Chapter 454 Three strategies: best, middle and worst!
Five days later, Dongting Theater.

Chen Shengcai respectfully led the woman in green, who was covered with a white veil, to an exquisite courtyard in the theater, and said to her with a smile:
"The girl has arrived. Yutong lives here..."

The woman in blue just waved her hand when she heard this. Chen Shengcai was not angry at all. He continued to say with a smile:

"Okay, if you have any questions, come to me!"

After saying this, Chen Shengcai tactfully retreated on his own. He did not know the identity of the woman in green. The only thing he knew was that this woman in green was sent by a powerful backer of his in the government, who said that she wanted to meet Shen Yutong.

Chen Shengcai had thought about this before. He wanted to find out the background of this woman in blue from his backers to find out where she came from.

But even his patron was not only very secretive about this woman in green, but was also extremely respectful and polite to her. This undoubtedly made Chen Shengcai certain that the identity of this woman in green must be very noble!

If Chen Shengcai had not performed a big show in the Governor's Mansion for several days a few days ago and met several wives of the Governor, he would have doubted whether this woman was the Governor's concubine...

Although he didn't know the other party's identity, since Chen Shengcai was able to become the owner of Dongting Theater, he must have seen all kinds of people and had developed a pair of sharp eyes, so he guessed that the other party was most likely the wife of the noble official in the government.

Although he couldn't see the other person's face clearly because of the veil, Chen Shengcai could feel that she was not very old, and there was a sense of nobility in her every move. It was obvious that she had been spoiled since childhood, with fine clothes and delicious food, so she should not be a concubine or something like that.

Excluding the concubine, then it must be the daughter of that high-ranking official!
As for why the other party wanted to see Shen Yutong, the woman in green did not say it and Chen Shengcai did not ask, but such a situation of a rich lady visiting Shen Yutong had happened before. The other party came here because she admired Shen Yutong and wanted to learn pipa from her.

Because of this previous experience, Chen Shengcai had a preconceived idea that the other party was looking for Shen Yutong to learn how to play the pipa...

Chen Shengcai was still very confident in his judgment, so he just greeted Shen Yutong and brought the person over.

He and Shen Yutong had three rules, one of which was that he could not force Shen Yutong to meet guests. However, these guests mainly referred to male guests, and this time the other party turned out to be a girl, so Chen Shengcai did not think much about it.

After Chen Shengcai left, the woman in green standing in front of the courtyard gate hesitated for a while, then she seemed to muster up the courage to walk into the courtyard, and walked into the house under the guidance of the maid.

At this time, a woman with white skin as white as snow, beautiful face and serene expression was waiting for her. This person was Shen Yutong who had conquered Liaoyang with a song of Drunken Concubine. Seeing the woman in green covered with white gauze slowly approaching, Shen Yutong looked a little dazed for a moment, as if she had thought of something...

At this moment, the woman in green walked up to Shen Yutong, lifted the white veil to reveal an equally delicate and pretty face. This woman was none other than Murong Qingwu, the beloved daughter of Murong Yuliang, the Censor of Liaoyang!
"Yutong, long time no see!"

Looking at Shen Yutong, Murong Qingwu seemed to have a little apology and said softly:

Seeing that the other person was indeed Murong Qingwu, Shen Yutong's beautiful eyes showed a complicated expression and she said calmly:

"Why did you come here?"

Seeing Shen Yutong like this, Murong Qingwu originally had a lot of things in her heart that she wanted to tell her, but she couldn't say anything anymore. After a moment of silence, she said;

“I want to come and see you…”

Upon hearing this, two lines of tears ran down Shen Yutong's pretty face. She smiled sadly and said:

"So what if I saw it?"

Feeling Shen Yutong's attitude, Murong Qingwu fell into complete silence, with only apology and helplessness in her eyes.

Seeing Murong Qingwu stopped talking, Shen Yutong wiped the tears from her face and said calmly:
"I'm fine! No need to worry about me, Miss Murong! Please do as you please, Miss Murong!"

After saying this, Shen Yutong ignored Murong Qingwu and turned to walk towards the backyard with her maid.

