Firefly Journey

Chapter 298 The World's Attack on Chu (8)

Yiling Pass, the westernmost city of the Chu Kingdom.

The once bustling border town is now solemn with the arrival of war. The civilians have long since moved inland, and now it may be captured at any moment.

Emperor Zhuang personally led the expedition, but did not go to the front lines himself. Instead, he set up his imperial tent here and commanded remotely.

The first battle between the two sides was inevitable, but that was just a prelude and nothing serious. What was more important for John and Henry I was to plan for the overall situation that followed.

Inside the imperial tent, beside the sand table, Emperor Zhuang slowly said, "I have thought about it. This first battle will affect the morale of our army. Regardless of victory or defeat, we must fight it well."

The vanguard has been stationed twenty miles outside the city, and Henry I must be thinking the same thing as me, waiting to engage us in battle.

The first contact between the two sides is of utmost importance, and Henry I will certainly do everything in his power to win it over.

The allied forces are large and powerful, so it's not surprising that they can commit any number of troops. My Chu state is small and insignificant, and cannot afford extravagance and waste, so I need to consider how to lose without demoralizing them.

What are your thoughts?

During special periods, only a handful of people were qualified to enter the Emperor's tent.

The Crown Prince oversaw the state affairs, leading civil officials to garrison Danyang, with Zhao Zheng, Du Fufeng, and others attending and instructing him.

The first person under his command to receive the summons was the newly appointed Left Chancellor and Military Advisor, Simpson Budd, followed by military bigwigs such as Xue Ruyue, and even Li Qiji, who was seated at the very end, was present.

This question, seemingly directed at everyone, could only be answered by Simpson first.

The group of military officers were already dissatisfied with him, and they wanted to see what brilliant ideas he had and what methods he had to defend against the enemy.

Simpson thought for a moment and said, "In fact, Your Majesty already has the answer in your heart, so why ask any more questions?"

However, if you all wish to hear it, I can say a few words about it.

Simpson then changed the subject: "It is understood that the vanguard of the Debasa Empire is led by Mond Tobi."

This man was originally the commander of the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Army, and he was virtually invincible across the snowy plains. Henry I's decision to send him to lead the charge shows that he was determined to win this battle.

The enemy has revealed their full strength, which we should try to avoid. Although we must fight a battle on the plains, we don't need to commit our main force; we should just do our best.

The State of Chu is vast, possessing ample strategic depth; every province and county has defensible terrain. I believe we should leverage this geographical advantage to negotiate with them. Over time, the battle lines will be stretched thin, and the allied forces will struggle to keep up with supplies. That will be the time for a counter-offensive.”

The Chu generals, led by Xue Ruyue, stopped their sarcastic remarks, because Simpson's words were very much in line with military strategy, and none of them were uneducated; they could glean valuable insights from them.

Emperor Zhuang observed the reactions of his ministers and said with a smile, "Mr. Simpson's words are very much to my liking."

To use a wooden sword to cut through iron is a foolish move. Feigning weakness and waiting for the right opportunity is the best solution for the State of Chu at present.

Although we cannot engage the Allied forces in direct combat, the first battle must be fought. Our army is eager to fight. Gentlemen, who is willing to lead the vanguard?

Emperor Zhuang has just formulated a strategy of defense: hold firm, maneuver, and temporarily evade. Given this, the so-called first battle will certainly not involve too many troops.

But none of us here wanted to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Even knowing they were doomed to defeat, they still rushed to be the first to act – that's the spirit of the Chu people.

The generals under his command were making a ruckus, but Emperor Zhuang did not stop them, wanting to see what outcome they would have.

"stop fighting!"

Xue Ruyue shouted, and the noise in the tent instantly stopped.

Xue Ruyue cupped his hands and said, "I have offended Your Majesty, please forgive me."

"It's alright." Emperor Zhuang smiled. "What are your thoughts, Marshal Xue?"

Xue Ruyue's eyes were like knives: "Your Majesty, the defeat at the Kolumbutz Mountains a few years ago was all due to my incompetence as commander. If it weren't for the desire to avenge this defeat, I would have drawn my sword and committed suicide back then to comfort the fallen soldiers of Chu."

"I have lived until now, to put it bluntly, only to avenge this humiliation. Now the opportunity is before me. I request permission to lead my Great Chu to a resounding victory!"

"Good!" Emperor Zhuang laughed heartily: "Marshal Xue, you have great ambition. In that case, you shall lead the Battle of Pingyuan."

With a thud, Xue Ruyue knelt down, his expression solemn, his eyes brimming with tears as if they were about to fall.

Simpson Budd stood aside, silently observing everything, lost in thought. It seemed the State of Chu was far more complex than it had appeared during his travels.

Staying seems like a good decision.

……

The two sides were locked in a stalemate on opposite sides of the plain for half a month, and their tempers were getting increasingly out of control. From small-scale harassment to large-scale sneak attacks, they were constantly on the rise.

However, these skirmishes were merely tests; the real showdown was yet to come.

The Seven Gods' Alliance was, after all, an alliance. Although it was nominally commanded by Henry I, those superhumans were all arrogant and he couldn't command them at all.

He didn't expect the extraordinary individuals from the Ancestral God Church to intervene.

The imperial soldiers were well-trained and honed their skills on the border year-round. He believed that even in a purely military confrontation, the empire would be the clear victor.

The leaders of the six major ancestral god churches, including the extraordinary individuals from their own fighting arenas, all had no intention of participating in the conflict on the plains.

They came to recruit believers, not to flaunt their power; they certainly wouldn't do something so thankless and exhausting.

So the imperial soldiers rushed to the battlefield, while these superhumans remained unmoved, watching the show from their own tents.

Imperial soldiers, clad in armor with a certain anti-magic effect, marched in unison towards the plain.

On the other side, the Chu soldiers were arranged in a much more irregular pattern, but this did not affect their combat effectiveness.

The two sides are on the verge of conflict.

On the vast plain, the sound of war drums suddenly resounded, like thunder, piercing the sky and reaching the heavens.

The first wave of fighting began; arrows flew before the men even arrived.

The weapons in this world are still in the era of cold weapons. At most, you can enchant the weapons, but their power is not abnormal.

The infantry with shields on both sides began to charge, and a rain of arrows came down like raindrops, and many fell.

With great difficulty, the shield-bearing infantrymen formed a bloody path with their bodies and finally engaged in battle.

At the same time, the archers on both sides dared not fire. Since the enemy and their own forces were locked in combat, a large-scale barrage of arrows would also harm their own men, making it pointless.

On a cliff far from the battlefield, a man in blue robes fixed his gaze on the allied army's main tent.

If a superhuman were to intervene, a sword aura would appear out of thin air and tear them apart without any regard for reason.

Further away, Lin Yuanran was also watching, but not the main tent; he was looking at the battlefield.

The battle gradually intensified, with both sides exchanging blows and experiencing victories and defeats.

Finally, on the Chu side, Xue Ruyue donned his armor, mounted his horse, and personally charged into battle.

Wherever he went, large numbers of people fell, as if he were in an empty land.

This won't do; we absolutely cannot let him use his superior strength to attack us. So the Empire also dispatched a powerful superhuman.

Mond Toby.

It’s really a narrow road between enemies.

This is the moment you have been waiting for!

Lin Yuanran, who had an old grudge against him, knew that his opportunity had come and began to carefully observe his every move and action.

If you're going to play, play big!

Henry I is certainly out of the question, but killing Mond Toby seems like a good option.

Thus, Lin Yuanran took in all of his habits.