World's First Traitor System (436)

Chapter 436 - Chu Songs on Three Sides

The Garrison Army invaded Great Ci. The smoothness of their advance exceeded Fan Li's expectations. Aside from capturing a few scattered scouts, they encountered virtually no resistance along the way. The two hundred thousand soldiers of the Garrison Army and fifty thousand from the Dragon Scale Army marched directly to the outskirts of the imperial city, Chao Ge.

"...Third Brother, what kind of tactic is Great Ci employing?"

Fan Li finally couldn't help asking, once the two hundred and fifty thousand troops had completely surrounded Chao Ge.

Fan Chun gazed towards the Great Ci female soldiers clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons atop the city walls, his expression equally complex. "Brother, I don't understand either. But didn't you once say we should scorn the enemy strategically but respect them tactically? Perhaps... this is a ploy by the enemy commander?"

After saying this, Fan Chun's own face showed disbelief. What kind of ploy? The thirty-sixth stratagem, catching a turtle in a jar? The question was, who was trapped inside the city, and who was the turtle?

"Your Majesty," Hu Zongxian approached Fan Li and reminded him softly, "Have you forgotten? The one currently commanding the Great Ci army is that prospective Sage Ruler, Bai Rong. According to intelligence from the Censorate, she has never immersed herself in military strategy or tactics over the years. It's likely she's just commanding blindly."

Upon hearing this, Fan Li and his brother were first astonished, then suddenly understood.

Damn!

So they had been too cautious? The enemy commander opposite them, Bai Rong, was quite possibly an incompetent fool?

…

"...Send one hundred thousand to the East Gate!"

"Send one hundred thousand to the West Gate!"

"Send one hundred thousand to the South Gate!"

"Send one hundred thousand to the North Gate!"

"The four gates must be defended well! Whichever gate is breached, I will personally behead that gate's defending general!"

Inside the Golden Luan Palace of Chao Ge's imperial palace, Bai Rong was issuing orders. It was her previous command that had caused the entire Great Ci army to withdraw back into the city. Her tactic relied on Chao Ge's high, thick walls and abundant supplies, intending to hold the capital firmly until Empress Yao Guang returned.

"As long as Elder Sister returns victorious, no matter how many troops Fan Li brings outside the city, they will all die without a burial place!"

Bai Rong's face beamed with complacency. "My strategy is called 'Solid Walls, Cleared Fields,' do you understand?"

Hearing this, several Great Ci female generals in pink helmets and red armor looked at each other in dismay. Seeing this, Bai Rong asked unhappily, "What? Is there a problem?"

"Err..." The female generals exchanged glances, until finally, the one with the highest rank stepped forward to report. "Sage Ruler Bai, the troops you just assigned to defend the four gates require a total of four hundred thousand soldiers."

"Yes! Is there a problem with that?" Bai Rong raised a delicate eyebrow, her face full of impatience.

Seeing that Bai Rong still hadn't understood even with such a clear hint, the female generals looked even more awkward. "Sage Ruler Bai, our total troop strength is only three hundred thousand..."

As the words fell, Bai Rong's face instantly flushed red! She glared resentfully at the female general and scolded angrily, "Then why didn't you say so earlier?!"

The female general could only helplessly accept the blame. Bai Rong, feeling guilty, didn't want to dwell on the topic. "Anyway, just divide the forces evenly among the four imperial city gates and defend one each!"

She assumed that having said this, the generals would accept the order and execute it. Unexpectedly, the female generals exchanged glances again and remained standing, unwilling to leave.

"What?"

"Are you perhaps afraid to fight before the battle?"

"The state has its laws, the army has its regulations! Be careful, or this Sage Ruler will take your heads!"

Bai Rong's cultivation far surpassed these generals, so she spoke with considerable confidence.

However, upon hearing her words, the generals knelt down in unison. "Sage Ruler Bai, regarding the troop deployment, this subordinate has some thoughts. Please consider them, Sage Ruler Bai."

No matter how arrogant Bai Rong was, she understood now. The generals disagreed with her tactical arrangements and refused to carry them out? Of course, she knew she was an amateur when it came to warfare. But being exposed so directly by her subordinates still made Bai Rong's cheeks flush with anger.

She forced a cold laugh. "Fine! Speak! If what you say is wrong, this Sage Ruler will first charge you with disrupting military morale and will definitely have you beheaded as a sacrifice to the flag!"

