Zhang Duanrui thought for a moment and nodded slightly: “Feasible…”
Seeing that Bai Qingyan had been standing under the bright lamplight without saying a word, her gaze seemingly fixed on the direction of Weng Mountain, the Crown Prince took two steps closer to her and asked: “Does Young Master Bai have something in mind? Are you looking at Weng Mountain?”
Only after respectfully bowing to the Crown Prince did Bai Qingyan speak: “Yan is thinking—the news of the Crown Prince leading troops on campaign… spies must have already informed Western Liang and Nanyan long ago. Why have they still taken no action to this day?”
“This forced march was so fast that they probably haven’t reacted yet, or perhaps… they haven’t figured out our intentions?” Zhen Zeping spoke with great uncertainty.
“Fifty thousand troops setting out from the capital—Western Liang and Nanyan’s spies aren’t blind. Spy reports are typically carried by swift horses traveling day and night. If multiple riders can change mounts and travel without rest, it would probably take only six to eight days to deliver the message. That means…” Zhang Duanrui glanced at the map, “when we reached Chongluan Ridge, Western Liang and Nanyan probably already had the news.”
She nodded: “Even if they only received news on the eleventh or twelfth day, knowing that war would resume, why didn’t they send advance troops to attack Weng City? Are they waiting for our fifty thousand reinforcements to arrive before starting the war? Western Liang people… don’t have such gentlemanly conduct!”
Zhang Duanrui quickly understood Qingyan’s meaning: “Young Master Bai means that Western Liang and Nanyan disagree on whether to continue conquering or take some benefits and leave?”
She nodded and turned to face the several generals with grave expressions: “Nanyan is not as militarily strong as Western Liang. Previously, because Liu Huanzhang colluded with Nanyan, Nanyan had a high-ranking insider within the Bai family army providing intelligence, so they dared to send troops together with Western Liang! One side provided intelligence, the other sent troops and generals—this was an equal trade! But now… with Liu Huanzhang dead, Nanyan’s intelligence source has been cut off. Unable to provide Great Jin’s military deployment information, Nanyan is no longer in an equal position with Western Liang. How would Nanyan, which borders Western Liang territory, dare to act rashly again?”
Shi Panshan thought and nodded: “If Nanyan doesn’t move, Western Liang doesn’t want Nanyan to gain benefits without contributing effort, and also fears Nanyan might stab them in the back, so they don’t move either.”
She nodded again: “Now the news that fifty thousand troops have arrived at Wanping—scouts have already ridden fast horses to Weng City to inform the generals who retreated there, and Western Liang and Nanyan spies have certainly also gone to report! Nanyan is indeed not to be feared for now, but the frightening one is the ambitious Yun Poxing!”
She raised her hand to point at the Nine Peaks Mountain road between Weng City and Wanping: “If I were Yun Poxing holding heavy troops, upon learning that Great Jin’s fifty thousand reinforcements had reached Wanping—one day’s distance from Weng City—I would split off part of my forces to bypass Weng Mountain and set an ambush at Nine Curved Peak’s winding mountain road first! Then I’d take a small force to feign an attack on Weng City, luring the fifty thousand troops to rush to Weng City’s aid. Relief forces value speed above all—unable to take detours, they could only take the Nine Peaks winding road! Relief troops that have been rushing for half a day will inevitably be exhausted, and Western Liang’s ambush forces could intercept and slaughter Great Jin’s relief army there!”
Zhang Duanrui pointed at Nine Curved Bend on the map and turned around: “From Wanping to Weng City, to be fast… one must pass through Nine Curved Peak’s mountain road!”
She nodded and pointed again at Weng City: “The Bai family army that has already retreated to Weng City, plus Weng City’s original garrison troops, has less than twenty thousand soldiers. Weng City is easy to defend but hard to attack. If… the Weng City defenders learn that Western Liang’s main army has trapped the fifty thousand relief troops at Nine Curved Peak, and the Western Liang army currently attacking the city suddenly stops attacking and charges straight toward Weng Mountain, intending to pass through Weng Mountain’s great canyon to join with Western Liang’s main army and annihilate these fifty thousand relief troops! Then the Bai family army retreated to Weng City… General Cheng Yuanzhi of the Bai family army, known for his courage, would certainly not cower in Weng City but would lead the Bai family army to relieve Nine Curved Peak’s winding road! Western Liang’s main army, setting an ambush at Weng Mountain, could then slaughter all the remaining Bai family army in one stroke.”
