They relaxed, but Hou Yuxiao's face immediately darkened; although he was inwardly cursing Zhan Taiqing for being shameless, his mind was still quickly considering countermeasures.
Such an overt request for the Hou Clan's army to march to its doom was, of course, out of the question for Hou Yuxiao. He believed Zhan Taiqing knew this too. The wretched woman was deliberately saying this simply to force him to suggest a strategy.
But he didn't want to help so easily, so he could only remain silent.
Zhan Taiqing looked at Hou Yuxiao, her gaze slightly intense, without speaking a word. She just stared straight at him with an expression that said she had him completely figured out.
Hou Yuxiao was so intently scrutinized that his forehead began to sweat; he couldn't take it anymore and finally spoke, "Master, my more than ten thousand men of the Hou Clan have all truly been on the battlefield. If we rashly serve as the vanguard and cannot open the situation, it would negatively impact the brothers following behind us. It would not be good!"
"No matter, as long as your men are not afraid of dying, I will remember their service. And if, by a slim chance, they cannot influence the greater army behind them, it would be due to my poor command and not your fault."
This wretched woman, she's relentless!
Hou Yuxiao's gaze revealed a hint of gloominess. He almost couldn't help but curse out loud; however, the memory of Zhan Taiqing's slap was still fresh in his mind, so he naturally didn't dare to offend her. Left with no other choice, he could only rant inwardly.
"Master of Hou Family, I forgot to mention," continued Zhan Taiqing, "in this great war, the land in Xuzhou that we conquer from Yongzhou will be distributed based on military achievements. That is to say, no matter who it is, the greater the merit, the larger the share of land they will receive. If your Hou Clan distinguishes itself, not only Wanyang County but also Longxiang, Yangping, and the other six counties of Guangling Prefecture could possibly be yours. Master of Hou Family, aren't you tempted?"
As Zhan Taiqing's words fell, Hou Yuxiao and Hou Yuduan both almost simultaneously raised their heads, their eyes flashing a sharp light, they asked in unison, "Master, are you serious?"
Seeing their reaction, Zhan Taiqing immediately felt an urge to bite down in irritation; her chest heaved twice as she struggled to contain her anger. But she considered the situation and nodded, replying, "Once I give my word, no power can pull back the chariot."
With this promise, joy immediately surfaced on Hou Yuxiao's face. He exchanged a glance with Hou Yuduan, who was beside him. The two brothers had a tacit understanding that had obviously reached a frightening level; they didn't even need to communicate to read each other's thoughts.
"Fourth Elder, Old Fifth, you go and notify Second Elder, tell him there's no need to come to Wanyang County City. Head east along the Official Road and look for a suitable place to station the troops. I will follow soon!"
Without any exchange of words, the three brothers understood each other's intentions instantly. Upon hearing Hou Yuxiao's command, Hou Yu Jie and Hou Yuduan immediately nodded and turned to find the army led by Second Elder, Hou Yucheng.
Zhan Taiqing and the others, upon seeing Hou Yuxiao's arrangements, showed a hint of confusion in their eyes. Just as they were about to ask, Hou Yuxiao turned to Zhan Taiqing and extended an invitation.
"For matters of military importance, to avoid prying eyes and potential leaks, I ask that you come with me, Master. Once I'm done, it would be up to you to decide whether to follow my suggestion. How does that sound?"
Hou Yuxiao's words were somewhat offensive. As they were spoken, the expressions of the other onlookers changed, but only the faces of the three commandants remained composed. Clearly, as military men, they approved of Hou Yuxiao's action and had no objections in their minds.
"Come with me," said Zhan Taiqing, without much thought. She simply beckoned to Hou Yuxiao lightly and led him to a tent in front of the military formation.
Consequently, the others could only stand outside with strange expressions, gazing at the tent and speculating about the conversation between the two...