My Cultivation Starting from Archery

"Should we not inform him? Isn't that a good thing?"

Ran Jingxuan said, with a depth of cunning, "This is the perfect opportunity to start a bidding war with Qing Country as well, asking them if they are willing to hand over Yao State and Lei State to us. Based on the responses from both parties, we can then decide who to ultimately partner with."

"Brilliant!"

Fan Shuzhen praised repeatedly, "This is what you call waiting for a higher offer. Why didn't I think of that? Either way, we stand to gain tremendously."

"As for the son of Li Gong..."

Ran Jingxuan coldly stated, "If the negotiation with the Sheng people succeeds, we'll simply kill him and present his head as a greeting gift. Otherwise, we will just take off Fang Qingyun's head. No matter the outcome, the initiative remains in our hands."

Fan Shuzhen felt immense relief in his heart.

"I have one hundred thousand strong soldiers!"

"It seems, with these one hundred thousand soldiers in hand, whoever comes to me must speak with a bowed head!"

Indeed.

Power is the ultimate currency.
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...

Yong Yue Prefecture.

"Peace talks?"

"It's news from the Princely Heir, he personally saw Fang Qingyun and others entering the Central Army Tent."

"Is this even an allied force?"

King Tang Li Gong could no longer contain himself, "I am here laboriously waiting for them, and they sneak around negotiating with Sheng Country? How could they stoop so low? Wait a moment..."

"Report—"

"A secret letter from Fan Shuzhen has arrived!"

Before Li Gong could explode in anger, new information arrived simultaneously.

After he read it, he was too angry to even react.

"My prince..."

Liu Huanrong asked, "What did the people of Qing say?"

"They're exploiting the situation!"

Li Gong scoffed repeatedly, "Fan Eighth actually started an auction, saying Sheng people are willing to offer Lanzhou and Mo State, asking if we too are willing to surrender two states."

"This is too much!"

Liu Huanrong felt equally disgusted, "Prince, what should we do? If we don't agree, it would be equivalent to the situation reversing, with Nan Xu becoming an ally of Sheng people. But if we do agree, it is a huge loss and hugely embarrassing for us, not to mention we don't have much time left, they have already started negotiations in the Nanxu Camp."

"Wait a minute!"

Li Gong thought of something and interrupted, "Do you know who all have entered the Nan Xu Camp for negotiations?"

"The Princely Heir has clearly written it in the secret letter."

Liu Huanrong said, "Sha Wenlong, Deng Feng, Fang Qingyun, and also Tang Ruoshan, who has been missing for many years."

"That means, everyone from Hu Lao is there!"

Li Gong suddenly concocted a bold strategy, decisively saying, "Quick, draft a letter to Her Majesty, begging her to agree to all demands from Nan Xu. I have just one condition: the heads of these negotiating generals. Once they die, Hu Lao will fall without a fight, and Nan Xu's one hundred thousand soldiers will enter Lai State's territory much faster than if they directly attacked, possibly completely anihilating Meng Quji's troops."

"At that point, we could also coordinate with the barbarians on the grassland to make a move from the north, and West Qi could also make a comeback. This war could potentially turn into a war of annihilation for Sheng Country!"

"My prince."

Liu Huanrong felt a pang of sorrow, "Is this truly feasible?"

"Of course, it's true!"

Li Gong steeled his resolve.

If that was the case, it was time to play the big game!

He gritted his teeth, "Nan Xu is shortsighted, like a frog in a well; we can't be like them! The lives of Fang Qingyun and Chen Sansi are worth trading for a state."

"And this time, it will be the last roundabout."

"Sheng Country can't offer better terms!"

"Fan Eighth and his group have no reason left not to act."

...

Hu Lao.

Carts of provisions, arriving in the dark of night.

Vice General Liang Pi, responsible for escorting them and relaying messages, told General Chen to continue standing firm at all costs, before he saw the following scene...

Every soldier in Hu Lao was fully armed and ready for deployment, even the horses were positioned in battle formations, everyone waited behind the city gates, the setup was not one of defending, but of charging out to fight to the death.

Upon inquiry.

The answer was affirmative.

At daybreak, the final battle would commence.

Three thousand!

To go against one hundred thousand?!

"Sir!"

Liang Pi found the main general, "Meng Dashuai has ordered you to try to buy time with the negotiations while ensuring you hold your positions at all costs, and to last another two months, then the major forces can breach Yong Yue Prefecture!"

"Two months?"

Chen Sansi responded calmly, "Vice General Liang, with one hundred thousand soldiers pressuring from outside Hu Lao, once the siege begins, the city will fall within thirty days, it's impossible to hold for two months."

"But such a huge risk shouldn't be taken!"

Liang Pi couldn't understand, to him, three thousand charging out against one hundred thousand was no different from throwing meat buns to a dog.

He advised, "General, the fall of Hu Lao would have unimaginable consequences, this is of great importance, shouldn't we notify Meng Dashuai about this?"

"Of course."

Chen Sansi called over his senior fellow disciple Hai Dongqing and loaded a pre-written letter, "I have already written the battle report in advance, I will inform Meng Dashuai now, no need for you to worry."

He didn't disclose the real plan for fear it would not be approved, particularly by Meng Dashuai.

The man was exceedingly cautious, if he heard about sallying forth to battle, he would definitely go mad.

That's why he told the truth just before the battle.

That way, it was too late for anyone to countermand the decision.

And who would want to take that risk?

If Chen Sansi had ten thousand, no, even just seven thousand troops, he would be confident in holding out for another two months, but the reality was that he only had three thousand men, and the Meridian Passage fighters were even fewer, relying solely on Deng Feng to sustain them.

To continue delaying would be a dead end.

The only way not to lose was...]