OBS Chapter 481 Analyzing the Situation
Chapter 481 Analyzing the Situation
The initial reports from the battlefield to the capital stated that the enemy's superior numbers and strength, coupled with the relatively small and outnumbered forces of Lizhou, led to their repeated defeats. How could things have suddenly changed like this? Fifty thousand troops—less than half the size of Lizhou's army!
This completely overturned his previous understanding, leaving him shocked and confused. He couldn't help but begin to doubt whether the information he had received earlier was true and reliable, or whether there was any concealment or misunderstanding involved.
"Yes, there were only 50,000 troops. We were all fooled by him at first." The previous messenger left early, so he didn't know much about it. She only found out later that the soldiers were just misleading him. But that's what made him even more wary. A mere 50,000 troops had routed them. It's hard to believe.
Of course, there are other reasons as well.
"How could that be?" Lu Zhijin considered himself a rare general. He had conquered the entire Dayong in just one year. Of course, this was also because their resources were much better than Dayong's. Elite weapons and a constant supply of food were their strongest backing.
"Could it be that they also possess some kind of divine weapon?" This was Lu Zhijin's only guess at the moment, because he found it difficult to think of any other reason.
"They don't have any divine weapons, but their weapons are indeed not much worse than ours. That's why I said that the general is unfathomable, and we must not act rashly."
"Your Highness, could you tell me about this person?" Lu Zhijin suppressed his surprise and regained his composure.
"My knowledge is limited. This man is named Si Jingshan, a descendant of Yu the Great. I had never heard of him before, and I don't know why he became a general in the allied forces. He is skilled in strategy, and his ability to see through people's hearts is even more remarkable. I fought against him three times, and he predicted every move I made. However, I could not fathom his tactics." The King of Lingnan sighed as he said this. After many years of fighting, this was the first time he had lost so thoroughly, making him doubt whether he was really suited for the battlefield.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhijin suddenly looked at the King of Lingnan.
The King of Lingnan seemed to know Lu Zhijin's thoughts and said, "I had suspected before that there might be spies on our side, but after several thorough investigations, there were none. This person really figured out my thoughts and knows my combat habits very well."
"In that case, this person is truly remarkable." Since the King of Lingnan has said this, then it must be true that there is no one left.
"I am no longer able to engage in battle. The enemy knows my tactics inside and out, and no matter how carefully I plan, I cannot escape being countered. Therefore, the battle ahead depends on you. However, I have a slight doubt: is he as familiar with you as he is with you, General?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhijin pondered and said, "Judging from this, I must also know something about Si Jingshan. I have heard of Your Highness's understanding of him. This man is extremely shrewd and must have known about all the generals of our Great Zhou before the battle."
After all, he had fought many battles before, as everyone in the world knew. It seems he needs to make a good plan and can no longer use the previous tactics.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing?" the King of Lingnan suddenly said.
Lu Zhijin noticed that his expression had suddenly become extremely unpleasant and wondered why.
"Xuanyuan Xue ran away during this battle and even defected to the enemy." The King of Lingnan's tone was tinged with hatred.
When these words reached Lu Zhijin's ears, his eyes widened instantly, as if he had heard unbelievable news.
Xuanyuan Xue? Isn't that the princess?
"Your Highness, are you referring to the Fourth Princess?" Lu Zhijin's voice was tinged with doubt and shock; he simply couldn't accept this fact. Although he didn't have much affection for Xuan Yuanxue, she was, after all, a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could she commit such a traitorous act of defecting to the enemy?
He couldn't help but recall his past interactions with Xuan Yuanxue. He had once saved her, and the Fourth Princess had taken a liking to him, even going so far as to hurt the woman he loved. In the end, through their schemes, she was married off to the Prince of Lingnan, and he never heard from her again.
But the next time I heard about the Fourth Princess, it was news that she had betrayed her country, sided with the enemy, and harmed her own people.
"It's the Fourth Princess. One of the important reasons why Lizhou fell so quickly is that the Fourth Princess stole the deployment map." Thinking of this Fourth Princess, the King of Lingnan's eyes filled with coldness and hatred. Back then, after the Fourth Princess married into the family, out of respect for her status and understanding of his son's character, they had always been very lenient with her.
However, this fourth princess was like a malignant tumor, running rampant and behaving recklessly in the mansion. She not only frequently beat and scolded the servants without any mercy, but she even refused to let her husband into her room. What's worse, she showed him and the princess consort the slightest respect, completely disregarding them.
Faced with such appalling behavior, he and the princess initially tried to be patient and offer advice, but the fourth princess only became more outrageous and arrogant. In the end, they could no longer endure this torment and had no choice but to ignore it and let it go.
However, who could have foreseen that just as Lizhou was in peril, the fourth princess, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, stole Lizhou's crucial deployment map and unhesitatingly defected to the enemy. This act of betrayal was like a sharp sword piercing the heart of Lizhou, plunging the city into utter despair. The city was destroyed, and countless people perished—a truly horrific scene.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhijin exuded a chill. She really was unrepentant; he shouldn't have let her off so easily in the first place.
Those were the people and soldiers of their Great Zhou, yet so many died or were injured because of her.
“King of Lingnan, this matter is of great importance, and I need to report it to His Majesty.” After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhijin decided to write a memorial to Emperor Zhou, after all, this was Emperor Zhou’s daughter.
"Well, then I'll trouble you, General." The King of Lingnan thanked him. This matter should have been his responsibility, but he now truly loathed the Fourth Princess and didn't want to get involved anymore.
No sooner had the Prince of Lingnan left than Lu Zhijin ordered his men to investigate Si Jingshan's background. Although he knew very well that it would not be easy to dig out any useful information, he decided to give it a try.
After all, the name Si Jingshan was completely unfamiliar to him, and judging from the attitude of the Prince of Lingnan towards him, Si Jingshan was clearly not a simple person. Therefore, Lu Zhijin felt it was necessary to learn more about him to avoid suffering losses in the future.
After that, he wrote a letter and had it sent back to the capital.