Nine Nights Owl Song

April 30th, the eighteenth year of Yong'an.

Liangzhou, the commander's tent.

The day after Marquis Dingyuan Su Zhentian's army arrived in Liangzhou, the atmosphere in the commander's tent was heavy.

Small red and blue flags were planted on the sand table; red represented the Daliang army, and blue represented the Qiang people.

The red areas are concentrated in and around Liangzhou City, while the blue areas stretch from Yumen Pass all the way to fifty miles west of Liangzhou, densely packed together.

With 60,000 troops against 100,000, the Liang army was at a disadvantage.

The Qiang cavalry were swift and swift, while the Liang army, primarily composed of infantry, suffered losses in open field battles.

The city walls of Liangzhou had fallen into disrepair and could not withstand a prolonged siege. After the death of the military governor of the western border, the morale of the defending troops was low, and the newly arrived reinforcements needed time to integrate.

Su Zhentian stood in front of the sand table, holding a wooden pole in his hand.

"The main force of the Qiang people has set up camp fifty miles west of Liangzhou and has been holding back for days. It's not because they don't want to fight, but because they are waiting." Mu Gan pointed behind the Qiang camp.

"Wait for supplies. For the Qiang people, supplies come first in war. No matter how powerful their cavalry is, the horses need grass and the men need food. Helian Tieshu is gathering supplies in the rear. Once the supplies arrive, he will attack the city."

The adjutant asked, "My lord, how should our army respond?"

Su Zhentian's wooden stake was positioned between the Qiang camp and their rear—"Send an elite force to circle around to the enemy's rear and cut off their supply lines. Once the supply lines are cut off, the Qiang army will fall into chaos without a fight."

The guerrilla general hesitated, saying, "My lord, the Qiang tribe has heavily fortified their rear. Sending too few troops won't be enough, but sending too many will leave Liangzhou City vulnerable. What if the enemy takes the opportunity to attack the city..."

Su Zhentian nodded. "Therefore, the key to this elite force is not quantity but quality. Three hundred men are enough. Too many men would only make them easier to be discovered."

The generals exchanged bewildered glances. Three hundred men had ventured deep behind enemy lines to cut off the supply lines of a hundred thousand-strong army—this wasn't fighting a war, it was suicide.

Su Jiuge stood by the sand table.

She looked at the grain route, which stretched for hundreds of miles from the rear of the Qiang people to their camp. There were three grain transfer stations along the way, each heavily guarded.

A force of three hundred men had to burn three grain depots simultaneously along a hundred-mile-long supply route, and also escape unscathed from the encirclement and pursuit of the Qiang cavalry.

The Dark Guard members can do it, but ordinary soldiers can't.

"Father, let me go." Su Jiuge's voice was not loud.

Su Zhentian looked at her.

"You are the military supervisor."

"Even military supervisors can fight."

The command tent fell silent.

In the past few days, Su Jiuge led the Dark Pavilion to massacre the Qiang tribe's outpost camp, burn their supplies, and raid their grain transport teams. The soldiers witnessed all of this.

She didn't come here to gain prestige; she came here to risk her life.

Su Zhentian remained silent for a long time. "How many people do you want to bring?"

"The Dark Pavilion members, plus the elite troops selected from the army, total three hundred."

"A few days?"

"Five days. Within five days, burn all the Qiang people's food supplies. After five days, the Qiang army will run out of food and will have no choice but to retreat."

Su Zhentian looked at her.

"You promised your mother you would come back alive."

Su Jiuge looked into her father's eyes.

"I will always keep my promises."

Su Zhentian pointed the wooden pole in his hand at the rear of the Qiang ethnic camp on the sand table.

"I'll give you three hundred men. Burn all their provisions within five days. I'll be here waiting for you to return in five days."

Su Jiuge clasped her hands in a fist salute. "Yes."

The generals looked at the father and daughter.

The commander-in-chief entrusted the task of sending his daughter to her death, and the supervising officer accepted the task without batting an eye.

Like father, like daughter.

The first day of the fifth lunar month, at midnight.

Su Jiuge led three hundred elite soldiers from the north gate of Liangzhou City, bypassing the Qiang tribe's camp.

Of the three hundred men, less than one hundred were assassins brought out from the Dark Pavilion, and two hundred were elite soldiers selected from the army.

Zhao Ying, Shen Qing, and Ghost Hand followed, while Zhao Xiaohe was left behind in Liangzhou City.

The Qiang camp was brightly lit, with patrolling cavalry coming and going. Su Jiuge led her troops around the camp from thirty miles north—under the cover of sandstorms and darkness.

The Qiang people never expected that the Liang Dynasty would send a small team to circle around to their rear, because they never imagined that anyone in the Liang Dynasty would dare to do such a thing.

On the second day of the fifth month, Su Jiuge's team found their first grain and fodder transfer station.

This transit station was a small earthen city surrounded by high walls, where Qiang soldiers patrolled.

It was piled high with provisions, enough to feed an army of ten thousand for a month. Su Jiuge lay prone on the sand dunes outside the earthen city, observing for a long time.

