Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 204 On Military Strategy
Xunzhou, inside a charming little courtyard.

Lan Suting, dressed in men's clothing and holding a chicken-claw brush, began to write delicate and elegant small regular script on the paper.

Zhu Wen was worried about Lan Suting's safety and rarely took her to the battlefield.

Zhuoying first used the twelve-peak Bingzhou Chengni pottery inkstone, a gift from Zhu Wen to Lansuting, to grind the finest Lushan pine soot ink. This ink was made by burning pine branches, collecting the soot in a closed room, and then adding glue and pounding it. After that, the ink sticks had to be air-dried twice, each time for two years. Therefore, the production of a good pine soot ink requires three winters and four summers.

Pine ash, when it comes into contact with water, naturally imparts a faint fragrance. When it becomes ink, additional fragrance is added to prevent insect infestation, resulting in a subtle and alluring aroma when writing.

Her ten fingers are slender and delicate, and she would not touch anything that wasn't meant for her.

Seeing that the incense on the table had burned out, Chuoying picked up the incense box, took out an incense ball, and placed it into the burner. She reached out her delicate hand to test the heat and feel the speed at which the incense ball burned in the burner.

A slender wrist holds a candle, its light as red as a bean, a beautiful woman adds fragrance to the scene. Lan Suting never imagined that she, a mere woman, could enjoy such a beautiful moment.

The woman serving her was Shang Rang, the nominal wife of the leader of the Zhenyi Alliance, who now truly held power within the alliance.

"In my eyes, Zhizhen is the right man..." Zhuoying was dignified and composed, but her eyes were filled with a melancholy. After adding incense, she walked behind Lan Suting and gently massaged Lan Suting's shoulders and neck with her jade hands to relieve her lover's fatigue from writing at his desk.

After Lan Suting finished copying Lady Wei's "Famous Concubine's Calligraphy", he slowly raised his head and showed a grateful expression to Chuo Ying.

Zhuoying smiled sweetly: "If Zhizhen wants to be grateful, she should hug her instead."

Lan Suting paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Chuo Ying happily sat on Lan Suting's lap, leaned against her, and kissed Lan Suting's chin with her fragrant lips.

The faint fragrance emanating from Zhuoying's mouth stirred Lan Suting's heart, and he reached out to embrace Zhuoying's slender waist.

But a faint worry lingered in Lan Suting's delicate eyes.

"Is Zhizhen worried about Liang Yu?"

Chuo Ying gently touched Lan Suting's earlobe, which resembled a fan pendant, and asked softly.

Lan Suting nodded: "Suting has always felt that there was something wrong with this military deployment..."

“Zhizhen is prudent and naturally does not want the army to take risks,” Zhuoying said. “But Liang Yudu also did not want to send troops, but was persuaded by the other generals. This general lacks authority.”

Lan Suting murmured, “A general uses the execution of the powerful to demonstrate his authority, the reward of the lesser to demonstrate his wisdom, and the strictness of punishment to ensure the observance of orders. Therefore, if killing one person can terrify the entire army, then kill him; if rewarding one person can please ten thousand, then reward him. The execution of the powerful is valued above all, and the reward of the lesser is valued above all. To execute high-ranking officials and influential ministers is to impose the highest form of punishment; to reward even the lowest servants and stable boys is to extend the reach of rewards to the lowest ranks. The highest form of punishment and the lowest form of rewards are how a general's authority is exercised.”

This is a sentence from Jiang Ziya's "Six Secret Teachings".

"Only by eliminating the powerful and rewarding the lowly can orders be obeyed. Rewarding the lowly is fine, but eliminating the powerful is difficult to do with two people in an army." Zhuo Ying said quite calmly, "Shang Lang was poisoned, and the Salt Commander had no intention of using this to digest the Zhenyi Alliance. Instead, he used the reward of three women to test Liang Yudu. Besides being grateful for the old friendship with Alliance Leader Wang, is there no factor that he fears Liang Yudu's growing prestige and wants to use the Zhenyi Alliance faction to counterbalance him?"

Growing up in a fiery environment like the Taishan Sect, Chuoying's vision is rarely blinded by benevolence and righteousness; he often sees directly into the deep, bloody essence of power.

Lan Suting's slender body trembled involuntarily.

The three disciples of Huang Chao were always very close, a story that has become a legend.

However, the close relationship between Meng Kai, Zhu Wen, and Duan Hongyan could also pose a threat to Huang Chao.

The Grass Army has always valued loyalty, and only Chuo Ying dared to expose this.

“Then let’s send troops this time…” Lan Suting murmured.

