"Marshal, I am a civil official, and I also understand the ever-changing nature of the battlefield." Si Bogong said tactfully, "Besides arrogance, another major taboo in military strategy is cowardice towards the enemy, which is also unacceptable."
Xie Lanzhi did not persuade Si Bogong. Because it was unnecessary.
She looked at Wu Shang: "Young Master Wu is absolutely right."
Although what she said was absolutely right, Wu Shang did not see the slightest sign of agreement with her in her eyes.
He sighed and said, "The Marshal may not believe it. In fact, my maternal clan has already reached an agreement with Yelü Wen. As long as he protects Luerqu and controls Luerqu to benefit the Northern Region, my maternal clan will definitely support him."
"He will be able to compete fairly for a position in the Ministry of War in the future."
"Yelü Wen's promise is worthless to Lady Yelü; on the contrary, your promises are truly invaluable." Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but frown and say, "Yelü Wen, this man..."
Wu Shang immediately interrupted her: "Since the Marshal and I have different opinions, let's not try to find common ground here. How about we make a bet?"
So that's why he brought this up.
Xie Lanzhi did not agree immediately.
Wu Shang wasn't worried that she wouldn't agree: "I originally came to return the marriage invitation. But now that I see the Marshal is interested in the political situation in the Northern Region, I might as well give you the marriage invitation first."
"Then the Marshal and I will make a bet. The game will be whether the Northern Region can control Luerqu. The winner will have the right to trade in Luerqu for three years. Profits made during this period will not be subject to taxes."
Luerqu was the only window to the outside world for the Northern Regions, allowing direct access to the four Southeast Asian countries and control over trade routes throughout the central and western regions. In recent years, if it weren't for the underdeveloped shipbuilding technology in the Northern Regions, they would have mostly only ventured around the vicinity of Shiguo Prefecture. They rarely ventured into Southeast Asia. Even when they did, it was by relying on the ships of the Hu and Xiongnu merchants; they couldn't even buy Hu and Xiongnu ships themselves.
The Northern Regions aren't exactly a nation of skilled craftsmen; ships built with stolen blueprints might not even make it to distant seas and could easily run into accidents. In short, the Northern Regions can only produce a knock-off at best.
The new Tianjing was different. Its shipbuilding and artillery technology were not comparable to that of the Northern Hu and Xiongnu. It even established a protective route through small land-based states in the central region to defend against the Northern Hu and Xiongnu. This is why the Northern Hu and Xiongnu were so wary, preferring to take on this tough nut rather than expend more resources fighting one country at a time by land, prolonging the war and depleting their national strength.
Therefore, Aqina would spare no expense to devour it.
Xie Lanzhi sighed, her gaze towards Wu Shang filled with pity, as if he had already lost.
Wu Shang was puzzled by her gaze and only felt that she was arrogant.
Xie Lanzhi suddenly reached out to him: "Since we're going to gamble, where's the wedding invitation?"
Wu Shang handed Xie Lanzhi a wedding invitation wrapped in red paper from his bosom. As Xie Lanzhi took it, she felt that Wu Shang's fingers were still holding the other side of the red paper.
Without hesitation, she yanked it, pulling it forcefully towards her. Wu Shang frowned and pulled it back, their hands hovering in the air, almost tearing the wedding invitation in two.
Seeing this, Si Bogong kept coughing to cover up the awkward atmosphere around him.
"Cough cough cough!"
"Cough cough cough!"
"Cough cough cough cough!"
Xie Lanzhi and Wu Shang let go at the same time. The wedding invitation was about to fall to the ground when Si Bogong reached out and caught it with his large hand, then put it in his sleeve.
"I can bear witness to this bet," Si Bogong coughed lightly. "You two are both very knowledgeable about your respective battles. I hope you both achieve resounding victories."
Xie Lanzhi said, "Thank you."
Wu Shang also said, "My maternal clan will not allow the hypothetical scenario mentioned by the marshal to come to pass."
Xie Lanzhi really wanted to tell him that she wasn't just making assumptions. Aqina genuinely intended to do it.
She specifically reminded them, "You've already done your best under the pressure of border invasion. As long as you hold the rear, you certainly won't let a single Hunnic escape."
"I remember."
Wu Shang frowned again: "Thank you for the reminder, Marshal."
"I will return home in three days. I will keep an eye on the Second Prince and remind the Khan."
