knife

Chapter 601 Is this impossible?
"Brother Li, was the medicine too strong this time?" Han Zheng looked at Li Dachui, his face pale.

Ruyin County became the focus of the attack this time.

He Zudao led an army of 20,000 from Huai'an to attack, while Na Wei led 30,000 Southwest Wolf Soldiers and 20,000 Chu Army soldiers from Lujiang County to attack.

An army of 70,000 men attacked from two directions.

Ruyin Commandery itself only had more than 10,000 troops, and of those, no more than half could be considered elite and capable of directly confronting the enemy's manpower.

Elite troops need to be supported with money.

Whether it's regular training or supplies and pay, the elite troops receive significantly more than the ordinary troops.

Combat effectiveness is often built up with money.

After confirming the Chu army's attack focus, Kang Zhen led 15,000 elite Tiger Warriors to Ruyin. Then, Ke Wuji and He Yiming also led 10,000 main force troops into Ruyin County.

In terms of military strength, they are down to half the size of the enemy.

However, since it is a war on home soil, it can rely on the city and defend its strategic location.

Before Li Dachui could answer, Han Tan, looking at him with a disappointed expression, angrily said, "Severe illnesses require strong medicine. Can't you see the key to this? What kind of nonsense are you thinking about all the time? If you put more effort into serious matters, you wouldn't ask such a stupid question."

Han Zheng looked up at his father with a wronged expression. Ever since Li Dachui and Jiang Qian arrived here, his father had been disciplining him more and more often.

It's mainly because comparing yourself to others is just asking for trouble.

They were about the same age, but their abilities and achievements were worlds apart.

Actually, compared to the average person, I'm quite good.

Li Dachui showed unparalleled patience towards his little fanboy, explaining, "Jiang Jiang has lost control of Chu. Leaving Danyang means leaving the power center of Chu. The longer this goes on, the more stable Xiang Ying's rule will become, and the stronger they will grow. Only by taking such drastic measures can we force them to prioritize defeating us, because they are now the prime suspects in the young emperor's death. If word gets out, it will be extremely detrimental to them. We certainly won't let such an opportunity to stir up trouble pass us by, will we? Jiang Jiang still has considerable influence within Chu."

"Now that the enemy is launching a full-scale attack, can we hold them off?" Han Zheng was somewhat unsure of himself.

"It's even easier for us now!" Han Tan said. "The enemy has been enraged and has launched a long-distance attack, while we have just captured Xiangfan, our morale is high, and the Empress Dowager's prestige remains. This prestige is not only here, but also in the enemy's army."

“Except for those southwestern wolf soldiers!” Li Dachui laughed. “So starting a war now is actually in our best interest. If we can’t win now, we’ll be even less likely to win in the long run.”

"With Protector Li's help, what's there to fear about not being able to win?"

"I'm powerless to help!" Li Dachui shrugged. "Beiting does have a strong army, but isn't it separated by thousands of miles and the formidable opponent Linghu Ye? Even in Shu Commandery, the only forces that can support Yong'an and Ruyin are the navy and a small number of land forces. We've already been under increasing pressure in Hanzhong lately, and Linghu Ye's sudden increase in pressure on Hanzhong is aimed at containing us and preventing us from making a full-scale eastward advance."

"That bastard has also colluded with that old scoundrel Xiang."

"They didn't collude; it's just their own interests at stake!" Li Dachui laughed. "Li Guohua will definitely advance into Nanyang next! They're doing this simply because it's an easy opportunity to get what they want right now!"

"Brother Li, can we win this battle?" Han Zheng asked anxiously.

"Winning this battle won't be easy for us, but it will also be very difficult for the enemy to defeat us!" Li Dachui explained, "Actually, the real key this time is neither in Ruyin nor in Yong'an, but on the water. Whoever wins this water battle will win the entire campaign."

Han Zheng suddenly realized, "No wonder the Empress Dowager went to the navy!"

Han Tan walked over to Li Dachui and whispered, "Speaking of this, I'm still a little worried. I suspect Jiang Chong might be in Chen Yan's naval fleet. And what about the Empress Dowager's current situation?"

