Xiao Wei hurriedly said, “This subject dares not presume, but I am concerned about the movements in Nande, and Yuling is on the front line. Moreover, Hua Zhou connects south and north, able to support both sides.”
“I know that keeping you to guard the capital is an underutilization of your talents, but if you leave, Zhong An will follow you. Who could replace your positions?” Currently, the capital was heavily defended with troops and temporarily secure.
“Shi Lei is meticulous despite his rough appearance, and his military achievements over these years have been outstanding. He can be promoted to full general. I also recommend my younger brother Xiao Yong. Though not a military officer, he knows how to deploy troops and can serve as military strategist.” Xiao Wei thought briefly, hesitating slightly when recommending Xiao Yong, not wanting the Emperor to think he was showing nepotism, but Xiao Yong was truly no longer the wild and unrestrained scholar he once was.
The Emperor clearly agreed with this point. “Xiao Yong has submitted several memorials recently, showing stability and wisdom. I’ve neglected him for so long, and was just thinking about where to assign him. It seems this time he married the right person—when a man’s household is peaceful, he can display his full talents. As his older brother, you really should learn from this.”
Xiao Wei lowered his head and acknowledged agreement.
After he left, Liu Ning came in to clear the tea, but saw the Emperor staring blankly at the teacup.
“Your Majesty, shall I summon the meal service?”
The Emperor shook his head. His gentle expression faded, revealing a deep sadness. “That child…”
While Great Zhou’s side was making continuous moves, Mo Zi had stayed in the cave for five days without Yuan Cheng sending anyone, and could no longer endure it. She headed toward Immortal Mountain to investigate the situation.
Borrowing the stone walls of the mountain bay to conceal her tracks, she looked from afar between those two mountain peaks—empty, without a single boat. She sent down the gulls and pelicans to scout. Smelly Fish came back saying there were only a dozen or so Nande warships in the harbor, with camps flying the large Wu character banners.
“Wu character banners?” Mo Zi thought of the rather pathetic Wu Jian. “It can’t be Grand Preceptor Wu leading the expedition personally, but he wouldn’t give this kind of opportunity for merit to outsiders either. If it’s someone like Wu Jian, we could try capturing him.”
The strategy was simple. Have Smelly Fish’s boat lure the enemy while she and Fat Shrimp set ambushes on both sides. If they followed out, the general surnamed Wu wouldn’t know how to fight. If they didn’t follow, he’d be somewhat clever, and she couldn’t act rashly.
The result was the former.
Mo Zi thought, if all the commanders are like this, the Liu Dynasty really has exhausted its fate. Looking at it this way, her worries about Yuan Cheng and the others lessened considerably.
Smelly Fish lured out three boats.
After passing the mountain bend, two of them were hit by Wind and Rain boats with both stones and oil arrows and fire arrows, beaten until they cried for their parents—within an hour they were shattered with almost no survivors.
Cloud Boat confronted the remaining boat. The rotating drill at its bow had already drilled a very large hole in it; just another foot or two lower and it would start taking on water. The mixed iron plate and iron net folding combination canopy covering the deck of Cloud Boat rendered all the enemy’s weapons completely ineffective. Their final move was ramming, but Cloud Boat was agile. Compared to ordinary sword-arrow slapping boards and such, the bow, stern, and both flanks of the boat body were fully armored and impregnable.
Smelly Fish shouted loudly, “Who is the boat captain?”
The soldiers, terrified out of their wits by Cloud Boat’s威力, immediately pointed to a fat-headed, big-eared middle-aged commander.
“The boat captain stays. Everyone else who wants to live, strip off your clothes and jump in the water, backs toward Immortal Bay. Otherwise you’ll have the same fate as your companions on those two boats—smashed to death!” Smelly Fish chuckled coldly. “Don’t let your boat captain escape, or don’t blame me for going back on my word.”
No one dared disobey. The undisciplined soldiers consciously left five or six men to block the rear, preventing the boat captain from escaping.
