Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: Chapter 296: Three Paths Together

Chapter 649: Chapter 296: Three Paths Together

“After I leave, Kunhai Nation and Chilih Nation will cooperate with True Person Huang, forming a large army together to press on Nanzhao Country’s native land.”

Inside the Chu army camp, in the Central Army’s tent, Lu Yuan looked at Chilih Nation’s Grand General Li River and Kunhai’s Duke Li Xiong, who had rushed over, and he ordered solemnly: “General Li and Duke Kunhai, I entrust this matter to both of you. Be sure to delay Nanzhao Country’s main force for me, preventing them from sending reinforcements to Jianchuan Country.”

“Yes, we’ll follow your majesty’s command!”

Two voices echoed, resounding from below.

Li River and Li Xiong’s faces were solemn as they looked up at the authoritative gaze in front of them and nodded seriously.

“Hmm.”

Seeing this, Lu Yuan smiled in satisfaction, then comforted: “I know that Kunhai Nation and Chilih Nation have been fighting for years, and their people are tired, their soldiers and teachers exhausted. However, repelling Nanzhao Country and keeping them contained in the Lihai region is crucial for the stability of Great Chu in the southwest and Xichuan, and cannot be neglected.

I can assure both of you that once Nanzhao Country is defeated this time, there will be no more wars in the southwest.

And even if there are, Kunhai and Chilih will not be called upon again.

For the next few years, you can recuperate, rebuild your nation’s strength, and enjoy peace.

So for the sake of a stable future, in this final battle, you must do your utmost to help me break Nanzhao.

Completely crush this arrogant small country back into dust.”

Upon hearing this, their expressions showed gratitude, and Li Xiong said: “Your majesty has such kindness and virtue, I am tearfully grateful. In this battle, we will fight courageously to break Nanzhao’s clowns for our Great Chu.”

Li River beside him quickly nodded: “Chilih Nation is also willing to contribute our humble efforts for Great Chu.”

Lu Yuan revealed a smile: “With Kunhai and Chilih nations, I have no worries in the southwest.”

With that, the plan for the joint expedition was settled.

…

Having agreed on a joint expedition and comforted Li Xiong and Li River, the two men separately left to prepare for the expedition.

Lu Yuan was also preparing to set out for the north, but before he could deal with many official matters, a military report from the north destroyed his good mood in an instant.

The atmosphere inside the tent was somewhat heavy.

After reading the information, he held the report from Xichuan County in his hand, recalling the news that had been coming from that area for months about Nanzhao’s army provoking Chu State’s border in Xichuan County, Lu Yuan’s face involuntarily became colder.

Since April, as Chu State had launched another campaign against Da Changhe Country,

In Xichuan, after accumulating enough food and reinforcements, Nanzhao’s army had also resumed their attack on Xichuan Country.

Nanzhao Army’s Big Emperor Son Zhao Changqing personally led 60,000 men to besiege Nanchong Prefecture City, the last territory held by Xichuan Country.

A bloody month-long battle ensued, intense beyond words.

Zhao Changqing personally donned armor, leading his troops to attack the city several times, and nearly captured the city on several occasions.

Had it not been for Lu Yuan’s emergency dispatch of a group of Forbidden Army to assist in defense and Ji Hui, the holy monk, desperately defending the city despite his illness with the cooperation of surrounding generals and soldiers, Nanchong Prefecture City would have most likely fallen a half a month ago.

Despite this, after a month of bloodshed, Nanchong Prefecture City was on the brink of collapse.

Of the original 8,000 defenders in the city, more than half had died in battle. Over 7,000 of the Forbidden Army that Lu Yuan had sent to assist were killed or injured, having been brutally ravaged.

On top of that, perhaps out of anger for Chu’s assistance of Xichuan Country,

Nanzhao Army, which after replenishment reached a strength of 100,000 troops, stationed both in various parts of Xichuan and within the boundaries of Xichuan County, had launched another all-out attack on the borders of Chu’s Xichuan County.

Although the 20,000 Forbidden Army, 10,000 county soldiers, and an equal number of militias stationed in Xichuan County by Chu were enough to repel the mere 30,000 troops of Nanzhao,

What was infuriating, however, was that after attempting to attack Xichuan County a few times and realizing that their opponent was simply like a hedgehog, impossible to breach and they only ended up sustaining injuries, Nanzhao’s forces turned their attention instead to blocking the roads between Xichuan County and Xichuan Country, hampering the escape of civilians from within Xichuan Country.

Once this tactic was employed, its effectiveness was immediately evident.

In just one month, Nanzhao Army had intercepted nearly 10,000 civilians from Xichuan Country, effectively cutting off more than half of Chu’s channels for acquiring refugees in Xichuan.

And that wasn’t the worst of it.

What was even more outrageous was that Nanzhao’s forces had engaged in acts of barbarism and brutality towards the captured civilians from Xichuan County, humiliating and torturing women, mutilating children, and even resorting to acts of cannibalism.

Furthermore, they committed these heinous acts right in the face of Chu’s army, blatantly provoking and ridiculing them.

On several occasions, Chu’s army in Xichuan County could not bear the provocations and provocations, resulting in several major battles.

Although Chu’s forces did not end up on the losing end in any of these battles, and didn’t even allow their opponents to take advantage,

It seemed that their continued resistance only served to fuel Nanzhao’s brutality towards captured civilians from Xichuan County, intensifying the outrage to the point of being unbearable.

All of these actions by the Nanzhao army had been continuously relayed to Lu Yuan through frontline reports and secret reports from the Royal City’s intelligence agency.

Upon learning of these atrocities, his fury was naturally immense.

Although Lu Yuan was no saint and far from being a good person, he still had some bottom lines.

For instance, when he assimilated the southwestern Yi people, sacrificing countless male Yi people in the process, his ultimate goal was still assimilation, not wanton killing.

Furthermore, for the remaining southwestern Yi elderly, women, and children, Lu Yuan had made proper arrangements, not indiscriminately killing them, but arranging for them to marry Chu men to support the livelihood of the Yi women and children.