Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: Chapter 144: The Soldiers Use Risky Tactics (2/2)

Upon hearing that Han Yu had a 70 to 80 percent confidence, Su Wenyue indeed breathed a sigh of relief. In her view, Han Yu did not undertake tasks without assurance, and if he spoke so confidently, he must be well-prepared. However, she did not sit idly by doing nothing as he suggested, knowing there were still preparations to be made to ease her worries.

Han Yu only had so many men at his disposal, and taking down the bandits stronghold would not be an easy task; it might take some time. Food was indispensable, and with it being November, the cold weather added an extra layer of difficulty. She had heard that the soldiers in the camp had not received their provisions for a month, and considering that some in the camp were deliberately targeting Han Yu, they could not allow him to face the bandits under-equipped and under-fed.

“Husband, will you be coming back home before you set off?” Su Wenyue asked uncertainly, aware that Han Yu sometimes stayed at the military camp due to tight schedules.

“I’ll come back tomorrow night, and will return earlier,” Han Yu thought Su Wenyue wanted to be assured by seeing him before the departure, so he promised to come back since there would be no training tomorrow, only arrangements for the day after.

Although the bandits’ stronghold was not too far from here, a rushed assault could reach it in less than a day. The typical strategy would be to launch a surprise attack and seize the fortress quickly, enabling a swift return. However, with a traitor in the camp leaking information to the bandits, such tactics were obviously infeasible, as they could fall into the bandits’ trap instead. Thus, Han Yu was prepared for this battle to take some time, and he knew they had to be fully equipped.

Su Wenyue, having received a definite answer from Han Yu, did not ask further, pondering what she needed to prepare for the next day to avoid any oversights.

Early the next morning, Han Yu set out, and Su Wenyue also got up early, gathering the servants and organizing them according to her plan. There were three things to prepare: food, medicinal materials, and cotton-padded clothes and quilts.

Fortunately, Su Wenyue had experience from her previous life; the family’s wealth had been entirely converted into food and goods, and the warehouse was full, allowing her to prepare without panic. The required quantity was not too large, everything was readily available at home, and there was no need to haul it from the Zhuangzi.

Considering the inconvenience of transporting raw food during a march, Su Wenyue prepared cooked supplies: flatbread, pickles, dried meat—food that was unlikely to spoil in such weather. If there were time to heat it up before eating, it would be more comfortable, but it was also suitable to eat directly. Each man would also receive several large sweet potatoes and a jug of wine, an essential in such cold weather, to warm them up if they were too cold.

As for medicines, it was impractical to prepare for each individual, so Su Wenyue prepared only what might be needed during the march, divided among several packages for Han Yu to distribute.