Shi Panshan’s face showed horror as he looked carefully at the map, pointing at Weng Mountain: “Weng Mountain is also called Whirlwind Mountain. From high vantage points, its mountain range trends like a whirlwind rising from low to high. Weng Mountain’s great canyon lies within the mountain range’s crevice. If entering Nine Curved Peak’s winding road from Weng City’s direction, the valley entrance has broad flat ground, but at the exit, the mountain slopes on both sides are extremely high, with an extremely narrow exit—only ten people in a row can get through! Truly an excellent ambush location!”
“Therefore…” Bai Qingyan looked solemnly at the Crown Prince. “Yan dares to request that the Crown Prince tonight dispatch General Zhang Duanrui to lead five thousand elite troops to Nine Curved Peak’s winding road to set an ambush first. If they see Western Liang ambush troops coming, don’t make noise—investigate their troop strength and report back, then stand pat! Then send General Shi Panshan to lead fifteen thousand soldiers to set an ambush at Weng Mountain canyon’s Nine Curved Peak exit! Tomorrow, they can pincer attack with the Bai family army that might come to relieve Weng City! General Zhen Zeping should lead twenty thousand troops to attack Feng County, making sure Nanyan cannot leave the city! Please also have Your Highness send people to Pingyang City to deploy thirty thousand Pingyang City garrison troops to forcibly seize Feng City and block Western Liang reinforcements! Command five hundred soldiers with incendiary materials to charge straight at Western Liang’s main camp rear to burn their grain supplies! Also set up checkpoints at Luofeng Canyon to cut off Western Liang’s grain routes!”
The woman’s clean, composed voice was both fast and steady. Her words made everyone feel intensely nervous, as if the moment for great battle had arrived and brooked no delay.
Inside the prefectural office, the tall candle flames swayed gently in silence.
“What if Western Liang knows we have fifty thousand troops coming to relieve them, but still worries about Nanyan stabbing them in the back, or doesn’t want Nanyan to gain benefits without contributing any effort, and just stays holed up in Tianmen Pass without moving?” Zhen Zeping frowned and asked. “Or what if Western Liang concentrates all their forces to attack Weng City? Moreover… Pingyang City borders Great Yan—the garrison there can’t be moved lightly! Although Miss Bai has campaigned with the Duke, and shoots well! But she’s young after all. These are just Miss Bai’s speculations. I still think I should lead troops in a cavalry raid on Western Liang’s heartland!”
“When two countries fight, soldiers and generals follow their commander as a leader. So… to win, one must know what the army’s commander wants. Over these years, Yun Poxing has earned a reputation for never losing a battle. The army he leads is called the Iron Cavalry of Siege Breaking, but facing only the Bai family army, he has never had a victory. Yun Poxing considers this the greatest humiliation of his life! Until… joining hands with Nanyan, he wiped out all the males of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion in one stroke, and the Bai family army was nearly slaughtered completely—only then did he win once!”
“But the Bai family army still has over ten thousand troops remaining! Everyone says Yun Poxing fears the Bai family army like a child fears his father—it’s a thorn in his throat! Yun Poxing wants to wash away this shame! He wants to become famous throughout the world! He wants all nations to fear him! Therefore, he must eliminate the Bai family army, famous worldwide for being undefeated, before this great war completely ends! So that there will never again be black sails with white python flags in this world!”
“This subordinate deeply feels that Miss Bai speaks reasonably!” Zhang Duanrui said to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince felt somewhat uncertain. He admitted that Bai Qingyan was indeed formidable, but Bai Qingyan was also young, as Zhen Zeping said. She was not Duke Zhenguo, that marshal with rich combat experience and deep strategic thinking.