“If you can lure him back to the North, that’s up to you. But before that, don’t interfere with my important business,” Pei Man Xilou said calmly.
“Your important business…”
Yellow Fairy played with her nails, reining in her seductive manner, and said with a click of her tongue, “I thought so. How could someone as proud as you be willing to lose to someone you’ve never met?”
“I’ve been inquiring these past few days. Although Xu Qi An has an unparalleled poetic talent, he’s never made any achievements in military strategy. I suspect that the military treatise was written by Wei Yuan. So I want to visit him and probe a bit. Of course, if he is the author of that military treatise…”
Pei Man Xilou paused, clenching his fist slightly, his tone somewhat excited and eager:
“I want to ask him a few questions, ask how to break the deadlock in the northern war. Such a military expert often has ideas or thoughts that could be key to the success or failure of a war.”
Yellow Fairy pouted, “Is it really that exaggerated?”
The carriage stopped, and the two lifted the curtain and jumped down.
Led by the doorman Old Zhang, Yellow Fairy stepped into the Xu mansion. Looking around, she smiled and said, “Not bad!”
During this time, she had accompanied Pei Man Xilou to various official mansions in the capital for socializing and entertainment. She had seen too many luxurious residences. The scale and architecture of the Xu mansion were generally better than average but not top-tier.
Walking along the bluestone-paved path, ahead was an imposing building with upturned eaves on both sides – the outer hall where the Xu family received guests.
Yellow Fairy’s eyes suddenly lit up. She saw a man wearing a black robe embroidered with gold and silver threads, adorned with luxurious accessories, standing at the entrance of the outer hall.
He was smiling at them.
This man’s features were as if carved, exuding masculine strength, yet not appearing rugged. Upon closer inspection, one would find him quite handsome.
However, his sharp eyes, strong physique, and wheat-colored skin made him distinctly different from his handsome cousin.
Not disappointing, just this appearance alone is worth Aunty’s tender loving care… Yellow Fairy’s smile unconsciously became more charming.
Xu Qi An had already seen them at the literary gathering, so he just glanced at them without much scrutiny.
Hmm, this vixen Yellow Fairy is still as flirtatious as ever! He mused inwardly, while outwardly maintaining a gentle demeanor, smiling and saying, “Please, come inside!”
He just glanced at me lightly, without showing the typical male desire and amazement, but this was our first meeting…
This certainly isn’t because my charm is lacking, but rather because this Xu Qi An either has extremely strong resistance to beauty, or the rumors circulating in the capital about his romantic entanglements with the flower girls of the teaching workshop are his deliberate disguise… The clever and cunning Yellow Fairy noticed this detail and silently noted it.
Whichever possibility it was, it indicated that Xu Qi An was no ordinary man, and seducing him would be quite challenging.
Isn’t that more interesting? If he could be lured to bed with just a beckon, it would be too unchallenging… I’ve heard that countless respectable women in the capital admire him.
Heh, Aunty wants to sleep with the most outstanding young man in Da Feng!
To seduce the man countless women in the capital dream of into bed!
Imagine, the most outstanding young man in Da Feng, the famous Xu Qi An, the object of countless women’s dreams in the capital, yet seduced into bed by her, a foreigner. How satisfying, how thrilling that would be.
It would be a psychological crushing of the capital’s women, and she could also boast to her sisters back in her clan, making those little vixens green with envy.
Xu Qi An led the two Yao Man envoys into the hall, instructed servants to serve tea, and sat in the main seat, joking:
“Knowing that the Emperor and I have had conflicts, yet you still come to visit. Are you trying to put me in a deadly situation?”
Because these two were Yao Man, he had warned the women in his family not to come to the outer courtyard today.
Pei Man Xilou, out of courtesy, symbolically took a sip of tea, and joked with an equally smiling face:
“Your grudges against the Da Feng Emperor are well-known. I’m quite curious how Xu Qi An will deal with this situation.”
Xu Qi An smiled without responding, only saying, “I’m no longer a silver badge constable.”
Pei Man Xilou stopped there and changed the subject, “At the literary gathering that day, reading Young Master Xu’s military treatise was like a revelation. I’ve long admired Young Master Xu.”
Yellow Fairy said charmingly, “This humble one has also long admired Young Master Xu.”
Her voice was coquettish, speaking as if she were pouting.
Xu Qi An ignored the flirtatious behavior of this fox clan beauty, smiling as he said:
“Young Master Pei Man’s talent also shocked me. I never expected there would be such a brilliantly talented great Confucian scholar among foreigners. You’ve won Da Feng’s respect with your talent.”
Yellow Fairy pouted and said coquettishly, “What about me? Haven’t I won Young Master’s respect?”
You? Your fox clan vixens have long won the respect of the perverts in officialdom… Xu Qi An inwardly snarked, but in response to this flirtatious banter, he merely smiled slightly.
The fox women of the fox clan have now gained unanimous praise in Da Feng’s officialdom. Officials have discussed them privately quite a bit, even the Second Young Master Xu had heard about it and mentioned it to his elder brother during casual conversation.
