Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Zheng Tian squinted, carefully examining the scenery outside the window, then lowered his head and silently calculated for a moment.

Then he reached out and tapped on the map spread out on the table, his fingertip landing on a spot marked with the words "Longweibei".

"Pass on the order."

He raised his head, his voice not loud, but steady.

"The army set up camp here."

The messenger standing beside the carriage responded, mounted his horse, and galloped forward.

Before long, the order was passed down from top to bottom, and the originally winding procession gradually came to a stop.

The officers and soldiers of each battalion began to direct their soldiers to choose places to set up camp, and the roadside became lively immediately.

Zheng Tian then summoned another personal guard and instructed him:

"Go and invite all the generals and military commanders to the central command tent for a meeting."

The guard obeyed and left. Zheng Tian then turned around, looked at Li Cenji, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Jingzhi, you don't need to attend today's meeting."

Li Cenji was slightly taken aback.

Zheng Tian raised his hand and pointed out the window, saying:

"Do you see that slope ahead? That's Longwei Pond. While it's still early, take a few of your personal guards and go there yourself. Don't rush back. Look carefully, memorize every ditch, every grove of trees, every high and low point. When you come back, tell me how you would carry out this ambush if you were the commander-in-chief. I want to see how much of what you've learned these past few days can actually be put to use."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji felt a surge of eagerness to try it out.

He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Disciple obeys!"

He returned to his camp, but instead of immediately mustering his troops, he dismounted, tossed the reins to the approaching guards, and strode into the newly erected central command tent.

Inside the tent, Chen An was hunched over his desk, frowning as he calculated a list of provisions.

The new army does not have a Sima or Zhubu position, so the task of calculating the provisions should be the responsibility of Li Cenji, the commander-in-chief. But isn't he spending his days listening to Zheng Gong's lectures?

So he could legitimately slack off and become a hands-off manager.

Poor Chen An! He had barely set up camp when he was already busy dealing with military affairs at his desk.

Seeing Li Cenji lift the curtain and enter, he stood up and clasped his hands in greeting, but before he could speak, Li Cenji waved his hand to stop him.

"Summon Zhou Ping, Xu Tai, Wu Kang, Zhao Shun, and Zhang Yansi."

Li Cenji unfastened the horizontal sword from his waist and placed it on the table, then added another sentence.

"Summon Li Changfu as well."

Chen An was slightly taken aback, but did not ask any questions and turned to leave the tent.

Before long, Zhou Ping and Chen An were the first to lift the curtain and enter, followed by Wu Kang, Zhao Shun, Zhang Yansi, and finally Li Changfu.

Li Changfu was dressed in lamellar armor, his face showing a hint of doubt.

Since he joined Li Cenji's command, he had usually participated in discussions with the various captains and the two commanders. He had been a brigade commander for more than two months, and this was the first time he had been summoned to the central command tent.

For a moment, I didn't know where to stand.

When Li Cenji saw him come in, he simply raised his chin, indicating that he should find a seat.

Once everyone had arrived, Li Cenji got straight to the point, briefly explaining Zheng Tian's choice of Longweipo as the ambush site, and then said:

"I am ordered by Lord Zheng to conduct an on-site investigation of Longwei Pond. This ambush is of great importance. The two commanders and the four captains will come with me. Keep your eyes wide open and take a good look so that you can have a clear understanding of the situation. One person's plan may be limited, but many people's plans are more comprehensive. Perhaps we can figure out some tricks."

Upon hearing this, Xu Tai was the first to lose his composure, rubbing his hands together and saying:

"Commander, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Li Cenji waved his hand, his gaze falling on Li Changfu, and said:

"Changfu, I'm keeping you in the camp because I have an important matter to entrust to you. The army has just stopped, the camp has just been set up, and there are many things to do. Digging trenches, erecting palisades, setting up sentries, and assigning barracks—every single thing must be done flawlessly. You will take your brigade and keep a close eye on things for me, keep your troops in check, and prevent any disturbances or conflicts with friendly forces."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Li Changfu's face.

He clasped his hands in a fist and replied with a "Yes," but his voice sounded somewhat muffled.

He knew that setting up camp was the foundation of military campaigns, but seeing others go to Longweibei to conduct on-site surveys and participate in planning, while he had to stay in the camp and watch over these trivial matters, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

His momentary disappointment did not escape Chen An's notice.

The left-wing commander stroked his beard and suddenly spoke:

"Commander, I do have a plan."

Li Cenji looked at him.

Chen An said slowly and deliberately:

"Commander Li previously served as a captain in the garrison, commanding hundreds of men. Setting up camp is a piece of cake for him. It's just that I'm getting old, and after marching for the past two days, my old bones are starting to feel the strain. Climbing hills and slopes might be a bit too much for me. How about we send Commander Li with the colonel to Longwei Slope, while I stay behind to oversee things?"

