Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Zhou Ping pondered for a moment, then said:

"What Commander Li said is indeed the right path. I just want to add a little something: could we send a detachment to feign defeat east of Longwei Weir?"

"A feigned defeat?"

Xu Tai frowned.

"Exactly."

A sly glint appeared on Zhou Ping's face.

"The rebels are coming from the direction of Chang'an. If we fight a battle east of Longwei Slope first, and have a detachment feign defeat and retreat, the rebels will think the Tang army is easily defeated, thus lowering their guard. Then, the main force will press forward and pursue the defeated soldiers. At this time, the defeated soldiers will flee westward, and the rebels will chase them westward, running right into our ambush. Wouldn't that be even better?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Xu Tai even laughed and said:

"That's a good idea. The rebels won a small battle and think we're all spineless; they won't be wary of ambushes anymore."

Li Cenji shook his head upon hearing this.

"Feigning defeat is the worst strategy at this time."

Zhou Ping was taken aback, and his smile froze on his face.

"Have you ever considered that half of the soldiers under our command are defeated troops recruited from Guanzhong?"

Li Cenji's gaze swept over the crowd.

"You all surely know how these routed soldiers were defeated in the first place. They retreated all the way from Tongguan to Fengxiang. Now, if we send them to feign defeat, who can guarantee that this feigned defeat won't turn into a real one? Even if we use elite troops to feign defeat and lure the enemy, who can guarantee that those routed soldiers won't mistake their feigned retreat for a real defeat? If chaos ensues, who can bear that responsibility?"

His question was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads, instantly extinguishing most of the eager flames in their hearts.

Yes.

Feigning defeat sounds simple, but it's like dancing on a knife's edge.

If we retreat too early, the rebels won't fall for it, and all our efforts will be in vain.

If you retreat too late and get caught up with by the rebels, that's a real defeat.

If they lose their composure and trample each other during the retreat, they will repeat the defeat at Tongguan last year, resulting in a complete rout.

"The commander is right."

Zhou Ping looked ashamed and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying...

"This humble general failed to think things through and almost ruined a great undertaking."

Li Cenji waved his hand but said nothing more. He simply glanced at everyone's faces, waiting for the next person to speak.

The group looked at each other, their eyes scanning each other's faces, but no one spoke again.

Li Changfu was the first to speak, and his words were quite comprehensive, more useful than Zhou Ping's wildly imaginative ideas.

But not hearing Li Cenji's confirmation, he fell silent and stood at the end of the line with his hands at his sides.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Li Cenji did not press the matter further.

He stood on the ridge of Longweibei, the setting sun had sunk behind the western hills, leaving only a last ray of light to dye the horizon a dark red.

The wind blew down from the direction of Qishan, rustling the withered grass and carrying a hint of the chill of early spring.

His gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, and he slowly began to speak:

"Since we can't come up with a perfect solution right now, there's no need to be anxious. Setting up an ambush and deploying troops is not something that can be decided in a short time. I already have a plan in mind, but I still need to go back and report to Lord Zheng before making a final decision. Everyone, please come back to the camp with me, rest and recharge your energy. We will follow Lord Zheng's orders when they are given."

Everyone responded in unison.

They immediately mounted their horses and returned along the same route.

As dusk settled, torches were lit along the official road, which, when viewed from afar, resembled a winding fire dragon stretching across the plain west of Longweipi.

The main camp has been set up.

Although the stockade was not yet fully closed, the arrow towers at the four corners had already been erected, and several craftsmen were climbing on top to nail the last few planks.

Smoke curled from the camp chimneys as the cooks prepared their meals. The air was filled with the aroma of millet porridge, mingled with the salty, pungent smell of cured meat.

Li Cenji led his men into the camp on horseback, ordered them to disperse, but he himself did not dismount. He only addressed the personal guards who came to greet him:

"I'm going to see Duke Zheng in the central command tent; you don't need to come with me."

Having said that, he flicked the reins and spurred his horse toward the central army.

The central army was located in the center of the camp, slightly to the east. It was surrounded by a thick wooden fence, creating an independent area. Two rows of armored soldiers stood at the entrance. They were all elite soldiers selected from the "Swift Thunder Generals," each with their chests out and bellies tucked in, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Upon seeing Li Cenji, the leader of the group recognized him and did not stop him. He simply clasped his hands in a salute and made way for him.

Li Cenji dismounted, casually tossed the reins to a soldier by the door, straightened his armor, and strode inside.

Inside the central command tent, the lights were on.

