The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 77 Determining the Strategy (Thanks to "孤山万刃" for the generous donation)

"Report——"

"Xiao Yi, deputy commander of the 20th Battalion, and Liu Tingrang, the vanguard scout, have returned from reconnaissance and have important military intelligence to report!"

"Summon me! The central command tent awaits an audience."

"Here."

Xiao Yi and Liu Tingrang passed through the tents and quickly entered the central command tent.

The main tent had just been set up, and the charcoal fire had not yet been lit. Several soldiers were hanging up a huge map of the capital region.

The frost on Guo Wei's armor had not yet melted. He was eating, and the millet porridge on the general's table was almost untouched. He ate half a flatbread, but two wine pouches were already empty. There was no sign of drunkenness on his face, and his eyes were even clearer.

Just as Xiao Yi was about to speak, Wei Renpu strode in and said, "My lord, we have captured several Southern Army spies."

"Come here."

Soon, five soldiers dressed in Tianxiong Army armor were brought up.

After observing for a while, Xiao Yi roughly figured out how they had been exposed. The Northern Army had come from afar and were all exhausted and covered in mud, while they were dressed in brand-new clothes and had clean faces.

"Haha." Liu Tingrang laughed as soon as he saw it, and mocked, "Damn it, you have no skill at all, trying to scout our camp, you idiot!"

"I am Cong Tuo, a close attendant of the Emperor. You traitors dare to compare yourselves to me? Bah!"

Wei Renpu asked, "What have you found out?"

Cong Tuo said, "The rebels have just established their stronghold, what good could they possibly have to find out?"

"Then you shall report back to His Majesty that I have joined forces with Wang Yin with 70,000 troops, and we have vowed to eliminate the treacherous officials for His Majesty. If Li Ye, Liu Zhu and the like know to repent and surrender themselves, it will not be too late."

After saying this, Guo Wei picked up the wine bag, slowly drank the last bit of wine, and waved his hand as if swatting a fly, signaling to release Cong Tuo and the others.

Wei Renpu did not miss the opportunity to win him over, and said, "Take him away. We will have you write another memorial and give it to him to present to the Emperor."

Cong Tuo seemed to want to say something harsh, but after opening his mouth a few times, he awkwardly clasped his hands in a fist and was led away.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief," Liu Tingrang said proudly, "We scouted the camp and returned safely with a great haul!"

Guo Wei's gaze swept across Xiao Yi like lightning, lingering for a moment before he said, "You're too impatient. It's not the way of a general to personally scout out the enemy camp as a commander."

Liu Tingrang quickly explained, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, it's General Guo..."

"I know I was wrong."

Xiao Yi immediately clasped his hands in apology.

He sensed that Guo Wei cared for him, and that the few words of advice were probably meant to prevent him from becoming arrogant and conceited due to his young achievements.

A calm attitude is far more important than explanation.

Sure enough, Guo Wei nodded and said, "Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. Don't be impulsive like Sanlang."

"Yes, I've noted it down."

"I'll acknowledge your contribution, but if you want to beat Chen Guanghui, you still have a lot to learn."

"Yes."

Soon, Guo Chongwei arrived, followed by Wang Yin, Li Hongwei, Cao Wei, He Fujin, Song Yanwo, and other generals.

Xiao Yi and Wang Yin exchanged a glance, and Wang Yin nodded slightly, his expression friendly and warm.

The next moment, sensing someone staring at him, Xiao Yi looked over and saw the supervising officer, Wang Jun.

He couldn't help but think that Wang Jun's troops were moving very fast, controlling the Fukou Pass and passing through Deshengdu, and even arriving at Chenqiao Station at the same time as Guo Wei.

It seems they were afraid of missing out on the opportunity to help the emperor rise to power.

For some reason, Xiao Yi felt that Wang Jun was looking at him unkindly, as if he disliked him. But the two of them clearly had no connection, and Xiao Yi had never offended him.

Once the generals had taken their positions, Guo Chongwei uttered a single, concise word.

"speak."

