battlefield

A soldier rushed in to report, "Reporting to the general! A troop has torn through the enemy's encirclement from the north and is charging in!"

Baili Zan clapped his hands and cheered loudly, "Great! They arrived just in time!"

Cao Qian hurried to the city gate to see. In the faint moonlight, he saw a troop indeed approaching from afar, charging into the ranks of the Northern Di infantry. The leader wore black armor, tall and robust, wielding two large axes, leading a small cavalry force like a sharp spear into the battlefield.

The Northern Di focused solely on attacking the city and didn't expect an ambush from behind, causing chaos for a moment. Their commander shouted loudly, waving the command flag, gathering a thousand men to surround and attack. But the man wielded his axe swiftly, splitting a young officer in half, then continued his charge.

Cao Qian's eyes nearly popped out—could Old General Xu, nearing seventy, still possess such strength? Wait, hadn't Old General Xu sworn never to serve the Cui family again? At that time, Cui Yi tried repeatedly to retain him but failed, allowing him to leave with his family.

Thinking this, the black-armored general had already charged into the shield formation. The archers hastily drew their waist knives to defend, but they were no match for the cavalry and were cut down, forcing their way toward the siege vehicles.

"General Cao! Quickly!" Baili Zan, choked by the smoke, pinched his nose and shouted.

Cao Qian immediately went down to gather troops to assist. Baili Zan took the command flag, trying to see the battlefield through the smoke and tears.

The black-armored general slashed his way through, defeating anyone who came near within three moves, leaving a trail of blood and flesh. As he approached the city gate, Baili Zan was about to order the gate opened when the man turned his horse and charged back into the enemy ranks. The Northern Di soldiers had just reorganized but were once again scattered.

Baili Zan's spirits lifted, and he immediately waved the command flag, "Fire!"

Instantly, thousands of arrows flew from the city gate, killing another batch of Northern Di front-line soldiers who weren't prepared for the next wave of attacks. The black-armored general led fewer than two thousand men, charging left and right on the plain before the pass, terrifying the Northern Di soldiers. Hearing the retreat signal from behind, they withdrew like a flood.

Baili Zan breathed a sigh of relief and ordered the gates opened to let them in.

The black-armored general led his troops into Hu Ben Pass. With torches brought close, Cao Qian finally recognized him—it wasn't the elderly Xu Chong but his son, Xu Cheng!

"Thanks to General Xu for coming all this way to assist us, relieving the pressure on Hu Ben Pass!" Baili Zan hurriedly introduced him to Shouchong as she descended the city wall.

Xu Cheng stood tall and strong, with bushy eyebrows and large eyes. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was a talkative and warm-hearted person. When Cui Yi and his entourage first arrived in Yan Prefecture, Old General Xu had claimed age and poor health as reasons to avoid meeting them, leaving everything to his son. Thus, Xu Cheng had already met Baili Zan and Cao Qian and had made a good impression.

"Mr. Baili is too kind," Xu Cheng bowed in return, "Tonight was just a test; the Northern Di only sent less than eight thousand troops. Otherwise, the Xu family's resources wouldn't have been enough. The real battle is yet to come. Since Prince is not in the city, everything is under Mr. Baili and General Cao's command. If there's anything I can help with, just say the word!"

Baili Zan nodded approvingly, "With General Xu here, things will be easier. Your men must be exhausted from the journey, please rest first. We'll discuss strategy tomorrow morning."

Though the Northern Di attacked at night, knowing or guessing that Cui Yi wasn't in the city, delaying tactics needed to be formulated early. Considering Xu Cheng's long journey and recent battle, letting him rest was essential. However, Xu Cheng waved dismissively, "I'm fine, just arrange rest for my men. I won't sleep without discussing the strategy first."

"That's perfect, let's proceed!"

They walked to the prefectural office, chatting along the way. Inside, they found Shouchong waiting.

Baili Zan introduced them, "Madam, this is the son of former Yan Prefecture Governor Xu Chong, General Xu Cheng. General Xu, this is Madam."

Xu Cheng blinked at Shouchong and blurted out, "Why isn't it the same person as last time?"

Cao Qian whispered a reminder, "Last time, that was the Princess Consort." Realizing his mistake, Xu Cheng quickly apologized. Shouchong didn't mind and invited them to sit, asking about the situation outside the pass.

