Li Jun laughed and said, "Look, Wu Peng's reinforcements are coming from Nan'an Pass in the northwest. He's anxious and will definitely take this route. Did you notice that the terrain along this route is lower than the surrounding area of Nan'an Pass? If our army camps its central force on this hill, Wu Peng will surely launch a surprise attack with his main force, heading straight for our central force. If at that moment, I divert the water from Nan'an Pass to flood it, then the Lan Kingdom's army will become easy prey!"
"Ah?" Shi Quan bent down to look at the map again. Li Jun's plan to flood the city was originally intended to trap the city's defenders, a fact that Wu Peng had seen through. However, he could never have imagined that the floodwaters were actually intended to deal with the Lan Kingdom's reinforcements. But this plan still had a flaw, so he said, "How can we get Wu Peng to follow the commander's plan? First, he needs to know that our central army is here. Then, he must arrive here within the time frame arranged by the commander. If either of these is missing, the commander's brilliant plan will probably be in vain."
Wei Zhan gently shook his paper fan and smiled slightly, "I have a plan. If our army is besieged, will we send someone to break through and ask for reinforcements?"
Li Jun and Shi Quan immediately understood that Wei Zhan's intention was to use the person seeking help to convey his own meaning.
“Indeed, Brother Shi, do you have any other suggestions?” Li Jun nodded.
"This plan is brilliant, and I can't find any flaws in it." Shi Quan smiled slightly, a rare expression of approval on his face. "The only concern is that the Nan'an River is shallow and has little water, which is insufficient to flood the city."
"That's alright. I asked the villagers nearby, and they said that when the southeast wind blows, there will definitely be heavy rain within a few days," Li Jun said with a smile.
With the plan in place, Li Jun immediately ordered Shi Quan to be in charge of breaching the river embankment, ordered Tang Peng to lead 3,000 men to open up the waterway, and ordered Gan Ping to lead 5,000 men as the vanguard to first force their way to Nan'an Pass.
Standing atop the pass, Zhao Xing, the garrison commander of Nan'an Pass, gazed southward. He saw only a desolate pass and river, the sky and earth hazy and empty. About two or three miles south of the pass, amidst the misty villages and willows, purple flags fluttered like clouds, soldiers swarmed like ants, and the sounds of men and horses clamored like a boiling cauldron.
He couldn't help but furrow his brows, a hint of hesitation appearing on his bronze face.
The fate of the Su Kingdom hinges on this battle, a realization he had long been aware of. He simply hadn't imagined that he would be the one commanding this battle, one that would determine the fate of the Su Kingdom. In his many years of military service, he hadn't achieved any great merit, nor had he made any major mistakes. His rise from a minor military officer to the esteemed General of the Guards and Commander of the Southern Inspectorate was no small feat. But now, facing the formidable and powerful General Li Jun was a truly daunting prospect.
As a warrior, Zhao Xing naturally longed to fight a fierce battle against a formidable opponent, but considering the responsibility he bore in this battle, he felt utterly powerless. The warrior beside him was pale, clearly intimidated by the imposing presence of the Peace Army at the pass. This atmosphere of unease was highly contagious, and it seemed he had to do something.
"Tonight, all soldiers can rest easy," he declared loudly. "Except for scouts, patrolmen, and inspectors, the rest of the soldiers need not go up to the city walls to guard the passes."
"General, the enemy's forces are formidable. If we are so careless, we might make a mistake," the advisor said dutifully.
"It's alright. The enemy's forces are just a feint. If they truly had such a show of force, they wouldn't have stopped a few miles away; they would have attacked right up to the city walls," Zhao Xingzhen said. "Therefore, I predict the enemy will not attack the city today, but tomorrow is another story. Send the order to slaughter pigs and cattle; tonight we'll celebrate with all the soldiers!"
At this moment, the sun in Su Kingdom had not yet set very early; it was early afternoon, and it was still relatively bright outside. But inside the Nan'an Pass, the lights had already been lit. The soldiers ate heartily, treating the food and wine before them as if they were tomorrow's enemies, until their bellies were round. Although Zhao Xing appeared fearless, in the middle of the night, he fully armored himself and went to the pass. After checking that no one at the sentry posts had been negligent, he returned to his camp to sleep.
The night passed peacefully. The next morning, after breakfast, a soldier reported that an enemy general was challenging them at the pass. Zhao Xing smiled faintly and said, "Ignore him. If he curses, curse back."
Gan Ping, wielding a steel fork, shouted insults back and forth below the city walls, but the drawbridge in front of him remained unlowered. He cursed at the enemy, and the Su soldiers on the walls responded with even louder shouts. Both sides cursed each other all morning, their throats parched, yet the defenders refused to come out, and the attackers refused to advance, resulting in a stalemate.
