Chapter 859: Beset on All Sides

“Report!”

“Report!”

Military dispatches began pouring toward the command tent one after another, but Liu Dahu and Zheng Man intercepted every one of them and immediately carried them to the tent beside the commander’s, the one the Sword Saint had originally occupied.

Chen Xianba sat inside by candlelight, reading through the reports.

Liu Dahu and Zheng Man crouched tensely beside him. Most of the dispatches had arrived during the latter half of the night, which meant actual contact had already occurred during the first half. There was inevitably a delay between events and reports. By the time these dispatches reached them, the enemy forces were already closer than the paper suggested.

The Sword Saint sat nearby with Longyuan in his arms, drinking chilled tea. Watching his son and Zheng Man bring in report after report, the situation obviously urgent, he finally could not help asking:

“Are there really that many Qian troops?”

Chen Xianba might possess the habit of a “commander” looking down on mere Martial Artists, but he was not stupid enough to show disrespect to the Sword Saint’s face.

“A great many. Very many. Dahu, the map.”

“Right.”

Liu Dahu took out the simpler map he carried and spread it open. The more detailed one was inside the command tent, but the Prince was sleeping and had given explicit orders not to be disturbed.

“Our command tent is here. To the east, at least sixty or seventy thousand troops are marching out from Xishan Camp toward us. Xishan Camp can fight somewhat. It isn’t the sort of force that collapses on contact. To the west are Qian cavalry. No fewer than twenty thousand riders.”

“Cavalry?” Zheng Man immediately frowned. “Isn’t Qian’s cavalry in Liang?”

Because Qian’s horse administration had long decayed under corruption and neglect, the state had never possessed much cavalry. It seemed as though horses and riders could be found everywhere, whether among ordinary people or government offices, but maintaining a large cavalry corps required a steady, specialized logistical system devoted to keeping that formation supplied.

At present, Qian possessed only one proper cavalry corps, under Imperial Son-in-Law Zhong Tianlang. Its core had originally been cavalry from the Western Army, later reinforced with mounted troops drawn from the Three Frontiers and further supplemented over recent years until it finally became a force large enough for direct use on a main battlefield.

Even if Zhong Tianlang had already left Liang by now, there was no way he could suddenly descend from Heaven and appear here.

“Four different Lieutenant Commanders to the east sent reports that corroborate one another. The numbers shouldn’t be far off,” Chen Xianba said. “My guess is that Qian borrowed troops.”

He paused, then continued:

“Most likely Northern Qiang cavalry. That’s the only place Qian could pull this many mounted troops from at short notice. Qian has always had a tradition of calling in guest troops. They used to mobilize native troops the same way. Calling in Northern Qiang cavalry is not fundamentally different from Prince Pingxi Residence previously drawing auxiliary troops from the snowfields.”

Liu Dahu asked:

“How strong are Northern Qiang cavalry?”

Zheng Man snorted.

“If Qian managed to beat them down until they became auxiliaries, how good could they possibly be?”

“You can’t calculate it that way,” Chen Xianba said. “The Northern Qiang once founded their own state. Later, the Tattooed-Face Chancellor pacified them. A people’s rise and decline depends on far more than combat strength alone. Most of the time, Qian dealt with the Northern Qiang through amnesty, recruitment, and division. If they could simply have wiped them out once and for all, the old Western Army would have done it long ago. So, tentatively, I’d place Northern Qiang cavalry below the Barbarians, but above Savages without the Savage King. Of course, they definitely can’t compare with our eastern-Jin iron cavalry, nor with Great Yan’s Zhenbei and Jingnan Armies.”

The Sword Saint asked curiously:

“You know all that?”

It was exactly like a parent seeing someone else’s child get excellent grades and instinctively wanting to ask what study method the family used.

Chen Xianba replied:

“When I was young, there was always a teacher beside me responsible for my education. He was not my father, but he was as good as one.”

The Sword Saint nodded.

So the problem was that he, as a father, had failed to teach his own son properly?

Ai.

He should not have asked.

