Chapter 2808 - 2807: The Treacherous Minister’s Schemes

Chapter 2808: Chapter 2807: The Treacherous Minister’s Schemes

The mighty army of a million, how grand it is.

The military banners fluttering, stretching over hundreds of kilometers.

These troops were mostly conscripted from all directions.

Usually, they haven’t trained together, the military orders are not communicated, and each acts on their own, barely able to gather together.

After three days of marching, the scattered army finally camped on the slopes a hundred miles outside Feng City.

To take Feng City, one must first capture this Green Stone Pass.

Gao Qiu angrily cursed in his tent, initially planning to wait for all the troops to arrive before combining them for an attack.

Now, the troops from various states arrived scattered, the camp in chaos, some units couldn’t even find their own leaders or defensive zones.

This was Gao Qiu’s first time commanding a million troops, lacking experience, he was somewhat overwhelmed by the chaos.

During meals, everyone ate separately.

Some units received more provisions, while others didn’t receive any at all.

Understandably, the soldiers were discontented; unable to fill their stomachs, they directly rushed into the quartermaster’s office to seize provisions.

Upon receiving reports from below, Gao Qiu flew into a rage, ordering the arrest of these unruly soldiers and executing them directly in front of the General Platform.

Over a hundred heads fell instantly, only then was the commotion temporarily stopped.

In the command tent, Gao Qiu glared at the assembled generals and barked, "With the great battle imminent, whosoever dares to cause trouble and disrupt morale shall be executed without mercy. No matter who it is, I, the Grand Commandant, will surely punish them without leniency."

The generals, frightened, hurriedly clasped their fists, vowing compliance, and after witnessing Gao Qiu’s ruthlessness, no one dared to make excuses.

Gao Qiu stared at Yang Zhi with malice in his eyes, saying, "General Yang, I have always heard that your Yan Yun Iron Cavalry is invincible. Since the first battle at Green Stone Pass concerns our army’s morale, why not have you take the task?"

Yang Zhi furrowed his brows and clasped his fists, replying, "Grand Commandant, the path to Green Stone Pass is narrow and elevated, unfavorable for cavalry charges. I ask the Grand Commandant to have infantry charge first, and when we reach the plains, we will join in."

Gao Qiu sneeringly asked, "General Yang, are you defying my orders?"

"Your humble servant wouldn’t dare!"

Yang Zhi, clasping his fists, began to sweat coldly.

Defying commands on the battlefield is a capital offense.

Gao Qiu scoffed, "Since you wouldn’t dare, then it’s settled. All of your Yan Yun Iron Cavalry rides Dragon Blood Steeds. Whether on mountain roads or flat ground, it’s as if they were on level paths, no need for modesty, General Yang."

Though frustrated, Yang Zhi didn’t dare to resist and could only clasp his fists, accepting the order, "Your humble servant accepts the command!"

Gao Qiu laughed heartily, "Very well, the first battle shall be entrusted to General Yang. I will be here, ready to celebrate your triumph."

With no other choice, Yang Zhi took the Command Banner and left the tent.

Upon returning, all the generals gathered around him.

Vice General Suo Chao urgently asked, "So, where are we attacking Feng City from?"

According to Yang Zhi and the generals’ plan, they intended to capitalize on their cavalry’s advantage, flanking behind Feng City to catch the Rebel Army off guard.

The cavalry had no issues with provisions; after the attack, they would coordinate with infantry to capture Green Stone Pass.

Even without taking Green Stone Pass, Yang Zhi and his men could retreat at ease.

Now, feeling embarrassed before the generals, Yang Zhi sullenly said, "The Grand Commandant ordered us to directly attack Green Stone Pass!"

"What?"

Everyone wore an incredulous look, exclaiming, "What kind of order is this? Has the Grand Commandant lost his mind?"

"We are cavalry; how can we storm mountain fortresses? This is bullying!"

