Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 152 Borrowing Troops
Quan Rou's eyelids twitched when she saw Yan Yi completely ignore the official seal. She thought to herself that this man was either careless or extremely ambitious. She straightened her clothes and led five middle-aged men in armor, but without any military aura, to pay their respects.

It was the first time the two met, and Yan Yi couldn't help but look at Quan Rou a few more times.

He was familiar with the name Quan Rou. Of course, he didn't know it from books, but rather had come across it by chance while playing games in his previous life. He vaguely remembered that this person's attributes were relatively average, mostly around 70, and his naval attributes were quite high.

In history, this person served as both Shangshu Langyoucheng and Danyang Duwei, and seemed to be a man of both literary and martial talents.

As for its true abilities, we can only wait and see.

Yan Yi was very happy to recruit these historical Wu ministers. For him, every time he recruited one more person, the power of the Sun family would be weakened. And poaching people was really addictive!
A smile played at the corner of his mouth, and he said gently, "The capture of Qiantang this time is largely due to the efforts of Lord Quan. If it were not for Lord Quan's deep understanding of justice and his assistance, our army would have suffered far more casualties. I will always remember Lord Quan's contribution, and in the future I hope that Lord Quan will contribute to the stability of Qiantang and bring peace to the people."

Quan Rou heard the solicitation in Yan Yi's words, but he knew that retreat was the best way to advance. Now was definitely not the best time to agree. He said vaguely: "I was born and raised in Qiantang. I should do my part to help the people."

Yan Yi glanced at him thoughtfully, his smile still lingering as he addressed the group in front of him, "Now that the war is over, we should remember the people. I wish to work with you to ensure peace in this area. In all areas under my rule, there will be no wanton killing or looting, and those who violate this rule will be punished."

Upon hearing this, the people in Qiantang all breathed a sigh of relief, and echoed the words one after another, with endless compliments.

Quan Rou turned sideways and pointed at the four middle-aged men beside her, introducing them. "Young Master, these four are the clan leaders of the Dong, Xu, Lu, and Jin clans. They are all renowned figures in Qiantang. They have contributed greatly to your entry into the city. I am only able to achieve this modest feat thanks to their tireless assistance."

Yan Yi nodded slightly. He had heard the names of these four people last night when he met with Quan Rou's confidants. Since all four had contributed, he would keep his promise and give them some rewards.

As for the fat sheep, they could only choose from other clans, especially the Zhao family, the richest man in Qiantang. He couldn't wait to slaughter them to satisfy his hunger.

The four clan leaders came forward one by one to pay their respects, their expressions respectful, their eyes unable to conceal the excitement of having bet on the right treasure.

Yan Yi said a few soothing words, then changed the subject and said, "I'd like to ask you to borrow something, would you be willing to lend it to me?"

Quan Rou's heartbeat quickened slightly as she asked, "What does the young master wish to borrow?"

Yan Yi smiled and said, "Just now, when I was watching the battle outside the city, I saw that the soldiers of your clans were very brave. Although Qiantang has been pacified, Wang Lang's army has not yet retreated. One of their weaker forces, about 3,000 men, is not far from Qiantang. I would like to borrow your troops to eliminate them. Only in this way can we truly eliminate this disaster and ensure the safety of the people. What do you think?"

Before entering the city, he had received the casualty statistics of the Qiantang Battle, which showed that the total casualties of the entire army were as high as 4,500.

After this battle, he only had five or six thousand combat-ready soldiers left, and some of them were exhausted and in urgent need of rest. Now that he had an external force to draw upon, he certainly wouldn't let it go. It would allow him to concentrate superior forces to encircle and suppress the enemy while also depleting the forces of the various tribes – killing two birds with one stone.

Quan Rou was such a shrewd man that even plucking a single hair would be useless, so how could he not know what Yan Yi was thinking? But since he had chosen Yan Yi, eliminating Wang Lang's threat became a mutual interest for both parties. It was the honeymoon period between him and Yan Yi, and with the latter holding military power, it was difficult to refuse.

Moreover, Yan Yi had made his point very clear: the enemy was a weak and small force, and its destruction would be easy. Once this was accomplished, it would undoubtedly be another achievement.

Quan Rou was well aware of the principle that one must give before taking. After a moment's thought, he said, "Since this is a move to protect the country and the people, I will certainly contribute." Seeing his agreement, the other four clan leaders immediately stopped hesitating and said in unison, "We will certainly contribute!"

Yan Yi was overjoyed and quickly thanked him, then asked about the number of Rou's troops.

Quan Rou exchanged a glance with the four clan leaders, clasped his fists, and said, "The five clans have a total of 1,500 soldiers. I am not very talented, but I know a lot about military affairs, and I am willing to lead them into battle!"

Yan Yi was interested in observing Quan Rou's ability to lead troops, and his expression became more and more delighted: "It would be best if Lord Quan was willing to lead the troops himself."

Quan Rou breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He had volunteered, but he had no choice. He feared Yan Yi, out of selfish motives, would kill all his soldiers. Only if he led the troops himself would he feel at ease.

It should be noted that clan soldiers are the foundation of a family's survival. Once lost, it will be a serious blow.

One of the reasons why the Jiangdong gentry were able to confront Sun Quan in history was that they had private armies that even Sun Quan feared. Sun Quan was more the leader of a military alliance than an emperor, and he did not have absolute say.

Yan Yi was naturally aware of Quan Rou's desire to protect the entire clan's soldiers. He knew that resolving this issue would take time. However, he already had some guidelines in mind, so he wasn't in a rush.

He thought for a moment, then began to call out orders in front of everyone: "Fan Yan, Si Qing, Chen Gan, Fan Yi, Li Chou, listen to my orders!"

The five people clasped their fists and stepped out.

Yan Yi ordered, "The five of you will immediately lead 3,500 troops and march alongside Lord Quan. Fan Yan will be the main commander, with Xu Sheng, Si Qing, and Lord Quan as your deputies. The rest of the generals will assist you. We must annihilate Yu Fan's army outside Qiantang City. No mistakes are allowed!"

All the generals, including Quan Rou, responded in unison and then left to check their troops and prepare for battle.

Yan Yi had no concerns about the outcome of this battle. Yu Fan, anxious to prevent him from capturing Qiantang, had recklessly advanced his light troops, and his force, including cavalry, numbered only 3,500 men. Now, he had dispatched 5,400 troops, including Xu Sheng's and Chen Gan's troops. Both in numbers and individual combat effectiveness, they outnumbered the enemy. If they could block the water supply and cut off their retreat, annihilation would be easy.

As if to confirm his guess, three hours later, the battle was won.

The entire battle went on with almost no setbacks.

First, the 5,400-man army, divided into three groups, advanced to encircle Yu Fan's army, which still held out a glimmer of hope for Qiantang. Then, Xu Sheng's army, charging back from the west, defeated the 500 enemy troops in Shui before their reinforcements could arrive, burning the ladders and planks on the river embankment. Then, they advanced towards Yu Fan's army, encountering 600 enemy cavalrymen who had come to protect the baggage camp.

The two sides then engaged in a fierce battle. Although Xu Sheng's troops defeated the enemy, they also suffered heavy casualties. They hurriedly burned the enemy's supplies and withdrew from the battlefield.

(End of this chapter)