Deceptive arts, no matter how clever or successful, are not to be admired or celebrated. Because every deception, without exception, exploits the trust of others. This is a corruption of human nature — even if such trickery ultimately leads to a great victory over Prince Wu, this pre-battle scheme must never be publicized or glorified.

And yet, this is war. On the battlefield, any method that can secure victory, any tactic that can reduce casualties on your own side — if it can be used, it should be used. The ancients said: in war, deception is never excessive.

No one can easily defeat Prince Wu Yang Jiju on the battlefield. No matter how far the Great Chu has fallen, no matter who the enemy is, no one can deny that Prince Wu represents the absolute pinnacle of military commanders in this era.

The difference between Tang Pidi and Li Chi is this: schemes of the jianghu sort — Li Chi can think of them, but Tang Pidi simply cannot. He is like Prince Wu in that regard — on the battlefield, his strategies flow like brilliant conversation and his tactics surge like great waves. But this kind of thing, which might be called a “petty trick,” is genuinely not his strength.

Yet when you think about it, it’s not unreasonable that the scheme worked.

Prince Wu had spent years away on campaign. He rarely saw even his wife, let alone the people who served under her. Li Chi didn’t know that those two women had also been away from the capital for years, managing the Princess’s commercial operations in the north and south on her behalf. Had he known, his confidence would have been even greater.

Disguise works precisely on people like this — people you know, but not well; people you haven’t seen in years, yet who still count as acquaintances. Jianghu swindlers often impersonate distant relatives from the victim’s hometown, exploiting this same psychology. The mark knows such a person exists, and the con artist can answer questions about the family’s affairs fluently, which earns just enough trust to make the scheme work.

The second principle of deception: don’t only take — give something first. Let the target taste a small benefit. The fake medicine sellers in the pharmacies always start by gifting a few eggs, then handing out a couple of free supplements. Rid yourself of the desire for petty gain, and you can avoid seven or eight out of ten scams in this world.

Although Princess Wu had been careful enough to use a Jinzhou ham as their verification — meaning Li Chi and his people couldn’t know what date or time had been agreed upon — Prince Wu had fortunately taken the bait.

Prince Wu gave the timing as three nights hence: the Zuo Wu Wei would charge down the mountain, while the Princess’s forces would force-cross the Panxing River to pin down part of the Ning army. Both sides would attack toward each other and slice through the Ning defensive lines as quickly as possible.

Needless to say, even with this plan Prince Wu held no guarantee of victory — and “victory” here didn’t mean defeating the Ning army, only getting a portion of his men out. With over a hundred thousand Zuo Wu Wei soldiers trapped in Mangdang Mountain, Prince Wu estimated that if roughly forty percent could break through, it could be called a success.

“I told those two women: if they retreat, light one smoke signal; if they do not retreat, light two,” Tang Pidi said, looking at Li Chi. “I relayed Prince Wu’s exact words.”

That was indeed what Prince Wu had told Liu Yingyuan and the other woman — but this was not actually Prince Wu still hoping the Princess would pull back her forces. Prince Wu had fallen for the scheme, but not entirely. The smoke signal instruction was his test.

He knew full well the capabilities of Grand General Tang Pidi, and of King Ning Li Chi. He understood that this battle held far more danger than promise. But no matter how dangerous, Princess Wu would never retreat.

Li Chi nodded. “I understand what you mean.”

Under normal thinking, reversing Prince Wu’s instructions when passing the message to Zhaoluan and Cainan might have had a remarkable effect. Prince Wu had said: if they don’t retreat, light two signals. So if they reversed it and told the women that Princess Wu had decided not to retreat and lit one signal — Prince Wu would see it and immediately disbelieve. No one knew his wife better than he did. The message was less for the Princess and more a test of whether those two women were genuine. The moment any retreat signal appeared at all — one pile or two — Prince Wu would understand something had gone wrong. Because if she wasn’t retreating, there was no need to light any signal at all; lighting one would only arouse Ning suspicion. He could simply have said: light one if retreating, light none if not. So the moment any smoke rose, he would abandon even the agreed-upon time and refuse to attempt the breakout.

Men who have reached such heights do not trust easily.

Princess Wu’s Jinzhou ham and Prince Wu’s smoke signal were, in essence, the same thing.

Tang Pidi had indeed initially considered reversing the message — but when he actually met those two women, he changed his mind on the spot.

“As long as one side moves,” Li Chi said, “we have our opportunity.”

Tang Pidi nodded, then turned to Zhuang Wudi. “Old Zhuang, there’s an urgent matter that needs attending to immediately.”

Zhuang Wudi clasped his fists. “Please give your orders, General.”

“According to the agreement, Prince Wu will attempt his breakout in three nights’ time,” Tang Pidi said. “So we need to dig a large number of concealed pit traps at the base of the mountain. This cannot be done during the day — it must happen deep at night, and no torches are to be lit. The enemy holds the high ground and watches from above. During daylight, our movements cannot be hidden from them, and at night, any light source would also give us away.”

“Understood. I’ll begin preparations immediately.”

“Under no circumstances can this be exposed.”

Zhuang Wudi acknowledged the order and departed.

Tang Pidi turned to Cheng Wujie. “Old Cheng, take men and move all the crossbow wagons to the mountain pass positions. Remember — transport and set them up at night as well. All the crossbow wagons are to be hidden inside tents so the enemy won’t spot them during daylight.”

“Yes, sir!”

Cheng Wujie acknowledged and left.

Tang Pidi looked to Gao Zhen. “You take ten thousand cavalry and wait for the signal. Three fireworks in the sky — when you see them, immediately lead your forces to cut into the Chu army’s rear column and seal off their retreat. Remember: do not move until you see that signal.”

