Chapter 122: Enemy Of A Hundred, Or Enemy Of Ten Thousand
Snow falls all over, like pear blossoms.
Xiao Yi looked up, staring, his bandaged hand clenched, trembling slightly.
As if holding an invisible spear, he practiced thrusting out pear blossoms as white as snow.
He could never understand how Liu Jiye could wield such a heavy iron spear and execute such a fast Zhongping spear technique.
At times, he also recalled the incantations for learning spear techniques in his previous life.
“The Yang family spear technique is renowned throughout the world; it moves like an arrow and returns like a thread; quick hands and sharp eyes pierce the face. Dancing flower spears, a dazzling blur; locking throat spears, irresistible to gods and demons.”
His spear technique master was the forty-ninth generation descendant of the Yang family spear technique. He disliked that Xiao Yi’s learning was too varied and refused to accept him as a disciple, yet he imparted all his knowledge, always saying the way of the spear lay in the unity of man and spear.
Having lived two lives, he had only seen Liu Jiye achieve this, his heavy spear was fierce, chopping and smashing were superficial, while the fast spear that locked throats was real… no, there was substance within superficiality, and superficiality within substance.
Such a formidable opponent was merely an unknown figure in the historical records.
Incorrect.
Liu Jiye… his surname was Yang, Yang Jiye? Yang Ye?
Could it be that he had met the ancestral master?
If that were the case, then impersonating Murong Fu this time was indeed “using his own method to counter his own.”
With this thought, Xiao Yi re-examined Liu Jiye’s spear technique, and his perception was greatly different.
Suddenly, someone clapped him on the left shoulder.
He spun around abruptly, his long spear sweeping horizontally, transforming into a chopping motion, smashing towards the person’s waist.
“Bang.”
Another large hand covered his right shoulder, pinning him in place.
“General Xiao, what are you doing?”
Xiao Yi came to his senses, focused his gaze, and saw a very rough, ugly face grinning at him, revealing a few rotten teeth.
“Tang Jin? What are you doing here?”
“Waiting to escort you, General. I’ve been waiting here for two or three days.” Tang Jin said, “Has the General perhaps lost his mind in this battle? You seem dazed.”
Xiao Yi looked down and realized he wasn’t holding a long spear.
He looked around. The troops had already left Fukou Pass, and ahead lay the continuous military camps along the Fuyang River.
In his ears, Tang Jin was still rambling about irrelevant things.
“What General is better than me is this brain of yours. It would be too much of a pity if it were gone…”
Xiao Yi asked, “In your eyes, am I not skilled in martial arts?”
“Haha, your stances look good, and you have many tricks.” Tang Jin scratched his head and said, “The one thing I admire most about you, General, is that you can always catch a mouse that’s already dead.”
“In your opinion, Murong Yanchao and Liu Zhu are just dead mice?”
“Defeated generals, anyway. Their martial arts are not much, at most fourth or fifth rate.”
“Oh?” Xiao Yi was quite interested and asked, “Then what rank am I? You can tell me the truth.”
“I never lie.”
Tang Jin led Xiao Yi’s horse, speaking as they walked.
“I can barely be considered first-rate, and so can General Guo Chongwei; Marshal, when he was young, was definitely top-tier. Later, after I appeared, he rarely took action; Da Lang, having practiced martial arts with the Marshal since childhood, also has considerable skill; Fu Yanqing was brave in his early years, I heard he could pierce seven layers of armor with a single arrow, perhaps not as capable in old age… Oh, if Li Cunxiao were still alive, he would be above first-rate.”
“Second-rate?”
“Hmph, up ahead.”
Tang Jin pointed at Li Rong in front and commented, “General Li Rong is fierce, but he can’t beat me, so he’s only second-rate; also, General He Fujin was first-rate when he was young, but too many old injuries prevent him from fighting; General Cao Ying’s archery is superb. If he kills me from ten paces away, I can kill him easily within ten paces.”
Xiao Yi realized that in Tang Jin’s eyes, he couldn’t even make it into the second-rate.
“Third-rate?”
