Chapter 546 Destiny is mine!

Anhe, August 9th.

In Xinle City in the central part of Youyan, nearly 100,000 Yan troops set up camp here, preparing for the next offensive against Shunping City. For a while, Xinle, a small city with a standing population of only more than 100,000 people, was also filled with flags fluttering and battle flags densely covered··············
The Cao Mansion in Xinle City was originally an old house where the local gentry Cao Wanxiang and his family had lived for generations. However, with the comeback of the Yan army, this best mansion in Xinle City was naturally requisitioned by the Yan army and became Zhao Fuqu's headquarters.

At this time, a pre-war meeting of the Yan army was being held in this house covering an area of ​​more than ten acres.

"I heard that bastard Gu Shouting became famous after joining the Fengwu Army and got a general position in the crappy Sixth Division. Now it seems that he is still that cowardly dog ​​basket!"

Sitting not far from Zhao Fuqu, Liu Yong, a fierce general with a mustache and a figure as tall as an iron tower, laughed disdainfully and said:

As soon as he said this, all the generals of the Yan army in the room burst into laughter. Everyone's face was filled with smiles. Since the Fengwu army entered the pass in the past six months, their Yan army has suffered repeated defeats and suffered heavy losses. They have lost large tracts of land including Yijing, and can only retreat to border areas such as Zhuo County.

It is no exaggeration to say that in the past few months, the shadow of failure has hung over the heads of all the Yan army soldiers. Even the most optimistic people are pessimistic about the future prospects of the Yan army!

Even many people in the Yan army were not optimistic about Zhao Fuqu's desperate gamble, but Zhao Fuqu insisted on launching a strategic counterattack at this time against all odds.

The Yan army had only one combat goal in this battle, which was to recapture the two cities of Shunping and Xinle, rebuild the barrier of Zhuo County, and strive to stop the Fengwu army from moving south. Compared with the tall and sturdy Shunping City, the Yan army naturally regarded the defense of the deserted Xinle City as its primary combat goal, striving for a good start to boost morale...
However, no one expected that Gu Shouting actually gave up Xinle City and fled to Shunping without a fight, just like Liu Shi. In order to achieve this victory without a fight, Zhao Fuqu ordered his soldiers to enter Xinle City and build it into a fortress for attacking Shunping City. He also immediately ordered his men to launch propaganda efforts in order to dispel their fear of the Fengwu Army.

Looking at the smiles on the faces of the generals in the tent, Zhao Fuqu waved his hand and said with great pride:
"The damn Fengwu Army is also human, with two shoulders and a head, not a monster with three heads and six arms!"

"In this battle, our army of 100,000 is approaching the city, while the Fengwu Army in Shunping City has no more than 10,000 people. Our army has ten times the number of the enemy and has an absolute advantage, so we should seek a quick victory in this battle. Whoever can first break through Shunping and advance three levels will be rewarded with 50,000 taels of silver!"

As soon as Zhao Fuqu finished speaking, the eyes of all the Yan army generals in the room lit up. They rubbed their hands and patted their chests, confidently assuring Zhao Fuqu that they had already got the reward and would kill all the Fengwu troops in the city to vent their frustration of losing battles over the past few months.

Seeing everyone like this, Zhao Fuqu felt that the army's morale could be boosted, so he nodded with a smile and emphasized that anyone who dared to violate military discipline would be executed without mercy. Then Zhao Fuqu ended the meeting. When all the generals had left and Zhao Fuqu was the only one left in the room, Zhao Fuqu looked intently at the map not far away, and his expression became serious again...
This time, he made a desperate attempt to lead the main force to seek a decisive battle with Ye Mingsheng. Although it was caused by the defeat of Yan army and the loss of Xinle Shunping, the idea of ​​counterattack had been lingering in Zhao Fuqu's mind since he retreated to Zhuo County. He had been planning this matter, but he had not made up his mind because he was afraid of the powerful combat effectiveness of Fengwu Army.

Now that Shunping and Xinle have fallen, the desperate situation of the Yan army has made Zhao Fuqu more determined to fight to the death. The friction between the Fengwu army and the Luobi people is also regarded by Zhao Fuqu as a godsend opportunity. He knows very well that if he wants to recapture Yijing and drive the damn Fengwu army back to the snowy outside the Great Wall, he must rely on external forces, which is simply impossible to do with the current strength of the Yan army alone.

