Chapter 469: The Last Resort!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"The main reason would have to be Fu Baoguo." Han Sanhe said faintly.
"Fu Baoguo?" Zhan Ge was even more confused by this answer.
Fu Baoguo was merely a man – even if he was exceptionally skilled in warfare, what was it about him that was so worthy of his teacher's high regard?
"If Fu Baoguo had not lived up to his reputation, or if he hadn't performed so remarkably, our army would have already stepped on Yutang's land a long time ago."
Han Sanhe smiled bitterly.
"In this war, you can only see my willing disposal of military strength, sending countless Dongxuan soldiers to the battlefield without caring what it takes, but do you know what sort of people are those who have died fighting? Let me tell you, besides half of them being militants and generals, most of them…"
A mocking smirk hung on Han Sanhe's face. "I can safely say that I have buried plenty of Dongxuan's noble families' combat forces under the Fortress of Resilience in this battle!"
"After this war, Dongxuan will be extraordinarily easy to manage. Even if we lose this war, I would have thoroughly swept away more than an eighth of Dongxuan's internal plights!"
A flash of desolation blinked across Han Sanhe's sculpted face. "However, whether I win or lose this war, as long as I return to the country, I will never have another chance to lead the army for the rest of my life!"
"So, do you think what I have just said is wrong? That Fu Baoguo will become the next peerless general of Tianxuan Continent, as long as he survives this war?"
"Those families who have suffered severe losses will never let me go, while His Majesty will have to give them an explanation to balance the forces within the nation. I, as the direct litigant, will never be able to avoid my end as a scapegoat!"
"Based on this reason alone, I cannot withdraw the army. Qiu Jianhan and Fu Baoguo came here with the resolution to die. Little do they know that I, Han Sanhe, intend to do the same."
"As a militant, to die on the battlefield is so much more glorious than being bedridden or dying while being attacked by the politicians! This land that has soaked through and through with blood and sweat... this is Qiu Jianhan's land, but this is also where I yearn to return to!"
"As for why this battle must go on… how could I not know that the timing, location, and manpower are not to my advantage? Still, as long as I'm still fighting, and the war is ongoing, the country has no choice but to support me!"
"On the other hand, if we withdraw now, I'll be imprisoned until I die of old age. Maybe I'll be penalized for my defeat. Perhaps my family will all be executed, or I'll be beheaded on the spot. This is a possibility as well."
"All of these punishments are still only subjected to me. Dongxuan will still have all of you. Even if I die, even if I'm worried, this is the only way."
"Still, you have to know that there is another disadvantage if we withdraw. Yutang will have two additional, unsurpassable main marshals from now on, and two more adequate troop marshals who are only slightly weaker. Yutang faces a siege and is weak, but Yutang's military might will reach unprecedented heights!"
"Tie Zheng, Fu Baoguo, south's Leng, west's Wang – these are the marshals of the four borders. They are all the best choices at this point in time, top-level marshals. How can we, the rest of the countries, surpass them?"
"Among the four generals, Tie Zheng is the paramount, acknowledged by the entire continent. Yet, such a character is still considered weaker than Fu Baoguo! Fu Baoguo is an all-rounded talent and is also Fang Qingtian's disciple. Of course, Tie Zheng's impulsive side has also played a part in deciding this."
"Although Fu Baoguo is also considered a satisfactory main marshal before this, he's not unrivaled. If he were to face Tie Zheng, he only has half a chance of winning; Tie Zheng might even have better odds to win. However, after this war, Fu Baoguo's various abilities have matured. Be it bravery, persistence, unorthodoxy, the skill to conduct ambushes, perseverance, resilience, cold-heartedness… these aspects have reached the pinnacle of what a general could be."
Han Sanhe's voice was filled with admiration. "Fu Baoguo has finally drilled himself thoroughly, but you fellows are still so far from it. If I were to retreat in this war and am never heard of ever again, all of you will never be Fu Baoguo or Tie Zheng's match when Yutang come to war again, after they organize their military strength. By then, Dongxuan, Ziyou, Dayun or Shenci, they will all be trampled by Yutang's steeled hooves! In fact, it would no longer matter if they have the assistance of the Nine Supremes or not!"
Zhan Ge retorted in indignation, "Perhaps you overestimate their abilities?"
Han Sanhe smiled faintly and said, "Do you know that Fu Baoguo has an utterly confidential troop called the Serving Troop? Have you ever seen him using this squad?"
