Two days later, the Yan army transporting pay from Beiping to Zhu Neng’s main camp made a detour to deliver Prince Yan’s trusted strategist, Master Daoyan.
Master Daoyan smiled at the furious Zhang Fan across from him: “General Zhang, please calm yourself. After all, your opponent is no ordinary person. It’s inevitable to suffer some losses when first engaging. This humble monk has brought several people for the general, hoping they might be of assistance.”
The several men behind Daoyan all wore ordinary Yan army soldiers armor, but to Zhang Fan’s eyes, they were not common soldiers.
Daoyan first pointed to the pale, lightly bearded middle-aged man: “This is former Imperial Guard Chiliarch Gao Ping. After the Imperial Guard office was abolished, he served at the Yingtian Prefecture Left Army Commander’s Office. However, he has now pledged service to Prince Yan.”
Zhang Fan nodded inwardly. Since their opponent was likely a former Imperial Guard, Gao Qianhu, who knew Imperial Guard inside information, would undoubtedly be an excellent helper. However, had Master Daoyan not personally delivered him, Zhang Fan truly wouldn’t dare trust this Gao Qianhu.
The second was Li Mo, a former subordinate of Prince Ning. Li Mo had been famous at Jiangwu Hall for his skill in making topographical maps. After Prince Yan captured Daning, all of Prince Ning’s former subordinates and the affiliated Three Guards of Duoyan came under Prince Yan. Li Mo’s familiarity with the terrain would ensure their encirclement was watertight when he arranged ambushes.
The third was Prince Yan’s beloved general, Meng Jianchen. Zhang Fan was somewhat puzzled by this. Meng Jianchen had always fought beyond the frontier, and even during the most critical moments of the Jingnan Campaign, he had been kept guarding the passes. Why would he be recalled now?
The fourth was Meng Jianchen’s longtime partner, Gongsun Yi. Zhang Fan couldn’t help but smile. In the Yan army, Gongsun Yi was most famous for his good luck – the kind of luck where you trip hard and find a gold ingot.
Master Daoyan smiled and stood up: “Well then, this humble monk has other business and cannot keep General Zhang company.”
After seeing off Master Daoyan, Gao Qianhu immediately began sighing: “What a pity. If the master weren’t rushing back to assist the heir apparent, he would make the perfect bait. Even if Meng Jianqing knew there was a trap, he would still come for this bait.”
Zhang Fan’s heart skipped a beat as he looked toward Meng Jianchen.
He had naturally heard of Meng Jianchen’s older brother – a rising star in the Imperial Guard whose reputation was impossible to avoid. So this was their opponent. Someone who could wield influence within the Imperial Guard was certainly no ordinary person. His losses this time were understandable.
Gao Qianhu must have suffered plenty of losses in the past, which explained his enthusiasm for dealing with Meng Jianqing.
No wonder Prince Yan had transferred Meng Jianchen here. Family knows family business best. In Prince Yan’s view, perhaps Meng Jianchen was the best choice for dealing with Meng Jianqing.
Zhang Fan summoned several deputy generals to hear the plans and arrangements from Gao Qianhu’s group of four.
Gao Qianhu gave everyone a detailed introduction to the Meng Jianqing he knew. From Meng Jianqing’s gradual promotion within the Imperial Guard to his recent idle placement, he covered every detail. Only when the Jingnan Campaign began and the southern army retreated step by step did Emperor Jianwen finally reemploy former Imperial Guard personnel like Meng Jianqing, hoping to achieve an unexpected victory. After receiving his orders, Meng Jianqing spent a year training personnel, including former low-ranking Imperial Guard officials and guards as well as underworld figures he had privately recruited. Emperor Jianwen named this force “Fish Intestine.”
Upon hearing this name, everyone in the tent found it both funny and absurd.
Using the Fish Intestine short sword that Zhuanzhu used to assassinate Prince Liao to name such an assassination unit was quite fitting. However, Meng Jianqing and his subordinates would likely find it embarrassing. Emperor Jianwen had never approved of the Imperial Guard’s methods – perhaps this was his prejudice at work in granting such a name.
This Fish Intestine Army was created and trained entirely by Meng Jianqing with strict control. As for the control methods used, Gao Qianhu didn’t elaborate, but they likely came from the Imperial Guard’s closely guarded secrets. The advantage was ensuring Meng Jianqing’s orders received the most faithful execution – for instance, the assassins and killers sent out, regardless of success or failure, none dared disobey orders or leak secrets. However, the greatest weakness lay in this very point: eliminate Meng Jianqing, and there would be no second person who could control the Fish Intestine Army.
Another thought suddenly occurred to Zhang Fan: Had Prince Yan sent Meng Jianchen to recruit Meng Jianqing’s surrender? Considering the Fish Intestine Army’s battle record, winning them over would be far more profitable than eliminating Meng Jianqing…
After Zhang Fan’s deputy generals learned of Meng Jianchen’s identity, they all looked at him with some doubt. Though Prince Yan’s wise decisions were beyond their understanding, worry was inevitable. Meng Jianchen’s lips curved slightly with some mockery as he smiled: “The battlefield recognizes no father and son, let alone brothers. Besides, His Highness promised I could try to capture him alive – I’m being fair to my older brother.”
The door curtain lifted as Master Daoyan returned.
Daoyan smiled and bowed to everyone: “This humble monk had already departed, but for some reason felt uneasy. Upon careful reflection, I realized it was Buddha’s warning, instructing me to wait until the crisis passes before returning to Beiping.”
The four monks and four palace guards accompanying him disapproved, feeling that Daoyan gave Meng Jianqing too much importance. However, Gao Qianhu smiled: “Perfect that the master stays.”
His proposed plan was actually to use Master Daoyan as bait.
