webnovelvip Chapter 213 8 Wagang Army
Chapter 213 8 Wagang Army
Tell me in detail about the battle situation in the Jianghuai region.
Lu Xiao dismounted and gave instructions as he walked towards the Jiangdu Palace.
"yes!"
The garrison commander of Jiangdu quickly followed, and at the same time ordered someone to bring a thick stack of booklets.
These booklets contain detailed information about all the rebel forces in the Jianghuai region.
How many troops are there, and where are they stationed?
It is clearly written which generals he had, what each of them was good at, and even the relationships and conflicts between them.
Lu Xiao took the booklet, flipped through it casually, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
In terms of detail, these booklets are almost on par with the family genealogies collected by Yuwen Chenglong in his hand.
"It seems you do have some skills besides losing battles."
Lu Xiao closed the booklet and casually tossed it aside, his tone indifferent.
Upon hearing this, the garrison commander of Jiangdu turned pale and immediately knelt down:
"Your Highness, please calm your anger! It is our fault for failing in our duties, suffering repeated defeats, and betraying the court's trust!"
"Yes, Your Highness, it's not that we are incompetent, but that the rebels are far too cunning!"
The generals behind him also knelt down one after another, offering their own explanations.
"Besides Du Fuwei, there's also Li Zitong in the Jianghuai region! This bandit has a vast power base, with many soldiers and generals under his command!"
"Especially Li Zitong's son-in-law, named Wu Yunzhao, is a highly skilled and incredibly brave man! Even if all of us attacked together, we wouldn't be a match for him!"
"Yes, yes, yes! That Wu Yunzhao was the top martial arts champion of our dynasty!"
The generals took turns offering their opinions, completely shirking responsibility.
After listening, Lü Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Wu Yunzhao?"
He had just casually flipped through the booklet and hadn't really noticed the name.
That's not surprising.
Although Wu Yunzhao was not as powerful as General Yuwen Chengdu of the Tianbao era, his strength was undeniable.
He was a martial arts champion, possessed superb marksmanship, and was brave enough to defeat ten thousand men.
Even Luo Cheng, who was standing next to him, wouldn't dare say he could be certain of victory against him.
With such a figure on the rebel side, it's not too shameful that these Jiangdu generals can't defeat him.
"Get up, all of you." Lü Xiao waved his hand. "I'll go and meet him."
After he had annihilated the rebels in the Jianghuai region, he would still need these local generals to clean up the mess.
There's no need to be too critical now.
"With His Highness taking action, Wu Yunzhao is certainly no match!"
"That's right! With Your Highness here, the Jianghuai region will be at peace!"
"Your Highness is invincible in battle and unconquerable in attack; these mere rebels are nothing to be concerned with!"
The generals, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly stood up and began to flatter him.
That fawning face, that exaggerated tone, it was as if Yuwen Chenglong had possessed him.
Lu Xiao frowned as he listened.
These individuals may be incompetent in battle, but their talent for flattery is no less than that of Yuwen Chenglong.
"Stop spouting nonsense." Lü Xiao waved his hand impatiently. "Go and keep a close eye on the movements of those rebels. If there are any unusual occurrences, report to me immediately."
"Yes! Yes! Your humble servant obeys!"
The garrison commander of Jiangdu bowed repeatedly and withdrew with several generals.
Lü Xiao turned around and, led by his attendant, headed to the residence arranged by the Jiangdu garrison commander.
Even if he wasn't tired from the march, the Red Vanguard Army and the soldiers of the imperial court were exhausted.
For now, let these people rest for a few days, recuperate, and then go to war again.
Another point.
Cheng Yaojin hasn't arrived yet.
He must make good use of this spy among the rebels.
At this moment, Cheng Yaojin, whom Lü Xiao had been talking about, finally arrived in the Jianghuai region three days later.
The reason he arrived so slowly was because this guy followed behind Lü Xiao, picking up the leftovers along the way.
Just like when they plundered the Zheng family's property outside the Eastern Capital, this time, their eight hundred men were once again well-fed.
Lü Xiao ate the meat, while they drank the soup.
Lu Xiao robbed the big clients, while they picked up the small ones.
Along the way, all eight hundred people had bulging pockets and glowing faces.
"Old Cheng, following Lü Xiao is great! We're going to make a fortune!"
Yu Junda, riding on his horse, patted the bulging money pouch at his waist and grinned from ear to ear.
"That's right, I, Lao Cheng, have a very good eye for people."
From the moment Cheng Yaojin entered Wagang, he could tell that Lü Xiao was no ordinary person.
As a result, those who offended Lü Xiao either died or fled.
Cheng Yaojin, on the other hand, is alive and well, and doing quite well.
At this moment, Du Fuwei was in his tent discussing with the local rebel leaders how to deal with Lü Xiao's army.
The news that Lü Xiao had led 30,000 elite troops to Jiangdu had spread throughout the Jianghuai region.
Among the rebel leaders, some advocated fighting head-on, some advocated retreating, and some advocated uniting.
They argued and made a fuss, but nothing came of it.
Just then, the messenger lifted the tent flap and strode in.
"General! Cheng Yaojin, the devilish king of Wagang Village, has arrived with his army!"
"A troublemaker?"
Du Fuwei put down the map in his hand, muttered those four words, and his lips twitched slightly.
How dare people from a small, dilapidated village call themselves king?
Even after Du Fuwei raised an army for so long, he never dared to use such a title.
However, he had heard of Wagangzhai before.
When Qin Qiong and others rebelled against Shandong, it caused a great uproar and was known throughout the land.
When it comes to uprisings, Wagangzhai was indeed ahead of them.
"How many men did this troublemaker bring?"
Another rebel leader asked impatiently.
The messenger swallowed hard and answered loudly, "It's said to be... 180,000 troops!"
"180,000?"
"180,000!"
Everyone present immediately perked up, their eyes lighting up.
These people commanded a considerable number of men, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands.
But the number 180,000 still shocked them.
What does an army of 180,000 men even mean?
That's a force capable of sweeping across the Jianghuai region!
"Quick! Come with me to meet this tyrant!"
Du Fuwei jumped to his feet, his face beaming with excitement.
He had been leading an uprising in the Jianghuai region for a long time, recruiting soldiers every day, but so far he only had 50,000 to 60,000 men, less than half of Cheng Yaojin's.
With these 180,000 troops to help us today, why worry about not being able to take Jiangdu?
Why worry about not being able to deal with Lü Xiao?
The rebel leaders all stood up and followed Du Fuwei outside, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.
Outside the camp, Cheng Yaojin was riding his horse, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his companion.
"Old Cheng, how come we have another 100,000 men?"
You Junda moved closer to him, lowered his voice, and unconsciously wiped away a cold sweat.
Eight hundred men left Wagang, but the official count was eighty thousand; now it's eighteen thousand.
That's an incredibly exaggerated claim!
"If Du Fuwei knew the truth, wouldn't he kick us out on the spot?"
"Don't panic, I'm here for you."
Cheng Yaojin, looking completely confident, squinted and stroked his beard.
His goal was simple: eat Du Fuwei's food, drink Du Fuwei's drinks, play with Du Fuwei's toys, and then find an opportunity to tip off Lü Xiao.
Whether the 180,000 troops are real or not is irrelevant.
The important thing is that Duvovich believed it.