Chapter 1316 - 322: Chosen One (Part 2)

Chapter 1316: Chapter 322: Chosen One (Part 2)

But Gou Moli knew he didn’t yet have the qualification to let Lord Pingye act pretentiously in front of him.

"If Lord wasn’t willing, why did you take on this task?" Gou Moli asked.

Lord Zheng shook his head and said, "During the military meeting I didn’t speak. It was Prince Jingnan who appointed me."

Gou Moli took a deep breath,

and sighed:

"Prince Jingnan treats you really well, my Lord."

"I know."

This is a good thing,

truly a good thing.

Seeing those generals pounding their chests in the king’s tent fighting for this task was clear enough, this was indeed a great opportunity.

But Lord Zheng didn’t want this great opportunity,

During the military meeting, he was well aware that if he asked to fight, Prince Jingnan would most likely give him the task, but he simply didn’t want it.

This is not pretentiousness, nor is it affectation;

his family background is weak, so he guards it well. Moreover, he can assure that the various troops under his command will follow him unconditionally, no matter what he does.

Only Gao Yi, because he comes from the Jingnan Army, might have some hesitations, but the troops he leads are the fewest, and they’re also his personal guard camp, unable to make much of a wave.

If some of these family resources were lost, Lord Zheng would be heartbroken. Wouldn’t this assault on the village scatter half of them?

To put it bluntly,

this isn’t like playing strategy games in later generations where troops lost could still be recruited again;

these soldiers, these trackers, in Lord Zheng’s eyes are not just data streams, they are living, breathing people.

Lord Zheng usually likes to stroll around Xuehaiguan in a White Dragonfish Uniform, enjoying the life’s breath under his rule;

Why does the Sword Saint like Xuehaiguan, if not for being attracted by this breath of life?

It’s not that he’s not ruthless enough, Lord Zheng understands the reasoning that the path to success is paved with fallen bones, but it’s not like he hasn’t prepared tens of thousands of wild people slaves to be consumed as cannon fodder for the sake of fewer deaths when his forces besiege the city.

But alas,

he had remained silent, yet Tian Wujing directly pulled a "something from nothing" on him.

The opportunity to achieve great merit, Tian Wujing directly gave it to him, this was care and support for him, a reasoning Lord Zheng understood.

But don’t mature children have a rebellious mentality towards their parents who act "for their own good," let alone a great general like Lord Zheng?

Just as Liang Cheng’s strategies differ from Tian Wujing’s,

everyone’s starting point is different, their needs are different, their directions, naturally, differ.

In war, deaths can occur, but will anyone be happy returning to Xuehaiguan with every home draped in mourning attire?

Although this battle concerns the future survival of Xuehaiguan, it is but one battle in this war; Li Fusheng can fight it, and so can the direct troops of the Jingnan Army under Prince Jingnan.

"Lord, yours is a benevolent heart." Gou Moli said.

This remark is not false.

To be fair, in Gou Moli’s view, this man in front of him could indeed be called ruthless, but when it comes to dealing with his own men, he is truly merciful.

"The military order is already issued, there’s no point in dwelling on it now, my discomfort is my own problem, calling you here, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Gou Moli smiled; perceptive as he was, how could he not see through Lord Zheng’s thoughts, and promptly said:

"Rest assured, my Lord, the wild people’s unit is willing to lead the charge."

"Heh." Lord Zheng chuckled, waiting for what followed.

"For this assault on Chongyang Mountain Village, the troops you lead must not be too large. Too many would be cumbersome to move, and if the dragon’s body is too bulky, rather than breaking the lock, it becomes the lock. It’s best to let it hang at that critical point.

Let the Chu people across believe they can swallow it, yet worry about chipping all their teeth, leaving them watching the Yan Army Prince Jingnan leads to trade-off, observing you, my Lord, make a move.

The optimal scenario would be to make the Chu people feel that the troops under your Lord’s command aren’t significantly more numerous than the garrison at Yangshan Village, giving the Chu people the confidence to hold their ground."

Gou Moli paused before continuing:

"Thus, my Lord, dispatching ten thousand troops is more than sufficient this time."

Lord Zheng squinted and continued to listen.

"As for your concerns about casualties, my Lord, rest assured, we the wild people’s unit will take on the burden of death ourselves.

Sang Hu has a thousand capable wild warriors under his command, all elite. Additionally, select two thousand from the wild people slaves, those whose entire households are also slaves, freeing any scruples you may have.

During the assault,

three thousand wild riders will charge at the front, paving the way with the resolve to die.

No matter how strong the Chu people’s fort or how intricate their formation, three thousand Death Riders could breach it, smashing through with both flesh and blood to open a gap.

At that moment, my Lord, leading the iron cavalry of your main forces through this gap, you would easily overtake the village."

"Three thousand Death Riders?"

Lord Zheng was moved.

Because Lord Zheng had been on many battlefields, he understood that any army, when suddenly subjected to severe trauma, finds it hard not to descend into chaos.

The elite status of a troop greatly depends on its capacity to endure casualty rates.

Three years ago, Qian State’s border army collapsed at the slightest touch;

Lord Zheng didn’t deem the Chu army, albeit somewhat prepared three years later, to be as vulnerable, yet they weren’t made of iron either.

If three thousand wild riders charged ahead, taking on everything to smash the fort, shattering the Chu army’s formation, the ensuing battle would undoubtedly be much easier.

"My Lord, rest assured. Though I lack other skills, bluffing wild people into sacrificing themselves is something I’ve unrivaled prowess in across this snow plain.

Additionally,

it’s not that I harbor ulterior motives, but truly, the time given to myself to offload constraints by my Lord is too short; otherwise, it’s not three thousand, but five thousand, six thousand, seven thousand, even eight thousand."