Chapter 101: Decisive Action
Yue Yun recalled that in the first few days after he traveled through time, he had asked Yue Lei to give him a detailed explanation of the situation of the generals' positions in the Yue family army.
The highest position in the Yue family army is of course Yue Fei, and under Yue Fei are the front army commander Zhang Xian and the central army commander Wang Gui. They can handle all matters of the Yue family army when Yue Fei is not present. Among them, Zhang Xian can be considered the second-in-command of the Yue family army, with a slightly higher position in the army than Wang Gui. In the original historical time and space, when Yue Fei was removed from his position as Proclamation Pacification Envoy and appointed as Deputy Envoy of the Bureau of Military Affairs, it was Zhang Xian who took charge of commanding the Yue family army.
Under these three, there were the commanders of the other ten armies. As the commander of the Baoyi Army, the most elite army in the Yue Family Army, and as the eldest son of Yue Fei, his position was rather special, and the ordinary generals and soldiers of the Yue Family Army still had some reservations about him.
Yue Yun thought of this and asked Niu Gao, "Uncle Niu, how many soldiers are there in Xiangyang City? How many of them are Tian Shiming's trusted troops?"
Niu Gao thought for a moment before answering: "Xiangyang City is the main base of our army's northern expedition this time, and it is also a place where grain and grass are stored. The total number of troops is around 10,000, but among them, there are 3,000 troops brought by Tian Shizhong from Jianghuai. After he took office as the governor of Xiangyang, he appointed many trusted officials, excluded dissenting voices, removed or transferred most of our original military officers, and replaced them with his own people. Therefore, Xiangyang is now firmly under his control."
"There are so many?" Yue Yun took a cold breath, and only now did he realize that his idea of taking down Xiangyang with just these few hundred soldiers and capturing Tian Shimu was really too naive.
Moreover, Tian Shizhong was not an easy person to deal with. In the original history, after Yue Fei and Zhang Jun were killed, Zhao Gou replaced Wang Gui, who temporarily took charge of the Yue family army, as the commander-in-chief of the imperial army in Ezhou. How could he be a useless person who can be easily deceived?
Niu Gao also nodded weakly. He was a straightforward person and could see that it was almost impossible to retake Xiangyang with just the few hundred people under Yue Yun's command.
"Brother Yue, my Uncle Tang is still trapped in Xiangyang City, and I don't know how that scoundrel Tian Shiming is torturing him. You must think of a way to rescue Uncle Tang!" Niu Tong saw a hesitant look on Yue Yun's face, and his heart was filled with anxiety, as he spoke tearfully.
Yue Yun hastily supported his body and comforted him, "Niu Tong, Tang Shu is not only your uncle but also mine. How can I just sit back and do nothing? However, the enemy's strength far surpasses ours, and going to Zhu Xian Town for reinforcements is a long way off. I'm afraid time won't permit it. So, we must think of a feasible plan in order to rescue him!"
Guan Ling and Cheng Min also felt that this matter was very difficult to handle. As an experienced general, Cheng Min thought more deeply about it: Tian Shi had just arrived in Xiangyang to take up his post, yet he dared to treat the generals of the Yue Family Army with such arrogance, what made him so bold?
Yue Yun thought for half a day and still couldn't think of a good solution, so she had to cast her pleading gaze at Yu Yunwen.
Yu Yunwen saw Yue Yun looking at him and knew his intention. He sighed and said, "Young Master Yue, I feel that this matter is very suspicious and has many doubts. Although I have a plan, it's also very dangerous. Please decide for yourself whether it can be done."
Yue Yun listened and was greatly encouraged, and immediately said: "Yun Wen, you first say what are some doubts!"
"I just inquired about the situation with Tian Shizhong. It seems that he was not originally a general of the Imperial Guard, but was transferred from Zhang Jun's Imperial Guard six months ago through a direct order from the Imperial Secretariat." Yu Yunwen said with a serious expression.
"Yes! Otherwise, the position of Xiangyang Governor is so important, how could the Marshal let someone who doesn't understand take it? " Niu Gao nodded and said: "It's just that before this food shortage, he was still doing his job diligently and didn't make any mistakes. He was also very respectful to the Marshal, so the Marshal didn't ask the Imperial Secretariat to replace him."