"It's alright!" Li Dachui said, "Even a dead tiger doesn't lose its prestige. As long as Jiang Jiang doesn't make a move, no one will know her current situation. Moreover, she has gathered many ninth-rank experts from the Divine Sect around her. Furthermore, this battle is of such great importance, how could I be careless? So I still asked someone to go to her side just in case."

"Who?" "Hong Zhan!" Li Dachui said, "Also, Liao Ran returned to Qingcheng Mountain some time ago. This time, he came with Wu De and Fang Xiaomao, but he hasn't shown his face yet."

Han Tan couldn't help but chuckle: "So, Protector Li is fishing again?"

"The hooks and bait are ready, but whether the fish will bite is another story!" Li Dachui said.

"Xiang Ying probably won't catch anything, but Jiang Chong is a different story!"

Li Dachui walked to the sand table in the middle of the house, looked at the mountains and rivers on the sand table, and laughed: "The big show has begun. This battle will be another major battle concerning the fate of the Chu Kingdom after Xiangcheng. However, this time, they will not have Jiang Qian."

"But we now have Li Dachui on our side!" Han Tan continued, "With this shift in power, the future of the world will become clear after this battle."

The river surged on, and countless white sails almost completely obscured its surface.

Accompanied by the sounds of horns and drums and the changing of banners, fleets of boats began to break away from the main force and sail down the river.

This is the entire main force of Jiang Qian's navy.

After assembling the Shu Commandery's navy, their main warships numbered over one hundred, plus two hundred other warships of various sizes. Among them, the newest warships from Shu Commandery, the kind that Chen Yan had been coveting, accounted for a full half.

It was the addition of this new type of warship that greatly boosted the confidence of Wang Dao, the naval commander.

He was initially uneasy, but now he is full of confidence.

Even if his opponent was Chen Yan, a famous naval commander of the Chu Kingdom who was as famous as his father, he was confident that he could compete with him.

The older generation has always been the stepping stone for the younger generation to grow.

Of course, the full cooperation of Yao Dali, the naval commander of Shu Commandery, also reassured Wang Dao. At first, Wang Dao was worried that Yao Dali would develop some resentment towards him because he had become the naval commander, but now it seemed that he had been petty.

The warships sailed eastward in a grand procession.

Jiang Qian was stationed atop Director Wang's flagship.

Moreover, there are two special individuals on this warship. Apart from Jiang Qian, who knows who they are, the rest of the people have no idea who this Taoist priest is.

"Is the unity of heaven and earth really that wondrous?" Hong Zhan was still in shock.

When he and Liaoran met Li Dachui and Jiang Qian, they immediately noticed the difference between the two.

Hong Zhan couldn't resist teaming up with Li Dachui. The last time the two fought, they were evenly matched, but this time, Hong Zhan was completely outmatched.

Li Dachui didn't hide anything from them and explained his current situation with Jiang Qian clearly, which was also why he had called them for help.

Liao Ran shook his head and said, "The conditions of both Empress Dowager Jiang and Protector Li are extremely mysterious. I have taken her pulse for three consecutive days, and the increase in her cultivation level is truly perplexing! Protector Li said that she can fully recover her cultivation in a year at most, and within two to three years, she can try to cross the threshold of the Divine Travel Realm. As for Protector Li himself, he is probably already standing at the threshold now, isn't he?"

"Who would have thought that the universe, the phoenix, the moon and the weak water would have such a relationship! They are truly a match made in heaven!" Hong Zhan shook his head and said, "Our Protector Li is really remarkable. No matter where he is, he can always get the help of the most extraordinary women in the world. First it was General Xiao, and then it was Empress Dowager Jiang."

Liao Ran blinked and lowered his voice, saying, "Speaking of which, I'm still a little confused. Isn't Empress Dowager Jiang the Empress Dowager? Why did I find that she was still a virgin when I took her pulse?"

"That can't be!" Hong Zhan exclaimed, his eyes wide.

(End of this chapter)