“Yes.” Liu Tingrang stepped forward, handing over the drawn map of the Southern army’s encampment, and said, “We infiltrated Yuan Yi’s camp and glimpsed the Southern army’s marching route, marked in red ink. Their intention was not Chigang, but to head north to Chanzhou and seize the various crossings on the Yellow River…”

"No wonder," He Fujin said. "I was wondering why that old fox Hou set up camp so quickly to block us. I thought he had a plan in mind, but it turns out he's run into a brick wall!"

"Not only that, we've also discovered that the imperial carriage has arrived at Chigang!"

Liu Tingrang, being young, was inevitably excited and recounted in detail the intelligence he had gathered that day.

Xiao Yi then stood by, picking out and correcting any omissions.

As he spoke, he clearly felt Song Yanwo staring intently at him, his eyes warm, nodding frequently, as if he were very satisfied with the detailed intelligence.

After that, Hou Renbao was brought up.

"Lord Guo, please accept Renbao's bow. I thank you for avenging the Hou family. Your great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten!"

As soon as he entered the tent, Hou Renbao immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Xiao Yi looked over and saw that he had calmed down and was no longer as scared as he had been when he stormed the camp that afternoon. His plump body was unusually agile.

"In the first year of the Qianyou era, when my father was serving as the military governor of Fengxiang, he learned that Emperor Gaozu had ascended the throne and was eager to serve him. However, fearing that the Shu ruler would invade, he had no choice but to build a city to strengthen its defenses. Taking advantage of this, Wang Jingchong slandered my father, claiming that he had ulterior motives, and led his troops to attack Fengxiang. My father hurriedly went to the capital to explain, but as a result, Wang Jingchong joined forces with two other towns to rebel, and the more than seventy members of the Hou family who remained in Fengxiang were all unjustly killed. Alas..."

Hou Renbao spoke with heartfelt emotion, his eyes reddening.

"It's all thanks to Guo Gong for pacifying the three towns and avenging the Hou family. For this, the Hou family set up an altar and prays for Guo Gong every day!"

Liu Tingrang stepped forward and kicked him to the ground.

"Stop your hypocrisy! That old man Hou Yi is aiding and abetting evil, setting up troops to obstruct the commander-in-chief. Isn't that repaying kindness with enmity?!"

"Father was forced into it too!" Hou Renbao cried. "Father didn't want to be enemies with Lord Guo. He received the imperial edict while he was eating. He threw down his chopsticks and cursed the treacherous officials in power who were persecuting loyal and virtuous people..."

"Bullshit!" He Fujin roared. "Do you think I don't know Hou Yi? Does he have that much backbone?"

"No, no, Master is too soft-hearted. I am willing to persuade Master to surrender on behalf of Lord Guo." "If you tell another lie, drag him out and behead him."

"Yes, in fact, none of the generals in the court dare to confront Lord Guo's might, and they are all filled with trepidation. Only Murong Yanchao is so arrogant. He said... he said that the northern troops are nothing, and that he can defeat Lord Guo in one battle. It's utterly absurd! I think that as long as Lord Guo concentrates his forces and defeats this Yan Kunlun slave, the overall situation can be settled."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi nodded inwardly. Hou Renbao may seem dull, but his judgment is quite sharp; he could be described as "having a pig's face but a bright mind."

Those around in the tent agreed and stopped shouting.

Guo Wei stood up, stepped forward, and personally helped Hou Renbao up, sighing, "I share the same fate as Lord Hou, how can I bear to turn against him? You must persuade him."

"My father has long wanted to serve Lord Guo, but he lacks only an opportunity."

Wei Renpu said, "Please have Sanlang write a letter home to let Lord Hou know that you are safe and sound."

"Serves you right, serves you right."

Hou Renbao, supported by Guo Wei, looked excited, as if he wanted to sell his whole family, and said, "I know another piece of information!"

"explain."

"Murong Yanchao is greedy and stingy. The silver he was given was fake. We all laugh at him in private."

"What do you mean? How can silver be counterfeit?"

