Taiping Rift 388. Shortcuts are difficult to take
On the official road in winter, the Mohist army marched quickly along the official road like a long black dragon. The two leading them were the army's chief commander Lu Jinxian and Ye Li, who was dressed in white and wearing a white cloak.
Because Lu Jinxian was the commander-in-chief and Ye Li was only a military advisor, the two rode side by side to show the princess' respect for Lu Jinxian as the commander-in-chief. Following behind the two were Zhuo Jinglin, Han Yunting, and Xu Qingfeng.
Lu Jinxian turned his head to look at Ye Li beside him and said with a smile: "Princess, I'm afraid that Mo Jingli has already assembled his troops and is waiting for us in front." Yun Ting behind him curled his lips and said: "Mo Jingli just ascended the throne, isn't he waiting to kill the Mo family army's fierceness?"
"I just don't know who will kill whom in the end?" Lin Han said righteously.
The others couldn't help but laugh when they heard this. Speaking of which, Mo Jingli really didn't have any outstanding military achievements. It's okay to kill the sharpness of the Mo family army from other places, but no one is optimistic about Mo Jingli in the open sword and gun on the battlefield. "Ye Li smiled and said: "It's good to have confidence, but don't take it lightly. "Although Mo Jingli has never had an outstanding military record, it doesn't mean that there are really no capable people in the Great Chu Army.
Lu Jinxian nodded and said, "Princess, you are right. Although Marquis Muyang's character is somewhat questionable, his ability in marching and fighting is indeed extraordinary." Marquis Muyang was awarded the title of Marquis for his military achievements, and he also fought on the battlefield. In fact, when Marquis Muyang was on the battlefield, Lu Jinxian was not yet famous.
As he spoke, Lu Jinxian pulled the reins and looked at the road ahead with a slightly frown on his face.
Ye Li asked in a low voice: "General Lu, what's wrong?"
Lu Jinxian said in a deep voice: "We are about to leave the official road and turn into the mountain road. If I were to lead the troops, they would definitely set up an ambush ahead..."
Ye Li looked at the narrow path ahead and asked in a deep voice: "General, are you sure?" Lu Jinxian nodded silently. Ye Li thought for a moment and said to Lu Jinxian: "General Lu is the commander-in-chief of our army. Everything is subject to General Lu."
Lu Jinxian understood that the princess meant that she trusted him. He nodded and said, "Thank you, princess. Order the entire army to set up camp nearby!" As the commander-in-chief of an army, he was worried about being constrained and caught in a dilemma. But although Ye Li was a military advisor, his status was far higher than Lu Jinxian's, which resulted in a situation where Lu Jinxian had to report everything to Ye Li, which often caused inevitable and dramatic consequences. Ye Li said this to tell Lu Jinxian that he was the current commander-in-chief of the Mohist Army, and he could make the final decision on all major matters. Since Ye Li was a military advisor, he naturally had the responsibility of a military advisor.
The Mohist army had strict military discipline, and although the order came very suddenly, it did not cause any confusion. After a while, the entire army set up camp not far from the official road, preparing to rest and reorganize the troops.
In the big tent, Yun Ting stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "General, I am willing to be the vanguard and go ahead to explore the way."
Lu Jinxian smiled faintly and waved his hand, saying: "General Yun, be patient." Beside him, Zhuo Jing smiled and said: "General Yun, didn't you see that Commander Xu is not here?" Yun Ting then realized that Xu Qingfeng, who had been with them all the time, had disappeared without a trace. Xu Qingfeng was the leader of Qilin's squad, and since he was there, it naturally meant that Qilin was also there. It was much more convenient and safer to have Qilin explore the way than to lead people to explore the way.
