The Prodigal Son

The verbal battle continued until nightfall.

The shouting match gradually subsided only after the soldiers on both sides had almost lost their voices.

Although Huang Dengxing repeatedly told himself not to let this matter affect his emotions, the anger in his heart still did not subside.

Seeing Li Hu enter, Huang Dengxing asked with a dark face, "How are the soldiers in each unit doing?"

"Not good."

Li Hu's expression was somewhat grim. "Right now, soldiers in various units are gossiping privately. General Shentu and his men dragged out a few soldiers who were spreading rumors and whipped them, which slightly intimidated the other soldiers, but these rumors certainly won't be quelled in the short term..."

Hearing Li Hu's words, Huang Dengxing was even more furious. "That damned little beast!"

And he's the crown prince!

He was acting like a street thug!

If that little beast hadn't run away so fast, I would have torn him to pieces long ago!

"General, please calm your anger!"

Ji Lianhuan patiently advised, "The more the enemy acts this way, the more calm the General should remain!"

"Um!"

Huang Dengxing nodded slightly, trying to suppress his anger, and then instructed Li Hu: "Order someone to slaughter five hundred sheep tomorrow to give the soldiers an extra meal!"

At this time, nothing can boost morale and unite the troops better than a big meal.

Trying to demoralize them with such tricks? Dream on!

"yes!"

Li Hu immediately accepted the order and left.

"The General is wise!"

Ji Lianhuan chuckled and flattered him, then tentatively asked, "The enemy is already right under our noses. Does the General have any thoughts on this?"

Huang Dengxing glanced at him sideways, casting a scrutinizing look. "What are your thoughts?"

Ji Lianhuan chuckled, "Although we're supposed to remain still and wait for the enemy to make a move, if we can create some chaos or cause them some trouble, it will be even more beneficial for us..."

"Report..."

Before Ji Lianhuan could finish speaking, a scout rushed in to report, "Reporting to the General, the enemy's right flank has made unusual movements!"

Huang Dengxing's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stood up. "Continue!"

"yes!"

The scout accepted the order and then reported: "At dusk, a sudden clatter of hooves sounded from the enemy's right flank, kicking up large clouds of dust, indicating that a large number of cavalry reinforcements were approaching..."

"Report..."

Before the first scout could finish his report, another scout rushed in, "Reporting to the General, a large force of cavalry has appeared on the enemy's left flank!"

How many people are there?

The man with the yellow light immediately questioned him.

"It's too dark, and with the dust flying everywhere, we can't see very well! Judging from the noise, there must be at least tens of thousands of cavalry!"

Upon hearing the scout's words, Huang Dengxing and Ji Lianhuan both frowned.

Large numbers of enemy cavalry were advancing on both the left and right flanks at the same time.

Could it be that the enemy's reinforcements have arrived?

Ji Lianhuan thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Something's not right!"

Huang Dengxing nodded slightly. "I also feel something's not right! But I can't quite put my finger on what it is!"

"Since the enemy has so many reinforcements, why did they need to act mysteriously on the left flank before?"

Ji Lianhuan immediately pointed out the problem.

"Yes! That's it!"

Huang Dengxing nodded emphatically, "Unless, the enemy was genuinely afraid of our surprise attack on their left flank!"

"The General is right, but this is inherently contradictory!" Ji Lianhuan pondered. "If the enemy has a large number of cavalry that can provide rapid support, they have no reason to fear our surprise attack on their left flank. They could even lure our army into battle and encircle and annihilate us!"

"really!"

Huang Dengxing nodded in agreement. "Since it's neither, then it must be one of those deceptive tactics!"

As Huang Dengxing spoke, he quickly walked to the wall where the map was hanging, staring intently at the map and pondering deeply.

The enemy was trying to disrupt their morale through verbal sparring and playing a game of deception, clearly with ulterior motives.

Will the enemy launch a full-scale attack on Yiling?

Yiling is protected by high city walls, and the troops from Yeniu Valley and Heishiling can threaten their flanks at any time.

