bookpub Chapter 11: With Jing Shuang as the vanguard, victory is assured in this battle!
Chapter 11: With Jing Shuang as the vanguard, victory is assured in this battle!
Wei Zhao leaned closer to take a look.
That is a valley about forty miles northwest of Yanmen Pass, with steep mountain walls on both sides and a narrow road in the middle, which is clearly drawn on the topographic map.
"A relatively unimportant pass."
Liu Jingshuang began to speak, her pace returning to the briskness she used when explaining military affairs:
"It's not a main passage; large armies can't pass through, but small groups of troops can."
She tapped her fingers on the pass.
"The Northern Rong had no choice but to release the people here."
Why?
"Because of the Azure Phoenix."
Liu Jingshuang put it very bluntly:
"Fifty thousand heavily armored soldiers are hidden outside the pass. Even I don't know their exact location, let alone Quan Ya Shigeru."
"But he's not stupid; he knows that the Wei family army has this unit."
"Luoyingkou is one of the few routes that can bypass the northern Rong's rear."
"I fear that Qingluan will lead her heavy armored troops to cut through from here and outflank him."
"So he had to send someone to guard it."
Wei Zhao stared at the map, his mind racing.
How many troops are there in the garrison?
"Not many."
Liu Jingshuang shook her head: "At most three or four thousand men, mainly scouts and light cavalry."
Her finger slid from the Eagle's Mouth to the approximate location of the Northern Rong's main force, drawing a line.
"This pass is important to Junyamo, but it's not worth deploying a large force to it."
"His main force is concentrated on the front of Yanmen Pass. Dividing his troops too much would weaken his ability to attack the pass."
"So, only a reconnaissance unit was stationed at Luoyingkou to keep an eye on things."
Three to four thousand people.
The focus should be on reconnaissance, not on holding the line.
Wei Zhao tapped his fingers silently three times on the table, and a complete plan took shape in his mind.
Liu Jingshuang's act of lifting the eagle from its beak indicates one thing—Third Sister-in-law Huo Qingluan's heavily armored army had no plan to bypass this area.
If there were such a position, Liu Jingshuang wouldn't have given it to him.
In other words, Luoyingkou is a "nothing" for Weijiajun.
I don't feel bad if I hit it, and I don't care if I lose it.
But what about the Northern Rong?
They didn't know where Qingluan's heavily armored army was.
What will Quan Ya Mao think if Luo Ying Kou is attacked by the Wei family army?
He would assume that the heavily armored army was going to make its move from here.
The feint attack doesn't need to be deliberately executed; it will automatically take shape after a battle.
Shigeru Inuga was forced to split his forces to defend the flanks, which reduced the pressure on the front.
Get more in one fell swoop.
"Right here."
Wei Zhao straightened up and pointed his finger heavily at the spot where the eagle had landed.
Liu Jingshuang looked at him.
Her expression didn't change much; she still had that cold, aloof look.
But Wei Zhao noticed a detail—she lowered her arms, which had been crossed over her chest, and her body changed from leaning against the wall to leaning slightly forward.
This is a very subtle change.
But a person who has served in the military for ten years will not change their posture for no reason.
Leaning forward means she is interested in, or even agrees with, what the person in front of her is saying.
Wei Zhao met her gaze.
"Jing Shuang, would you be willing to help me win this battle?"
He spoke very seriously, without a trace of politeness.
"This is my first time leading troops into battle, and I need you, General, to guide me!"
If other generals heard this, they would probably think that their commander-in-chief was showing weakness.
But Liu Jingshuang understood another meaning.
He didn't try to be brave.
A twenty-year-old young commander, fighting his first battle, if he were to confidently declare, "I can do it myself,"...
That's what you call stupid.
Know your own limitations, know what you should shoulder yourself and what you should rely on, and speak up when necessary without hesitation.
More importantly, it was the target he chose.
A reconnaissance force of three or four thousand men could be easily overwhelmed by any 10,000-strong unit that the Wei family army could easily send out.
No risks, no gambling, win when you're guaranteed to win, only fight battles you're sure to win.
This is not cowardice.
This is being clear-headed.
A leader is not someone who acts with reckless courage, nor is it someone who can win with fewer troops to demonstrate skill.
A commander's job is to win every battle with a high degree of certainty and minimize losses.
On the real battlefield, "stability" is a thousand times more valuable than "aggression".
Liu Jingshuang stared at Wei Zhao for a long while.
The light in those phoenix eyes was changing.
It wasn't the kind of feeling that came after the lights went out last night, but rather a veteran's reassessment of the new general.
From the backbone he displayed when receiving orders at the funeral hall, to the ferocity he displayed when charging into Yanmen Pass, and now to this calm and composed demeanor—
She added another weight to the scale in her heart, this time on Wei Zhao's side.
Liu Jingshuang took a step forward.
Then, she clasped her hands in a fist salute and bowed.
This action was not perfunctory.
She bent over at a perfect angle, clenched her fists tightly, and looked directly into Wei Zhao's eyes from beneath her drooping eyelashes.
"In this battle, I will assist you."
She straightened up, her voice carrying a heavy weight.
"I am willing to lead the vanguard for the commander-in-chief and secure the first victory for our army!"
Wei Zhao looked at the woman in front of him.
He wore a white, close-fitting outfit, a sword at his waist, his brows furrowed with menace, and his back stood as straight as a spear.
He stretched out his hand.
Instead of shaking her hand, he took out the Xuan Tie Patriarch's Token from his waist, held it in his palm, and flashed it at her.
"Then let's muster the troops."
Liu Jingshuang's lips twitched slightly.
The change is very small, almost imperceptible.
But Wei Zhao saw it.
She turned and strode out, pushing open the door to the council chamber.
His figure disappeared from Wei Zhao's sight.
……
One hour later.
The old matriarch stood on the city wall, watching the Wei flag gradually shrink into a dot and disappear into the desolate northwest.
The wind was strong, blowing her silver hair wildly.
The guards beside her tried to drape a cloak over her shoulders, but she raised her hand to stop them.
"Need not."
She didn't look away, still staring at the horizon.
Ten thousand personal guards, plus Liu Jingshuang, will attack a reconnaissance camp of three or four thousand men.
A battle that's practically a sure thing won't have any surprises.
But she still couldn't help watching.
When the old general first led his troops into battle, he also set off from this pass.
She stood on the city wall and watched until the flag disappeared before going down.
Then came the second, third... all the way up to the ninth.
She stands here every time.
Each time, the flag disappeared in the same direction.
The flag returned after the first eight attempts.
The ninth time, nine coffins returned.
The old lady's fingers gripped the iron cane tightly, her veins bulging.
"Let's go."
She turned and descended the city wall, her cane tapping the stone steps with a deep, powerful sound.
He took two steps, then stopped.
He didn't turn around, and his voice was very soft.
"Zhao'er will be alright."
I don't know if I'm talking to the people around me or to myself.
……
A three-hour forced march.
Ten thousand horses trampled over the gravel and withered grass on the wasteland, their hooves thundering like drums.
Wei Zhao, riding his white horse, had long since stopped feeling any pain in his buttocks.
The benefits of having a constitution of 20 points are fully demonstrated during long marches.
The journey that felt like my internal organs were displaced half a month ago only makes me feel slightly sore now.
Liu Jingshuang rode half a body length ahead of him, holding the reins in one hand and her sword in the other, her eyes fixed on the front.