The situation in the northern border begins to emerge
Shi Jian's safe return and the news of Lu Renjia's success were like a shot in the arm for our plan. The hidden forces in Jiangnan had been planted, and while they were still weak, they finally had a solid starting point. Next, we had to turn our attention from the misty Jiangnan to the impending turmoil in the northern border.
As Yiqing had predicted, the tug-of-war and tentative attempts between the imperial court and Liangshan over the question of "amnesty" were finally drawing to a close after nearly a year of open and covert infighting. Fragmentary information from various sources gradually pieced together a clear picture: the Liangshan mainstream, led by Song Jiang, had largely accepted the imperial court's terms of amnesty. Within the imperial court, thanks to the strenuous mediation of General Su Yuanjing and others, the pro-pacification faction had temporarily gained the upper hand.
"The imperial edict of amnesty will arrive soon." Yiqing put down the latest secret letter in his hand. His tone was calm, but with a hint of the coldness of knowing fate. "The tiger of Liangshan will soon be shackled and driven to the northern border to kill another pack of vicious wolves for the court."
"Is the Liao campaign about to begin?" I felt a chill in my heart. Although I had known this was inevitable, when it finally arrived, I still felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness. This meant that those familiar, flesh-and-blood figures were about to embark on a journey filled with uncertainty and danger.
"Hmm." Yiqing spread out a map of the northern border, on which were marked some dangerous mountain passes and important cities. "According to current intelligence and my calculations, the imperial court intends to use the power of Liangshan to break the Liao Kingdom's 'Huntian Xiangzhen'. The main battlefield will likely be in the Youyun area. This formation is strange and good at trapping troops. Although Liangshan is powerful, they will probably suffer in the first battle."
The Chaos Elephant Formation! I immediately recalled the relevant plot. Liangshan did suffer heavy casualties in the early days of this formation. Even powerful generals like Qin Ming and Dong Ping were captured.
"Can we... do anything?" I looked at Yiqing. "Even if it's just to give them a warning, so they can be on guard?"
Yiqing shook his head and gently tapped the Youzhou location with his fingertips. "To directly warn them would be tantamount to exposing our whereabouts. Furthermore, Song Jiang and Wu Yong might not believe it and might even suspect it was a tactic to sow discord. This battle is Liangshan's way of proving its worth to the court. It is also an opportunity for Song Jiang to establish his authority and consolidate his inner circle. They must fight on their own and shed blood."
He was right. Liangshan needed a tough battle to prove itself at that moment, and any external "reminder" might be misunderstood.
"Then we..." I was a little confused. Since we can't intervene directly, what's the point of us paying attention to the war in the northern border?
"Our focus isn't on victory or defeat, but on 'people.'" Yiqing's gaze sharpened. "We need to focus on who will be put in danger in this battle, their personalities and choices, and identify the 'nodes' that may influence their future."
He paused, then gave an example: "For example, Zhang Qing, the 'Featherless Arrow,' has a unique skill in throwing stones and is extremely brave, but he is also a bit arrogant and easily ambushed. Another example is Dong Ping, the 'Dual Spear General,' who has the courage of ten thousand men, but is competitive and afraid of being plotted against. And then there's Suo Chao, the 'Vanguard,' who has a fiery temper and always charges ahead, making him the most vulnerable to being surrounded..."
He mentioned several names, like a treasure trove of them, all of which I remembered as brave generals who had unfortunately fallen in subsequent battles. He was not trying to change the outcome of the battle, but rather observing these specific people, looking for those subtle turning points in the trajectory of their fate that could have reversed the situation.
"What we can do now is to rehearse the battle situation in as much detail as possible and record any possible dangers." Yiqing took a pen and paper. "When this battle is over and the Liangshan army returns south to rest and recuperate, perhaps we can pass this information on to certain individuals through covert means, such as anonymous letters, or through 'intelligence' about the Liao army's tactical characteristics gathered by our Jiangnan strongholds, seemingly by chance. Even if it only makes them more vigilant in future campaigns, it would be a good thing."
This is a more circuitous strategy that requires more patience. It doesn't seek immediate results, but rather quietly sows the seeds of prevention in the soil of fate, hoping that they will sprout at some point in the future and save a life.
"I understand." I nodded. This method of "sneaking into the night with the wind, moistening things silently", although slow to take effect, is more reliable and also suits our current situation of concealing our whereabouts.
In the following days, while we continued to collect information about the movements of Northern Xinjiang and Liangshan through secret channels, Yiqing, led by me, combined my "prophet" fragments with his divination and deduction, began to analyze in detail the various situations that might arise in the war against Liao, focusing on those generals who might be in danger and their character weaknesses.
I was responsible for organizing and recording these analyses into a book, and trying to use the language of this era to write some anonymous reminders on general tactical points such as how to deal with ambushes, be wary of arrogant soldiers, and pay attention to formation coordination, in case of emergency.
