knife

Chapter 627 Holding Firm and Awaiting Change
Xiang Wu pushed open the study door with a heavy expression.

Xiang Ying sat at his desk, pen in hand, but he hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do.

Stepping inside, Xiang Wu gently closed the door and stood with his hands at his sides, looking at his father.

I rarely see my father with such an expression.

He is decisive and ruthless, and never hesitates to act.
But today, he saw traces of struggle on his father's face.

a long time,

But then I heard a sigh.

Xiang Ying put down his pen and turned to look at Xiang Wu: "Has some bad news come again?"

Xiang Wu whispered, "Father, scouts have discovered that Kang Zhen is leading nearly ten thousand elite troops and is already approaching Tongxian."

Kangcheng confronted Nawei on the northern front.

Na Wei is making good progress and has already advanced to the gates of Ruyin County. Under normal circumstances, Kang Zhen should be struggling in Ruyin County right now!

But he appeared in Tongan County!

This shows what?
This indicates that the battle at Ruyin has ended.

Or rather, it shouldn't be called the end, but rather that they completed a deal with Nawei.

Na Wei must be on his way back to Danyang by now.

"Father, you were right. Li Dachui and that vixen did indeed make this move. That wolf in sheep's clothing has ambitions; once he returns to the capital, he will surely wreak havoc on the court!" Xiang Wu said.

Xiang Ying took a deep breath.

Doesn't he understand?

Ever since the enemy navy landed at Anhe Bridge and thousands of elite troops cut off his retreat route, he had already understood the enemy's intentions.

In a short period of time, the enemy has brought several batches of reinforcements through the navy. Combined with the original garrison in Yong'an County, the enemy's military strength is now far superior to his. And now, Kang Zhen has arrived.

"Father, you must go back immediately!" Xiang Wu said urgently, looking at the silent Xiang Ying.

"What can I do if I go back?" Xiang Ying said. "If I can't bring the army back, what can't I do? On the contrary, it will make the people of Danyang hate me even more. Don't forget what kind of people make up this army! If I leave and leave them to Li Dachui and Jiang Qian, will our Xiang family still have a place in Da Chu?"

Xiang Wu lowered his head.

The army under Xiang Ying's command was indeed very strong, because they were the private armies of various powerful families in the Great Chu. This time, in order to overthrow Jiang Qian, they even dug up their old secrets.

Because everyone knows very well what awaits them if they fail.

Therefore, there is only one way out: to fight to the death.

Therefore, those who came were all his close associates and trusted confidants.

They are now surrounded. If Xiang Ying abandons them and returns to Danyang, his reputation will be ruined. "I've been thinking about this for the past few days!" Xiang Ying said. "As long as I don't leave, everyone's morale will remain, and we can still organize an effective resistance. Moreover, as long as I'm here, Danyang will not give up on this place. Xiong Yi will do everything he can to organize reinforcements to rescue me. Even if Na Wei returns to Danyang, he won't dare to abandon me."

At this point, Xiang Ying glanced at Xiang Wu and continued, "If I were to run back to Danyang alone at this time, in other people's eyes, I would be seen as someone who is fighting with Na Wei for power and profit. Neither of us are good people. Reputation is sometimes useless, but sometimes it is priceless!"

"But if you don't go back, I'm afraid the government will fall into Na Wei's hands!" Xiang Wu said in a low voice.

"There's nothing we can do about it!" Xiang Ying said. "Between two evils, choose the lesser. Even if Na Wei takes control of Danyang and the court, we'll still have a chance. Besides, I don't plan to return to Danyang. Xiong Yi will deal with Na Wei in Danyang, while I'll travel around making connections. At least we can keep up with him! If we're lucky, we can reach an agreement on major issues, and our strength won't decline again. Unifying the world through a northern expedition is out of the question, but at the very least, we can preserve our legacy!"

"But Father, Tong'an County is in great danger now!" Xiang Wu said, "I understand what you're saying, but what if the enemy launches a full-scale attack? Wei doesn't need to do much; he only needs to delay the arrival of reinforcements to put Tong'an to death!"

Xiang Ying laughed heartily: "Tong'an County still has tens of thousands of troops. If the entire county is mobilized, at least tens of thousands more can be mobilized. I haven't fought a war for many years, but I'm not someone that can be bullied by just anyone. Li Dachui has quite a reputation. This time, I want to see if his spear is sharper or my shield is thicker!"

"Father, according to intelligence reports, the enemy has at least four Innate Realm experts: Li Dachui, Jiang Qian, and Hong Zhan and Daoist Liaoran from the navy!"

"Are you afraid that all these innate masters will come out together to deal with me?" Xiang Ying asked.

Xiang Wu nodded, his worry evident in his expression.

"Don't worry, even if there's an opportunity, these people still have their pride!" Xiang Ying said.

"Understood. Then I will go and boost morale. We'll have a good fight with them right here in Tong'an County!"

“That’s exactly right!” Xiang Ying said.

"The biggest concern right now is the food supply!" Xiang Wu said. "Both water and land routes have been cut off, making it difficult for external support to get in. We can only rely on tapping into our internal resources! Although Chief Minister Xiong will definitely find a way to help us out, it's hard to estimate when that will take. Father, I'm afraid we should prepare for a long-term standoff."

"Go tell Yan Cheng that we should stand together through thick and thin at this time," Xiang Ying said. "All grain should be collected, managed, and distributed uniformly. As for those who are of no use in the battle, let them go! When the Great Chu was founded, it was once driven as far as Hangzhou by the Qin state, but so what? Our ancestors defended Hangzhou for five years. When they were finally rescued, there were less than a thousand people left in the city. It was because of this battle that the Qin state finally gave up its plans to continue south, and the Chu state was able to establish itself. This time, our internal and external conditions are much better than they were back then! If our ancestors could hold it, we can certainly hold it too."

When Xiang Wu recalled those past events, his face flushed. Those were the most glorious memories of the Xiang clan's ancestors, and the root of the Xiang clan's enduring strength in the State of Chu for hundreds of years.

Fight!

Those who are useful will stay and have food to eat.

Useless people should be kicked out and sent to fend for themselves.

Whether they survive or not depends on their own abilities.

Once this order is issued, Tong'an County will inevitably suffer greatly. All people and things unrelated to the war will be abandoned. You can imagine the miserable state of ordinary people.

But this was clearly not within Xiang Ying and Xiang Wu's considerations.

He wants results.

As for the process, what price ordinary people have to pay, what does it matter?

As long as we ultimately achieve victory, it will all be worthwhile.

(End of this chapter)