To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 882: Chapter 373: Besieging the City_3

While concurring with the sentiment, Sun Siwen couldn’t help but worry, “With such capability possessed by the incumbent Wuan Marquis, I’m afraid that this battle won’t be as easy as anticipated to eliminate the Ning Army outside the city.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuan dismissed it nonchalantly, saying, “No matter how capable the current Wuan Marquis is, he is now trapped and surrounded, with a shortage of soldiers and lack of supplies. And here I am, behind the strong walls of the city, what is there to fear?”

With that said, he laughed again and added, “Moreover, it’s not just my two armies here; King Xie has also led his troops and is on his way. Our armies, attacking from front and behind, outnumber the enemy by many times. With such an overwhelming advantage, defeating them will be easy.”

No sooner had he spoken than they saw a massive cloud of dust in the distance, as a light cavalry unit came from the west.

Upon arriving outside the city, they roamed and surveyed near the Ning Army’s camp formations, their banners flying high, emblazoned with a large “Chu” character.

Following closely behind the Ning Army, the main force of the Chu army led by Lu Yuan also arrived.

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“Is that the Ning Army ahead?”

As Lu Yuan’s Ning Army reached the outskirts of Ruichang City and began to set up camp, he climbed atop the command chariot with a crowd of his officers, gazing at the distant Ning formations and couldn’t help but comment, “Indeed, they appear quite formidable.”

After three days of escape, maintaining such a presence was indeed commendable.

“No matter how formidable, they are not a match for the martial might of Great Chu. With King Xie leading the troops here today, the Ning Army will undoubtedly be annihilated.”

Someone by his side offered flattery.

“Haha, well said.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan let out a big laugh and then inquired, “I heard that yesterday, two groups of soldiers escaped from within the Ning camp, and even those stationed outside to monitor and ambush were broken through three lines of defense. Did none of them stay behind?”

The military officer responsible for this matter stepped forward with an apology: “Your Majesty, last night, over a hundred men each escaped from the south and north camp gates of the Ning Army. The soldiers I placed discovered it and immediately attempted to intercept them.

However, these fleeing Ning People were all martial artists who had cultivated Inner Strength, with the weakest being of third-rate prowess, including not a few first and second-rate experts.

Each rode fast horses, and upon leaving the camp, they sprinted away without engaging in battle.

Although we fought desperately to stop them, we couldn’t prevent them from escaping.

I failed in my duty, and let the Ning People escape. Please, Your Majesty, punish me for my negligence.”

Having said this, the officer knelt on the ground, his head striking the earth heavily.

After hearing his report, Lu Yuan merely glanced at the officer and said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter. Did you not say, the Ning People who escaped were all martial arts experts?

Such individuals, with exceptional martial arts and skilled in lightness techniques, come and go with ease. If they are determined to flee, even if I personally intervened, I might not be able to keep them all.”

This was not a fault of war; I do not blame you. Stand up.”

The officer on the ground, upon hearing this, stood up, his face showing gratitude, and said, “Thank you, King Xie, for your benevolence.”

Lu Yuan nodded slightly and then continued, “However, with so many experts fleeing the Ning Army at once, it seems that Shen Qiu and those ministers and nobles within the army have almost certainly escaped. What remains in the Ning Army now are probably just the discarded, those who were left behind.”

The two groups of fleeing Ning troops added up to nearly three hundred people.

Three hundred martial artists with third-rate skills or higher, is not an incidental number to assemble.

Even with the eighty thousand troops that Lu Yuan brought, the entire army’s martial artists of third-rate or higher barely exceed a thousand, and they mostly serve as low-level military officers like squad leaders and platoon leaders.

The remaining Ning Army, now fewer than fifty thousand, suddenly lost so many experts. It’s as if their mid-to-high level combat strength has been halved.

Of course, the ones who could be taken away at a time like this are mostly those with background and status. Whether these highborn individuals would fight and lay down their lives on the front lines is another issue.

In this respect, whether the Ning Army has suffered severe losses to their combat strength is still hard to say.

But regardless, the strength of the remaining Ning forces before us has certainly diminished.

Just then, in the forefront of Lu Yuan’s army, a Ning Knight rode forth on horseback, approaching the camp that was under construction.

“Listen, Chu soldiers inside, my general has always heard of the valor of the Chu army and has longed to battle them, wishing for nothing more than a confrontation.”

Today you lead your troops here, seeking to cut off the return path of our Great Chu’s Entire Army.

Since that is the case, why not array your chariots and horses, stand your formations, and fight a decisive battle.

The victor shall achieve their desire, the defeated shall face annihilation.

This battle is about life and death, let each rely on their own ability, what say you?”

That Ning Army Knight, was actually here to issue a challenge.

He rode back and forth in front of the Chu Army camp several times, conveying his intentions, before finally returning.

“Your Majesty, the Ning Army is challenging us, should we accept the battle?”

From the command carriage, all military officers, after hearing the words of the Ning Army Knight, couldn’t help but turn their gaze towards Lu Yuan, seeking a signal.

“We won’t go, we won’t,”

Seeing all eyes upon him, Lu Yuan let out a cold laugh: “Previously when I challenged the Ning Army, they coiled up within the camp, avoiding battle. Now that they are surrounded by us, with soldiers weary and provisions depleted, their disadvantage clear, they wish to have a proper battle with me.

Such a beautiful situation, how could I possibly grant them their wish?

Pass the order, the Entire Army is to fortify the encampment, stay on guard against the Ning Army. The Chu forces within Ruichang City are also forbidden to engage in battle.

I want to starve these fifty thousand Ning soldiers to death, surround them until their provisions are exhausted, starve them alive.

I’m curious to see, when they are dizzy with hunger, whether they’ll still have the strength to battle with me.

If they still have the strength by then, haha, I would not mind granting them a fair fight.”

Lu Yuan has made various arrangements on his journey here, all for the sake of consuming as many Ning troops as possible with minimal cost.

Now it seems success is within grasp, so how could he possibly give up the advantage and engage in a desperate struggle with a Ning Army filled with the desire to return home and possessing high morale?

That would be too wasteful!

Even if one were to win, but with heavy casualties, it wouldn’t really be a victory.

Things are just fine as they are now.

The Ning Army is already trapped under the walls of Ruichang City with no way out, facing the predicament of a food shortage; they are indeed caught in an absolute deathtrap.

At this moment, Lu Yuan need not do much, just block their escape routes, and he can starve the people under the city walls to death without expending any effort.

How utterly splendid!

Thinking this, Lu Yuan remembered the matter he had just mentioned, and thus spoke again: “By the way, haven’t many high-level Ning officers run away?

I have seen Ning’s Shen Qiu among those escaping.

These Ning Army soldiers, currently facing a desperate situation, can still maintain such high morale, it must be because they have been deceived by the high-level generals, unaware of the truth.

They believe that their emperor and generals are with them in life and death, unafraid of perilous circumstances.

Send someone to inform the low-level Ning Army soldiers that their emperor, ministers, and generals have all fled.

I want to see if, after learning the truth, these Ning Army soldiers can maintain their current morale and be willing to die for a bunch of royal relatives and nobles who are afraid of death and have betrayed them.”

A series of heart-piercing words were uttered by Lu Yuan, immediately causing all military officers to break out in laughter.

Indeed.

The high morale of the Ning Army before them was clearly illogical, very abnormal.

Now that the Chu side is about to burst this bubble of lies, it will certainly cause a significant drop in Ning Army’s morale, breeding suspicion among its ranks, leading to distrust between officers and soldiers.

In such a case, an easy victory is assured.