Yun Ting sat down somewhat embarrassedly. Lu Jinxian looked at Yun Ting with a smile and said, "It's a good thing that General Yun is brave and courageous. It seems that our Mohist Army has gained a few more generals in these years." It is not so easy to find a general who can truly lead the three armies and take charge of the overall situation. Even in the Mohist Army, which is famous for its bravery, there are only Lu Jinxian and Zhang Qilan who can be called famous generals of the generation. It's a pity that the two were silent for many years when the Mohist Army was suppressed and missed the best time. Otherwise, the reputation of the two would definitely not be limited to what it is now. And now, although Yun Ting, He Su, Chen Yun, Sun Yaowu, Zhou Min, and Fu Zhao under the Mohist Army are still young, they all have great prospects. Take Yun Ting for example. Although he is not yet 30 years old, he is already one of the most accomplished generals of the younger generation. He is clearly a rising star of the future.
Yun Ting was a little embarrassed by Lu Jinxian's praise. He touched his head and looked at Ye Li. Ye Li smiled and said, "It's a good thing to be brave and move forward, but as a general, you need to change your temper of not caring about the future."
"Thank you for your advice, Princess." Yun Ting said embarrassedly. He knew that his biggest weakness was that he sometimes acted impulsively. Because of his young age and his personality, he gave people the feeling that he was not as stable and reliable as Chen Yun and others. This made Yun Ting very helpless, and he wanted to correct it every time, but unfortunately there was a saying that it is difficult to change a person's nature, and personality is not so easy to change. Ye Li did not force it. Yun Ting was still young, and although he was occasionally impulsive, he was not very reckless. When he was a few years older and experienced more things, he would naturally become much more stable.
Lu Jinxian smiled and said, "Princess, you are too strict with General Yun. I have had nothing to do these years, so I have written down some of my thoughts. If General Yun doesn't mind, you may take a look at them." Upon hearing this, Yun Ting was stunned. You know, the thoughts and experiences of a general, especially a famous general, are priceless treasures. Apart from fathers and sons, teachers and apprentices, there is no place for others to see them.
Seeing Yun Ting in a daze, Ye Li coughed lightly, bowed respectfully to Lu Jinxian and said, "Yun Ting." Yun Ting came back to his senses, overjoyed, and said quickly, "Thank you, General Lu. Yun Ting will study hard and will never let you down."
Lu Jinxian laughed out loud, stood up and helped Yun Ting up, saying: "General Yun, you are too polite." Zhuo Jing looked at the two of them and said with a smile: "Since General Lu and General Yun are so compatible, why not accept General Yun as your student."
Before Zhuo Jing finished speaking and before Lu Jinxian had a chance to say anything, Yun Ting had already knelt down in front of Lu Jinxian, "The student pays homage to the master and asks for guidance." Lu Jinxian was stunned and turned his head to look at Ye Li beside him. Lu Jinxian is already over 40 years old. Although he has a son, his son is not like his father. He prefers literature to martial arts and is currently studying at Lishan Academy. Lu Jinxian is naturally willing to accept Yun Ting, a rising star of the Mohist Army, as his apprentice and pass on what he has learned and experienced throughout his life. The mere fact that he has a master-disciple relationship with Yun Ting, the confidant and trusted confidant of Princess Ding, is enough to make Lu Jinxian happy, not to mention that Yun Ting is a very capable person. But Yun Ting is Princess Ding's confidant after all, so naturally he has to see what Ye Li thinks.
Ye Li smiled and said, "Could it be that General Lu dislikes Yun Ting's qualifications and is not willing to accept him?"
Lu Jinxian was relieved and smiled happily. He leaned over to help Yun Ting up and said with a smile: "Yun Ting, you don't have to be so polite." Yun Ting understood that Lu Jinxian had agreed, and was immediately overjoyed, "Thank you, Master."
Lu Jinxian was very happy to have a new disciple, but he still reminded him: "The army still has to follow the rules." Yun Ting nodded repeatedly and said: "Yes, thank you, general."
"General, Commander Xu requests to see you." The guard outside the door reported. Everyone's face brightened, and Lu Jinxian hurriedly said: "Please let Commander Xu in." Xu Qingfeng walked in from outside in a green and yellow dress. Yun Ting looked at Xu Qingfeng curiously and said: "Third Young Master, what are you wearing?" It's not that Yun Ting is surprised, but the Mohist Army has always been dressed in black, which makes people feel mysterious and powerful. At this time, the clothes on Xu Qingfeng were really not in line with the temperament of Qilin. Xu Qingfeng rolled his eyes at him and said: "Do I have to wear a nightgown to explore the way?" Nightgowns are of course good things at night, but wearing black clothes everywhere in broad daylight is clearly asking for trouble.
