Guo Jiwang noticed the change in his expression and immediately looked at him. "What, is Militia Commander Wu hiding something from me?"
Wu Shuangren pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, it was my oversight."
He hadn't considered using Xu Nanzhi's help at all during this expedition, so when Guo Jiwang asked him what trump cards he had, he didn't mention Xu Nanzhi at all.
He still subconsciously excluded his parents' help...
Wu Shuangren recounted the events of the bloody battle in the forest.
After hearing this, Guo Jiwang looked at him with an incredulous expression.
Why didn't they ask the enemy to help them in this battle, given that they have a mother with First Rank strength?
If we had one more First Rank expert on our side, our chances of winning would be much higher!
Guo Jiwang from a poor family and used to envy the children of the powerful and wealthy who could easily possess things that he might never be able to obtain in his entire life.
"Does the group leader think that relying on one's parents is shameful?"
Guo Jiwang asked tentatively.
Wu Shuangren, offering no explanation.
How can this be explained?
Some traumas may never heal, and some experiences, even if shared, cannot be truly understood by others.
Seeing Wu Shuangren's expression, Guo Jiwang decisively changed the subject:
"Regardless, Mist Hidden Temple still lost over a thousand monks and a large amount of weaponry, and we also won over the Yi Province military commander. This situation can be considered a draw."
Wu Shuangren quickly calmed himself down and asked, "Now that Yi Prefecture City is under their control, what good strategies do you have, sir?"
Guo Jiwang replied without hesitation, "If the city still exists, the Mount Liang forces will be isolated and without supplies. If we hold this position and cut off their connection with Mist Hidden Temple, we have a good chance of winning even if it's just a war of attrition! Besides, we still have Vice General Xu inside the city. We can find an opportunity to get him to lead his troops to launch an attack and cooperate with us..."
This was a series of tactics he had prepared, but now none of them were needed.
"Now that the city has fallen into Mount Liang's hands, their logistics are worry-free, and they can even bring more troops from within the city to join them. We, on the other hand, are now an isolated force. Therefore, the best course of action is to retreat immediately!"
Guo Jiwang looked at Wu Shuangren, "The enemy is likely to send men to pursue us, so we'll divide our forces. The cavalry will retreat first, and the rest of us will rush to the Yi Province dock as quickly as possible, take boats by water, and sail away. Those that can't be sailed away should be burned. Those who travel by water can disembark in Lu Province and return to Bo County. The provisions they bring should be sufficient."
It turns out that controlling Yi Province Wharf had another advantage: it provided a way out...
Wu Shuangren gained a deeper understanding of Guo Jiwang's scheme, but he remained noncommittal about this "best strategy".
Guo Jiwang leaned forward and continued, "As for the middle strategy, we won't divide our forces, but we still need to retreat immediately. During the retreat, we'll engage in hit-and-run tactics with the enemy's pursuers, looking for opportunities to weaken them."
Wu Shuangren looked at the other party. "Sir, do you have any other options?"
"..."
Guo Jiwang remained silent.
Wu Shuangren smiled.
At 3:45 AM, Wu Shuangren summoned Fan Yu to a meeting.
Fan Yu entered the room with several personal guards, his face grim.
Before Wu Shuangren could speak, Fan Yu said, "Militia Commander Wu, I already know about the situation in Yi Prefecture City. Now that the city has fallen into the hands of the bandits, what are your plans next?"
He also sent people to keep a close eye on the situation in the city, so he learned the news almost as quickly as Wu Shuangren.
Wu Shuangren looked at him and asked in return, "What are your plans, General?"
Fan Yu's face was grim. After a moment of silence, he said, "The city has fallen. I suggest we retreat immediately and wait for reinforcements from the imperial court."
Wu Shuangren looked at him coldly. "General, you are the military commander of Yi Province, with the responsibility of defending the territory. Are you just going to stand by and watch the bandits take Yi Prefecture City?"
Fan Yu roared, "Does that mean it was right for me to lead my men to their deaths?! If you hadn't secretly colluded with Lu Hongjian, instigating a mutiny within the city and refusing me entry, the city might not have fallen if I had been leading the troops to defend it!"
"Ha ha!"
Guo Jiwang, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but start laughing.
