“Should we intercept them? …”
Wu Zhe did not answer Danzhu immediately. Instead, he muttered to himself, “Jin Feng cannot possibly be unaware that sending men to attack the north city gate would be dangerous for that unit once we send troops to block them. Why, then, does he still dispatch them?”
After pondering for a moment, he continued, “The unit Jin Feng has sent out is no ordinary one!”
“Please explain clearly, sir,” Danzhu said, cupping his hands.
“This old man believes Jin Feng is gambling, gambling that we will not lightly leave our camp!”
Wu Zhe said, “If we do not go out to intercept, they will seize the north city gate. If we do go out to block them and send too few men, they will take the opportunity to swallow them up, depleting our effective forces!”
“Surely you exaggerate, sir? On what basis does he think he can deplete our forces?”
Danzhu said disdainfully, “Judging by the number of torches, they have at most a little over two thousand men. The Da Kang troops are weak and cowardly. Sending three banners of infantry would certainly be enough to wipe them out!”
“General, hear me out,” Wu Zhe said. “If this old man is not mistaken, that black-armoured elite unit under Jin Feng must be part of this force, supported by another one or two thousand Da Kang soldiers. If the general only sends three thousand infantry, it is uncertain who would destroy whom.”
“This…”
Upon hearing about the black-armoured unit, Danzhu’s confidence faltered somewhat.
Still unconvinced, he said, “Even if the black-armoured unit is there, three thousand is not enough, but surely six thousand would suffice? As long as we destroy the black-armoured unit, what else does Jin Feng have to rely on?”
“Perhaps that is precisely the second purpose of Jin Feng dispatching this unit!” Wu Zhe said. “If we send six thousand men, the main camp will become vulnerable, and Jin Feng can lead his forces down the mountain to attack it!”
“Impossible!” Danzhu shook his head firmly. “Even if we send six thousand, the main camp would still have several thousand men, plus defensive works. How many troops does Jin Feng have in total? Having already sent out over two thousand, coming to attack our camp would be suicidal!”
“Do not forget Qing Xinyao in Xichuan City, General.”
Wu Zhe reminded him, “Qing Xinyao and his father have governed Xichuan City for many years. It is impossible that Meng Tianhai is the only force they have. If Jin Feng attacks our camp while Qing Xinyao leads troops out from the city, we would be caught between two enemies. What then, General?”
At these words, Danzhu’s pupils contracted slightly.
These past days, Qing Xinyao had remained holed up in Xichuan City, defending it without sending any troops out to fight. Danzhu had almost forgotten his existence.
Influenced by his father and family precepts, Qing Xinyao had not become a pampered commander. He was a resolute proponent of war.
Danzhu did not believe for a moment that Meng Tianhai was his only card.
“Back then, when Feng Sheng told me Jin Feng would be hard to deal with, I did not believe it. Now I realise he truly is a formidable opponent. With just over two thousand men, he has posed us a massive dilemma!”
Wu Zhe sighed and said, “This move is an open strategy. Whether we send troops to intercept or not, and however many we send, he gains the advantage.”
“Indeed formidable,” Danzhu nodded, “and ruthless too. Before sending these two thousand-plus men down the mountain, Jin Feng probably already prepared for them to die!”
“Mercy does not command armies. How can there be war without deaths? It only matters whether those deaths are worthwhile!”
Wu Zhe said, “Fighting a war is like playing chess. The general is the one who moves the pieces. If one is unwilling to sacrifice even a single piece, one might as well go home and farm.”
From the bones of ten thousand dead springs the success of one general.
Many generals care only whether they win or lose in the end. They never consider how many soldiers die.
After all, it is not they who fight on the front line. What do the deaths of however many men matter to them?
As long as they win, military merit is theirs.
At worst, they can recruit more soldiers after victory.
“Jin Feng is indeed a worthy opponent!” Wu Zhe nodded.
In his heart, he finally began to take him seriously.
If Jin Feng knew how highly they regarded him, he would surely feel wronged.
Was he not clearly a very kind person?
It was simply that Wu Zhe and Danzhu saw others through their own tainted lenses, assuming everyone was like them.
In truth, Jin Feng had long known he was not skilled at intrigue and lacked ruthlessness.
That was why he stayed far from the court and any place requiring scheming and backstabbing.
Whether the Ninth Princess, Qing Mulang, and Qing Xinyao in the city had contacted each other, he did not know, but he certainly had not.
Dispatching the escort team was never about sending them to die. He genuinely had confidence.
From beginning to end, his confidence came from the knowledge he had diligently studied in his previous life.
Of course, Jin Feng’s intelligence was certainly above average.
Though he used strategy in leading troops, he did not rely on it.
To forge iron, one needs a strong hammer. Only by ensuring people had full bellies would they willingly follow him.
Only by developing industry could one truly stand undefeated.
Intrigue and the like were minor paths. They might deceive for a while, but not forever.
Any strategy, in the face of absolute strength, was worthless and would be crushed to dust.
Power grows from the barrel of a gun. Truth lies only within the range of cannons. These were truths verified by history.
“Sir, what do you think we should do now?” Danzhu asked. “Should we send troops to intercept? If so, how many would be appropriate?”
“General, this decision must be yours,” Wu Zhe shook his head.
The decision was too important. As an adviser, Wu Zhe could only help Danzhu analyse the situation and voice his deductions.
He could not make the decision for Danzhu, nor even offer a suggestion.
How to choose was the general’s affair.
Once Danzhu made his choice, Wu Zhe would then help make it as perfect as possible.
This was why Danzhu had always valued Wu Zhe.
Not only was he clever and cautious, familiar with military classics, but he never overstepped his bounds.
He was the ideal adviser.
Yet this time, the two had analysed the matter so thoroughly that Danzhu could not easily decide.
Watching the torch procession move farther away, Danzhu cupped his hands and said, “Sir, to be honest, my mind is in turmoil. I beg you for guidance! I will bear any consequences!”
By saying this, Danzhu was effectively asking Wu Zhe to decide for him.
Wu Zhe considered for a moment, then said slowly, “I suggest sending troops to intercept!”
“Then how many does sir think would be suitable?” Danzhu asked.
“Three thousand!” Wu Zhe held up three fingers.
“Did sir not just say three thousand would not be enough?” Danzhu asked, puzzled.
“If we recall the two thousand men blockading the north city gate, would that not suffice?”
Wu Zhe said, “By now, Bao’er Mountain must already be lost. Even if the black-armoured unit does not attack the north city gate, the Changxin army will.
When they join forces with Qing Xinyao from inside and outside, the north gate cannot be held anyway. Better to withdraw them early and combine with the three thousand sent from the main camp, attacking the black-armoured unit from north and south!”
“Yes, that way it is the black-armoured unit caught between two forces!” Danzhu’s eyes lit up. “Sending only three thousand will not compromise the main camp’s safety. We gain two advantages at once!”
“No, we can no longer just hold the main camp!” Wu Zhe shook his head. “We must take the initiative and attack!”
“Take the initiative?” Danzhu was startled. “Xichuan City is heavily guarded, with high walls and thick defences. The captured civilians have escaped, so we cannot take it, can we? Even if we did, the losses would surely be heavy!”
“General, the target we must strike is not Xichuan City, but Great Python Slope!”
Wu Zhe stretched out his hand and pointed westward.
