Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 532: Chapter 539: Better Safe Than Sorry
 

Zhang Han’s words expressed the sentiments of the majority present, although not all of them were entirely on Han Yu’s side, there was a unanimous recognition of his ability. Especially after suffering two defeats, there was already a sense of frustration. If General Han had been here, such an incident would never have occurred. Moreover, upon hearing the news that the enemy army was planning a major attack, while everyone was worried, they also longed for a pillar of strength to hold up against the pressure, and without a doubt, Han Yu was the very person everyone hoped for.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Yes, we can’t compare the current situation to the previous one. If General Han were here, he would definitely come up with a way to deal with the enemy. Otherwise, we should still let General Han return,” someone proposed, and the others echoed in agreement. Among those seated, more than half hoped for Han Yu’s return. Even Liu Xiu and Yin Shi, deep down, weren’t devoid of the thought of having Han Yu back to take control of the situation. However, upon seeing such a scene, they were no longer so sure about wanting Han Yu’s return.

Not to mention Yin Shi, who had gained his position after Han Yu left and had since then held considerable power. If Han Yu returned, Yin Shi’s authority would surely be diminished. Especially under these circumstances, bringing Han Yu back would only elevate him to a new peak of popularity, as the favorite of the people, while everything Yin Shi had worked for during this time might be in vain.

Liu Xiu also harbored similar thoughts. Despite his broad-minded and all-inclusive nature, as a ruler, he certainly did not wish for any of his subordinates to surpass him in prestige. The current situation where everyone trusted Han Yu more than him, their Lord, made him appear incompetent, and he seemed to rank lower in everyone’s heart compared to Han Yu.

Every person has a dark side, and Liu Xiu had been influenced by many voices around him over these days, causing his trust in Han Yu to wane. Together with the instigations of some petty individuals, faced with this situation, the frustrations that were bottled up inside became harder to suppress. Liu Xiu cast a cold glance at the people in the tent.

“Enough! Look at yourselves. Do you still resemble soldiers? After just two defeats, after a little setback, you’ve thrown away your morale. Without General Han, are you no longer soldiers? Have you all become useless trash? I’m ashamed for you at the sight of this cowardice! What does it matter if the enemy launches a major attack? At worst, we’ll put our lives on the line, fight to the death. If you had such determination, you shouldn’t fear not defeating the enemy. Don’t you even have a bit of a soldier’s spirit left in you? From this moment on, if anyone dares to speak of retreating and undermines the morale, they will be dealt with by military law, with no mercy granted!” Liu Xiu’s voice was cold and stern. Normally mild-mannered and generous to his subordinates, this was the first time he had lost his temper to such an extent, revealing a chilling aspect of his character.

Following Liu Xiu’s outburst, the tent suddenly fell silent, with a heavy quiet. Even as mild-mannered a person as Liu Xiu became frightening when he lost his temper, even though many felt aggrieved for Han Yu. Liu Xiu’s attitude was tantamount to negating all of General Han’s previous achievements. They were not suggesting this at all; they merely hoped that with General Han back in command, their chances of victory might increase, for after all, when it came to strategy, no one surpassed General Han. Born of flesh and blood, if bloodshed could be avoided, why should they recklessly throw their lives away?

Liu Xiu had always been kind and skillful at winning people over, which was why his subordinates held him in high esteem. Yet, this time he had left many disappointed.

The military order is like a mountain; since Liu Xiu had made his stance clear, everyone tacitly refrained from mentioning General Han again. In fact, some understood Liu Xiu’s feelings; General Han’s popularity was too high, even surpassing that of their Lord. Any ruler would feel threatened by this. However, to forsake General Han, even to the point of neglecting the overall situation, was rather disheartening; after all, General Han had done nothing wrong and had always been loyal to his Lord.

Of course, these thoughts were kept to themselves. Actually, Liu Xiu wasn’t so despicable, but he hadn’t realized that the situation was much more serious than he anticipated, and his court was filled with too many wicked people. Even the likes of Yin Shi, despite their loyalty to Liu Xiu, were excessively selfish and wished to crush Han Yu underfoot and become the closest advisor to Liu Xiu. Combined with spies from the Imperial Court sowing discord around Liu Xiu about Han Yu, Liu Xiu had heard too many negative rumors concerning Han Yu.

At this point, Liu Xiu was still young and couldn’t completely solidify his own thoughts and stance. This had led to his current predicament. Although Liu Xiu was wary of Han Yu, he simply aspired to boost his own reputation so that he could keep Han Yu beneath him. He had no other ill intentions and planned to recall Han Yu after winning this battle. By then, everyone would respect his strength, his grip on power would also be more secure, and there would be no issue in having Han Yu return.

Meanwhile, in the tents stationed outside Yiyang Prefecture, Zhao Fan relished the consecutive victories, his skills in leading troops undeniably noteworthy. The previous failure was simply due to encountering a genius like Han Yu, resulting in such a devastating loss. Once Han Yu left, Liu Xiu’s army couldn’t hold up. Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Fan was determined to take Yiyang Prefecture in one fell swoop and fulfill the task assigned by the Prime Minister.

Zhang Meng, on the other hand, was not complacent about these two victories. They were just minor skirmishes; victory or defeat didn’t really count for much. The General had been suppressed by Han Yu for too long and hadn’t tasted victory in a while, which was why even minor skirmishes could bring him such delight. However, Zhang Meng couldn’t afford to be careless and had to be vigilant for any unexpected developments.

“What’s the situation over there? Has the person we planted by Liu Xiu’s side had any effect?”

“Report to Vice General Zhang, Liu Xiu trusts him greatly. Moreover, Han Yu’s prestige is too high, having already overshadowed Liu Xiu, the master. This has indeed led to some resentment in Liu Xiu’s heart. Add to that people like Yin Shi, who have their own selfish motives and do not wish for Han Yu’s return. The developments have been largely favourable. Liu Xiu has already expressed his stance, indicating that he won’t be recalling Han Yu for the time being. As long as we seize the opportunity, we will surely be able to take Yiyang City,” the subordinate reported.

“Good. Keep a close eye on the situation over there. Report back immediately at the slightest news, especially concerning Han Yu. There must be no oversight, or military law will be enforced!” Zhang Meng nodded with satisfaction and then instructed. At this stage, the chess game he was playing seemed primed for victory.

Seeing Zhang Meng like this, Zhao Fan sneered, “Now that things are already set, with many of our people embedded on Liu Xiu’s side, even if Han Yu returned, he wouldn’t have the miraculous ability to turn the tide. The Military Advisor is being overly cautious.”

Zhao Fan said this with no malice toward Zhang Meng, it was just what he truly thought, for thanks to Zhang Meng’s strategizing, he had turned defeat into victory and was about to complete the task given by the Prime Minister. Zhao Fan had complete trust in Zhang Meng.

“The General’s words are true, but the closer it gets to the end, the more careless we cannot afford to be. Only when the final outcome is settled can we claim victory. Moreover, Han Yu is no ordinary person. He must be very familiar with the situation in Yiyang Prefecture, yet he has been holding back, showing no reaction. Maybe he still has some tricks up his sleeve; it’s best for us to remain cautious.”

“Vice General Zhang has a point. I will leave everything in your hands.”