"A general must be well-versed in the administration of the state, train his soldiers, repair his weapons, understand the weather, know the terrain, and be familiar with the people." Liu Guang's expression was solemn. If Li Jun demanded the creation of this iron chariot, then Li Jun was more than just skilled in military command. Such an opponent must be eliminated as soon as possible!
Chapter Nine: The Setting Moon
one,
The bright red sun hung in the sky, but it brought little warmth to Meng Yuan's heart. Gazing into the distance, Fenglin Ferry Town, which had been under his control just days before, was shrouded in a thin mist. The town, reduced to ruins by fire, appeared peaceful from afar, seemingly untouched by the great battle.
Every time Meng Yuan looked towards Fenglin Ferry Town, his heart ached. This strategic location, which Fang Fengyi had protected at the cost of five thousand Peace Army soldiers' lives, this vital military stronghold connecting the Chen Kingdom and the interior of the Su Kingdom, had been lost by him in a single night. Moreover, in the great fire that night, another five thousand Peace Army soldiers either drowned or were consumed by the flames; those who truly died like warriors under the blade were actually few. All of this filled Meng Yuan with deep self-reproach.
What troubled Meng Yuan even more was that losing Fenglin Ferry meant the Qinggui Plain, recently conquered by the Heping Army, was now completely exposed to the arrows of Chen's troops. After capturing Fenglin Ferry, Huo Kuang did not press his advantage but instead built a pontoon bridge across the Gui River. Troops and provisions were flowing steadily into Fenglin Town; it seemed he intended to use it as a base for his next attack. If they couldn't be repelled before he completed his preparations, the consequences would be unpredictable.
What reassured Wu Bingwei was that, after suffering the loss from the failed sneak attack, Meng Yuan finally stopped acting impulsively and did not gamble the remaining Peace Army to launch a full-scale attack on Fenglindu Town. Instead, he continued to challenge Huo Kuang from the outside.
No matter how much Meng Yuan berated him, Huo Kuang remained in the city and refused to come out. Instead, he used this time to urge his men to raise and thicken the originally low city walls of Fenglin Ferry Town, and also erected a protective fence outside the city. Day by day, the defenses of Fenglin Ferry Town were rapidly improved, which only made Meng Yuan more anxious.
Even more seriously, the Peace Army is stationed in the field, making supplies increasingly difficult, and the weather is getting colder and colder. If this continues, even if Huo Kuang does not attack, the Peace Army will collapse without a fight.
"Why have I never heard of such a wise general as Huo Kuang in the Chen Kingdom before?" Meng Yuan couldn't help but curse.
Zuo Sijing, standing beside him, wore a bitter smile. When Cheng Tian was besieged by the Chen soldiers, Huo Kuang was the one who gave him the biggest headache. Huo Kuang clung to him like a shadow, making Cheng Tian's attempts to break out of the Chen soldiers' encirclement fail several times.
“A frontal attack leaves no openings; it would be better to tunnel into the city,” Wu Bing said slowly after a long period of contemplation. He knew that even if this plan worked, it wouldn't be completed in a day or two. Moreover, Huo Kuang would never be confined to this small town of Fenglin Ferry. In terms of both troop strength and morale, his Chen Kingdom soldiers were superior to the Heping Army. His refusal to engage was simply a matter of waiting until he was certain of victory. The art of war states that a skilled strategist first makes himself invincible and then waits for the enemy to become vulnerable—this is what it refers to.
“If we can get rid of Huo Kuang, then the matter will be settled.” Zuo Sijing hesitated for a moment before finally expressing his opinion. “The hearts of the officers and soldiers are entirely on Huo Kuang. If we can kill Huo Kuang, then the officers and soldiers will collapse without a fight!” Meng Yuan said with a wry smile, “But Huo Kuang is a civil official. If he goes into battle, he will definitely be heavily guarded. How can I kill him in the midst of battle?”
Recalling Xiao Guang, who had fired the fatal arrow for Huo Kuangge that day, Meng Yuan sighed deeply. It turned out that in the Divine Continent, the Peace Army wasn't the only force capable of winning the heartfelt allegiance of the Qiang warriors.
"How about assassination?" Zuo Sijing's face showed embarrassment. For Meng Yuan, who came from a regular army background, and Lü Wubing, who had followed Meng Yuan and Li Jun for several years, assassination was definitely not a tactic for a general. Although Li Jun had launched a surprise attack on Yujiang City and killed the Zhu family head back then, that was also done in a direct confrontation.
“I reckon you’ve used this tactic before.” Meng Yuan glanced at him sideways.
“Indeed, during the time in Chen, Master Cheng was besieged by government troops, among whom Huo Kuang was the most troublesome. Therefore, someone suggested assassinating Huo Kuang to disrupt the enemy army.” “The result, of course, was failure.” Meng Yuan said softly, as if talking to himself.
