Красоты династии Сун

Глава 19

"You won't die!"

"War is unpredictable!"

"If that day ever comes, I will be with you!" Ran said with a serious expression.

"Good Xiao Ran, if you stay in the capital, that's enough to keep me company. Your martial arts are not good enough, and staying here will only make me more worried! I'll be so worried that I won't be able to eat or sleep!" Xing Ge tried a softer approach when she saw that hard tactics weren't working.

"That's great! So this is how you can put your heart on me!" Ran smiled, but her eyes showed only determination.

"Xiao Xing, let Brother Ran stay!" Dou Huai pleaded from the side.

"Alas! I have no right to speak! Given the relationship between the young prince and the prince, I'm afraid it's impossible!"

"But you and Xiao Huai are both going to the battlefield, can't I just watch from the sidelines?!"

"You really want to stay?" Xingge looked directly at Ran.

"You have a way, don't you?" Xiao Ran happily grabbed Xing Ge's sleeve.

"Brother Ran is always doing nothing, is he being scolded by Dad?"

"Oh! Sometimes!" Xiao Ran chuckled dryly.

Xingge leaned close to Ran's ear and whispered...

"Isn't that too hypocritical?" Xiao Ran looked troubled.

"What are you afraid of! When it comes to hypocrisy, you should learn from your father and uncle!"

Five days later, the court received an urgent memorial from Yumen. Twenty-five days later, the emperor, overcoming all objections, granted the request!

In Yumen Town, life goes on as usual, but in the Yumen military camp, undercurrents are surging.

Inside the council chamber, Jiu Ru and Xiao Ran sat quietly, while Mo stood to one side.

"Xiao Ran, when did you become so enamored with your uncle's talent and martial arts skills?" (Jiu Ru's smile was masked by icy eyes.)

"My nephew has admired his uncle since he was a child! He has never had the chance to express it!"

"Oh? That was perfectly timed! I'm flattered!"

"It is my greatest honor to be able to follow my uncle in his battles and learn from him!" Xiao Ran felt her teeth ache.

"Alright, since Your Majesty has made a request to Father, how can your uncle refuse? We will depart in three days. Your safety is my responsibility, and you must not leave my side without permission."

"Ah! I can go with Major General Dou, and, and Xingge too!" Ran murmured.

"Oh, isn't it me that Xiao Ran admires? That's why your uncle is willing to teach you so diligently! Get ready!"

Jiu Ru chuckled and stepped out of the hall. Ran glanced at Mo Yi, who stood silently to the side, feeling frustrated.

32. Gutter

In the evening, in the military headquarters, Jiu Ru, General Dou, Dou Huai, and two deputy generals stood in front of the map of Xicang, while Mo Yi and the strategist Ye Xing also stood to the side.

General Dou spoke calmly, “Our Xicang army has a total of 110,000 men. The Northern Jurchen army is stationed near Tianshan. Its commander, the Fourth Prince, is still in the Northern Jurchen royal court. It will take about ten days to assemble. Your Highness will lead 60,000 cavalry on a rapid march to reach the Kucha Tiangou within fourteen days to intercept the Northern Jurchen army. I will lead 50,000 men to capture Kucha and the northeastern Jurchen towns, and finally launch a major attack on Kucha town.”

“General, among the towns along the way, only Kucha has Northern Jurchen troops; the rest are garrisoned by locals. Our army of 50,000 should be fine, but the Northern Jurchen army could easily gather 100,000 in a short time. Even with the Kucha ravine blocking our way, our army of only 60,000 might be…” Deputy General Li voiced his doubts.

"His Highness has borrowed 100,000 troops from the Southwest from the court. They will arrive at Yumen the day after tomorrow. The Southwest army is not good at riding and archery, so their march will be a little slow. They will join up with 60,000 cavalry from Kucha within 18 days. Does anyone have any questions?" After a pause, General Dou continued, "Dou Huai, Deputy General Zhao will lead his troops to accompany His Highness on the expedition, and Deputy General Li will accompany me to attack the city."

