Chapter 727
The Liao army is making a comeback; who knows what methods they will use this time!
Gongsun Yuan frowned slightly, his face full of doubt, and looked at Xu Kuan, asking:
"And then what? Am I supposed to go with you to the walls of Huyang City?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his five fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, clearly feeling uneasy about the plan that Xu Kuan had not fully explained.
Xu Kuan stood in the tent, his tone resolute, and slowly said:
"No need. Before dawn tomorrow, I will prepare an ordinary carriage with medicine and clothing inside to avoid arousing suspicion."
After a brief pause, his gaze fell on Gongsun Yuan, and he continued:
"Your Highness, you only need to wait in a secluded spot on the outskirts of the camp. There is no need to approach the battlefield. Just wait quietly for my return."
"As for the 'wounds' on the prince's body, I have already made arrangements. They are all superficial wounds and will not endanger the prince's life."
At this point, Xu Kuan softened his tone and outlined the follow-up matters:
"But the act must be convincing. The prince must stay at home for at least a few months to recover from his injuries, and only say to the outside world that his injuries are serious and he needs to rest and recuperate, so that everyone can believe it."
Xu Kuan spoke methodically about the entire plan, without the slightest sign of panic, and every word he uttered was carefully considered.
Gongsun Yuan listened quietly, and after hearing Xu Kuan's plan, a thin layer of sweat instantly broke out on his back, and a wave of fear swept over his entire body.
He never imagined that Xu Kuan would gamble with a "fake injury" scheme.
His lips moved, but he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Xu Kuan took in his panic and worry, and softened his tone, saying:
"Your Highness need not worry too much. Although this plan is risky, it will further enhance your prestige and allow you to gain a firm foothold in the army and in Xiangping in the future."
Why?
Gongsun Yuan looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with confusion. The lingering fear from earlier had been replaced by a new layer of doubt.
He simply couldn't understand how a "fake injury" could enhance his prestige.
Xu Kuan's expression grew more serious as he slowly revealed the core of the plan.
"After our army launches a fierce attack on Huyang tomorrow, we will pretend that the siege has failed and deliberately create the illusion of being attacked when we withdraw."
"At that time, it will be announced that General Xun and the Crown Prince have disappeared in the chaos, which will shock the court and the people in the army."
He paused, then continued:
"A few days later, General Xun returned with the seriously injured and unconscious prince. At that time, General Xun said in person that when they were attacked, the prince bravely shielded him from a fatal blow to protect him. The two of them went through many dangers and were able to escape by chance."
Xu Kuan explained the key points of the entire plan clearly and concisely, without concealing anything.
After speaking, he looked at Gongsun Yuan, a smile playing on his lips:
"Your Highness, do you understand?"
Gongsun Yuan pondered for a moment, the doubt in his eyes gradually fading, and nodded emphatically:
"In that case, we will do as the general says."
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Xu Kuan again:
"General Xu, we are not related, why are you going to such lengths to help me?"
The smile on Xu Kuan's face gradually faded, his expression returned to calm, and he spoke his true thoughts:
"This humble general has no other requests, only hoping that after our army returns from this defeat, the Crown Prince will remember our past kindness and fight for our survival, so that we may be spared punishment from the court."
Seeing the helplessness in Xu Kuan's eyes, Gongsun Yuan felt a jolt of sadness and desolation.
As the heir apparent, he had to rely on the full assistance of a general to secure a sliver of hope and enhance his prestige. He felt both guilty and resentful.
After a long period of silent contemplation, he slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Kuan.
Seeing this, Xu Kuan quickly reached out to stop him:
"What are you doing, Your Highness? You're making me too ashamed!"
Gongsun Yuan bowed slightly, his gaze firm:
"General Xu is loyal and devoted, helping me with all his might and risking his own safety to plan for me. He deserves this respect."
These few words warmed Xu Kuan's heart.
Xu Kuan nodded slightly, his tone solemn as he gave the instructions:
"Your Highness, please rest well tonight and recharge your energy. In the coming months, you will need to patiently recuperate in seclusion. The days ahead may not be easy. I hope Your Highness will keep this in mind."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the tent.
Watching Xu Kuan's departing figure, Gongsun Yuan was filled with mixed emotions. He turned around, walked to the table, picked up the wine jar on the table, and began to drink wildly.
At this moment, he felt so lonely that he could only drown his sorrows in alcohol.
On the other side, Xu Kuan returned to his tent. The soldiers in the camp cheered when they saw him return, and the previous gloom was swept away.
The crowd raised their glasses in celebration once more, their singing, laughter, and the sound of drinking echoing throughout the camp.