Lu Jinxian asked in a deep voice: "Did you find anything?"
Xu Qingfeng nodded and said, "General, your guess is correct. There are no birds flying in the mountain path, and there is no sign of human habitation. However, there are traces of a large number of soldiers and horses passing through the mountains, and... I can faintly smell the scent of tung oil." At this point, Xu Qingfeng couldn't help but frown.
"Tung oil?" Lu Jinxian frowned, looked down at Ye Li and said, "Princess, I'm afraid this shortcut is not available." Regardless of whether the Chu army intends to set fire to the mountain, the Mo family army cannot afford to take this risk. As the saying goes, fire and water are merciless. Now it is winter and everything is withering. With the help of tung oil, no matter how well they prepare, as long as they enter the mountain road and the Chu army sets fire, they will have no way to escape. Moreover, Lu Jinxian knows Mo Jingli well. In order to destroy the Mo family army, Mo Jingli will not care whether a few mountains will be burned.
Ye Li nodded, and Lin Han took out a huge map and spread it on the big table next to him. Lu Jinxian stepped forward and looked at the map in front of him and thought: "If we avoid this road and take a detour, I'm afraid it will delay us for several days." This time, the Chu army used a veiled strategy, letting you know without any concealment that there is an ambush ahead. If you advance, the Chu army will set fire. If you don't advance, the Chu army can buy more time to seize more territory and occupy a more advantageous position.
Ye Li frowned as she looked at the map and asked, "What is General Lu's plan?"
Lu Jinxian thought for a while, stroking the map in his hand, and said after a while: "Please help me, Princess." Ye Li smiled and said: "You and I are one family. Now the general is the commander-in-chief of the army. Just tell him what you need." Lu Jinxian nodded, and said in a deep voice: "Please bring Yun Ting and lead the 200,000 Mo family troops to take a detour."
Ye Li looked up at Lu Jinxian and said, "General Lu still wants to take a shortcut?" Although this road is short, it is full of dangers. The Chu army doesn't even need to do anything. Just ignite the tung oil buried on the mountain road and it will be enough to destroy the Mohist army. An army of 200,000 is not just 2,000 people. Once a fire breaks out, I'm afraid less than 20% of them will be able to escape.
Lu Jinxian looked at her leisurely, and said calmly: "I remember there is another way to get through here, but it will take a little effort. Please ask the princess to lead the people first. If it doesn't work, I will lead the army to come from behind." Ye Li stared at the map for a while. She certainly understood that there are some places that even a professionally trained Qilin may not be able to draw completely. Moreover, this map is really small and may not be able to show some more hidden places. She just asked: "Where do you plan to get out, General Lu?"
Lu Jinxian pointed to a place on the map. Ye Li pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I will be able to get here within seven days. At that time, I will work with the general to attack the Mohist army stationed here from both sides. What do you think, general?" Lu Jinxian took a closer look and couldn't help but smile. He clapped his hands and said, "Princess, you have good eyesight." Ye Li smiled slightly and said, "Leave Commander Xu and Qilin to General Lu." Ye Li also understood that the road that Lu Jinxian was going to take would definitely not be smooth, so leaving Xu Qingfeng and Qilin to him was also a guarantee.
Lu Jinxian understood Ye Li's good intentions and was deeply moved. He quickly refused and said, "No, Qilin should stay with the princess..." Ye Li shook her head and said, "Don't worry, General. Qin Feng has already arrived in the north and he will naturally make arrangements." Qin Feng is the commander-in-chief of Qilin and can directly mobilize all Qilin troops. With him around, there is naturally no need to worry about not having people to use him.
Ye Li insisted, so Lu Jinxian had to give up. After thanking Ye Li, he said, "Take care, Princess."
Ye Li smiled calmly, "Take care, General."