At first, he wanted to rely on the power of Cao Changping and Gao Zongchang, and placed high hopes on these two people. However, these two people also had ulterior motives and would not help him sincerely. Instead, they were planning to use them to stop the Fengwu Army. Disappointed, he could only pin his hopes on the greedy Luobi people. So during this period of time, he had been secretly sending people to contact the Luobi people, trying to invite the Luobi people to attack the Fengwu Army from the north and the south!

Zhao Fuqu, who was always known for his toughness towards the Luobi people, was very embarrassed to actively seek cooperation with the Luobi people this time. However, when he thought that Yijing, which he had run for most of his life, was occupied by Ye Mingsheng, he felt heartbroken. So he could only choose the lesser of two evils. Zhao Fuqu knew that this was his last chance, so he gambled everything he had. If he lost this time, he would have no choice but to die...
Zhao Fuqu once thought of revealing some information about the Luobi people to his generals in order to boost morale and strengthen everyone's confidence in the war, but after careful consideration, he finally gave up the idea. After all, Youyan was on the front line of the fight against the grasslands, and they had a blood feud with the Luobi people for hundreds of years. When talking about the Luobi people, everyone in the Yan army gnashed their teeth and wished to squeeze the marrow out of these grassland barbarians.

No matter how the Yan army fought with the Fengwu army, it was, after all, an internal affair of the Great Zhou and a civil war, while the Luobi people were foreign enemies. Once the news of the Yan army joining forces with the Luobi people to deal with the Fengwu army spread, it would not only be morally untenable, but would undoubtedly be a huge blow to the morale of the army.

Therefore, the best way to deal with things like this is for both parties to reach a tacit understanding and proceed quietly in secret. In this way, although some people will be suspicious, it will be useless if they cannot provide evidence.

In addition to the reinforcements from the Luobi people, Zhao Fuqu also had a very detailed plan for this strategic counterattack. He originally planned to advance his elite troops quickly, and before the Fengwu Army could react, he would besiege Xinle City and annihilate Gu Shouting and the 3,000 Fengwu Army soldiers in Xinle City, and on the other hand, use these people's heads to boost morale and boost military spirit.

On the other hand, he also planned to execute Gu Shouting by slow slicing, so that everyone could see what would happen to Zhao Fuqu who betrayed him, and to warn those who had ulterior motives.

Zhao Fuqu had a very good plan and thought he could catch the Fengwu Army off guard, but he never expected that what he got was an empty city. Before they arrived, Gu Shouting had already retreated to Shunping with his men...

Zhao Fuqu was undoubtedly very upset that his carefully prepared plan had failed. Although he still got Xinle City and was able to publicize the Yan army's victory without fighting, this feeling was as disgusting as eating a fly. Now Gu Shouting and Ma Zhongjun joined forces, and the guard force of Shunping City was more than 10,000 people. If the Yan army wanted to conquer Shunping at this time, it would need to make more efforts and suffer more casualties!

Just as Zhao Fuqu was immersed in his own thoughts, thinking about what method he could use to conquer Shunping City, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door. His trusted clansman Zhao Su walked in and whispered to Zhao Fuqu:

"The great Ford is back!"

When Zhao Fuqu heard this, a gleam of light flashed across his old eyes and he immediately spoke:
"Bring him in!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, a young man with a sturdy figure and sharp eyebrows walked into the room. His name was Zhao Fude, and he was a member of Zhao Fuqu's clan. Because he was eloquent and had a good appearance, Zhao Fuqu liked him very much. This time, Zhao Fuqu sent him to contact the Luobei people. Zhao Fude knew very well what Zhao Fuqu wanted to know, so as soon as he entered the room, he said to Zhao Fuqu with great joy:
“My lord, Luobi Khan Arsalan has agreed to our plan to attack the Fengwu Army from both north and south. Besides that, there is another good news. Batu, a member of the Luobi royal family who was sent to negotiate with the Fengwu Army, was beheaded after leaving Yijing. Only one of his followers escaped…”

"Batu is dead?"

