Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 85

Tuosang leaned down slightly to rub her hands and said softly, "Junyu, have you had too much to drink?"

Junyu nodded, closed his eyes for a while, then opened them again: "Tuosang, I'm really worried about Zhu Yu!"

"Are you worried that he will declare himself king and establish his own kingdom?"

“Sigh, we really are on the same page.” Junyu smiled, but the smile quickly disappeared. “Zhu Yu was never willing to submit to the Crimson Gold Clan, let alone become their subject. It’s said that Prime Minister Zhu died at the end of last year, and Zhu Yu is now all alone with no worries. Yet he has acted even faster and more ruthlessly, surpassing almost all his previous achievements in just a few months. Judging from his strategy in Nanzhao, he is not only aiming to conquer cities and territories, but also to win over the hearts and minds of the people and make them work for him. Now that the war has begun, Zhenmutier needs his strength and has no time to spare. It seems that Zhu Yu will definitely take advantage of this decisive battle to expand his power and even become an independent king…”

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Chapter 304: The Final Battle with Zhu Yu 1

“Sigh, we really are on the same page.” Junyu smiled, but the smile quickly disappeared. “Zhu Yu was never willing to submit to the Crimson Gold Clan, let alone become their subject. It’s said that Prime Minister Zhu died at the end of last year, and Zhu Yu is now all alone with no worries. Yet he has acted even faster and more ruthlessly, surpassing almost all his previous achievements in just a few months. Judging from his strategy in Nanzhao, he is not only aiming to conquer cities and territories, but also to win over the hearts and minds of the people and make them work for him. Now that the war has begun, Zhenmutier needs his strength and has no time to spare. It seems that Zhu Yu will definitely take advantage of this decisive battle to expand his power and even become an independent king…”

Although the various alliances of the Chijin tribe had long since elected Zhenmutier as their Great Khan, and his four great generals and several sons were all skilled warriors, thus establishing a relatively stable regime, their alliance was not as solid as an ironclad for the powerful central authority of the current dynasty. Moreover, the surrounding alliances were not Chijin tribe alliances, and it was not impossible for a person of great talent and ambition to seize the opportunity during the war to start anew.

"If Zhu Yu truly harbors ambitions for independence, this great battle will be his best opportunity. The more the two largest forces in the north, the Northwest Army and the Crimson Gold Clan army, are weakened, the greater his opportunities and room for maneuver will be..."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm worried about. But maybe I'm overthinking it."

Tuosang gazed at her: "Junyu, I'm afraid you haven't thought this through. Right now, Zhu Yu's military strength is stronger than ever before. The greater the resources and power a person controls, the greater their ambition. From the intelligence we've gathered, Zhu Yu is aggressively recruiting talent for his own use; he himself is highly skilled and shrewd. Take Nanzhao, for example. Several forces fought repeatedly but failed to conquer it, yet Zhu Yu easily formed an alliance with him and even married the daughter of the Nanzhao king..."

"Besides being brave, skilled in battle, and possessing outstanding strategic abilities, Zhu Yu also had the advantage of being exceptionally handsome and dashing. Otherwise, why would the daughter of the King of Nanzhao be willing to be his concubine? Try replacing him with any other warrior; the girl might not even be willing to become his queen. Over the years of fighting, Zhu Yu has not only become famous for his military achievements, but his appearance has also become renowned throughout the grasslands and deserts. The other factions lack such talent, so they can only watch helplessly..."

Junyu grinned, her eyes darting up and down as she stared at Tuosang. Tuosang felt uneasy under her strange gaze and couldn't help but ask, "Junyu, what are you looking at?"

"Now, our Northwest Army also has such a figure, even more handsome and dashing than Zhu Yu, so..."

Tuosang chuckled: "Then I'll just have to sacrifice myself and use my good looks?"

Chapter 305: The Final Battle with Zhu Yu 2

"Hehe, why should you be the one to sacrifice yourself?" Junyu laughed loudly. "Tuosang, do you think you're so cool?"

"Junyu, are you mocking me in circles? Heh, but I really forgot that 'Flying General of Fengcheng' is famous throughout the world, and his 'commander's name' far surpasses Zhu Yu's."

For the past few days, Junyu and Tuosang had been engrossed in military intelligence research, constantly talking about the war. After learning about Zhu Yu's situation, their hearts grew even heavier. Seeing Tuosang's helpless expression now, Junyu felt a sense of ease and amusement that hadn't been felt in a long time.

Tuosang hadn't seen her so clever in a long time, and he felt happy too. He took her hand and said, "Junyu, if we can't avoid it, then let's face it."

Upon hearing his tone, Junyu suddenly said, "Tuosang, your tone sounds just like the teacher's."

"Really? Was this what the master was talking to you about when we left the city gate?"

"Yes, he said Zhu Yu wouldn't go easy on me, and told me that if I ever run into Zhu Yu, I must do everything in my power. With Zhu Yu involved, Zhenmutier is really a headache."

Tuosang patted her shoulder and smiled, "Fengcheng Feishuai has never been inferior to Zhu Yu, has he? Besides, you still have me."

