Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 43 Changes in Heaven
Qian Tong thought of Yan Yi and asked casually, "Where are Yan Yi's troops now?"

Tangqi was stunned for a moment before replying, "Yan Yi's troops didn't cross the river at Jiuxi, but headed towards Mangling. That's a barren mountainous area where scouts rarely go in to investigate. Furthermore, the mountain passes along the way were filled with enemy troops. The scouts were afraid of being discovered, so they didn't follow them."

"Why did this person go to Mangling?" Qian Tong wondered to himself.

"Beyond Mangling is Haining, and we can also reach Haiyan, though the journey will be slightly longer." Wan Bing was worried that Qian Tong might have another idea of ​​attacking Yan Yi's troops. He rolled his eyes and chuckled dismissively, "Mangling is a land of mountains and ridges, with breathtaking forests and valleys, rich in rare and exotic wildlife. It's a perfect place for hunting and enjoying the scenery. This young man hasn't even reached adulthood yet, and is at an age where he's curious. This is his first time leading troops, so he must have been instigated by someone to choose this route. Don't worry, General. Yan Yu's troops are the core of this army, so we should keep a close eye on their movements."

Qian Tong nodded. Yan Yu was a famous general of Wucheng, and his bravery was even better than Yan Baihu. Compared with Yan Yu, Yan Yi's brilliance was much dimmer. People knew Yan Yi mostly because of his identity as Yan Baihu's only son.

From the beginning to the end, he never thought that Yan Yi's troops might launch a surprise attack on Qian Gonglei or Yuncheng.

Yan Yi was still young and it was his first time leading an army. He had no reputation in military affairs and was not even a commander-in-chief. He was just an assistant military commander under Yan Yu. Yan Yi's army, including the baggage train, had only 1,500 people. It was said to be a newly formed army and many of the soldiers were newly recruited.

Qian Tong didn't take such a group of troops seriously at all. If it weren't for Yan Yi's sensitive identity, he wouldn't even bother to pay attention to it.

Only Yan Yu could make him feel a little afraid and threatened.

"Pay close attention to the movements of the Yan Yu Department. If anything happens, report it immediately!"

Yan Yu's troops stopped moving forward. Although Qian Tong was anxious, he had no choice but to order people to keep a close watch on them.

"General, you can send a letter to Wu Jing, urging him to send troops as soon as possible." Wan Bing said with a smile.

Qian Tong also has this meaning.

According to Wu Jing's letter the day before, it would take Wu Jing's navy eight days to set sail for Haiyan.

Although the eight days were up in a flash, Qian Tong was anxious and could not wait even a day. He immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Wu Jing, urging him to send troops quickly.

At the same time, in a military tent in the center of the camp under Yan Yu's command, Yan Yu took off his armor, sat alone in front of a desk, and drank alone.

Yan Yong was his most beloved son. This incident not only made him feel heartbroken, but also made him fall into deep self-blame.

If Yan Yong had not been neglected in his education, he would not have been misled by the villain and committed such a crime as murdering his relatives.

Besides feeling heartbroken, Yan Yu felt more distressed. Yan Baihu was the elder brother he respected the most and had raised him since childhood. The two brothers had gone through life and death together to build their current foundation. However, the matter of Yan Yong had created a rift between them and planted a thorn in each other's hearts.

Yan Yu had long foreseen how Yan Yi would deal with Yan Yong. Yan Yi was a thorn in the side of Yan Baihu and Xu Ying. Out of brotherly love, Yan Baihu considered killing Yan Yong the best possible outcome; he didn't expect Yan Yong to survive. Therefore, upon hearing the news of Yan Yi's illness, Yan Yu should have gone to visit him. However, his feelings for Yan Yi were extremely complicated, and he didn't know how to approach him. He wanted to visit Yan Yong, but that didn't stop him from feeling heartbroken. Ultimately, he gave up the idea of ​​going to Yan Yi's camp. After ordering his men to set up camp, he went alone to the general's tent to drown his sorrows in wine.

Yan Yu didn't care about Yan Yi, so Yan Yi was naturally happy to see it happen. However, like Yan Yu, he was also full of worries.

The sunlight is like golden silk, gently sprinkling on the river bank, making people bathe in it and feel warm and comfortable.

Many soldiers were gathered outside the tent to bask in the sun.

Yan Yi looked at the scene with a worried look on his face: "Wen Xiang, when do you think the rain will come?"

Xu Sheng was equally worried. Facing Yan Yi's question, he calmed down and said soothingly, "Young Master, don't worry too much. May is the beginning of the rainy season in Jiangdong. I'm sure it will rain soon."

Yan Yi nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "If there is still no rain in two days, in your opinion, should our army act in advance?"

Xu Sheng was also confused after hearing this. The outcome of a war depends on many aspects, including weather, terrain, military strength, morale and strategy. Every detail may change the final outcome of a war. Many battles in the past have proved this.

The Battle of Baideng Mountain by Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, and the Battle of Kunyang by Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, are both examples of this.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Sheng said solemnly, "Young Master, in my humble opinion, given the current situation, we can only wait patiently. It's not advisable to launch an attack before the rain arrives."

Yan Yi was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "In that case, let's follow Wen Xiang's advice and wait a few more days. I just hope Qian Tong doesn't notice anything."

His worries were not without reason. Military affairs involved matters of life and death, places of life and death, and no one dared to ignore them. Although this raid was extremely covert, there were still some loopholes. If it was delayed for a long time, changes would be inevitable.

Of course, Xu Sheng also understood this truth. There is no perfect strategic and tactical deployment in this world, and mistakes are bound to exist. The outcome of a war often depends on which of the two warring parties makes fewer mistakes, or who can seize the mistakes made by the other side more quickly. As the time is unexpected today, he can only hope that Qian Tong will not see through his army's intentions.

Another day passed with a heavy heart. The next morning, Yan Yi lay in bed for half an hour longer because of insomnia. Just as he was about to get up, he heard the voices of Xu Sheng and others outside the tent, with a hint of excitement in their voices.

Yan Yi put on his robe and shoes casually, then hurried out of the tent. "What's going on?"

Without waiting for Xu Sheng and others to answer, his face showed an expression of joy that was hard to conceal. He saw that the clear sky yesterday had become a little darker, the clouds had obviously increased, and the dazzling sunshine of the past had disappeared.

Although there is no sign of rain yet, everyone can clearly feel that the weather is about to change!

(End of this chapter)