“Jin Feng? Who is that?”
Danzhu frowned and asked.
“Jin Feng is the Baron of Qingshui in Dakang. He is now the commander of the guards for Princess Chen Wen’er of Dakang.”
The old man stroked his beard and replied.
“Oh, I remember now. Rumours say that Chen Wen’er is promiscuous and had an affair with a baron called something Feng. Before she left for Tubo, she spent several days meeting this baron in secret. I didn’t believe it at the time, but it turns out it was actually true.”
Danzhu suddenly understood and said, “Chen Wen’er truly knows no shame. She actually made her lover the commander of her guards just to make illicit affairs more convenient?”
“I would stake my head on it: the relationship between Chen Wen’er and Jin Feng is not as the rumours claim. General, you must not let gossip cloud your judgement, and you absolutely must not underestimate them because of it!”
The old man continued, “General Sangji lost Mao’er Mountain and his own life precisely because he underestimated Chen Wen’er and Jin Feng.”
“Please advise me, Master Wu!”
Danzhu cupped his hands and said.
The old man was called Wu Zhe and served as Danzhu’s military strategist.
Tubo was located on a high plateau with harsh living conditions and a fierce folk culture. The education level of ordinary people was far lower than in Dakang.
In the past, when Danzhu fought wars, he only knew how to charge on horseback and fight with blades. It was not until he met Wu Zhe, a Dakang scholar who had fled to the plateau, that he began to learn how to use strategy in battle.
Over the following ten-odd years, with Wu Zhe’s assistance, Danzhu won victory after victory.
Wu Zhe deserved immense credit for Danzhu’s achievements today.
For this reason, Danzhu trusted and respected Wu Zhe deeply.
“Before the army set off, I brought a man from Dakang named Feng Sheng to meet you, General. Do you remember?” Wu Zhe asked.
“I remember. A fellow who only knew how to wag his tongue.” Danzhu frowned as he spoke.
After fleeing to Tubo, Feng Sheng had travelled everywhere, trying to make connections with high-ranking Tubo officials in order to get close to Gada.
However, the Tubo people showed little interest in him, and he met rejection wherever he went.
Being a fellow Han Chinese, Wu Zhe received Feng Sheng a few times and even took him to meet Danzhu once.
Unfortunately, Danzhu felt Feng Sheng was untrustworthy, gave him a few perfunctory words, and then found an excuse to send him away.
“Let us put aside what kind of person Feng Sheng is for now and talk about this Jin Feng instead.”
Wu Zhe said, “Before coming here, Feng Sheng repeatedly warned me to be careful of this man. At first I thought he was exaggerating, but to be safe I still sent people to investigate. It turns out Jin Feng really is no ordinary figure.
The heavy crossbows and trebuchets that have been causing you so much trouble were all designed by him!”
“So it was him!” Danzhu gnashed his teeth.
The reason he had not yet launched an all-out assault was precisely because of the heavy crossbows and trebuchets on the walls of Xichuan city.
Those two weapons were far more powerful than ordinary arrows.
If he sent men to attack head-on, even if they could take Xichuan city, the losses among the Tubo cavalry would be enormous.
“Besides being skilled at making weapons, Jin Feng is also not to be underestimated when it comes to battlefield tactics.”
Wu Zhe asked, “This spring, the Dangxiang fought Dakang at Qingshui Valley outside Weizhou city. Have you heard about that battle, General?”
“I know of it,” Danzhu nodded. “The Dangxiang were defeated, yet Dakang increased the annual tribute.”
Tubo had been plagued by years of internal strife. Gada had originally planned to recuperate and had no intention of starting another war with Dakang.
It was precisely because he heard about that battle that Gada resolved to look for an opportunity to attack Dakang.
“After arriving at Xichuan, I sent people to gather intelligence. The one who defeated the Dangxiang at Qingshui Valley was none other than this Jin Feng.”
Wu Zhe continued, “General, do you know how many men he used to defeat more than ten thousand Dangxiang cavalry?”
“How many?” Danzhu asked.
“Fewer than three thousand infantry!”
“Impossible!” Danzhu shook his head at once.
Because communication was so primitive, although Danzhu had heard about the battle at Qingshui Valley, he had never obtained detailed information about how it was fought.
Yet having fought for half his life, Danzhu knew what more than ten thousand cavalry meant.
Let alone three thousand infantry, even thirty thousand infantry would find it hard to defeat them.
“When I first heard it, I also thought it impossible. But later I had spies deliberately collect intelligence on that battle, and only then did I learn it was true.”
As he spoke, Wu Zhe took out a report from his robe.
The report recorded the course of the battle at Qingshui Valley in detail.
After Danzhu finished reading it, he remained silent for a long time.
Finally he sighed and said, “I never knew such an extraordinary man existed in the world. No wonder he wiped out three thousand of my men without losing a single soldier. His methods are truly unprecedented!”
Wu Zhe stroked his beard and smiled with relief.
He had said all this precisely to warn Danzhu against underestimating the enemy.
It seemed his warning had worked.
The two men discussed some countermeasures, and Wu Zhe did not leave until midnight.
Yet the very next day, before dawn, Wu Zhe returned.
“Master, what has happened?”
Danzhu asked while dressing.
If nothing urgent had occurred, Wu Zhe would never disturb him so early.
“General, I have just received news. Chen Wen’er has abandoned Mao’er Mountain and is leading Meng Tianhai’s troops straight towards Xichuan prefectural city.” Wu Zhe said anxiously.
“Has Chen Wen’er gone mad?” Danzhu stopped what he was doing, his face full of disbelief.
The previous night, the two of them had discussed Mao’er Mountain until late.
Mao’er Mountain was the terrain between the Jinma River and Xichuan city most suitable for defence.
That was why Qing Xinyao had originally sent Meng Tianhai to ambush Danzhu there.
Both Danzhu and Wu Zhe had assumed that the Ninth Princess would keep Meng Tianhai’s troops at Mao’er Mountain to block the Tubo army’s rear supply line.
Yet only a few hours later, they had been proven completely wrong.
The Ninth Princess had actually abandoned the advantageous terrain she had fought so hard to retake and was charging towards Xichuan prefectural city.
Danzhu simply could not understand what the Ninth Princess was thinking.
“Master, should we send troops to intercept them?”
The thought flashed through Danzhu’s mind. “Right now Chen Wen’er only has Meng Tianhai’s forces, and she has given up the favourable terrain. This is a perfect chance to eliminate Chen Wen’er and Jin Feng!”
“No!” Wu Zhe said. “Meng Tianhai commands several thousand men. To destroy them quickly, we would need to dispatch at least the same number to be certain of success.
The main army currently has tasks everywhere. If we suddenly transfer several thousand men, many positions will be weakened, and if Qing Xinyao then leads troops out of the city, the consequences would be unpredictable!
In my opinion, Meng Tianhai’s主动 abandonment of Mao’er Mountain is very likely a ploy to lure you into dividing your forces.”
“Then what do you suggest, Master?” Danzhu asked.
“Ignore them,” Wu Zhe replied. “At present, all the advantageous terrain around Xichuan prefecture is in our hands. If Meng Tianhai attacks us主动, he is simply court death. Whatever his aim, we need only remain steady and refuse to be drawn.”
Wu Zhe went on, “If they are trying to lure us, and we pay no attention, they will return to Mao’er Mountain of their own accord. If they genuinely intend to fight, we hold the high ground and can fight rested against weary troops. That is far less costly and offers far greater chance of victory than actively intercepting them!”
“That makes sense!” Danzhu nodded slightly. “Then we shall do as you say and ignore them!”
