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"These villains really took advantage of the autumn harvest to send troops. Haha, thanks to Military Advisor Ning, I was able to contact Prince Xin's troops in advance. Now let's see what tricks that old man Pan has!" In the Duke's Mansion of Luling Prefecture, the rebel leader Wang Hengjiang, who had usurped the throne, laughed loudly, his words full of complacency.
It's no wonder he acted this way. Ning Fu's reputation wasn't great, but he had, against all odds, given him the title of military advisor. Not only had he helped him purge his disobedient subordinates, he'd also guessed early on that Pan Anren was planning to collude with the Tianding Army. If he hadn't been prepared and caught off guard, his territory would have been in jeopardy. But now reinforcements were on the way, so what was he afraid of?
Thinking of this, Wang Hengjiang became even more excited and said hurriedly, "Military Advisor Ning, do you think our ambush will work? If we can't stop the enemy, I'm afraid we'll lose a few cities."
Still dressed in white, holding a folding fan, Ning Fu's scarred lips curled into a smile. "Don't worry, Marshal. The Tianding Army's fleet won't fight tooth and nail. They're only here to contain our fleet. As long as we confront them with our large ships, they'll hold back. Then, with our small boats and light vehicles, we'll definitely be able to stop Pan's army."
Only a ghost scholar could come up with such a clever idea. They reduced the number of people on the large ship and increased the number of soldiers on the small boat, and then used Prince Xin's troops to tie down the enemy's main force. In this way, they could use the river as a route for their troops and catch the enemy off guard.
Thinking of the twists and turns involved, Wang Hengjiang slapped his thigh in delight: "What a vicious plan! Haha, if Old Man Pan really falls for it, I'm afraid I'll eat his most trusted and elite soldiers!"
There were some wrong names, but there was no wrong nickname. This ghost scholar really lived up to his reputation.
However, seeing the bandit leader so proud, Ning Fu knocked the table with his folding fan and reminded him, "General, we still have to be on guard against the Red Flag Gang's sudden attack. If there are more than two enemies, we must continue to make plans."
This made Wang Hengjiang's face turn black. He snorted, "Military Advisor Ning, I'm not saying anything, but even if that Red Flag Gang woman wants to come, she needs a boat that can float over. We've sent people to investigate, and their navy hasn't moved. Why keep worrying about them?"
This ghost scholar always wore a white mourning shirt, had a disfigured face, and had a rather fearful smile, which many in the gang disliked. He took him in out of kindness, not caring about his minor or major flaws, but he could not stand his obsession with the Red Flag Gang.
Previously, they had said they would take advantage of the floods to drive the refugees to Yuezhou, but after much effort, they achieved little. The Red Flag Gang easily absorbed the refugees and expanded their territory, inciting many of their own people to flee. While this year was a difficult one, fewer refugees would be a good thing, but this wouldn't last long.
Now that war was imminent, and they were talking about being wary of the Red Flag Gang, Marshal Wang was bewildered. Could their boats still sail upstream along the Yue River? Without their boats, they were like a dragon trapped in the mire, unable to stir up any waves. He, Wang, was no pushover, so how could he be afraid of a woman?
At this thought, Wang Hengjiang looked at Ning Fu with a strange look. This man claimed that he didn't want to surrender with the Long Whale Gang, so he abandoned his original master and fled. But some also said that he was unable to defeat the Red Flag Gang and abandoned his original master in the middle of the battle. Although Wang Hengjiang didn't quite believe it, the mention of the Red Flag Gang made him feel a little suspicious. If this little grudge ruined his plan, it would be troublesome.
Thinking of this, Wang Hengjiang coughed lightly and said, "The war is about to start. I wonder how Prince Xin has arranged his troops. How about Military Advisor Ning go there for me and supervise the battle?"
Looking at that face that was not good at concealing, Ning Fu smiled and nodded: "I will serve you, Marshal."
He didn't trust him. Even if he pretended to be respectful and courteous, it was still just pretentiousness and defensiveness. This kind of person only trusts his own friends and relatives. In terms of magnanimity, he couldn't even compare to Xu Hei. Whatever, he was just here as a small-time envoy. As long as he could drag a few forces into the water, he could retire with his victory complete.
This side thought it had everything under control, while the other side was also ready to strike.
The vast army of the Straw Clothes Gang left the old camp in a mighty procession, like a green tide, sweeping towards the enemy. Among them were loyal followers and elite soldiers who had fought their way through the battles, but none of them could match the locust-like refugees. There was little order, and little obedience to orders. This group seemed intent on devouring every inch of farmland before them, devouring the grain that had yet to be harvested or already stored in the granary.
Who wouldn't be afraid of such a massive army? Whether they were imperial or rebel forces, every city was in a state of panic. Some even closed their gates, directly offering them food and fodder, verbally surrendering. It didn't matter if it was true or not; as long as they could survive this, it was fine.
But the army had no intention of stopping, because the Tianding Army's navy had also been dispatched, and they had to join forces to deal with the powerful enemy.
