gnovel Chapter 18 The Great Battle Is Imminent
Chapter 18 The Great Battle Is Imminent
Dusk was falling along the official road.
Wu Yu stood by the roadside, gazing northwards, her heart filled with unease.
When Yuan Tan's convoy came into view at the edge of the road, she took a deep breath, resolutely walked to the middle of the road, and blocked their way.
The convoy stopped.
Yuan Tan stepped out of the carriage, looked at Wu Yu kneeling before him, his expression calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Young Master!"
Wu Yu looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, but her voice was unusually clear.
"This servant is guilty! This servant... was indeed a spy sent by Shen Pei to monitor the young master and to use her beauty to weaken his will!"
The moment these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.
Cen Bi and the other guards placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
Yuan Tan simply looked at her indifferently, without saying a word.
Even if Wu Yu doesn't completely sever ties with Shen Pei, he will ultimately remain a thorn in Shen Pei's side.
So he deliberately found a pretext to make things difficult, with the aim of forcing the other party to make a statement.
In retrospect, this person was quite sensible.
Wu Yu continued:
"However, in these days, I have personally witnessed that although the young master seems to be indulging in pleasure, he actually has great ambitions and endures humiliation and hardship! Taking down the Lou Ban, visiting Zhao Yun, defeating Zhang He... all his actions are extraordinary!"
"This servant...this servant is willing to abandon darkness and embrace light, to atone for my sins with good deeds, and from now on I will only serve you, my lord! I beg you, my lord, to give me a chance!"
Having said that, he kowtowed deeply.
Yuan Tan looked down at her for a long time before slowly speaking:
"Do you know what the fate of a traitorous slave usually is?"
Wu Yu's delicate body trembled, and she lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise her head:
"This servant... knows. But this servant also knows that if I do not speak the truth, I will truly betray the young master's life-saving grace, and also ruin Louban's future! This servant is willing to die to prove my innocence!"
"die?"
Yuan Tan chuckled lightly.
"Your life is now mine. How I deal with you is up to me."
He then changed the subject.
"Get up. The fact that you dared to come and confess today proves that you still have some insight and courage. Remember what you just said. If you have any disloyal thoughts again, even Lou Ban can't protect you."
Wu Yu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, almost exhausted, yet a sense of belonging he had never felt before welled up within him:
"This servant...thanks to the young master for sparing my life! I will repay you with my life!"
"Heh, no need for repaying with your death. You just said you were at my disposal, right? So tonight, shall we play with whips or candles...?"
"Young Master!"
……
After Yuan Tan returned to Ye City, he immediately ordered the army to set off.
About ten days later, they arrived outside Linzi City.
The troops had just set up camp; the dust hadn't even settled yet.
Several large trucks bearing the Zhen family logo swayed and wobbled to the front of the camp gate.
The steward of the Zhen family, who was leading the group, jumped out of the carriage, his face beaming with smiles, and bowed deeply to Yuan Tan, who came out to greet them.
"Young Master! The three thousand bushels of grain you requested are all here! My master wishes you great success in Qingzhou!"
Looking at the mountain of grain sacks, Yuan Tan felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.
His face remained expressionless; he simply nodded slightly.
"Mr. Zhen, you are very kind. Go back and tell him that I, Yuan Xiansi, will remember this kindness."
With supplies in hand, there's no need to panic!
But having food alone isn't enough; we also need to win over these scoundrels.
Thinking of this, he immediately announced:
"Zhang He is promoted to General Who Subdues Rebels, in charge of all military affairs and the training of troops!"
Zhang He was taken aback upon hearing this, and only after Yuan Tan called his name again did he kneel down and excitedly say:
"This subordinate obeys!"
Although he had received Guo Jia's promise before, he still harbored doubts.
It wasn't until Yuan Tan publicly announced the appointment today that he finally woke up from his dream.
Even so, there are still many dissenting voices within the military.
"The eldest son has no discerning eye for heroes; he clearly only pushed General Zhang out to take the fall because he was about to go to war."
"Exactly, do you think you can make us risk our lives just because of this?"
Hearing these rumors, Yuan Tan realized that winning over the soldiers would not be so simple.
He gritted his teeth and decided to go all out!
The next day, when the whole army was having their meal, everyone was dumbfounded.
Their "womanizing" eldest son was seen squatting in the camp with a rough earthenware bowl just like the ordinary soldiers, slurping down his millet porridge with a group of soldiers!
"Pfft—cough cough!"
An old soldier nearly choked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"I...I'm not seeing things, am I? That's the eldest young master?"
"Absolutely! Look at how he's eating, he's enjoying it even more than I am!"
This is not finished.
After finishing his meal, Yuan Tan wiped his mouth and went straight into the wounded soldiers' camp.
The place reeked, and the wounded soldiers were groaning and moaning.
Yuan Tan didn't even flinch as he personally changed the dressing of a soldier with an abdominal injury.
The movements, though clumsy, were exceptionally earnest.
The soldier was so frightened that his whole body stiffened, and his eyes welled up with tears.
"Young...Young Master, you mustn't! You'll get your hands dirty!"
"Nonsense!" Yuan Tan glared. "My soldiers are precious! They need to recover properly and then fight for me!"
Although Yuan Tan didn't know how to lead troops, the deeds of his predecessors were all recorded in history.
His reputation was so bad before, he'll definitely have to resort to drastic measures to change it now.
He followed Wu Qi's method and spent more than ten days loitering in the military camp.
Those generals who had initially had doubts about Yuan Tan were finally convinced.
While Yuan Tan was winning over the hearts of the people, Guo Jia was not idle either.
On the drill ground, Guo, the chief priest, was drawing and writing on the ground with a twig, spitting as he spoke:
"Listen up, all of you! War isn't a street brawl; it's all about formations and coordination! This is called a wedge formation—it charges like a knife! This is called a square formation—it defends like a turtle shell! Anyone who dares to charge recklessly again will face military law!"
The soldiers started off laughing and joking, but as they listened, their expressions changed.
This pale-faced scholar-official is quite knowledgeable!
A combination of persuasion and pressure, using both carrots and sticks!
Over the course of a few days, the atmosphere in the military camp quietly changed.
The complaints decreased, and the shouts during drills became more synchronized.
It should be noted that the troops left behind by Qu Yi were the elite of the elite.
After these few days of training, they have undergone a complete transformation.
However, the thought of facing such a formidable enemy made Yuan Tan somewhat insecure.
The opponent is none other than Lü Bu, the strongest warrior of the late Han Dynasty!
With few soldiers and generals at his disposal, it would be a lie to say he wouldn't panic if he encountered Lü Bu.
Fortunately, since his transmigration, he has also gathered many capable ministers and strategists.
Guo Jia's strategies were unparalleled.
In addition, Zhang He and Lou Ban were also rare and excellent generals.
Lou Ban is still too young, and I don't know how the cavalry training is going lately.
Just then, one of the sentries who had been sent out to scout returned to report:
"My lord, Beihai, Donglai and other places have been harassed by Lü Bu's cavalry, and the defending troops have suffered heavy losses. Please send reinforcements as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Zhang He immediately stepped forward from the crowd, his voice booming like a bell:
"My lord, this humble general is willing to lead a thousand soldiers to your rescue!"
He had no merits and was suddenly promoted, which caused quite a stir in the army. He desperately needed a battle achievement to prove himself.
Just as Yuan Tan was about to agree, another scout galloped up:
"Report! My lord, the bandit Zang Ba of Mount Tai is besieged in Langya. He has appealed to our army for help. If we can defeat Lü Bu, he will surely surrender with all his troops!"