“As for the north, that’s Chancellor Han’s force, the one that has been facing us these past days. Somewhere between sixty and seventy thousand men, mostly local auxiliary troops, commandery soldiers, and garrison troops. Their fighting strength isn’t high. But I think the other side has something to rely on. There may even be an elite formation hidden inside the camp. To the south, judging from the reports that came back, barring any surprise, Qian’s Imperial Guard has taken the field. Back then Qian’s Imperial Guard supposedly numbered eight hundred thousand, but if you wanted the number that actually existed, you had to cut it in half twice. When His Highness invaded Qian years ago, the Imperial Guard first dragged out one hundred thousand men. They were loose and disorganized and collapsed the moment they entered battle. Later, Qian tried to scrape together another Imperial Guard force and march it north. They gathered several tens of thousands, but before they even left Bianzhou Commandery after departing the capital, more than half had already deserted. After that, Qian must have rebuilt the Imperial Guard. Judging from the reports sent back by the Lieutenant Commanders in the south, I’m afraid this force numbers around sixty thousand as well.”

Zheng Man counted on his fingers.

“Good heavens. That’s more than two hundred thousand troops altogether? Qian really does have people to spare.”

No wonder he was amazed.

Qian still had massive forces stationed at the Three Frontiers, and those were genuine heavy troop concentrations. There was also a Qian field army in Liang.

Yet even now, inside the heartland of the country, Qian had somehow managed to gather this many troops again in such a short period of time.

Worst of all, the armies of Jiangnan had probably not even had time to move yet, while throne-rescue forces from more distant regions had not arrived either.

“This is Qian,” Chen Xianba said. “Once you become familiar with Qian, its raw strength is almost unbelievable. Then you remember that for so long it was the weakest of the four great states and was suppressed this thoroughly by Great Yan, and that becomes even more unbelievable.”

Liu Dahu asked:

“What about His Highness...?”

“His Highness gave us orders. We follow them. Qian cannot complete a proper encirclement in one night. Even if they barely manage to establish mutual support from all four directions, they won’t have time to launch an attack tomorrow. His Highness can sleep peacefully. And don’t be frightened simply because you hear how many troops they have. Back then Generals Li Bao and Li Fusheng had only sixty or seventy thousand men between them and still punched straight through Qian. That tells you exactly how poor Qian troops are. Even on the snowfields, ten thousand eastern-Jin iron cavalry under me could chase fifty thousand Savages. What does a little spectacle like this amount to?”

Then Chen Xianba looked at Liu Dahu.

“Have all the Lieutenant Commanders outside begun returning to camp?”

“According to the messengers, they should all be following the previous order. The moment they made contact with Qian forces, they immediately withdrew toward camp. They should be on the road now. Before dawn, seven or eight out of ten ought to be back.”

Chen Xianba nodded.

“That’s enough. Everyone get some rest too. Don’t let His Highness wake up only to find all of us exhausted.”

...

When Zhao Mugou entered the command tent, he happened to meet Zu Xinyue coming out.

Zu Xinyue saluted him. No matter how awkward Prince Rui Residence’s position was inside Great Qian, he was still an outside general. The proper courtesies could not be neglected.

Zhao Mugou returned the salute with equal seriousness.

Then Zu Xinyue left, and Zhao Mugou entered the tent.

The aged Han Sui was not reading this time. He stood beside a brazier warming himself.

“His Majesty personally led the army here.”

“The Son of Heaven is personally on campaign?”

“Mm.” Han Sui nodded. “More or less only that Yan camp lies between his army and ours now.”

Ever since learning Han Sui’s true identity, Zhao Mugou had even less reason to restrain himself.

What he did not know was that before this, he had somehow already failed to hide much of anything. In Han Sui’s eyes, that had become proof of some mysterious blood connection.

Grandfathers doted on grandchildren. It was roughly that sort of feeling.

The little grandson spoke recklessly before him because the boy trusted and liked him. How could Han Sui become angry over that?

“The last time an Emperor of Great Qian personally led an army was during Emperor Taizong’s reign. Heh.”

Zhao Mugou’s voice was thick with disdain.

That single personal campaign by Emperor Taizong had buried five hundred thousand founding elites of Great Qian. Since then, the Son of Heaven personally campaigning had practically been regarded as an omen of catastrophe.

Han Sui shook his head.