"Tonight's probing attack involved less than eight thousand troops. It's too dark to see how many more are waiting behind. Our scouts will return with accurate numbers before dawn. Hu Ben Pass is easy to defend but hard to attack, and we have twenty thousand Yan Prefecture troops inside. With General Xu here, we should be able to hold." Baili Zan replied.

Shouchong didn't show the expected relief or reassurance. Instead, she frowned, prompting Xu Cheng to ask, "Madam, do you have other concerns?"

Shouchong shook her head slowly, "Not exactly concerns, I'm just wondering if we can drive the Northern Di back before Prince returns."

All three looked at her.

"It's not just about holding until Prince returns. Honestly, even if he comes back, it's just one or two more people. Before General Xu arrived, only General Cao was here, overwhelmed. Now, can we take the initiative and drive the wolves away before Prince returns?"

Cao Qian understood her meaning, "Madam suggests we take the initiative and attack, driving the Northern Di back? This might work if they have thirty to fifty thousand troops, but if it's seventy to eighty thousand, it's risky. If it's over a hundred thousand, even if Prince were here, the odds would be against us."

Shouchong shook her head again, "Not through direct combat. The Northern Di attacked at night, first to catch us off guard, and second, because they're confident. They've tested and confirmed Prince isn't in the city. Tomorrow's attack will be fiercer. Attacking a city isn't easy. Hou Erhana isn't stupid; sending three to five thousand troops is suicide. What if Prince is here? Three to five thousand troops attacking the city is like delivering themselves. Even though our scouts haven't returned, we should plan as if Prince were here."

"If I were attacking Hu Ben Pass and knew Prince was inside, I wouldn't bring less than a hundred thousand troops," Xu Cheng added.

"What would Hou Erhana think? General Cao, has Prince ever fought Hou Erhana directly? Or do you know anything about him?" Shouchong asked.

Cao Qian answered truthfully, "Prince hasn't fought Hou Erhana directly, but according to intelligence from spies in the Northern Di, he's skilled in martial arts and extremely arrogant."

Baili Zan continued, "If he's highly skilled and confident, he might attack with three to five thousand troops. But since Hou Erhana is still on his way north, he can't lead the attack personally, so the number of troops must increase."

"It seems seventy to eighty thousand is unavoidable," Shouchong concluded, "With seventy to eighty thousand enemies and only twenty thousand of us, even if we recruit civilians, we'd barely reach thirty thousand. Direct confrontation is impossible. We need a strategy."

What strategy? Shouchong hadn't read many military books. She could theorize but lacked practical experience. Neither did Baili Zan, who wasn't a seasoned strategist. Cao Qian had extensive battle experience, but even he didn't offer useful suggestions, leaving Shouchong disheartened.

Xu Cheng suddenly suggested, "An army marches on its stomach. Why not burn their supplies? The Northern Di are fierce, but they still need food. Without food, they'll retreat."

Baili Zan sighed, "Good idea, but it's not easy. The Northern Di will surely guard their supplies heavily. Burning them requires careful planning."

Silence fell in the room. Shouchong leaned on her hand, thinking but finding no solution. Just as she considered fetching some military books from the study, a lazy voice interrupted, "I wondered where everyone was. Sorry for being late, Madam."

Shan Jian entered, yawning and rubbing his sleepy eyes, "Initial victory?"

"Temporary victory. You arrived just in time, I need a strategy," Shouchong was used to his laziness. Compared to Baili Zan's overwork, Shan Jian seemed carefree, doing his job but otherwise wandering around. Though friends with Baili Zan, he didn't share the workload.

Shan Jian yawned, eyes still closed, "What kind of strategy?"

Shouchong enunciated each word, "A strategy to win with fewer troops, decisively."

Shan Jian responded instantly, "There are plenty. Poison the river upstream, kill them all in one meal. Or send a beautiful woman pretending to be captured, find an opportunity to kill their commander, leaving them leaderless. Or..."

He listed numerous ruthless strategies, shocking Xu Cheng. After he finished, Xu Cheng stammered, "Such cruel methods, what did you eat growing up?"

Shouchong feared trouble, knowing Shan Jian's pride. No one in Yan Prefecture dared speak to him like that. Xu Cheng was in for it.

Sure enough, Shan Jian smirked, "Of course, it's tofu. White, tender, served in a small bowl, sprinkled with green onions, or drizzled with syrup..."

Everyone except Shouchong looked pale, ready to vomit.

Xu Cheng trembled, "Wh-what brain?"

Shan Jian calmly replied, "Tofu, of course."

Everyone: "..."