“But even I find the Jing Guo Iron Cavalry particularly troublesome. The ferocity of our divine tribe’s cavalry is known throughout the Nine Provinces. But mere brute courage is hard to achieve great things with,” Pei Man Xilou sighed:
“This visit, Xilou has come to seek Young Master Xu’s advice.”
Seek my advice. I’m just a courier, I didn’t write The Art of War, Sun Tzu did, isn’t that clear from the title… You, a great Confucian scholar well-versed in military strategy, seek my advice?
Xu Qi An inwardly ranted, but outwardly remained composed, only smiling faintly: “I wrote in my military treatise, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll be victorious in a hundred battles.'”
Hearing his answer, the smile on Pei Man Xilou’s lips widened. He had initially acknowledged Xu Qi An’s level of expertise, and said slowly:
“I was too hasty. Hmm, Jing Guo has two types of cavalry. One is called the Fire Armor Army, famous for its special material armor. Their mounts are unicorn-scaled beasts, a breed crossbred between quality war horses and a Jing Guo monster species.
“These beasts have terrifying endurance, their scales have amazing defensive power, and the horn on their head is invincible when charging. Even our tribe’s strongest heavy cavalry wouldn’t dare claim certain victories against them, and the Fire Armor Army has a full 40,000 troops. The other type is ordinary cavalry.”
40,000 exotic beast heavy cavalry, no wonder they can sweep across the Yao Man… Xu Qi An was secretly amazed.
Pei Man Xilou continued: “And their light cavalry is equally formidable, swift as fire. After the heavy cavalry charges, the light cavalry is responsible for mopping up scattered enemy troops. The two work in perfect coordination, unstoppable.
“Moreover, the North is mostly flat plains, unlike the Central Plains with its dense mountains and rivers. Finding good terrain can effectively curb Jing Guo’s cavalry. May I ask Xu Qi An, how should our northern divine tribe respond?”
How the hell should I know? If it were me, I’d just charge straight in, who cares about all that… Xu Qi An suddenly recalled the Second Young Master Xu’s draft in his mind, and immediately smiled, saying:
“If it were Da Feng’s army facing such iron cavalry in the North, they would only need to use cannons and crossbow chariots to bombard them in turns.”
Pei Man Xilou shook his head and said: “That’s why Jing Guo has light cavalry, extremely fast. As long as they disperse their formation and withstand the first two rounds of bombardment, they can destroy Da Feng’s artillery corps.”
Xu Qi An said: “Two methods: set up iron-spiked abatis a hundred paces outside the artillery or dig pitfalls for horses. You only need to drive fist-sized stakes into the ground, dig out appropriately sized deep pits, and you can effectively curb the cavalry’s charge.
“Light cavalry isn’t like heavy cavalry, they can’t ignore obstacles. Once their charging speed is hindered, they’ll have to endure a few more rounds of artillery and crossbow fire. Hehe, there are no fixed tactics in warfare. Without terrain advantage, you must learn to create your advantages.”
Pitfalls for horses, setting up abatis… I also had similar strategies, and now I have two more methods to create “terrain advantages” on the plains… Pei Man Xilou’s eyes lit up, silently noting this down, then smiled deeply:
“Young Master Xu may not know, Jing Guo also has cannons and crossbow chariots. As far as I know, these were all supplied to the Shaman Religion by your Da Feng’s former Minister of War. I’m afraid mere horse pits and abatis are not enough to deal with Jing Guo’s cavalry.”
Damn, why didn’t you say so earlier? You’re not just here to seek advice, you’re here to challenge me, aren’t you… Xu Qi An couldn’t help but glance at him.
This Pei Man Xilou wasn’t just here to seek advice, but also to probe his depth of knowledge. Was he unsatisfied after being “fatally struck” by him at the literary gathering?
Fortunately, I read some of the Second Young Master’s strategies last night… Xu Qi An chuckled and said: “Isn’t this where the cavalry of the two Yao Man tribes comes in handy?”
He flexibly shifted his thinking, bringing the Yao Man army into the alliance to fill in the weaknesses of their forces. In the Second Young Master Xu’s conception, the Yao Man troops were already factored in.
Pei Man Xilou seemed to be arguing: “In that case, it would at most be an even match.”
“No, it’s not an even match,”
Xu Qi An shook his head: “If Da Feng and the Yao Man join forces, the odds of victory would crush the Jing Guo army, even if they also possess a certain number of cannons. The more troop types, the more room for maneuver.
“Heh, let me give you a small example. I’ve heard that every warrior of the Jin Mu tribe in the barbarian race raises a strange beast called a feather spider. They’re the only flying beast army among the twelve tribes. Additionally, the Jin Mu tribe warriors are skilled archers.”
Pei Man Xilou seemed disappointed: “Although the Jin Mu tribe’s flying beast army is skilled in archery, their arrows can hardly penetrate the armor of the Fire Armor Army. Some top experts might be able to, but on a large battlefield, it’s a drop in the bucket.”