Time passed in the intense preparations and waiting. Finally, when the first snow of early winter fell on Erxian Mountain, the definitive news arrived—the entire Liangshanpo group had accepted the amnesty, and Song Jiang had been appointed Pogelang and Vanguard Envoy. He would soon lead the Liangshan army to the northern border to conquer the Liao Kingdom!
The day the news broke, Yiqing and I stood on the cliffs outside Zixu Monastery, gazing at the leaden sky to the north, speechless for a long time. I knew that the band of outlaws who had once taken me in and offered me temporary peace had completely changed their nature, embarking on a journey from which there was no return. And Yiqing and I could only silently watch their backs from this secluded mountain, fulfilling our insignificant yet unwavering promise.
The Liangshan army sets out, and war clouds gather over the northern border.
The news we received began to become fragmented and delayed, but we could still piece together a rough outline of the battle. As expected, upon arriving in northern Xinjiang, the Liangshan army ran headfirst into the Liao Kingdom's "Hun Tian Xiang Zhen," suffering setbacks and heavy casualties. Even key generals like Hu Yanzhuo and Xu Ning were captured, and morale plummeted.
The atmosphere in the Juyi Hall... no, the Zhongyi Hall, must have been gloomy as well. Song Jiang and Wu Yong must have been racking their brains trying to figure out how to break the formation.
"The opportunity to break the formation lies in 'Venus' and 'Jupiter.'" Yiqing made a judgment based on the battle report and the astrological signs. "These two stars are the key to the operation of the Hun Tian Xiang Formation. If they can be broken, the formation will be disrupted."
His judgment matched my vague memory. The key to breaking the formation seemed to lie in identifying and attacking its center.
Sure enough, more than ten days later, news came that Song Jiang adopted Wu Yong's plan and sent Shi Qian, Bai Sheng and others to sneak into the Liao camp to find out the strength of the formation. Finally, Guan Sheng, Lin Chong and other brave generals led the elite troops to break through the "Venus" and "Jupiter" formations in one fell swoop, and destroyed the Hun Tian Xiang formation. The Liangshan army turned defeat into victory and advanced all the way!
The news of victory shocked the government and the country. The Liangshan army proved their worth with their actions and also won themselves a brief respite.
However, on our "Key Focus List," several names were unfortunately marked. Although Liangshan won the Liao campaign, they also lost several generals, including Xuan Zan, the "Ugly County Horse," and Hao Siwen, the "Well-wooden An." The cruelty of war was beginning to show.
"Xuan Zan, a brave warrior, perished in a hail of arrows; Hao Siwen, careless, fell into a pit..." Yiqing read the battle report, his tone tinged with regret. "The deaths of these two were both accidental and inevitable. Character determines fate, and on the battlefield, things change rapidly, and no meticulous plan can prevent them."
I remained silent. Yes, what we can do is ultimately limited. It's impossible to protect everyone.
"However, this battle wasn't entirely fruitless." Yiqing changed the subject, pointing to another name on the list—"Golden Spearman" Xu Ning. "Xu Ning's capture, though ultimately rescued, must have been a significant blow to his resolve. He's not Song □□, and this near-death experience may have given him more pause for thought about his future."
My heart skipped a beat. Xu Ning! In the original novel, he was shot with a poisoned arrow in Hangzhou during the campaign against Fang La and ultimately died. If I could make him consider retreating early, or perhaps become more cautious in future campaigns...
"There's another person," Yiqing's eyes became a little deeper, "'Leopard Head' Lin Chong."
Lin Chong! My heart was in my throat. How is he?
"Master Lin once again led the army in this battle, breaking through the enemy's formation and achieving remarkable feats. However..." Yiqing paused, "It's rumored that he encountered a Liao general who bore a striking resemblance to Gao Qiu on the battlefield. Although he ultimately slew him, upon his return, his old illness relapsed, causing him to vomit blood several times. His physical condition... seems to have deteriorated."
Gao Qiu! This name, like a nightmare, haunted Lin Chong. Even if he killed the man who looked like his enemy, it would not ease the resentment and pain that had been pent up in his heart for years. In fact, the violent emotional fluctuations might even aggravate his underlying illness.
I felt a pang of sadness. Lin Chong's tragedy stemmed from his irreconcilable hatred and the corruption of the world, which was beyond our current ability to change.
"His path is so difficult." I sighed.
Yiqing was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "Let's wait and see. The fighting in the northern border will soon end, and then we will return to the capital to be rewarded according to our merits. Then... a new round of conquests will begin. We need to accelerate our efforts in the south of the Yangtze River."
The turmoil in the northern border has come to a temporary end, but I know this is only the beginning. With this offer of amnesty, the glory and tragedy of Liangshan will be pushed to an even more unpredictable climax. And we must weave as many lifelines as possible before the final, bloody end arrives.
The road to changing your destiny is long and difficult.
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