His words were perfectly watertight.

Li Cenji glanced at him, then at Li Changfu, and immediately understood.

Chen An realized that Li Changfu wanted to go but felt it was inappropriate to ask, so he offered to stay behind and let Li Changfu go instead.

Li Cenji then went along with it, saying:

"In that case, it's settled. Commander Chen will stay and oversee things, while Changfu will come with me."

Li Changfu suddenly raised his head, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.

He first clasped his hands in greeting to Chen An and said:

"Thank you, Commander."

Chen An smiled and waved his hand.

The group immediately left the tent and mounted their horses.

Li Cenji, along with a few personal guards, totaling no more than ten people, rode lightly and simply out of the camp gate, heading towards Longweibei.

The horses' hooves flew, and before long they arrived at the hilly area.

Li Cenji slowed his horse down and looked around.

Longwei Pond is located three miles east of the official road, which is not very far.

The group left the camp and walked along the official road for no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before they saw the rolling hills ahead.

After riding up a gentle slope, the entire view of Longweibei gradually unfolded before our eyes.

The character 陂 is explained in the Shuowen Jiezi as "a slope" and also as "a pond".

Ban means slope.

In other words, the character 陂 has two meanings:

One layer is a slope, and the other is a marshland.

Look at the terrain of Longweibei, it truly embodies both of those characteristics.

This earthen slope winds down from the northern foothills of Qishan Mountain, like the tail of a reclining dragon, twisting and turning before abruptly ending beside the official road.

The ridge is a hundred or so feet wide, enough for a hundred or so people to walk side by side.

The hill was not covered with tall trees, but rather with withered grass and low shrubs that were half a person tall. The spring chill had not yet subsided, and the vegetation had not yet turned green. At first glance, it was all yellow and withered.

If we were to set up an army on this hill, we could probably accommodate two or three thousand soldiers by stepping into the withered grass and bushes.

There is a shallow ditch on each side of the mound.

The stream flowed shallowly in the ditch, its murmur echoing, and its surface shimmered in the setting sun.

A few wild willows grow sparsely along the edge of the ditch, their branches drooping over the water and swaying gently in the wind.

Further to both sides, there are undulating gentle slopes and poplar groves.

Spring is in full bloom on the poplar trees, their branches twisting and turning, and their new buds and tender leaves casting winding shadows in the twilight.

The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of rotten, dead leaves from last winter, which made a rustling sound when horses trod on them.

Li Cenji reined in his horse and stood at the highest point of the ridge, shading his eyes with his hand as he carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain.

Xu Tai rode up beside him and, mimicking his manner, looked around once, muttering to himself:

"This place is far inferior to Shibi Village."

Li Cenji ignored him and looked into the distance.

At the northernmost point, Longwei Weir extends deep into a low hilly area, gradually rising until it disappears into the depths of the hills.

At the southernmost point, the hill suddenly narrows, like a thin tail, ending at a small pond with emerald green water reflecting the sky overhead.

In the east-west direction, the official road meanders from the west, bypasses the south bank of the pond, and extends northward along the east side of Longwei Weir, accompanying the earthen mounds all the way until it turns at the northernmost point and disappears into the distance.

"Let's go take a look over there."

Li Cenji slowly descended the slope of the earthen mound to the bottom of the gully, crossed the shallow ditch, and entered the poplar grove on the west side.

The forest was dimly lit, with fallen leaves covering the horses' hooves, and the air was filled with the damp smell of decaying leaves.

He glanced back. Looking east from the woods, the earthen mound of Longweipo stretched out before him like a low wall.

If the people on the ridge don't stand up, all you can see in the forest are the tips of withered yellow grass.

Li Cenji understood the situation.

He turned his horse around and headed east.

He looked around for about half an hour, traversing the woods, ditches, and gentle slopes on both the east and west sides, until the sun began to set and a fiery cloud appeared on the horizon. Only then did he rein in his horse and climb back up the ridge of Longweibei.

At this moment, the captains and commanders he brought with him dispersed. Some squatted on the edge of the ditch to look at the water, some went into the woods to count the distance between the trees, and some lay on the earthen slope to test the range of their arrows.

Xu Tai was the first to become impatient.

He picked a blade of grass, put it in his mouth, squatted on the ridge, and idly poked at the ant nest on the ground with his scabbard.

Upon seeing Li Cenji return, everyone gathered around. Li Cenji glanced at them and said:

"I've seen it all. Tell me, how should we fight this battle?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Xu Tai spat out the grass stalk from his mouth, stood up, and said quickly:

"Commander, I think that Lord Zheng is probably still recovering from his illness and his mind is still a bit confused. Otherwise, why would he choose Longwei Pond instead of using such a dangerous place as Shibi Village?"

