Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 145 Yu Fan's Expedition
Zhou and Shang had no objection and quickly expressed their gratitude.

Yu Fan then stood up from his couch and advised, "Lord, now that we know the strengths and weaknesses of both armies, we should immediately make targeted deployments and send troops from Fuchun as soon as possible to prevent Yan Yi from taking advantage of the opportunity to capture Qiantang."

Wang Lang sighed. Guling Ferry had been destroyed by Yan Yi, so the only option now was to send troops from Fuchun. He pondered for a moment and asked, "How many troops have been assembled in Fuchun?"

Yu Fan immediately said, "By tomorrow morning, we will have gathered about 8,000 troops, including 800 cavalry. The remaining 13,000 troops will arrive gradually, and all of them will be in Fuchun by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Wang Lang was very satisfied after hearing this. He chuckled and said, "Although Yan Yi is a skilled warrior, he only has a few thousand soldiers. Our army, with its superior numbers, can defeat him through sheer attrition. Let's follow Zhong Xiang's advice and march from Fuchun tomorrow. But do you have any suitable candidates for the commander?"

Everyone looked at each other and said nothing.

Zhou Xin would not take any action unless Wang Lang gave the order. Moreover, he had just been defeated by Yan Yi and knew that the matter was extremely hot-headed. He would not step forward rashly unless it was absolutely necessary.

Shang Sheng has not yet recovered from the shadow of defeat and still feels fear in his heart.

As a civil servant and an opponent of sending troops, Xu Jing naturally would not get involved.

The other generals were lower in seniority and status than Shang Sheng. Even if they wanted to fight, they were worried that their prestige was not enough to command the entire army, so they hesitated.

In the end, everyone turned their eyes to Yu Fan at the same time. It was you who proposed the matter, so you should do it.

Wang Lang also cast his hopeful eyes towards Yu Fan.

Yu Fan, courtesy name Zhongxiang, was a native of Minghe, Cixi. He was a Confucian scholar and the son of Yu Xin, the prefect of Rinan. Like Wang Lang, he possessed a profound understanding of the I Ching and possessed a vast knowledge and profound memory. However, his military strategy was unmatched. Historically, he served as a cavalry commander in the Eastern Wu and served under Sun Ce in his campaigns against the Shanyue. He was skilled with a spear and also possessed considerable medical skills, making him a man of both civil and military talents.

Wang Lang had previously planned to let Yu Fan lead the troops, but Zhou Xin had more experience in leading troops than Yu Fan, and he had also served as the prefect of Danyang. Wang Lang also wanted to take the opportunity to integrate Zhou Xin into his team, so he let Zhou Xin go into battle.

Now that Zhou Xin and Shang Sheng had returned defeated, Yu Fan naturally became the best candidate. Furthermore, Yu Fan held the position of Commander-in-Chief, the highest rank in the county, and was powerful enough to intimidate the generals.

Yu Fan was a man of great intelligence. He knew this matter was unavoidable. Without waiting for Wang Lang's order, he took the initiative to speak: "I am willing to share your worries, but I cannot do it alone. I need a skilled general to accompany me."

Wang Lang pondered for a moment, then twirled his beard and smiled, "This is a simple matter. Let Daming, Ziwei, He Xiong, and Zhang Ya lead the troops with you."

Yu Fan was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that Wang Lang would send out all the capable generals under his command. Even Zhou Xin and Shang Sheng were ordered to go to the battle. It can be seen that he was determined to win.

He secretly thought that although his army's individual combat strength was inferior to that of the enemy, they had the advantage of sufficient manpower. With the Qiantang defenders and Wu Jing's support, they could already surpass the enemy in terms of military strength. He immediately said solemnly, "I will do my utmost to seize Qiantang for you!"

Wang Lang was overjoyed and turned to Zhou Xin and Shang Sheng, saying, "You two have fought against Yan Yi before and are familiar with the enemy. You should fully support Zhong Xiang and make up for your mistakes."

Shang Sheng had no objection. Yu Fan was someone he needed to curry favor with on a daily basis. Even if Wang Lang didn't say anything, he would assist him wholeheartedly.