“In truth, Great Qian’s original military system was established by Emperor Taizu, and Taizu was an Emperor on horseback. When he designed the system, he absorbed lessons from the old days when military strongmen carved up the lands of Great Xia. What he emphasized was concentration of authority in the central government. Use the strength of the center to command all four directions. Taizu’s mistake was that he miscalculated one thing. He had won the realm on horseback through conquest, but his descendants might not possess his courage, his vision, or his ability.”

Zhao Mugou said:

“What he expected even less was that it wouldn’t be his descendants sitting there at all.”

Han Sui sighed.

“Think of the late Emperor of Yan. To centralize authority, he did not hesitate to ride down the great aristocratic houses and divide military authority completely between the Northern and Southern Princes. But the Emperor of Qian had, in truth, achieved long ago the situation Yan’s late Emperor dreamed of obtaining. Unfortunately, Great Qian’s system requires a powerful Emperor before it can function properly. Put an Emperor who hides deep inside the palace at the center of it, and the system Taizu left behind inevitably grows distorted and rotten. You told this old man something similar several days ago, but you saw only that Qian elevates civil officials and suppresses military men. In truth, while Great Qian’s military commanders have been beaten down this thoroughly by us scholars, the real head of Great Qian’s military establishment should always have been the Emperor himself. The reason Great Qian slid farther and farther out of balance is partly because scholars despised Martial Artists and deliberately suppressed military men. But another half of the reason is that after Emperor Taizong, Great Qian never produced another Emperor who carried himself like a warrior. I watched the present Emperor grow up. He is absolutely not some ruler addicted to grandiose schemes and empty achievements. He deserves to be called an enlightened sovereign. There are two reasons he chose to lead the army personally this time. First, if this battle succeeds, then after the great victory in Liang we will swallow another main Yan force, perhaps even swallow this Prince of Yan himself. The balance between Qian and Yan will be completely overturned. Second, His Majesty has understood the true nature of Great Qian’s system. Through this personal campaign, he will formally receive the allegiance of Great Qian’s military commanders. From that point onward, like Yan’s late Emperor, he will become the true supreme ruler of his state in more than name. Mugou, you are very clever. At your age, you can be called a gifted prodigy. But prodigies tend to make one mistake. Once they realize they’re clever, they begin looking at everyone else as though they were fools. That habit must change.”

Zhao Mugou immediately knelt.

“Grandfather, your grandson understands.”

Some understandings needed no words.

But just how far Han Sui was willing to indulge him, and how far grandfather and grandson could truly walk together, remained unknown.

Would Han Sui be willing to wager everything the Han Clan possessed on a grandson who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

Zhao Mugou did not dare imagine it.

The Han Clan was itself a major clan. Han Sui had many grandchildren.

But at the very least... he now possessed an opportunity.

An opportunity his grandfather had created for him.

Even after learning he was Han Sui’s biological grandson, Zhao Mugou still believed himself to be a man of Prince Rui Residence, still the Heir of Prince Rui.

“There is only one thing this old man is worried about now.”

“What worries you?”

“Do you remember what Prince Pingxi said that day when this old man brought you to meet him? He said: ‘Isn’t the Emperor standing right here?’ At the time, this old man believed he was merely pointing at you to tease us. Thinking back now, could he have meant something else? Or perhaps... did he already suspect?”

...

“Heh. I was only using the Heir of Prince Rui to mock Han Sui. What deeper meaning could there possibly have been? And how in the hell could I possibly have known that Qian’s Emperor would suddenly grow this bold and personally lead the army this time? What am I, an immortal?”

Prince Pingxi had slept an exceptionally long and satisfying sleep. Now he sat on his bed reading the newest military report while laughing and cursing at the Sword Saint, who sat beside him asking questions.

“You truly didn’t know?” The Sword Saint still looked unconvinced.

Because the newest dispatch stated with perfect clarity that the Jinwu Dragon Standard stood among the Imperial Guard to the south.

“Ai, Old Yu. You’re around me all the time. I don’t care how much the people below turn me into some legendary monster, but you know exactly what kind of person I really am, don’t you? How have you suddenly turned into one of those scholars, picking apart every word I say?”

Zheng Fan stretched.

He had slept from dusk yesterday until nearly noon today.

