The Blood Crown - Chapter 215

A couple of days later, the scouts reported back that the imperial court had deployed 40,000 troops in Yanzhou City. Combined with the 80,000 troops stationed in Taiyuan, the Feng family army now faced an enemy force far larger than their own, and these forces had the advantage of defending fortified cities. The situation was not favorable for the Feng family army.

Due to years of natural disasters, both large and small, the people in the southeastern and southwestern regions had suffered greatly. The court could neither collect taxes nor had enough funds to provide disaster relief. On top of that, the wars in Liaodong, Datong, and Yunnan had drained the court’s resources, leaving it on the verge of collapse. The fact that they managed to conscript 300,000 troops and impose heavy taxes on Jiangnan and Central Plains to support the army was a desperate gamble, a fight to the death.

As they analyzed the situation, Feng Ye and Yan Sikong both agreed that the court was temporarily unable to send reinforcements to the Central Plains. However, if Yanzhou were to come under attack, Taiyuan would certainly come to its aid. Therefore, attacking Yanzhou was not just about cutting off a supply route but also about drawing the Taiyuan troops out of their city to defeat them separately. Otherwise, they would not be able to take the city by storm.

The debate between the two was whether to focus on attacking Yanzhou directly or to use Yanzhou as bait to lure out the Taiyuan reinforcements, or to come up with another plan altogether. They had been arguing for half a day.

Their forces totaled 100,000 troops. After accounting for the losses from the attack on Shangfeng Fortress and the large number of troops needed for logistics, they had just over 90,000 soldiers available for battle. Even if they engaged the 80,000 Taiyuan troops on the plains, with so many variables on the battlefield, no one could guarantee victory, especially since the enemy had fortified positions. If they committed heavy forces to attack Yanzhou, the Taiyuan army would likely attack them from the flanks while they were tied down. If they used a lighter force to lure an attack on Yanzhou and ambushed the Taiyuan army with their main force, the 40,000 Yanzhou troops could then emerge and attack them from both sides.

In this situation, the safest approach would be to request reinforcements from Yuan Nanyu in Qingyang. However, this was the point of greatest disagreement between the two.

“If we both agree that the court currently lacks the strength to send reinforcements, why are you worried that Qingyang might be vulnerable if Nanyu leaves?” Feng Ye asked.

“It’s not just about Qingyang being vulnerable. Centered around Qingyang, there are two cities, Pingliang and Fengxiang, that can be reached within three days’ march. Nanyu is planning to seize these two cities. Although they have only 10,000 troops combined, Nanyu has only 30,000 soldiers left. How many can he spare to hold Qingyang if he comes to Yanzhou’s aid? Qingyang is a strategic location for our army; we cannot risk losing it,” Yan Sikong explained.

Feng Ye pondered this.

“Moreover, I have another concern,” Yan Sikong continued. “The 80,000 troops defending Taiyuan—if we commit all our forces to the battle, they only need to send a detachment, even just a few thousand troops, to raid our main camp. Whether they succeed or not, we would have to divert troops to respond, and that could lead to our entire plan falling apart and severely damage our army’s morale.”

Feng Ye rubbed his chin, thinking. “I wouldn’t let our main camp be left vulnerable.”

Yan Sikong spoke seriously, “Yanzhou alone is not a major threat, but combined with Taiyuan, there are 120,000 troops. If they all launch a full-scale attack, they would put both Qingyang and our main camp in danger. Therefore, Nanyu cannot leave Qingyang.”

Feng Ye frowned, “If that’s the case, then we have no way to capture Yanzhou.”

“If Nanyu doesn’t move, at least Pingliang and Fengxiang won’t dare to send troops recklessly, so we won’t be attacked from three sides. Yanzhou and Taiyuan are already difficult enough to deal with. We must ensure they are our only opponents; otherwise, unforeseen complications could lead to disastrous consequences,” Yan Sikong reasoned.

Feng Ye circled around the sand table for a moment. “Nanyu’s troops are indeed crucial. He can prevent us from being flanked by Taiyuan and Yanzhou.”

“Sikong,” Yan Sikong walked up to Feng Ye, “we’ve known each other for many years. Since Jingzhou, we’ve collaborated more than once. If you were truly confident, you would’ve argued against me and insisted on your own plan. But this time you didn’t. Deep down, you’re also worried about what I’ve said, aren’t you?”