Mo Zi boarded the boat and asked the ashen-faced boat captain, “How many men and boats do you have in Seed Grass Bay? Who’s leading the troops?”
The fat man wiped his sweat. “There are seven boats in the bay. The female hero sank two. On shore there are a thousand elite soldiers, led by Wu Jian, Military Supervisor Wu. The general is just for show.”
“You had tens of thousands of troops but only left a thousand men? Where are the others?” Mo Zi wanted to know news of Yuan Cheng.
“They all entered the inland rivers to pursue the rebe—the righteous army. I heard Military Supervisor Wu say that a hundred thousand troops will soon join us. He wanted to capture Yuan Zhizhou alive before then, so he sent out all the boats and men.” The fat man was not only sweating but trembling.
Later Mo Zi learned that Yuan Cheng had three appellations in Nande. Among the common people: the Number One Corrupt Official. In the imperial capital: Prime Minister Yuan. In official circles: Yuan Zhizhou. Zhizhou was his courtesy name. On the contrary, the name Yuan Cheng was least commonly used.
“Have they caught anyone?” This was her most pressing concern.
“No. Three days ago, the scouts sent to gather intelligence never returned. The military supervisor then ordered the remaining ten thousand men and hundred boats to continue pursuit, but to this day there’s been no word.” The fat boat captain answered with a bitter face.
Thanks to Wu Jian’s stupidity indeed. Mo Zi asked again, “Did Wu Jian say when the reinforcements would arrive?”
“They should have arrived two days ago, but there’s been no sign of them.” So everyone in the main camp was irritable and unsettled, feeling ominous signs everywhere.
Mo Zi gave Smelly Fish a meaningful look.
Smelly Fish then followed what they’d discussed earlier, having over a hundred brothers change into Nande soldier uniforms. He lightly kicked the fat man’s leg with his toe. “When we return to your main camp shortly, you’ll say what I tell you to say. Otherwise—” He snorted coldly twice.
The boat captain nodded like a chicken pecking rice. “Heroes, spare my life. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Wu Jian was just an incompetent fool. When he led sixty thousand troops pursuing Yuan Cheng into the bay, he immediately saw him fleeing in panic and confidently sent out his main force in pursuit, thinking the other side was scared. Besides, he had overwhelming advantage in men and boats. What use was Yuan Cheng’s cleverness and capability alone? Could peasants wielding hoes fight better than those wielding swords and spears? He completely forgot that Nande’s soldiers only knew how to grab money, not fight. The brave fearlessness of the founding two hundred years ago had long been returned to their ancestors. Today’s officials and soldiers were secretly called locusts by the common people.
Cloud Ridge Mountains stretched two hundred li, deep and broad in all directions. It was normal that messages couldn’t get out. He consoled himself thus, yet his feet paced back and forth, revealing his inner uncertainty.
“Report, sir, our boats have returned.” The messenger ran in excitedly.
Wu Jian thought he meant the main force. Though he never usually ran, he summoned up tremendous speed and laughed heartily. These past few years, as his father grew older, the various branches of the family had been openly and covertly competing to become the old man’s heir. So this expedition to suppress the rebellion, he was counting on earning great merit.
“Hahaha—ha, Yuan…” As he looked up laughing, his gaze shifted to the three boats approaching from the opposite shore, and he realized his mistake. Even having made a mistake, he could only save face by pretending.
“A small victory bodes well for great victory! This is an auspicious sign.” He thought they’d captured the small commoners, completely failing to notice that three vessels had gone out but only one returned.
Mo Zi was waiting for him. Drawing her bow with an arrow on the string, the feathered shaft brushed past her fingers, aimed at Wu Jian’s head.
However incompetent Wu Jian was, he still had a few people beside him who would risk their lives for him. Seeing the swift arrow, they immediately shouted a warning and knocked Wu Jian down.
Wu Jian awkwardly raised his head from the sand and mud, climbed up, and saw Mo Zi. He was greatly shocked. “You… how are you here? Could it be you have secret support from Great Zhou’s Emperor?”
