Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 414, the 423rd Deception

A group of scouts on the opposite side shouted questions in the Xianbei language.

"I am Gongsun Biao, the general of Wu, who has come to provide assistance by order of His Majesty!" Gongsun Biao, as expected of a scholar, could even understand the Xianbei language.

However, these scouts were very vigilant, and they split into two groups, one in front and one behind, seventy paces apart.

Even if the front team is captured or killed, the rear team will have enough time to escape.

"Do you have an official seal?" The other person switched to Chinese.

Gongsun Biao took out the seal of the Wu general, held it high, glanced at the person opposite him, and his wariness did not fade. "Aren't you infantry? Why are you all cavalry?"

Liu Daogui was sweating bullets. This was still within the territory of Julu. If they were discovered, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

Gongsun Biao calmly replied, "For some reason, we encountered several herds of horses fleeing from the southeast on the road, and they were captured by our army."

This answer has many flaws, but it perfectly illustrates the downfall of Daxi Jin.

Daxi Jin's 10,000 elite cavalrymen, each riding two horses, perfectly matched the requirements.

Sure enough, the scout's tone softened considerably: "Have you encountered any Jin cavalry?"

"I didn't encounter any cavalry, but I did run into several Jin scouts. I was on high alert the whole way, which is why I arrived a day late," Gongsun Biao replied flawlessly.

This ability to lie through one's teeth without batting an eye is truly unique.

They were completely taken aback.

"How is the battle at Fangtou going?" Gongsun Biao asked, taking the initiative.

"General Gongsun, hurry forward! The Jin bandits are extremely stubborn, having fortified themselves on the high embankment. Our army has been unable to break through for a long time and has suffered heavy casualties!" The Wei scout turned his horse around and headed west.

Liu Daogui felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

Liu Yu was best at this kind of defensive warfare. Back then, in Juzhang, Haiyan, and Suanshan, when the situation was even worse than it is now, he was able to turn the tide and have the last laugh.

"More than 100,000 infantry and cavalry couldn't defeat 3,000 men. The fate of Wei is sealed..." Gongsun Biao was both surprised and impressed.

After passing Julu County, you enter the territory of Ye City.

Liu Daogui was very familiar with this area, and he encountered three scouts questioning him along the way.

All of them passed smoothly thanks to Gongsun Biao's responses.

But after passing Ye City, they came face to face with Shusun Jian's camp, which was heavily fortified and well-defended. The camp was reinforced with two layers of deer antlers and the Qi River was used as a protective moat, which stretched for three or four miles and divided the surrounding terrain, allowing only a narrow path and four pontoon bridges to pass through.

In other words, if Liu Daogui wanted to pass through this area, he had to go through Shusun Jian's camp.

Wei scouts are easy to fool, but a general of Shusun Jian's caliber is not.

The meticulousness of his character can be seen from the fortifications he set up. When a large army enters the fortifications and observes them closely, they will inevitably reveal flaws.

Gongsun Biao's troops were not much different from a group of beggars, while Liu Daogui's Tiger Guard was well-equipped, with each soldier wearing a suit of iron armor.

“Shusun Jian’s army is well-disciplined and his orders are strict. He is known for his intelligence and bravery. We must be extremely careful.” Gongsun Biao’s expression became more serious than ever before.

Shusun Jian was raised by Wang, the mother of Tuoba Shiyijian, and was treated as an equal to the princes. He served through several dynasties and was one of Tuoba Gui's twenty-one followers, as well as one of the Eight Dukes of Northern Wei.

Just as Liu Daogui hesitated, the gates of the enemy camp slowly opened.

A troop of cavalry rushed out and arrived at the front of the army: "The Duke of Anping has ordered that the troops of Youzhou enter the camp immediately."

Gongsun Biao stepped forward and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

The cavalryman glanced at Gongsun Biao, then immediately turned his horse around and returned to his camp.

