"Wang Ming!"
"Present."
"You and Old Zhang will each lead a squad of men to break up all of General Zhang's personal guards and distribute them among the various camps. If you meet any resistance, kill them without mercy."
Ren Tianye's attitude towards General Zhang's personal guards was clear: use them, guard against them, and break them up.
As the momentum of the rebellion grew and the number of soldiers under his command increased, those guards who had not resisted would be thoroughly tied to his sinking ship, with no way out even if they regretted it.
"Yes, your subordinate will go at once."
Wang Ming took the order and left. The tent was now empty. Ren Tianye felt waves of dizziness washing over him; needless to say, it was the result of overwork and intense mental strain over the past two days.
In just a few short days, he had transformed from a guerrilla general who beheaded a fake Great Yu maiden into the leader of a righteous rebel army commanding eight hundred men.
Honored by his subordinates as the Great General!
Even though the glory was intoxicating, the genuine mental exhaustion, tension, and trepidation were unavoidable, leaving him physically and mentally drained.
However, Ren Tianye knew very well that now was not the time to rest. Although the eight hundred troops were under his command, for him, the path of rebellion had just begun.
Right now, there was still an insurmountable chasm ahead!
Once the news of their "clearing the emperor's side" spread back, it would surely shock the court and the public. The imperial army would soon return to encircle and suppress them. With the imperial guards stationed nearby, it could be said that if they were even a step too slow, all eight hundred of them would lose their heads to the King of Hell.
"I must find a way out for our brothers immediately," Ren Tianye pondered.
Before long, the various guerrilla generals who had finished handling their respective tasks arrived one after another. At a glance, they saw Ren Tianye leaning over his desk, studying a topographical map.
They immediately reported in and asked for orders.
"Great General, the brothers are all ready and can march out at any time. Where are we heading next?"
"Great General, should we head straight for the capital?"
"Are you crazy? With so few of us, going to the capital is just throwing our lives away! I say we should first head to the nearby prefectures to replenish our military supplies, gather more men, and then plan our next move."
"That's a good idea, we should do exactly that."
"It is indeed a good idea."
...
The guerrilla generals all agreed with this plan.
First, pillage the nearby prefectures to expand their ranks, and then consider other options.
But Ren Tianye flatly rejected it.
"The prefectures of the Northern Territory are all guarded by formidable troops nearby. Can we defeat them?"
"If we head south, it might be easy to conquer, but once the imperial court reacts and surrounds us from all sides, how will we survive?"
"As for plotting to expand, that's even more impossible."
"The world is currently at peace. Even if you raise your arms and rally the people, not many will be willing to join us. Moreover, with our small scale and lack of deep foundations, how many capable people can we attract?"
Ren Tianye analyzed the situation point by point, saying, "The only and absolutely necessary thing to do right now is to find a place to settle down. Waiting for the world to fall into chaos before seizing the opportunity to deploy our troops is the best strategy."
These guerrilla generals had no problem charging into battle, but none of them had the vision or scope to plan the overall situation. Hearing Ren Tianye's explanation, they all secretly nodded in agreement.
Indeed, pillaging prefectures would be satisfying, but it would be too easy to fall into the imperial court's encirclement. It was best to find a place to set up camp.
Currently, not many people knew the news that seventy thousand soldiers of the Chifeng Army had been betrayed and slaughtered. Once this news spread throughout Great Yu, how could the world remain peaceful?
That would be the time for them to truly show their skills.
"Great General, we will listen to you."
"Tell us, what kind of place should we find to settle down?"
Ren Tianye said, "A place with high and thick walls, easy to defend and hard to attack, with ample military supplies, where we can hold out for at least a few months even if besieged."
As soon as these words came out, everyone was startled.
There were quite a few such places in Great Yu.
But of those that met these conditions, which one wasn't heavily guarded?
Letting their eight hundred men attack such a city?
How was that any different from seeking death?