A crack was lifted in the curtain, and a warm, cozy scent wafted out, mingled with the aroma of pine resin and ink.

Several copper lamps were lit inside the tent, illuminating the four walls brightly.

In the very center was a long table with a map spread out on it, several paperweights on top of the map, and a thick stack of documents next to it. The ink on the brush was still wet and rested on the inkstone.

Zheng Tian sat behind his desk, one hand supporting his forehead, the other holding a document, looking down at it carefully.

He had removed his armor and put on a worn-out blue silk robe, over which he wore a sheepskin coat, clearly for warmth.

To his left sat Sun Chu, the old registrar, who was holding a thick book, flipping through it while frowning and muttering something under his breath.

Wang Chu sat to his right. Although he was no longer the military commander, he was still the commander of the Fengxiang Army's main town, a job that was no easy task.

When the army sets out, everything from provisions and supplies to troop deployment and resupply along the way must pass through his hands.

A stack of documents lay before him, and he was sketching on a list, a speck of ink smearing his white beard, though he was oblivious to it.

Several assistants stood to the side of the tent, holding documents.

Li Cenji lifted the curtain and entered, and the people inside the tent all looked up at the same time.

"This humble general, Li Cenji, pays his respects to the Commander-in-Chief."

Li Cenji stepped forward, bowed deeply, then turned to Sun Chu and Wang Chu, clasped his hands in greeting, and said...

"Registrar Sun, Military Advisor Wang."

Zheng Tian raised his head, glanced at him, put his pen on the pen mountain, and studied him for a moment. Seeing that the corner of his robe was stained with mud and his forehead was covered with sweat, he knew that he had indeed gone to Longweibei in a real way and was not just going through the motions.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, but he only said calmly:

"Jingzhi is here. Sit down and let's talk."

He pointed to a stool beside the table. Li Cenji sat down in response, his back ramrod straight.

Sun Chu and Wang Chu both nodded with smiles. Sun Chu stroked his beard and asked:

"Jingzhi, I heard you just took some people to Longwei Weir?"

Li Cenji said:

"Indeed. I was just ordered by the commander to go to Longwei Slope and carefully survey the surrounding terrain."

Zheng Tian picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then slowly asked:

"Have you seen the terrain of Longweibei? Tell me, what exactly does the terrain of Longweibei look like? East, west, south, north, high and low, since you are going to learn how to command troops, you must describe the terrain clearly and unambiguously."

Li Cenji knew that his mentor was testing him to see how much he had learned from following him around these past few days.

He composed himself, stood up, walked to the table, found the location of the three characters "Longweibei", but did not rush to speak. He first mentally reviewed the site he had surveyed before slowly describing the general terrain of Longweibei.

Zheng Tian listened without showing any emotion, only giving a soft "hmm," and then said:

"In that case, tell me, if you were to set up an ambush there, how would you arrange your troops?"

Li Cenji took a deep breath and began to recount the speech he had prepared in his mind on the ridge of Longweibei.

"Master, I believe we can stay here, rest and wait for the rebels to tire themselves out."

Seeing that no one objected, he continued:

"Longweibei is a hill that runs north-south, and the official road runs across it from west to east. If the rebel army comes from Chang'an, they will inevitably have to pass through Longweibei if they take this official road, and there is no way to avoid it."

He paused, then continued:

"My plan is to divide the ambush force into three parts. When the rebel army approaches Longwei Slope, send two parts to lie in ambush on the flanks of the high ground at Longwei Slope, and send another part to pretend to have just received the news and rushed over, and set up an array on the high ground at Longwei Slope. The formation must be loose, and the soldiers should pretend that they have not yet put on their armor properly, and are hurriedly putting on their armor while forming the array. In this way, we will show the enemy weakness, making the rebel army think that our army is just a hastily deployed detachment, and thus underestimate our army and rashly charge the high ground."

Upon hearing this, Sun Chu paused slightly in stroking his beard.

He involuntarily turned to look at Wang Chu, who happened to be looking at him as well.

Their eyes met briefly, then they both turned away to listen to Li Cenji continue.

"Once the rebels are locked in a fierce battle with our troops on the high ground, the elite forces truly hidden on both flanks can seize the opportunity to strike. They can then encircle the rebels from both sides, cutting off their head and tail, dividing the enemy army into several segments, and annihilating them one by one."

As he said this, Zheng Tian's hand, which had been holding a teacup, was now resting on the table. His gaze was fixed on the location of Longwei Pond on the map, and a glint of light seemed to flash in his eyes.

