Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Yang Yongjun was caught in the middle. Listening to the fierce argument between the two sides, he felt a splitting headache and a confused heart.

Each proposition seems reasonable, but behind each choice lie huge, potentially catastrophic consequences.

Save us, or we may die together.

If he is not rescued, Huo Guang will surely die, and he will be branded as someone who did not rescue someone in need and was afraid of the enemy in battle, and the morale of the army will completely collapse.

Time passed by minute by minute in this fierce argument and difficult trade-offs.

With every second, the fighting at Luoyingjian might become more brutal, and Huo Guang’s situation would become more dangerous.

The veins on Yang Yongjun's forehead bulged, his fists were clenched tightly, and his nails almost dug into his palms.

His eyes kept scanning the faces of the generals who were angrily asking for battle and those who were calmly dissuading them. The enormous pressure made it almost difficult for him to breathe.

Is it a risky gamble, betting that the Chu army's ambush force is small, betting that they can tear open a gap and rescue Huo Guang?

Or should we make a bold move, give up the pain, and immediately retreat or hold our ground to preserve most of the troops?

This extremely difficult decision must ultimately be made by him.

His decision will directly affect the life and death of thousands or even tens of thousands of people, as well as the initial direction of the Battle of Hongdu.

Time passed in fierce quarrels and suffocating silence, and every second seemed to burn Yang Yongjun's nerves.

The sounds of fighting from the direction of Luoyingjian seemed to have traveled through dozens of miles and echoed faintly in his ears.

Huo Guang was in imminent danger, but his generals had completely opposite opinions, putting him in an unprecedented dilemma.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

If we try to rescue them, we may be wiped out and make a big mistake.

If you don't rescue him, the commander will die, the army will be demoralized, and you will bear eternal infamy.

He couldn't bear either of these two consequences.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, a hint of painful determination flashed in his eyes, and he slammed his fist heavily on the saddle that served as a makeshift table. The dull sound instantly drowned out all the arguments.

"That's enough! Stop arguing!"

Yang Yongjun's voice was hoarse but filled with unquestionable determination, "General Huo must be saved! But we cannot afford to waste the troops entrusted to us by His Majesty in vain!"

The generals immediately quieted down, and all eyes were focused on him.

Yang Yongjun took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and quickly outlined a compromise and cautious plan: "I have decided not to send all the troops into this dangerous area at once. I will personally lead 10,000 elite infantrymen, speed up the march, and rush to Luoyingjian!"

He glanced at the generals who had just advocated caution and explained:

"These ten thousand men are not going to fight to the death with the Chu army, but to serve as a powerful decoy and vanguard to test the Chu army's strength!"

"If the Chu army's ambush force is indeed small, our army can cooperate with the outside forces to try to tear open a gap and help General Huo break out!"

Then, he looked at another senior lieutenant and ordered, "General Li, you will lead the remaining 15,000 troops and follow slowly five miles behind."

"Also, immediately dispatch all elite scouts. Fan out in a fan pattern and thoroughly search all the mountains, forests, and valleys within a ten-mile radius, no, twenty-mile radius, of Falling Eagle Gorge!"

"Find out for me thoroughly if there are any other Chu troops lying in ambush!"

"Once you confirm that the enemy forces are only those within the ravine and there are no other ambushes nearby, you will immediately lead your entire army forward and join forces with me to annihilate the enemy!"

He paused, his tone extremely serious. "On the contrary, if you discover that the enemy is well-armed or has ambushes, you must immediately halt your advance, hold your position firmly on the dangerous terrain, and dispatch swift horses to alert His Majesty's main force in the rear!"

"This way, at least we can protect most of our troops from being killed here!"

This plan avoids sitting idly by while also taking risk control into consideration to the greatest extent possible, attempting to find a balance between affection and responsibility.

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent, especially those who had previously opposed the idea, finally relaxed their tense expressions and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although risks still exist, at least it is not an irrational gamble.

"General Yang has made thorough considerations, and I agree!"

"The general seconded the proposal!"

"Just follow the general's plan!"

Soon, the order was issued quickly.

The huge Han army immediately took action.

Yang Yongjun mounted his horse, gathered 10,000 of the most elite and physically fit infantrymen, broke away from the main force, and rushed towards Luoyingjian at a forced march.

The heavy footsteps and the clashing sounds of armor plates merged into one, indicating the urgency of the situation.

General Li led the remaining 15,000 men and slowed down the pace slightly.

At the same time, a large number of scouts and light cavalry rushed out of the team like hornets leaving their nests, rushing in all directions, especially the mountains and forests around Luoyingjian, and began intensive reconnaissance.

It was November, late autumn had passed, and the chill of early winter was enveloping the earth.

The cold wind blew through the bare branches and withered grass, making a humming sound.

The sky was gloomy with low-hanging lead-gray clouds. Although it had not yet snowed, the air was already filled with a dry, cold, and solemn atmosphere.

The Han soldiers ran in the cold wind, the white breath they exhaled dissipated instantly, and the atmosphere was solemn and depressing.

However, the Han army's movement, which they thought was quick and covert, failed to escape the omnipresent eyes of the Chu army.

Shortly after Yang Yongjun led 10,000 vanguard troops away from the main force.

On a high ground about thirty miles away from Luoyingjian, several Chu army scouts, wearing camouflage and almost blending in with the dry grass and rocks, were staring coldly at the Han army troops marching rapidly on the official road below.

One of the scout captains whispered to his subordinates, "Quickly report to General Zhao that the Han army reinforcements have arrived and are about thirty miles away."

"But their army was divided into two parts, the front and the rear. The front army numbered about 10,000 people and was marching very fast."

"The rear army is about 15,000 strong and is moving slowly. They have also sent out a large number of scouts to scout around, seemingly testing our strength."

"Yes!"

The scout slid down the hillside as silently as a civet cat, found the hidden warhorse, and galloped towards the Falling Eagle Stream.

In Luoying Gorge, the battle is still going on, but the intensity seems to have weakened.

Led by Huo Guang, the remnants of the Han army fought desperately by relying on the terrain, while the Chu army did not seem to be in a hurry to launch the final fatal blow, but rather seemed to be consuming and waiting.

Zhao Yu listened to the sporadic sounds of fighting in the ravine with an expressionless face.

At this time, the scout arrived on horseback, dismounted, and quickly reported the intelligence.

Zhao Yu heard this and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Oh? You sent troops here to test our strength?"

"It seems that not all Han army generals are fools. At least there is a cautious one."

But he then snorted coldly, his tone full of confidence and murderous intent:

"But now that you're here, don't even think about going back! No matter how many come, just swallow them all up and save yourself the trouble later!"