“Nephew, those minor mistakes in the official documents, we certainly won’t make them again next time. However, nephew, these clerical tasks of copying and calculating are something any petty official can do; they don’t showcase one’s true capabilities.”
After whispering among themselves for a moment, Uncle Zhu Shouren, along with Hu Wei and Xia Qiang, nodded in agreement. Then, with his hands clasped behind his back, Uncle Zhu approached Zhu Ping’an, dismissing their previous errors with an air of nonchalance.
“So, what can showcase one’s true capabilities?” Zhu Ping’an asked, unable to hide a wry smile.
“We are men of great talent and vision, capable of handling significant and challenging tasks. We shouldn’t be confined to the trivial duties of petty clerks. As the old saying from our hometown goes, ‘Killing a chicken doesn’t test one’s skill; it’s slaying a tiger in the mountains that shows a man’s true mettle,'” Uncle Zhu declared confidently.
Hu Wei and Xia Qiang nodded in agreement.
Zhu Ping’an couldn’t help but feel exasperated. If they couldn’t even handle such minor tasks, how could they claim to be capable of great deeds? It was laughable.
“Then, what do you consider a significant task?” Zhu Ping’an asked, suppressing his frustration.
“Of course, it’s strategizing and making decisive moves that determine victory from a thousand miles away—tasks that require intellect and foresight,” Uncle Zhu replied.
“Alright, let me pose a challenging scenario for you to solve,” Zhu Ping’an said, seeing the unwavering confidence on the faces of his uncle and the other two men.
“Nephew, please go ahead,” Uncle Zhu and the others straightened up, ready to listen.
“Currently, there are over forty thousand Japanese pirates entrenched in places like Tuolin. Suppose these pirates launch a massive attack on Suzhou City, sending twenty thousand troops to besiege our Zhejiang Army’s camp at Fengqiao. How would you resolve this situation?” Zhu Ping’an laid out the scenario.
Uncle Zhu coughed awkwardly. “Nephew, how many troops do we have?”
Zhu Ping’an was speechless. Hadn’t he already mentioned the number of troops when he asked them to request provisions and weapons earlier?
“Brother Zhu, the Zhejiang Army has two thousand troops,” Hu Wei reminded him.
“Ah, yes, I just asked and then remembered. It’s two thousand,” Uncle Zhu said, his face reddening.
“We have two thousand troops, and the besieging pirates have twenty thousand… two thousand, twenty thousand…” Xia Qiang closed his eyes in deep thought, his fingers moving as if calculating.
After a few seconds, Xia Qiang’s fingers stopped, and his eyes snapped open, a spark of confidence in his gaze. “Sir, this matter is simple.”
Hu Wei and Uncle Zhu looked at Xia Qiang in surprise. They hadn’t come up with a solution yet, but Xia Qiang had already taken the lead.
Zhu Ping’an was also taken aback. This problem wasn’t simple, and he hadn’t expected Xia Qiang to come up with a solution so quickly. Had he misjudged him earlier? Perhaps Xia Qiang was strong in strategy but weak in details?
If the pirates from Tuolin were to attack Suzhou, the scenario Zhu Ping’an had described could very well happen, and the probability wasn’t low. If Xia Qiang could provide a good strategy, Zhu Ping’an would indeed have to reconsider his opinion of him.
“Mr. Xia, please share your thoughts,” Zhu Ping’an said, sitting up straighter and gesturing for Xia Qiang to continue.
Under everyone’s gaze, Xia Qiang clasped his hands and spoke slowly, “We have two thousand troops, and the besieging pirates have twenty thousand. Therefore, if each of our soldiers kills ten pirates, the problem will be solved.”
What the…?!
Are you serious?!
You’ve done the math well—two thousand soldiers, each killing ten pirates, and the twenty thousand pirates would indeed be wiped out…
But how on earth would each soldier manage to kill ten pirates?! Are you just spouting nonsense?! Listening to you is like listening to a broken record!
Zhu Ping’an was utterly speechless.
Hu Wei, who had been tense, suddenly relaxed upon hearing Xia Qiang’s answer. He had thought Xia Qiang had come up with a brilliant plan, but it turned out he was as useless as ever.
“Nephew, nephew, I have an idea,” Uncle Zhu’s voice rang out at this moment.
