There was already no food in the city, and now five thousand defeated soldiers returned needing als. Of course, Wei Junzhuo wouldn’t stop them—he would rather burden them further by adding thousands more refugees.
Truly, Wei Country is rich. Despite the long siege and having stationed thirty thousand troops at Cang Wind Port earlier, they still have surplus provisions and reinforcents, allowing them to leisurely hold Yinzhou.
Shiqi thought for a mont and said, "Young Master, maybe I should contact Zhou Xinhai again. Perhaps he has so way to gather more provisions."
"There’s no need to trouble Uncle. He’s just a rchant, and besides, communication is difficult now. Didn’t the Wei Army kill one of our scout teams yesterday?"
"Yes."
Gu Lan put down the horse feed: "Let’s go and et Li Yuanju."
Another unlucky person beaten by his father.
At this mont, all commanders above the rank of centurion were discussing matters in the main tent.
Together with Nan Shiqi, Gu Lan hadn’t yet approached when they heard a strange male voice from inside:
"The Prince is badly injured. I am the only Lieutenant General in the army, and a close aide to the Prince. The outcos of the Yinzhou battle are still uncertain. I should be the Commander of the army, not so inexperienced young lad."
Imdiately followed by the irate voice of Tang Zhan:
"In the battle at Cang Wind Port, Wei Country sent only three thousand soldiers to attack the city, yet Li Yuanju, you were left with just half of your troops. With such capabilities, how can you lead an army? Besides, before the Prince fell unconscious, he explicitly stated that all military affairs should be temporarily handed over to Captain Gu!"
"The Cang City battle saw fall into Lu Jian’s trap. There’s no need to discuss this further. You ntioned the Prince’s orders were temporary. Now that I’m back in Yinzhou, who in the army doesn’t know of my superior martial arts and nurous exploits? Naturally, I should take command."
"Li Yuanju, are you defying the Prince’s orders?"
"I dare not, but isn’t it you who, as a re Deputy General, aims to leverage the Prince’s authority for your own purpose!"
Gu Lan frowned and walked directly into the tent, "Well, the Prince isn’t dead yet, and General Li is already vying to be the Commander of Yinzhou."
With the Prince still unconscious, Li Yuanju returned for reinforcents and began clamoring for the Commander’s position.
Inside the tent, Tang Zhan and an unknown man fiercely glared at each other, both with reddened eyes filled with anger.
Rong Heng sat on one side, holding a cup of tea, his bright face covered with a layer of aloofness, as if detached from the world.
Although he held the position of Military Discussion Captain, as the Prince unless the Emperor decreed for him to lead like Prince Rui, such power struggles did not concern him.
At this ti, Tang Zhan wanted to follow Rong Shuo’s prior words, allowing Gu Lan to beco the army’s Commander, while Li Yuanju, in his return to Yinzhou, used his higher rank to suppress everyone.
Tang Zhan was infuriated, and Li Yuanju was equally frustrated.
In the tent, Li Yuanju, donned in battle armor and appearing in his twenties or thirties with a valiant face, looked at Gu Lan with eyes filled with disdain and contempt:
"You must be Young Master Gu? A prodigal child sheltered by ancestral glory, thinking that at such a young age, you can lead troops into battle? Truly laughable."
Gu Lan’s eyes chilled, "So, you’re the nephew of Princess Rui? I regard Prince Rui as a brother—shouldn’t you call Uncle?"
Previously, Rong Heng ntioned that Li Yuanju was Princess Rui’s nephew, the grandson of Princess Rui’s second uncle, General Li Bu.
The Li Family had produced two generals, Li Qing and Li Bu, but now they were both aged. Among the younger generation, only Li Yuanju showed promise as Prince Rui’s second-in-command, calling Prince Rui ’Uncle’ and serving as a Lieutenant General of the border army.
Once beaten by Marquis Gu, seeing Gu Lan reminded Li Yuanju of that humiliation.
Li Yuanju angrily spoke, "What do you an, Young Master Gu?"
"What do you an by being Princess Rui’s nephew?" Gu Lan retorted calmly.
With a quick turn of his eyes, Nan Shiqi loudly exclaid:
"In the army, my Young Master can be called the Heir of Duke Dingyuan, personally appointed as Captain of the Cavalry by the Emperor. Whether called Heir, Captain, or Young Master Gu, it’s all appropriate. General Li accuses the Heir of relying on ancestral shelter, yet are you not also from the illustrious Li Family, still a nephew of the Princess Consort. What’s wrong with calling you that?"
Li Yuanju erupted in anger, "Do not slander the Princess Consort and Prince! I am an honorable Lieutenant General of Dayan’s border army, earning my position through my own ritorious achievents. As for now, who in this army possesses greater martial prowess or deeper experience than I, to be more suitable for command?"
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