Chapter 175 Underestimating the Enemy
The governor of the second richest county in the world! I am afraid that few people in the world can refuse this temptation. Once you get it, you can immediately join the ranks of princes, and even the top ones.

Everyone present became excited. The position of the Governor of Runan was already a bloody one enough for them to fight for!
Everyone now holds real power, but in essence they are just local military leaders with no base and almost zero political influence.

Even in Li Yang’s camp, one needs to concurrently serve as a prefect to become a confidant.

The military and political situation of a place is the biggest bargaining chip that the local princes can offer. This is an opportunity, a huge opportunity!
It depends on whether you can grasp it.

“Are you serious, my lord?” someone asked excitedly.

All the generals’ eyes turned to Li Yang.

“A gentleman’s word is as good as gold. I have never lied. What I said is what it is. You don’t need to worry.” Li Yang said with a smile.

Of course it is true. If he wants to secure his position as “King of Yuzhou”, he also needs the help of his confidants, namely the prefects of various counties.

After getting a positive answer, everyone became even more excited, but after a little thought, they turned their attention to Liu Xiu, who had made great military achievements and was a well-known general.

This boy is the heir that the lord promised! He also showed extraordinary ability when attacking the city, and he captured the city with only a very small number of troops.

The Han army’s achievements now are four counties and fifty-five counties, almost half of Yuzhou, with only the most important and prosperous Runan left.

Liu Xiu himself occupied thirty-one counties, how could one describe his power?

Everyone was still somewhat dissatisfied. Why did the lord think so highly of you when you first arrived? Not only did he give you military power, but he also rewarded you with money and property, and personally submitted a petition for reward. This favor was unparalleled. It seemed that he saw his own reflection in it.

But once this military achievement was made public, all doubts instantly disappeared. Although it was easy for a vanguard general to make merit, the risk factor was also high.

More than 10,000 men, conquered 31 counties! They defeated the main force of Xinmang with fewer troops, which was too terrible. It can be said that other generals were just following behind to pick up the leaks.

Li Yang himself did not lead any troops, apparently wanting to give his subordinates some opportunities to make meritorious service.

But he didn’t expect Liu Xiu to be so powerful that he was about to finish the battle. In the end, he was called back from the rear, which gave the others a sense of existence.

From then on, Li Yang took a higher liking to him, and no one in the company dared to look down on him anymore.

Now that I think about it carefully, the lord’s intention is very clear. Liu Xiu is the vanguard general, rushing to the front line, and he is also the one with the strongest ability and the greatest contribution.

If there is anyone here who can take over Runan, it can only be this person! Doesn’t the lord want to support the younger generation he likes?

But it’s okay. Everyone doesn’t feel it’s unbalanced. The capable ones will get the position. If you don’t have that ability, then don’t even think about being a good governor. Just follow behind and gain military merits.

Since the lord wants to promote his favorite subordinate, then cooperate.

Sure enough, the always low-key Liu Xiu rarely took the initiative to volunteer: “My lord, I am willing to fight.”

He was tempted! He had to act, the temptation was too great, this was equivalent to leaping from a humble wage earner to a lord! He was confirmed to be the second in command!

Otherwise, it is meaningless to have military power. As long as the superiors want, they can take it away immediately! Without your own territory, you are doomed to fail in this era.

If he became the governor of Runan, even the imperial court would have to think carefully before taking any action, as he would be equivalent to a local lord.

Controlling this wealthy county, it is impossible to break away from Li Yang’s Yuzhou Party, but you can challenge him! Half of Yuzhou’s population and taxes are here, and I’m afraid that except for confidants, they will not give it to others.

It can also be seen that he trusts everyone present, or in other words, this promising junior.

Li Yang nodded with satisfaction. This was what he had been waiting for. “Okay, since Uncle Wen is so confident, I will believe you. I will still give you the position of Vanguard General. Of course, you can retire at any time.”

“But I hope you won’t let down the court’s trust in you. Even if you can’t capture him, at least you can’t make it look too ugly.”

He also had the mentality of giving it a try. The city walls of Runan were tall and solid, and it would be impossible to capture it with just that small vanguard army. This would be a test of his military qualities as a commander.

The battlefield is similar to the officialdom. You cannot rely solely on courage. Other means are equally crucial.

Sun Tzu’s Art of War also recorded that to conquer the enemy without fighting is the best of all strategies. Warfare is about deception, and as long as you can win, nothing else matters. Li Yang himself did not blame Wang Yi for being insidious and cunning.

If you are careless, it is your own problem.

