Whale Falls and Becomes a God

Chapter 61 It’s hard to choose between public and private

"I agree! These past two days, the morale of the army has been unstable, and many soldiers have already protested, demanding that we fulfill our promise. Now, with the added impact of 'being besieged on all sides,' the fighting spirit has been further weakened. A decisive battle is truly unwise!"

As soon as Yuwen Zhiji finished speaking, the rebel Yuan Wuda quickly echoed him.

"I agree! No matter what, there's really no reason to stay, let alone a decisive battle!"

Niu Fangyu, the son of Niu Hong, the Marquis of Wen'an and Minister of Rites, had a good relationship with Yu Wenhuaji. Niu Fangyu, who had been persuaded to join the rebellion, followed suit and paused, looking at everyone and reminding them:

"The only thing we can do now is to take as many people as possible with us and whether we should take advantage of the opportunity to rob the people to raise funds for the army!"

The rebels are not all from Guanzhong. More than half of the 400,000 Jiangdu troops are from Jiangdu, Yangzhou, or Jiangnan. Naturally, they are unwilling to leave their homes and follow the rebels thousands of miles to Guanzhong!

However, the rebels originally valued the Xiaoguo Army and the Xiaoguo Guards, and most of the elite and veteran soldiers of the Jiangdu Army came from Guanzhong. This was one of the main reasons why no one opposed leaving.

"Robbery of the people..."

Yuwen Shiji frowned and murmured, while the others' expressions changed slightly, but they remained silent.

Some people were obviously interested but hesitated to speak!

Although the moral standards of those who participated in the rebellion were not very high, they were of legitimate origin after all, and they would care about their face and reputation to some extent, especially those from aristocratic families.

The previous extortion and looting of reserves from various factions could be considered a helpless act, forced upon them by Empress Xiao. However, looting the civilian population was a bit unacceptable, and would surely earn them a reputation, a bad name, and a bad reputation for greed and cruelty, perhaps even worse than the approaching rebels.

"This move is inappropriate! It will further damage military morale and hinder our return, creating countless... obstacles. Furthermore, the people are poor, so looting won't bring much benefit!"

Yuwen Zhiji frowned deeply and, without waiting for anyone else to speak, he was the first to reject the idea. He then quickly reminded them, "Don't forget, the enemy is approaching. We don't have much time left. How can we waste it on trivial looting..."

Niu Fangyu and the others who were inclined to loot remained silent, almost forgetting that the Sui army had already set out and would arrive soon.

It would be terrible if we didn't plunder much but were instead entangled in public resentment and found it difficult to escape!

Yuwen Shiji hesitated for a moment, then said in a heavy tone, "Then let it be! I, along with Generals Xue Liang, Ma Ju, Yuan Wuda, Zhang Kai, and others, will lead a portion of the brave and capable troops, with the local Jiangdu troops as the main force, to meet the enemy. The rest of the troops, lead your troops and leave immediately!"

"Third brother?!" Yuwen Zhiji's face turned pale and he blurted out.

They said they were fighting head-on, but in fact they were guarding the rear, which was quite dangerous.

Given the Sui army's lineup, those who were left behind would be in great danger, and his eldest brother Yu Wenzhi was an example.

Yuwen Shiji waved his hand to stop Yuwen Zhiji, looked at everyone and asked, "What do you think?"

The rebels temporarily respected the Yuwen family as their leader, but this was not to allow the Yuwen family to gain benefits without having to pay any price.

Looking at the Yuwen clan as a whole, most of the clan members, such as Yuwen Zhiji, tend to be civil servants, while Yuwen Shiji is one of the highest representatives of the Yuwen clan. He was a famous general of the Sui Dynasty, including the General of the Left Guard, the Governor of Liangzhou, and the Duke of Ying. It is indeed appropriate for him to cover the rear.

The most suitable person is actually the Tianbao general Yuwen Chengdu, but Yuwen Chengdu is not here. He has been staying in the Yuwen Mansion and has not even participated in the meeting. He is probably unwilling to fight against the Sui army, and it is difficult to force him!
On the way back to Guanzhong, we still have to rely on Yuwen Chengdu, who is the pillar that supports the sky. Now no one dares to offend Yuwen Chengdu!
……

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Thousands of drums beat together, shaking heaven and earth.

The five armies, totaling 270,000 people, were like a torrent of five-colored steel, heading straight for the Forbidden Palace.

