Ai Zijun stood in front of Chen Zhennan, and when she heard him say that his cavalry might be surrounded, she couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"Brother Chen, what do you mean by that?"
Chen Zhennan took a deep breath, his expression serious, his eyes revealing a profound understanding of the situation.
"The Northeast Army crossed the border and entered the Slavic Principality's territory, leaving Kurokawa extremely vulnerable. Elena will definitely search frantically; now, whoever is still within Kurokawa's borders is doomed!"
As Ai Zijun listened to Chen Zhennan's words, her face gradually turned pale, and the curiosity in her eyes was replaced by shock.
A chill ran through Ai Zijun, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head.
Countless images flashed through Ai Zijun's mind. The scene of those cavalrymen fighting bravely on the battlefield of Kurokawa was still vivid in her mind. However, now, they were facing a crisis of life and death.
Biting her lip, Ai Zijun tried to calm herself down and asked, "Is there any way we can make amends?"
Chen Zhennan gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white.
“Rescuing five thousand people from a group of two hundred and fifty thousand is by no means an easy task.”
Although Kurokawa is vast, Elena has an army of 250,000 men under her command. As the saying goes, "If you can surround it, you can do so by the tenth of its strength."
Although it would take ten times the enemy's strength to encircle them, for Han Meng, who remained in Kurokawa, Elena's forces numbered fifty times his own.
Chen Zhennan lowered his head in deep thought, his brows furrowed. Time passed by, and the air was thick with tension, making even breathing feel heavy.
Finally, he sighed deeply, shook his head slowly, and felt a mix of helplessness and anxiety.
“I have a way to rescue Han Meng’s five thousand cavalry,” Chen Zhennan suddenly said.
Upon hearing this, Ai Zijun hurriedly asked, "What method? What do you need me to do?"
Chen Zhennan pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "As long as I take 1,500 special forces soldiers there and return to Kurokawa, that's fine. My special forces are extremely powerful. Let alone Elena's 250,000 troops, even 520,000 would be no problem for us."
Chen Zhennan's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
Upon hearing this, Ai Zijun's eyes widened as if she had seen a lifeline, and she looked at Chen Zhennan with longing.
Before he could say anything, Chen Zhennan spoke again.
"However, if it is discovered, not only will the plan fail, but it may also lead to the annihilation of all 90,000 soldiers on the Serga River."
Upon hearing this, Ai Zijun remained silent for a long time, his face filled with difficulty.
Five thousand cavalrymen or ninety-five thousand troops—Ai Zijun certainly knew which to choose, but he was unwilling to choose now.
Those five thousand cavalrymen were his precious treasures. If they were to be lost in vain, it would become a nightmare he could never forget for the rest of his life.
Chen Zhennan looked at Ai Zijun with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. He gently placed his hand on Ai Zijun's shoulder; the gesture, though simple, was full of strength and comfort.
"The best course of action now is to proceed according to plan, speed things up, capture Novgorod, and ideally capture Marshal Ivanov of Slavia alive, as a condition for negotiation."
Chen Zhennan's words were like a guiding light, illuminating the way for Ai Zijun who was lost and confused.
At this point, Ai Zijun had lost all his own opinions, and his eyes were filled with self-blame.
He never imagined that his decision on the eve of battle would inadvertently send his five thousand cavalrymen into the tiger's den.
"I...I didn't expect it to turn out this way. I should have been more cautious. Brother Chen, I'll follow your arrangements from now on. Whatever you say we should do, we'll do it."
Upon seeing Ai Zijun's expression, Chen Zhennan couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"Since you've said so, then listen to me. Remember, don't do anything unnecessary from now on, otherwise, your five thousand men might really be wiped out."
Ai Zijun gave a strong "hmm" and listened carefully without saying a word.
"Brother Ai, I have a plan." Chen Zhennan slowly reached out and took a map, pointing to Novgorod on the map.
“I will lead 1,500 special forces men in a rapid operation to take this place in the shortest time possible. You, on the other hand, will lead the cavalry to stir up trouble in Slavic territory and draw Elena’s attention.”
A glint flashed in Ai Zijun's eyes, and she leaned forward slightly, like a cheetah ready to pounce.
“Continue, Brother Chen.”
Chen Zhennan's finger moved across the map, as if he were commanding a vast army.
“Mobilize some of Elena’s army back. If Elena doesn’t fall for it, then harass her at close range to ensure that Elena has no time to deal with Han Meng.”
Ai Zijun nodded emphatically and pondered, "Okay, let's do it this way. I'll make sure she leads the army back! However, I'm worried that Elena might be too tempted by Kurokawa and not come back."
Chen Zhennan pursed his lips and slightly pouted.
"That depends on your skills, but remember one thing: you must not kill innocent people indiscriminately. You can kidnap people, but you must never take their lives."
Ai Zijun hummed in agreement, said nothing more, then mounted her horse and rode off towards her army.
"Chen Zexu, lead 90,000 troops toward Novgorod. From this moment on, obey Commander Chen's orders completely. Cavalry, follow me, depart immediately!"
The cavalry responded quickly, and before they could even rest, they followed Ai Zijun and galloped away.
As for the remaining 90,000 infantrymen, they followed on foot to Novgorod.
Chen Zhennan noticed that Chen Zexu looked worried, undoubtedly because he was concerned about Ai Zijun.
Riding up to Chen Zexu's side, Chen Zhennan said with a smile, "Don't worry about being discovered. With Ai Zijun attracting Elena's attention, even if the infantry is discovered, it won't matter. And don't worry about his safety. Elena is in trouble from both sides, so the initiative is in Ai Zijun's hands. He'll be fine."
Chen Zexu hummed in agreement, said nothing, and then assembled the army, setting off towards Novgorod.
Chen Zhennan didn't linger any longer and immediately gathered his special forces brothers to mount their horses. They were only eighty miles from Novgorod and had to get there before dark.
At his command, Chen Zhennan's special forces quickly assembled and charged toward Novgorod in a mighty force.
Chen Zexu followed at a leisurely pace. The 90,000-strong army had been marching at full speed all night and simply couldn't keep up with Chen Zhennan's pace.
Moreover, Chen Zhennan didn't insist that Chen Zexu keep up, so he simply walked slowly behind, which allowed his brothers to rest.
Chen Zhennan rode his horse at breakneck speed toward Novgorod, a little uneasy in his heart.
By splitting their forces into two groups, they were confident that taking Novgorod would be no problem for their own side, but Ai Zijun's 10,000 cavalry were no longer under their control.
"Sigh, I hope nothing bad happens to them."
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