The reason why Wu Yuejun is now being ostracized by the Northern Region is because Wu Yuejun chose to stand on the side of Yifan, instead of choosing to mediate like Wu Shang.
This meeting with her love rival actually brought Xie Lanzhi a sense of relief. Even if a scumbag still had some humanity when he was still wealthy, the fact that he was a scumbag wouldn't change.
Xie Lanzhi eventually left Prince Dun's Mansion.
Master Si breathed a sigh of relief and specifically asked the martial arts merchant beside him. The martial arts merchant had been facing the door ever since Xie Lanzhi left, lost in thought.
He said, "Are you really going to make a bet with the marshal? She's a soldier."
"Even soldiers need to study military strategy," Wu Shang said. "I wonder what books Marshal Xie usually reads?"
After thinking about it, Si Bogong realized that he wasn't entirely sure himself. Every battle the Marshal fought was a sudden, unexpected one, with absolutely no warning.
Her ability to remain calm in the face of danger allowed her to overwhelm the enemy and control the situation on the battlefield.
As for military strategy, he had only seen it when he entered Tianjing; everything else was about court politics. For a moment, Sibo Gong was completely baffled as to what the Marshal was actually capable of. She was indeed a skilled warrior, winning every battle. And she was also adept at governance.
"Talented in both literature and martial arts?" This was the first time that Master Sibo had made such a comment about Xie Lanzhi.
Si Bogong suddenly realized that he had this misconception: that the marshal didn't seem to have any particular strengths.
Even Master Si was bewildered. He said, "I'd say she's accomplished in both literary and martial arts. She balances internal and external matters very well."
"Whether it's the integration of the Xie family with Tianjing, or the development itself, it seems that she was the one who started it all."
Wu Shang fell into deep thought. So, this marshal's performance on the battlefield wasn't at all the wise and resourceful figure he'd imagined. Instead, he was fighting alone, a lone wolf.
But he had studied the battlefield in Yue, including not only the people His Highness sent out, but also the plans His Highness had made.
This marshal seemed adept at winning over and appeasing people. She had, at one point, brought order to the Yue battlefield from chaos. For example, there was the Seventh Prince, Zheng Xiu. Now, the entire Yue kingdom was supporting Zheng Xiu as its ruler.
And that Aba, I don't know what got into him. Twenty thousand men remained in the delta, waiting for Marshal Xie to give orders.
All these phenomena made Wu Shang dare not underestimate her. So she could be considered both literate and skilled in martial arts.
Si Bogong didn't think much of it. He didn't understand warfare anyway. He was already very fortunate that the marshal could always win battles he was confident of victory in. At least at the end of the Jin Dynasty, the fate of the nation was in the Xie family's favor. But now it was the Si family's turn.
"You must carefully consider what the Marshal said, no matter what."
After saying this, Si Bogong hesitated, then added, "Lu'erqu is a good place. Once Lu'erqu is conquered by the Northern Hu and Xiongnu, how could Wu Shang's maternal clan possibly allow Lu'erqu to remain open for free for another three years? It will all be Northern Hu and Xiongnu territory then."
And the marshal clearly saw through it but didn't point it out. It seems he intentionally wanted to extort money from Wu Shang.
Wu Shang's confidence stemmed from his belief that the Northern Regions were his homeland. How could he possibly know less than an outsider? Furthermore, he trusted Yelü Wen, an old acquaintance, and believed Yelü Wen was not a treacherous traitor.
Furthermore, there's a barrier in front of the Northern Region, which is the gateway to the Northern Region. The Khan wouldn't be foolish enough to stab them in the back.
Wu Shang laughed and said, "How is that possible?"
Meanwhile, 60,000 men were on standby, the Red River was calm, and the Xiongnu stopped approaching the border. Everyone believed that they would cross the border safely again today.
Until a shell fired from some unknown hilltop destroyed a grain ship that was still in the middle of the Red River.
Bang! The grain ship sank instantly!
The barbarian soldiers and Xie soldiers surrounded the shore, all in a panic, and shouted in unison, "Quickly, quickly go and report to the Crown Prince!"
"Go quickly and inform the General!"
"It's an enemy attack! The Huns have invaded!"
Chapter 202 The Complex Situation in the Northern Region
The news of Xie Lanzhi's contact with Wu Shang reached Si Xitong's ears instantly.
