Chapter 28: Believe It or Not, I’m Just Guessing

Thunder Eagle dared not delay for a single moment. The enemy already knew every weakness of their stronghold. If a massive army were truly sent to lay siege, they might not be able to hold out. Moreover, once a war broke out, the stronghold would likely suffer heavy casualties, and there was even a possibility that not a single living soul would be spared.

He hurriedly summoned all the leaders and respected elders to discuss the matter. Since they had been given three days before the attack, there was no need to worry about hostilities in the immediate future. Leaving enough men to maintain a vigilant watch would suffice.

Li Ye led his troops back to the main encampment. All the generals were in high spirits. The Sixth Prince’s performance today had completely exceeded their expectations. His momentum had utterly overwhelmed the bandits, and they could already see the hope of winning without a fight.

"It turns out His Highness the Sixth Prince had long made thorough preparations, having sent people to gather intelligence years ago. No wonder His Highness was so confident from the very beginning."

"His Highness is truly a master of strategy; this subordinate is impressed beyond words."

"His Highness is a military prodigy. If he continues to lead troops into battle, he will certainly defeat every enemy and may even become the God of War of our Great Yuan Dynasty."

...

Faced with the flattery of his officers, Li Ye remained remarkably calm.

"Enough, enough. Now is not the time for praise! Next, we must display our troops with an imposing, unstoppable aura. If Bald Eagle Mountain dares to reject our terms of surrender, we must launch an attack immediately. Of course, this is also to exert pressure on them. Place the most elite soldiers in the outermost ranks; you must ensure the bandits do not discover that we are mostly veterans and disabled soldiers."

Li Ye spoke with a grave expression. He knew he had to combine the carrot and the stick to make these bandits submit.

"This subordinate understands. We have been doing exactly that from the start! We will never let the bandits discover the true state of our forces."

Li Ye realized that these generals were highly reliable. Their arrangement of troops and formations was methodical, and he did not need to worry about such details. Li Ye did not know that, in truth, the reason these generals were leading veterans and remnants was simply because they lacked powerful backers, not because they lacked ability. Li Ye's arrival had given them hope, and they were naturally working with great fervor.

"Go now. You must not be the slightest bit careless, and you must guard against the enemy becoming desperate and launching a sneak attack. Until victory is secured, we must not give the enemy any opportunity."

"Yes!"

The generals acknowledged his orders and exited the tent.

Linyue was equally curious. She protected Li Ye almost all day and was well aware of the business dealings with Bald Eagle Mountain. She had never heard of Li Ye arranging for any intelligence gathering on the mountain, which left her deeply shocked. She suddenly felt that her wager with Li Ye might truly be lost. However, Linyue was not afraid of having to massage Li Ye’s shoulders and back; in fact, she would be happy if she lost. She was simply immensely curious.

"Your Highness, there is one thing Linyue truly cannot fathom! Even if you sent merchant caravans to do business with them, surely investigating the water routes of their springs could not have been that easy? How did you deceive the bandits on the mountain?"

"Actually, it is quite simple: I was just bluffing them. Furthermore, judging by the terrain of Bald Eagle Mountain, they would only be unafraid of a siege if they possessed underground rivers and springs. Having lived there for so many years, they must know their water sources thoroughly. I simply feigned that I knew everything to scare them. They might not fear fire, they might not fear a siege, and they could even endure long periods without supplies, clothing, or medicinal herbs—but without water, they are as good as dead."

Li Ye explained with a smile, looking at Linyue with a smug expression. "But it seems I gambled correctly. The moment I mentioned cutting off their water supply, their expressions changed drastically. I must have hit them where it hurts."

A look of immense admiration appeared on Linyue’s face. She sighed, "Your Highness is truly brilliant to have grasped the thoughts of these bandits so thoroughly. They truly do not lose unjustly to you."

Master Xiao remained silent, but his eyes flashed with a sharp light. Originally, he had only intended for Li Ye to inherit the Phoenix Owl League and become the next Master Xiao. But seeing that Li Ye possessed such outstanding military talent, combined with his meticulous mind and masterfully calculated strategies, he realized that Li Ye was perfectly capable of contending for the throne. Even without the support of officials or other armies, the strength of the Phoenix Owl League alone gave him a very high chance of successfully seizing the throne. Furthermore, through his own business channels, Li Ye had connected with many powerful sects, such as the Moxie Workshop, which wielded immense influence in both the imperial court and the martial world.

If they all threw their full support behind Li Ye, they would form a formidable power. With massive financial backing, Li Ye could even quickly assemble an entirely new army. The only thing left for Master Xiao to do was to convince Li Ye to seize the throne.

At this point, there was a ninety-percent chance of capturing Bald Eagle Mountain. If the bandits on the mountain were ungrateful and insisted on resisting, Master Xiao had already decided to intervene personally to assist Li Ye. Although he had initially claimed he would not take action against the bandits, the situation was now entirely different. He could not allow the credit to fall to others. He had to ensure the Emperor witnessed Li Ye’s military prowess. Once this battle was won, no matter how low-profile Li Ye remained, he would inevitably arouse the wariness of the other princes. It would be impossible for him not to be drawn into the struggle for the throne.

Li Ye lay back comfortably in his chair and said lazily, "From here on, we just need to pass these three days in peace. If they are willing to surrender, we shall return in triumph. If they are unwilling, we will retreat and send other armies to attack. As for surveying underground springs and water routes, that is a massive undertaking; let someone else do it."

"I believe Your Highness will surely win!" Linyue said confidently.

Li Ye looked at her with a wry smile and said, "If I win, you will have to massage my shoulders and back for a month."

"Then I hope Your Highness wins even more!" Linyue replied decisively.

In the stronghold on Bald Eagle Mountain, a large crowd had gathered. The atmosphere was incredibly tense and oppressive, and everyone’s expression was grave. Thunder Eagle sat in the chieftain’s chair and spoke, "The situation is as it stands. We never expected the Sixth Prince of the Great Yuan to be so formidable. By doing business with us, he spent several years investigating the situation on Bald Eagle Mountain in great detail. I fear we cannot escape this time."

"Let’s fight them to the death! Even if we all perish, we cannot surrender to them." Some of the younger men, fueled by hot-bloodedness, shouted loudly about taking the imperial army down with them.

The older elders, however, were able to keep their composure and considered matters with a longer view. "Do not be impulsive; this matter requires careful deliberation. Knowing full well there is no chance of victory, it would be foolish to fight them head-on."