Chapter 61 Flying Kites
Civil and military officials, regardless of any past conflicts, were overjoyed at this moment.
"This is a perfect opportunity for a northern expedition!"
Emperor Hong'an was also delighted. He was about to see how the situation in the Northern Di would change when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the palace.
"The Military Commander of Yongzhou Guard, acting on General Cheng's orders, has rushed to report to Your Majesty! The Northern Di Li Tu has led 50,000 cavalry south and has already reached the outskirts of Mingyuan Pass. We request Your Majesty to reinforce the city's defenses with additional troops and provisions!"
*
As the sun sets, winter always brings early darkness, revealing the vast grasslands of northern China.
The Northern Di army was currently encamped outside the city.
Litu, son of the Northern Di Khan, led troops south at the age of sixteen and was a master of siege warfare and killing. Now, he is over thirty and has become even more experienced.
Zhou She felt that he was incredibly lucky.
He had no idea a fight had broken out before he arrived; he only realized something was wrong as he approached. But the city gate was right in front of him, and there was no time to retreat, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and charge forward.
The first priority for the Northern Di cavalry as they marched south was to plunder. Encircling Mingyuan Pass? That was something to be done after the looting was complete.
Yesterday, Li Tu sent a letter urging surrender. Upon receiving the letter, Zhuang Ziqian gathered his generals and, in front of everyone, burned the letter to ashes.
Zhou She knew that he was laying everything out in the open to avoid chaos and instability among the people.
After burning the letter, Zhuang Ziqian took two steps back and let Cheng Zhuoran preside over the meeting.
Zhou She, a newcomer, sat at the lowest seat, remaining silent and listening to the conversation of the generals without offering any opinions.
Soon, after all parties had expressed their opinions, Cheng Zhuoran, as the current leader, had made his decision.
Before Li Tu has prepared his siege equipment, we will launch a night raid on the city tonight!
Even if it fails, we should still disrupt the Northern Barbarians and demoralize them.
He chose Su Tianzong, the deputy general, from among the crowd. Su was an excellent horseman and archer. He led only three hundred cavalrymen and set off from the north gate to charge into the Northern Di camp and catch them off guard.
Cheng Zhuoran: "In this battle, we must not be greedy for merit or act rashly. We must be cautious in everything we do."
After he finished speaking, his gaze swept over everyone present, giving them instructions and assigning tasks one by one. Finally, it stopped on Zhou She, and he paused briefly: "Ruochuan, do you have anything to say?"
He was fine when he didn't speak, but as soon as he did, everyone turned their heads and stared at Zhou She.
With Mingyuan Pass under lockdown, everyone knew Zhou She had arrived on his first day in the city.
They were filled with curiosity: Tianmu said you were a powerful figure sent from heaven, so why don't you show them just how powerful you are?
Having not witnessed it firsthand, most of the military generals were somewhat arrogant: You're fierce? Aren't I fierce too?
Zhou She ignored these stares and asked, "General Cheng, may I ask what this humble servant should do?"
Cheng Zhuoran frowned: "You're new here and don't know the soldiers well. If something happens to you, no one can save you on the battlefield."
Zhou She had actually guessed that he would say this, but he couldn't remain a figurehead forever: "Life and death are predestined. I only follow orders."
Cheng Zhuoran really wanted to say: If you die, the emperor might strangle me on the spot.
But he swallowed those words: If he were to perish in the first battle, then so be it.
Therefore, he nodded with difficulty: "Then you will go out of the city with General Su."
Once outside the military camp, Su Tianzong grabbed Zhou She and asked, "Have you ever killed anyone?"
"No."
Su Tianzong's expression shifted for a moment, then he asked, "How are your horsemanship and archery skills?"
This is really good.
Zhou She was, after all, from a noble family. He didn't like reading, but having died of a serious illness in his previous life, he had a passionate love for physical exercise.
And indeed, as Tianmu said, he was quite accomplished in both horsemanship and archery.
Su Tianzong's expression softened considerably, and he still remembered to threaten him: "I advise you not to think about making a name for yourself in the first battle. If you end up harming me, you'll be feeding the wolves yourself!"