The pent-up frustration from the repeated failures in the siege seemed to dissipate completely in this night of revelry.
The revelry continued until late at night, the lights in the camp gradually thinned out, and the soldiers gradually became drunk.
Xu Kuan slowly stood up and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet:
"Brothers, that's enough for tonight."
"It's getting late. There's another tough battle to fight tomorrow. Success or failure will depend on tomorrow's battle."
Having said that, he picked up a bowl of wine from the table and his gaze swept over every soldier present:
"Once we take Huyang, quell the chaos, and return to Xiangping, we'll drink to our hearts' content with our brothers, and we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"
After saying this, Xu Kuan tilted his head back and drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp. Then he smashed the bowl on the ground with a loud crash, and the pieces shattered and splashed everywhere.
Seeing this, the soldiers outside the tent followed suit, picking up their wine bowls and drinking them down in one gulp before smashing them.
The shouts were deafening, and morale was high.
As the revelry came to an end, the soldiers returned to their camps to rest, and the camp gradually returned to silence.
...
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the rallying call rang out in the camp.
Xu Kuan, dressed in armor, stood in the training ground with a solemn expression.
Before long, the soldiers were fully armed and assembled, each with a determined look in their eyes and high morale.
Xu Kuan raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, and then spoke, his voice echoing throughout the entire training ground:
"Brothers, today we will launch a fierce attack on Huyang, burn our bridges, and fight a desperate battle!"
"If we win, we can return to Xiangping in glory, reward our merits, and make our efforts worthwhile."
"If we lose..."
At this point, Xu Kuan suddenly paused, the firmness in his tone gradually fading, and his expression became more serious. He did not continue speaking.
Upon hearing this, the Liao soldiers on the training ground were immediately agitated, with murmurs rising and falling, and their resolute expressions turning into a hint of panic.
If they are defeated, they will likely face certain death.
Just then, Xun Shi stepped forward and shouted sternly:
"Quiet down, all of you! Let General Xu continue!"
Xu Kuan's gaze swept over the soldiers on the training ground, and his tone suddenly turned serious:
"The Han army is known for its ferocity and brutality, and it does not care about the consequences. If we retreat even half a step today and allow the Han army to break through the defense line and penetrate deep into Liao territory, then your families left behind, the elderly, women and children, will all be brutally murdered without exception!"
He paused, his aura surged, and his last words resonated throughout the surrounding area:
"Can we let them succeed?" "No! No! No!"
Upon hearing this, the Liao soldiers' eyes turned bloodshot, their anger ignited, and they shouted in unison, unleashing an unprecedented surge of morale.
Xu Kuan raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, his tone impassioned and passionate:
"Therefore, in this battle, we have no way out; we must go all out and fight to the death!"
"We fight this bloody battle today not only so that we can return to Xiangping alive, but also to protect our families and our homes, and to prevent them from being slaughtered by the Han army!"
His gaze was firm as he swept over each soldier:
"This time, it's either victory or death. We will fight to the last man and never back down!"
"War! War! War!"
The morale of the entire army was completely mobilized to its peak, with shouts rising and falling, echoing throughout the entire camp.
The Liao soldiers all wore resolute expressions, gripping their weapons tightly, ready for a desperate battle.
Xu Kuan's expression hardened, and he gave a stern order:
"Now begin preparations for war. Everyone, perform your duties, make thorough preparations, and defeat the Han army!"
"Here!"
Gongsun Yuan watched all this quietly, his heart filled with mixed feelings. His gaze toward Xu Kuan held a mixture of admiration and self-reproach.
Only now did he clearly realize that his abilities were far from sufficient. He could not ignite the morale of the entire army with just a few words like Xu Kuan, nor did he have the ability to coordinate the overall situation.
He recalled the Liao army's failed siege yesterday, suffering heavy losses and morale plummeting to rock bottom. The soldiers all looked dejected, and their spirits were broken.
Now, encouraged by Xu Kuan, the Liao soldiers regained their fighting spirit and morale soared. They were all eager to fight and had lost the dejection of yesterday.
"If I had General Xu's ability before the battle yesterday, and had been able to boost the morale of my soldiers, perhaps the situation would have been different, and we wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses and defeat..."
Gongsun Yuan thought to himself, recalling his incompetence and recklessness yesterday, and his heart was filled with regret.
But looking at the Liao army before him, their morale high and their troops fully prepared, Gongsun Yuan felt a sliver of hope for victory.
If he could capture Huyang City in one fell swoop today and defeat the Han army, then he would no longer need to carry out the plan of feigning injury that Xu Kuan had discussed with him last night, and he would no longer need to stay at home to recuperate for several months.
