CHAPTER 966: 418. THE ALLIANCE HIERARCH TAKES INITIATIVE, OFFENSE AND DEFENSE SWITCH FORMS_2

Li Su’s position in the minds of the generals within the camp was initially not high.

After all, he was young and suddenly assumed the important role of adviser, holding a higher rank than them, which naturally made them uncomfortable.

But after the first skirmish with the Alliance Army, the generals no longer dared to underestimate him. Facing Zhao Yulong’s strategy of dividing troops among five cities while personally leading the central army to provide support at any time, the initial plan of Emperor Yuliang was to break the enemy by dividing forces, and the generals were all in agreement with this tactic.

After all, on their side, the army totaled fifteen million troops, splitting into five divisions to defeat the enemy meant three hundred thousand against one hundred thousand, even if Zhao Yulong supported one city, they still held an absolute numerical advantage in the other four cities.

Li Su vehemently opposed the plan and insisted on employing the tactic of a massive army push.

Initially, they did not understand, but once the battle commenced, they realized that the Alliance Army merged forces with surprising speed. Only then did everyone understand that Zhao Yulong’s early arrangement was precisely to lure Great Jin into dividing forces, something Li Su had foreseen. As the subsequent battle rolled out as Li Su predicted, the armies clashed in the wilderness, and the Alliance was absolutely no match for Great Jin, being pushed back across two prefectures. Despite not killing many enemies, the victory was solid and real.

Consequently, the generals began to take him seriously.

Li Su had just reassured Emperor Yuliang not to worry about the three allied forces, and the reaction among the soldiers was tumultuous precisely because they were never worried about them. The armies of Hexi’s Hou Clan, Jiangbei Alliance, and the Lu Family never appeared threatening in their eyes, with the exception of Hou Clan’s Red Flame Army, which they paid heed to—what they saw as a 13 million-strong army was of no concern to them.

The Sacred Army Code, Heavenly Army Code, and ordinary army—the major distinction among these is not cultivation but the military code. Soldiers trained with the military code are entirely incomparable to those untrained, just as the gap between the Sacred Army Code and the Heavenly Army Code is as deep as a chasm. In their eyes, apart from the two hundred thousand Red Flame Army, the rest of the allied forces looked like mere crumbling walls and tripping dogs.

Their concern was solely for the Alliance Army within the Shunkang City in front of them.

For an engagement of armies with numbers in the millions, to merge completely, it would require at least ten days or half a month of effort. Although they won in the initial five days, the fighting between the forces was neither fierce nor brutal, resulting in negligible casualties, with the Alliance Army losing perhaps seventy to eighty thousand troops, while their side lost only ten to twenty thousand.

Fortunately, they captured two prefectures, thoroughly dampening the Alliance Army’s morale. Originally, they intended to pursue victory further and continue sieging cities. If the Alliance now received news that the three allied forces were behind their rear, their morale would surely rise, and this would be their real tricky issue.

The Alliance Army, numbering in the millions, has now huddled together, clearly intending to engage them in a protracted battle. This cannot be allowed; Emperor of Jin has ordered the pacification of Jizhou over five years, and presently, they have yet to venture past Zhongzhou.

Seeing the generals’ contemptuous attitudes towards the three allied forces, Li Su gently shook his head, his expression slightly tense, he said: "Everyone, do not underestimate the three families, Lu Kangping and Chu Kuangren, neither are easy targets. Initially, one was neutral, and the other had already pledged allegiance to our Great Jin, yet both were convinced by Hou Yuxiao in succession. The speed at which they turned to the Alliance alone is enough proof that Hou Yuxiao is no ordinary individual!"

"What’s so unusual? Isn’t he just a pretty face?"

"A Thousand-Faced Handsome Man, right? I heard he relied first on Sikong Yue, then clung to Zhan Taiqing to build his foundation."

"Just adept at some tricks and schemes, but in front of Great Jin’s iron hoof, won’t he have to obediently submit? Occupied Hexi and doesn’t realize his actual weight, huh!"

...

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent had a bit of defiance, ridiculing one after another. Hou Yuxiao now had quite a reputation, and with Great Jin’s powerful intelligence system, all of them were well aware of Hou Yuxiao’s past experiences. In the eyes of these battle-worn generals, Hou Yuxiao was not a respectable man.

"All of you, shut up! This individual is indeed not ordinary!"

Unexpectedly, it was Wanyan Cheng who interrupted the generals.

When Emperor Yuliang spoke up, the generals immediately fell silent.

Wanyan Cheng’s brow furrowed slightly; he had met Hou Yuxiao, although it was merely through a projection at the time, but he instinctively discerned Hou Yuxiao’s extraordinary patience and resilience.

"Developing from an inconspicuous small family in a county to being the Lord of Hexi — which of you can do that?"

Upon Wanyan Cheng’s questioning, the defiance on the faces of the generals faded slightly, and among many more composed officers, a reflective look began to emerge.

"Adviser, continue speaking!"

Li Su nodded. He noticed the arrogance among the generals and felt anxious; the saying that arrogant troops will surely fail is an iron principle. Based on his understanding of Hou Yuxiao, these generals’ current mindset would undoubtedly suffer a huge loss if encountered with that individual. Yet his authority to speak was too limited; trying to remind others would risk being contradicted, so Wanyan Cheng’s support was more than welcome.

"Retired Emperor, Adviser Li, when the Youye Emperor sent me to deliver this message, he entrusted me to tell you all that Hou Yuxiao’s actions are always unexpected, and should never be underestimated. Nowadays, he has become powerful, relied upon by the Alliance; eliminating him is no longer an option. In the current situation, the three allied forces seemingly appear to be led primarily by Hou Clan, and no one knows what tactics Hou Yuxiao might employ. Absolute caution is necessary to prevent him from growing stronger."