Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 480 The General's Woman

Suiye City.

Pei Xingjian stood by the window, looking up at the night sky. He saw the bright moon rising high in the hazy night.

In the border regions, the days are long and the nights are short. The moon rising to this height indicates that midnight has passed.

A great battle is about to begin. Pei Xingjian, the commander-in-chief of the Tang army, should be conserving his energy and strength. Why is he sighing into the night?

Pei Xingjian felt a weight on his shoulders as an outer robe was draped over them, and a soft female voice came from behind him.

"Is something on your mind, General?"

Pei Xingjian did not turn around, but looked up at the night sky and said, "Ninth Sister, you don't need to worry about me, go and rest."

Kudi Jiuniang walked to Pei Xingjian's side. The cool moonlight shone on her face, giving it a silvery glow, making her look even more beautiful and charming.

She glanced at Pei Xingjian, then looked up at the moon without saying a word.

Pei Xingjian knew that this woman was unconventional and, despite her low status, never showed any fear in front of him and often disregarded his words, yet he couldn't bear to reprimand her.

The two stood side by side by the window, neither of them saying a word.

After a long while, Pei Xingjian suddenly asked, "Ninth Sister, do you know General Su Dingfang?"

Kudi Jiuniang smiled and said, "In the Kunzang Protectorate, Su Gong defeated 100,000 Arab troops with 50,000 Tang soldiers. Who in the world doesn't know that? Besides, he is your teacher!"

Pei Xingjian sighed, "Yes, my teacher always said that he had passed on all the military strategies to me, but he could remain calm and composed at any time. I can never learn that kind of mentality."

Kudi Jiuniang turned her head to look at him.

"I know that a great battle is imminent and the general is under great pressure. Why don't you tell me your worries? Perhaps it will make you feel better?"

Pei Xingjian turned his head and glanced at her, only to see her eyes fixed on him, her gaze as gentle as a clear spring.

“You are, after all, a woman, and you don’t understand these things,” Pei Xingjian shook his head.

Kudi Jiuniang's expression suddenly changed. She raised her eyebrows and said, "General, you said I don't understand. May I guess a thing or two?"

Pei Xingjian said, "Alright, guess. If you can't guess, go and rest."

Kudi Jiuniang pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The general feels a lot of pressure and has difficulty sleeping. There are actually two reasons for this."

Pei Xingjian said, "Oh?"

Kudi Jiuniang said, "First, it is because the general's original plan to attack Tokharistan was based on the situation at the time. However, due to various reasons, the matter was repeatedly delayed, which led to changes in the situation, and the general's plan is no longer applicable."

“If the general reports this to the emperor, the emperor may not be able to understand the general’s thoughts. Instead, he may feel that the general has not done something properly and abandon the general, and appoint Xue Rengui as the general commander of the army.”

Pei Xingjian frowned, his expression grave, staring intently at Kudi Jiuniang.

"What do you mean by the change in the situation?"

Kudi Jiuniang said, "Naturally, it's a change in the Tokharistan. When the general was plotting against the Tokharistan, he planned to launch a surprise attack, luring the Arabs to come to their aid, and then annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"Now that it has been delayed for more than two years, the Arabs have long seen through the general's plan and have been continuously sending more troops and building fortifications."

"Furthermore, General Su Dingfang's victory over the Arabs in Kunming and Tibet caused the Arabs to change their plans, abandoning their attack from Great Bolu and instead transferring troops to Tokharistan for full-scale defense. Now, Tokharistan is impregnable, and the general's original plan is no longer applicable."

Pei Xingjian stared intently at Kudi Jiuniang, his gaze sharp, but she met his gaze calmly, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with smugness.

From Pei Xingjian's reaction, she knew that her guess was correct.

Pei Xingjian withdrew his gaze, sighed deeply, and said, "I never expected that a woman like you would be so insightful."

Kudi Jiuniang snorted and said, "General, you look down on women, but don't forget that Her Majesty the current Empress is also a woman."

Pei Xingjian gave a wry smile and said, "You're unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss."