“Uncle, please go ahead,” Zhu Ping’an said flatly. After Xia Qiang’s response, he had no expectations left.
“Nephew, we can use the ‘Empty Fort Strategy.’ We’ll leave first, and you stay behind to play the guqin. The pirates will surely retreat,” Uncle Zhu said excitedly, proud of his literary knowledge and quick thinking.
Zhu Ping’an’s face twitched…
“Nephew, it really works! When Sima Yi led over a hundred thousand elite troops and encountered the Empty Fort Strategy, he retreated. The pirates only have twenty thousand men; they’ll retreat even faster,” Uncle Zhu added, seeing Zhu Ping’an’s expression.
“Brother Zhu, step back. You’re not the only one who’s read about the Empty Fort Strategy. Many of the pirates are Chinese, and at least eight hundred of them have probably read it too. Are you trying to get Nephew killed?!” Hu Wei tugged at Uncle Zhu’s sleeve, shaking his head.
“Do you have a better idea?” Uncle Zhu shot back.
“I… have a plan. The best of the thirty-six stratagems is to flee. We’re outnumbered; there’s no need to die with Suzhou City. The pirates’ target is Suzhou. If we escape through a gap before they encircle us, they won’t waste troops chasing us,” Hu Wei proposed under Uncle Zhu’s questioning.
Uncle Zhu stroked his chin and nodded. “Hmm, Brother Hu, your idea builds on mine. My plan was for us to leave first, and Nephew stays behind to play the guqin and enact the Empty Fort Strategy. Your idea is for Nephew to not play the guqin or enact the strategy but to leave with us.”
“That’s also a solution,” Xia Qiang chimed in.
“Fleeing without a fight? The pirates might spare me, but military law won’t, the Emperor won’t, and the innocent civilians who die won’t either,” Zhu Ping’an said, exasperated.
“Our troops are too few, and the pirates are too many. What can we do?”
“This is unsolvable, Nephew. You’re asking too much of us.”
The three men shook their heads in unison.
“Is two thousand against twenty thousand really unsolvable? History is full of such situations. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Li Shimin led a little over three thousand Xuanjia troops against Kou Zhong’s army of a hundred thousand. Three thousand against a hundred thousand—wasn’t that even more impossible than two thousand against twenty thousand? Yet, Li Shimin first used himself as bait to lure several thousand of Kou Zhong’s pursuing troops into an ambush and annihilated them. Then, he sent a thousand light cavalry to harass Kou Zhong’s supply lines, followed by disrupting Kou Zhong’s formations with cavalry charges. Finally, he led his three thousand Xuanjia troops straight into the heart of Kou Zhong’s army, capturing their leader and achieving victory against overwhelming odds.”
“Then there’s the Battle of Xiangyang in the second year of the Kaixi era of the Song Dynasty. The defending troops in Xiangyang numbered less than ten thousand, while the attacking Jin army had two hundred thousand. The defending general, Zhao Chun, gathered supplies, fortified the city, and prepared weapons, including crossbows. With less than ten thousand troops, he held Xiangyang and defeated the two hundred thousand Jin army.”
“During the War of the Eight Princes in the Jin Dynasty, Prince Chengdu Sima Ying led troops from You and Ji, while Prince Hejian Sima Yong led troops from Guanzhong. Together, their forces numbered three hundred thousand, converging on Luoyang. The imperial guards in Luoyang numbered only around thirty thousand. The Grand Commander of the Imperial Guards, Cheng Shao, led the guards to first defeat Sima Ying’s two hundred thousand troops, causing Sima Yong, who had fifty thousand troops, to flee in panic. If not for Prince Donghai Sima Yue’s coup, which seized control of the emperor and stripped Cheng Shao of his command, history might have turned out differently.”
“As for our Zhejiang Army, although we only have two thousand troops, we have plenty of firearms and are skilled in defense. We’ve also secured provisions, gunpowder, and weapons. With the defenses at Fengqiao, the low walls, and the watchtowers, holding Fengqiao Camp isn’t a problem. The real challenge is how to lift the siege on Suzhou City. That requires careful planning.”
Zhu Ping’an shook his head slightly as he explained this to them.
Uncle Zhu and the other two men exchanged glances, falling silent…