Merely offering an opinion carried the risk of execution? Hearing this, the female generals felt utterly disheartened. They came from Great Chu, Great Ming, Wei, Han, Wu, and other states, all daughters of renowned military families. No nation's military law allowed for such arbitrary humiliation and execution of high-ranking generals.

"Speak! Why aren't you talking now?" Seeing the silence, Bai Rong assumed her authority had intimidated the generals and felt a measure of pride.

It was still the highest-ranking female general who braced herself and said, "Sage Ruler Bai, this subordinate believes the army should be divided into five divisions. Four divisions would guard the four gates, while the remaining division would act as a mobile reserve, ready to reinforce whichever gate is in danger."

This idea wasn't particularly brilliant; it was basic military common sense. After the female general finished speaking, the other generals showed expressions of support and admiration – support for her troop division strategy, and admiration for her courage to speak truthfully despite the risk.

Bai Rong didn't understand military affairs, but such a clear troop deployment plan made her immediately realize it was indeed much better than her own. "This... you... you think I didn't know?" she stammered. "This Sage Ruler just misspoke earlier, that's all. Relay this Sage Ruler's military order: Divide the army into five divisions! Four to guard the gates, one as a mobile reserve!"

Seeing Bai Rong's shamelessness, the female generals dared not expose her further and could only sullenly accept the order and withdraw.

"Hmph!" Bai Rong watched the generals depart, murder gleaming in her eyes. "Wait until Elder Sister returns; none of you will live!"

…

Outside Chao Ge city.

Hu Zongxian completed a circuit around the city walls and returned to Fan Li's side. "Your Majesty, this minister believes the enemy has exhausted their strategies. Besides stubbornly defending the city, Great Ci has no other options," Hu Zongxian reported.

Fan Chun also added, "Second Brother, we can attack the city now. Even if the Great Ci army fights to the death, with Lord Hu and I joining forces, we can definitely breach the city within three days."

Three days? There were three hundred thousand soldiers within the city walls. Yet Fan Li believed his younger brother was not boasting. However, forcibly storming the city was the option Fan Li least wanted to accept.

"Third Brother."

"Hm?"

"Tell me, if we breach the city in three days, how many of the Great Ci female soldiers will survive?"

Fan Chun was taken aback. "Probably... not even one in ten?" After saying this, Fan Chun understood. Fan Li had three objectives in this battle. First, retrieve Xiang Ning. Second, annihilate Great Ci. Third, persuade the female soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender, allowing them to return to their respective countries.

"Brother, I've fought wars my whole life. How can there be war without death?" Fan Chun said with a wry smile.

Hearing this, Fan Li reached out and lightly slapped the back of his head. "How old are you, daring to say 'your whole life'?"

Although Hu Zongxian remained silent, the hesitation in his eyes clearly showed he shared Fan Chun's sentiment. How could people not die in war?

"Let's surround the city first. We'll wait a bit longer," Fan Li said, looking up. In the Sky Phase Mirror, the distant image from the island showed the two emperors successively transforming into Pangu Giants. The decisive battle had reached its climax!

Wait. Fan Li had a gut feeling, an intuition that the outcome of the duel between the two emperors would align with his predictions.

Indeed! He didn't wait long. On the screen in the sky, a deer's head was cleanly severed and fell heavily onto the island's sandy beach.

"Ah!!!!!!!!!!!"

Panic-stricken screams erupted from within Chao Ge's imperial city. The cries rose and fell, one after another. Clearly, the death of their guardian beast, coupled with the consecutive failures of Empress Yao Guang's schemes, had deeply shaken the morale of the Great Ci army!

"It's time," Fan Li said gravely. He did not order the army to attack the city. Instead, he summoned Fan Chun's three wives: Su Qingfang, Chen Shishi, and Qin Hongyu.

"Sisters-in-law, do you know how to sing the folk songs of Chu?"

Su Qingfang, Chen Shishi, and Qin Hongyu looked at each other, then all nodded. "Yes, we do."

Fan Li nodded. He pointed towards the East Gate of Chao Ge before them and said, "Excluding this gate, please have each of you choose one of the other three gates. Sing the songs of Chu from afar, ensuring that all the Chu women inside the city can hear."

"Second Brother, what do you mean by this?" Fan Chun asked, puzzled.

Fan Li smiled, his expression nostalgic. "Just an overt scheme. With Great Ci in desperate straits, hearing the songs of Chu from three sides... I hope they will cherish their lives."