Looking at Shen Yutong's departing back, Murong Qingwu shook her head painfully, then put on her veil again and chose to leave...
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Yunbing, Jinzhong City
"Damn it, the old bastard King Qin, is he really going to withdraw his troops?"

Zhao Fuqu was very surprised and asked his subordinate Jiang Shiyuan:
Facing Zhao Fuqu's question, Jiang Shiyuan hesitated for a moment and nodded and said:
"It is said that the King of Qin has not made a final decision yet, but they did have in-depth discussions with Shangguan Hongyuan and others. In addition, Yongliang suffered a snowstorm some time ago, and the people suffered heavy losses. The Western Liang army could not continue, so if nothing unexpected happens, the King of Qin is very likely to withdraw his troops from Chencang..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fuqu was immediately furious. He didn't care about the dignity of a governor or the difference between the monarch and his subjects. He used all kinds of dirty words to cordially greet the eighteen generations of ancestors of the King of Qin, who was Huidi's uncle, as well as all the female relatives.

The reason why Zhao Fuqu dared to send troops to Yunbing this time was because he was confident in the capable and battle-hardened imperial guards under Shangguan Hongyuan. With the King of Qin and Lin Shize in Guanzhong and Sichuan respectively, all he had to deal with was Feng Han's 20,000 to 30,000 men in Yunbing.

However, not only was the progress not smooth due to weather and logistics, but the actual progress was behind schedule. Now, Zhao Fuqu heard the news that the King of Qin might withdraw his troops. He could not help but be furious. After scolding for half an incense stick of time, Zhao Fuqu, who was over fifty years old, sat on the chair and gasped for air.

Seeing Zhao Fuqu like this, Huang Wen Ze who was standing beside him couldn't help but have a flash of worry in his eyes. He had heard that Zhao Fuqu brought that Hu with him when he went to the war this time. Even when there was a battle on the front, Zhao Fuqu and Hu were having fun in the tent every night, and they even took poisonous drugs. If things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before Zhao Fuqu's body would collapse...

Just as Huang Wen Ze was considering whether to speak frankly and advise Zhao Fuqu to take care of his health and not indulge in sex, Zhao Fuqu, who had recovered, turned his gaze to him and asked in a deep voice:
"Mr. Huang, tell me, if that old bastard King Qin really withdraws his troops, what should we do?"

Hearing Zhao Fuqu's question, Huang Wenzhe put aside his hesitation and said after a moment's silence:

"Your Excellency the Governor, I have three plans!"

When Zhao Fuqu heard that Huang Wen Ze had three strategies, one good, one medium, and one bad, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with great anticipation:
"Mr. Huang, please tell me quickly. I'm all ears!"

Huang Wen Ze cleared his throat and said in a deep voice;

"If the King of Qin withdraws his troops, I think Shangguan Hongyuan, whose pressure is reduced, will most likely withdraw some troops to support Feng Han instead of supporting Sichuan. Sichuan's problem now is not about manpower, but time and logistics."

"And if things are really as I predicted, the enemy has a large number of reinforcements and a powerful force. Our army should not only fight back but also use Jinzhong as a barrier to build fortifications to keep the enemy out of Youyan..."

Zhao Fuqu's face darkened slightly when he heard this. Huang Wenzhe continued calmly:

"My middle strategy is to abandon our previous plan to attack Jinyang directly, avoid a head-on battle with the enemy, and instead gradually nibble away at other prefectures and counties in the Yunbing area, forcing the enemy to fight a protracted war with our army, a war of attrition. Shangguan Hongyuan's two-front war will not last long!"

Hearing this, Zhao Fuqu, who had just been grumbling, regained some spirit and asked Huang Wenzhe anxiously:
"Mr. Huang, what is the best strategy?"

Huang Wen Ze's expression became serious when he heard this, and he spoke word by word:

"The army will march to Jinyang immediately. We must take Jinyang before Shangguan Hongyuan's reinforcements arrive. Once Jinyang City is captured, the outcome will be decided!"