Anyone who knows how to fight would not directly attack Yiling.

We need to remove at least one of these two obstacles, Buffalo Valley and Blackrock Ridge, before we can even talk about anything else!

If they don't attack Yiling, then all they can do is try to remove a thorn in their side!

If the enemy wants to attack, it will have to be either Blackstone Ridge or Buffalo Valley!

"The enemy is most likely trying to cut off our connection with the troops in Buffalo Valley!"

Ji Lianhuan approached the map and traced lines on it with his finger. "I think the movements on the enemy's right flank are likely a ploy to mislead us."

"Once they attack Buffalo Valley, we dare not mobilize the troops from Black Stone Ridge to support Buffalo Valley. Therefore, we can only mobilize the troops from Yiling to reinforce them."

"Ultimately, Fang Junji still wants to lure Yiling's troops out of the city to fight him!"

"If we don't move now, the defenders of Buffalo Valley will be in danger!"

"If we send troops from Yiling to reinforce them, they will either turn around and attack our reinforcements, or they will use their left-wing cavalry to intercept the reinforcements from Yiling..."

Ji Lianhuan understood Fang Junji very well, and he also understood Fang Junji's psychology.

Zhao Luan's appointment of Fang Junji as commander-in-chief this time is clearly giving Fang Junji an opportunity.

Fang Junji will definitely want to seize this opportunity, and will certainly prioritize stability rather than adopting overly aggressive strategies.

This strategy of profiting from both ends does indeed seem to be the work of Fang Junji.

"That makes some sense!"

Huang Dengxing nodded slightly, but his brows remained furrowed. "But isn't Fang Junji afraid of being caught in a pincer movement? As long as I send out a cavalry force to break through their vanguard, we can encircle Fang Junji's main force. At that point, they won't be able to escape!"

"General, you are absolutely right!" Ji Lianhuan nodded and said, "Therefore, I believe that the enemy's right flank may be hiding a deadly move! Once we launch a surprise attack on the enemy's vanguard, the enemy's right flank troops will likely rush over to ensure that their retreat is not cut off by our cavalry..."

Huang Dengxing's gaze swept across the map, finally settling on the enemy's right flank. A deep look of doubt crossed his face. "Since you say Qin Yu is not to be underestimated, besides the possibility you mentioned, is there any other reason why Fang Junji sent Qin Yu to this position?"

He basically agreed with Ji Lianhuan's assessment.

However, his intuition, honed by years of leading troops, told him that there were still aspects they hadn't noticed.

This overlooked detail could very well determine whether Yiling can be defended!

Speaking of Qin Yu, Ji Lianhuan couldn't help but frown. "I can't tell! Although I think Qin Yu is not to be underestimated, he has been hiding his abilities for too long. This is only his second time leading troops, and I have absolutely no idea about his style of command..."

Hearing Ji Lianhuan's words, Huang Dengxing frowned even more deeply.

The enemy's right flank, where Qin Yu is currently located, is an uncertain factor!

He was really having trouble sleeping and eating until he found out what was going on over there!

After pondering quietly for a moment, Huang Dengxing shook his head and smiled to himself.

When did I become so cautious?

Even if Qin Yu is not to be underestimated, am I really going to be intimidated by such a young brat?

I've fought my way through half my life, how can I let them lead me by the nose?

"Someone come here!"

Huang Dengxing suddenly shouted in a low voice: "Order the garrison at Black Stone Ridge to send a small force to harass the enemy's right flank tonight, so that the enemy will become exhausted!"

"Order the garrison at Buffalo Valley to strengthen their defenses and prevent an enemy night attack!"

"Order Huo Tianwen and Yin Ye to strengthen patrols. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the city shall be executed on the spot!"

"Order those ten thousand reinforcements to march faster; if they do not arrive within two days, execute them!"

"Order Shentu Hong to lead his cavalry in a feigned attack on the enemy's vanguard at dawn tomorrow..."