He could return to Xiangping in triumph, secure his position as heir apparent, and earn the respect of the court and the people.
Thinking of this, Gongsun Yuan looked up in the direction of Huyang City and silently prayed that a miracle would happen today, that the Liao army could win a decisive victory and break the current predicament.
However, the scene inside Huyang City was quite different.
Inside the main tent, the lights were on full display.
The generals sat around the table, their eyes all focused on Grand Marshal Xiao He, their expressions solemn.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Liao broke the silence first, leaning forward slightly:
"Grand Marshal, the Liao army will surely attack again today. How should we deploy our forces? Please advise us!"
Upon hearing Zhang Liao speak, everyone in the tent turned their gazes to him, their eyes all understanding.
Yesterday, the Liao army failed to capture the city and Zhang Liao failed to achieve any military merit. He was already restless and eager to make a name for himself today. He couldn't wait to put on his armor and go into battle against the Liao army.
Xiao He took in everyone's expressions and gave instructions:
"No need for excessive deployment. If the Liao army dares to fight, we will use yesterday's tactics, rely on the city walls, and launch a fierce counterattack. We must not hold back and must crush their morale!"
"Here!"
Zhang Liao was overjoyed and immediately got up to accept the order, eager to organize his troops and prepare for battle.
At Xiao He's command, all the generals in the tent immediately stood up, each took their orders, and returned to their own camps to arrange and deploy for the battle.
The tent quickly returned to silence, leaving only Xiao He inside.
A moment later, Ma Su hurriedly entered the main tent, holding a message brought by a scout:
"Grand Marshal, a scout has rushed here to report that the Liao army is fully prepared and is expected to attack the city at 1:00 PM sharp. Please make your decision, Grand Marshal."
Xiao He remained expressionless and gave the order:
"Pass on my order to inform all soldiers in Huyang City that the Liao army will attack the city at 11 PM. Be prepared for battle immediately and do not be negligent in the slightest!"
"Here!"
...
"Hahaha, this is exactly what I wanted! Now I finally have a chance to have a good fight!"
Zhang Liao couldn't help but burst into laughter, his tone filled with excitement, unable to contain his fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Guan Xing poured cold water on Zhang Liao's enthusiasm:
"Yesterday, the Liao army suffered a heavy loss in their strong attack. They may not play by the rules today. What if they don't follow the agreed-upon battle and instead launch a surprise attack on the city? Wouldn't that cause us to mess things up?"
Zhang Liao's smile froze slightly, then he waved his hand and said firmly:
"Impossible! Yesterday they launched a fierce attack on the city walls, suffering heavy losses and enduring immense hardship. I believe they will confront us head-on today and avenge their defeat!"
As he spoke, he turned and walked out of the tent, muttering to himself:
"I need to sharpen my longsword and warm up properly. When we engage in battle, I must kill the Liao general and make the greatest contribution!"
"It seems Brother Wenyuan is so resentful that he wants to vent all his frustration from yesterday's lack of success on the Liao army..."
Deng Ai looked at Zhang Liao's retreating figure and couldn't help but sigh with a smile.
Seeing this, Fei Yi coughed lightly:
"Alright, the battle is of utmost importance. You should all go to your respective assigned city defenses and make sure you are well prepared for battle. Do not be careless in the slightest."
"Here!"
Everyone responded in unison, immediately composed themselves.
Before they knew it, it was noon, and the time for the Liao army to attack the city was fast approaching.
Xiao He got up and, accompanied by Ma Su and Wei Yan, personally went to various parts of the city to inspect the soldiers' preparations for battle.
Throughout the city, the soldiers were all in high spirits.
Some soldiers carefully inspected the swords, bows, and arrows in their hands to ensure that every piece of weaponry was in good working order.
Some soldiers surrounded the catapult, continuously preparing stone projectiles for it, and neatly stacking the heavy stone projectiles.
Other soldiers worked together to carry powerful crossbow bolts up the city wall.
As Xiao He inspected the area, he nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes.
The soldiers' readiness for battle gave him more confidence.
After inspecting all the preparation areas within the city, Xiao He, along with Ma Su and Wei Yan, arrived at the city gate, stood there, and looked towards the Liao army camp outside the city.
The sun is gradually moving forward, and it will soon be 11 PM.
Outside the city, all was still silent, without the slightest movement.
Xiao He, Ma Su, and Wei Yan stood side by side, their expressions calm, but each harbored a suspicion in their hearts.
After yesterday's defeat, the Liao army's renewed attack today must be well-prepared.
What siege tactics will the Liao army employ this time...? (End of Chapter)