“A foolish donkey has some strength, he counts as one; honestly, General, your strength isn’t even third-rate, but you have clever techniques, and your flashy moves can fool outsiders. Your riding skill is truly impressive, better than mine. An ordinary third-rate general, if not careful, could actually be taken down by you. You can be considered third-rate.”
Speaking of this, Tang Jin grinned and sneered, “General, you really shouldn’t be unconvinced. Many of the people you’ve killed died because they underestimated you. I saw clearly when you killed Liu Zhu. Everyone says Liu Zhu is vicious, but his martial arts are so poor, as if he swallowed senna leaves, relying solely on his fierce reputation to scare people. Later, I cut him open with a knife, and his flesh was loose, he was only fourth-rate; don’t even mention Yan Kunlunnu, he has a second-rate body but moves too clumsily and slowly, a fifth-rate fighter, and he can still become a famous general, bah.”
Since the campaign, Xiao Yi felt he was quite capable, but hearing Tang Jin say this today, it turned out that all those who could truly fight were on his side so far.
“Have you heard of Liu Jiye?”
“No. Who is this cat or dog? How could I know them all?”
Xiao Yi thought back. Since he had known Tang Jin, he had only seen him guarding Guo Xin, and he didn’t seem to exert himself much.
“Shall we spar sometime?”
“Heh heh, I never spar with people. I only know how to kill. General, why are you asking these things today? You’re handsome and literate. In the future, you can be an enemy of ten thousand men! No matter how high your martial arts are, at most you can be an enemy of a hundred men, right?”
“You understand this logic?”
Tang Jin probably thought Xiao Yi was praising him, and he chuckled happily, quite self-satisfied.
“Apart from not being literate, I have no other shortcomings. If I were literate, I would write a list of all the generals in the world, and everyone would praise me for my knowledge… Oh, I mean, why doesn’t the General ask about something useful? For example, why did the Marshal summon you back?”
“I know that.”
As they spoke, the troops had marched to the camp gate. Xiao Yi looked up and saw the large banner of the Tianxiong Army fluttering in the wind.
Various directional flags were planted behind the large banner, with blue, red, white, and black indicating east, south, west, and north, and a yellow flag stood high in the center.
Almost without waiting, Xiao Yi and Li Rong were led to the main camp tent.
Behind the marshal’s desk sat Guo Wei, a old felt draped over his knees. He still exuded an imposing presence without anger, but upon closer inspection, his eyes were bloodshot, indicating he hadn’t slept for several nights.
“Greetings, Marshal!”
Before the generals paid their respects, Xiao Yi noticed that the map on the marshal’s desk had been replaced with a map of the current dynasty’s vast territory. The names of various commanders were written in ink and vermilion, with vermilion appearing more frequently in Hedong.
However, in the Hedong region, two names had been crossed out and rewritten in ink: one was Chang Si of Luzhou, and the other was Wang Yan of Jinzhou.
While he was contemplating, he suddenly sensed something and looked up, seeing Guo Wei staring intently at him.
“Having just entered Hedong, what have you gained? Speak your minds.”
Li Rong exclaimed first, “We almost captured Qinzhou, but alas, we retreated… But on the other hand, the Marshal has his reasons. This subordinate is a fool, I only follow orders.”
Guo Wei’s face was grim, and he remained silent.
Li Rong then honestly recounted the campaign in Hedong. At the end, picking at the horse dung under his fingernails, he said, “The Marshal asked what I gained. I think Liu Chong and Li Cungui are nothing special. By next spring and summer, we can decide the outcome in one battle!”
“Xiao Yi, you speak.”
“Hedong is difficult to conquer.”
“Marshal, please ignore him.” Li Rong interrupted, “He hasn’t suffered any hardship. He got confused on this trip.”
“What the General said is true, our army can indeed win in the initial fierce assault. But breaking the formation is easy, destroying Liu Chong is difficult.”
“If you don’t understand, don’t spout nonsense. Aren’t you afraid people will say you’re praising the enemy and demoralizing our own troops?”
Guo Wei raised his hand to stop him and said, “Let this young man speak.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment before speaking.
He was at least more cultured than Li Rong.
