The Charm of a Powerful Woman Spreads Across the World - Chapter 128
“Do you think everyone is as brave but reckless as you? You must know that a general doesn’t necessarily need to be brave, but he must be resourceful. A general with strategy can turn the tide of battle and win battles from afar. I think that Second Prince is very resourceful. We’ve lost more than we’ve won these past few days,” Leng Weitian said from the side.
"General Leng, why do you have to belittle our own people? We are clearly just as strong as them." Lü Meng quickly retorted. He was joking, of course. Although these past few days had been small-scale battles, he had given it his all. How could they possibly lose?
Nanshan seemed to ignore their argument, and stepped forward to whisper a few words in Rufeng's ear.
Ru Feng smiled, discussed a few more things with them, and then let them go.
Ru Feng asked Gao Wei to stay behind and whispered, "Right now, the two of them are only superficially united. Li Ming is the First Prince's man and is irreconcilably opposed to the Second Prince. Therefore, we can use a divisive tactic, spreading rumors among the enemy army and taking some actions to provoke them into turning against each other. This will buy our army some time, and it would be best to understand their troop deployment and attack plans." Their marshal and supervisor are not like those on Ru Feng's side; their national strength is different.
Gao Wei's eyes lit up, and he said, "So, our people planted in the enemy army can finally make a difference? That makes sense. It's been so long, it's time for them to play their part."
Ru Feng instructed, "But tell them to be careful when spreading the word. Make sure no one finds out, or all our previous efforts will be wasted."
After Gao Wei's figure disappeared through the doorway, Nan Shan whispered, "Senior brother, how could you trust him so much?"
Ru Feng smiled slightly and replied, "Grandpa once told me that the person we can trust most in this military camp is Deputy Marshal Gao Wei. He has been with my grandfather for decades and has always been loyal. He has risked his life more than ten times, and our relationship is exceptionally deep."
Nanshan then nodded.
As expected, the counter-espionage plan had some effect, and the enemy's harassment had decreased significantly in the past few days. In order to prevent the enemy from also sowing discord between herself and Wang Wei, Ru Feng decided to humble herself and show goodwill to Wang Wei.
That Wang Wei, now a shrew, was arrogant and domineering. Ru Feng invited him over and calmly explained the implications. Wang Wei kept squinting his eyes, and finally left after humming a few words. It's unclear whether he understood or not.
Nanshan watched his retreating figure, clenched his fist, and said angrily, "That old guy is disgusting! How dare he go against Senior Brother! Senior Brother, the way he looked at you was terrifying."
Before Ru Feng could reply, Zhou Qian, who had been standing beside him, leaned down and asked, "Master, should I go and secretly teach him a lesson?"
Ru Feng smiled and shook his head, saying, "No need. He doesn't need me to do anything yet. After all, he's a military supervisor sent by the imperial court. He's just exercising his power and has only caused us some trouble."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian retreated to the back.
Two days later, according to scouts, the Second Prince and Li Ming had fallen out. In a fit of anger, Li Ming planned to launch an attack ahead of schedule, sending a large army, reportedly at least 50,000 men, though the exact number was still unknown. Although their destination was unknown, it was clear that thwarting their attack was imperative.
Before dawn, all the generals had assembled in the main tent, fully armored and with swords at their waists, waiting proudly for the marshal's assignments.
Ru Feng looked at the sand table in front of him, raised his bloodshot eyes, glanced at everyone, and began to assign tasks.
"General Leng, I order you to lead 6,000 men as the vanguard, hold this key passage through the valley, and challenge the enemy's vanguard. Victory is the best outcome. If not, you must not retreat, even in defeat. If you cannot withstand the enemy's offensive, you may retreat to the gentle slopes on either side, but you must not retreat and disrupt the main army in the rear."
Leng Weitian was taken aback, then stepped forward: "Marshal, I only have six thousand men, while the enemy's vanguard has at least ten or twenty thousand, and they will certainly be led by cavalry. How can I possibly fight them? I hope that the Marshal will listen to my words and reconsider the matter of going into battle."
"Exactly!" Wang Wei shrieked, "Aren't you sending General Leng to his death? Everyone knows you and General Leng are at odds; you're just using this to settle a personal score!"
"Supervisor!" Ru Feng's face instantly turned cold. Even in her plain blue robe, she exuded an air of authority. She said in a deep voice, "Do you think my arrangements are inappropriate? Or do you think General Leng can disobey my orders and has the ability to pick and choose? Do what you can do, and avoid danger? Is this how generals are supposed to act? Have you always acted this way?"
For a moment, the tent fell silent. Ru Feng rarely got angry; he was usually all smiles. Now, everyone looked at this so-called supervising officer and Leng Weitian with a hint of disdain. They clearly believed that the marshal was deliberately targeting him. Didn't he consider the current situation? Using personal grudges to settle scores at this time? Did he have no regard for his own life? This guy was far too petty and narrow-minded.