Many people were beaming with joy at the success of the battle. However, in the military tent, Sun Yuanrang's expression was not very good. "They really have found help. If the Tianding Army is also trapped on the water, we will be in trouble."
This wasn't a matter of the number of refugees. If they wanted to, the rebels could have gotten the same number. But now they'd backed off. He didn't believe them, claiming they had no plans. Furthermore, spies had reported that Prince Xin's private troops were being dispatched. If reinforcements were indeed dispatched, their isolated advance would be problematic. After all, refugees weren't willful. If the battle dragged on, they'd be easily defeated, and their supplies would be scarce.
Fang Tianxi, however, looked calm and composed. "I've said it before, the Nings are no pushovers. It would be strange if they couldn't even guess their plan. I think the standoff on the river was fake. The rebels are planning to surprise us and launch a surprise attack."
Since the battle on the water was just a fake one, the real battle must be on the shore. The biggest advantage of having boats is that they can move troops faster. They can't really go around the river, and they might be ambushed at any time.
"If that's the case, we're in for a tough fight," Sun Yuanrang sighed. It was a stroke of luck. Marshal Pan had intended to use the refugees as a vanguard, with the goal of taking over the territory in one fell swoop. However, for him, the commander, the situation was significantly more challenging, and it was uncertain how much the Tianding Army could contribute. Yuan Tianding was undoubtedly brave, but he also possessed the cunning of a salt smuggler. If things went wrong, his own army would collapse, and that would be the end of everything.
"Fighting is never easy." Fang Tianxi sneered, "Since we're relying on ambushes, we have the advantage no matter how you look at it."
These words made Sun Yuanrang smile. That's right. Their backup is the Red Flag Gang, led by Gang Leader Cheng himself. What is there to be afraid of?
However, this smile made Fang Tianxi roll his eyes at him: "You went to Le Ren for a while, and didn't stay for a few days. It's useless to talk about military affairs!"
This sentence made his smile turn into a wry one, and he said helplessly: "Military Advisor, this is a matter of life and death, how can I have time for sentimental things?"
This made Fang Tianxi even more unhappy. "Who told you to be so sentimental? Marriage is a good thing between two families. If you two join forces, it's not impossible to pacify the world in a few years. You have to tell her this. She's not an ordinary woman. Why go through so much trouble?"
Sun Yuanrang was even more helpless: "We can't bring this up before the war. Wouldn't that just cause more trouble? What if they don't agree and refuse to even send troops?"
This reluctantly made Fang Tianxi change his tone: "Well, after this battle, we'll have to talk about it. Haven't you seen the internal affairs of the Red Flag Gang? He's an expert in both military and civil affairs. If he were a man, you wouldn't have any chance."
This was a blunt remark, but it hit the nail on the head. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Does she really intend to conquer the world? After all, General Qiu was unjustly killed, and that vengeance must be avenged."
He had been holding it in for a long time, but now that only Military Advisor Fang was by his side, he couldn't help but speak out. After all, what he had witnessed in Leren City wasn't simply a matter of conquering a city, but rather the restoration of order to a city that had fallen out of control. Ruling the empire was far more difficult than conquering it. What if she also wanted to compete for it, how could she still be on the same page with him?
This wasn't a woman anyone could seduce. If they were to marry, who could guarantee she'd relinquish power? If she didn't, she might die in her bed. It was precisely for this reason that Sun Yuanrang refused to simply "propose." Mutual affection was the only surefire way.
At least Sun Yuanrang felt that he was somewhat attracted to her. After all, she was such an outstanding woman, it was hard not to be moved.
Fang Tianxi sighed upon hearing this: "I'm afraid she doesn't have such intentions. She hasn't even raised the banner of rebellion until today. I guess she still wants to live in peace in a corner."
This was what concerned Fang Tianxi the most. She was too focused, and didn't look like someone out to conquer the world. How could she prioritize commerce and education in troubled times? This wasn't the ancient world of conflict. Once someone became a powerful force, they would inevitably try to unify the world. She was hiding in the South China Sea. Even if she managed Yuezhou brilliantly, what good would it do?
Because of this, even though he was very tempted, and even though he had the friendship of his benefactor Qiu Sheng, he chose not to stay with the Red Flag Gang. As a strategist, he would only choose a leader who could unify the world.
Thinking of this, Fang Tianxi couldn't help but look at Sun Yuanrang deeply again: "Since you think she is a woman who can rule the world, you should be more careful and marry a virtuous woman. This is the way to succeed."
Sun Yuanrang understood this principle all too well. It was for this reason that he hadn't yet settled on a marriage, and even Marshal Pan's niece hadn't agreed. But time was of the essence. If he continued to hesitate, things might get bad for both sides. He had to plan ahead.
Shaking his head and putting all this chaos behind him, Sun Yuanrang said seriously, "Military Advisor, let's first look at the map and find out where the enemy's ambush is."
Right now, winning this battle is more important; everything else can be discussed later.
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