“The Hedong region, embracing rivers and mountains, lives up to its name. Its terrain is perilous; in winter, the snow-capped mountains are insurmountable; in spring, the great river acts as a barrier. It has countless passes, each a single man defending, invincible to thousands. Even with hundreds of thousands of our troops, it would be difficult to conquer quickly. And if the war drags on, Hedong cavalry can harass our supply lines at any time.”
He paused, his gaze flickered towards Guo Wei, who showed no particular expression, clearly already aware of this.
This exchange was more of a test.
“Furthermore, the soldiers and generals of Hedong are quite fierce, mostly seasoned warriors who have long fought against the Khitan and Tuyuhun. They are a mix of nomadic and Han people, skilled in archery and horsemanship, possessing far more good horses than our army. Their morale is not yet broken. Liu Chong is, after all, the younger brother of Gaozu. His foundations are still solid after years of cultivation.”
After speaking, Xiao Yi stood solemnly for a while.
He could feel that Guo Wei, like him, harbored a strong sense of unwillingness.
Guo Wei stroked his knees and asked, “If we cannot take Hedong quickly this time, in your opinion, how should it be conquered?”
Xiao Yi dared not answer immediately.
He had never studied military strategy. If there was anything he was better at than other generals, it might be his rich experience and the numerous “simulated” wars he had witnessed. He wondered if he could dare to display his limited skill before a master.
Seeing that he was at a loss, Li Rong broke the silence and said, “This kid is so young, what can he possibly say?”
“Since there is no one else, speak boldly.”
“Yes.”
Xiao Yi still decided to try and speak. He stepped forward, pointing at the map, and said, “Your subordinate presumes to suggest that to overcome the perils of Hedong, the strategy of ‘building camps step by step’ can be used.”
Guo Wei’s eyes seemed to show interest, and he gestured for him to elaborate.
Li Rong then ceased his fidgeting and stopped picking at the horse dung.
Xiao Yi gained some confidence and said, “The first step is to secure defenses and cut off reinforcements, grasping their throat. Luzhou and Jinzhou are Liu Chong’s southern gateways. We must send trusted generals to guard them, both to prevent his expansion and as a springboard for our northward advance. Here, we will cultivate the land and stockpile grain and ordnance, which will alleviate the hardship of supplying the main army.”
“You have some insight,” Li Rong said. “But in that desolate place, how can you store grain?”
“Continue.”
“The second step is to cut off external aid and deplete their foundation. Liu Chong, with the strength of Hedong alone, cannot contend with us. He must rely on the Khitan. If we cannot conquer Hedong in one battle, we should use our troops to wear down the Khitan and strategically deplete Hedong.”
“What do you mean by strategically depleting Hedong?”
“For example, trading luxury goods from Jiangnan to purchase their warhorses and leather; using rumors to sow discord among his capable ministers and good generals; bribing his trusted close officials with heavy gold; attracting refugees; dispatching spies to gather intelligence and understand their city defenses… When preparations are sufficient, then proceed to the third step, choose an opportune moment for a decisive battle, and annihilate them in one engagement.”
This was Xiao Yi’s first attempt at proposing a strategy, and he felt unsure. After speaking, he waited quietly for Guo Wei’s response.
Guo Wei offered no comment, but instead looked at him deeply.
At this moment, Wei Renpu entered the tent and bowed to Xiao Yi and Li Rong, saying, “Ming Gong originally intended to advance into Hedong and destroy Liu Chong in one battle while he was engrossed in his son’s enthronement. However, news has arrived that Jinyang is already prepared, hence you are ordered to withdraw. Ming Gong fears pursuit by the Hedong forces, and despite widespread opposition, he personally leads the main army north to support you two.”
This reason, Xiao Yi didn’t care whether he believed it or not, it was a reason nonetheless.
“Thank you, Ming Gong.”
“Thank you, Marshal.”
Wei Renpu said with a solemn expression, “Liu Yun abandoned the throne and fled to Hedong, and you two generals worked hard to stop him. Since he is not the ruler now, the Marshal should return to Kaifeng and re-establish a successor.”
Here it comes.
Xiao Yi suddenly felt a storm was brewing.
The weather turned colder, time to add more clothes.