As soon as Zhao Fuqu finished speaking, under Huang Wen Ze's gaze, he fell into silence, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Zhao Fuqu was the first to give up the worst plan. He had been suppressed by Shangguan Hongyuan for ten years. He finally showed his sword once, and the annexation of Yunping was just around the corner. In this situation, if you asked Zhao Fuqu to give up his ambition and defend Jinzhong, Zhao Fuqu would not accept it. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he would never do so...
As for the best strategy, Zhao Fuqu felt powerless. Not to mention that it is icy and snowy outside and the mountains are blocked by snow, making logistical supplies very difficult. It is almost the New Year and the soldiers of the Yan army are already tired of war and want to return to Youyan to reunite with their families for the New Year. If you let everyone attack Jinyang in the severe cold at this time, the morale of the army will probably plummet to the bottom!
Jinyang is one of the largest cities in the world, and Feng Han still has 20,000 soldiers stationed there. If necessary, he can mobilize tens of thousands of elite soldiers in the city to defend the city together. Such a city cannot be conquered in a day or two, or two or three days. It may take a month, two months, or three months.

Now there are less than twenty days left until the Chinese New Year. If Jinyang is not captured quickly, will the soldiers still have the heart to fight in the first month of the year?

And if the first siege fails, it will be even more difficult to capture Jinyang next time!
Thinking of this, Zhao Fuqu began to think about the middle strategy given by Huang Wen Ze. Although their Youyan was stronger than the bitter and cold places like Yongliang and Liaoyang, it was not a very wealthy place. His 100,000-strong army was on the march, and every day's eating, drinking, defecating and urinating was a huge consumption. Therefore, Zhao Fuqu instinctively resisted a protracted war and a war of attrition...

However, if compared with the worst plan and the best plan, Zhao Fuqu still appreciates the middle plan proposed by Huang Wenzhe. At least this middle plan looks very safe and has a higher possibility of swallowing Yunbing!

Thinking of this, Zhao Fuqu made a decision and instructed Huang Wenzhe:

"Mr. Huang, I really don't want to accept your worst plan, and the best plan is too risky, so let's prepare according to the middle plan. Although Guanzhong is rich, Shangguan Hongyuan is so arrogant to start a two-front war. I really don't believe he can do anything to me!"

After hearing Zhao Fuqu's reply, Huang Wen Ze bowed and said yes, with a hint of disappointment in his eyes...

Zhao Fuqu's decision was actually within his expectations. After all, Zhao Fuqu is now successful and wealthy, and is no longer the ruthless character who led a group of brothers with swords and would beat anyone they wanted. Although he still has ambitions, his edge has been worn down by the years and he is no longer as daring and combative as he was in the past.

The impact of the New Year's Festival not only affects Zhao Fuqu's Yan army, it also affects Feng Han's troops in Jinyang City. I believe that at this time, the people in Jinyang City must have relaxed their vigilance, and the military and civilians are all waiting for the festival. If the Yan army can be mobilized at this time and unite as one, it is not impossible to catch Feng Han off guard and capture Jinyang in one go.

In this way, after conquering Jinzhong and Jinyang, the Yan army can completely sweep through Yunbing and wipe out the remaining enemies. At that time, Zhao Fuqu, who controls the two provinces of Yunbing and Youyan, can completely seize the initiative in the struggle with Shangguan Hongyuan and can attack or defend, thus establishing the foundation for hegemony!
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Dongning, North City Military Camp

Under the protection of hundreds of personal soldiers, Ye Mingsheng, dressed in military uniform and riding a tall horse, came to the military camp as usual without any prior notice...

Since Ye Mingsheng approved the negotiation results between Wang Xuecheng and the people of Gongdu, the people of Gongdu handed over the 700,000 taels of silver they had raised to the Supervisory Office. After receiving the war compensation, the three divisions of the Fengwu Army in Gongdu officially withdrew from Gongdu and returned to Liaoyang in accordance with the negotiation results.

And three days ago as planned, Yuan Song, who made the greatest contribution in this battle, and his First Division came to Dongning to be welcomed by Ye Mingsheng and more than 100,000 people of Liaoyang. After receiving commendations and inspections, Yuan Song's First Division temporarily stationed in the camp in the north of the city, preparing for the next major battle.

Although the First Division had been reviewed in public three days ago, in Ye Mingsheng's eyes it was just a show to boost the morale of the army and civilians. He still had to go deep into the grassroots to get a better understanding of the actual situation of the First Division...
(End of this chapter)