"Green Stone Pass is perilous, the path narrow, our cavalry charging uphill would surely be hindered by the terrain, gaining no advantage whatsoever!"

"General, you should have spoken to the Grand Commandant, explained our plan!"

"..."

Yang Zhi shouted them down, "Enough! Orders are absolute. The Grand Commandant has spoken, and any objection would be insubordination on the battlefield. Ready your troops; we attack Green Stone Pass immediately. What infantry can do, our Yan Yun Iron Cavalry can do as well!"

The generals sighed helplessly, clasping their fists in acceptance as they went to assemble the troops.

Suo Chao lingered in the tent, gloomily telling Yang Zhi, "It was said long ago that Gao Qiu was greedy and an opportunist in flattery. When we came, everyone advised us to bring him gifts. You didn’t listen, and look where we are now. He’s surely targeting us deliberately."

Yang Zhi slammed the table in frustration, "Too late to say anything now. From a prestigious military family, how could I stoop to collude with such a vile knave? Were it not for the Imperial Court, I would never have bent to his will. Once this campaign is over, I will never align with him again!"

Suo Chao nodded, sighing with him, "There’s no choice now. But for the Battle of Green Stone Pass, we must come up with some strategies. We can’t let our brothers die in vain; it’s hard to train even one cavalry!"

Yang Zhi said, "I already have a plan. Before setting out, I wrote to my uncle, asking for his assistance. He possesses Mystic Yellow’s Technique, can set the mountain ablaze, first forcing the bandit soldiers to retreat. We can then seize the opportunity to easily capture Green Stone Pass."

Suo Chao praised, "This is an excellent plan!"

He took up his weapon and, together with Yang Zhi, left the tent, making sure to bring ample provisions, heading straight for Green Stone Pass.

Gao Qiu watched them from a distance, inwardly smirking with satisfaction, thinking to himself, you, Yang Zhi, are so arrogant? Unwilling to bow to me?

From now on, under my command, I will ensure every step you take is difficult.

He ordered his banners to relay instructions, commanding a hundred thousand vanguard infantry to follow behind Yang Zhi’s force.

Once Yang Zhi captured Green Stone Pass, this infantry would seize the opportunity to occupy it, thus denying Yang Zhi any credit.

At Green Stone Pass, Song Gongming and Wuu Yong personally came to inspect the situation.

Reports from various fronts came in like waves, Wuu Yong, holding the report, laughed, "Brother Gongming, good news!"

Song Gongming asked, "What is it?"

Wuu Yong handed him the report, waved his fan made of goose feathers, and said, "Brother, look, Gao Qiu must have lost his mind, using Yan Yun Iron Cavalry as infantry, having them as vanguard to attack Green Stone Pass."

Upon seeing the report, Song Gongming couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, "Poor General Yang, serving under such a treacherous minister. I suspect General Yang didn’t bribe Gao Qiu, prompting his deliberate targeting."

Wuu Yong chuckled, "Brother, you are absolutely right; this Green Stone Pass is easy to defend and hard to attack, aided by its terrain. We only need to hold for three days, and Liangshan Island can deliver the Fire God Cannon. Then, no matter how many Yan Yun Iron Cavalry there are, they will be useless."

Song Gongming looked down the mountain, sighing, "A treacherous minister ruins the country. An upright man like General Yang serving under him is like casting pearls before swine. If those hundred thousand Yan Yun Iron Cavalry were ours, wouldn’t our Luzhou Righteous Army be even more formidable?"

Wuu Yong smirked, "That’s not too difficult. Gao Qiu, with his bee-like eyes and snake-like neck, is notoriously jealous. With the right strategy, we could surely make him suspicious of General Yang. When General Yang is defeated, Gao Qiu will surely blame him. When General Yang finds no refuge, we will treat him with respect, and he will surely align with us."

"Though we might wrong General Yang slightly!"

Song Gongming, despite feeling uneasy, still tasked Wuu Yong with handling the matter.