He's a master at passing the buck in officialdom!
Fan Yu turned and glared at Guo Jiwang: "Who are you to dare laugh at this general?!"
Before Guo Jiwang speak, Wu Shuangren interjected, "General Fan, the Mount Liang bandits have separated their infantry and cavalry. A portion of their elite troops have already entered the city, while the remaining six thousand are still on the road. This is our opportunity! We can ambush them on the way!"
Fan Yu sneered, "Absolutely impossible! Those six thousand men will arrive in Yi Prefecture City by tonight at the latest. The people inside the city can come out to support us at any time. Then we'll be attacked from both sides! Do you really think that with so many people going to ambush us, the people inside the city won't notice?"
Wu Shuangren's expression remained unchanged. "Take only cavalry, avoid the main roads, and we can ambush them!"
Fan Yu was taken aback, looking at him as if he were a madman. "Are you crazy? How many cavalrymen do we have? Two hundred-odd men ambushing over six thousand?"
Wu Shuangren met his gaze calmly. "Our cavalry are all elite, equipped with lamellar armor, as well as infantry armor. Of the 6,000 men from Mount Liang, half are Rong Province militia members who were coerced into joining the fight; their morale is low. Furthermore, Mount Liang's elite troops have already entered the city. We have a good chance of winning this battle!"
Guo Jiwang sat to the side expressionlessly, without saying a word.
"Madman!"
Fan Yu stood up, no longer intending to talk to Wu Shuangren. "If you want to fight, go ahead and fight. I'm not going to play along!"
He came with the intention of withdrawing with Wu Shuangren's men, as that would be safer.
Moreover, he could use his position as the military commander of Yi Province to find an opportunity to recruit this force to his own use.
But little did I expect Wu Shuangren to be a complete madman!
Fan Yu, along with Song Qi and other personal guards, turned to walk out of the house.
He had just turned around when Wu Shuangren suddenly stepped forward, his right hand reaching out with hooked fingers, aiming straight for his right shoulder!
Song Qi, who had been closely following Fan Yu, reacted extremely quickly, immediately stepping in front of Wu Shuangren and placing one hand on the blade.
Wu Shuangren changed his move even faster, slapping Song Qi's wrist with his left palm to stop him from drawing his sword, and then turning his right claw into a fist, smashing it hard into Song Qi's face!
With a thud, Song Qi tilted his head back and stumbled backward, his back hitting Fan Yu.
You dare!
"Let's do it!"
Xu Yu, who had been waiting outside, immediately rushed in.
Since he couldn't move freely inside, he didn't take his longsword. He pounced on his bare hands like a tiger, instantly knocking two guards away with a single punch, sending them crashing into the tables and chairs on either side!
Fan Yu, who was able to become a military officer, naturally knew martial arts. Taking advantage of the time that Song Qi had bought for him, he had already drawn his sword.
But as soon as the sword was drawn, his vision blurred, and Wu Shuangren had already circled around to his left, striking his ribs through his armor!
A sharp pain shot through him, and Fan Yu groaned as he turned and swung his sword horizontally.
Wu Shuangren moved like a receding tide, retreating to dodge the attack, then immediately stepped forward to close in on Fan Yu.
The two exchanged several blows in close combat. Fan Yu's martial arts style was military-style, suitable for battlefield combat, and he was completely unaccustomed to Wu Shuangren. His knife was quickly knocked from his hand!
Wu Shuangren grabbed Fan Yu by the neck, pushed him against Zhuzi, and held him down firmly!
In the blink of an eye, the battle inside the house was over.
Fan Yu was subdued by Wu Shuangren, and several of his personal guards, including Song Qi, were all taken down by Xu Yu.
"Are you... going to rebel?!"
Fan Yu was both shocked and furious, his face flushed red.
Guo Jiwang had remained seated the entire time, sighed.
He had told Wu Shuangren beforehand that Fan Yu would absolutely not agree to this battle plan. Moreover, because of what they had done before, the other side already had an excellent scapegoat, so abandoning the city and fleeing would be even less of a burden!
Wu Shuangren's fingers were like iron clamps, not loosening their grip in the slightest:
"Since you dare not lead your troops, then have your personal guards surrender all their armor, crossbows, and horses!"
