Chapter 43 Shameless Posture

"Just now, this city governor already stated that the Northern Barbarians primarily rely on cavalry, moving as swiftly as the wind. The moment they learn that Wangjiang City has dispatched reinforcements, they will still have ample time to intercept and attack us."

"I am well aware of my worthy niece's anxiety for her father. However, as the designated governor of Wangjiang City, I must shoulder the responsibility for the safety of this city. If our main army suffers a crushing defeat out in the field, then let alone rescuing Dongping, even Wangjiang City itself will be placed in grave peril."

The other generals had initially been deeply moved, harboring a strong desire for Lu Xiaoyuan to issue the order to march so they could throw their full weight into a rescue mission, joining forces with the defenders of Dongping from within and without to crush the Northern Barbarian marauders.

Yet, upon hearing Lu Xiaoyuan put it this way, hesitation crept into everyone's hearts. They feared that if they spoke up in favor of the move now, they would be held accountable for any eventual military defeat.

Wei Xiao had been the first to discover that Wangjiang City was harboring a court army dispatched from the south, prompting her to beg Xue Chengqian to bring her here to plead for reinforcements.

Never in her wildest dreams had she expected that while Xue Chengqian did not refuse her, Lu Xiaoyuan—who commanded a formidable force—had no intention whatsoever of deploying his troops!

Xue Chengqian, however, remained the calmest man in the room.

When he escorted Wei Xiao to Wangjiang, he had already anticipated that Lu Xiaoyuan would decide to sit by and let them perish.

Even so, by deliberately making a public spectacle of Wei Xiao's plea for reinforcements so that the entire city became aware of it, he had ensured that Lu Xiaoyuan could not slip away so easily.

Lu Xiaoyuan appeared to have made his stance perfectly clear and his attitude resolute, but deep down, he was undoubtedly bearing immense pressure!

"Lord Lu! The Northern Barbarian iron cavalry have shattered our frontier passes, galloping unchecked across the northern territory while all our armies huddle behind city walls for self-preservation. Even now, the morale of the northern army has not completely collapsed, and their greatest psychological pillar of support is the belief that the Northern Barbarians are inept at laying siege to fortified cities."

"You have only considered the consequences of leading troops to the rescue and being defeated halfway by the Northern Barbarians. Yet you have never stopped to consider what will become of Dongping if it is left utterly isolated and truly breached by the barbarians!"

"You!"

Seeing a mere nobody like him dare to reprimand him publicly, Lu Xiaoyuan instinctively opened his mouth to bark a furious scolding.

However, as he pondered this line of reasoning for a moment, even Lu Xiaoyuan felt a jolt in his heart.

The other generals shared a similar sentiment.

Xue Chengqian had hit the nail right on the head, voicing precisely what they were all thinking.

For a long time, they had harbored a deep-seated dread of direct combat with the Northern Barbarian cavalry; only the towering city walls could afford these Imperial Guard troops of the Great Liang a sufficient sense of security.

No matter how stirring and passionate their rhetoric sounded on the surface, the mere thought of encountering the Northern Barbarian cavalry in the open field made their hearts flutter with insecurity.

Yet, once they imagined Dongping City actually being breached by the barbarians, could they truly claim to be safe behind their own so-called city walls?

Although Dongping City might not be as towering and formidable as Wangjiang City, would they still dare to assert that they could hold Wangjiang if the Northern Barbarians resolved to take it?

What was even more terrifying was that Dongping remained a vital strategic stronghold in the north. There were many cities and garrisons far inferior to Dongping; if their confidence wavered and drove the various armies to abandon their cities and flee in panic, Wangjiang would inevitably be reduced to an "isolated city" with no one left to rescue it.

"My Lord..."

Several senior generals could not help casting their gazes toward him, all feeling that the consequences Xue Chengqian described were simply too heavy for them to bear, and that by every rule of reason and sentiment, they ought to attempt a rescue.

"My Lord, you must not let this brat shake your resolve!"

Huang Xiaoyong stepped forward at this juncture, urging him on with an impatient and anxious tone.

"This fellow is full of crafty schemes, and Wei Xiao came here in his company. For now, all we have is their biased one-sided account; no one truly knows the actual situation inside Dongping City."

"Indeed! Even if the Northern Barbarian host intends to take Dongping City, they certainly cannot conquer it in a day or two. We can thoroughly and leisurely verify the enemy's troop deployment and military intelligence before seizing the right moment to provide support. What is the point of being in such a rush?"