Liu Daogui followed their gaze towards the Wei army camp and suddenly noticed something strange: the camp was completely silent, with no one moving about...

Such a large camp must have at least 30,000 troops. An ordinary military camp would have guards, patrols, scouts, and so on.

But now it's eerily quiet, which is quite unusual.

Only the soldiers on the watchtower remained motionless, gazing at their own position.

"We can't delay any longer, or Shusun Jian will definitely find out," Gongsun Biao said in a low voice.

Liu Daogui said in a deep voice, "He has already realized that it's a trap!"

"What? How did he find out? We didn't give anything away the whole way." Gongsun Biao was taken aback.

Liu Daogui was also unsure how the fortification had been exposed. Perhaps the scouts had spotted the flaws, or perhaps Shusun Jian had deduced it, but in any case, there was definitely something fishy about this camp.

Liu Yiwu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I am willing to lead an army into the camp, and if we encounter Shusun Jian, I will cut him down on his horse!"

Liu Daogui shook his head, "It's too dangerous. Once you enter the camp, your life and death will no longer be in your own hands."

Duan Hong also said, "There is a faint murderous aura in the camp. If we force our way into the camp, the chances of survival are slim. If the Wei army attacks from both flanks and cuts off the pontoon bridge and the small road, our army will be trapped like turtles in a jar."

"What should we do?" Gongsun Biao's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Liu Daogui glanced at him, somewhat suspecting that he had revealed something in Xianbei language, but upon closer thought, he thought it was unlikely.

He's a smart man; following me offers him a way to survive, while jumping around like this will surely lead to his death.

Duan Hong and the others also understood the Xianbei language. If they sensed something was amiss, they would definitely speak up.

"retreat!"

"Just like that, we're backing out?" Gongsun Biao asked, his face full of resentment.

"Do not attack a well-organized formation, do not attack elite troops, do not take the bait, let's go!" Liu Daogui spurred his horse and turned it around.

Whether Shusun Jian noticed it or not, this camp was not to be entered. The army immediately turned north.

"Alas, all our efforts have been in vain! All our efforts have been in vain!" Gongsun Biao lamented.

"Who says we've wasted all our efforts? If Shusun Jiantu fails, we'll take Ye City directly!" Liu Daogui gazed northward.

Ye City was a transit point for the grain and provisions of hundreds of thousands of Wei infantry and cavalry.

Taking this city would cut off their supplies and also plant a thorn in the side of the Wei army, making it impossible for the hundreds of thousands of Wei troops at the front to confidently besiege Liu Yu again.

In some ways, Ye City has greater strategic significance, but minimal risk.

Once the cavalry storms into the city, they can use the supplies inside to wear down the Wei army.

In recent years, under the governance of Changsun Song, Ye City has undergone a dramatic transformation from its former desolate state.

The city had a population of seventy to eighty thousand, was surrounded by fertile fields, had a full treasury, and was well-fortified.

Duan Hongdao: "Once we capture Ye City, the outcome of this great battle will be decided!"

"The entire army must accelerate its march and reach Ye City by dusk this day." Liu Daogui raised his whip.

But then they heard shouts of battle behind them, and a Wei cavalry force of four or five thousand men came out in pursuit.

If this cavalry gets caught up with us, Ye City is definitely doomed.

"Duan Hong, Liu Yiwu, listen to my command! Give your three thousand elite cavalry to hold them off. Fight if you can, retreat if you cannot!" Liu Daogui shouted the order.

"Understood!" The two men led the more than three thousand cavalry on the left flank eastward, drawing an arc across the land before following behind the cavalry.

Arrows flew, killing over a hundred people before the distance was widened.

After three rounds of harassment, the Wei cavalry could no longer withstand the attacks and had no choice but to turn back and fight.

They ran head-on into Liu Yiwu's Tiger Platoon cavalry. It was a clash between light cavalry and heavy cavalry, and it was a one-sided massacre in the open plains.