Zhang Fan frowned – this was impossible.
Gao Qianhu immediately said: “Make the false seem real and the real seem false. General Zhang, the master, need not personally risk danger.”
So they would use body doubles. And not just one.
They decided to have four monks impersonate Master Daoyan, traveling toward Beiping on separate routes. For authenticity, each monk would be escorted by capable personnel. Whichever group encountered assassination attempts would immediately sound the alarm and call for reinforcements.
With the plan set, what remained were the specific issues of arranging routes and ambush forces.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Li Mo.
Li Mo, who had been silently adjusting the terrain on the sand table, looked up and said flatly: “If there are four routes, then five thousand troops are needed to control every node between this camp and Commander Zhu’s main camp while providing timely reinforcement.”
The tent fell silent. Zhang Fan commanded only three thousand troops total. Adding the hundred specially escorting Master Daoyan…
Zhang Fan cleared his throat: “Four routes aren’t necessary, are they?”
Meng Jianchen said with a half-smile: “Actually, one route would suffice. This main camp must retain sufficient troops to avoid being caught off guard and having our base stolen.”
Gongsun Yi laughed: “Didn’t Gao Qianhu say that the Fish Intestine Army has at most one or two hundred men? They might manage some assassinations, but would they dare steal General Zhang’s base?”
Meng Jianchen sneered: “Don’t tell me you don’t know who commands the nearest southern army.”
Gongsun Yi said “Ah”: “Who?”
This freeloading fellow truly didn’t know. Meng Jianchen snorted disdainfully but ultimately didn’t voice his thoughts in front of outsiders.
A deputy general answered first: “Hu Jinyong.”
A famous southern army general known for being unkillable and indefatigable.
Gongsun Yi scratched his scalp: “Oh, him. That’s hard to say, then. Except for treason, if Old Meng said the sun was black, this guy would probably chime in that it’s indeed blacker than ink.”
If Meng Jianqing wanted his help in a surprise attack on the Yan army, there would be no second thoughts. As for military orders, commanders in the field need not accept all imperial commands – the audacious Hu Jinyong had plenty of ways to handle superior officers’ questions. After all, one couldn’t ignore obvious battle opportunities, right?
Zhang Fan and the others were all stunned. Even Gao Qianhu, who only knew that Hu Jinyong and Meng Jianqing had a good relationship, never imagined it was this close. It seemed that generals from Jiangwu Hall, regardless of whether they served in the far south or northern frontier, shared an invisible intelligence network that outsiders couldn’t penetrate.
This was truly a major problem…
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Fan said, “In that case, let’s simply not divide our forces. In this general’s view, safely escorting the master back to Beiping is more important than luring and killing Meng Jianqing.”
Li Mo, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said: “Actually, these two objectives don’t conflict.”
He took a handful of small flags and planted them one by one on the sand table.
After finishing, a red and blue interwoven net of varying density appeared on the sand table.
Li Mo’s finger traced a line on the sand table as he slowly said, “This route should work.”
The winding route through the net was like a lazy, long snake, lying quietly on the sand table.
Li Mo continued: “At red flag positions, we can ambush three to five ten-man squads; at blue flag positions, only one ten-man squad. Any two ambush positions can provide mutual support within a quarter-hour. Some places are too treacherous and narrow for large ambushes – if too few troops are stationed there and they encounter Meng Jianqing, they won’t have a chance to raise the alarm and will instead alert the enemy, so no ambushes are set. There are thirteen such places. This time, Meng Jianqing will act personally, and since Gao Qianhu says he never likes bringing many people, these thirteen places should be his preferred ambush sites. The bed crossbow’s maximum range is one li. Of these thirteen places, five could threaten my chosen route with bed crossbows, so these five locations should be key surveillance points. Before he acts, it’s hard for us to find him, but once he begins, one of our ambush positions will surely discover him and raise the alarm in time.”
Discovered and entangled within this net, even if Meng Jianqing grew wings, he would hardly escape to the heavens.
Gongsun Yi looked left and right, unable to find any flaws, finally saying: “This net is woven tight enough, but how do we secretly lay it out?”
Meng Jianchen knocked his head hard: “You’re hopeless! Can’t you clear the area first?”
What was Master Daoyan’s status? Moreover, with assassins being so rampant recently, clearing areas along the route was perfectly reasonable.
Zhang Fan now understood and smiled: “No matter. Even if Meng Jianqing discovers our ambushes, he absolutely won’t imagine there are so many.”
If he didn’t come, that would be best. Zhang Fan truly didn’t want anything to go wrong with Daoyan on his territory.
At the same time, he couldn’t help thinking that Li Mo appeared silent and lazy, yet when handling affairs he was so thorough and experienced.
As everyone went to prepare, Meng Jianchen and Gongsun Yi flanked Li Mo. Meng Jianchen smiled coldly, almost whispering in Li Mo’s ear: “I’ve heard of you a long time ago – you’re always lazy about everything. Why are you so active this time? Did my older brother mess with you before?”
Li Mo was stunned and slowly said, “Since Prince Yan transferred me here, I naturally must do my utmost. Otherwise…”
Meng Jianchen slapped his shoulder and laughed: “Come on, you’re afraid that if you can’t bring down my older brother this time and he learns you were involved, he’ll come back to finish you off.”
Li Mo’s lips twitched in what counted as a smile.
He couldn’t quite understand Meng Jianchen’s thinking. If he disapproved of such enthusiasm, why had he come from the northern frontier? If he hadn’t wanted to come, Prince Yan wouldn’t have forced him – after all, such feelings were only natural. Yet not only had he come, he seemed quite eager. However, since Prince Yan had arranged it this way, there must be Prince Yan’s reasoning.