Chapter 481 A two-pronged approach!

Yijing
Zhao Jianan stood on the city wall, looking at the endless plain in the distance, a trace of anxiety emerged in his expression. Just two days ago, the Fengwu Army cavalry suddenly appeared and attacked Yijing. Although Zhao Jianan was caught off guard, and the Yan army also suffered thousands of casualties due to being caught off guard, but they still managed to survive this disaster with the life-saving efforts of the soldiers defending the city and the full assistance of the counselor Sun Zhunde...

However, unlike what Zhao Jianan expected, the enemy did not take advantage of the situation to continue the attack, but blocked Yijing. Then Zhao Jianan learned through carrier pigeons that Jizhou City had been broken and tens of thousands of Fengwu troops were rushing towards Yijing.

After realizing the opponent's intention, Zhao Jianan also tried to send people to rush out, establish contact with the surrounding towns and villages, and gather the remnants of the defeated troops from Jizhou. However, a large group of cavalry from the Fengwu Army had been staring at them not far from Yijing. Basically, no matter how many people Zhao Jianan sent out, they would be annihilated, and only a very few lucky ones could survive.

To date, Yijing has been blockaded for two days, but there are only a few hundred militiamen from the surrounding towns and villages who have broken through the blockade of the Fengwu Army to provide support. This is simply a drop in the bucket and is of no help!

Hearing the familiar footsteps coming from behind him, Zhao Jianan knew who was coming without turning around, and immediately asked:
"Have the Fengwu troops who conquered Jizhou arrived?"

Sun Zhunde shook his head and said:

"My Lord, they are not that fast yet!"

Zhao Jianan did not make any response after hearing this. His expression was still down. Although the Fengwu Army from Jizhou had not arrived yet, they would come back sooner or later. He seemed to be listening for the sound of boots. He knew that the second sound of boots would come, but he did not know when the other party would come...
Returning to the study in the mansion, seeing Zhao Jianan looking so depressed, Sun Zhunde frowned and continued:
"My Lord, according to the scouts' investigation, the enemy troops outside the city are the Third Division of the Fengwu Army. The general leading them is named Guo Zhiping. Although he was born a bandit, he has always been trusted by the dog thief Ye Mingsheng and has been leading the main cavalry unit of the Fengwu Army."

"The enemy forces that attacked Jizhou were the First and Second Divisions of the Fengwu Army, led by Yuan Song and Lin Huaiwu. Yuan Song, Lin Huaiwu and Guo Zhiping were three generals under Ye Mingsheng. The troops under their command were also the most elite divisions in the Fengwu Army. This time, Ye Mingsheng sent out all three troops, which was enough to show that Ye Mingsheng wanted to swallow up Youyan in one gulp!"

"After Yuan Song and Lin Huaiwu captured Jizhou, they immediately headed towards Yijing. They are expected to arrive at the city tomorrow morning!"

Hearing Sun Zhunde's words, Zhao Jianan sighed and cursed Shen Zhuo in his heart, "You old man, I told you not to underestimate the Fengwu Army and Ye Mingsheng, but you patted your chest and swore to me, but the Fengwu Army captured Jizhou in one night, causing the situation in Yijing to be in jeopardy now..."
Although he was filled with grief and indignation, Zhao Jianan still controlled his emotions and whispered to Sun Zhunde behind him:

"Mr. Sun, how is the preparation work going in the city?"

Facing Zhao Jianan's question, Sun Zhunde said without hesitation:
"We have urgently recruited 10,000 young and strong men from the city and distributed weapons to them. If necessary, they can go up to the city wall to help defend the city. In addition, we have also mobilized 20,000 civilians to transport supplies."

"Because there aren't enough rolling stones and logs in the city, we have already started demolishing the houses in the west city. So far, we have demolished 39 houses. As long as the enemy dares to attack, the accumulated rolling stones and logs will be enough to teach the Fengwu Army a lesson!"

Although Sun Zhunde's words were very powerful, Zhao Jianan was still in a very low mood. He was silent for a while and then continued to ask Sun Zhunde:
"Mr. Sun, do you think we can hold out until our father returns from Jinzhong..."

Although he wanted to cheer up Zhao Jianan and boost his confidence, seeing that Zhao Jianan was still dreaming of holding on to Yijing until Zhao Fuqu came back from Jinzhong, Sun Zhunde felt a little helpless. After considering his words, he said:
"My Lord, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"Of course it's the truth!"