Li Cenji was unaware of this and continued speaking:

"As for the terrain on both sides of Longweipo, I have already examined it. The north side is densely wooded, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves. If the cavalry enters the forest, it will be like sinking into a quagmire, making it extremely difficult to gallop and charge. The east side is a small lake depression, which is muddy and slippery, also unfavorable for the deployment of the cavalry. Therefore, I believe that the cavalry should not lie in ambush on the flanks. It is best to hide the cavalry behind the high hills and form a battle formation. When the ambushers on the flanks attack and the rebels' formation loosens, the cavalry can then suddenly charge out from behind the high hills, taking advantage of the superior position to charge straight into the enemy's formation."

He withdrew his finger from the map, took a step back, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"This disciple is dull-witted, and my thoughts are limited to this. If there are any omissions, please correct me, my esteemed teacher."

After saying this, he stood with his hands at his sides and looked up to see Zheng Tian's reaction.

Suddenly, the tent fell silent.

Zheng Tian did not speak immediately. He remained seated behind his desk, his gaze fixed on the map.

Sun Chu remained silent. He lowered his head, pretending to flip through the booklet in front of him, but his eyes kept glancing at Zheng Tian out of the corner of his eye.

Wang Chu even picked up his teacup and brought the half-cup of already cold tea to his lips, it was unclear whether he was really drinking it or trying to hide something.

At this moment, Sun Chu and Wang Chu were surprisingly in agreement.

After the army set up camp, Zheng Tian summoned all the military commanders and officers to the central command tent to discuss how to fight this battle. The strategy that Zheng Tian announced to the public was almost identical to what Li Cenji had just said.

They also set up camp at Longweibei to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Similarly, they would send a vanguard of troops to feign a hasty response, show weakness to the enemy, and lure the rebels to attack the high ground.

Similarly, ambushes were hidden on the north and south flanks, and when the rebel army and the enemy troops on the hill were engaged in a fierce battle, both flanks would launch their attacks simultaneously.

The only difference is the way the horse is used, but these minor details are insignificant.

Sun Chu couldn't help but glance at Li Cenji again before looking away, thinking to himself:

No sooner had Lord Zheng sent this young man to scout the terrain at Longwei Slope than he finalized the strategy during the meeting. Could it be that Lord Zheng had already informed Jingzhi of the strategy beforehand, and today's test was merely a charade performed in front of me and Wang Sima? If so, then Lord Zheng intends to use me and Wang Sima to spread the word and bring fame to Jingzhi…

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he realized something was amiss.

He knew Zheng Gong's character well. Although he was a prime minister and had a deep and calculating mind, he was extremely serious when it came to teaching students.

Moreover, if we really wanted to make Jingzhi famous, we could have simply summoned her during the council and tested her in front of all the generals. Wouldn't that have been more direct? Why go through all this trouble?

But if it hadn't been discussed beforehand, how could Jingzhi's words have been so perfectly aligned with Zheng Gong's strategy?

Sun Chu became increasingly unsure, so he went to see Wang Chu.

Wang Chu was also looking at him. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same confusion and surprise in each other's eyes.

Could it be that there really are great minds think alike in the world?

The most alarmed of all was not anyone else, but Zheng Tian himself.

These days, he has been taking Li Cenji with him on his military campaigns, teaching him about weather, geography, military formations, and terrain every day, but he has never discussed with him the specifics of how to fight the Battle of Longweipo.

It's not that he's unwilling to teach, but rather that he's also observing.

Let's see if this young man is a diamond in the rough or just a mediocre talent who can only memorize by rote.

After the army set up camp at Longweipo today, he sent Li Cenji away and then summoned all the military commanders under the pretext of a meeting, revealing his long-planned strategy to the public.

He originally thought that Li Cenji's ability to discern the advantages and disadvantages of Longweibei's terrain and to say things like "it is not advisable to place the ambush on the flanks, but rather to hide behind the high hills" was already quite good.

But to his utter surprise, what Li Cenji said was a plan that was exactly the same as the one he had pondered for months and sent scouts to survey the terrain.

A strange and indescribable emotion welled up inside Zheng Tian.

He was gratified: this disciple had indeed not disappointed him.

There was surprise: this young man actually had such a broad perspective.

There was also a very faint trace of confusion.

How did this kid come up with that?

He had never left Fengxiang City before, and today was the first time he had set foot on the land of Longweibei. He had only led his men around the place for a little over half an hour, yet he was able to come up with such a strategy upon his return.