Zhou Xin had even less objection. As a dependent, he just did whatever Wang Lang told him to do.

After the matter was discussed, Yu Fan, Zhou Xin, Shang Sheng, He Xiong and Zhang Ya said goodbye to Wang Lang and rushed to Fuchun overnight.

It was four quarters past midnight, the night was deep and the world was completely silent. However, within a hundred miles of Qiantang and Fuchun, there were sparks of fire and bonfires. Soldiers marching with torches could be seen everywhere, and military tents dotted the countryside. The fires were the brightest in Qiantang.

The Qiantang defenders endured a day in fear. Seeing that the enemy troops were frequently mobilized but had not yet attacked the city, they also heard that Wang Lang had led his troops to support and was fighting fiercely with Yan Yi's army. The fear in their hearts gradually disappeared and their morale was restored to some extent.

Zhong Jin had secretly spread the false news of Wang Lang's arrival. He was quite quick-witted. Although he knew Wang Lang and Yan Yi were of the same ilk, he used Wang Lang's reputation to instantly boost morale.

The chaos in the city gradually subsided, and there was a sense that the entire military and civilians in the city were working together to defend the city.

As for how to explain Wang Lang's arrival when his army finally reached the city, that wasn't Zhong Jin's concern right now. He even vaguely expected Wang Lang's army to arrive, which would mean Yan Yi's army had already been defeated.

Strangely enough, Zhong Jin was not afraid of Wang Lang, who controlled Kuaiji. Instead, he was extremely wary of Yan Yi, who defeated Zhu Zhi and whose army was weaker than Wang Lang's.

In his opinion, as long as Yan Yi could be forced to retreat, Qiantang would be 70% to 80% secure.

Now that the situation is gradually improving, Zhong Jin's tense expression has relaxed, and there is a hint of smile between his brows.

This smile came not only from the fighting between Wang Lang's army and Yan Yi's army, but also from Quan Rou who was accompanying him on patrolling the city.

After his three visits to the mansion, Quan Rou finally walked out of the mansion and accompanied him on his tour of the city, attracting many surprised and excited glances along the way.

This is a positive signal, meaning that the neutral faction represented by the entire Johor Bahru is beginning to move closer to the pro-war faction, and the power of the entire city is rapidly concentrating.

"Ziyuan, the city's defenders are now approaching 6,000 strong. We only need you to raise your arm and call for action, and the great cause will be accomplished! In the future, if the commander returns to Qiantang, I will treat the Quan family well. If the commander does not return, I will gather everyone and elect you as the ruler of Qiantang."

Zhong Jin looked at Quan Rou with great eagerness, but in his heart he was coveting the 300 clan soldiers of the Quan family. As long as Quan Rou nodded, those big clans who were still watching would surely follow him, and then the garrison would be increased by at least 1,500 people.

If he had not had such high expectations for the whole of Johor and was not worried about causing civil unrest in the city, he would have taken action against these people long ago.

Quan Rou wore a white robe that fluttered in the night breeze, making him look elegant and graceful. However, he seemed out of place among the armored defenders around him. He smiled slightly and responded, "Please, Mr. Zhong, give me a day or two to gather my people. Then I will serve under the general."

Zhong Jin was overjoyed and said, "In that case, I will wait patiently for Ziyuan's good news."

Quan Rou nodded slightly, slowly walked to the edge of the city wall, and looked around. The east and south sides of the city were relatively quiet, with only flickering flames scattered like stars in strongholds and key thoroughfares. On the other hand, to the west and north, flames blazed continuously, like a galaxy pouring down, illuminating the world.

He walked calmly along the city wall, stopping from time to time to look into the distance. His breathing gradually became rapid, and he felt a faint sense of oppression as if a storm was coming.

According to his experience, there were at least tens of thousands of Yan Yi troops outside the city, and even with Wang Lang's army approaching, they were still defending the city from the outside and from the inside, clearly ready to launch a fatal attack at any time.

And he had guessed correctly. At this moment, Yan Yi not only gathered all his troops in Qiantang, but also recruited the military slaves and civilian laborers who were transporting supplies and incorporated them into the siege sequence. He was ready to fight to the death.

(End of this chapter)