Chen Muxian lowered his eyes, leisurely picked up the side dishes on the table and put them in his mouth, as if none of these disturbances could affect him.
The old man shook his head, looking quite disappointed, and said nothing more.
When Gu Zhong arrived at the Northern Border Pass, the barbarian siege was in full swing.
The military tents inside the pass stretched for a hundred miles, while within fifty miles outside the pass were traps such as horse-clamping ropes and horse-stabbing spikes designed to target barbarian cavalry. There was originally a moat ten feet wide, but due to the freezing weather, it had frozen over with a thick layer of ice, making it as easy to walk on horseback.
The group headed straight for the central camp, lifted the curtain, and let a gust of cold wind into the tent. Marquis Wu of Wei was strategizing the battle situation on the sand table. He looked up and saw Gu Zhong, cupped his hands and bowed, giving a simple salute.
"Your Highness! Please forgive me for being unable to perform the full ceremony due to my armor."
"It's alright, Your Excellency. You've worked hard commanding the central army. How is the battle going?"
Gu Zhong quickly reached out and helped the old Marquis of Wei to his feet, then walked to the sand table.
"The barbarian attack came with great force, but fortunately the Northern Army is always prepared and responds effectively, and has already stabilized its position. This battle depends entirely on the command and combat capabilities of both sides, and they are currently locked in fierce fighting."
In this respect, the Northern Army still has the advantage. The Northern Pass is not far from the city of Beiling County, and there are official roads in between, so the supply of food and fodder is not a problem.
Once a fierce battle ensues, the barbarians will be the first to give up, unless they can breach the Northern Pass in a very short time.
"It's strange, really. This year, during the Great Cold, the entire northern border suffered a snow disaster that is the worst in a century. The situation of the barbarians should be even worse, but when I climbed up to observe just now, the barbarians who launched the surprise attack today were very strong and powerful. They don't seem to have suffered any disaster." Marquis Wu of Wei then reported another matter.
"My lord, can you guarantee that the commander of the Northern Border Army and the garrison commander of Beiling County are both trustworthy?"
Gu Zhong casually picked up a few military reports from the table, flipped through them hastily, and frowned.
"The safety of the northern border is of utmost importance. The people stationed there are all loyal and righteous men who have accompanied His Majesty in his conquests of the world. They should be trusted."
Marquis Wu of Wei understood the implication in Gu Zhong's words and was greatly alarmed. "Your Highness suspects that someone is colluding with the enemy?"
"Whether it's in the army or in the city, I can't be sure. I'm just offering a word of advice. If it's just a matter of fighting on the battlefield, my Gu family has conquered this world on horseback and has never been afraid of anyone. What we fear is being harmed by villains and being attacked from both sides. My lord, Beiling is currently fraught with danger. Please be careful."
"My lord, may I climb to a higher vantage point to observe the battle?"
Lingyan had been silent for a while, carefully examining the simulation sand table, before suddenly asking a question.
"Of course." Marquis Wu of Wei looked at her with a puzzled expression. This Grand Tutor had never been interested in military affairs, so why was he now interested in watching such battlefield fighting?
Marquis Wu of Wei, accompanied by Lingyan and Gu Zhong, left the camp and climbed the watchtower. As the moon rose, they could see, by the light of the camp fires, a vast barbarian army charging back and forth dozens of miles away, their galloping horses stirring up clouds of dust.
Ling Yan narrowed her eyes slightly and looked intently in the direction of the battlefield. After a moment of thought, her expression suddenly changed drastically.
"Your Highness! Lord Marquis, please leave 20,000 troops to garrison the city, and send the rest back to defend Beiling County. This is a feint attack to the east while striking in the west, and a strategy to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao!"
"Sir, have you noticed something?"
Gu Zhong had never seen her act like this before, and his expression immediately hardened.
"There's no time to explain in detail. Please give your orders, Your Highness and the Marquis!"
Seeing Lingyan's anxious expression, Gu Zhong, trusting his master, did not press for an explanation and directly requested that Marquis Wu of Wei issue the order according to Lingyan's instructions.
A few breaths later, the military deployment was completed.
As he rode at full speed, Marquis Wu of Wei could not help but ask.
"Has Lord Ling found the answer now?"
