Xiang Yu laughed and said, "Let's not argue about who will be our protectors for now. Tell me how we can annihilate the enemy."
Marshal He pulled the map in front of Hua Mulan closer to himself and began pointing and explaining. The old man, a veteran of over 40 years of warfare, possessed a wealth of knowledge and spoke eloquently, making accurate deductions and predictions based on the Xiongnu's fighting habits and the battlefield terrain. Xiang Yu listened attentively, occasionally adding a word or two of advice. Although Xiang Yu was only in his early thirties when he was defeated at Gaixia, he spent a third of his life in the midst of military campaigns. His life was short but brilliant, like a dazzling meteor streaking across the sky, shining with genius and brilliance from beginning to end—especially the fact that he could even claim ancestor status himself, a feat that puts many historical figures to shame. Uh… I mean, although he was young, his assessments were pertinent and mature, often hitting the nail on the head. The old man and the young man became increasingly animated as they talked, as if they had known each other for a long time. But then, they started arguing about who should be their protector. Lao He insisted on asking Xiang Yu, as the master of the house, to step down to the second line. Xiang Yu, however, argued that the Xiongnu had already mastered the Northern Wei army's fighting style and suggested that Lao He's men could simply guard his flanks, thus annihilating the enemy in one fell swoop. In the end, the two argued heatedly, their faces flushed.
I was bored on the side and muttered to myself, "Does it really have to have wings? Can't it be ultra-thin?"
Chapter 182 A Hero's Twilight
Xiang Yu and Lao He argued back and forth over the map again, still without reaching a conclusion. I found Lao He to be quite an interesting person. Despite his usual dignified and composed demeanor, he acted like a child at times like this, especially when it came to warfare, becoming excited and blushing. It was probably rare to find a younger brother like Xiang Yu with whom he could discuss tactical theories, because the Northern Wei army had always been methodical and meticulous in its battles against the Xiongnu for many years, while Xiang Yu's plan was simple and clear: a large-scale charge. He traced lines on the enemy lines and his own camp, eventually carving a groove into the map.
An old man and a young boy were beaming with joy as they held a map. After a long silence, Mulan suddenly said coldly, "Have you two had enough?"
Old He was taken aback: "What do you mean?" Although he was a marshal, he usually treated Hua Mulan like his own child, just as he said, so he didn't think it was offensive.
Xiang Yu explained, "Brother Hua is probably going to say we're ambitious again—come on, what's your opinion?"
Hua Mulan said angrily, "You keep saying you'll annihilate the enemy army and wipe out the Rouran, do you really have to exterminate them all?"
Xiang Yu asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Hua Mulan emphasized, "Don't we need to kill people?"
Xiang Yu smiled, about to say something, when Hua Mulan pointed at him and said, "Don't spout any more nonsense about 'females not being in command of troops.' I have more say in this war than you do—including this one, I've been fighting the Rouran for 22 years!" Xiang Yu thought about it and realized she was right, so he fell silent.
Marshal He asked in confusion, "22 years? Muli, did you hide your age when you joined the army?"
Hua Mulan smiled calmly and said, "Marshal, I think it's like this: we don't need to wipe out the Rouran completely. Their invasion of us is simply due to a lack of resources. As long as we teach them a lesson and let them know our strength, they will weigh the pros and cons and dare not go south again, and our goal will be achieved. Therefore, it is enough for us to eliminate a few tens of thousands of them. To deal with bandits, cutting off one of their hands will put an end to their ambitions."
Marshal He said, "I understand this principle, but why hasn't this problem been solved in the past 10 years?"
Hua Mulan said, "It's still a matter of attitude. We've never known whether to hit or scare the thief who broke into our house. Coincidentally, this thief is strong enough, and we don't know if it's worth fighting him to the death. What if we push him too far?"
Marshal He asked with great interest, "So, do you think it's time to fight to the death?"
Hua Mulan said, "No. We don't need to fight to the death with them, because just when we were not sure of our chances, our good neighbor, Brother Xiang, arrived. This gave us enough strength to subdue that scoundrel."
Marshal He smiled and said, "That's very apt. How did you come up with those ideas?"
Hua Mulan said solemnly, "I think a general should not only consider how to fight, but also why to fight and whether it is possible to avoid fighting. Victory is nothing more than achieving the goal, which is what Sun Tzu's Art of War refers to as subduing the enemy without fighting."
I nodded and said, "Yes, yes, people who fight like to talk about this. How about I bring the Eight-Nation Alliance to help you?"
Marshal He asked, "Then how can you subdue the enemy without fighting?"
Hua Mulan said, "I haven't reached that level yet, but it's not about fighting to the death, it's about skillful fighting."
Xiang Yu and Lao He both asked with interest, "Oh?"