He traced the scabbard around his face and said:

"Commander, look at this place. What's so dangerous about it? The slopes are gentle, the ditch is shallow, and the woods can't hide many people. In terms of strategic importance, it's far inferior to Shibi Village: there, cliffs on both sides and a narrow path in the middle, that's where you can't escape. Zheng Gong said in front of all the generals that he would set up an ambush at Shibi Village, but now he's chosen this place..."

As he got carried away, he added, "This humble general observes that Lord Zheng is perhaps still recovering from his stroke? Why did you change the ambush location from Shibi Village to here—"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Cenji's gaze swept over him like a knife.

"Xu Tai".

That single, seemingly ordinary sound instantly froze the expression on Xu Tai's square face.

Li Cenji usually treated his subordinates well, and it was common for him to scold or kick them a few times during training. But when he showed this kind of expression, it meant he was truly angry.

Xu Tai had followed Li Cenji for so long, and this was the first time he had ever seen the Commander look at him like this.

He instinctively shrank his neck, and the rest of his words were swallowed back as if he had been choked.

"You always had this mouth back in the Imperial Guard, talking nonsense wherever you went. Now you're a captain, in charge of five hundred men. If you continue to be so unrestrained, you'll cause trouble sooner or later. How dare you criticize Lord Zheng? How many heads do you have? Besides, Lord Zheng has been incredibly kind to me, taking me on as his disciple and teaching me everything he knows. You dare to speak ill of him in front of me, his disciple? Do you think I've been too good to you?"

Xu Tai felt uncomfortable under his gaze, lowered his head, and said awkwardly:

"This humble general, this humble general's foul mouth—"

"Alright."

Li Cenji interrupted him, his tone softening slightly.

"I will pretend I didn't hear what you said today. But if it happens again, even if someone else spreads a word about it, I won't be able to protect you."

Xu Tai nodded vigorously, not daring to say another word.

Seeing that he had become obedient, Li Cenji turned around, glanced at everyone, and slowly said:

"It is true that Shibi Village is more dangerous than this place. However, Zheng Gong did not choose Shibi Village as a place to set up an ambush from the very beginning."

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Shibi Village is only a day's journey from Fengxiang. If we set up an ambush there, and things go wrong, the rebel army will break through our lines, and the defeated troops, along with their routed soldiers, will be able to rush to the walls of Fengxiang. At that time, the city will be sparsely defended, and Lord Zheng will still be in the army. What will you use to defend it? Furthermore, Shibi Village is located in a treacherous area. Even you, Xu Tai, know that it is an easy place to set up an ambush. Do you think the rebels are blind and stupid? If you can think of this, why can't veteran generals like Shang Rang and Wang Fan think of it?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and slowly said:

"The art of ambush is not about setting up an ambush in the most dangerous places. If the place is too dangerous, the enemy will be on high alert, and the ambush will become an open attack; if the ambush fails, it will cut off our own retreat. Longwei Slope may seem inconspicuous, but it is a route the enemy must take. The terrain is precisely within the range where they will be less vigilant. Archers can be hidden on the top of the slope, and infantry can be ambushed in the reeds. Zheng Gong chose this place because he accurately predicted the enemy general's intentions, not just because of the terrain's danger. Such insight cannot be judged by you in a few words."

These words left Xu Tai speechless, and he could only lower his head in shame.

Zhou Ping, Wu Kang, and others also looked thoughtful.

They had the same doubts as Xu Tai, but they didn't voice them because of their difference in status.

Hearing Li Cenji's analysis, he suddenly realized that the choice of the ambush location had such profound meaning.

Li Cenji waved his hand and said:

"Don't rush to think about anything else. Now that we've examined the terrain, let's hear your suggestions on how to carry out this ambush."

Only then did everyone stop thinking and start to seriously examine the terrain in front of them.

After a dozen or so breaths of silence, Li Changfu spoke first.

He had been harboring a strong desire to stand out, and now that he had the chance, he strode to the front, pointed east, and said:

"Commander, in my humble opinion, this terrain, with forests on both sides and a ridge in the middle, boils down to one tactic: first, send out scouts to eliminate all the rebel scouts, blinding them. Then, divide the troops into two groups, one ambushing in the poplar grove west of the ridge, and the other hiding behind the ditch east of the ridge. When the rebels pass by on the main road, the two groups will suddenly attack, cutting off their heads and tails, severing them into several pieces, and then strangling them piece by piece."

He spoke clearly and logically, indicating that he had already given it careful consideration during the initial survey.