My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Lu Kai remained calm and unhurried as he explained:
"It is a fact that the defenses of Mingcheng are not as good as those of Nanlicheng, and I am naturally aware of this."

"But you gentlemen may not know that Mingcheng is located further south, and its climate is very different from that of Nanlicheng. It is much more humid there and is a land of miasma."

"The Han army are all soldiers from the north, accustomed to dry climates. Now they have been on a long march and are already exhausted. If they are to pursue them to Ming City, they will have to go deep into the jungle first. At that time, the heat and humidity will be intense and the miasma will be pervasive. They will definitely suffer from acclimatization problems and their fighting strength will be greatly reduced."

Lu Kai said with certainty:
"As long as our army holds Mingcheng for several months, the Han army will inevitably retreat without a fight because they cannot endure the heat and miasma and the spread of disease."

Upon hearing these words, the faces of the barbarian generals in the hall all showed a strange expression.

They were amazed that Lü Kai, a Han Chinese, had such a deep understanding of the climate and topography of Ming City, located in the heart of the southern barbarian lands.

This level of familiarity was something even those who had been stationed in the southern barbarians for many years were ashamed of, it was truly incredible.

Meng Quan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded:
"Yes, you're right. Mingcheng is indeed much hotter than Nanlicheng. The Han army has come from afar, and they must find it difficult to adapt."

Clearly, he was already inclined to retreat to Ming City.

Upon seeing this, the generals stepped forward one after another to speak, echoing Lü Kai's proposal.

The originally somber atmosphere inside the hall gradually became more lively.

Lu Kai added a few more words, patiently analyzing the dangers of holding Nanli City and the chances of survival by retreating to Ming City, which further strengthened Meng Quan's resolve.

Meng Quan remained silent for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh, leaped up from the throne, and shouted:
"Since you all agree, then I have made the decision. Immediately pack up the provisions and supplies, abandon Nanli City, and retreat the entire army to Ming City!"

This statement came out.

The generals in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, and hope finally appeared on their faces.

The oppression and fear of the past few days seemed to dissipate most of their energy with this order.

just.

Just then, a cold and stern voice suddenly came from outside the hall:
"Anyone who dares to leave Nanli City is a sinner against the Southern Barbarians!"

Everyone felt a chill and turned to look outside the hall.

A general clad in black armor, with a long sword at his waist, strode into the hall with a solemn expression.

The visitor was none other than Meng Quan's younger brother.

Meng Que!

As the second most important figure in the Meng clan, Meng Que held a highly respected position in the Southern Barbarians, second only to the emperor.

The moment he stepped into the hall, the relaxed atmosphere instantly froze, and all the generals rose and bowed, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Even Meng Quan composed himself, stood up to greet him, and put on a smile:

"Second brother, you're back?"

"I thought it would take you some time to recruit soldiers."

It turns out that Meng Quan had previously sent Meng Que to the various tribes of the Southern Barbarians to recruit soldiers in order to resist the Han army.

Unexpectedly, he rushed back to Nanli City at this crucial juncture.

"Brother Wang, we must not abandon Nanli City!"

"Nanli City is a sacred place of the Southern Barbarians, and the location of their royal city."

"If we abandon this city, the Southern Barbarian soldiers will suffer a devastating blow, and their morale will collapse!"

“Even the prestige of my brother will be severely damaged. When the people’s hearts are broken and the tribal leaders are disloyal, who will still be willing to die for my brother?”

"Even if we retreat to Mingcheng, the remaining troops will be demoralized and supplies will be hard to keep up. It's hard to say how many days we can hold out. Brother, do you really want to be the one who abandons the city?"

Meng Que spoke with a firm and righteous tone, questioning Meng Quan with his eyes fixed on him.

Meng felt a jolt, as if he had been doused with ice water, and suddenly became more awake.

He shivered, his eyes filled with hesitation again. "Brother Wang, Nanli City must not be abandoned. Abandoning Nanli City means certain death!"

Meng Que took half a step forward and urged him again in a stern voice.

His repeated questioning left Meng Quan speechless.

Meng Quan admitted that his brother's questions were all reasonable, but he had personally witnessed the power of the Han army's divine thunder cannons.

His gaze slowly turned to Lü Kai, who was standing to the side.

Noticing Meng Quan's gaze, Lü Kai coughed lightly and stepped forward, saying:
“I agree with General Meng’s concerns. Defending the royal city is a matter of tribal honor and the king’s prestige. However, does General Meng have a good plan to defend Nanli City?”

Meng was speechless.

"The Han army's divine thunder cannons are indestructible. If they bombard Nanli City, the city walls will be breached in an instant. How can General Meng withstand that?"

Lu Kai pressed on, saying:

"Moreover, Wei Yan's troops outnumber mine several times over. If he surrounds Nanli City, cuts off our supply lines, and blocks our retreat, how will Your Majesty and tens of thousands of soldiers break through?"

Lu Kai's question hit the nail on the head. Meng Que opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He was only focused on persuading people to abandon the city, his mind filled with the noble cause of defending it to the death, but he never seriously considered a good solution.

Now that he's been asked the right question, he's speechless for a moment.

"If we retreat now, we will at least have a complete force, and we will have time to retreat to Ming City to regroup and catch our breath, and think of a way to defeat the enemy."

“If we do not retreat now, the Han army will be at the city gates in just a few days. When the city falls, our brothers will either die or be captured, and the king’s tribal foundation will be destroyed.”

"Your Majesty and General Meng should carefully consider the pros and cons of this matter."

Meng Que blushed, his fists clenched, but he had no way to refute her.

After a long while, he sighed and slowly lowered his head.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Lu Kai's words completely overwhelmed Meng Que's insistence.

Seeing this, the hesitation in Meng Quan's eyes finally disappeared, replaced by determination.

He slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice:
"Order the entire army to abandon the city and retreat south to Mingcheng!"

With the decision made, everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

That afternoon.

Meng Quan personally oversaw the retreat from the city wall, directing the army to withdraw in an orderly manner. The barbarian soldiers dared not disobey the king's orders and had no choice but to hastily retreat along the small road south of the city.

Before departing, Meng Quan gazed at the royal city that had witnessed generations of glory for the Southern Barbarians, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, and commanded:

"Burn down all the palaces and ancestral temples, leaving nothing for the Han army!"

As soon as the order was given, raging fires quickly rose in the royal city, thick smoke billowing and obscuring half the sky.

Moreover, in retaliation for Wei Yan's pursuit, Meng Quan ordered the execution of nearly a thousand Han slaves within the city as a show of force against Wei Yan.

Having done all this, Meng Quan led tens of thousands of barbarians away, speeding towards Ming City…

Several days later, Meng Quan led his barbarian troops through the jungle and finally arrived at Mingcheng, the secondary capital of the Southern Barbarians.

Although this city was not as large as Nanli City, it was still exceptionally sturdy. However, the sudden influx of tens of thousands of soldiers made the streets and alleys extremely crowded, and food and lodging became problems.

Just as Meng Quan stepped into the city, before he could even catch his breath, a scout burst in, shouting an urgent report:

"Your Majesty, a large force has appeared at the south gate and is approaching Ming City!"

Meng Quan was shocked and jumped up from his seat, asking in surprise:
"What? I've only just entered the city, how come Han soldiers are chasing after me?" (End of Chapter)