To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 859: Chapter 366: Entering the Bifurcation Again

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Having settled the plan for the three-pronged supply routes, Lu Yuan wasted no time in implementing it.

Qingyunzi, Huang Xuan, Li Xiong and the forces of the three administrative regions of Changsha, Hengyang, and Luyang didn’t need his attention; the six divisions’ Commanders would act accordingly to the plan.

But for Jiangxia, Lu Yuan needed to provide personal assistance.

Shen Qiu’s main force still had a substantial number of troops left, with as many as one hundred and ten thousand just in the barracks outside the city.

Given the ongoing collapse of the Ning Army on various fronts, these one hundred and ten thousand soldiers had become the strongest force of Ning Country, and even the only main force left.

If possible, Lu Yuan naturally did not want this army to return to Ning Country.

Otherwise, when the time came for him to launch the war of annihilation, these one hundred and ten thousand men might become Chu State’s biggest hindrance.

Thus, even though he clearly knew that there were seventy thousand naval troops in Jiangxia and that another forty thousand could be urgently called from within the country to assist, not to mention evacuating these one hundred and ten thousand men, even if all the Ning forces north of Xiangyang were to retreat, the shipping capacity would be more than enough.

But knowing that was one thing, and whether it was feasible to act on it was another.

Regardless of the probability of success, trying to constrain, delay, or even eliminate this Ning force was never a wrong move.

Even if Lu Yuan only managed to hold up the Ning troops in Jiangxia for a while longer, to buy time for Huang Xuan to defeat Xiang Duan’s forces near Changsha and then regroup and launch an assault into the heart of Yuzhang, cutting off the Ning force’s retreat route on land, that would be excellent.

Cutting off Shen Qiu’s Ning Army’s land retreat route wouldn’t necessarily trap them completely, as they’d still have water routes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on 𝕟𝗈𝘷𝕘𝗼.co

But once the land route was gone, their morale would surely falter.

At that point, Lu Yuan could order the Chu naval forces to launch a fierce attack on the Ning naval forces, and under the disruption of their morale, the Ning’s defeat was bound to worsen significantly.

With one retreat route cut off and another under threat, how could the Ning troops hold out for long?

Once Lu Yuan reorganized the troops in the city, and attacked the Ning people outside with full force, with no way to retreat, shaken morale, and even the scarcity of food and fodder, there was a good chance of breaking through the Ning’s last main force.

Even Lu Yuan didn’t need to annihilate this force completely; as long as he wiped out forty or fifty thousand men, it would be a profit.

With various Ning forces suffering heavy losses, and the imminent loss of three regions in the country reducing the population under their control significantly,

eliminating more of their elite forces now would mean that Ning would have to pay a much heavier price to replenish its forces in the future.

Moreover, the replenished forces would just be new soldiers, lacking much combat strength compared to the current experienced troops, making a wide difference in overall combat capability.

Killing more of the Ning forces now would mean less resistance when attacking Ning Country in the future, resulting in less damage to the Jiangdong region, and allowing Great Chu to accumulate more resources for the Northern Expedition.

Therefore, embracing this idea, after commanding various divisions, on the second day, Lu Yuan led his troops out of the city.

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Three miles away from the Ning Army Camp.

Tens of thousands of Chu troops had arrayed themselves, with banners fluttering in the wind, the earth a vast expanse of bleak yellow.

Lu Yuan, mounted on a white horse, led a group of officers at the front of the formation, his gaze fixed on the distant Ning encampment.

However, facing the Ning camp about a hundred steps away, more than ten Chu soldiers who had gone to challenge them were calling out back and forth.

But within the Ning camp, there was no response at all.

Even after they yelled for a while, a dozen arrows flew towards them, startling the provoking Chu soldiers and causing them to quickly flee back on their horses.

“Your Majesty, the enemy is still hunkered down and not coming out; it’s difficult to draw them out,” said one Chu general next to Lu Yuan, turning his head towards him, helplessly.

“No matter, let them huddle if that’s what they want; their days are numbered anyway. When it comes time, these turtles will have no say in whether they can leave,” Lu Yuan replied unconcernedly as he glanced at the troops being driven back. Then, turning away from them, he asked, “How’s the situation at Luo Kou Du?”

An officer responsible for coordinating that effort responded, “Last night, twenty thousand naval forces already left the camp. Taking advantage of the darkness, they hurriedly descended with forty thousand soldiers from the city to launch a surprise attack on Luo Kou Du. Counting the time, Luo Kou Du should already be taken by now, and we should have received word from the naval forces.”

As they were talking, suddenly a clear eagle cry pierced the sky, and a large eagle over a yard long shot through the heavens and sped towards them, swooping in with a gust of wind and landing in front of Lu Yuan’s white horse.

The sudden arrival of this fierce bird startled everyone’s white horses into trembling, almost ready to flee.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan’s thoughts moved, encompassing the many fine horses, and he instantly soothed them.

Afterward, he turned toward the eagle in front of him.

This imposing bird, looking every bit as fierce as a predator, was the spirit eagle Lu Yuan had obtained from the Snowy Wilderness in exchange for a hundred elixirs.

This eagle could fly five thousand miles a day; even when communicating between Chu and the snow plains, it would only take three to five days, becoming Chu’s most relied upon means of communication.

Passing messages to and fro was extremely convenient.

Lu Yuan reached out to take a small bronze cylinder, attached to a string around the willingly presented neck of the eagle. Opened it, and pulled out a small sheet of paper, then glanced over its contents.

After reading the message, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but smile, approvingly saying, “Good, the naval forces are progressing smoothly. Just moments ago, they took Luo Kou Du, cutting off the Ning’s water retreat. ”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty; the downfall of Ning is imminent.”

“Heaven favors Great Chu as well.”

Hearing this, the surrounding generals couldn’t help but offer their congratulations.

No wonder they were so delighted, the position of Luo Kou Du was extremely critical.

Within a hundred miles of Jiangxia, besides the ferry point below Jiangxia City, the only other ferry capable of handling large ships was Luo Kou Du, a hundred miles to the east.

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