Yu Yunwen smiled slightly and said, "The court inexplicably sent a certain Zhang Jun's subordinate to take charge of the important position of protecting the rear camp, but this position is not some lucrative post, on the contrary, the responsibility is enormous, and any slight mistake will affect the overall situation and lead to severe punishment. But Tian Shimu is calm and composed, why is that? This is one of the suspicious points!"
He paused for a moment, then continued: "Tian Shizhong was normal when he first took office, but suddenly became abnormal in the past two months. First, he replaced all the officers of the original garrison, and then delayed the distribution of grain. In the end, he even fought with General Tang and General Niu to prevent them from transporting grain, with swords and shadows. Why is his attitude so humble at first and arrogant later? This is the second suspicious point!"
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Yunwen twirled his three long whiskers under his chin and continued: "Tan Shifu's conflict with Tang Jiang and Niu Jiang can be said to be an impulsive act. However, afterwards, he sent people to surround and intercept them, even setting up checkpoints to block their way, which clearly shows that he had planned this in advance. Moreover, the soldiers under his command did not panic due to Tan Shifu's rebellious actions, apparently thinking that Tan Shifu would not receive any punishment. It is well-known that the military rules of the Yue family are extremely strict, and for such a serious offense as rebelling against one's superiors, Tan Shifu would likely be executed immediately upon Yue Fei's arrival. They have been here for half a year now, so they should be aware of this. But how can they be so confident and bold? This is the third suspicious point!
His words made everyone frown instantly, because Tian Shizhong's behavior was really unreasonable. It was completely like rebelling without any difference.
Yu Yunwen had already spoken somewhat dryly, and after taking a sip of tea, he said: "So, if we don't clarify these three doubts, we won't be able to know what Tian Shizhong's trump card is. Why does he have the audacity to act so recklessly?"
"Yunwen, in your opinion, how should we act now to resolve the current crisis?" Yue Yun felt that he couldn't think through these three doubts for the time being, and it was better to ask Yu Yunwen directly how to deal with this matter.
Yu Yunwen shook his head with a bitter smile: "As I said earlier, although there is a plan to deal with it, the risk is extremely high, and whether it can succeed, Yunwen also has no idea."
"It's all right! You just say it's nothing!" Yuen Yung was now like a drowning man clutching at a straw, and dared not let go.
"Alright!" Yu Yunwen lightly waved the feather fan in his hand and said: "My plan is to have General Cheng lead his troops, escorting the grain carts and General Niu back to Zhuxiantown. Their military strength may be somewhat insufficient, so please write a letter, send a messenger back to Cai State, and ask General Meng to dispatch troops to escort them together. After all, this batch of 1.5 million stones of grain is the lifeline for the soldiers and civilians in Zhuxiantown, not a single mistake can be made! As for Xiangyang, you will need to lead the remaining troops directly...
He just announced his plan at this time. However, Yu Yunwen had just finished speaking, and a burst of surprise and questioning voices sounded.
"How can this be? This is far too risky for the young master! If Tian Shi were to harbor even a hint of ill intentions, the young master would end up dead and without a place to rest his bones!"
"Yes! This is putting the young master on the fire to roast! I think it's all just empty talk, with a success rate of less than one in ten!"
"Yu Yunwen, you just said that Tian Shizhong must have had an ace up his sleeve. Even if this plan succeeds by luck, the consequences will be severe. Young master may face even greater punishment and crisis!"
All the generals were opposed, if it weren't for Yu Rongguang's efforts to help Yue Yun all along the way and his plans had all succeeded, I'm afraid someone would think he was intentionally harming Yue Yun.
"Alright! No need for further discussion!" Yue Yun stopped everyone's debate. He knew it was time for him to take a stand and make a decisive decision.
"I've made up my mind! Let's do it as Yunwen suggested!" He stretched out his hand to signal, stopping the crowd from voicing their objections.
Yue Yun's tone slowed down slightly, and he said in a condensed voice: "I know that everyone is worried about me. But have you ever thought that if the grain transportation to Xiangyang cannot be carried out, what kind of serious consequences will it lead to? Our 100,000-strong army in Zhuxiantown will collapse, and many civilians will starve to death. If the Jin army takes advantage of this situation to attack at this time, we will inevitably collapse, and the treacherous officials in the court will also take advantage of the situation to slander our family... Whether our Yue family army can still exist at that time is a question mark... So now we have no choice but to gamble!"
He stood up at this time, adjusted his collar, and said with a determined face: "Let's go! All the soldiers of the Beiwei army get on their horses, we will head to Xiangyang!"