Mo Zi didn’t waste words with him. That arrow was merely a signal, a signal to act upon seeing Wu Jian. In that instant, Wu Jian saw over a hundred balls suddenly hurled from behind Mo Zi, flying straight toward his side. He had no other abilities, but his survival instincts were stronger than anyone’s. Regardless of what those balls were, he grabbed two attendants to shield himself.
Thud—thud—thud! One landed near his feet, mud even splashing on his shoes, frightening Wu Jian into crying out.
“Lord Wu, after so long, you’re still as pathetic as before.” Mo Zi tossed a ball in her hand.
Wu Jian saw clearly they were just ordinary wooden balls. Not only had most soldiers dodged them, but even those hit seemed fine. He couldn’t help being angry. “Mystifying tricks—just like a woman after all. I overestimated you. Back on the boat, I could see your unusual relationship with that man surnamed Yuan. Now you’ve become lowly commoner bandits together. You’re his woman, aren’t you? Capture you alive, and I’ll see if that homeless dog will throw himself into the trap.”
“I don’t know where Lord Wu’s confidence comes from. I heard your esteemed father is indeed deeply calculating, but his head isn’t growing on your neck. Flying his banner doesn’t necessarily make you any smarter. However—” Mo Zi clasped her hands behind her back as Luo Ying secretly lit a fire.
When outnumbered, to win, hardware was important, but software was equally important. The first round was solid wooden balls—the goal was to make the enemy cocky. Just now when she’d tossed the ball, those people on shore went from staring intently to dismissive indifference. Their mentality had shifted as she intended.
“However what?” Wu Jian snarled viciously.
“However, that’s good—it makes dealing with you effortless.” She tossed her hand and the wooden ball flew out.
She led the way, with Luo Ying, Zan Jin, and the others following—another hundred or so balls.
The Nande government troops merely dodged steadily, some laughing scornfully, some picking them up to examine.
Wu Jian found it laughable. “Dealing with me effortlessly? Indeed quite effortless. Like pies falling from the sky—can a few wooden lumps smash us to death? Women have little experience but insist on pretending to be clever. Yuan Zhizhou found a stupid woman. Looks like he’s reached the end of his days.”
Roaring laughter erupted.
Mo Zi watched the fuse burn inward, propping one hand on the boat’s bow and resting her chin on it, even laughing along with them. “As for who’s reached the end of their days, let’s count together. One, two, three!”
Time seemed to slow, yet everything happened quickly. Mo Zi’s smile vanished, her gaze sharp. She rapidly stepped backward, using both hands to pull up a thick, heavy iron plate in front of her.
BOOM!
Wu Jian heard an explosive crack. His heart jumped. The soldiers nearby suddenly let out piercing screams. Before he could see what was happening, his ears were filled with continuous booming sounds and wails, making him shrink his neck and crouch on the ground curled in a ball, until the surroundings grew quiet.
“Lord Wu truly has great luck staying alive.”
It was that woman’s gloating voice. Wu Jian flew into a rage. Regardless of his disheveled state, he stood up and roared, “Someone, come quickly and deal with her—”
Before he finished speaking, two stiff corpses before his eyes, mangled beyond recognition, sent him scrambling and rolling. Looking again, he gasped. The large swath of soldiers who had been standing were now dead or wounded. Wooden shrapnel was everywhere, along with the sulfurous smell of firecrackers. What on earth were those wooden balls?
“Having someone deal with me? Better I deal with you.” Lowering the iron plate, Mo Zi looked coolly at Wu Jian. “Zan Jin.”
Zan Jin immediately displayed his lightness skill, treading across the water to shore. As Wu Jian turned to flee, he drew the Emerald Heart sword and asked Mo Zi, “Kill or not kill?”
Wu Jian screamed wildly, “Don’t kill me! I’m Grand Preceptor Wu’s son. My father will agree to anything for my sake.”
How reasonable.
Mo Zi raised an eyebrow and smiled.