This would be even more difficult than pillaging prefectures!
Everyone couldn't help but cry out.
"Great General, for us to attack a major fortified city is no different from moths flying into a flame, seeking our own destruction!"
"Yes, General. Our men excel at rapid, mobile warfare. Large-scale siege warfare really isn't our strong suit. Besides... where are we going to get the numbers for a large scale?"
"Great General, although this strategy is good, we can only mobilize eight hundred men..."
Ren Tianye's eyes turned sharp. "Eight hundred is eight hundred!"
"With eight hundred men, we can still take down a massive fortress city!"
A fierce fire of battle and confidence surged in Ren Tianye's heart.
With eight hundred men, someone dared to fight at the Xuanwu Gate!
With eight hundred men, someone dared to launch the Jingnan Campaign!
With eight hundred men, someone could defend the Sihang Warehouse!
Even before he transmigrated, he would have dared to shout: "Eight hundred is eight hundred!"
What, now that he had transmigrated and was about to rise in rebellion, he didn't dare do it with eight hundred men?
Impossible!
Ren Tianye's gaze was awe-inspiring. "Three people make a crowd. We have eight hundred men, and that is enough. As long as we execute it properly, a mighty city will surely fall into our hands!"
Ren Tianye's confidence was quite a morale booster.
The unyielding flames of war were also ignited in the chests of the several guerrilla generals.
Damn it, they had already tied their lives to their waistbands anyway. Whatever the Great General said goes. With eight hundred men, why shouldn't they dare to attack a city?
"Great General, just say the word. Where are we attacking?"
"How about we attack Shanhe City directly?"
Shanhe City was close to the border with the barbarians. Since the founding of Great Yu, it had served as the most important barrier in the northern frontier. It had been continuously repaired and perfected over time, and was now the largest massive city in the northern frontier, known as the Number One City of the North.
Under its north-facing gate hung a plaque left by the founding emperor, engraved with eight large characters:
"Within the borders of Great Yu, barbarians are forbidden to pass!"
However, this proposal was also immediately rejected by Ren Tianye.
"For the Empress to destroy the seventy thousand loyal souls of the Chifeng Army, she must have sent at least two hundred thousand central imperial guards. Most of them are likely still stationed there. For the eight hundred of us to go there would be like throwing meat buns at dogs—a complete waste!"
He didn't keep them in suspense either. Reaching out to point at the topographical map, he said, "This general's target is here!"
The guerrilla generals all looked over in unison.
Impressively, it was the three large characters for "Yunji City."
Ren Tianye said, "Yunji City has always been a major city in the Northern Territory, acting in coordination with Shanhe City to guard the stability of the northern frontier."
"But in recent years, major wars have become increasingly rare. Because Yunji City is not on the main thoroughfare, it has gradually been forgotten, and its regular garrison is only a few thousand."
"Furthermore, under the strict military orders of the Chifeng Army, too many border merchants could no longer stay in Shanhe City and relocated to Yunji City. This has resulted in a large number of wealthy households and abundant military supplies there. It is absolutely an excellent destination."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
This was indeed a great place to go!
Several people who were originally not entirely convinced by Ren Tianye also nodded secretly.
To have such a meticulous arrangement in such a short period of time—whether planned in advance or thought of on the spot—was far beyond what they could compare to.
They became increasingly convinced and submitted wholeheartedly to Ren Tianye.
"Then we will do as the General says and attack Yunji City!"
"Yes, once we take down Yunji City, our brothers will have a place to call home."
"As long as we can occupy Yunji City, it won't matter that we only have eight hundred brothers. Even if we face a siege from the imperial court's two-hundred-thousand-strong army, we can hold our ground for at least a month. By the time the realm descends into chaos, we will still be able to turn the tide and launch a counterattack!"
...
Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Ren Tianye slammed his hand onto the table. "Excellent! Then it is settled. We attack Yunji City!"
...