Chapter 0005: Incompetence

"Infirmary?" Li Yu was taken aback for a moment, but quickly got up and rushed out, asking, "What did Father say?"

The child possesses great strength, and holding the battle knife allows the child to exert that strength more effectively, Li Yu explained

What made Li Yu even more frustrated was that when the five thousand troops returned to the main camp, he received news that Fan Zigai had retreated back to the city of Luoyang, rendering Yang Xuangan's preparations once again ineffective. Enraged, Li Yu cursed repeatedly

"Entering Bingzhou?" Li Zixiong was taken aback and said, "Why must we enter Bingzhou? If we can enter Guanzhong, this battle will surely be won"

"Young Master, the Minister of Personnel requests your presence at the wounded soldiers' camp." On this day, Li Yu was engrossed in reading when he heard Li Gu's voice from outside

Li Yu simply stayed in his large tent, reading Li Zixiong's military treatises while training his hundred elite troops. Who knows when Yang Xuangan will be defeated? Li Yu also needed to be well-prepared.

This little person does not know either. How would the messenger know these things

The Minister of Shangshu did not say anything, only instructing you to go to the wounded soldiers' camp

In the future, do not speak of such matters. Li Zixiong pointed to a box nearby and said: "When you have free time, read more military books; this will be of some help to you"

Li Zixiong scrutinized Li Yu for a moment, nodded slightly, and finally his gaze settled on the battle knife in Li Yu's hand. With a hint of dissatisfaction, he said: "Although the battle knife is sharp, it cannot compare to the long spear. In the future, you must practice with the long spear more. This is the mark of the king of cavalry"

"Let us go!" Although Li Zixiong felt some dissatisfaction in his heart, he could only lead Li Yu and the five thousand troops on the journey back.

He is also preparing to find an opportunity to claim these five thousand troops for himself; at this moment, returning, he does not know if there will still be a chance to command the army alone

Do not forget, we are already in this together with the Yang family. If the Yang family fails, you and I will also face misfortune as a result. Li Zixiong glared at Li Yu with some dissatisfaction

Therefore, we must enter Bingzhou. The mountains and forests in Bingzhou are abundant, and only by entering Bingzhou do we have the opportunity to escape with our lives and find a place to wait for the right moment. Li Yu's eyes sparkled with brilliance, his ambition evident, as he said: "Father, chaos in the world is imminent; we only need to wait for the opportunity, and sooner or later we will be able to achieve great things and establish a legacy.

"This insignificant person is not worth consulting with." Li Yu, however, was not polite and scolded him on the spot. On one hand, it was because Yang Xuangan had missed an opportunity to turn defeat into victory; on the other hand, it was because he himself had lost the chance to command five thousand troops

Gazing at the distant city of Luoyang, Li Yu felt quite dejected. He was uncertain how far he could go relying on the 5,000 troops before him, and more importantly, these men were not his own soldiers; they did not obey his commands

"Minister of the Shangshu, the enemy has already mobilized in Luoyang, and a large force is about to arrive. The Duke of Chu commands the Minister of the Shangshu to return the troops." The messenger waved the command flag in his hand

Early the next morning, when the sound of war drums echoed, Li Yu was practicing martial arts, riding a warhorse and wielding a battle knife, charging forward on the battlefield. One by one, the straw dummies were shattered by Li Yu until Li Gu arrived to urge him, at which point he followed Li Yu to the grand tent of Li Zixiong

"Minister Shang, please stay. Minister Shang, please stay. The Duke of Chu has issued an order."

Father, the Duke of Chu is not a person of great ambition; he is too petty. Just look at the troops behind us; they are hardly elite.

At that moment, while looking at the *picture* book, a sudden sound of urgent hoofbeats came from afar. Li Yu and his son had no choice but to stop, turn their horses around, and soon a group of cavalry galloped towards them. It was only when they got close to Li Zixiong that they jumped down from their horses

The elite behind can only be described as young and strong individuals clad in armor. When marching, they do not even resemble soldiers, and once they enter the battlefield, they are likely to collapse at the first touch, clearly not the elite under Yang Xuangan's command

In this era, once soldiers are injured, they rarely recover, and most of them are abandoned. The same is true for Yang Xuangan's army; even though there are quite a few doctors in the camp, they mostly serve the high-ranking generals, leaving little concern for the lives of the injured soldiers

"Let us go to the infirmary for the wounded," Li Yu said, his eyes darting. He understood Li Zixiong's intention; currently, the military forces were largely in the hands of the Yang family, and the only place that had not been abandoned or forgotten by them was the infirmary for the wounded

Li Zixiong is a master of military strategy, even Yang Guang cannot help but admire him. This body can be said to have grown up reading Li Zixiong's military texts, but merely reading them, it is uncertain when one will be able to fully comprehend and integrate the knowledge.

Father, tomorrow I will mobilize five thousand elite troops and immediately leave the main camp to head towards the Yellow River, to see if we can cross it and directly enter Bingzhou. Li Yu had not consumed much alcohol, and the alcohol content of the beverages in this era was not high. Li Yu was very clear-headed and eagerly spoke at that moment

One must have one's own troops and can only be commanded by one's own troops

Li Zixiong seemed not to recognize Li Yu, and he never expected that his own son would have such aspirations, which was beyond his imagination. If he had not confirmed it repeatedly, he might have thought that the Li Yu before him was merely an imposter

Li Yu could not help but sigh. Li Zixiong was good at everything, even his military talents were commendable, but he was unaware of the larger trends. In contrast, Li Yu excelled precisely in understanding these trends

"It is fundamentally impossible to deploy troops to resist the imperial army. Whether it is 5,000 or even 50,000 troops, they are no match for the imperial forces. The armies of Yuwen Shu and Qutuo Tong can defeat us." Li Yu quickly explained, "Yang Xuangan is bound to be defeated, and we will certainly fail if we follow behind."

"Yes, Father." Li Yu nodded, sighing inwardly. It was extremely difficult to persuade Li Zixiong, and it seemed that the only option now was to act according to the circumstances. If he could take advantage of the opportunity to cross the Yellow River with the *Tu* *Shu* machine this time, Li Yu would definitely not return, but would directly invade Bingzhou, burrow into the deep mountains, wait for the right moment, and launch an attack on the land of Hebei

It is a pity. Li Zixiong understood Yang Xuangan even better, and immediately let out a long sigh

Li Zixiong shook his head and said nothing. Under the protection of his elite guards, he led five thousand elite troops towards the banks of the Yellow River. The five thousand troops marched in a grand manner, and Li Yu surveyed the five thousand troops before him, shaking his head slightly in his heart.

Yang Xuangan, having completed his instructions, ordered his personal guards to set up a banquet. Li Yu, having gained control of the troops, also drank a few bowls of wine, but found it tasteless. As he looked at the food and wine before him and thought of the soldiers outside, any trace of joy instantly vanished. The army was now trapped in a siege, and it was truly admirable that Yang Xuangan still had the mood to drink.

Li Zixiong merely snorted coldly without saying anything, but his expression was quite poor, clearly indicating his agreement with Li Yu's words

"Returning to the army? The Duke has over 100,000 troops under his command, while Fan Zigai has only a few men. Is it possible that the Duke's forces cannot withstand Fan Zigai's army?" Li Zixiong had not yet responded when Li Yu impatiently inquired.

The banquet continued until evening, when Li Zixiong finally brought Li Yu back to his tent