"Your Excellency should realize that this battle against the barbarians is unusual and fought strangely." Ling Yan pondered for a moment before starting to talk about the battle situation.
“Indeed, this is completely different from the previous style of fighting to the death. It seems that they are preserving their strength, all bark and no bite…” Marquis Wu of Wei agreed with this.
If barbarians were so adept at knowing when to advance and retreat, they wouldn't have been such a persistent threat to dynasties throughout history. Moreover, given the great calamity, it would be utterly useless to fight a hasty battle instead of risking everything for survival.
What are they plotting? Is it just to stop Gu Zhong from investigating the remnants and spies of the previous dynasty in the city? This commotion is really unnecessary. Once the battle is over, Gu Zhong will have enough time to deal with the rebels.
"The so-called large army of barbarians here is less than ten thousand strong. The imposing presence and the thick smoke and dust are all illusions. It's just a smokescreen, with brooms tied to the tails of cattle, sheep, and horses, and straw figures placed on top of them."
The real main force only had its first wave; the Northern army was preoccupied with defense and hadn't engaged in any direct combat, so it was impossible to discern their movements in a short time.
Lingyan had some knowledge of military strategy, but not as much as Marquis Wu of Wei. However, in the past, when fighting against the barbarians, they had only relied on pure brute force. The barbarians were not used to using tricks and schemes, which put Marquis Wu of Wei in a blind spot, and he was unable to understand their plans for a while.
"It seems the barbarians have received guidance from a master..." Gu Zhong's face was grim.
“Before I came to the border, someone tied a piece of cloth to my horse.”
Lingyan pulled out a piece of brocade cloth, a specialty of the northern border, from her wide sleeve. On it were several bright characters: "Luring the tiger away from the mountain, the city is in danger!"
"I dared not believe it, so I came to the pass to investigate. Now it seems that the news is true."
"Even if it's true, how would the remaining barbarian army bypass the Northern Border Pass if they wanted to attack Beiling County?"
Marquis Wu of Wei still harbored doubts about the assessment of Lingyan.
Beiling County is surrounded by mountains on three sides, making it difficult to climb and forming a natural barrier against enemies. Only the Northern Border Army remains to guard the Beijing Pass, making it truly a place where one man can hold off ten thousand, easy to defend and difficult to attack.
"Does Your Excellency know about the avalanche a few days ago?"
Lingyan lowered her eyes, recalling the sand table she had just seen in the central army camp of Marquis Wu of Wei.
"The day His Highness was assassinated?"
Marquis Wu of Wei frowned, clearly not expecting the avalanche to have anything to do with the barbarian invasion.
"The snow piled up at the foot of the avalanche mountain is nearly two zhang deep. I wonder if the Marquis remembers the terrain to the east? I just saw a peculiar landscape on the terrain model, winding from the east into Beiling County."
Normally, this passage is narrow and low, with naturally formed stalagmites as tall as a person and extremely hard below, and sheer cliffs above, making it impassable. If someone were to fall in here, unless they had an indestructible body, they would be impaled through the heart.
But if snow completely buries these barbs, the natural barrier disappears, opening up a wide road for large armies to pass through. If I remember correctly, this terrain extends all the way to Qingshui County, one of the subordinate counties under the jurisdiction of Beiling Prefecture, which is only half a day's walk from the city of Beiling Prefecture…”
No one could have predicted that one day the treacherous terrain would become a smooth road, and no one would have made such a wild and imaginative connection as Ling Yan. But if what she said is true, then Beiling is truly in danger!
The person who orchestrated this was also a genius, with meticulous planning. If it weren't for the unexpected deaths of Ling Yan and Chen Muxian, Gu Zhong would have perished long ago.
With the Crown Princess assassinated, morale in the army is in chaos. This, coupled with a large-scale invasion by the barbarians, could lead to a coordinated attack from within and without. If all goes smoothly, the entire Beiling region could fall overnight.
It seems that Chen Muxian was the one who saved Gu Zhong from danger, turned the tide, and ultimately won the Crown Princess's trust.
Since arriving in Beiling, Chen Muxian has done nothing and has no intention of taking any action. On the contrary, he has indirectly saved Gu Zhong's life.
To say that he directed and acted the whole thing just to win Gu Zhong's trust would be too much of a struggle and a huge sacrifice.