Amidst shouts and neighing, three hundred elite cavalrymen pierced through the Wei army's cavalry.

Duan Hong led his elite cavalry to follow, shooting at the Xianbei from a distance with powerful crossbows and killing them with long spears when they got close. In terms of both equipment and the bravery of the soldiers, they completely overwhelmed the Xianbei.

The Hu people's proud equestrian archery, performed on the bumpy back of a horse, not only had a short range but was also slow and required both hands to operate.

The Tiger Guard cavalry's powerful crossbows could be fired with one hand. They would push off the bow with their foot, instantly nock the crossbow, and then fire horizontally, making them more accurate than the Xianbei cavalry's projectile shots.

In a single encounter, the five thousand Wei cavalrymen collapsed.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, seven or eight hundred cavalrymen were killed, and the remaining cavalrymen fled in panic.

If it weren't for the need to reunite with Liu Daogui, Duan Hong and Liu Yiwu could have slaughtered them, leaving not a single one alive.

Liu Daogui couldn't help but admire them. The Han men were naturally strong in martial arts. As long as they were organized, had enough food and soldiers, and received some training, they were in no way inferior to these Hu people who had grown up on horseback.

Of course, being well-equipped is also a major reason.

The long spears used by the Tiger Guard were all made by the Iron Workshop, and many good families, after acquiring land in recent years, spontaneously spent a lot of money to make their own armor and long spears.

So much so that even a soldier with a third-level military merit could wear a fish-scale armor and go to the battlefield.

A soldier with eighth-grade military merit was willing to spend a lot of money to forge a horse spear.

With the improvement of the soldiers' status, in less than ten years, good families returned to their hometowns, and the people under their rule took pride in fighting for the country.

These changes were exactly what Liu Daogui wanted to see: the rise of respectable families was subtly undermining the foundations of aristocratic clans.

The two armies joined forces and continued northward.

After changing horses twice, they finally arrived at Ye City.

The gates of Ye City were tightly shut, and the garrison on the walls stood ready for battle. "Who are you?"

Liu Daogui was taken aback. Since the other party had asked this question, they obviously did not know that Gongsun Biao had already betrayed them.

Therefore, it can be deduced that it was Shusun Jian who saw through the flaw.

An army's morale cannot be hidden. Gongsun Biao's rabble was worlds apart from the Tiger Guard's elite troops in terms of both military appearance and morale.

It would be strange if Shusun Jian, who had fought on the battlefield for most of his life, didn't see through it.

Liu Daogui gave Gongsun Biao a wink, and Gongsun Biao immediately stepped forward aggressively, "Are you all blind? Can't you see that it is this general? I have come by His Majesty's decree to deliver provisions and to assist in the defense of Ye City."

The battle involved hundreds of thousands of troops, and there were countless military affairs to handle. Moreover, the Wei army came from various units, and communication between them was very slow.

The garrison on the city wall asked, "Do you have the military order from the Duke of Julu?"

The Duke of Julu Commandery was Changsun Song, one of the Eight Dukes of Northern Wei.

Gongsun Biao pulled out a yellow silk scroll from his robes and shouted, "How dare you! You don't even respect His Majesty's edict? Is Ye City not Wei territory? You've delayed military operations! Your entire family will be executed!"

Liu Daogui suddenly understood why Gongsun Biao was able to thrive in this chaotic world. He was no good at military campaigns, but he was adept at relying on his master's power and acting like a bully.

There was a moment of silence on the city wall, but the gates were still not opened. "It's not that we don't want to open the city gates, but the Duke of Julu has given an order."

Gongsun Biao calmly stepped forward and threw the yellow silk and his general's seal at him, saying, "Open your dog eyes and see clearly!"

The city's defenders looked at each other, scratched their heads, and said, "Open the gates."

With a creaking sound, the door hinges turned, and Zhu Ming's door slowly opened, letting in the afterglow of the setting sun.

(End of this chapter)