Zhao Jianan looked at Sun Zhunde and said without hesitation:
Seeing this, Sun Zhunde said very frankly:

"My Lord, we originally had 20,000 defenders in Yijing, but we were attacked by the Luobi people a few days ago. In order to repel the Luobi people, we transferred several thousand soldiers from Yijing to support them. Now some of these people are still in Yuyang. Now the enemy is coming very fast, and our defenders in Yijing were caught off guard. Counting the soldiers who were killed in the enemy's surprise attack two days ago, our total number of soldiers in Yijing is only more than 12,000!"

“Although we have recruited 10,000 young men from the city, they are just new to using swords and have not received any training. Although they are a fresh force, it is best not to pin all our hopes on them…”

"Tomorrow morning, there will most likely be 70,000 enemy troops outside the city. These are the elite troops of the Fengwu Army. It is said that Ye Mingsheng is also preparing to personally lead tens of thousands of soldiers into the city. In this case, the enemy troops that our army will face next will most likely exceed 100,000!"

"The Governor is now being held by Feng Han in Jinzhong. Even if he can escape and come back, it will take at least a month. And considering the current situation in the city, it will be very good if we can hold on for half a month!"

Although he already had a vague answer in his heart, Zhao Jianan's brows were undoubtedly furrowed even tighter after hearing Sun Zhunde's realistic answer.

Seeing Zhao Jianan like this, Sun Zhunde advised in a deep voice:
"My Lord, it is difficult for us to defend Yijing until the Governor returns by ourselves..."

Zhao Jianan laughed at himself when he heard this. Sun Zhunde seemed to be hesitant to speak, but he naturally understood what Sun Zhunde meant.

Shaking his head, Zhao Jianan looked at Sun Zhunde and said with a wry smile:

"I'm in trouble now, it's good enough that those two bastards aren't laughing secretly, how can they risk their lives to save me?"

"My Lord, I believe they know the principle that the lips and teeth are cold. Once Yijing is lost, the situation in Youyan will be in danger. Once the foundation of the Zhao family is shaken, even if the governor can come back, it will be extremely difficult to recapture Yijing and drive the Fengwu Army out of Youyan!"

Zhao Jianan smiled bitterly when he heard this. Of course he understood this logic, but would his second brother and cousin let go of the grudges that had existed between them for many years?
Based on Zhao Jianan's understanding of them, it would be impossible for these two guys to come and save him despite the blades of the Fengwu Army, unless the sun rises from the west!
Sun Zhunde continued to advise:
“My lord, I have a plan that can make them send troops to help us, but you may have to suffer a little bit for this plan…”

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Jianan's eyes lit up and he said in a deep voice;
"As long as I can get them to send out troops, I would not mind even if it meant taking my life, Zhao Jianan!"

Although Zhao Jianan said so, Sun Zhunde naturally did not take his words seriously. He pondered for a moment and said carefully:
"My Lord, although Zhao Yong and Zhao Jianwen are in cahoots with each other, there are still big differences between the two!" "Zhao Jianwen is determined to defeat you, my Lord, and he will not give up until you are defeated. But Zhao Yong, as a general, has a better view of the overall situation!"

"And most importantly, Zhao Yong and the Governor have a very deep relationship. If the Governor points east, Zhao Yong will never go west!"

"So I think you can do two things at once, young master. On the one hand, you can write a personal letter to Zhao Yong asking for help from him, and the words in the letter should be more sincere..."

At this point, Sun Zhunde looked at Zhao Jianan, as if hinting something to Zhao Jianan. Feeling Sun Zhunde's gaze, Zhao Jianan nodded slightly, indicating that he knew what to do. It was just to be submissive and admit his mistakes in the letter. As long as Yijing could be defended, he was willing to bow his head.

Sun Zhunde continued:
"Next, you can forge the Governor's handwriting and send a letter to Zhao Yong, ordering him to immediately go north from Zhuo County to provide support!"

Zhao Jianan was shocked when he heard this and asked:

"Mr. Sun, are you asking me to forge my father's handwriting?"

Sun Zhunde nodded and explained:

"My lord, the matter is urgent! I believe that the Governor will definitely agree with you when he finds out about this..."