Lu Xiaoyuan suddenly looked as though he had been struck by a divine revelation. "What you say is entirely correct!"

"My worthy niece, your anxiety has clouded your judgment. There is an army within Dongping City and fortifications without; even if the barbarians possess a hundred thousand elite troops, how could they possibly breach the city in an instant?"

"In the art of warfare, one must never be hasty. Haste breeds flaws, leaving us vulnerable to being exploited by the enemy!"

"Since you have now arrived in Wangjiang City, allow me to fulfill my duty as your host. Rest assured, I will dispatch every single scout at my disposal to uncover the true combat situation in Dongping City as swiftly as possible."

Wei Xiao did not show a shred of gratitude; instead, her expression was laced with a trace of sorrow and a lingering, suppressed anger.

Had Lu Xiaoyuan spoken these words from the very beginning, she truly would have believed in his sincerity—perhaps he genuinely wished to be more cautious, but his ultimate objective remained the rescue of Dongping.

However, the moment his subordinate captain jumped forward, it effectively handed him a convenient excuse, which he immediately seized upon to deliver this speech. This proved he was merely brushing her off with pretense.

Noticing her silent demeanor, Lu Xiaoyuan shifted his attention slightly toward Xue Chengqian.

"Commander... Xue."

It took a brief moment of reflection for him to recall Xue Chengqian's current official title.

"Earlier, you seemed the most anxious for this governor to dispatch troops to rescue Dongping. Now that I have handled the matter in this manner, do you still have any objections to raise!"

Given the vast disparity in status between him and Xue Chengqian, he really had no obligation to pay any attention to such a person.

Yet, Xue Chengqian had stepped forward on several occasions to strip away his dignity, nearly leaving him humiliated. Coupled with the obvious fact that Xue Chengqian was the mastermind coaching Wei Xiao from behind the scenes, he could not resist launching a counterattack—especially in front of Wei Xiao, intending to render him utterly speechless.

Doing so would also serve to crush any dissenting voices among the other generals in the army.

Little did Lu Xiaoyuan know that it was actually Wei Xiao who had insisted on bringing Luo and Xue along to Wangjiang.

Xue Chengqian replied calmly, "Lord Lu is the governor of Wangjiang City, and all the troops within the city must obey your commands. How would this humble subordinate dare to question your arrangements?"

"However, we cannot simply sit around gathering intelligence. I request that your lordship grant permission for the Zhenyi Battalion to take the initiative and sally forth, at the very least creating a diversion on the periphery to draw the attention of the Northern Barbarian forces and alleviate the pressure on Dongping City."

"You lot? Alleviate the pressure on Dongping City?"

"Hahahaha..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoyuan burst out laughing, his face filled with utter disdain.

The other generals also found the notion laughable, though out of deference to Wei Xiao standing right before them, they refrained from displaying their amusement as uninhibitedly as Lu Xiaoyuan.

"Good! Commander Xue certainly possesses commendable courage. Having an officer like you is truly a blessing for our Wangjiang."

"Your Zhenyi Battalion was originally ordered by this governor to venture outside and scout the movements of the Northern Barbarian forces. If you are truly this confident, I will not stop you from taking the initiative. However, should you suffer a crushing defeat and damage our military morale, do not blame this governor's military law for being merciless!"

Xue Chengqian cupped his fists with a resolute air. "That goes without saying! However, since the Zhenyi Battalion is to serve as the vanguard for the army, I trust your lordship can at least guarantee the supply of rations for our forces, so that my brothers may have no worries back home!"

"Granted!"

Intercepting grain shipments from various regions ahead of time had already been instigated by Lu Xiaoyuan's own secret instructions, so he naturally understood the implication behind the request.

Convinced that Xue Chengqian's "initiative" was nothing more than marching to a pointless death, he saw no reason to quibble over a group of doomed men and decided he might as well let them be well-fed ghosts.

After all, Wangjiang City was currently in no shortage of grain supplies.

Seeing him grant the request so readily, Xue Chengqian seized the opportunity to press further. "Furthermore, since my Zhenyi Battalion is weak in numbers, I ask that your lordship grant us discretionary authority to enlist righteous men from various places who are resisting the Northern Barbarians, allowing them to join the Zhenyi Battalion and bolster our strength to fight the barbarian thieves."

"All granted!"