Xu Qi An smiled: “Brother Pei Man, your thinking is still not flexible enough. Why must we rely on arrows to cause damage? Since penetrating damage can’t threaten the Fire Armor Army, why don’t we try a different approach? For instance, tying oil to the arrows.
“Heavy cavalry armor is difficult to remove. Once it’s covered in oil and set ablaze, it would only take moments for the armor to heat up. They can’t extinguish the flames, nor can they take off the armor. At that point, their proud heavy armor becomes their most fatal weakness.”
This tactic also came from the Second Young Master’s ideas.
Pei Man Xilou was visibly moved, no longer able to maintain his composure. He muttered to himself:
“Indeed, if arrows can’t cause harm, why not try fire attacks? Heavy cavalry can’t easily remove their iron armor alone. Once covered in oil, even if they don’t die, they’ll be severely burned. The Jin Mu tribe’s flying beast army can shoot arrows from above, and the Fire Armor Army can’t dodge. It’s feasible, completely feasible…”
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became as if a supreme master had enlightened him.
“Young Master Xu truly lives up to his reputation as a military expert, skilled at utilizing troop types and tools. This aligns perfectly with my military philosophy. These words have truly awakened me from a dream. It’s a pity that there are so few in the divine tribe who are proficient in military strategy.
“If someone could have discussed this with me earlier, perhaps, we would have thought of this tactic long ago. Why did our divine tribe have to suffer so much?”
Even Yellow Fairy, who wasn’t versed in military strategy, understood the brilliance of this tactic.
Her gaze towards Xu Qi An now held a hint of admiration.
It was no longer pure seduction; she felt genuine appreciation for this man, a female’s admiration for a male.
“I’ve lost my composure, how embarrassing!”
Pei Man Xilou took a sip of tea to suppress his inner excitement. At the same time, he had a more “greedy” idea.
While both parties were in high spirits for discussion, and Xu Qi An didn’t seem to be holding back, why not take this opportunity to extract more tactics from this generation’s military expert?
For instance, his ideal tactic could ensure victory in one strike.
Pei Man Xilou now fully believed that “The Art of War” was indeed written by Xu Qi An, genuine and authentic.
So, after pondering for a moment, he said:
“Although this plan is brilliant, the Shaman Religion’s attack this time is fierce, not just relying on the Jing Guo Iron Cavalry. Otherwise, with Great Demon Zhu Jiu’s strength, even if injured, he wouldn’t let Xia Hou Yushu be so arrogant.
“In the Jing Guo army, there’s a third-grade wizard and quite a few fourth-grade wizards. They can control corpse soldiers and greatly stimulate the blood essence of humans and beasts, temporarily boosting their combat power.
“This is why the Jing Guo cavalry is so ferocious this time. Young Master Xu, with your extensive knowledge, you should know that the battlefield is a wizard’s domain. The role of a third-grade wizard on the battlefield surpasses that of a third-grade Immortal Body. I dare to ask, is there a tactic that can strike at the core and decide the battle in one move?”
“Immortal Body” is the term for a third-grade martial artist.
This is too much, you want a decisive tactic?
You’re like a little cow jumping out of an airplane, getting too cocky… Xu Qi’an inwardly snarked. He glanced at Pei Man Xilou and Yellow Fairy, noticing their serious expressions and focused gazes as if they believed he could come up with some extraordinary grand strategy.
The Second Young Master’s “draft” doesn’t have this kind of tactic… He mused internally, thinking of casually chatting for a bit, then sighing tactfully and saying he was unable to help.
He had even prepared his lines, planning to say that the battlefield changes in an instant, how could mere armchair strategy solve such matters?
“What’s the strength of Jing Guo’s army? How many cavalry, how many cannons, how many infantry?” Xu Qi An asked.
Pei Man Xilou pondered for a moment, then said:
“During the Shanhai Pass battle, the Fire Armor Army numbered 50,000, but they were almost entirely lost in that battle. After twenty years of recovery, I estimate the Fire Armor Army can’t exceed 50,000, because both the quality of cavalry and the breeding of war beasts are extremely difficult, requiring selection from thousands.
“As for light cavalry, their numbers are not high. Jing Guo has exhausted its finances to maintain the Fire Armor Army and can hardly support more light cavalry. The light cavalry exists to some extent to compensate for the Fire Armor Army’s shortcomings. Currently, all 80,000 light cavalry are fighting in the North.”
So all of Jing Guo’s finances are used to maintain war horses… Xu Qi An took a sip of tea and said, “I understand.”
He was about to deliver his prepared lines to dismiss this barbarian when he suddenly paused. The previous conversation flashed through his mind like slides.
Jing Guo has at most 40,000 heavy cavalry, all light cavalry are out fighting the Yao Man in the North…
From the Thirty-Six Stratagems, one strategy suddenly came to mind.
He put down his teacup and swept a steady smile across the two: “Why not try a sneak attack on Jing Guo’s capital?”
Clang!
The teacup beside him accidentally fell to the ground. Pei Man Xilou’s breathing suddenly became rapid, causing his chest to heave violently.