Hu Xiaotian's predicament was that he had no reinforcements behind him. Although Eastern Liang Commandery was part of Great Kang, the Imperial Court paid no attention to this land. The Old Emperor was even looking for a pretext to eliminate him and would have liked nothing better than to kill him.
Hu Xiaotian understood the Old Emperor's intentions perfectly. Win or lose, this battle would leave him with no way back. Fleeing was a capital offense; defeating Great Yong would earn him the charge of provoking a war. To make the Old Emperor yield, he had to swiftly secure a foothold on the Yong River. Only by taking control of Wuxing Commandery and the thirty thousand Great Kang naval troops stationed there could he make Long Xuan'en wary of him and keep him from acting rashly.
The four words Zhu Guanqi had given him were meant to strengthen Hu Xiaotian's resolve to seize Wuxing Commandery in one stroke. Li Tianfu's arrival with reinforcements at the final moment had shown Zhu Guanqi where people's hearts lay, giving him unprecedented confidence in Hu Xiaotian's ability to rally them.
Visa gazed at the warships still burning on the river. The scene before her was enough to tell her how fierce the fighting had been. She asked quietly, "What would you like me to do, Master?"
Hu Xiaotian leaned close to Visa's ear and whispered a few words.
Visa nodded.
Although Li Yongfu looked happy, his heart was exceedingly heavy. Having served at Zhao Dengyun's side for years, he knew the man's temper. It was precisely this understanding that had made him increasingly dissatisfied with his commander. Zhao Dengyun was too selfish, adopted defensive tactics, and treated his officers and soldiers too harshly. Now the Yong River navy was even on the verge of