“Does anyone have any objection to this decision? Feel free to raise it. Everyone has a chance.” Perhaps because he thought it was too obvious, he asked again.

“There is nothing wrong with us.”

You don’t even act anymore, what’s the point of being dissatisfied? What’s more, even if you argue, you can’t win.

The lives of the Han soldiers are also worth their weight in gold, and they will not be allowed to take risks with you, so there is almost no suspense about Liu Xiu’s record of conquering 31 counties in a row.

As long as he opens his mouth, he will be the one!
“Well… that’s good.” Li Yang nodded, and then said: “Then let’s do it this way. Uncle Wen will be the vanguard general, leading the 10,000 elite troops of this unit as the main force, and the rest of the units will provide support from the side. There must be no mistakes!”

“Please don’t let any farce happen. I don’t want to see infighting!”

He had experienced situations where veteran players were dissatisfied with young players and suffered greatly from it, so he didn’t want the people he favored to make the same mistake.

Under him, only the most capable ones are given the job! There is no question of seniority or qualifications.

Having been wet in the rain yourself, you cannot let the younger generations continue to get wet in the rain.

“Yes, sir.” All the generals said in unison.

Liu Xiu also clasped his fists and agreed. He originally didn’t want to be the first to stand out. He had made sufficient contributions, but if he did not get any substantial rewards, he would be looked down upon.

It’s a thankless task. The real opportunity to make a contribution is yet to come. When we attack Luoyang and Guanzhong, will we still have anything to worry about?
Maybe he can be valued by the energetic bigwigs like Xu Yuan and Xu Min. It’s not that he is fickle, but mainly because his boss is really almost there. So if he gets the original shares, maybe he can even get a prefecture governorship in Hebei.

But now it was different. Li Yang actually promised a high-ranking official like the governor of Runan! A high-ranking official who could even restrain him!
In many cases, the lord himself held the position concurrently. For example, Wang Qing was the prefect of Xia Pi. He even refused the imperial offer to be the governor of Xuzhou. He had to ensure that the large counties were in his own hands.

Before, the idea of ​​an heir was just a blank check, with no substantive meaning. They said they would train someone to be the successor, but in the end, nothing was given.

Liu Xiu has always only looked at real interests.

But this time it seems that Li Yang is serious and intends to train him to be his confidant, successor, or almost confidant. The governor of Runan is too big a bargaining chip.

I didn’t expect that he was willing to give up even this thing. It was equivalent to giving away half of Yuzhou, which was no different from the prince of this state.

With this position, the 10,000 troops in his hands will belong to him. Who can compete with him in the future? Even Li Yang himself may be killed if he fails.

From now on, Liu Xiucai plans to stay in the Yuzhou camp for a long time. Just kidding, he has become the second in command. It is impossible for him to do more exercises than this. The higher-ranking prefects are the prefect of Nanyang and the prefect of Qinghe who has the Xu family as his background.

………The Han army completed the division of labor. Liu Xiu continued to serve as the vanguard general and was promoted to commander-in-chief of the left army. The 10,000 men under his command were replaced as vanguards.

Other departments also supported from the side, and as long as it was not too excessive, they all obeyed unconditionally.

The expedition against Runan further demonstrated his extraordinary military talent. This time Liu Xiu did not hide his abilities, but attacked with all his strength. Before, he was afraid of being spotted by others because he was afraid of being exposed.

The situation is different now. As the governor of Runan, who can touch him? Unless he commits a serious crime of treason, the court must coax him.

Li Yang was attacked when he was down before because he lost Runan and his base. His army was transferred away immediately, leaving him isolated and helpless, becoming a commander without troops.

At that time, Li Yang said he was the governor of Yuzhou, but in fact there was only one Runan in the territory of the Han Dynasty, and he exercised the power of the prefect of Runan.

Once the Xinmang dynasty is pacified and there are no external enemies, who can shake it? There is no need to worry about the future, not to mention that I am not without protection.

First of all, Liu Xiu took advantage of his young age. Since the identity of the previous vanguard commander was kept completely secret, the Yuzhou defenders had no idea who had captured more than 30 cities in a row.

Subconsciously, I thought it was Wang Mang, otherwise how could such a powerful person suddenly appear.

Therefore, when the Xinmang generals learned that the vanguard army was a young man who was not even 25 years old, they immediately looked down on him.

How powerful could he be at such a young age? Li Yang was already over 30 when he became famous. Moreover, he had been in the army for a long time and his family was the descendant of the Flying General Li Guang.

What about this young boy? Not only is he young, he also has no outstanding military achievements. Do you think you are the champion Hou Huo Qubing? Peak at the debut? Too ridiculous.

