The second night arrived moonless with sparse stars as Yuan Cheng entered the camp. Mo Zi and he gazed at each other across the crowd of strategists and officers, exchanging smiles, with no time for intimate conversation.
The wind blew fiercely, fires blazed bright, and inside the great tent, everyone voiced their opinions.
Zhang Zhen said, “Our army has one hundred and ten thousand men in the camp, plus ten thousand Zhou troops, totaling one hundred and twenty thousand. The Daqiu army across the river numbers four hundred thousand—a vast difference. Even if we relieve the siege of Heng City, we should immediately withdraw.”
Wei An pondered, “If we retreat now, the Daqiu King will reclaim Fengzhou water camp without losing a single soldier and will inevitably counterattack Yuling. We’ll have no more opportunities to exploit. Since we’ve come, we must at least severely damage his strength.”
Su Lan spoke up, “Elder Zhang’s point is indeed valid. Even counting Heng City’s forces, our army is only two hundred and fifty thousand. This subordinate believes that ingenious tactics to defeat superior numbers are the key to this battle.”
Yuan Cheng didn’t express his opinion but called on Ding Gou, “General Ding, you’re the vanguard—what’s your view?”
“Since we’ve come, we should make ourselves at home.” Ding Gou’s expression was cold and sharp. “Even though we gained it easily, we shouldn’t speak lightly of abandoning it.”
Jin Yin waved his fan, the cold wind blowing incessantly. “What does Brother Mo say?”
Everyone looked toward Mo Zi sitting in the corner.
Hearing Jin Yin call her Brother Mo, Mo Zi knew he was giving her confidence in his capacity as second brother. She smiled faintly. “The Daqiu King has already withdrawn troops as we predicted, but his movements are slower than ours. He’ll need several more days to assemble at the shore. Furthermore, four hundred thousand troops require three thousand ships to transport, yet he only has over a thousand warships. Once on the river, our Song army won’t be at a numerical disadvantage.”
Zhang Zhen’s straightforward temperament showed as he slapped his forehead. “Right! I forgot that point. Then let’s fight. They’ll need to transport in three batches—if we destroy one batch, that’s over a hundred thousand men. If we succeed, we’ll avenge Daqiu’s surprise attack on Ping City.”
“It’s too early to finalize plans now.” Yuan Cheng concluded after hearing everyone’s opinions. “As Mo Zi said, the Daqiu army still needs several days to reorganize. We need to observe the Daqiu King’s movements before taking the next step.”
“But we can at least make him desperately anxious.” Mo Zi’s expression was as cold as Ding Gou’s. “I suggest—harassing the people.”
Jin Yin slapped his hand with his fan, loudly supporting, “Good!”
Yuan Cheng glanced at him askance, meaning: You dare applaud without understanding? What kind of cleverness are you pretending?
Jin Yin happened to catch that look. “Big Brother looking at me like that must be praising me in his heart.”
Seeing their relationship was still “extraordinary,” Mo Zi couldn’t help wanting to laugh, her sorrow weakening somewhat.
“Second Brother, explain what’s good about it, and how do we harass the people?” Someone walked right into the line of fire. Yuan Cheng gave no face.
Jin Yin opened his mouth, then after a long moment said, “Brother Mo proposed it, let Brother Mo explain.”
“Have our men form teams of a thousand each, launching raids separately along the river at Fengzhou’s major and minor ports. Don’t actively harm civilians, only seize grain and supplies, then change locations after looting. Let this news cross the river, creating the false impression that we’re going to invade.” This was Mo Zi’s strategy for harassing the people.
Wei An nodded in agreement. “Indeed good. When hearts are chaotic, plans become foolish, and large armies become useless.”
Yuan Cheng smiled at Mo Zi. “We’ll do exactly that.”
That night, the main camp left behind minimal forces while warships sailed into various Fengzhou cities and towns along the rivers to freely take grain. Because of their imposing manner, plus the fact that Fengzhou water camp had already been occupied by Song forces, they encountered almost no resistance. Soon, news that Song troops were invading Daqiu spread widely. The common people panicked and began fleeing toward the capital.