Kudi Jiuniang said calmly, "Jiniang follows the general because she admires his talent and is willing to share his burdens, not because she is here to be looked down upon by the general."

Seeing her haughty and arrogant attitude, Pei Xingjian respected her even more. He smiled slightly and said, "Alright, I admit I was wrong. You are very insightful. I shouldn't have been so rude."

“If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Why add the word ‘calculate’?” Kudi Jiu Niang was not going to let it go so easily.

Pei Xingjian chuckled, "Alright, I was wrong, is that alright now?"

Kudi Jiuniang then broke into a smile and said sweetly, "General, would you like to continue listening?"

"of course."

Kudi Jiuniang pondered for a moment, then continued, "The general's second concern is that he had a quarrel with General Xue Rengui during the day. He advocated a slow and deliberate attack to delay the enemy's supply lines, and then launch a large-scale attack to force the enemy to retreat."

"But the general advocated a swift attack, not giving the enemy more time to prepare."

"Although General Xue Rengui eventually compromised and accepted the general's plan, this put even more pressure on the general, because if they were defeated, the general worried that he would become a sinner of the Tang Dynasty and leave a stain on history!"

Pei Xingjian stared at her and said, "How did you know I argued with Xue Rengui? I remember you weren't in the hall at the time."

"I was eavesdropping outside the side gate," Kudi Jiu Niang said, puffing out her chest with an expression of utter self-righteousness.

Pei Xingjian said with a stern face, "Do you know what the crime is for eavesdropping on military secrets?"

Kudi Jiuniang's eyes sparkled as she smiled seductively, "I am the general's woman. You may punish me however you wish, and I will do as you please."

With its neck held high, it looked ready to be picked.

Pei Xingjian was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he said, "You've made a mistake in one thing."

Kudi Jiuniang asked, "Which point?"

Pei Xingjian said in a deep voice, "Do you think someone like Xue Rengui would choose a slow and ineffective strategy of confronting the enemy?"

Kudi Jiuniang frowned and said, "It is indeed strange. I have heard that this man is cruel and bloodthirsty, and fights fiercely. Why is he advocating a slow attack this time? Could it be that the general has a grudge against him?"

Pei Xingjian rolled his eyes and said, "How could I have any grudge against Xue Rengui? Besides, who told you he was cruel and bloodthirsty? You can't say such things in the future!" Kudi Jiuniang blinked and said, "I've heard that he has killed many surrendered soldiers. Is that true? I only say this in front of the general. In front of others, I would praise his bravery!"

Pei Xingjian knew that arguing with her would never end, so he changed the subject and said in a deep voice, "Logically speaking, Xue Rengui would not have proposed such a tactic, but he did. Do you know why?"

Kudi Jiuniang's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled, "Only the current sage can influence him."

Pei Xingjian nodded: "That's right. His Majesty is considering things from a strategic perspective. He knows that the Arabs' logistics are not as good as ours, so he wants to use delaying tactics to make the Arabs retreat on their own initiative."

Kudi Jiuniang suddenly realized: "The general's rejection of this method is tantamount to rejecting the sage's strategy, which is why he feels pressured."

Pei Xingjian acquiesced.

Kudi Jiuniang asked curiously, "General, the Sage's method is more reliable and has no future troubles, why don't you use it?"

Pei Xingjian glanced at her and said, "Why do you think I am?"

"Because if we use this method, the general will be unable to achieve merit?" Kudi Jiu Niang guessed.

Pei Xingjian glared at him and said, "In your heart, am I the kind of person who would disregard the bigger picture for personal gain?"

Kudi Jiuniang smiled and said, "He was just joking, General, why are you in such a hurry?"

Pei Xingjian realized that he was being manipulated by this petite woman, his face flushed slightly, and he turned away from her.

Kudi Jiuniang's expression turned serious, and she said softly, "I know that the general is considering things from a longer-term perspective. If we follow Your Majesty's method, we can indeed get the Arabs to withdraw from Tokharistan, but the initiative in the war will fall into the hands of the Arabs."

Pei Xingjian was shocked and turned to look at her, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Kudi Jiuniang smiled and said, "Judging from the general's reaction, I guessed right again. So, does the general still dare to underestimate a woman?"