"Have the reinforcements set off yet?"
After realizing that the Peace Army had no intention of attacking the city, Zhao Xing understood that the Peace Army did not care about Nan'an Pass. Their real purpose was probably the Lan Kingdom army that was coming to his aid. Therefore, he asked the envoy who had rushed back for help.
"Before we set off, Marshal Wu Peng of the Lan Kingdom gave orders for the general to hold out until he arrived."
Zhao Xing nodded, not showing his dissatisfaction and humiliation on his face. Judging from the messenger's expression, he must have suffered considerable humiliation when he went to seek help. "They want to wait until I and the Peace Army are both exhausted before picking on the weak? I'll just refuse to fight and see who can hold out longer." A thought involuntarily arose in Zhao Xing's mind that he hoped Wu Peng would come to the rescue, only to fall into Li Jun's trap and suffer heavy losses.
But at this critical moment, the fate of the nation rested on his shoulders, and he had no choice but to endure the humiliation, especially since the people of Nalan Kingdom were not in front of him. He pretended not to notice and said, "Go through the trouble again and go see Marshal Wu immediately. Tell him that the enemy army may be targeting him and ask him to be careful. When marching, it is better to proceed slowly rather than hastily."
"The barbarians of Lan Kingdom don't care about our lives at all, yet the general is still so concerned about them?" A lieutenant beside him couldn't help but speak up. "It would be best if they fought the Peace Army traitors to a standstill, why should the general bother with them?"
"Shut up!" Zhao Xing glared at him. "The friendly forces of Lan Kingdom have come from thousands of miles away to help our Great Su Kingdom, haven't they?" He paused, then smiled again and said to the messenger, "Remember to be polite to the friendly forces of Lan Kingdom. If you suffer any grievances, don't take it to heart. I will reward you handsomely when you return."
"If I suffer any injustice, I will swallow it down no matter what." The messenger, who had always been trusted by Zhao Xing and was loyal to him, couldn't help but complain when he heard him say this: "Although the general Wu Peng of Lan Kingdom is arrogant and conceited, he doesn't dare to be too disrespectful to the King and the general. However, his soldiers are all arrogant and domineering, and they don't treat the people of Su Kingdom as human beings. What's more, they even insulted the King and the general. If I weren't under orders, I would really like to have a go with them and see what they are capable of."
“Remember this: you only need to deliver my message to Marshal Wu Peng, and you will have made a great contribution. As for being brave and fighting, you can deal with it after you have driven away the treacherous dogs of the Peace Army.” Zhao Xing sighed slightly. “The most urgent task is to defeat Li Jun, and we cannot defeat Li Jun without the help of the Lan Kingdom. You must all remember this.”
After the envoy left, the lieutenant, still seething with anger, said, "Are we just going to let these barbarians of Lan Kingdom get away with this?"
Ding Zhi, Zhao Xing's advisor beside him, twitched his facial muscles and couldn't help but smile slightly. Zhao Xing saw this but didn't say anything. After everyone else left, he kept Ding Zhi behind and asked, "Brother Ding, why did you laugh?"
"It's just that everyone is unaware of the general's intentions." Ding Zhi said, seeing that no one else was present. "Given the arrogant nature of the soldiers of Lan Kingdom, if the general advises them to be cautious, it may only make them more arrogant. If the general advises them to slow down, they may only speed up their run."
Zhao Xing's bronze face, which had originally appeared honest and steady, turned cunning and sly upon hearing Ding Zhi's words. He said, "Brother Ding, you know me best. So, Brother Ding, how do you think our army should defeat Li Jun?"
"Respond to all changes with constancy." Ding Zhi's face flushed. He said, "Our Great Su Kingdom is currently in dire straits. The traitor Li Jun's 50,000-strong Peace Army and the rebel Dong Cheng's 50,000-strong Qinggui Army are attacking from two directions, their determination to win is obvious. Although Dong Cheng has captured Jiang'an, downstream at Zhanyang, there is a natural barrier and an iron chain across the river, and within it, 30,000 elite troops. Furthermore, the imperial court has recently mobilized local militia from various places to reinforce Xiangkou downstream of Zhanyang. Dong Cheng is currently intensifying his efforts to reinforce it." Even wings cannot cross it, so there's no need to worry about it. However, Li Jun's cunning and tactical skills are beyond the reach of ordinary people. He personally led this large army, composed entirely of the elite of the Peace Army, while our original troops sent to the front lines suffered a defeat and scattered in a mid-way battle, leaving fewer than five thousand men returning to Nan'an Pass. The rest of our Great Su's forces are mostly concentrated near the capital; Your Majesty and the Prime Minister rely on them to defend the capital and will certainly not send reinforcements. The only hope lies with the 100,000-strong army of the Lan Kingdom.”