When Wu Yanqie learned of this, he was shocked and furious, glaring at the opposite shore, but could only see vast emptiness.
“Do the Song people truly intend to take the capital directly?” Wu Yanle had always believed the Song army’s attack on Fengzhou was merely to break the deadlock from Yuling’s fall. “With merely a hundred thousand men, have they swallowed the courage of ambition?”
“Song army entering from the south, Zhou army from the north—two sharp blades piercing straight toward the capital.” Wu Yanqie suddenly felt lost. Since the withdrawal began, Song forces had increased to one hundred and fifty thousand, effortlessly recovering lost territory and proceeding to occupy two provinces that originally belonged to Daqiu. Enemies ahead, pursuers behind—though he commanded four hundred thousand troops, he momentarily didn’t know how to fight this battle.
Wu Yanle wasn’t as pessimistic. “In just a few years, the Great Zhou court has experienced two rebellions and suffered severe damage. Even at its peak, it never entertained thoughts of sending troops, much less now. Please set your mind at ease, my king. Moreover, if the northern border were under attack, General Sidan would have sent word already.”
Wu Yanqie’s thoughts stirred. “The river surface at Fengzhou should be controlled by Song forces—how can messages still cross over?”
Wu Yanle answered, “With their hundred thousand men traveling by ship, they have at most a thousand vessels. The river is long and wide—how could they seal it completely? In my view, with them seizing grain everywhere in Fengzhou, the water camp must currently have insufficient forces. Why not attack immediately and reclaim the water camp?”
Wu Yanqie pondered, his doubts dispelled by his brother’s words. “Correct. They must assume we still need several days to consolidate forces and lack provisions, which is why they invaded Fengzhou. Ale, summon Duan Geshou.”
“My king, let me go.” Wu Yanle volunteered.
“No, you are my only blood brother. I need you to remain by my side.” He had already lost his beloved and couldn’t lose his closest kin as well.
Wu Yanle wanted to insist, but seeing his brother’s pale complexion, he ultimately bowed his head in obedience.
That night, Duan Geshou led three hundred ships with nearly sixty thousand men, silently sailing toward Fengzhou’s main camp.
“General, we’ve crossed more than halfway.” A garrison commander came to report.
Duan Geshou stared at the pitch-black water surface. The wind had frozen his face stiff, but he didn’t want to enter the cabin and wait for reports. The opponent was too formidable—even if the camp truly lacked main forces, he dared not be careless.
Since he wouldn’t go in, the garrison commander couldn’t go in either and stood beside him drinking the cold wind.
After a while, dim yellow lamplight hazily appeared through the darkness. After a bit more time, the towering camp towers and arrayed warships all emerged as silhouettes.
“Looks like Song forces really did go seize grain everywhere. We’ve nearly reached their doorstep yet haven’t encountered a single patrol ship. Hehe, we’re about to achieve great merit.” The garrison commander was also Duan Geshou’s trusted aide.
Duan Geshou suddenly barked low, “Turn around!”
The garrison commander started. “General?”
“Quickly pass the order—turn around!” Duan Geshou finally realized what his unease was about. Everything was too smooth. Receiving news that Song forces were seizing grain, encountering no obstacles whatsoever reaching the water camp’s front—it felt like falling into a trap.
The garrison commander dared not question further and hurried to the rear.
Transmitting orders in darkness was slow, and ships couldn’t simply stop or turn around at will. It took fully over half a shichen before they began moving backward. But before traveling even one li, a dragon of fire lit up ahead, forming a semicircle to surround them.
“Which general has arrived?” The voice actually came from behind.
Duan Geshou whipped around. Two or three li away on the opposite shore, fires now blazed bright as dozens of large ships cleaved through the water toward them.
His eyes widened. “Song Mo Zi!”
Mo Zi naturally couldn’t hear his words and continued shouting through the speaking trumpet, “To welcome you all, we’ve waited an entire day. Why leave without coming in to sit?”