"What are Huo Kuang's likes and dislikes?" Wu Bing asked again, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "If we could find out his preferences, perhaps we could recruit him." "Absolutely impossible," Zuo Sijing said decisively. "He was originally a minor county magistrate, promoted by Liu Guang, and he is extremely grateful for Liu Guang's patronage." Meng Yuan stroked the hilt of his broadsword; Zuo Sijing's words made him even more disheartened. Was there really no way to get rid of Huo Kuang?
The soldiers behind him were all showing signs of exhaustion. The army's rations were only enough for three days. If they couldn't defeat the enemy and recapture the remaining supplies in Fenglin Ferry Town within three days, they would have no choice but to retreat to the Qinggui Plain and fight the enemy to the death. That was the worst possible outcome, and something Meng Yuan could hardly tolerate.
Meng Yuan looked at Fenglin Ferry Town again. It was just a small town. Fang Fengyi could use the natural barrier of the Gui River to stop 100,000 Su troops, but he couldn't stop Huo Kuang's less than 100,000 troops!
Zuo Sijing was right. Huo Kuang was not without weaknesses; his weakness was himself. Although he was profound and intelligent, he was just a scholar, not a Confucian scholar skilled in magic. Given the right opportunity, or even any soldier in the Peace Army, he could be easily killed. But where would that opportunity come from?
Unbeknownst to them, his warhorse slowly moved forward. Zuo Sijing and Lü Wubing, thinking he needed to think things through, followed behind him without uttering a word. The three of them gradually separated from the main force of the Peace Army and arrived at the post road leading to Fenglin Ferry.
"Huh?" Zuo Sijing suddenly exclaimed in surprise, pointing to a village woman by the roadside and asking, "Why is there still someone here?"
"She's just a village woman, what's so strange about her?" Wu Bing looked in the direction he was pointing. About a hundred paces ahead, a village woman was carrying a basket on her back, covering her face with a headscarf to shield herself from the wind and cold, and walking slowly through the fields.
"It is the off-season for farming, and there is no farm work to be done in these rice fields. Moreover, since the area around Fenglin Ferry Town has become a battlefield, most of the people should have already fled. How dare she, a mere woman, act like this in front of two armies?"
“The Peace Army has not harmed the people in the slightest. Our army has been stationed at Fenglin Ferry for quite some time. After the people realized that we were there to protect them and not to disturb them, they all returned. It is said that Huo Kuang’s side also strictly prohibits infringing on the people, so it is not surprising that the people dare to appear on the battlefield. Look over there, aren’t there people herding cattle?” Wu Bing said.
Zuo Sijing felt relieved after hearing this, and muttered to himself, "Am I getting dizzy from Huo Kuang's nonsense?"
Meng Yuan listened to their conversation absentmindedly. As the horse gradually approached the village woman, she suddenly looked up, lifted the headscarf from her face, and smiled faintly: "Brother Meng Yuan, what troubles you? Why don't you tell me so that I can share your worries?"
Meng Yuan was so shocked he almost fell off his horse. How could Lu Shang be here, and why was she dressed like a village woman! When Zuo Sijing mentioned it, he also glanced at her and clearly saw an ordinary peasant woman, whose hair was even a little yellow, unlike Lu Shang's black hair that flowed like a waterfall.
Seeing the question in Meng Yuan's surprised expression, Lu Shang's eyes sparkled as she looked towards Fenglin Ferry Town. She whispered, "The Chen Kingdom's troops are attacking in force. How can I not come and see? Brother Li Jun and Brother Meng Yuan are from the Su Kingdom. I went to see them even after they seized Qinggui. If Huo Kuang of Chen Kingdom takes the land and I don't come, I'm afraid my two brothers won't let me off." Meng Yuan was at a loss for words. His younger sister's voice was soft and gentle, like the murmur of a swallow in spring, but every word carried immense weight in his ears. He groaned inwardly, hoping only that Li Jun was there. Years ago, when the two of them occasionally visited Lu Xiang's house, Lu Shang liked to argue with Li Jun. At first, Li Jun remained silent, but later his temperament gradually changed, and he began to bicker with Lu Shang. As for himself, he could only listen from the sidelines, not daring to interject.
"Hehe!" Seeing his helplessness, Lu Shang couldn't help but laugh: "Brother, you've forgotten how to speak after losing a round?"
"Little sister... little sister, why are you dressed like this? Don't make fun of me..." Meng Yuan said reluctantly.
"Oh, my little sister has been wandering the world for five or six years. If she didn't know how to disguise herself, she would probably have died more than ten times over." Lu Shang's eyes were slightly lowered to the ground. The impact of her experiences over the past few years was something that Li Jun and Meng Yuan could not imagine.