"Of course. Although I am increasingly disgusted with war, the stronger the opponent, the more spirited I become."

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Chapter 306: The Final Battle with Zhu Yu (Part 3)

Suddenly recalling Zhu Yu's bleak smile in the grove outside Xining Prefecture, and knowing that he was now all alone, Jun Yu felt a tightness in her chest, a bitter ache that almost made her suffocate.

"Zhu Yu, you yourself said that you would never show mercy, so why would Commander Fengcheng need your mercy? In fact, war is a matter for many people, and its course cannot be swayed by the selfish thoughts and emotions of one person. If one day we must fight face to face, then let us fight."

In April, Sun Jia led the Phoenix Army, and Bai Ruhui led a light cavalry force, advancing from Yunzhong and Xihe respectively as vanguards. After the siege of Xintai, Liu Zhiyuan's troops took advantage of the situation and moved north. Meanwhile, Zhou Yida had already penetrated deep into the grasslands.

Reports of military intelligence, delivered swiftly from 800 li away, were being presented. Junyu and his generals were carefully studying each report.

"Jinmuter's four generals are coming from four directions..."

"Riso has rallied a coalition of tribes from the Western Regions, and our army is facing a standstill..."

"General Zhou fought a fierce battle with Ejina's army for seven days and killed Ejina..."

"General Sun defeated the remaining Wutu army and killed Wutu, achieving a great victory..."

"Zhu Yu's troops came from Suzhou with fierce momentum, breaking through three of our army's passes and inflicting heavy casualties..."

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Chapter 307: The Final Battle with Zhu Yu 4

Junyu was both pleased and worried. He was pleased that Wutu's forces had advanced from the grasslands, and Sun Jia had deployed 30,000 elite Phoenix soldiers trained entirely according to the "Phoenix Battle Formation," abandoning their supplies and pursuing them deep into enemy territory, almost completely annihilating Wutu's main force. Wutu was the most trusted advisor of Zhenmutier and the confirmed successor to the title of "Great Khan." Taking him down first would be a major blow to both Zhenmutier and the Chijin tribe's army.

Junyu set aside other military intelligence for the time being and picked up Zhu Yu's report alone. Zhu Yu's report was clearly a large-scale deployment by Zhenmutier to mitigate the impact of Wutu's defeat. Currently, Sun Jia's army was almost directly attacking the Chijin tribe's stronghold. If Zhu Yu were to launch a counterattack at this time, breaching the Northwest Army's defenses, it would be a net loss. Zhu Yu's army was victorious in every battle and its morale was high; if he were allowed to advance unstoppably, it would inevitably lead to endless troubles.

Zhang Yuan had fought Zhu Yu before, and now he was eager to try again: "Marshal, this battle with Zhu Yu..."

Junyu knew that he had been at a disadvantage in his earlier battle with Zhu Yu, and had since studied Zhu Yu's tactics extensively, harboring a strong ambition to challenge Zhu Yu. After weighing the options in her mind, she concluded that there was no one more suitable than Zhang Yuan at the moment, and immediately agreed.

Zhang Yuan was overjoyed and accepted the order to leave.

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Chapter 308: Tuosang VS Zhu Yu 1

It's getting late, and we've pretty much finished dealing with today's matters.

Junyu sat on the large hardwood chair and closed his eyes slightly.

Tuosang stood up, walked to her side, and said softly, "Junyu, are you tired?"

Junyu shook her head, stood up with a smile, her eyes sparkling: "Tuosang, I'm not tired at all. After so much planning, this day has finally come. With the strategic deployment complete, I've accomplished more than half of my mission. Now, it's up to Zhang Yuan, Sun Jia, Zhou Yida, and Liu Zhiyuan."

Over the past few days, Tuosang had come to know that she trusted those she appointed and did not employ those she distrusted. Once she appointed a general, she would grant him absolute authority, allowing him to fight with unbridled courage. As a result, those generals often achieved unexpected feats and victories. However, today, although she had appointed Zhang Yuan, her expression was not relaxed.

Tuosang asked, "Are you worried about Zhang Yuan?"

"That's exactly right. Zhu Yu is no easier to deal with than Zhenmutier, and in fact, he's even more formidable. He's familiar with many of my tactics, and I'm familiar with his military strategies. Zhenmutier's iron cavalry swept across dozens of large and small states in the west, but even when they fought against the Northwest Army a few years ago, they only won about half the battles and never gained a significant advantage. Now, the reason Zhenmutier relies so heavily on Zhu Yu is not only because of Zhu Yu's military achievements, but also because he's familiar with the traditional tactics of the north and the Central Plains. Although Zhang Yuan is a master strategist, he's still a step behind Zhu Yu in terms of momentum, and a slight misstep could result in huge losses. Therefore, we have to be even more cautious. To be honest, I have a slight psychological advantage against Zhenmutier, whom I've defeated, but I really can't afford to be careless against Zhu Yu."

Seeing her brow furrow slightly, Tuosang said, "Junyu, perhaps I can fight Zhu Yu in your place."

Tuosang never acted rashly, and he was always fully confident in his decisions and words. He was gentle and averse to war by nature, and he joined the army only to protect himself, not for the war itself.