Pei Xingjian ignored her teasing and said, "Tell me first, why did the initiative in the war fall into their hands after the Arabs retreated?"

Kudi Jiuniang said, "Because the Arabs are closer to Tokharistan, if they retreat unscathed, they only need to prepare for a few years to attack Tokharistan again at any time. At that time, it will be difficult for our army to come to the rescue, and Tokharistan may very well fall to them again."

Pei Xingjian nodded and said, "You've hit the nail on the head. We're too far from Tokharistan. If we can't take this opportunity to severely damage the Abbasid Caliphate, Tokharistan won't be able to survive."

Kudi Jiuniang said, "Why doesn't the general tell His Majesty about these thoughts?"

Pei Xingjian shook his head and did not answer.

If this operation succeeds, all problems will be solved, and the emperor will not pursue the matter any further.

If the battle is lost, someone must take responsibility, and that person can only be him.

So whether you say it or not, the result is the same.

Xue Rengui's retreat indicates that the emperor has given instructions for Xue Rengui to follow his lead and will not interfere with his plans.

In this situation, his special explanation to the emperor seemed more like an excuse for future failures, which would only anger the emperor further.

Given this situation, he had only one option: to conquer Tokharistan, severely damage the Abbasid army, and eliminate all threats.

Other matters were not his concern.

His conversation with Kudi Jiuniang helped him clear his mind and regain his resolve. He immediately took the beauty back to his bed to rest.

Although he went to bed late, Pei Xingjian still got up early the next morning to do his morning exercise in the backyard.

Upon arriving at the training ground, they saw figures moving about and heard the clanging of weapons. It turned out that two people were fighting in the training ground.

Pei Xingjian approached and saw that they were Xue Rengui's two lieutenants, Li Yuanfang and Wei Daijia, both of whom were using Modao (a type of long-handled sword).

Pei Xingjian watched for a moment and couldn't help but secretly applaud.

Both of them possessed astonishing skills, especially Li Yuanfang, who wielded his Mo Dao with ease and precision, his martial arts prowess likely no less than mine.

After fighting for a while, Li Yuanfang spotted Pei Xingjian first, sheathed his sword, retreated, and bowed to Pei Xingjian, saying, "Good morning, Protector Pei."

Wei Daijia also hurriedly greeted him.

Pei Xingjian returned the greeting with a cupped hand and asked the two why they used the Mo Dao as their weapon.

Li Yuanfang said, "Protector Pei, you may not know this, but His Majesty once saw General Xue wielding the Mo Dao in his residence and said, 'It should be promoted in the army.' After this news spread, more people in the army used the Mo Dao, and General Xue even established a Mo Dao corps!"

Pei Xingjian was unaware that Xue Rengui used the Mo Dao (陌刀) because of him, and smiled, saying, "General Xue and I are of the same mind. My army also has a Mo Dao unit."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanfang was eager to try, his eyes burning with desire as he looked at Pei Xingjian.

"Then Protector Pei must also be a master of the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled broadsword). I wonder if he could instruct this humble general on a few moves?"

Having witnessed his martial arts skills, Pei Xingjian was also somewhat tempted and was about to agree when he suddenly saw Cui Zhibian walking quickly towards him from a distance.

"Brother Pei, His Majesty has sent another person from Chang'an to assist us. Do you know who it is?"

Seeing the joy on his face, Pei Xingjian quickly asked, "Who is it?"

Cui Zhibian laughed and said, "The commander of the Great Caliphate Holy Deer Legion is Suoman!"

"Is this the Su Aoman who was captured alive by Lord Su?" Pei Xingjian was overjoyed.

"It's this person!"

Pei Xingjian's eyes gleamed as he asked, "Where is he?"

"Just entered the Protectorate and is waiting in the outer hall."

Suoman is a high-ranking general in the Arab military. With his assistance, the chances of winning this battle will greatly increase.

Pei Xingjian had no time to spar with Li Yuanfang. He immediately led everyone to the outer hall, where they found Xue Rengui already there, talking to Su Aoman at the entrance.

(End of this chapter)