“Actually, I’ve learned more than just to wear a fake face and deceive people with lies,” she thought to herself. “I’ve also learned not to trust anyone, including you, Brother Meng Yuan… Except for Father, no one can be trusted, and Father, he’s dead…” She remained silent, and Meng Yuan didn’t know what to say either. The two faced each other in silence for a while, and finally Meng Yuan said again, “I’m sorry, little sister, you’ve suffered these past few years.” Lu Shang lowered her eyes, and Meng Yuan couldn’t see the glimmer of light that flashed in them for a moment. When he saw Lu Shang raise her head, it was still that beautiful face with its gentle, radiant smile. Meng Yuan looked at that face carefully, trying to find that familiar feeling from back then, but apart from the facial features, he could vaguely recall the innocent girl from five or six years ago. Both her expression and gaze felt unfamiliar to him, as if he had never seen her before.
Lu Shang shifted her gaze from her eye contact with Meng Yuan, looking at Fenglin Ferry Town ahead. She smiled slightly and asked, "Brother Meng Yuan, are you troubled by Fenglin Ferry Town?"
Meng Yuan then snapped out of his reverie. At this moment, the person who urgently needed him to concentrate was Huo Kuang in Fenglin Ferry Town.
"Brother Mengyuan, I can lend you a hand." Before Mengyuan could say anything more, Lu Shang quickly asked, "Brother Mengyuan, what do you think Huo Kuang's weakness is?"
"It's up to him. If I had a chance, I could have taken his life with just an ordinary soldier. His entire army relies on him as their pillar; if we just get rid of him, these 100,000 Chen soldiers would abandon their armor and flee." "Brother Mengyuan, in your memory, did you and my father encounter such a formidable enemy back then?"
Meng Yuan fell silent for a moment. Back when he was under Lu Xiang's command, Lu Xiang would handle any troublesome matters. If Lu Xiang was not around, Li Jun, Huang Xuan, and others would discuss the matter. In most cases, he remained silent.
“Lu Shuai’s opponents include those stronger than Huo Kuang, at least not inferior to him,” Meng Yuan said slowly. “But in front of Lu Shuai, their tricks are insignificant, and Lu Shuai wouldn’t make such a careless mistake as I did.” “Brother Meng Yuan, I’m not blaming you,” Lu Shang said with a half-smile. “Losing Fenglin Ferry is your fault, it’s Brother Li Jun who should be blamed. I came here to help you.” Meng Yuan’s gaze was like a sword fixed on her face. He paused, then said, “After you left that day, Brother Li Jun and I talked about you.” A strange look flashed across Lu Shang’s face, then she smiled brightly again: “You two brothers were talking badly about me behind my back. Next time I see Brother Li Jun, I’ll give him a good scolding.” “Brother Li Jun and I both believe that no matter how things develop, no matter how we change,” Meng Yuan ignored her interruption and firmly continued, “You are still our little sister.” Lu Shang lowered her head again. She knew what Meng Yuan meant. Meng Yuan did not directly expose her, but resolutely retaliated, though she had subtly intended to sow discord between Meng Yuan and Li Jun in her words.
"Brother, you scolded me the moment we met. I know I was wrong." After a moment, Lu Shang sighed softly. "You two brothers still treat me like your little sister. How could I dare not acknowledge you as my brothers?"
Meng Yuan looked at her for a while. Although she was dressed in simple clothes and a rustic skirt, her natural beauty was enough to make anyone believe in her, love her, and not want to hurt her. But for some reason, Meng Yuan felt that if he were to compare the girl in front of him to a flower, then this flower, though beautiful, was unfortunately not only thorny but also poisonous.
This feeling could only be understood by Li Jun and himself, because the two of them were extremely familiar with their younger sister from back then. Others could not sense it; Lü Wubing and Zuo Sijing behind him would never believe their own feelings. What they saw was just a pitiful younger sister being scolded by her stern older brother.
"Sigh!" Meng Yuan felt a mountain of frustration in his chest. He couldn't help but look up at the sky and let out a long howl. His voice pierced the clouds and startled the birds in the fields, causing them to flutter up and take flight. Wu Bing and Zuo Sijing also looked at him with strange eyes.
“In fact, the situation today is similar to that of my father and my two brothers who took advantage of the snow to attack Wuyin back then.” Only Lu Shang seemed not to hear this long sigh. She murmured softly, her expression calm.
Meng Yuan's heart stirred. The events of that year did indeed bear some resemblance to today's situation. Both times, their own forces were insufficient to attack the city, while the enemy general, a pillar of their army, remained inactive within the fortress. In the end, Lu Xiang had no choice but to take a risk, killing the enemy general while the snow was falling, thus capturing Wuyin City.
However, Huo Kuang is different from the pillar of Lan Kingdom who was killed back then. Huo Kuang has no fists or courage, so his defenses must be very strong. The Qiang warrior Xiao Guang beside him is no ordinary person. Moreover, the city walls of Fenglin Ferry Town are low and the military defenses are far superior to those of Wu Yin back then. Killing Huo Kuang is no easy task.
"No, no," he said softly, shaking his head.