On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, thirty li west of Loulan, lies a forest of chaotic rocks.
After three days and two nights of arduous marching, Wu Shangzhi's army finally arrived at this legendary land of death.
The so-called "chaotic stone forest" is a vast area of wind-eroded landforms.
Millions of years of wind and sand have sculpted the rocks here into all sorts of bizarre shapes—some like towering castles, some like bared demons, and some like weeping ghosts.
The wind blew through the crevices of the rocks at night, making a mournful, eerie sound, like the sounds of hell.
“General, we should not linger here,” the guide, Andehai, said worriedly. “The terrain of the Rocky Forest is complex and it is easy to get lost. Moreover… there are legends that there are unclean things here.”
Wu Shangzhi stood atop a towering rock pillar, looking around.
The setting sun dyed the entire rocky forest blood red, and the strangely shaped shadows were stretched long, which did indeed have a somewhat eerie feel.
But what he saw was an excellent ambush location.
"Manager An, do you think Wu Han would have anticipated that we would break out from here?" Wu Shangzhi asked.
An Dehai thought for a moment and said, "Absolutely impossible. From Sweetwater Well to the Rocky Forest, you have to cross three hundred miles of quicksand sea. Without a guide, it would be good if half of the 100,000 people who go in could come out."
“Wuhan would never have imagined that we would dare to take this path.”
"That's good." A sharp glint flashed in Wu Shangzhi's eyes. "Order the entire army to take cover and rest. Send out scouts to investigate the enemy situation in the direction of Loulan. At dawn tomorrow, we'll give Wuhan a surprise."
The order was given, and five thousand Yin soldiers hid among the crevices of the rocks in the chaotic forest.
They covered the reflection of their armor with sand and concealed their camp with rocks. Soon, the entire army seemed to disappear into the vast stone forest.
It's late at night.
Wu Shangzhi and his generals sat around in a cave, studying a map by the dim light of a fire.
"According to scouts, the main force of the Wuhan, numbering over 30,000, is still besieging Loulan."
Liu Yi pointed to the map, "The Loulan garrison has suffered heavy casualties, but they are still holding on. General Murong's cavalry is harassing from the southeast, tying down about five thousand Northern Di cavalry."
Lin Yuan added: "The key is the water source. Although there are wells in Loulan City, they can only supply tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians for a short time. After Wuhan besieged the city for ten days, the city is probably at its limit."
"Therefore, we must launch an attack tomorrow," Wu Shangzhi said in a deep voice. "And we must strike decisively, crushing Wuhan's main force and driving him westward."
"Otherwise, if Loulan falls, Wuhan will receive supplies, while our five thousand-plus men will be isolated and trapped in a dilemma."
Xi Sheng frowned: "General, even if we suddenly attack from the west and catch Wuhan off guard, the disparity in troop strength is too great—we have 5,000, while he has 30,000. A head-on confrontation would not be very likely to succeed."
“Then let’s not engage in a head-on confrontation.” Wu Shangzhi smiled coldly. “At dawn tomorrow, our army will break out of the rocky forest and head straight for the Northern Di camp. But we will not charge into the camp; instead, we will bypass it and take the south gate of Loulan City.”
"The south gate?" Murong Chunhua asked, puzzled. "That's the place where the Northern Barbarians have the tightest siege..."
"It is precisely because it is the strictest that we would never expect to break through from there."
Wu Shangzhi said, "Wuhan's attention is all in the east, guarding against Murong's harassment and also against our reinforcements coming from the direction of Tianshui Well."
"The west is desert, and he will never be able to defend it. We will attack directly to the south of the city from the direction he least expects, open a gap, and let the Loulan garrison escape from the city."
The generals suddenly realized what was going on.
"General, are you planning... a coordinated attack from within and without?" Lin Yuan's eyes lit up.
“Not bad.” Wu Shangzhi nodded. “Although the Loulan garrison is not strong, there are still seven or eight thousand of them. Even a cornered beast will fight. If they can find a way to survive, they will surely unleash amazing fighting power.”
"We will attack from both inside and outside, first defeating the Northern Di army south of the city, and then..."
He pointed sharply at the map: "Then, without entering the city, turn directly and attack Wuhan's central camp!"
"At this time, Wuhan will surely send troops to his aid. Lin Yuan, your archer battalion will attack from the east and cut off his reinforcements! What we need is to inflict a serious wound on Wuhan!"
The cave was completely silent, except for the crackling of the torches.
This plan is insane—over 5,000 men are to storm an enemy camp of 40,000, while also having to divide their forces to intercept them and provide support for friendly troops...
But upon closer examination, it is indeed feasible.
Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and striking when they least expect it has always been the key to winning with fewer troops.
"Let's do it!" Xi Sheng slapped his thigh. "The Mo Dao Battalion is never one to be trifled with!"
"Yes! Let's fight the Tartars!" Lin Yuan and Liu Yi echoed.
Wu Shangzhi looked at Liu Yi: "General Liu, tomorrow is crucial for your Shenji Battalion. I want you to use thunderclaps to clear the way during the charge—I don't care how many casualties you inflict, I want the momentum, I want to scare the Tartars to death!"
Liu Yi clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This subordinate obeys! The Divine Machine Battalion's three hundred thunderbolts will surely make the Tartars think that heavenly soldiers have descended!"
"Good!" Wu Shangzhi stood up. "Gentlemen, if we win this battle, our advance into the Western Regions will be unstoppable!"
"We are willing to fight to the death with the general!" the three shouted in unison.
......
At the same time, inside the city of Loulan.
The royal palace hall was dimly lit.
The King of Loulan sat on his throne, looking haggard with sunken eyes.
He held a bowl of murky, muddy water in his hands; this was the city's last water source—the well was almost dry.
"Your Majesty, another house has collapsed in the east of the city, killing seventeen people..." the minister reported in a trembling voice.
The King of Loulan closed his eyes and, after a long while, asked, "Is there still no news of reinforcements from the Yin Dynasty?"
"There are still shouts of battle from the east; it must be the Yin army cavalry harassing the Northern Di army. But the main force... has not yet appeared."
"They won't come," a military officer said in despair. "Sweetwater Well is only a hundred miles from here. If there were reinforcements, they should have arrived by now. I'm afraid... I'm afraid the Yin army has already been defeated, or... they never intended to save us at all."
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