“He used silver to buy grain from his father, but I stole… no, I played with the silver and felt that the weight and purity were wrong. I tried it with a magnet and it attracted me. I asked the Taining army and they called it ‘iron-core silver.’ I think that apart from his personal guards, no one is willing to risk their lives for him.”

"I'm speechless at this monkey."

The generals were both amused and exasperated, and quite suspected that the intelligence was false.

Guo Wei glanced at Xiao Yi and Liu Tingrang, pointed with his hand, and said in a deep voice, "A generous reward! In real silver."

"Thank you, Marshal."

The generals burst into laughter, finding their commander's words surprisingly witty.

Military rewards are usually copper coins, silk, and millet, but today, thanks to Hou Renbao's intelligence, Xiao Yi and the others can each receive a generous sum of silver, which is quite rare.

Guo Wei turned around, put his hands behind his back, and looked at the map.

Hou Renbao was adept at handling situations. He turned to Xiao Yi and Liu Tingrang, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to express my determination to join Lord Guo."

Liu Tingrang was annoyed by him, so he pouted and snorted softly.

Xiao Yi nodded and returned the greeting, saying, "I hope to serve you, Lord Hou and Sanlang, together."

"This is Renbao's good fortune, and my grandfather's good fortune."

Hou Renbao was reluctantly led away, a silly grin on his face, looking completely harmless.

However, the strategy for this battle was determined according to his suggestion.

"General, we should concentrate our forces to attack Murong Yanchao. Once his troops are defeated, the Southern army will collapse without a fight."

“That is true,” Wang Jun said. “Our army should not take the initiative to attack. It is better to lure Murong Yanchao into attacking first. Firstly, it will not violate the greater good, and secondly, it will prevent the Southern army from coordinating their efforts. This man is impulsive and arrogant, and it will not be difficult to lure him into advancing rashly.”

"Indeed, Hou Yi wants to proceed cautiously, while Murong Yanchao is eager to advance rashly. The Southern Army's formation appears tight, but in reality, their northward strategy has been disrupted, forcing them to fight back. Their deployment is incomplete, and their morale is bound to be low."

"With a large number of soldiers and diverse generals, there will inevitably be gaps in coordination between different units..."

Each general expressed his own opinion.

After a long silence, Guo Wei gave the order, speaking slowly but firmly.

"Wang Yin".

"exist."

"Dispatch an elite force immediately to advance covertly along the west bank of the Jinshui River, seize the tops of the Qinglinggang hills, and prevent the Southern Army from bypassing our supply lines by taking a shortcut."

"Here."

Wang Yin clasped his hands in a fist salute, and with swift and decisive action, immediately dispatched Wang Chenghui to personally lead the team to handle the matter.

"Guo Chongwei".

"exist."

"At dawn tomorrow, the vanguard will advance to Qilidian. There is no need to rush into battle. Instead, we will deploy a large number of troops and display many flags to create the impression that our main force is about to launch a fierce attack on Chigang. This will attract the attention of Murong Yanchao and Hou Yi, allowing our main force to calmly form ranks and set up defenses."

"Here!"

"Wang Jun."

"exist."

"With my warrant, you will command the central army. Tomorrow at dawn, we will break camp and set off. Each unit will advance in order and form ranks..."

As he spoke, Guo Wei's copper whip slowly swept across the map and stopped at a spot.

Xiao Yi stared at the tip of the whip, recalling the terrain he had witnessed today. He thought about how the Chigang and Qilidian areas were the most suitable places for a large army to array itself, made a judgment in his mind, and murmured three words in a very low voice.

"Liu Zibei".

Sure enough, Guo Wei's words at the end were exactly like that.

"Arranged in formation at Liuzibei."

"Here!"

"When the Southern army is in disarray, that will be the time for us to sweep through their ranks and storm Kaifeng. I wish to join you all in this great undertaking."

"Must win!"

Although Xiao Yi knew the course of history, he knew this was the best learning opportunity. He strained his ears and stared greedily at the map, learning how to deploy troops and issue orders.

After this battle, it's unlikely that he'll ever have the chance to personally train under Guo Wei again.

(End of this chapter)