Zhao Ying lay down next to her.

"Master, there are over fifty sentries on the wall, and at least two hundred more inside. A direct assault would result in heavy casualties."

Su Jiuge shook her head.

"Don't launch a direct assault, attack from the inside."

Zhao Ying was stunned for a moment, and Su Jiuge gestured to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing led a team to the other side of Tucheng without making a sound.

Su Jiuge drew her sword.

"Let's do it."

The blade gleamed in the moonlight.

Zhao Ying charged down the sand dune, short blade in hand, her speed astonishing. Before the sentry on the wall could react, his throat had already been slit.

Shen Qing climbed over the wall from the other side, his sword flashing like lightning, killing one enemy with each strike.

Su Jiuge burst through the door from the front, a straight knife in hand, and fought her way through.

Three hundred men against two hundred and fifty; the assassination attempt turned into a full-scale assault, and the battle ended in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The Qiang garrison in Tucheng was completely annihilated, their grain and fodder were set on fire, and the fire burned half the sky red.

Su Jiuge stood outside the earthen city, with a fire burning behind her.

"withdraw."

On the third day of the fifth lunar month, the second grain and fodder transfer station was established.

The third place, on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month.

All three grain transfer stations were burned down, completely cutting off the Qiang ethnic camp's supply lines.

Helian Tieshu was furious in his command tent.

"Three hundred men! The Great Liang only sent three hundred men! They burned down three of my grain depots! What are you all good for?" None of the generals under his command dared to answer.

"Night Owl! It's Night Owl again! This woman, I want her alive!"

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Su Jiuge led her team back.

Of the three hundred elite soldiers who set out, about two hundred and fifty are still alive.

Fifty people were left forever in the yellow sands of the western frontier.

After a day's march, a cloud of dust rose behind them—the pursuers were coming.

The cavalry, numbering a thousand, were led by Helian Hu, the nephew of Helian Tieshu and a renowned warrior of the Qiang ethnic group.

Su Jiuge reined in her horse and looked at the pursuers in the distance. Zhao Ying rode up to her side.

"Master, with a thousand cavalry and only two hundred and fifty men, we can't win."

Su Jiuge said, "Then let's run."

The group sped up and raced towards Liangzhou City.

The Qiang cavalry drew ever closer, arrows flying from behind, whistling and whistling, and soldiers were frequently struck by arrows and fell from their horses.

Su Jiuge rushed to the very back of the group, a straight sword in hand, and deflected the incoming arrows.

Zhao Yingchong was beside her.

"Master, you go first, I'll lead men to cover our retreat!"

Su Jiuge didn't look at him.

"You'll cover the rear? Can you really do it? A thousand cavalrymen, how many can you kill by yourself?"

Zhao Ying choked for a moment.

"We'll go together, or we'll die together." Su Jiuge's tone was so calm that it didn't sound like she was running for her life.

Liangzhou City is in sight.

On the city wall, Su Zhentian saw the pursuing troops in the distance. He waved his command flag—the city gates opened wide, and cavalry poured out of the city, charging towards the Qiang pursuers.

Seeing the Liang reinforcements leave the city, Helian Hu reined in his horse and hesitated for a moment. He didn't pursue them, but turned his cavalry around and fled.

Su Jiuge rode into Liangzhou City, covered in blood, as was her horse. It was impossible to tell which parts of the blood belonged to the Qiang people, which to herself, and which to the horse.

She dismounted, her legs buckling so badly she almost couldn't stand.

Shen Qing rushed up from behind and reached out to support her.

Su Jiuge steadied herself and released Shen Qing's hand. "I'm fine."

Su Zhentian came down from the city wall and walked up to her. Seeing her covered in blood, his eyes reddened.

He couldn't speak, so he patted her on the shoulder.

Su Jiuge said, "Father, the grain supplies have been burned."

Su Zhentian's tears fell.

He didn't wipe it away, letting it flow.

"Okay." That one word carried immense weight.

On the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, the Qiang people's camp ran out of food.

Helian Tieshu stared at the empty granaries, his face ashen. The supply lines were cut off, three grain depots had been burned, and the grain supplies from the rear would not arrive for at least another ten days.

An army of 100,000 men, with 100,000 mouths to feed, cannot last more than a few days without provisions.

"withdraw."

Helian Tieshu gritted his teeth.

On the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, the Qiang army broke camp and withdrew westward.

A deafening cheer erupted from the top of Liangzhou city.

The soldiers hugged each other and wept, while the people flooded the streets to burn incense and pray to Buddha.

The western border has been defended.

Su Jiuge stood on the city wall, watching the retreating Qiang army.

The setting sun painted the western horizon a dark red.

Zhao Ying stood behind her.

"Master, the Qiang people will come again. I know Helian Tieshu well; he won't let this go easily. He suffered a loss this time, but next time he'll bring even more people and more supplies."

Su Jiuge didn't turn around. "I know."

The retreating Qiang army gradually disappeared on the horizon.

Su Jiuge turned and walked down from the city wall.

"Next time, he won't have another chance." Her voice was soft and carried away by the wind.