Zhou She chuckled and was about to express his determination when Su Tianzong had already disappeared into the distance, leaving him with the words: "Go find General Cheng and ask for a good horse, lest you die on the way."
Zhou She stood still, a strong wind blowing across his face. He tilted his head back, feeling the chill of early spring, and strode towards Cheng Zhuoran's tent.
*
A group of 301 cavalrymen opened the side gate and slipped out of the city silently.
They proceeded along the path, cleared the area, and then had a clear view of the outside world.
As the group gradually approached the Northern Di camp, they peered at the distant camp in the dim moonlight from a distance.
The camp of the Northern Di people appeared very crude. Zhou She had heard that they had a tradition of not removing their armor at night and sleeping with their warhorses, but at this moment it did not seem to be the case.
But thinking about it, that's the style of guerrilla warfare used by small groups of troops. With tens of thousands of troops stationed elsewhere, that's definitely not the way to go.
Su Tianzong and the others quietly reined in their horses in the low-lying area and carefully checked their weapons and equipment: "Li Tu cares most about his provisions, which used to be placed behind his tent and guarded day and night."
After confirming that the arrows he carried were correct, he said, "Bring the tinderbox. This time, we'll charge in, set the fire, and then run. Got it?"
He then made arrangements for a few more people, and finally looked at Zhou She: "Don't be nervous, take care of yourself."
Zhou She nodded. From a distance, he could see the campfire in the Northern Di camp rising into the air, burning fine dust and swirling smoke, but its tail did not point straight up into the sky.
Suddenly, a muffled sound of horses' hooves rang out outside the Litu camp.
As they drew closer, the sound became clearer. A troop of cavalry rapidly approached, and with a loud crash, the campfire outside the camp collapsed, plunging everything into darkness.
Li Tu did not remove his armor at night. Upon hearing the noise, he rose up, startled but not flustered, and immediately ordered his personal guards to stop him.
Su Tianzong knew Li Tu fairly well and knew that the mission would most likely fail to burn the grain supplies. After shooting and killing more than a dozen people, he decided to turn back.
Then, in a flash, a figure rushed forward like lightning. He had been at the forefront, but now he was left behind.
Su Tianzong: "?"
On the battlefield, where everything was completely dark, he dared not run around recklessly.
Wait, who is this person? Why are they running so fast?
When Zhou She entered the camp, he casually kicked over the campfire.
He remembered the location of the campfires; most were clustered on the outer side, with the fewest on the west side.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that most of the cavalrymen who had rushed out to block them also came from the west. He roughly guessed what was going on, spurred his horse forward, and lit a tinderbox with one hand, scattering tinder along the way.
Su Tianzong watched as the fire in front of him grew stronger and stronger. When he turned around, he saw Li Tu mount his horse and thrust his spear at Su Tianzong's face. He was clearly enraged.
It's time to go. If they don't leave soon, they'll be surrounded!
Just as Su Tianzong was about to call out to him, the figure quickly led a group of cavalrymen out to meet him.
Or rather, he escaped alone, leading a group of cavalrymen.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Su Tianzong spurred his horse and fled, no longer waiting for Zhou She.
However, Zhou She's warhorse was the best, and he ran all the way to the front. Seeing that his comrades behind him were not fast enough and worried that Li Tu would catch up, he thought for a moment and turned back to cover the rear.
Su Tianzong, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with him at the back, saw Zhou She draw his bow with both hands and shoot down several more people. He finally believed Zhou She's claim that he was skilled in both riding and archery: "Your skill is not bad. I underestimated you."
Zhou She smiled and said, "Actually, General Cheng's horse is quite good."
Su Tianzong wasn't in the mood for jokes. The Northern Di cavalry were faster than them, and the archers covering their entry into the city didn't have that much range, so they had to slow down their progress.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly noticed that Zhou She beside him had slowed down his horse, smiled at him, lowered his voice slightly, and raised his voice, saying, "I am Zhuang Ziqian of Da Ning!"
Su Tianzong: "???"
Li Tu: "!!!"
Su Tianzong was so shocked he was speechless: "Are you crazy?"
Who is Zhuang Ziqian? Li Tu would definitely fly into a rage the moment he heard that name!