Even if this person initially wanted to curry favor with Gu Zhong, his approach was simply to present himself as a capable minister. However, after being met with a few lukewarm responses from Gu Zhong, he seemed to have given up on the idea and didn't try to get close to Gu Zhong again for a long time.
For some reason, Lingyan was convinced that Chen Muxian had placed that piece of cloth there. Only someone who knew the whole scheme could issue such a warning.
Regarding these strange phenomena, Lingyan is more inclined to believe that there were also factional disputes among the rebels of the previous dynasty, and that the people who planned the series of events in the northern border were not of the same faction as Chen Muxian, and that there were significant differences between them.
It seems that Chen Muxian, the so-called prince of the former dynasty, is somewhat frustrated. He has no say and cannot stop the plan from being implemented, so he can only sabotage it in secret.
For example, the matter of rescuing Gu Zhong and the matter of alerting the police should both have been Chen Muxian's own actions.
Unfortunately, because of Lingyan's existence, all the actions that could have won Gu Zhong's favor ended up benefiting her instead.
Undoubtedly, even if Chen Muxian appears to be on their side now, his identity as a treacherous official intending to overthrow the current dynasty will not change.
He must have his own plans, and Gu Zhong is the most important part of them; he absolutely cannot die in the North now.
However, there are many things he cannot yet control perfectly.
Divide and conquer. This idea came to Lingyan's mind. If she could let the rebels fight amongst themselves first, cut off the spider web they had woven for who knows how many years, and strip them of their wings, it would be much easier to deal with them afterward.
No one thought of defending against the barbarians from the south; the cover of night was the best cover for a sneak attack.
The soldiers who had just changed shifts on the city wall were still savoring the braised pork for dinner. His wife had specially cooked it for him because he was going to work the night shift that day.
A hook came silently from behind, and before he could react, his head was hooked off.
None of the guards at the east gate had time to whistle for an enemy attack; they were all killed in silence.
The city gates were opened from the inside to welcome the barbarian hooves.
"My lads! Charge! Gold, silver, wine, and women await us!"
The ivory horn of attack was sounded, and the barbarians, like tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves, charged into the city wielding scimitars, burning, killing, and looting indiscriminately.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Barbarians! They're barbarians!"
How did they get in?
"Where is the Northern Army?!"
"Quickly! Report to the prefect!"
Chapter 14 The Imperial Tutor and the Crown Princess (Thirteen)
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The Imperial Guards who remained in the city were the first to react.
"Stay calm!"
"Except for the prefectural governor's guards, gather the entire army and form ranks to meet the enemy!"
"Send a light cavalry unit to charge out and quickly seek reinforcements at the Northern Border Pass!"
President Yang Jie was a commander of a thousand oxen, and he acted expediently in times of emergency, except for the small team he still controlled under the prefect's office.
He recalled all the soldiers who controlled the various powerful clans and engaged in a fierce street battle with the barbarians in the city.
The people in the city were filled with fear and unease, and every household stayed indoors, as if this could isolate them from the turmoil.
The barbarians seemed to have learned some lessons, and no longer carried out massacres of entire cities as before. Instead, they rode their horses past the homes of ordinary people, paying them no heed whatsoever.
They watched as the wealthy families went in and looted, while another group headed towards the central city, where powerful clans gathered.
Even though the soldiers of the capital's garrison were elite troops capable of fighting ten against one, the city gates had already been breached, and they could not withstand the overwhelming force of the numerous barbarian tribes.
After a bloody battle, they were forced to the prefectural governor's mansion, where they fought like cornered beasts.
The blood-soaked soldiers, like demons crawling out of the earth, guarded the last line of defense, vowing never to retreat.
The barbarian Tartars, resembling wolves and eagles, formed a circle, cautiously raising their scimitars and approaching step by step.
"Captain Yang, I'm afraid we'll all perish here today."
His hands trembled as he used the fine iron knife to support himself on the ground. His leg, with its tendon sheath pierced, stubbornly and laboriously stood upright, his vision already blurred.
Yang Jie wiped his face, his hands covered in blood.
"Though the body dies, the spirit lives on; the soul becomes a heroic ghost. A true man, wrapped in horsehide, will die for his country; what fear is there of life and death?"