Lu Meng wasn't afraid of the so-called military supervisor, nor was he afraid that the military supervisor would conceal his military achievements and not report them. Anyway, he was already a third-rank general, so it didn't matter whether he was promoted or not. Besides, he had never liked these gossiping eunuchs. So he stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Marshal, let this humble general go!" As he spoke, he even gave Leng Weitian a provocative look.
"This humble general dares not, this humble general will obey orders." Leng Weitian's expression was very gloomy. He glared at Lü Meng, but still accepted the order.
Ru Feng glanced at him and nodded.
“General Lü.” Ru Feng raised his eyes from the sand table.
"Your subordinate is here!" Lü Meng immediately strode forward, clasped his hands in obeisance, and accepted the order with great excitement.
"You shall wait in the woods on the west side of the valley. Once you receive my command, your five thousand cavalry shall advance diagonally to the rear of the enemy's main force. You must hold the enemy's main force in the valley and prevent them from escaping easily."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Lü Meng received the order and returned to his position.
Ru Feng's gaze swept across the room and landed on one person.
Where is Gao Yueqi?
"Your subordinate is here!" Gao Yue stepped forward and responded loudly. Due to his own strength, as well as his relationship with Ru Feng and Gao Wei, he was now a junior general, and of course, he also served as a captain in the Tiger Wing Battalion.
"I order you to lead a thousand elite cavalry, selected from the Yue cavalry of the Tiger Wing Camp, and position yourself on the right ridge of the valley. Wait for my command, then charge into the enemy's main force. Make sure to cut off their main force's connection with their rear guard. Once my three thousand elite cavalry arrive, we will surely rout their rear guard in one fell swoop, and then flank them from behind, eliminating their main force one by one." Ru Feng's fair and jade-like face suddenly turned sinister as he looked at the map.
Everyone gasped in shock. A thousand elite cavalrymen—although the Tiger Wing Battalion was known for its bravery, with one man being worth three—were facing an enemy force of tens of thousands. If they charged in, they would likely be wiped out completely. However, Gao Yueqi showed no fear and loudly accepted the order.
Ru Feng lingered in front of the sand table for a long time before finally pointing to the most prominent part of the valley and whispering, "There is more... I need one person to lead two thousand archers and two thousand infantry and cavalry to ambush here. After receiving my order, the archers will attack the enemy's rear guard from here. Who is willing to go?" Although Yun Tianze and Li Ming are at odds, he is a man who values the big picture and there is a 99% chance that he will send troops to aid Li Ming's army.
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly gathered around and looked at the sand table. The location that Ru Feng pointed to was at the northern end of the valley, on the westernmost edge of the mountain. Apart from the mountains and woodlands behind it and the steep cliff on the left, there were two sides that allowed cavalry to come and go freely. This place was very dangerous; one wrong move and they could be killed, losing more than they gained.
"This humble general is willing to go." Several generals stepped forward; they had not yet received their orders.
Ru Feng smiled slightly. Her grandfather's men were indeed formidable. Although this was the first time she had mobilized so many troops as a marshal, they almost all obeyed her orders and did not doubt her deployment and plans like Leng Weitian did.
"Marshal, let me go. I am the most suitable candidate." A general stepped forward. He was tall and imposing, about forty years old. Ru Feng recognized him as Rong Yiying's superior. If he went, Rong Yiying would go too.
Thinking of this, Ru Feng hesitated for a moment. This General Sun was meticulous and a man of both courage and strategy. Ru Feng ultimately prioritized the overall situation and said in a deep voice, "Then let General Sun go, but be careful in everything." Although there were risks here, it would be easy to deliver a heavy blow to the enemy and catch them off guard, which might yield excellent results.
"This subordinate obeys your command!" General Sun replied calmly and returned to his ranks.
Where is General Yuchi?
"Your subordinate is here!" A young general stepped forward, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuding a heroic air. He was a distant relative of the Yuchi family. Almost all of Ru Feng and his direct relatives had died in battle over the past twenty years, which was why it was the turn of a collateral branch to rise to prominence. It was also because this General Yuchi, who was nearly thirty years old, had fought bravely that Yuchi Huaiyang had promoted him.
"I will give you two thousand elite troops and two thousand iron cavalry. If the vanguard is overwhelmed and clears the main road, I want your cavalry to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy, blocking the main force's advance and halting their offensive. Do not retreat even a step. Engage with the enemy, and Leng Weitian's army will then converge on both flanks of the gentle slope to cut off the middle. Make sure the enemy's vanguard does not merge with their main force."
"This humble general obeys the order and will not retreat a single step," General Yuchi replied loudly.
With the tasks assigned, the generals filed out to prepare.
Ru Feng looked at Gao Wei, who remained behind, and whispered, "After we leave, the main force here will still be there. Just act according to the situation, but don't let them attack the camp. I'm a little worried that they're deliberately trying to sow discord so that our elite troops can be mobilized. So you must go and investigate at all times. If anyone attacks the camp, you must fight back fiercely and not let their conspiracy succeed." Actually, Ru Feng wasn't too worried, after all, Gao Wei had more combat experience than him, but he still had to give him a reminder.
"Also, don't let Wang Wei cause trouble in the military camp, keep a close eye on him."