Hearing his calm words, Junyu smiled and said, "Yes, Tuosang, I really need your help this time. If there's really no other way, I'll have to trouble you."

“I was prepared long ago, what’s so difficult about this!”

Junyu blinked: "That's why I'm so confident, hehe. But I still have a lot of confidence in Zhang Yuan." Junyu took his hand and smiled, "Actually, I'm acting out of selfishness. I need you by my side to share the burden, so it's best if we don't separate until the very last moment."

Tuosang stroked her hair and smiled: "Silly child, we'll be reunited soon after this short separation."

Junyu gripped his hand tightly: "Wouldn't it be better if we didn't have to separate?"

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Chapter 309: Tuosang VS Zhu Yu 2

The great battle was raging, and the hot June winds carried not only the scent of grass but also the pervasive stench of blood.

Special cavalry units reporting military intelligence traveled back and forth continuously.

"Reporting to the Marshal, Zhu Yu's army has broken through our defenses one after another, and their momentum is unstoppable. The situation is critical..."

Junyu thought to himself how quickly Zhu Yu had arrived. Now, Zhenmutier had led his army straight down the Qilian Mountains, and judging from the direction, he was launching a pincer attack on Zhu Yu from the north and south. Reinforcing Zhu Yu's flank was Zhenmutier's second son, who occupied an even more important position. Clearly, after suffering defeat at his home base, Zhenmutier had decided to fight a desperate battle and expand westward into the Western Regions.

"Ten days ago, Zhang Yuan led his army to fight Zhu Yu, but was ambushed and suffered heavy casualties... Now, Zhu Yu's army is about to break through the pass..."

Junyu weighed the situation and concluded that although Zhang Yuan had suffered losses, he was now retreating to the pass. No matter how powerful Zhu Yu was, Zhang Yuan could hold out for another three to five days.

Although a few generals remain in the army, none are capable of confronting Zhu Yu. She glanced around and looked at Tuosang without hesitation: "Tuosang, it's your turn again. Tomorrow, you will lead the army to intercept Zhu Yu. Under no circumstances should you let him break through the pass. Otherwise, if he and Zhenmutier join forces, the consequences will be unimaginable. However, Zhu Yu is arriving too quickly. As soon as he breaks through, Zhenmutier's second son will immediately follow, completely disrupting our plans. Victory or defeat hinges on this."

"Don't worry, I will make sure his army doesn't get through the pass no matter what."

"Geng Kegang rushed back to Xining yesterday. He has fought alongside me for many years and will assist you. Although Zhang Yuan has suffered a temporary setback, he will definitely hold on and seek a good opportunity to counterattack. I have great confidence in him."

“Junyu, you are now in charge of the central army, and Zhenmutier’s troops are pressing on the Qilian Mountains. Although this is as we expected, we still cannot be careless. Gengke has been with you for many years, so it’s best if he stays with you to guard the area.”

Junyu laughed: "The central army is full of elite soldiers and generals who have fought against Zhenmutier for a long time. I am well prepared."

Night had just fallen over Xining Prefecture. Since the troops were to depart at midnight the next day, the army had already given orders for the soldiers to rest early.

The general's camp appeared exceptionally spacious in the silence. While the outside was heavily guarded, Junyu's bedroom-cum-study was brightly lit.

Junyu looked up from the military intelligence reports on her desk, and Tuosang also looked up. He helped her put the sorted documents aside and smiled, "Junyu, you'll be working hard on your own tomorrow."

Junyu nodded, then suddenly asked, "Tuosang, what do you think Zhu Yu's real plans are?"

Tuosang thought for a moment and said, "If Zhu Yu really has the ambition to establish himself, he currently has three strategies. The best strategy is to take advantage of the decisive battle between Zhenmutier and us, wield his whip over the northern mountains, and strike directly at Zhenmutier's stronghold, completely keeping Zhenmutier outside the pass. The second best strategy is to unite with other tribes to occupy their territories and harass them, keeping Zhenmutier busy. The worst strategy is to subjugate a few tribes and make them local kings."

Which strategy will Zhu Yu choose?

"It all depends on his courage. He is currently a trusted general under Zhenmutier, and if he truly harbors rebellious intentions, he won't act without restraint. If Zhenmutier wins or suffers minor losses while preserving his strength, he will immediately deal with him with all his might. As it stands, Zhu Yu does not have the strength to confront Zhenmutier head-on, and he will likely weigh his options as the war progresses. Before making a decision, Zhu Yu will certainly do his best in this battle. If he wins, he will dispel Zhenmutier's suspicions and establish absolute prestige for himself. Even if he suffers losses, it will not diminish his strength in the slightest."

"That's exactly why you need to be even more careful."

"Don't worry, Junyu, I will."

Chapter 310: The Intimacy Before the Decisive Battle

Tuosang got up and walked to her side, hugging her increasingly thin shoulders: "Junyu, take good care of yourself while I'm gone."

Junyu turned and hugged his waist, smiling, "Tuosang, although the war has reached its most severe and intense stage, I believe it's not far from ending. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. As for you, don't always worry about me, take good care of yourself too."