The next morning, Lu Jinxian led tens of thousands of soldiers to prepare to force their way through the mountain road. The Chu army soldiers who were ambushed near the mountain road in advance were a little worried. They didn't think Lu Jinxian would choose to pass through here. After all, Lu Jinxian was a well-known veteran. How could he not understand that although this mountain road was a shortcut, it was full of dangers? Therefore, Mo Jingli did not send many troops to ambush here. At most, they just made a show. However, this empty city plan obviously could not fool Lu Jinxian. Although they could also set fire to the mountain, this was the last resort. You know, it is the middle of winter when everything is withering. Once a fire starts, no one knows when it will be extinguished.
"What should we do?" The general who was lying in ambush in the mountains frowned at the situation in front of him and asked the people around him.
The comrade beside him frowned and said, "Don't worry, this place is easy to defend but difficult to attack. I'm afraid Lu Jinxian won't be able to attack for a while. Report to King Li and Marquis Muyang quickly." After all, the Mohist Army and the Chu Army are still one family. No one wants to kill the other in such a brutal way unless it is absolutely necessary. Moreover, facing the battle-hardened Mohist Army, the Chu Army has an almost natural fear.
The Chu army on the mountain didn't know that when they were reporting the movements of the Mohist army on horseback, Ye Li had already taken another team and left in a detour.
In the Great Chu Army, Mo Jingli frowned as he looked at the secret letter in front of him. Seeing him like this, Marquis Muyang and others hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what happened to the Mo Family Army?" Mo Jingli said in a deep voice, "Is Lu Jinxian preparing to force his way through the mountain road? Old Marquis Mu, is your plan really useful?"
Old Marquis Muyang also frowned and said in a deep voice: "If Lu Jinxian really wants to pass through there, I can guarantee that his entire army will be wiped out. But... Based on my understanding of Lu Jinxian, he is not such a stupid person, why would he seek his own death?" When he first arranged this place, Old Marquis Muyang did not intend to wipe out the Mo family army, but just wanted to slow down the march of the Mo family army. And with the abilities of Lu Jinxian and Ye Li, the possibility of success in ambush them in such a place is less than zero. It is precisely because of this that Lu Jinxian's actions are particularly confusing.
Mu Yang asked, "Could it be for cover? Lu Jinxian and Princess Ding may have split up their forces, and Lu Jinxian only left a small group of soldiers to block our line of sight?" Old Marquis Mu Yang said, "It is very likely that they will split up their forces, so Your Majesty still needs to pay attention to the situation on the main road. But Lu Jinxian's total force is no more than 400,000. It is reported that Lu Jinxian has at least 200,000 soldiers stationed outside the mountain road. What's the use of Princess Ding bringing hundreds of thousands of soldiers? In addition, when it comes to marching and fighting... In my opinion, Princess Ding is not as good as Lu Jinxian. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse?" Although Ye Li fought against several famous generals of the time, including the King of Zhennan, and pacified the northern border. However, veterans like Marquis Muyang could tell from careful analysis of the battle that Ye Li was not really proficient in the art of using troops. He just often took unexpected actions, and was better at controlling and influencing the situation outside the battlefield to promote the entire battle, but it was not that Ye Li was really a master of military tactics.
Lei Tengfeng, who was sitting on the guest seat, lowered his eyes slightly, also thinking about the intention of Lu Jinxian's move. But like the old Marquis Muyang, he was puzzled. Mo Jingli frowned and said, "Since Lu Jinxian has already set up a battle array here? But our army's strength is obviously not enough? Do we need more troops to support it?"
The old Marquis Muyang was silent for a moment and said, "If the emperor just wants to stop Lu Jinxian, the ambushing troops are enough. I guarantee that Lu Jinxian will not be able to get here within ten days. If the emperor wants to wipe out Lu Jinxian's troops..." The less than 30,000 troops ambushed there are obviously not enough to deal with Lu Jinxian's 200,000-plus troops. The old Marquis Muyang absolutely did not believe that Lu Jinxian would obediently rush into the mountain path to let them set fire.
Mo Jingli's heart moved. Lu Jinxian was a famous general in the Mohist army. His fame and prestige were comparable to those of Zhang Qilan and Yuan Pei. If Lu Jinxian's army could be destroyed in one fell swoop, it would be a great thing for the Chu army, whose morale had been low since the expedition.