Zhang Changle had never seen Si Xitong's expression before; it was the first time he had ever seen his usually gentle and obedient master.
She revealed a sharp look. Zhang Changle knew it wasn't directed at the marshal.
News of the fierce battle quickly reached Jianzhang Palace.
Given Ichiban's unique geographical location, a hasty military intervention by Shin Tianjing would be controversial. Therefore, she focused on logistics, sending food and weapons to Ichiban. If necessary, she would formally intervene politically.
"I just hope that father and son in the Northern Region can be more assertive like men." Si Xitong said this without a trace of expectation in her eyes.
Zhang Changle learned from intelligence that Yelü Wen and Yelü Beiluo had always been currying favor with the Xiongnu, and even in the event of war, the father and son's stance remained ambiguous, like outsiders. They seemed to be hoping for something, or perhaps they were already preparing for their own escape route.
They were already showing signs of surrendering even before the war had fully begun.
Zhang Changle said, "Master, should we send someone to give that father and son a good talking-to?"
Si Xitong said calmly, "They may have already reached some agreement with the Northern Hu and Xiongnu. No matter the outcome, they will not sit idly by and wait for their doom."
"Go."
Zhang Changle received the order and specifically notified the Sun and Moon spies in the Northern Region that the two could pay to spread information in the Northern Region. This tactic used to be An Shan's favorite, and it had already been tested once for the new Tianjing.
That is, the common people are easily instigated. In fact, the masses are very easily instigated, not only because of a lack of public awareness, but also because their information is usually limited. Once there is a rumor, it spreads like wildfire, becoming more and more believable with each word. Even if many people don't believe it, they will still panic.
And panic is Xiwei's goal.
After a series of grain ships were bombed, the Northern Hunnic forces officially launched an attack on the Red River, bombarding the most dangerous mountain peaks and obstacles that made marching difficult with the artillery of their vanguard.
The Northern Xiongnu bombarded the border relentlessly, as if they were throwing shells at it for free. Many strategic passes were flattened by the artillery fire.
Yelü Lili had never imagined that such a fighting method existed, and that the Northern Hu and Xiongnu possessed far more gunpowder than he had thought.
Xie Ji hadn't expected this either. The first natural barrier was about to be breached. But if the artillery fire opened even a small gap, the danger of a complete collapse would increase.
"Your Highness, have the men we sent found out where their cannons are?" Xie Ji was preparing to assemble a raiding party to take down the cannons.
Yelü Lili said, "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer. General Xie, don't be anxious."
His tone was tense. Xie Ji thought to himself, "You're the one who shouldn't be in such a hurry."
Soon a squad of enemy soldiers appeared at the base. The soldiers' faces were covered in soot, and there was blood on their foreheads, clearly indicating that they had been hit by flying stones.
The soldiers reported, "Your Highness, our reconnaissance has lost contact."
"What?" Li Li couldn't help but exclaim. Finally, he lowered his voice and calmly asked, "Where is the cannon located?"
The barbarian soldiers then told Li Li the approximate distance they had scouted. The Northern Xiongnu's cannons were located on high ground, about 300 meters away. When they arrived, they only saw a cannon muzzle, as if the cannon itself had grown out of the ground. However, when one of them went inside and was discovered, they realized that the Xiongnu had used the mountain terrain to create a concealed outpost. Once the cannons were fired, the camouflage alone could deceive many people.
Moreover, they only discovered one place, and the scouts who went there suffered heavy losses.
Yelü Lili hadn't expected that the other side would also build a defensive base like his. It seemed the Northern Hu and Xiongnu intended to establish a long-term presence on the border. Currently, there were no forces within the Northern Hu and Xiongnu that could hinder Aqina's progress.
Aqina suddenly acted as if he had let go, doing whatever he wanted.
And that cannon that hit the center of the river was clearly not just 300 meters away. Perhaps the Northern Xiongnu had hidden artillery with even longer ranges.
Finally, Li Li ordered the troops to continue holding their ground, while sending men to evacuate the Hu people to the northern region. People from the northern region had already been sent to receive the Hu people there.
However, most of the Hu people were not allowed to enter once they reached the outskirts of Luochuan City. The Daban people were very dissatisfied and protested, but no one listened to them. They could only set up tents with the Hu people nearby.
The tents had just been set up when people from Luochuan arrived, saying they needed people to repair the road because of a disturbance caused by a group of Hu people.