Hua Mulan moved the map in front of her and pointed out, "The Rouran have 120,000 men, while we have 200,000. Brother Xiang and the Marshal are both seasoned commanders, so they must understand that once the number exceeds 100,000, the battlefield can't accommodate them all. That means that at most 50,000 men can face the enemy directly on the front line, especially given the terrain near Yanshan. This means that the Rouran's 120,000 men will have to be deployed in at least three waves. My plan is to send two waves of 100,000 men to hold off their attack."
Marshal He asked, "Who will lead the attack?"
Hua Mulan said, "There is no main attack; we will just use a flat formation to hold the line."
I scratched my head and asked, "Are you sure we don't need the wings anymore?"
Marshal He said, "Our individual soldiers are not as good as the Rouran. You're using 100,000 to counter their 120,000..." But the old man quickly understood the key point, "Then what about our other 100,000 men? How do you plan to arrange them?"
Hua Mulan decisively declared, "Open up a second front!" She framed the two sides on the main battlefield with two boxes, explaining, "In the short term, the Rouran's 120,000 troops and our 100,000 are no different—they're essentially two equal units. But they'll never imagine we have another 100,000-strong unit. It's like a duel between someone using a single sword and someone using two swords. We're the one using two swords. When the opponent's sword comes at us, we parry with our left hand while our right hand seizes the opportunity to stab the enemy in the heart. That's how the advantage of using two swords becomes apparent."
As Hua Mulan spoke, she drew another square west of Yanshan Mountain and pointed at it with her finger, saying, "This is the key to our victory—the second weapon. As long as our first weapon can hold the enemy in place, this second weapon will be a surprise attack. It doesn't even need 100,000 men; Brother Xiang's main force of 50,000 Chu troops will suffice!"
I concluded, "Yes, this is ultra-thin."
After Hua Mulan finished speaking, Xiang Yu and Marshal He looked at each other without saying a word. Hua Mulan smoothed her hair and said, "Marshal, Brother Xiang, what's wrong with you? I know this is still a very immature plan. You can raise your opinions if you have any."
Xiang Yu and Lao He paused for a moment before saying in unison, "How could I not have thought of that?"
Hua Mulan laughed and said, "Because you were thinking about how to annihilate the enemy from the very beginning. It is naturally not easy to surround 120,000 people with 200,000 troops. But my initial thought was how to drive him away, so it was much easier."
The two men's pride was thus preserved, and they wiped their sweat, saying at the same time, "Oh, so that's how it is. You scared us."
Hua Mulan smiled and said, "It's okay to beat up a thief, but we are law-abiding citizens after all, so killing him isn't worth it. As the host, we will be responsible for holding his hands, and the rest will be up to Brother Xiang to give him a good kick in the back. Fortunately, this thief is completely unprepared, with his butt sticking up high, making him easy to kick."
Xiang Yu asked in surprise, "Do you really mean you want our Chu army to do such petty theft?"
Marshal He waved his hand and said, "Brother Xiang (the way he addressed him has changed), now is not the time to argue about this. Muli, let me ask you first, the area at the foot of Yanshan is flat, and it seems there is only one suitable place to put your dual-sword theory to use, and that is the right flank of the mountain range parallel to Yanshan. How can you get the Rouran cavalry to fight us there? Can you even command them?"
Hua Mulan said, "The Rouran have always looked down on us. We just need to use two small groups of troops to feign defeat and lure them over."
Marshal He said, "It's difficult. The Rouran people are reckless, but they're not all fools. It seems we'll have to lay a big bait!"
I thought to myself that this job was suitable for me, as I was very familiar with it, but I needed to make a helmet that was 1.5 meters tall...
Hua Mulan resolutely declared, "I'll go!"
Marshal He smiled and said, "Are you qualified? I'll go instead."
Mulan hurriedly said, "Marshal, you absolutely mustn't..." You must know that this job is not only dangerous, but it also affects one's reputation. Although Old He didn't have any particularly outstanding achievements in his life, he was a general who had always been respected for his unwavering loyalty and shared hardships with his soldiers. Who could bear to let his final battle be tainted?
Marshal He waved his hand: "I have spent my whole life on the battlefield to quell border troubles. I am willing to sacrifice my life, let alone a mere empty title?"
Xiang Yu said respectfully, "The old marshal is truly admirable!" But you see, that was just a polite remark; clearly, he didn't want to do the job...
And so, unknowingly, Mulan's ideas became the dominant theory in the war against the Xiongnu. With this overarching idea, and all three being seasoned commanders, the remaining task was to refine the details. From the terrain's elevation and wind direction to the impact of every blade of grass and tree on the entire campaign, everything was within their scope of discussion. They talked until three or four in the morning, when Marshal He, being of advanced age, stretched wearily and said, "Let Brother Xiang and Muli discuss the rest and then inform this old man. This old man is no longer able to rely on his physical strength, so I must take my leave now."
Xiang Yu grabbed him and said, "Hey, don't go. We haven't decided who will lead the main attack yet. I think it's better to let my men hold the front line, and the old marshal's men will act as ambush troops."