"Li Jun is wise, and Wu Peng is strong in troops. If the two meet, even if Li Jun wins, he will find it difficult to annihilate Wu Peng's forces, and his losses will be heavy. However, if our army has sufficient strength at this time, it will not be difficult to defeat Li Jun in one fell swoop, preventing him from looking north for three to five years. Once Li Jun retreats, Dong Cheng will surely return empty-handed, and our Great Su will be out of danger. If we take advantage of the victory to attack Qinggui and reclaim the lost territory, it is very possible that we can even reach Yuzhou. Therefore, the fate of the Great Su depends entirely on Nan'an Pass, and the fate of Nan'an Pass depends entirely on you, General. It is only a matter of time before you are remembered in history for your great achievements."
Zhao Xing nodded repeatedly, as Ding Zhi's words aligned perfectly with his own thoughts. But just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the southeast side of Nan'an Pass!
two,
"Oh no, General! The enemy has sent men to breach the Nan'an River, and the water is about to overflow!"
Zhao Xing's heart nearly stopped. He had initially thought Li Jun's strategy of holding back was to besiege the city and lure reinforcements, but he hadn't expected Li Jun to flood the city. Thinking about it, it made sense. For the defending Su state, An'nan Pass was a fortress, but for Li Jun, who was determined to attack Liuzhou, An'nan Pass was merely a dispensable fortress; the flood wouldn't be a significant loss. However, Li Jun always touted his love for the people, and this flooding would surely bring annihilation to the populace. He hadn't even attempted a direct attack yet; why had he resorted to this bizarre tactic?
Upon reaching the fortress, one could see the raging floodwaters rising rapidly, threatening to encroach upon the city. With an irresistible force, the floodwaters swept away scattered villages outside the city and carried away towering trees. The turbid waves churned the earth, engulfing low-lying areas one after another; soon, the water rose to within a hundred feet of the city walls.
"What...what should we do?" Ding Zhi's eyes widened. Faced with this force of nature, no matter how skilled one was, they could only sigh in despair. Zhao Xing stared wide-eyed, a layer of black mist shrouding his bronze face. He shouted, "Order all soldiers and civilians in the city to move to higher ground immediately..."
As soon as the first order was given, his eyes lit up, and he said, "No, order all the men in the city, whether soldiers or civilians, to bring their own shovels and hoes and dig a long moat around the inner city. It has to be fast, the faster the better!"
"I'm afraid it's too late..." Ding Zhi said in despair, "The water has already reached the city walls."
"There's still time! An'nan Pass is situated on higher ground. Although the water isn't far from the city walls, it will take at least a day or two for the water to rise. And it's not the rainy season in An'nan River right now, so the amount of water accumulated in the past few days is limited and won't flood the entire pass. What I'm worried about is the outer city walls collapsing from the water," Zhao Xing roared. "Go quickly!"
A dull blast of bull horns rang out, signaling to the soldiers and civilians in the city that a critical moment had arrived. Under the supervision of those sent by Zhao Xing, a deep moat encircling the inner city was miraculously dug between the inner and outer walls. At this moment, the rising waters had slowed down, and if nothing unexpected happened, the raging floodwaters would stop just a few feet from the city.
"Heaven bless my Great Su!" Zhao Xing breathed a long sigh of relief after surveying the outer city walls. Three years ago, Dong Cheng breached the river, turning Su's elite troops into fish and turtles. Today, Li Jun breached the river again, but to no avail. Pointing to the raging floodwaters outside the city, he laughed loudly, "Li Jun, Li Jun, you breached the dikes to flood my An'nan Pass, but instead you've added an unbreakable water barrier to it. Now I'll see how you cross this vast ocean!"
Ding Zhi stroked his beard and laughed loudly. As if to join in the laughter, the battle flags on the city wall fluttered fiercely, and the wind picked up.
Ding Zhi was laughing when he suddenly took a deep sniff and his expression changed. "Wait, General, the wind direction is wrong."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xing looked at the battle flags and saw that without exception, they were all fluttering towards the northwest. His expression changed as well. It was early winter, and the northwest wind should have been strong, but instead, a warm and humid southeast wind was blowing. A folk saying goes, "When the east wind rises, the rain falls heavily," so it seemed that heavy rain would likely come within a few days.
“That treacherous Li Jun is so cunning. He didn’t dig earlier or later, but he came to dig when there was going to be a heavy rain.”
One of the lieutenants cursed, "Luckily, the general and his staff are well-versed in astronomy, otherwise wouldn't they have fallen for that big swindle?"