"King Li Mi of Wei governed his army purely with benevolence and righteousness, but lacked the authority of a general. One careless move led to his defeat by Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong governed his army purely with power and tactics, causing his soldiers to become distrustful and disloyal. Facing Emperor Taizong, the army's morale collapsed." This commentary on two heroes during the chaotic early years of the Tang Dynasty is noteworthy. In the eyes of the Zhenyi Alliance, King Li Mi of Wei was a god-like figure. Wang Xianzhi, in governing his army, also attempted to inherit Li Mi's Wagang loyalty, treating his generals as brothers.

"Therefore, benevolence and righteousness, as well as political maneuvering, are all means to an end. The key is to find a suitable middle ground." Zhuoying spoke quite realistically: "Commander Huang certainly doesn't want Liang Yudu to perish; rather, he wants Liang Yudu to win and defeat the enemy, but also wants to prevent him from becoming too powerful. It's just that in this contradiction, Gao Yan has an opportunity to exploit." "Then, in Sister Zhuoying's opinion..."

"Kiss me, and I'll tell you." Zhuoying suddenly smiled like a little girl, then closed her eyes, looking expectant.

Having no other choice, Lan Suting mustered her courage and lightly touched Zhuoying's lips like a dragonfly.

The electric-like tingling sensation made Zhuoying feel extremely pleasurable, and she hugged Lan Suting's body tighter: "Liang Yu is the person you have chosen, Zhizhen. Her willpower and skills are far superior to Shang Lang's. What she lacks is only experience in major battles."

"Where are all the troops south of Quzhou who once led the army independently and defeated Gao Yan?" Lan Suting asked doubtfully.

"That was a surprise attack, not a fair and square all-out battle. In terms of experience in a decisive battle, both Gao Yan and Shang Lang are better than Liang Yu."

Lan Suting had no rebuttal.

Gao Yan had fought alongside Gao Pian in numerous battles, including many when he led troops independently. While Shang Rang was fighting at Muling Pass, he also defeated the Pinglu army led by An Shiru, Wang Jingwu, and Liu Xun at the Battle of Linqu, despite being outnumbered.

Zhu Wen's previous military experience mainly consisted of serving as a strategist for peasant armies or as the commander-in-chief of Huang Chao, responsible for fighting on one side.

“Famous generals are not necessarily invincible; some can rise from defeat and grow stronger with each battle.” Zhuoying said confidently, “Although Gao Yan is also a figure of some importance, he is no match for Liang Yudu.”

"But this process might be very brutal?" Lan Suting asked.

Chuo Ying nodded.

Victory without exerting any effort or making any sacrifice is almost impossible in warfare throughout history.

But sometimes, the price of victory can be unbearable.

……

The Yuan River, also known as the Han River, is the second largest river in eastern Lingnan after the Yue River. It originates in Fujian, flows through the vast mountains of eastern Guangdong, and rushes into the sea via Chaozhou.

When the renowned official Han Yu served as the prefect of Chaozhou, he wrote "A Eulogy to the Crocodiles" and threw it into the river. He then led brave officials and civilians, armed with strong bows and poisoned arrows, to hunt and kill crocodiles, thus alleviating the crocodile problem in Chaozhou. Later generations commemorated Han Yu by naming the river the Han River.

The Han River has a rapid current, especially in summer. Traveling north from Chaozhou, one must pass through a narrow valley on the west bank of the Han River.

Gao Yan was quietly organizing his soldiers in the mountains of the upper reaches of the Han River.

He wore a different wig and different clothes every day, appearing as a young man in his twenties one day and a middle-aged man around forty the next.

This bizarre disguise technique shocked the barbarian tribesmen, who felt that Gao Yan's ability to change his age must be due to some divine power, and they held him in even higher esteem.

The art of military strategy, known as Yin-Yang, involves acting in accordance with the times, applying the principles of punishment and virtue, following the laws of war, utilizing the five elements of victory, and even employing supernatural powers for assistance. Gao Yan employed precisely the Yin-Yang military strategy taught to him by his uncle, Gao Pian, which involved feigning supernatural powers.

However, it can have a miraculous effect on the barbarian tribes who are devout believers in the gods.

"You think you have the people in your grasp, but your people are all the result of my schemes." Gao Yan reached out and made a grasping motion, muttering, "The real people are on my side."

"Zhu San'er, I'm very curious, what kind of tools can these barbarians make after getting your head? Can you give me a surprise?"

After speaking, Gao Yan slowly put on his Lanling King ghost mask.

In his view, Zhu Wen had already fallen into the trap he had laid and had no chance of survival.

(End of this chapter)