Zhao Fuqu asked back with some surprise. Batu was the cousin of the great Khan Arsalan. He grew up with Arsalan and the two brothers had a very good relationship. After Arsalan became the Khan of Robe, he handed over all diplomatic work to Batu and fully trusted Batu's talents. Batu had been on diplomatic missions to Yijing several times before, and Zhao Fuqu had also met him several times. He had a deep understanding of his spoiled and domineering nature!
Zhao Fude nodded and continued:
"This news is absolutely true. It is said that Batu was humiliated by Ye Mingsheng, so he was furious and refused the escort of the Fengwu Army. He set out with a dozen followers. Unfortunately, he was ambushed and killed!"

At this point, Zhao Fude paused and continued:
"Although we don't know who killed Batu, it is now rumored that Ye Mingsheng ordered it. It is said that Batu made many harsh demands during the meeting and angered Ye Mingsheng!"

After listening to what Zhao Fude said, a smile gradually appeared on Zhao Fuqu's old face and he sighed and said:

"I didn't expect that even God was helping me. It doesn't matter whether it was Ye Mingsheng who sent someone to do it. Your good brother Arsalan died tragically in Yijing. If you don't attack the Fengwu Army, what prestige do you have to be the Khan of Luobi?"

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Just when Zhao Fuqu was rejoicing over Batu's death and believed that destiny was on his side, on a fertile grassland a hundred miles away from the border of the Great Zhou, the most elite Subu cavalry of the Robe people were waiting for battle. The appearance of the Subu cavalry also meant one thing, that is, the Robe Khan Arsalan was on this grassland.

Arsalan, who was nearly fifty years old, looked deeply at the wounded grassland man kneeling on the ground and asked in a deep voice:

"How was your master Batu killed, Wuli?"

Facing the Khan's culture, the scarred grassland man Wuli said with some fear:

"Reporting to the Khan, Master Batu left Yijing after being humiliated by Ye Mingsheng. Thirty miles out of the city, we encountered a group of very strange Fengwu soldiers on a small hill. They came up to check our customs documents. Master Batu was very angry and wanted to step forward and scold them!"

"But I didn't expect that group of Fengwu soldiers suddenly attacked us and pierced Lord Batu's chest with a knife. We were also slaughtered. Only I, who lay on the ground pretending to be dead, survived. Great Khan Batu died tragically. You must avenge him!"

At this point Wu Li seemed to remember something. He forced a few tears out of his face and pretended to be very sad.
As soon as Wu Li finished speaking, before Arsalan could speak, Lieutenant General Luo Bei in the Khan's tent shouted angrily:
"Ye Mingsheng has betrayed us and dared to kill our envoy Luo Bei. His heart must be cut out and presented to the Eternal Heaven!"

"Blood debts must be repaid with blood. Kill Ye Mingsheng to avenge Master Batu!"

"Don't hesitate, Khan. Let's rush to Yijing now and kill all the Zhou people there and capture their senior official Ye Mingsheng alive!"

Facing the speeches of the generals, Arsalan did not speak but just looked over. Those who were still shouting just now were suddenly speechless and lowered their heads. No one dared to look at Arsalan. After seeing that the Khan's tent was quiet again, Arsalan spoke again:
"Wuli, you said the Fengwu Army that ambushed you was weird? What's weird about them?"

Wu Li said without hesitation:
"Although the Khan and his group are wearing the uniforms of the Fengwu Army, they don't look like Zhou people, but rather like people from the grassland. Although they speak Zhou language, they don't speak fluently at all and are very halting!"

Hearing what Wu Li said, Arsalan's eyes suddenly showed a gleam of light, and then he said to Wu Li:

"Go ahead!"

After receiving the order, Wuli did not doubt it. He stood up, bowed to Arsalan and was about to turn around and leave. But just as he turned around, he heard Arsalan's calm voice again.

"When you get there, tell my brother Batu that I, Arsalan, will avenge him! May his soul rest in peace in the arms of the Eternal Heaven!"

As soon as these words came out, Wu Li's expression froze and he begged for mercy from Arsalan:
"Khan, I don't want to die, please spare me!"

Arsalan turned a deaf ear to Wuli's pleading and said calmly:

“Your master is dead, how can you as a slave have the face to come back alive? I think letting you return to Batu is the most merciful forgiveness I can show you…”

(End of this chapter)