To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 866: Chapter 368: Besieged on All Sides by the Song of Chu_2

The Siege of Changsha has been lifted, and Huang Xuan has gone on to attack the capital of Yuzhang, Nanchang, to cut off Shen Qiu’s land-based retreat.

In two days, Sun Siwen will also lead his troops northward, completing the encirclement from the south.

In the city of Jiangxia to the west, only Lu Yuan himself is in charge.

Only the northern water escape route through Luo Kou Du is heavily garrisoned without an Inborn Grandmaster in command.

Therefore, at this time, it’s essential to fill this gap and transfer an Inborn Grandmaster from elsewhere to seal off the north.

Looking around, the closest Inborn Grandmaster who could be mobilized just so happens to be Han Hua from the battlefields north of the River.

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After all, on the battlefields north of the River, the main strength of the Ning Army is down to about thirty thousand, with the addition of seventy thousand naval forces.

With these one hundred thousand men, the Ning naval forces dominate the Yangtze River, moving at will, and it’s difficult for the Chu naval forces to do anything about them until they can outnumber the Ning forces.

And those thirty thousand regular troops, with the Ning naval forces present, can retreat quite easily and cannot be intercepted either.

Similarly, it would be hard for Yang Jing, with his thirty thousand regular troops, to defeat Zhou Qing’s eighty thousand Forbidden Army, so other than holding out in the solitary northern cities, there’s little they can do.

Given this situation, it is better to simply give up the battlefields north of the River and gather more resources and manpower here in Jiangxia, making every effort to defeat Shen Qiu’s main Ning Army forces.

Once the Ning Army’s main forces here are destroyed, with the loss of external support and cut off from internal contact, leaving only the remote Yang Jing’s forces at Xiangyang, it will effectively become an enclave.

As everyone knows, a solitary city cannot hold out for long, and one corner cannot stand against the world.

Once Lu Yuan has defeated Shen Qiu’s main forces and captured Yuzhang, Jianan, the remnants of Yang Jing’s Ning Army far in the north of the River won’t even require him to use his troops to attack—they will abandon Xiangyang and retreat to Jinling, Jiangdong, under the cover of the naval forces.

For this reason, once Lu Yuan confirmed that the situation north of the River wouldn’t change significantly, he completely abandoned the progress over there and decided to transfer Han Hua to the main battlefield in Jiangxia to make better use of his talents.

The imperial edict was issued two days ago. With the speed of the spirit hawk messenger and the convenience of Yangtze River transportation, Han Hua should have already received the order and is probably nearly at Luo Kou Du by now.

Once he arrives, the encirclement of Jiangxia, an iron net planned by Lu Yuan targeting the annihilation of the one hundred thousand Ning Army, will be completely formed.

The biggest fruit of the war since the Ning Army engaged in battle, is just waiting for him to pluck.

‘Now, it’s just a matter of seeing how the Ning Army will struggle, and I’m looking forward to it.’

A trace of a cruel smile appeared on Lu Yuan’s face.

At this very moment, the situation of the Ning Army trapped in a heavy net reminds him of his days as a Hunter in the mountains, setting up traps and hunting fierce beasts.

Tension, excitement, killing, bloodshed, thrill, joy…

How he longed for the final hunt to come soon.

—————–

Outside the city, Ning Army Camp.

Within the council hall, Shen Qiu once again convened his ministers to discuss the Chu Army’s blockade outside the city.

“Your Majesty, we’ve now ascertained clearly that Luo Kou Du has fallen. The Chu Army has blockaded our camp in order to cut off our waterway retreat.”

One of the ministers responsible for espionage stepped forward, bowed to Shen Qiu, and reported his findings.

Three days have passed since the Chu Army began the encampment, after dispatching numerous experts from the Ning Army to break through the light cavalry blockade and some Ning Army troops scattered from Luo Kou Du fled to this area.

Without much effort, the Ning people here have figured out exactly what happened.

“Hmph, how audacious of these Chu thieves. While being attacked in Dongting from all sides, they think not of defense but have the capacity to divide their forces and strike at my rear. Do they really believe their Dongting is impregnable, that I cannot take it down?”

Shen Qiu picked up a document from the desk, looked over the detailed report, furrowing his brow tighter and tighter until, when he reached the final details about the loss of Luo Kou Du, he couldn’t help but slam the paper down with a “bang,” rising and tossing the papers to the ground.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

Seeing this, the ministers in the hall quickly spoke out to mollify him.

“Calm my anger? How can you expect me to calm my anger?”

Shen Qiu huffed and paced near his seat, growing angrier as he spoke: “This is a provocation from Chu thieves; Lu Yuan is provoking me. He sees my conquests of the prefectures of Luyang, Hengyang, and so he returns the favor at Luo Kou Du, telling me that if I can attack his rear, he can also attack mine.

Damn it, truly hateful!

A mere mountain thief dares to treat me like this?”

Mountain thief—this is a reference to Lu Yuan’s early years as a Hunter in the mountains; hunters were considered illegal residents and were equated with mountain bandits by the government, seen as the lowest class of people.

Shen Qiu calling Lu Yuan a mountain thief reflects just how much resentment he holds inside.

But this was not without reason.

Because Lu Yuan’s attack on Luo Kou Du indeed struck right at Shen Qiu’s soft spot.

After dispatching the last one hundred thousand troops from the main camp at Pengli to attack the prefectures of Luyang and Hengyang, the last of Shen Qiu’s mobile reserve forces had been deployed.

Meanwhile, in the Jiangxia camp, with thousands of Chu cavalry harassing and blockading nearby, and the large Chu forces led by Lu Yuan keeping a watchful eye from the city, his troops were staunchly tied down here.

Under such circumstances, faced with a surprise attack by the Chu Army at Luo Kou Du, Shen Qiu found himself without any means to respond in the moment.

Because he no longer had excess troops that could be used to attack Luo Kou Du and recapture this vital logistics base.

And without Luo Kou Du, Shen Qiu’s only way to supply food and fodder was through the difficult and dangerous land routes, calling upon a vast number of laborers and pack animals from behind the lines in Yuzhang, and carrying out highly costly land transport to supply the front line with military food.