"Prince Jingwu, Xiao!"

A dragon-embroidered banner fluttered at the forefront, a majestic presence. At the center, Xiao Ying, riding the Golden Cloud Dragon Scale Beast, the mount inherited from Yu Wenzhi, was at his head. Flanked by the Four Vajra Warriors and the Eighteen Arhats, he was followed by twenty thousand warrior monks, and further back, fifty thousand elite black soldiers.

The new armies on all four sides moved slightly back, with the vanguard only level with the middle of the elite central army.

Obviously, this battle will be mainly based on the elite central army, with the new troops from all directions being mostly strong, followed by auxiliary forces. It would be a waste to use them to fight against the elite rebels. There will definitely be great losses and the cost-effectiveness is too low!
Qiling Temple belongs to Buddhism and is naturally located in a remote area. There are few buildings within dozens of miles outside the temple.

After the five armies gathered together and formed a battle array, they marched for more than half an hour before arriving at the prosperous area. What they saw were densely packed buildings and residential areas.

On the vast main road of Jiangdu, the army stretched for miles, lined up to face each other, with an iron-blooded murderous aura in the air, and the iron-blooded murderous aura covered the sky. The army was as solid as a rock and indestructible!

Leading the way were the rebel generals Yuwen Shiji, Xue Liang, Ma Ju, Yuan Wuda, Zhang Kai and others, who were wearing fine armor and riding exotic beasts. They were accompanied by three thousand brave guards, followed by twenty thousand brave soldiers, and behind them were the endless Jiangdu troops, estimated to be one hundred thousand strong!

"call……"

Seeing that the total number of rebels who came to fight was only over 100,000, less than half of the five armies, and the quality and quantity of elite troops were also inferior, Xiao Ying couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but he also knew that he couldn't underestimate them and they couldn't be dealt with easily!

The rebels were afraid of the approaching rebel king's army. Xiao Ying and other members of the Sui Dynasty camp were also afraid. They did not want to suffer too many casualties in the war for Jiangdu, which would lead to their inability to deal with the rebel king!

Three miles...

Two miles...

One mile...

The two mighty armies gradually drew closer in might and power, and the vanguard troops could now clearly see each other.

The iron-blooded evil cloud suspended above the two armies came into contact first, like two balls of dark blood-colored cotton colliding, squeezing and pulling each other!
Judging from the Iron-Blooded Evil Cloud alone, that is, the military might and power, it is obvious that the Sui army has the upper hand, but it does not have the momentum to crush the enemy, and has not been able to completely erode or push away the rather tough and stable Evil Cloud of the rebels!

"Boom, boom, boom..."

As the two armies drew closer, the drums of war intensified. Xiao Ying, riding the Golden Cloud Dragon Scale Beast, waved his hand and drew the 10-foot-tall, cold Phoenix Wing Blade, ready to lead the charge at any moment!

When you meet someone after three days, you should look at him with new eyes!

Now Xiao Ying is no longer the weakling he used to be. He can be regarded as a top-level general. Naturally, he is not afraid to lead the troops in the charge!

What's more, there are twenty-two senior and top-level body cultivators protecting him, so there is no need to be afraid or worried!
"Your Highness! According to reliable intelligence, the rebels are evacuating Jiangdu. The army before us is the rearguard, not the main force!"

The two sides were confronting each other fiercely, and before they could talk or clash, Xiao Ying heard the voice of Yu Nan Ning, the former director of the Forbidden Palace, who now served as a military advisor to the army.

"Your subordinates do not recommend going to war. There is no substantial benefit, and the disadvantages outweigh the advantages!"

After transmitting the information, Yu Nanning added another sentence.

Xiao Ying understood.

The rebels before us obviously did not carry any food supplies, resources or wealth, and were simply the rearguard.

If you go to war, you'll be pitted against the fearsome and powerful Xianguo Army. Even if you emerge victorious, you'll only gain a pile of corpses, their broken weapons and armor, and at best, some battlefield experience, but no other substantial spoils!

Personally, Xiao Ying wanted to start a war directly to avoid a half-hearted fight, and to train the army and kill the enemy at the same time.

From the overall perspective, it is obviously unnecessary. Even if a great victory is achieved and the opportunity is taken to weaken the rebels' strength, it will benefit other forces and will do more harm than good to Xiao Ying's forces!

(End of this chapter)