Zhan Ge was taken aback. "No. Does he really have such a battalion?"
"Indeed. When Tie Zheng left the eastern defense, Yutang's Steel Cavalry, the undefeated lion of Yutang, he left behind a total of a hundred and fifty thousand men. From the beginning of the war up until now, how many men of the Steel Cavalry have you seen?" Han Sanhe asked.
Zhan Ge counted and answered, "This disciple has seen about a hundred and twenty to a hundred and thirty thousand of them."
"A hundred and twenty to a hundred and thirty thousand?" Han Sanhe shook his head in disappointment and said, "You've only seen, at most, fifty thousand of them."
Zhan Ge refused to admit defeat and said, "How is this possible? There is also…"
"There's also the men from the Steel Cavalry who have been disrupting our efforts. How many squads are there? How many people are there? Where are they? Do you know this?"
"The cavalrymen are those whom we've never met. Those Steel Cavalry are all lurking in the dark. Do you know that what else they have done other than causing disruption to us?" Han Sanhe asked.
"What?" Zhan Ge looked lost.
Han Sanhe sighed. "The men of the Steel Cavalry whom Fu Baoguo had scattered have never appeared, even when the Fortress of Resilience was facing its most critical moment, let alone assisting in the battle. Obviously, these people were under strict orders that restrain them from coming in touch with anything outside of their assigned mission."
"If I am right, those men of the Steel Cavalry won't appear, even if we managed to triumph over the Fortress of Resilience! They will only become Dongxuan's eternal curse!"
"The Steel Cavalry and the Serving Troop – if Fu Baoguo had used any of these two prior to this, I have absolute confidence in my ability to conquer the fort. However, these two troops have never really made their appearance, which means that their objective may be to…"
Han Sanhe completed the sentence word by word, "To face our Shadow Cavalry here!"
Zhan Ge was struck with a sudden realization.
"Fu Baoguo's trump card is also my trump card! When both sides are well aware of each other's boons and banes in the war, it's a contest to see who is bolder, more careful and more daring! Fu Baoguo's overall aspects are at a disadvantage, but he can still drag out the battle up until now!" Han Sanhe squinted his eyes as he sighed softly, "He has the qualifications to contend against me on the battlefield!"
Zhan Ge was astounded.
His teacher had never had such high praise about anyone before, not even for Tie Zheng! He did not expect Fu Baoguo, who was barely holding out on the opposite end, could actually garner such compliments.
"This war can't end like this. Even if it were to end, Fu Baoguo has to be ended first!" Han Sanhe said, "That leaves only Tie Zheng. There will be room for battle as long as his character weaknesses can be exploited. However… Fu Baoguo must die! As long as the eastern defense loses Fu Baoguo, the Empire of Dongxuan will be able to live on for another three hundred years!"
"Still, the other countries…" Zhan Ge was respectful, but he obviously had his reservations.
"The other countries?" Han Sanhe chuckled mockingly, "The Empire of Ziyou is destined to be done after this incident! The Empire of Dayuan is terrified by Supreme Cloud while Tianci in the north is at its limit, barely holding up under Tie Zheng's aggressive attacks."
"Where are the other countries?"
Han Sanhe snorted. "The future ruler of this world will either be Dongxuan or Yutang! As for the beautiful Tianxuan Continent, there isn't a third country that can lay a finger on it!"
Zhan Ge was inwardly shocked that Yutang's position was held so high in his teacher's mind. He subconsciously raised his telescope to look over at the Fortress of Resilience.
Suddenly, he shrieked, "Teacher, they've moved!"
Han Sanhe replied faintly, "Have they begun splashing water on the wall?"
"Yes, they are!" Zhan Ge answered with a vehement nod of his head.
His expression changed swiftly. "Teacher, they're obviously leveraging on the wintery weather to freeze the water into ice by doing so. Won't the wall be indestructible then? Even if there's a crack, they can just splash another bucket of water and repair it instantly, fortifying and securing it. How – how can we still fight this war?"
Han Sanhe smiled lightly. "This is Qiu Jianhan's last resort. Looks like there's nothing the old man can do except to resort to this method!"
He turned and descended the mountain slowly, saying, "Too bad he doesn't know that this is exactly what I'm waiting for!"
Zhan Ge was puzzled.
They faced a frozen fort that could not be conquered. What countermeasure did his teacher have? Why did he look so confident?