Moreover, the horse he was riding was indeed Zhuang Ziqian's former mount, but it was temporarily being kept by Cheng Zhuoran.
Under the moonlight, his face was not visible. But judging from his speed and the way he had just been running around recklessly, Li Tu would surely believe him without a doubt.
Su Tianzong was stunned for a moment, only to see Zhou She turn around and gallop towards the west gate. Li Tu's cavalry were obviously encouraged and followed closely behind.
Su Tianzong was speechless and could only chase after Zhou She at breakneck speed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the three hundred cavalrymen disappeared into the moonlight without incident.
Zhou She gripped the horse tightly with both legs, drew an arrow, nocked a bow, and slowly aimed from the swaying horse: "General Su, do you know what flying a kite is?"
He put it simply, but Su Tianzong understood. The idea was like flying a kite: you kite the enemy, chasing after them, accelerating when they get close, and then circling them again when they're far away.
When the enemy chases us, we flee; when the enemy retreats, we harass them. It's a rather disgusting tactic.
Su Tianzong seemed to sense something: "You mean..."
At this moment, the wind was blowing, and the swift horse was riding the wind, which was directed towards the direction of Li Tu's pursuers.
He fell silent, turned around and aimed at his opponent. The arrow pierced the air, and one of the Northern Di cavalrymen fell from his horse.
Indeed, his archery skills were precise.
He found his rhythm with that arrow, muttering to himself, "This wind..."
His arrows flew farther than ever before. One arrow struck the enemy, but the enemy's arrows only fell behind him.
Su Tianzong suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with malice: "Alright! Let's fly this kite today."
Both men were full of energy, and Su Tianzong was in a better mood as he killed more. Li Tu, annoyed beyond measure, simply sounded the retreat and stopped the pursuit.
Anyway, we can't catch up with them. Those two in front are like rats, they're incredibly fast.
But he had misjudged something; a large wave of soldiers suddenly appeared ahead. Li Tu snapped back to reality: he had been ambushed?!
Given Zhuang Ziqian's style, why would he set up an ambush here?
*
The chaotic night passed quickly, the west gate opened, and the group rode into the city.
Cheng Zhuoran's expression was subtle. Zhuang Ziqian patted him on the shoulder and after a long while, he managed to say, "...Well done."
Although they were genuinely shocked when they heard the fake "I am Zhuang Ziqian".
Li Tu was tricked, but still managed to leave the game smoothly. However, he cursed loudly before leaving, clearly angered to the point of liver pain.
A cacophony of congratulations erupted, and the sky, silent all night, seemed to leap out, as if cheering as well.
The courtiers were overjoyed, feeling it was a godsend and that they should immediately head north to strike down the Western Khan and kick the Eastern Khan.
Having just finished a fight, the group, still thoroughly enjoying themselves, exchanged glances and burst into laughter that echoed through the sky.
Su Tianzong changed into clean clothes and slowly walked up to Zhou She: "You've got some nerve."
Cheng Zhuoran: "You can borrow that horse. Next time you can make a name for yourself."
Zhuang Ziqian: "...Next time we can use General Cheng's name."
Shockingly, Emperor Jungjong, who loved war throughout his life, sternly refused, saying: "Our Great Ning Dynasty is full of martial virtue. They are currently in internal strife. How can we take advantage of their misfortune? This is extremely inappropriate!"
When the ministers' advice failed, they turned to Zhuang Shi, asking him to persuade Emperor Zhongzong: "You must take advantage of their misfortune! When have we ever had any martial virtue? Do you think the Northern Barbarians are so martial?" [The emperor was furious!]
Cheng Zhuoran was also furious.
Are you kidding me? If we have a chance to fight, do you really think we can be reasonable and loyal?
That's something only civil officials should do!
Fortunately, the civil officials couldn't hear him, otherwise they would have scratched his face raw. Even the most mild-mannered Xiao Yichun was full of enthusiasm and had already begun to plan how to deal with the vast grasslands after conquering the northern desert.
The Great Ning Dynasty has always been rich in martial virtue.
Zhou She was being watched by a group of people, but fortunately he had behaved well last night, so everyone was very gentle. Zhuang Ziqian asked, seemingly casually, "Why aren't you fighting?"
I care about it a lot.
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