us for many days, and now it's time for us to fight back."
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