General Dou seemed to speak after a long pause, "When attacking the city, you must exercise restraint and not make things difficult for the local residents."

"Understood."

The group discussed the map again for a long time and confirmed many details.

Jiu Ru led his army on a rapid march, repelling several blocking forces along the way. Thirteen days later, they camped on the southern cliff of the Kucha Tiangou. The Northern Jurchen army had not yet reached the north of the Kucha Tiangou. During this period, General Dou's side reported frequent victories, and everything went smoothly.

Night fell, the sky was filled with stars, and the moonlight was as white as snow. Xingge and Dou Huai stood on the ditch.

"Little Bean, what do you want to do after the battle?" Xingge gazed at the sky.

"The war has only just begun, and you're already thinking about playing around?"

"War will eventually end, maybe in ten years, maybe in five days, it doesn't hurt to think about it."

"I am a soldier, and it is my duty to stand guard in Xicang, protecting my home and country!"

"What if Xicang were to one day be at peace?"

"Oh, that's still a long way off. Maybe I should go see my master, or go home to keep my mother company. But I'll eventually have to return to the barracks. A soldier would rather die on the battlefield than die in comfort."

Xingge's eyes darkened slightly, then she chuckled softly, "Let's go see Master together then."

"Good, Master will be very happy if he knew that the little devil from back then has grown up to be such a talented and virtuous person!"

"Hey, what kind of eyes do you have? I was a man of both talent and character back in the day!"

"Back then, who was it that freeloaded and caused trouble in town? Every time, I was the one who pleaded for you!"

"Hey, a drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude, I'll repay you right now!"

"Don't hit me! You little devil, ouch! That hurts!"

"Don't run away! I'm repaying your kindness!"

Three days later, the 100,000-strong Northern Jurchen army arrived at the northern ridge of Tian Gou and confronted the army formation on the southern cliff, but did not launch a full-scale attack.

The next day, 100,000 troops from the southwest arrived at Tiangou. General Dou also sent someone to report that they were nearing Kucha and would attack the town of Kucha in two days.

In the evening, it was late at night, as if he were still in his tent.

"What's wrong?" Jiu Ru sat in the chair, looking at Xing Ge standing in front of her with a worried expression.

"Is everything arranged?"

"Everything is proceeding as planned; the battle will begin the day after tomorrow."

"What about the 100,000 people in the southwest?"

"The crossbowmen are all ready! What are you worried about?" Jiu Ru raised an eyebrow, what was he trying to say?

Who will the prince send to lead the army?

As soon as Ji Rulang frowned slightly, the obvious answer was Dou Huai, who had been leading troops all along. Why would Xing Ge ask such a question? A thought flashed through his mind.

"Who does the strategist think is suitable?"

"I would like to request this position from Your Highness!"

Jiu Ru's heart tightened. "Why?"

"I am acquainted with the Fourth Prince. If we meet on the battlefield, we can exchange information beforehand."

"Whether we communicate or not, the outcome of the war will be the same!"

“I am familiar with the terrain,” Xingge said hastily.

"In these four days, those who were not familiar with each other will become familiar! I want to hear the real reason!" Jiu Ru was already displeased.

Xingge hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and whispered, "When I was thirteen, I was fortunate enough to be a fellow disciple of General Dou at the Tong family in Jingzhou. At that time, I was mischievous and penniless, often engaging in despicable acts of freeloading and cheating in town. My fellow disciples were all from noble families, and they all considered me a disgrace, avoiding me like the plague. Although our master was not prejudiced by social status, he was extremely strict and would often punish me. Your Highness has never seen how miserable I was back then!" Xingge looked up, a warm smile suddenly spreading across her face, "Only Senior Brother Dou did not mind my unknown origins and humble family background. He often shared his own expenses with me, took the blame for me in front of our master, and shared my punishments. I have no family since childhood, and I have long regarded Xiaodou as my own brother. In the upcoming battle, General Dou will not know the actual plan and will surely fight to the death with his troops, so..."