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with a serious expression. “Of course. This is the most difficult battle I’ve ever fought, and it’s also the most crucial one. It will determine whether my northern campaign comes to an end here. How could I not consider your concerns? It’s just that…” He narrowed his eyes. “There’s no gain without risk.”

“You can’t always rely on winning through risky maneuvers,” Yan Sikong said, gently touching Feng Ye’s face and looking up at him. “The commander of Taiyuan’s forces, Luo Ruoxin, is the son of the former dynasty’s great general Luo Hong. He’s no fool. You now command tens of thousands of troops, and even a small mistake could lead to a major disaster. I beg you, take a more cautious approach. We can surely come up with a good plan.”

Seeing the clarity in Yan Sikong’s eyes, Feng Ye felt a sense of calm wash over him. He asked, “What good plan do you have in mind?”

Yan Sikong thought for a moment and said, “No matter what, we must ensure the safety of our main camp…”

Feng Ye caught Yan Sikong’s hand and unconsciously rubbed his cheek against the warm palm. He stared at the sand table for a long time before murmuring, “Datong.”

“What?”

Feng Ye pulled Yan Sikong around to the other side of the table. “My uncle has been recruiting troops for me in Datong. By now, he should be able to send an additional 20,000 soldiers to support us. That way, Nanyu wouldn’t need to leave Qingyang.”

Yan Sikong looked doubtful. “The troops in Datong are meant to guard against the Chahar. Those barbarians have no sense of honor or integrity. If our main forces are away, I’m afraid they might seize the opportunity to cause trouble.”

“I understand. A few days ago, I received a secret report that the court had once again sent envoys to Chahar, trying to win over their leader. However, my uncle already dispatched assassins to intercept and kill them. Datong is quite stable at the moment, but we still need to be cautious. As long as the Hetao trade market is operating and my uncle is there, I don’t see any major issues.”

After a moment of hesitation, Yan Sikong nodded. “The losses in the Battle of Qingyang were greater than we expected, and the troops sent by the court are more numerous than we anticipated. We’re indeed short on manpower. It’s worth sending a letter to General Feng to see if he thinks dispatching 20,000 more soldiers would be manageable. If he agrees, we can give it a try.”

“Alright, I’ll send someone to deliver the message immediately.”

“If General Feng can send reinforcements of 20,000…” Yan Sikong stared at the map and sighed softly, “we’ll be back to the same dilemma we had earlier—which target to attack first.”

“I believe we should feign an attack on Yanzhou, lure Taiyuan’s forces out, ambush them, and then attack Yanzhou.”

“I think the opposite. We should pretend to attack Taiyuan, luring Yanzhou’s troops to attack our supposedly vulnerable main camp, and then ambush them.”

Feng Ye’s sharp eyebrows furrowed deeply. “Yan Sikong, do you always have to argue with me?”

Yan Sikong smiled faintly. “No, I just believe in gathering diverse opinions. Besides, if I were speaking nonsense, you wouldn’t even consider it.”

Feng Ye pinched his chin. “As long as you know that. Luring them into attacking our camp is indeed a good strategy, but I’m worried… First, I’m concerned they won’t fall for it. Second, I’m afraid it might backfire.”

“If they really take the bait, the ambush could succeed. But you’re right—the key is how to convince them that we’ve abandoned Yanzhou to attack Taiyuan instead.”

Feng Ye nodded. “Luo Ruoxin is no fool. The disparity in strength between Yanzhou and Taiyuan is obvious. Who would abandon the easier target of Yanzhou to take on the much tougher Taiyuan? He will definitely be suspicious. This strategy to lure the enemy must make Luo Ruoxin believe it, and our camp must appear genuinely vulnerable.”

Yan Sikong smiled slightly. “Luo Ruoxin is brave but not particularly wise, and he’s naturally suspicious. His intelligence could easily lead him into a trap. We can find a way to outmaneuver him.”

AN – It was a challenging day, but I finally managed to work it out. The latter half of this chapter was almost entirely rewritten, so please refer to the new content. Love you all! (End of Chapter)