Chapter 125: Eavesdropping, Provisions

The man on the right slapped the table. His voice, still somewhat youthful, rang out in displeasure. “All we need do is avoid battle and hold the city. Why throw an egg against a rock?”

The man seated opposite him did not take offense. His gaze was deep and steady. “Big Brother, which of the four of us has ever crossed swords with the Chu Family Army?”

The other three shook their heads in unison. The man opposite continued, “None of us. Then how much do we really know about our enemy?”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Chu Junhan fixed his gaze on the man opposite. He had not expected to find someone so clear-headed in a little city like this. Rare indeed.

“From what I’ve learned, the Chu Family Army is running short of provisions in the rear. Every time they capture a city, they either find a way to seize its supplies or steal them. And their favorite trick when stealing provisions is to lure the tiger away from the mountain. They pretend to engage us in battle while secretly taking another route to our provisions!”

The young boy narrowed his eyes. What a clever fellow. He certainly had done his homework on us.

“Let me ask the four of us here: who among us can split himself in two—one half to resist the attack, the other to guard the provisions? Even if all four of us joined forces, we might not be able to protect them! Once the provisions are gone, how are we supposed to defend the city?”

“I have heard some of this myself. So, Younger Brother, in your view, what should we do?” The man in the seat of honor nodded, agreeing with his counterpart, and lowered his stance slightly, adopting the manner of one prepared to listen attentively.

The man opposite cleared his throat. His voice carried a trace of smugness. “When Tang Chen came, I boldly let him into the city. I thought that since this was only a small city, losing it would not matter. If I could help Big Brother discover the truth of the enemy’s strength, then the loss would not be in vain. Now, guess what happened?”

“What happened?” the other three asked together.

“Well, that old Tang Chen asked whether I was Big Brother’s subordinate. He said that if I wasn’t, I might consider surrendering. He guaranteed that he would not harm a single one of my soldiers and would even let me remain a local power.”

The man acted out the scene as though performing in an opera, imitating every detail. “I immediately shook my head and said I wasn’t. Then I begged him not to attack me and praised him to the heavens. And in the end, he really did leave.”

The rough-looking man gave a disdainful snort and folded his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you showing off your get-out-of-death-free card?”

“Exactly!” The younger man snorted contemptuously as well.

“Let him finish. Stop making such a racket!”

The man opposite pressed his lips into a smile and lowered his voice. “Big Brother, doesn’t the Chu Family Army love stealing provisions? They’ve already fought their way here, and the four of us cannot possibly protect the supplies on our own. Since that young Tang Chen promised not to attack me, why not place all the provisions in my territory?”

His words left the room silent once again.

The man in the seat of honor held the greatest power, and naturally possessed the greatest quantity of provisions. That also made him the most vulnerable.

Yet he had his own concerns. He feared that if he entrusted the supplies to someone else, he would lose both his wife and his soldiers.

“Big Brother!” the man opposite urged anxiously. The silence of the other three made him feel that none of them trusted him.

What a splendid scheme!

The young boy sighed inwardly. If he had not come here today, and the four men had reached an agreement, they might have searched the entire city without finding a single grain of food. The cities beyond it would have been impossible to conquer as well.

But the human heart was often far more selfish than one imagined.

After a moment, the man in the seat of honor took a sip of wine. The liquor burned his throat as he said, “Your plan is indeed ingenious, Younger Brother. But as for the provisions, I’ll keep them here for now and see how things develop.”

“Big Brother…”

“No need to say anything more. It’s settled.”