Chapter 587 Wu Yan’s thoughts, the best and the worst!

Chapter 587 Wu Yan’s thoughts, the best and the worst!

When Wu Rui asked Wu Yan for his opinion, Wu Yan answered without hesitation: "Father, I think that unless you are ready to surrender, it is not a bad idea to do as Zheng Lu said."

Wu Rui was somewhat surprised that Wu Yan so clearly supported Zheng Lu's idea, after all, they had just discussed the pros and cons of the two plans in detail. However, Wu Yan's ability to express support so decisively did arouse Wu Rui's curiosity.

"What do you mean by that?"

Wu Rui looked puzzled, but stared at Wu Yan calmly, as if he was very interested in what he said. He was not in a hurry to refute Wu Yan, but showed an attitude of wanting to listen, as if waiting for Wu Yan to further explain his point of view.

Wu Yan paused for a moment, then continued, "I like to look at things as good or bad. According to Zhou Ke, the best outcome is that we join forces with the other princes to successfully resist Gao Yao's attack. However, even so, our army will inevitably suffer heavy losses. After all, the main force that holds back Gao Yao's main force is still the army led by your father, and this is unavoidable."

His voice was slightly low, revealing his concern about the situation. Then, Wu Yan changed the subject, "Moreover, even if we repel Gaoyao, there is one thing that cannot be avoided, that is, our army will be unable to invade Gaoyao. We will definitely need time to recuperate and restore our strength. The situations of the other princes are roughly similar."

Wu Rui nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Wu Yan's analysis. Wu Yan took a deep breath and continued, "At that time, father, you will still have to face Gao Yao's possible revenge. In this case, the fight between the two sides will probably become more intense, and may even reach the point of no return. At the same time, we also need to be vigilant against whether the King of Wei and the King of Chu will take the opportunity to attack us while our army is recuperating. After all, when we show weakness, whether they will take the opportunity to invade our territory is all unknown. And this is only the best possible scenario."

"On the other hand, if the worst happens and the two sides are at a stalemate, then although these 150,000 grains may seem like a lot, they can only sustain the army for three months at most. Moreover, it should be noted that once a real war breaks out, these 150,000 grains may not be able to sustain that long. This is because we also need to consider the speed at which the King of Wei replenishes his grain. Even if we take our own grain reserves into account, it can only last for half a year at most, which is already the limit."

Wu Rui then elaborated on his own views and further analyzed the pros and cons. His perspective was completely different from Zheng Lu and Zhou Ke. Zheng Lu and Zhou Ke considered the issue from the perspective of the Hengshan King interest group, while Wu Rui's perspective was closer to his personal future development.

"For Gao Yao's subordinates, this half year is nothing but a trivial matter. After all, the southern border is rich in products and has sufficient food reserves. Not to mention half a year, even three years will not be a problem. If that time really comes, I'm afraid no one will be willing to provide even a grain of food for my father. If Gao Yao succeeds in capturing Nanjun by then, I'm afraid our family's lives will be in danger!"

"Father, please calm down! I am not saying this to boost others' morale and destroy my own prestige, but this is the truth! In order to understand Gao Yao's situation, I have inquired from many aspects. As the saying goes, knowing yourself and knowing the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without defeat. But the result is that the army in the southern border is indeed stronger than ours in many aspects. The weapons and equipment they forge are more sophisticated than ours, the age of the soldiers is kept between 18 and 30 years old, and most of them are experienced veterans. This is an undeniable fact!"

Wu Rui did not just say nice things like others did, but told the other party everything in a realistic way. He elaborated on the best and worst outcomes in detail, allowing the other party to have a clear understanding of the possible situation.

After hearing these words, Wu Rui's face did look a little unhappy, but he also understood that this was reality and could not be changed. Although he was somewhat reluctant, he still nodded helplessly to indicate his tacit acceptance of this fact.

Wu Rui's own ability is actually quite good. If not, he would not have been able to occupy so much territory and successfully attract an army of 100,000. This is enough to prove that he has certain talents in military and leadership.

Wu Rui then went on to analyze the impact of choosing Zheng Lu's approach, pointing out that this choice would also have two results.

The best case scenario is that Zheng Lu's plan can be successfully implemented. In this way, they can not only achieve their own development and growth under the premise of preserving themselves, but also seize Dongting County by accumulating strength.

More importantly, if this plan succeeds, Wu Rui can also take the initiative to give up Dongting County in order to reach a condition for continued cooperation with Gao Yao. In this way, they can implement the strategy of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, letting Gao Yao first target Wang Ben, Xiang Yu and others, while Wu Rui's father can take the opportunity to develop and expand his own power. While maintaining his own strength, he waits for both sides to fight to a loss, and then waits for an opportunity to act and reap the benefits.

"The worst case scenario is that we will become the target of public criticism. However, the King of Wei and the King of Chu will definitely not easily launch an attack on our army. At most, they will cut off their support for us. Compared with the benefits that Gao Yao can bring, it is simply insignificant. Even if Gao Yao really succeeds in capturing Hanzhong, father can completely solve the problem through peace talks, and even join forces with Gao Yao to attack the King of Wei and the King of Chu together. Of course, this is just a strategy. We only need to pretend to attack and pretend, and we don't need to really put in any effort. We just need to wait patiently for the right time. When both sides have tried their best and are exhausted, father can suddenly rebel and give them a fatal blow."

"In this way, if we can destroy Gao Yao's main force in this battle, then our army will be safe for at least the next three years. Not only that, we can also annex the territory of King Wei. Gao Yao also needs time to recuperate after suffering a heavy blow. By then, father can unite with Liu Bang in the north to resist the threat of Gao Yao."