In Yizhou City.
Lou Wan led his soldiers back into the city.
The governor of Hedong Commandery hurriedly came forward, "General, are you alright?"
Lou Wan shook his head, "It's just a minor injury, nothing to kill you."
Although that's what he said, seeing his bleeding arm, the Prefect of Hedong felt sorry for him. "Go and heal your wound first, and we'll talk about it later."
Lou Wan nodded and led his subordinates back to his residence for treatment.
After Lou Wan left, the governor of Hedong said to the man beside him with a gloomy expression, "I thought Lou Wan was a capable man, but I didn't expect him to be so useless."
This is only the first battle, and so many of them have already died.
He realized that the city gate wasn't so easy to defend.
However, it wouldn't be so easy for Bai Jiao, that country bumpkin, to easily take over Hedong.
"Send Jiang Liu to fight tomorrow. They only have a small number of men. I don't believe they can withstand a war of attrition."
His advisors advised, "Our army has just finished fighting today. Why not let them rest for a few days before fighting again?"
They have already suffered a major defeat in today's battle, and the soldiers' morale is low. They would likely lack the fighting spirit to fight again.
The governor of Hedong County raised his hand to stop him, "Exchange for 10,000 soldiers in the city."
Seeing that the prefect was determined to do so, the advisors stopped trying to persuade him.
The next day, outside the city gate, Qi Nuan squinted. She had thought the enemy would rest for a few days before fighting again, but she hadn't expected them to start a war with them so soon.
"The one who has come to fight today is your grandfather Jiang Liu. Does the person on the other side dare to fight your grandfather Jiang Liu for three hundred rounds?"
Qi Nuan looked at the general opposite her. He looked to be in his early twenties, not very old, but his tone was quite arrogant.
It seems the enemy has already figured out which generals Qi Nuan has capable of fighting. Ji Jin did not participate in the battle today, and Qi Nuan allowed him to recuperate in the camp.
Beside her was her senior brother, Wang Mingxin. Wang Mingxin looked at Qi Nuan and said, "General, let me go and meet him."
Qi Nuan shook her head. Although Wang Mingxin's martial arts skills were decent, he had only learned them after becoming Yan Gong's disciple, so his foundation was too weak. Since the other party wanted to fight, she would do the same as him and was determined to take his head in one fell swoop.
"No, let Yu Shen go. We'll finish this quickly."
She looked at Yu Shen on her right, "Are you confident?"
Yu Shen nodded.
Qi Nuan's expression was cold. "I want the other party's head."
Yu Shen nodded and looked at the person opposite him, saying, "A dying man doesn't need to announce his name, Grandpa."
With that, Yu Shen spurred his horse and rode off, engaging in a fierce battle with the person opposite him.
Qi Nuan watched from the side. She knew that the other party was no match for Yu Shen. Yu Shen was someone that Bai Jiao had found from somewhere two years ago. He was extremely skilled in martial arts. She was also somewhat surprised that he had sent someone here this time.
You should know that he is now extremely wary of her, and he no longer sends any talented people to her side.
Now he seems completely unafraid that she will dig deeper.
It seems he trusts this person exceptionally much.
On the battlefield, Yu Shen and his companion fought back and forth on horseback at great speed, leaving only afterimages of their battle visible.
However, their fighting soon stopped.
With a powerful swing of his spear, Yu Shen sent Jiang Liu sprawling from his horse, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His subordinates rushed to his aid, but it was too late.
Yu Shen thrust his spear forward, piercing Jiang Liu's heart. As blood gushed forth, Jiang Liu was lifeless, only his wide-open eyes remaining.
Yu Shen sheathed his spear without expression.
He shouted, "The commander-in-chief is dead. Who dares to fight?"
The advisor beside the governor of Hedong Commandery stood atop the city wall, his face grim. He coldly ordered, "Send the order to withdraw the troops."
With a "bang," the Prefect of Hedong County slammed the wine cup in his hand away.
"Useless things, one or two of them are so useless, what use is it for me to keep them?"
Qi Nuan's soldiers were overjoyed at this great victory.
Qi Nuan was also very pleased. There weren't many capable generals in Yizhou, and the loss of one of them not only dampened their morale but also meant they had no one else to rely on for the time being.
Qi Nuan raised her glass and said to Shen, "Qi Nuan would like to toast the General. Without you, we would not have won this battle so easily."
"General, you flatter me. I was merely doing my duty."
Yu Shen calmly drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
Yan Gong glanced at Yu Shen, his eyes flickering slightly, but he didn't say anything.
A few days later, Qi Nuan and his men fought another battle with the enemy. Although they suffered some losses, they were minimal. Instead, they captured the enemy general's head, resulting in a major defeat and heavy losses for Yizhou.
At this point, there was no further movement within Yizhou City.
Qi Nuan looked at the truce sign hanging high on the city wall; it seemed the governor of Hedong County intended to cease hostilities.
These past few days, no matter how much they knocked on the gates, the people inside the city refused to fight.
The governor of Hedong Commandery stubbornly refused to leave the city gates.
They cannot attack the city now.
It's not that they can't attack the city just because the other side has put up a truce sign; rather, the forces available to Yizhou City are far greater than theirs. If they launch a direct assault, they will suffer too many losses, which would be of no benefit to Qi Nuan.
But once Bai Jiao arrives with his large army, their peace treaty will likely be useless.
Qi Nuan originally intended to further deplete Yizhou's military strength before launching an attack on the city, but now he had no choice but to halt the attack for the time being.
After all, she doesn't have many people, and she would be heartbroken if she lost even a little.
Qi Nuan looked at the truce sign on the city gate and said to Ji Jin beside her, then asked Yan Gong, "Can we attack the city directly?"
Yan Gong shook his head. "Now that the other side has put up a truce sign, they are already afraid of fighting and probably don't intend to fight anymore. But the effect of this truce sign is only temporary. They must know that our reinforcements are in the rear."
Qi Nuan nodded; she naturally understood this principle.
They did not want to fight, but they had no choice but to.
Yan Gong continued, "So they are testing us."
Qi Nuan said, "Lord Yan means that the governor of Hedong County wants to seek peace."
Yan Gong nodded.
But this is probably difficult to negotiate; seeking peace is certainly an option, regardless of the circumstances.
They certainly wanted to take over Hedong without bloodshed, but the governor of Hedong had to die. Now that the governor of Hedong was in power, his request for peace was naturally to save his life.
These two are irreconcilable.
Yan Gong naturally knew what Qi Nuan was thinking and said, "No rush, they will probably send someone out of the city to negotiate with us soon."
As long as there is an opportunity for peace talks, Yan Gong is confident that he can take over Hedong without having to fight again.
"I will go into the city at that time."
"Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"
Although it is said that in war, one should not kill the messenger, not everyone follows this rule.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Yan Gongdao said, "I have my own way of protecting myself, but I am not too worried."
Qi Nuan naturally understood this principle, but she also had her worries.
However, this is the best way.
Now they are simply waiting for someone from Yizhou to come and negotiate.
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