The Prodigal Son

About half an hour later, Gao Yi and the ministers of various departments, as well as the left and right vice ministers of the Ministry of War, all arrived at the Imperial Study by imperial decree.

When Shangguan Youyi read out Yun Zhao's victory report, everyone's jaws dropped in astonishment.

"Your Majesty, am I dreaming?"

Su Yu's old face was filled with excitement, and he even wondered if he was dreaming.

"Yes, Your Majesty! This...this is too outrageous!"

"Qin Yu only has so many men, yet he's accomplished so much?"

"Qin Yu led nine thousand cavalrymen into enemy territory, not only causing chaos and devastation, but also managing to swell to sixteen thousand men by the end?"

"Even if we sent veterans like Qin Fumeng and Xue Chengdao to fight, they might not be able to achieve such results, right?"

Once they came to their senses, the group started talking all at once, each with an expression of disbelief on their face.

They genuinely doubted that they were dreaming.

Qin Yu has only been on the battlefield twice, yet he has achieved such a record?

Is he truly a born handsome man?

"You are not dreaming, and neither am I! This is all real!"

Zhao Luan smiled at the group, "I summoned you all here partly to share this good news, and partly to discuss the follow-up matters!"

As she spoke, Zhao Luan shared her concerns with the others.

She's not worried about anything else now.

Her only concern was that the food supplies at Yuwang Pass would be insufficient to support Qin Yu and his men in holding the pass for an extended period.

"Your Majesty's concerns are very valid!"

Gong Nanxing, the Left Vice Minister of War, agreed: "Currently, Fang Junji's main force should not have reached Yuyang yet. Yu Wu can still lead his troops south to join forces with Chu's 20,000 troops and besiege Yuwang Pass!"

"Yes!" The Right Vice Minister of War nodded slightly. "If Yu Wu destroys the Sanli Bridge immediately after crossing the river to the south, our main force will be blocked on the north bank of the Qujiang River, and in a short period of time, we will be unable to support Qin Yu..."

After Bei Qi launched a surprise attack on Zhubei City, Xue Chengdao went to Shuozhou to take charge of the overall situation, and Qin Fumeng also went to Wuzhou to prepare for war.

Currently, all matters concerning the Ministry of War are temporarily being handled by the two Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War.

"otherwise!"

Gao Yi shook his head and smiled, "Qin Yu has already defeated so many enemy troops, and Huang Dengxing of Yiling has also retreated. Yu Wu certainly doesn't have many usable soldiers left! If they go to besiege Qin Yu, aren't they worried about being eaten up by him again?"

"Worrying won't help."

Gong Nanxing said solemnly, "Right now, for Yu Wu and those 20,000 Chu troops, it's either capture Yuwang Pass or wait to die! They have absolutely no choice!"

"Indeed!" The Right Vice Minister of War nodded. "At such times, two completely opposite situations often arise! Either internal strife occurs, or unity is forged, a desperate struggle for survival leads to the unleashing of enormous potential!"

In the current situation, Yuwang Pass is Yu Wu and his men's only way out!

If he were Yu Wu, he would definitely lead his army south across the river, then destroy Sanli Bridge, and then join forces with the 20,000 Chu troops to trap Qin Yu and his men at Yuwang Pass at all costs!

"This is indeed a troublesome matter."

Du Zhiwen, who had been transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel, frowned and asked the two men from the Ministry of War, "Both of you are commanders of troops, do you have any good strategies to deal with this?"

"I do have a good plan!"

Zhao Luan suddenly picked up the conversation.

Gao Yi raised his eyelids. "Does Your Majesty intend to order Yun Zhao of Yinzhou to conquer Gongzhou of Chu, and then send him to support Qin Yu?"

Zhao Luan nodded slightly, casting an approving glance at Gao Yi.

Although she didn't like Gao Yi very much, she had to admit that Gao Yi was indeed a smart person!

Upon seeing Zhao Luan nod, the ministers' expressions changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Our dynasty is already fighting on two fronts, and it may very well become a three-front war! If we were to engage in a full-scale war with the Chu Kingdom, our dynasty would face immense pressure!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"Going to war with the State of Chu at this time would be extremely disadvantageous for our dynasty..."

In an instant, a group of ministers stood up to offer their advice.

"If circumstances permit, I believe we can engage the Chu army in battle!"