He had gone to sleep full of heroic confidence.

He woke up literally beset on all sides.

“Xianba, this Prince is hungry.”

Chen Xianba brought food in.

The meal was excellent: four dishes and a soup, prepared separately for the Prince.

Everyone else had eaten much earlier.

The Prince sat alone behind the commander’s table, eating slowly and calmly with his chopsticks.

Outside the command tent, Zhao Yuannian had been waiting for some time with his entire household except for his mother. Clearly, they too had learned what was happening outside.

Once Zheng Fan finished eating, he waved for the bowls and chopsticks to be cleared away and walked out of the command tent.

Zhao Yuannian led his Princess Consort and secondary consorts in saluting the Prince.

Fed and satisfied, Prince Pingxi allowed his gaze to linger for a fraction longer on the particularly full-figured secondary consort.

Then he pointed at Zhao Yuannian.

“Where is your mother?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, Mother is inside her tent putting on formal dress.”

“Your mother knows what she’s doing. Go. Have your wives put on their formal dress too. Bring out the proper dignity.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Zhao Yuannian immediately led all three women away.

His feet never stopped moving, yet he turned his head back every few steps.

Deep down, he was terrified.

A turncoat was always most afraid of the moment accounts were settled, because he understood better than anyone how miserable his end would be if judgment truly came.

By comparison...

Prince Pingxi, already surrounded by more than two hundred thousand troops, appeared exceptionally calm.

Around the command tent, apart from the soldiers on patrol, many Yan troops were grooming their horses. Others had simply curled up to sleep.

The veterans knew what they ought to be doing right now, what would benefit them most in practical terms. Their experience and composure naturally spread to some of the newer soldiers around them.

Zheng Fan gripped his jaw with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around the back of his neck. He twisted.

Crack.

Whew.

Comfortable.

A’Ming checked his wineskin.

If he had not gone out midway to hunt Qian scouts from the northern camp, he would probably have run out of rations long ago.

Instead, he looked rather excited.

He enjoyed war.

Only on battlefields could he choose blood from fallen experts, whose taste was completely different from that of ordinary people.

Xu Chuang sat nearby, silently sharpening his saber and wiping his sword.

Prince Pingxi looked up at the beautiful weather and laughed.

“More than two hundred thousand troops. Not bad. Qian is really giving us face. Another encirclement from four directions. They want to recreate their great victory in Liang over Li Fusheng. They want to swallow this Prince alive the same way they swallowed Count Huwei. In that case, there absolutely has to be something wrong with Chancellor Han’s camp to the north!”

Chen Xianba immediately stepped forward.

“Your Highness is wise. In an encirclement, what matters is not the strongest side, but the weakest, because only...”

“Next time just call it the bucket effect.”

“Mm?”

“How much water a bucket can hold is determined by its shortest plank.”

Chen Xianba nodded vigorously.

“Your Highness is wise!”

Zheng Fan shook his head without much interest.

“They want to weave an iron cage around this Prince, but they also have to prevent me from jumping out. East, south, west, north. By all logic, the weakest side should be that mixed force to the north. And the north also happens to be the direction this Prince would need to retreat. No wonder that old bastard Han Sui was willing to put on that double act with me. He was never afraid I’d attack him. He has enough confidence to make sure I can’t smash through his camp quickly. Heh-heh. This Prince has discovered that these Qian people really were carved from the same mold as me. Once they find a trick that works, once a script wins once, they can’t be bothered changing the playbook. Fine. Now we really are an isolated army wrapped up like a dumpling. This time, my boots are soaked all the way through. That Emperor of Qian is petty too. Back then, all this Prince did was point at his nose and say he didn’t understand war. Now he personally takes the field just to win that face back. This Prince finds it troublesome. The same words. To the same man. Why make me say them twice?”

Prince Pingxi beckoned Chen Xianba over.

“All right. Since they’ve already pressed in from all four sides, Xianba, how many troops do we still have inside this camp?”

Chen Xianba reported:

“Including all the Lieutenant Commanders who withdrew from the outer perimeter between the latter half of last night and this morning... the total number of troops presently available inside the camp... is barely ten thousand.”

[End of Chapter 859]