After a moment of silence, Mo Jingli finally made up his mind and said in a deep voice: "Mu Yang, you lead an army of 100,000 to reinforce. You must capture Lu Jinxian's army at all costs."
Mu Yang quickly stood up and responded loudly: "I will obey your orders!"
Lei Tengfeng wanted to say something, but when he saw Mo Jingli's determined look, he stopped talking.
Old Marquis Muyang looked at Mo Jingli and said, "I guess that the army led by Princess Ding will definitely take a detour and will engage our army within seven or eight days at most. Your Majesty, do you need to send someone to intercept them?"
Mo Jingli waved his hands and said, "No need, let her come over! I want to see what Ye Li has the ability to fight several famous Xiling generals one after another." It was actually a bit rude to say this in front of Lei Tengfeng. But it was a fact that Ye Li defeated Xiling Zhennan King and Zhu Yang's National Defense Army, and even Lei Tengfeng could not refute it. Lei Tengfeng was not angry, but smiled faintly and said, "It is better for the King of Chu to be more cautious. Although my father was defeated by Princess Ding, he has always admired Princess Ding's strategy. There are many people in this world who have suffered from Princess Ding. Not to mention the distant past, just say that Ren Qining from the former Northern Border, but his country was destroyed and his family was ruined, which is a pity."
Lei Tengfeng's words seemed very gentle and polite. But they sounded particularly harsh to Mo Jingli's ears. The reason was that Mo Jingli was also one of the people in the world who had suffered at the hands of Ye Li. And it was just a few months ago, which was more recent than Ren Qining's. Mo Jingli snorted and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Prince Zhennan."
Lei Tengfeng smiled but said nothing. He certainly knew why Mo Jingli was unhappy. Although not many people knew what happened in the Nanjing Regent Palace, after a few months, Lei Zhenting was able to infer some confidential information from some clues. For example, the whereabouts of Princess Ding during that period, and the sudden disappearance of Master Qingchen and his miraculous return to Licheng. Another example is that Mo Jingli's two princesses disappeared one after another, and died of illness. Combined with the time when Mo Jingli ascended the throne, many problems are naturally self-evident.
It was Mo Jingli's own business if he wanted to look down on Ye Li. If he got hurt, he would have no reason to say that he didn't remind him. Lei Tengfeng no longer cared about Mo Jingli's refusal to listen to his advice, but lowered his eyes and began to calculate the troops he had brought with him.
Seeing that Lei Tengfeng was not interested and stopped talking, Mo Jingli nodded with satisfaction. After ascending the throne, he could not stand other people's opposing opinions more than before, not to mention that Lei Tengfeng had always been indifferent to him before. Although he was just a prince, he always made people feel that he was superior and looked down on him. Seeing Lei Tengfeng being respectful and obedient in front of him, Mo Jingli felt particularly happy.
Standing up, Mo Jingli waved his hand and said, "Let's leave it at that. Mu Yang will lead his troops to intercept Lu Jinxian, and I will personally lead my troops to meet Ye Li!"
Watching Mo Jingli get up and walk into the resting place at the back, the old Marquis of Muyang frowned slightly, with a hint of worry between his brows. He still felt that it was completely meaningless to ask Mu Yang to take 100,000 troops. It was even more hopeless to completely eliminate Lu Jinxian in that place. But Mo Jingli could not listen to the persuasion. Although he had not been loyal to Mo Jingli for a long time, the old Marquis of Muyang, who was good at catering to people, had already fully understood what kind of person Mo Jingli was.
"Father, what's wrong?" Seeing his father frowning, Mu Yang asked worriedly.
Old Marquis Muyang shook his head and whispered, "Be careful on this trip. Lu Jinxian is a famous general of the Mohist Army. Don't underestimate the enemy. If it is impossible, don't force it."
"Yes, father." Looking at his father, although he was a little confused, Mu Yang still agreed respectfully. Old Marquis Mu Yang shook his head and sighed softly, "Forget it, go back."