Amidst the dissenting voices, a discordant note arose.

The men frowned and glared angrily at Gao Yi.

Is this old fellow senile, or does he secretly hope that Da Ning will be engulfed in flames so that he can consolidate his position?

Or perhaps, he was so eager to please His Majesty that he would support His Majesty without hesitation, regardless of whether His Majesty was right or wrong?

"Please listen to what I have to say!"

Gao Yi raised his hand to stop the group of people who were about to berate him, and said with a smile, "The State of Chu has already sent 70,000 troops to support the State of Min. Under these circumstances, I believe that the forces in Gongzhou are already severely insufficient..."

"impossible!"

Gong Nanxing interrupted Gao Yi directly, "Gongzhou is the most important defensive point for Chu. Chu claims to have 300,000 troops stationed in Gongzhou. Even if we reduce that number by half, we still have 150,000 troops! Even if all the troops supporting Min are transferred from Gongzhou, Gongzhou still has at least 80,000 troops!"

The geographical location of the State of Chu was extremely advantageous.

The only states that could pose a threat to the State of Chu from land were the States of Min and Da Ning.

Whether it's the Min Kingdom or the Da Ning Kingdom, if they want to attack the Chu Kingdom, they must first capture Gongzhou!

Under such circumstances, it would not be unreasonable for the State of Chu to place more than half of its military force in Gongzhou.

It is unlikely that Yun Zhao can break through Gongzhou through a direct attack.

Even if Yun Zhao has the ability, it probably won't be something he can do in a short time.

What Qin Yu and his group need now is time!

"We don't even know how many troops the Chu army has in Gongzhou! What I'm saying is just one possibility!"

Gao Yi remained calm and continued, "If Yun Zhao can quickly capture Gongzhou and lead his troops to reinforce Yuwang Pass, it will be tantamount to extinguishing the last hope of Yu Wu and those 20,000 Chu soldiers! In this way, the war in Min can be brought to an end much faster!"

"Then, the war with Min ended, and they went on to fight with Chu, right?" Su Yu retorted irritably.

"No!"

Gao Yi shook his head slightly, "Our dynasty can occupy Gongzhou, and naturally we can return it to Chu! Of course, the premise is that Chu must pay war reparations to our dynasty! Our dynasty can even exchange Chu's prisoners for gold and silver or the supplies our dynasty needs..."

Ok?

The group lowered their heads, seriously considering the possibility of what Gao Yi had said.

Thinking about it carefully, Gao Yi's words do seem to make some sense.

According to Gao Yi's idea, not only could the war with Min be ended more quickly, but also enough benefits could be obtained.

Although the State of Chu paid a price, at least it did not lose any land, and the captured soldiers were able to return to Chu.

Since they hadn't lost any territory, the Chu state, having suffered heavy losses, naturally had no reason to fight to the death with Da Ning.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that Gongzhou's military strength is insufficient, and that Yunzhao can occupy Gongzhou at a relatively low cost!

After a moment of contemplation, Du Zhiwen cursed Gao Yi, that old fox, in his heart.

This old fox probably knew that the chances of breaking through Gongzhou head-on were slim, but he still said it anyway.

He would please His Majesty, and if something really went wrong, he wouldn't have to take responsibility.

That old fox is quite the schemer!

Zhao Luan remained silent, silently weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

As a crucial part of Chu's defenses, Gongzhou must have amassed a large number of troops.

If Yun Zhao wins, that's fine; if he loses, then things will be troublesome.

Zhao Luan hesitated for a long time, then asked the others to step back and think about the matter carefully, and to discuss it again later.

Afterwards, Zhao Luan rushed to the Song residence, wanting to hear the opinion of her mentor, Song Zhuo.

After listening to Zhao Luan's concerns, Song Zhuo couldn't help but shake his head and smile, "His Majesty and the ministers in court have both fallen into a misconception!"

"Misconception?"

Zhao Luan was puzzled.

Song Zhuo explained, "The capital is too far from the front lines, and the situation there is constantly changing! Your Majesty only needs to let those at the front know Your Majesty's and the court's concerns. As for whether or not to fight, or how to fight, that should be decided by those who know the situation at the front best!"

The person who knows the situation on the front lines best?

A thought suddenly struck Zhao Luan, and a figure flashed into her mind...