Finest Servant

Chapter 519 Burial in the Sand

"Retreat from Wuyuan?" Not only Xu Zhiqing and Zuo Qiu were startled, but even Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan, who were standing beside them, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Xu Zhiqing looked at him with anticipation and hastily asked, "What do you mean by retreat? Do elaborate."

Lin Wanrong took out a brush, ink, and an inkstone from the table and arranged them. "Advisor Xu, Brother Zuo, please take a look. Let this inkstone represent Wuyuan City. We and the nomads are positioned on both sides. Since Wuyuan is indefensible, there is no need to insist on holding it. Retreating from Wuyuan is the best course of action."

Zuo Qiu nodded but still questioned, "Retreating from Wuyuan is indeed necessary, but there are only two paths before us. Either we continue to advance, striking the nomads with full force, or we retreat a few miles to face off with them. Why, Brother Lin, have you specifically chosen the latter?"

Everyone had the same question, all eyes turned to Lin Wanrong, awaiting his answer.

"While both options involve retreating from Wuyuan City, the two paths are entirely different. Brother Zuo, look—" Lin Wanrong moved the inkstone to the back, "If we move northward out of Wuyuan and deploy to battle the nomads in the desert, Wuyuan City will be behind us. This would effectively cut off our retreat, limiting our room to maneuver. If we advance, it's one thing, but if we have to retreat—with the fierceness of the nomadic forces, it's not unlikely that we might need to pull back. In that case, with our army carrying heavy artillery, Wuyuan City would immediately become an obstacle. Essentially, we would be blocking our own way out, and that is not advisable."

Xu Zhiqing nodded with a smile, "So you suggest our forces retreat slightly, making Wuyuan City a barrier between us and the nomads? Each side would then be facing off across the city?" Miss Xu moved the inkstone back to its original position between the two forces.

"Exactly," Lin Wanrong approved with a glance and continued, "If the Turkic people want to battle us, they will have to go through Wuyuan City. What's most terrifying about the nomadic cavalry is their overwhelming, tsunami-like charges. And Wuyuan City serves as a natural speed bump. No matter how agile their steeds are, they will have to slow down when they pass the city. This would weaken their momentum, allowing our artillery to be most effective. We could bombard Wuyuan City, severely weakening the Turkic vanguard."