Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 313 - 227: The Plan

Chapter 313: Chapter 227: The Plan

"........"

Lou Ji did not answer Xu Yuan’s question either.

Yet, at the moment he asked the question, Xu Yuan already had the answer in his heart.

His mind was flooded with thoughts.

Seven hundred thousand elite troops of Dayan.

This was not like the ancient wars of his previous life, where armies of seven hundred thousand were merely claimed in numbers.

Each was a true elite, a turnip in its hole.

The Northern Border City was not only the gateway to the Three Prefectures of the Northern Frontier but also the only supply route continuing northward.

If it were to fall, the massive army of seven hundred thousand would be directly trapped in the snow plains of the Northern Frontier without supplies.

In such a disaster of blizzard, the barbarian tribes could traverse the mountain ranges, taking detours; could the seven hundred thousand troops of Dayan move in an organized manner as well?

Their physiological structures were not even the same.

If they really did so, and the barbarians caught them, encountering them in the snowy forests and steep cliffs would result in a large-scale defeat.

In silence,

Lou Ji took out several scroll documents from the Sumeru Ring:

"Changtian, this is the general situation of the Northern Frontier. Your sister also gave a copy to Wu Yuan earlier, you should take a good look too."

Xu Yuan forcibly calmed his mind, reached out to take them, and read in silence.

Although he was not sure what he could do, understanding more about the situation was always right.

And as he browsed through the scrolls, the atmosphere in the room became increasingly oppressive.

However,

the pressure was not limited to this one chamber, for the ominous clouds of a breached city already loomed over the entire grand Northern Border City.

After reading silently, Xu Yuan looked up:

"Right now, in this Northern Border City, are you the head of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s forces?"

"It was me before, but not anymore." Lou Ji shook her head.

"Who is it now?" Xu Yuan asked.

"....."

Lou Ji did not speak, her eyes fixedly staring at him.

In a moment of quiet,

Xu Yuan smacked his lips and pointed to himself:

"Am I the head now?"

"Of course." Lou Ji gave a firm answer, "Your father already instructed that once you arrive at the Northern Frontier, you are to make the judgments about matters here."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan hesitated slightly and asked:

"Now that the supply line has been cut, does my father know?"

"Of course he knows." Lou Ji replied.

"What did he say?" Xu Yuan hurriedly asked, feeling his father must have left some contingency.

Lou Ji was silent for a moment and sighed:

"He said to see what decisions you, Changtian, make on your own, saying that you should also learn to stand on your own."

Pausing, Lou Ji slowly continued:

"Whether to stay and defend the Northern Border, instruct me to escort you to escape southward, or to head north to seek refuge with Zong Qingsheng, it all depends on your decision."

"....."

Xu Yuan’s mind went blank for an instant.

Although the war had not yet started, the situation was already deteriorating rapidly due to the daring moves of the Barbarian King.

The troops within the Northern Border City amounted to just over one hundred thousand, with only the ten thousand Black Scale Troops under Yuan Hao and slightly more than twenty thousand Feathered Forest Army troops resting and waiting for reinforcements being considered elite.

The other army troops left behind by Sects were all second-line with Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Grade cultivations.

Could they hold the city once the gates were breached?

Or to put it another way,

How long could they hold out?

Just now, the information Lou Ji gave him estimated the current overall military strength of the barbarian tribes.

After several battles, the various tribes under the Barbarian King still add up to between four hundred and six hundred thousand soldiers fit for battle.

To have him take over this mess now?

To test him with this kind of method?

What if he screwed it up?

"......."

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan didn’t evade responsibility, nor did he babble about what would happen if he failed. He got up, walked to the window, and looked out at the vast expanse of white.

In the chamber where Lou Ji resided, situated atop an eastern turret, one could overlook most of the ancient city blanketed in snow.

The movements of the troops in no way affected the serene beauty of this millennia-old city amid the snow.

After a long gaze, Xu Yuan suddenly turned back to look at Lou Ji:

"Now that I’m here to preside over matters, will you listen to me?"

Seeing the calm expression on Xu Yuan’s face, Lou Ji crossed her legs in a casual manner and smiled slightly with her red lips:

"Changtian, if you want sister to lie down now, I most definitely won’t be on all fours."

"......"

Hearing this, Xu Yuan chuckled softly without responding.

What a time for this woman to still be in the mood for such saucy talk.

However, it seemed that the Black Scale Guards would probably listen to him.

After organizing the rough outline of his plans, Xu Yuan tapped his fingertip on the wooden window sill and gazed at the city walls towering like mountains:

"Sister, when I was a child, Xu Changge brought me here to play. He told me that once Northern Border City falls, the plains behind have no natural defenses to rely on."

Lou Ji got up and walked to his side:

"Indeed, that’s true."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly and turned back to ask:

"So, what do you think, will Li Qingyan... stand firm in defense of Northern Border City?"

Lou Ji’s green pupils displayed a touch of surprise as she asked curiously:

"Changtian, why do you ask that? The significance of Northern Border City goes without saying. If it were to fall, then Marquis Wucheng and Zong Qingsheng on the snow plains of the Northern Frontier would truly be isolated and without support."

Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said with a smile:

"Indeed, that’s true."

Seeing this, Lou Ji squinted her eyes and asked:

"Changtian, have you figured out what to do?"

Xu Yuan shook his head:

"I have a rough outline, but there are still many things that need confirmation."

Lou Ji’s beautiful eyes sparkled with brilliance, and she chuckled, swaying a little:

"So, Changtian, what do you want your sister to do?"

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment:

"Don’t rush; first, have Yuan Hao come see me."

Lou Ji thought for a moment, then said softly:

"He should have been summoned by your future wife by now to participate in the council meeting of senior commanders within the city."

"Heh... then let him come find me after the meeting is over."

With that, Xu Yuan fell silent again, silently watching the towering city walls.

In his mind, an inexplicable memory surfaced of that Barbarian Strange King.

"Though the world is vast, there is no place that nurtures my Holy Race. If this king fights for a land for my people to live, where lies the fault? Even if this king dies, a thousand years hence, there will still be another Saint King breaking into Northern Border City!"

Those were the final words of that Barbarian Strange King from Cang Yuan, spoken as he faced his downfall and chose self-destruction while undergoing verbal interrogation by the protagonist’s group.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly, he became somewhat curious about that Barbarian Strange King.

When data becomes reality,

The one who gambles the fate of the nation on a single battle...

Is truly a madman.

....

....

....

An hour later,

The chamber was very quiet, and the wisps of sandalwood incense burned upward.

Xu Yuan sat behind the desk, reviewing the information Lou Ji had given him, while she stood beside him, and Yuan Hao knelt by the desk.

After a while,

Xu Yuan put down the scroll in his hands and spoke softly:

"Li Qingyan said in the meeting that today, without any outside help, Northern Border City could hold out for over a month. But Commander Yuan, you judge that it can hold for a maximum of seven days?"

Yuan Hao clasped his fist, nodded, and said in a deep voice:

"Third Young Master, every word I say is true. The gates of South City can’t be closed; we can only fill the breach with human lives. With the current military forces within the city, we can last at most seven days. However, if the Sects within the city can unite and not fear casualties, this period may extend by another two to three days."