"So you want to die in his place!" Jiu Ru gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, her voice filled with anger.

Xingge paused for a moment, then, without giving it much thought, said, "Your Highness hasn't even ascended to that throne yet, how could I dare to die!"

After a while, as his anger subsided, he knew the battle the day after tomorrow would be fierce. He pondered for a moment and then spoke gently.

"Young General Dou is a brilliant young man with a heart set on the battlefield. Changing commanders on the front lines would be a great humiliation for him! Even if he finds out afterward that all his generals have died in battle, while he himself was spared because of you, would he resent you or be grateful to you? With his skills, he can decide for himself whether he lives or dies in the next battle. Generals only grow on the battlefield, so why not let him make his own choice?"

After a long silence, Xingge suddenly knelt on one knee, lowered his eyes, and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"I have been following Your Highness for nearly two years and have never asked for anything from you before. This time, I beg Your Highness to grant my request!"

"Look up at me!"

He stopped singing for a while, then resolutely looked up and stared straight at Jiuru.

After a long while, he stared at her, no longer mocking or indifferent, his eyes now only filled with a resolute, night-black intensity. His heart churned, and he almost crushed the armrest of the chair in his hand. His throat tightened with a hoarse sound.

"I'll grant your wish! Go down!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Xingge got up and went out.

Mo had been standing at the door the whole time. After Xingge left, he hurriedly went inside and suddenly saw that the young master's palm was bleeding and there were bloodstains on the chair arm.

"Young Master!"

Jiu Ru, however, only looked at the candlelight inside the room, her smile complex.

"Mo Yi, so she does care after all!"

Mo looked at the still-dripping blood on the palm and sighed inwardly. So the young master does care after all!

33. Collection on Behalf

The next day, Jiu Ru summoned all the military generals to the camp. With a great battle imminent, everyone was excited yet somewhat nervous, and they waited quietly around the sand table for the prince to speak.

"This section, stretching approximately 400 zhang from east to west and 150 zhang at its widest point, will be the main battlefield tomorrow. Four battle paths have been constructed down to the bottom of the ravine. Tomorrow, the entire Xicang army will descend into the ravine. Whether attacking or defending, we must lure the enemy into the ravine. Once the retreat signal sounds, we will ascend the cliff along the original path. The crossbow array in the southwest will then use crossbow bolts to seal off the entire ravine and wipe out the enemy. General Lin, how are the preparations?"

General Lin, the commander of the Southwest Army, immediately replied, "Your Highness, our army has been training with the new crossbows for some time. With a combination of long-range and short-range crossbows, we can seal off the entire trench! Please rest assured, Your Highness."

"Good. Deputy General Zhao, the Xicang army is being used as bait in this battle, and the outcome is unpredictable. No matter what, we must lure most of the enemy into the ditch!"

Vice General Zhao was puzzled as to why the prince had assigned the task to him instead of General Dou. Despite his doubts, he still replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, our army consists of men of courage and integrity, and we will never fail in our mission!" After a short pause, he couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, I wonder which general from Xicang will be the commander-in-chief this time?"

Jiu Ru remained focused on the sand table. "Military Advisor Ye, I hereby appoint you as the commander-in-chief for this luring of the enemy!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Your Highness!" Dou Huai exclaimed urgently, glancing at Xing Ge in disbelief before looking back at the prince. "Your Highness! Your subordinate..."

"General Dou, General Dou will attack the important town of Kucha tomorrow. The town is defended by the Northern Jurchen army. I am a little worried. You will lead two thousand cavalrymen to meet your father today, and we will attack Kucha together tomorrow."

"The Northern Jurchen army guarding the town numbers a mere 20,000; Father, we don't need them..."

"This is a military order! Major General Dou!" Jiu Ru shouted sternly, his tone brooking no argument.

Everyone remained silent, understanding that this move was clearly intended to weaken Major General Dou, but none dared to say a word.