Inside Ruyin City, the former general’s mansion.

In response to this offensive, defending general Wen Qi summoned all his subordinates to discuss the matter, although this man was not very conspicuous and was extremely young.

But after all, he is someone Li Yang likes, so he must have something special! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent this guy to attack Runan. There are 10,000 people here, and they are sending them to die in vain?

It was unrealistic, so Wen Qi guessed that the real commander was someone else, perhaps Li Yang himself! This Liu Xiu was just a cover-up.

So he is not the one who needs attention.

“This time the Han army actually sent a young boy to attack us. It’s really foolish. Li Yang is really just a name. It’s not surprising that he is in the hands of a general.”

One person sneered.

“Don’t underestimate him. Although he was defeated by the general, his previous record is not fake. This move definitely has a deep meaning! Don’t be careless.”

Some people think more.

“You are just scared by the Han army. Why do you think so much? In my opinion, it is just a test by Li Yang. You don’t need to pay attention to it. If we continue to hold on, he will retreat.”

Some people say that it is actually a better idea to stay indoors.

Seeing that everyone disagreed, Wen Qi, the commander of Yuzhou, spoke up, “This Li Yang is a famous general who has been famous for a long time. He was notorious in Yanzhou before. Others may not say anything, but you can’t underestimate Wang Xun.”

As the governor of Yuzhou appointed by Wang Mang, he was very capable and could be ranked among the top five throughout the entire Xin Dynasty.

Yan You, who was dismissed from office, should be the strongest, followed by Wang Yi and Wang Xun, and then Wen Qi.

It is destined to be a tough battle!
“The general is right. We must not be careless.”

Wen Qi thought for a moment and then said, “Liu Xiu is very fierce in battle and has already captured several counties. Just based on this, I am not too worried.”

“He can only show off his bravery. If he continues to fight like this, I’m afraid that his troops will be completely wiped out before they reach Ruyin.”

“Maybe he is our chance to break through the Han army’s defenses, but I’m afraid this guy is hiding his abilities.”

Judging from the young player’s playing style, Wen Qi didn’t think it was that great, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“Well, let’s give him a try. Let’s send two thousand men to give him a try.”

“At least we need to understand the tactics.”

He planned to put his knowledge into practice. If this young general underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, becoming arrogant and complacent, then there was no need to worry. He should send troops immediately to kill the Han army’s fighting spirit!
Maybe we can turn defense into offense and reverse the disadvantage of Yuzhou! By then, tens of thousands of Xinmang troops will threaten Nanyang, and even Liu Xiang will probably have to think twice. It will be a disaster for everyone.

And I can also rise with the tide! I can truly sit on the throne of the Three Dukes.

Thinking of this, his heart began to boil.

Two days later, Xin Mang general Tian Yuan led two thousand elite troops to confront the Han army head-on. Liu Xiu did not back down, but led his troops to attack them personally. There was no conspiracy or trickery, only passion!

He is as reckless as possible, interpreting the youthful vigor to the extreme.

Sure enough, facing an enemy force several times larger than their own, Tian Yuan’s troops collapsed at the first blow and fled back into the city in panic.

However, Liu Xiu was “arrogant and complacent”, and he launched frequent attacks and challenges, so much so that even the Han army began to question him.

It’s just that I didn’t take action due to the order of my lord. I can only hope that this is part of the plan.

However, Li Yang in the back was not in a hurry and even praised him highly, which made the generals feel relieved a lot.

In Ruyin City, after much consideration, Wen Qi concluded that this man was a reckless man who had no knowledge of military tactics at all. At least Liu Xiu was not the main force, so he could make some plans.

If we can successfully defeat these 10,000 elite Han troops, there will be hope of reversing the situation!

“General, send out the troops! This kid has no ability at all! Take advantage of his arrogance and decide the outcome with a fight! We must not give Li Yang the opportunity to be replaced.”

“Yes, I guess Li Yang has wanted to drive him away for a long time, but changing generals before the battle is a big taboo in the army. Moreover, the morale of the Han army is high and cannot be lost. Our chance is now! After the Han army replaces its generals, it will be too late.”

Everyone was talking at once, one person speaking at a time.

Wen Qi also thought that it was time and he must seize the opportunity! In fact, it was greed that was at work. He had the extravagant hope of making great achievements, so even if he had concerns in his heart, he would not care.

Many generals failed because of greed.

“Well… I will lead the troops myself! We must put a dent in the Han army’s might!”

“Leave only a small number of soldiers to defend the city, and send all the others into battle.”

(End of this chapter)