Fan Yu gritted his teeth, staring intently at him. "How dare you! Lu Hongjian might already be dead. You need to think this through!"
In his view, Wu Shuangren had even dared to bring troops to the garrison to directly threaten him because he had Lu Hongjian, the Yi Province, backing him up.
But now that Yi Prefecture City is under the control of Mount Liang and Mist Hidden Temple, and Lu Hongjian's fate is unknown, what gives Wu Shuangren the right to be so presumptuous?!
brush--
Suddenly, Wu Shuangren pulled a dagger from Fan Yu's waist with his left hand and then stabbed it into Fan Yu's right shoulder!
The blade pierced through the armor and into the flesh. Fan Yu groaned, and veins bulged on his forehead.
"Tell your men to hand over the goods, or the next knife will be stabbed in the throat!"
Wu Shuangren's eyes were cold as he spoke, each word distinct and clear.
"General!"
Song Qi and the others lying on the ground exclaimed in surprise.
Fan Yu's face turned deathly pale. He had been on the battlefield and killed people, so he knew what the eyes of someone who truly wanted to kill looked like.
Wu Shuangren really dared to kill him!
"Song Qi, do as Militia Commander Wu says!"
Fan Yu gritted his teeth and gave the order.
"... yes."
Song Qi struggled to his feet, and Xu Yu followed him out of the house.
Outside the manor, Wu Shuangren had already given instructions, so when the action began inside, Bai Jinhuan immediately led First Battalion and Wu Shuangren's personal guards to surround Fan Yu's personal guards!
Fan Yu's personal guards immediately tensed up and picked up their weapons.
Soon, Song Qi stepped forward and shouted, "The general has ordered everyone to remove their armor and hand over all their crossbows and horses!"
The guards looked at each other, bewildered by the order.
"What the hell are you all standing there for? Do you want to disobey orders?!"
Song Qi was furious and cursed loudly.
He was Fan Yu's confidant, and most of the commanders among these personal guards were promoted by him. Seeing that he was angry, no one dared to disobey him.
Moreover, seeing the scene around them, the guards weren't stupid; they probably realized something and dared not resist.
They had witnessed the combat strength of these two thousand-plus militia members firsthand!
In less than a quarter of an hour, more than a hundred suits of lamellar armor were piled up like a small mountain, and more than a hundred warhorses were all led aside.
After inventory, there were 103 sets of lamellar armor, 112 warhorses, 31 ordinary crossbows, and 10 super crossbows!
Wu Shuangren ordered his men to take all of these items, and then had Fan Yu placed under separate guard, while his personal guards remained surrounded.
Next, he began to muster his troops.
He had his own personal guard of one hundred men, plus Xu Yu, and all the men in the militia who could ride horses.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jing immediately offered to bring his eleven archers with him.
There were a total of 126 people.
Wu Shuangren planned to have each person bring along one more militiaman, with the two riding together on one horse. The remaining dozens of horses would be used to carry equipment and rations.
"Two hundred-plus people ambushing over six thousand... Everyone says I'm too arrogant, but compared to you, I dare not call myself arrogant..."
Guo Jiwang walked over and said with a sigh.
Wu Shuangren turned to look at the [Mad Osprey] and smiled, "Does the gentleman know what I'm thinking?"
"What?"
"In the battle at Yi Province Wharf, Bai Jinhuan, leading twenty militiamen clad in infantry armor, routed more than five hundred men!"
"..."
Guo Jiwang silent, knowing he could no longer persuade Wu Shuangren.
Seeing Wu Shuangren turn to leave, he suddenly called out to him, "Take Bai Jinhuan with you. He's skilled in archery and horsemanship and can be of help. Chen Tie is enough. I'll stay here with him."
Wu Shuangren led his men to ambush the enemy, and someone had to be stationed at both villages to lead the remaining militia in guarding them.
He originally wanted Xu Jing to stay, as this scion of a military family, along with Guo Jiwang, would be enough to handle some unforeseen circumstances.
But Xu Jing insisted on taking his men with him to carry out the ambush, so he had no choice but to leave Bai Jinhuan, the First Battalion commander, behind.
Hearing Guo Jiwang say this, he felt it made sense, so he sent someone to summon Chen Tie.