Duan Geshou gritted his teeth—it was indeed a trap. He called out, unable to show weakness, “This is Duan Geshou. I didn’t expect to see Miss Song again—what great fortune.”
Mo Zi’s command ship stopped barely a hundred zhang from Duan Geshou. “General Duan, I’m married now. Either address me by name or call me Madam. Hearing people still call me Miss makes me rather embarrassed.”
Duan Geshou waved his hand. All soldiers nocked arrows to bows, pulled down throwers to load fire balls, and lowered ship planks to reveal giant crossbows.
He called loudly, “You’re separated from me by barely a hundred zhang—aren’t you afraid both ships will perish together?”
Mo Zi laughed heartily. “Perish together? With your ships? Fine, even if you and I both sink, once I close this bag, not one of your ships can escape. A thousand against three hundred—playing mutual destruction alone, I’d still have seven hundred left. General Duan, why speak lightly of life and death? I merely wanted to greet you.”
Duan Geshou didn’t know why she sounded different from the Song Mo Zi of before. “What exactly do you want?” Though already inside the opponent’s bag, he couldn’t possibly surrender without resistance.
“Play a game with you. If you win, you can take all your ships and leave, but soldiers must jump into the water. If you lose, I won’t spare a single prisoner’s life.” Making enemies terrified—this time Mo Zi didn’t understand what it meant to not be hardhearted.
Hearing this, Duan Geshou laughed coldly. “Song Mo Zi, are your stakes fair? Whether I win or lose, my men either freeze to death or get killed.”
Mo Zi shrugged. “At least you can still live, and your ships can return to bring reinforcements. Is there true fairness on the battlefield? When you fell into my trap, you were already at a disadvantage.”
Duan Geshou understood she was right, but as a military commander, he couldn’t surrender on the spot. “I won’t play your game. If you have the ability, come out and fight us. If I lose, I die. If I win, I can take the survivors and leave.”
“Oh? You want me to follow your rules.” Mo Zi looked toward Ding Gou.
Ding Gou’s gaze was like a cold blade, leaving the decision to her.
“Truly treating kindness as worthless.” Mo Zi sighed. “I can’t possibly abandon such a huge advantage to needlessly sacrifice my soldiers’ lives.” Signal flags flew as the bag gradually tightened. Winning with superior numbers wasn’t shameful.
Duan Geshou was worthy of a hundred battles—even in such critical circumstances, he could still calmly judge and swiftly pass orders: “Don’t scatter and spread out. Concentrate forces to fight toward the southeast. After breaking through the gap, retreat at full speed.” There was a gap in the southeast.
Ding Gou glanced at Mo Zi. “Your eloquence was useless—he didn’t take the bait.”
Mo Zi smiled. “At least he believes we truly have a thousand ships and plans to flee.” One game, one gamble—she had greatly exaggerated.
With everyone out harassing the people, how could they return so quickly? The camp only had Ding Gou’s vanguard army, Xiao Wei’s hundred ships, and captured Daqiu vessels from taking the water camp—pieced together, just over four hundred ships with actually only thirty thousand men. Using light and shadow effects to create a surrounding pincer formation, they deliberately left a flaw in the southeast to lure Duan Geshou to break through there.
Watching Duan Geshou’s ships finally break out through the southeast, Mo Zi returned to the water camp.
Yuan Cheng waited for her on shore, smiling. “Everything seems to have gone smoothly.”
Mo Zi grasped his outstretched hand. “Yes, all within the plan. Wu Yanqie will think we never left the water camp at all, that we set a trap to deceive him, so he definitely won’t be willing to attack directly again.”
“He also won’t believe messages transmitted from this side anymore.” Yuan Cheng walked hand in hand with her.
“I want to know—if he discovers Duan Geshou wasted such a good opportunity to reclaim the water camp, will he jump with rage? And what will his next move be?” Mo Zi listened to the sound of waves, her eyes clear and bright.
“Wait.” Yuan Cheng looked at Mo Zi, speaking his most commonly used answer.
Dark clouds obscured the moon. The contest had already begun.