Gao Zhen bowed. “Understood.”

Tang Pidi looked at Li Chi. “When the moment comes and Prince Wu charges down the mountain, you and I will each hold the left and right flanks.”

Li Chi nodded. “No problem.”

Luo Jing had been looking from one person to the next, and still Tang Pidi hadn’t mentioned him. Watching Tang Pidi finish his assignments and prepare to go rest, Luo Jing truly panicked.

He rushed forward to intercept him. “General! What about me? What about me?”

Tang Pidi looked at Luo Jing, and after a moment let out a sigh. “Fine. You lead troops as reserve. Wherever a gap opens, bring your men to fill it.”

Luo Jing grew more agitated. “General, you can’t treat me like this! Everyone has important military duties — and I’m just the reserve? This won’t do.”

Tang Pidi turned around and faced Luo Jing with a serious expression. “I originally had the most important task planned for you. But then I reconsidered — your temperament is impulsive, you lose sight of the larger picture once fighting starts, and on top of that, you have a blood feud with Prince Wu. If you make a mistake, it could bring down the entire deployment of hundreds of thousands of men, two years of planning — all of it gone.”

“How can the General have so little faith in me!” Luo Jing’s eyes had gone slightly red. He looked genuinely angry.

“It’s not a matter of trust. If we were fighting anyone else, I would place you at the very front. But we are fighting Prince Wu. I cannot afford the risk.”

“Then what would it take for you to feel at ease? What if I’m willing to sign a military oath?”

Tang Pidi shook his head. “The larger picture must come first. Caution must be our priority.”

“If I fail, you can cut off my head right there on the battlefield!”

Tang Pidi glanced at Li Chi, who had little choice but to nod. “Give him something to do.”

Tang Pidi walked to the map and pointed. “If I deliberately create a gap here — when Prince Wu’s forces are fighting at full intensity that night and they discover this breach has been forced open, he will pour everything into it.”

“Am I holding this position?” Luo Jing asked.

Tang Pidi shook his head. “The Zuo Wu Wei still has over a hundred thousand men. If the battlefield is too small and we press them too hard too fast, Prince Wu can still fall back into Mangdang Mountain. We need the battlefield to be large.”

“The defenders here will feign weakness and allow the Zuo Wu Wei to push through the gap — but not immediately. That would arouse Prince Wu’s suspicion.”

“When the fighting is at its most brutal and the Zuo Wu Wei has suffered heavy losses, Prince Wu will begin to think about pulling back to Mangdang Mountain.”

“That is when we open the gap. It will be nighttime — even controlling his own troops will be difficult for Prince Wu at that point — and the Chu soldiers, seeing a way out, will charge through like madmen.”

He looked at Luo Jing. “My plan is this: His Lordship commands our forces on the left flank, I command on the right. Once the bulk of the Zuo Wu Wei has pushed through that first defensive line, we close in from both sides.”

His tone hardened. “You will be waiting directly ahead of them.”

Li Chi stepped beside Luo Jing. “Old Tang wanted to give you the most critical position from the very beginning. He was simply genuinely worried you wouldn’t be able to hold yourself back when you saw Prince Wu.”

“Prince Wu will be leading the charge himself,” Tang Pidi said. “Among all our commanders, those capable of matching him in direct combat number only three: His Lordship, you, and I.”

“If I placed you on a flank, knowing your temperament, you would drive forward at full speed and create a gap in the encirclement. Furthermore, given Prince Wu’s skill in commanding troops, he would not necessarily break toward the center — I believe he is more likely to push toward the flanks. That is why His Lordship and I will each hold one side.”

“But—”

Tang Pidi’s voice turned grave. “If Prince Wu does charge directly toward the center, you must hold him absolutely. Do not advance beyond your position. Not under any circumstances.”

Li Chi said, “In this battle, your duty is primarily to block. Hold the center for two hours, and the full encirclement can be completed. The Zuo Wu Wei will have no chance to retreat back into Mangdang Mountain.”

Luo Jing’s voice rang out loudly. “Your Lordship, General — if I truly fail, you may take my head as you please.”

Then he grinned. “As long as I get to fight, I’ll definitely behave.”

Tang Pidi laughed. “Go prepare. Your Tiger-Leopard Cavalry may yet achieve extraordinary feats. If the encirclement succeeds, your vengeance — naturally, will still be yours to claim.”

Luo Jing acknowledged with a shout and strode off in high spirits.

Watching his retreating figure, full of barely-contained excitement, Tang Pidi couldn’t help but sigh quietly. “If there were another person in this army who could match Prince Wu, I truly would not use him — even if he resented me for it afterward, even if he cursed my name. I could live with that.”

The Ning army was not short of commanders who could take on ten thousand. There was Tantai Yajing, there was Gao Zhen and Cheng Wujie, there was Xiahou Zhuo and Liu Ge, there was Shen Shanhu and Tang Antchen.

But none of them, facing Prince Wu head-on, would be his match.

And to stop Prince Wu’s charge, it was not enough to simply have a warrior who could fight him — you also needed a unit capable of matching Prince Wu’s own personal guard.

The three strongest fighting forces in the Ning army were: Tang Pidi’s personal guard, Li Chi’s personal guard, and Luo Jing’s Tiger-Leopard Cavalry.

Tang Pidi was right. Only three men in the army could match Prince Wu. With no way to know which direction Prince Wu would break out, he had no choice but to place Li Chi and himself at the flanks — where Prince Wu was most likely to push.

Because Prince Wu would understand that the center would be most heavily fortified.

“No matter what,” Tang Pidi murmured to himself, “once Prince Wu comes down that mountain, he must never be allowed to go back.”

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