Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: Chapter 298: The King of Chu Faces Death_2

Chapter 656: Chapter 298: The King of Chu Faces Death_2

Following the military order, they began setting up formations and lining up troops here.

Opposite to the Chu army, the already prepared Nanzhao Army also had pairs of soldiers marching out of the camp, lining up the troops, and confronting the arriving Chu army.

Lu Yuan led forty thousand troops in this march northwards, with the procession stretching nearly ten miles. The sheer magnitude of it was causing dust to obscure the sky, and it was impossible to conceal these marching troops.

But Lu Yuan did not intend to hide them either.

He wanted to lead this formidable army openly against the Nanzhao troops and defeat them with absolute strength.

As Mo Nianfeng had thought, the highly-skilled Chu army could easily defeat the small Nanzhao army.

Lu Yuan had absolute faith in this statement.

He believed that the mighty army he had built while farming and warring over the past 20 years should be able to defeat even a small Southwestern Yi army.

If they cannot, it would be better to return home, stop playing the game of world dominance, and retire to the mountain forests.

The only concern for him was that Lan Zhaojun, the opposing commander, might see his strength and choose not to fight, departing with her army instead.

If this happened, it would take more effort to pursue and annihilate the enemy, and it might not be possible to achieve total success.

However, Lu Yuan had already prepared for this possibility.

Back in early April, when he first launched the river crossing battle and defeated the Great Changhe and Huichuan Nations’ defenders in a single move, there was already no need for Lu Yuan to continue crossing the river.

Even then, he directly ordered Chu Wei to lead the navy on a westward advance along the Yangtze River, which blockaded Xichuan and Nanzhao’s waterways and severed their connection with the mainland of Nanzhao Country.

For the Nanzhao Army, which had no navy to speak of, they had no way to deal with the strong ships of the Chu State.

Under the navy’s blockade, not only was aid from Jiangnan severed, but even the news from the southwestern Yi regions was also slowed or entirely cut off.

Thus, at this moment, the Nanzhao Army in Xichuan territory had no idea that Great Changhe Country had been destroyed and Chilih Country had submitted.

They were also entirely unaware that Jianchuan Country had been attacked by the Chu State, and that Nanzhao’s homeland was simultaneously facing invasions from Chilih and Kunhai countries.

They also did not know that Han Shun was leading a sneak attack on their rear, working together with the navy to completely cut off their escape route.

The only thing the Crown Prince of Nanzhao might know was that Li Liang’s army of Xichuan was currently engaged with the Nanzhao Army assigned to monitor the Chu forces, and the situation was not in his favor.

But even if he knew this, he was powerless to do anything about it.

Because two days after news arrived from the south, Lu Yuan’s army was already coming.

At this moment, they had pressed so close to his doorstep, sending out a provocative challenge to battle.

Without dealing with the enemies in front of him, he would be hampered and restricted in everything he tried, unable to execute his plans.

…

In the southern part of the city, the Nanzhao Army formation was set up.

With flags and banners fluttering and long spears standing like a forest.

The Nanzhao people believed in the God of Black Feathers. According to their Yi people’s heritage records, this was a winged god with a human body and bird’s head who possessed a powerful divine bow and arrows.

As a result, many of the Black Feather Yi people from the southern mountains were skilled in archery, like the hunters Lu Yuan liked to recruit in the early days of his uprising- all of them possessed remarkable archery skills.

Moreover, due to their mountain origins and impoverished background, the Nanzhao army had a stubborn, barbaric energy.

Thanks to this energy, even though many of the soldiers were conscripted militias, they still possessed considerable fighting strength and even managed to defeat Xichuan.

This accomplishment gave them a misconception.

Throughout the generations of their tribe’s history, the terrifying and countless massacres committed by the Eastern Yi seemed to be no more than this.

They believed that they were now on their way to nearly exterminating an entire nation of Eastern Yi people.

At this moment, the king of the Eastern Yi was surrounded in this small city, and as long as the city was captured, Xichuan would cease to exist entirely.

Since their miraculous victory in June last year, they had continuously won against their enemies for nearly a year, building up an arrogant notion of being unrivaled in the world among many Nanzhao soldiers.

Under the influence of this arrogance, the young and energetic commander, Zhao Changqing, was equally high-spirited.

So when Lu Yuan, clad in dark armor and red cloak, rode his fine warhorse back and forth in front of the armies, inviting Zhao Changqing to battle, this young prodigy had his competitive spirit ignited.

“The Chu thief is truly arrogant, daring to challenge us in front of our armies. Does he think Nanzhao has no warriors left?”

Atop the command post, Zhao Changqing looked at Lu Yuan, who was showing off his martial prowess in front of the two armies’ formations, and his eyes were filled with flames.

The young people couldn’t stand provocations, and they couldn’t bear others outshining them.

Hitherto, Zhao Changqing had been used to being the center of attention among his peers, always standing out in a crowd.

Now that he had achieved this glorious feat of conquering a country, he felt even prouder, believing it confirmed his status as the chosen one.

Under the weight of all these accomplishments, he did not fear facing the renowned King of Chu, Lu Yuan; he only thought that the time had lacked heroes, so upstarts had become famous.

Earlier, he had merely remained in the southwest and had not gained his own fame.

But now, as soon as he emerges, he had conquered a nation.

This was something that even Lu Yuan had not successfully accomplished.

Compared to the rumors about Lu Yuan defeating two inborn experts, it seemed all the more insignificant.