In response to Sun Zhunde's persuasion, Zhao Jianan stood up and paced back and forth in the room, thinking, his expression constantly changing.

Although it was easy for Sun Zhunde to say it, Zhao Jianan had to consider the political risks behind it and the far-reaching impact it would have!
The reason why his second brother Zhao Jianwen has been able to pose a threat to his succession over the years is largely due to the tacit approval of Zhao Fuqu. It was Zhao Fuqu who gave Zhao Jianwen hope, so Zhao Jianwen kept jumping up and down like a cat seeing the smell of fish.

The reason why Zhao Fuqu did this, which affected the relationship between his two sons and destroyed the unity within Youyan, was for only one reason: power. The older Zhao Fuqu got, the more obsessed he became with power, and he was afraid that others would take power away from him!

Therefore, in order to prevent Zhao Jianan from having any improper thoughts, Zhao Fuqu secretly supported his second son to compete with his eldest son in order to attract his eldest son's attention.
Zhao Jianan was also well aware of Zhao Fuqu's little thoughts, so he didn't dare to overstep the line in these years, for fear that his suspicious father would become more suspicious of him...

Even though he has urgently imitated Zhao Fuqu's handwriting to give orders to Zhao Yong, Zhao Fuqu may not say anything openly afterwards, but will he have other thoughts in his mind?

Looking at Zhao Jianan's uncertain face, Sun Zhunde also reminded anxiously:
"My Lord, let's not talk about whether you can break out of Yijing after it was captured by the Fengwu Army. Even if you can escape, the crime of losing Yijing is enough to make you unable to turn over a new leaf for the rest of your life. The reputation you have worked hard to build for more than a decade will go down the drain, and you will no longer be able to compete with Zhao Jianwen and his men!"

"Secondly, if Yi Jing loses the Zhao family, there will be a risk of destruction. By then, no one will be left alive!"

"The only ones who can save Yijing now are the 20,000 elite soldiers under Zhao Yong. As long as Zhao Yong sends troops to contain the enemy from the periphery and gather the militias from all over to support, Yijing will have a chance of survival until the Governor leads the main force of our army back from Jinzhong!"

"Zhao Yong listens to the Governor the most. If you can adopt my two-pronged strategy, I will guarantee with my life that he will send troops!"

"My Lord, time waits for no one. Please make a decision as soon as possible!"

Listening to Sun Zhunde's incisive analysis of the pros and cons, Zhao Jianan gritted his teeth and decided:
"Okay! Mr. Sun, I'm determined to do as you say!"

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Liaoyang, Dongning.

While Zhao Jianan was planning how to get reinforcements in Yijing, Ye Mingsheng was also busy in Dongning, planning to personally lead the second echelon into the pass.

"My husband, are you really going to lead the troops to the battlefield this time? I heard that General Yuan and General Guo on the front line are fighting very well..."

An Miaoyi, who was pregnant, took Ye Mingsheng's arm and said softly:

As of today, An Miaoyi has been pregnant for more than eight months, and she will give birth in more than a month. Therefore, during such a special period, she naturally hopes that her husband Ye Mingsheng can stay by her side to accompany her, instead of leading his troops to the battlefield in person and making her worry, fearing that Ye Mingsheng might make a mistake in the battlefield where swords and guns are indiscriminate.

Feeling An Miaoyi's affection, Ye Mingsheng gently stroked An Miaoyi's belly and listened to the little one's voice, then scratched An Miaoyi's face and consoled her with a smile:
“This battle is of great importance. I have sent out all the elite troops of Fengwu Army. I need to command them personally. Don’t worry, I will be in charge of the central army. Yuan Song and Guo Zhiping will do the fighting. With the army guarding by my side, no one can hurt me. Even that old villain Zhao Fuqu can’t stop me. Miaoyi, I will be able to finish the war in Youyan and come back to accompany you before you give birth...”

An Miaoyi's red lips curled up slightly after listening to Ye Mingsheng's words, but she didn't say anything. She knew that Ye Mingsheng had made up his mind, and no matter what she said, it would be difficult to change Ye Mingsheng's mind!

After coaxing An Miaoyi for a few words, Ye Mingsheng continued to instruct:
"When I'm not around, the house will be handed over to you, Miaoyi, but don't overwork yourself. If you feel bored, just talk to Qiqige, Shen Yutong and the others and play mahjong!"

(End of this chapter)