Chapter 7: The tiger and wolf encircle and feed, yet continue to advance

In the midst of ten thousand troops, taking the head of a general is as easy as reaching into a bag for an object; such a trivial matter should indeed be a piece of cake.

Li Cunxiu, accompanied by a group of personal guards, left the city. After giving a brief instruction, he ordered the army to set off. Before departing, Li Cunxiu called Li Congjing over and reminded him, "Be cautious in all matters, prioritize thoroughness, and avoid the temptation to show off or engage in reckless violence"

Suddenly, Li Congjing waved his hand and commanded, "The entire army, march out!"

After a great battle, Weizhou City, enveloped in boundless darkness, suddenly shone like a bulb, revitalizing itself. The brightly lit streets made Li Congjing feel as if he were witnessing the neon lights of the streets from a past life

"Enough, enough, there is no need to be like this." Li Cunxiu waved his hand, finally stopping his teasing of Li Congjing, and became serious, "The defending troops in Weizhou are not many, and the casualties from continuous battles in recent days are also considerable. Since you are the deputy commander, I can only allocate four hundred soldiers to you, along with one hundred cavalry, making a total of five hundred."

The general, Prince Jin, has ordered Li Congjing to attack Weicheng and Qimen, but it is essentially equivalent to handing over military achievements for free, yet he seems to favor it greatly said a close confidant of Wu Jingzhong with a hint of bitterness

The distance from Gongcheng to Weizhou is merely over 80 li, and even for a large army on the march, it would only take a day or two at most. Li Congjing, in his attempt to recapture Gongcheng, brought along only about 500 men, and he did not carry much in terms of supplies. The entire army traveled light, with the soldiers carrying only three days' worth of rations, and there were no siege weapons at all. This significantly increased the speed of the army's march. Under his deliberate command, the 500 men set out in the early morning and reached Weicheng before the sun had set.

As Li Congjing exited the governor's office, the city of Weizhou was already shrouded in a hazy night. The stars still twinkled overhead, and beneath the stars, the night was as dark as ink

"The affairs of Prince Jin are not something you can comment on," Wu Jingzhong said coldly

At this point, a faint glow of dawn begins to rise on the horizon

With a smirk in my heart, I gather my sleeves: Li Congjing, oh Li Congjing, do you truly believe that with the favor of Prince Jin, a young hero can roam freely across the land? The Wei Bo army and the Liang army have fought bitterly for a long time, nearly losing their cities. Yet, upon your arrival, you slay the enemy's main general amidst the ten thousand troops and repeatedly reclaim lost strongholds, as if you wish for the whole world to know that the Liang army is utterly powerless before you. What face do you leave for the Wei Bo army?

Li Cunxiu had not yet arrived, so Li Congjing first went to take a look at his own military formation. Among the four hundred troops of Weibo, only about two squads were cavalry, which was quite normal, as cavalry was inherently expensive. It was also reasonable that there were not many in the Fangzhen army— the key point was that even if there were many, they might not necessarily be willing to be used by him

Li Rong received the order! Li Rong clasped his fists in acknowledgment and immediately led more than ten scouts, departing like the wind and lightning

How is the situation?" Li Congjing asked

Thank you, King Jin!" Li Congjing felt somewhat relieved and thought to himself that Li Cunxiu was indeed mischievous, daring to tease him. Suddenly recalling someone, he said: "Yesterday, the scout team that accompanied me to investigate the Liang camp was led by Li Rong. He would be useful for my current mission, so I kindly ask King Jin to allow me to summon him.

The most important aspect is still the command authority of Li Congjing, which was designated by Li Cunxun

"The commander, Li Rong, has returned." The captain of the personal guard, Zhang Xiaowu, pointed at the two riders galloping back along the official road. He had just been temporarily appointed by Li Congjing as the captain of this mounted unit.

"Rest assured, General, your message has been conveyed to He Chong without any omissions," said the confidant, a sinister smile on his face. "He Chong is quite astute; he knows what to do."

Wei Bojun allocated 400 soldiers to assist Li Congjing in battle, and the commander of this group of Wei Bo army was a general named He Chong. However, although He Chong was the commanding officer, he still had to follow Li Congjing's orders in this operation. Li Congjing, although merely a deputy commanding officer, was nonetheless the deputy commanding officer of the cavalry, and his status was naturally not comparable to that of a local garrison commander.

The more one is in a crowd, the more one can clearly feel that sense of loneliness

"Understood." Li Cunxiu waved his hand, "The four hundred troops from Weibo and one hundred cavalry will gather at the south gate at the hour of Chen tomorrow. At that time, the army will set out, and I will head to Xiangzhou while you will go to the Wei City. Although this battle does not pose great danger, one must not be careless; you should proceed with caution and not disappoint my intentions. Do you understand?"

Li Congjing smiled faintly, said nothing more, and with a wave of his hand, commanded, "Form up."

At dawn the next day, while the sky had not yet fully brightened, the army preparing for battle had already gathered in the southern part of the city. Li Congjing rode his horse out of the outer city from the Yacheng, accompanied by a commander from the Weibo army. This commander was considerably older than Li Congjing, and his physique bore no resemblance to that of a robust man; his cheeks were slightly sunken, and his slightly protruding eyes were constantly darting about.

Although He Chong appeared respectful on the surface, Li Congjing could always sense that the other party did not seem to be entirely sincere towards him. People can be sensitive in this way; they often have an inexplicable intuition about others' hostility and goodwill.

After the main forces of Ma Zhi and Wei Bo moved south, Li Congjing saw the red sun rising from behind the ridge, and he smiled to himself. He then turned solemnly and issued his first military order of command in this era, "Li Rong, I hereby command you to lead the scouts to the Wei City to ascertain the situation both inside and outside, paving the way for the main army"

A hundred men from the cavalry unit, precisely organized under the command of Li Shaocheng. As part of the personal guard of Prince Jin, to ensure their loyalty, more than half of the officers bear the surname Li. Even those who do not originally have the surname Li would be granted it, which is a notable characteristic of this era. He is a young man in his early twenties, with a stern expression that highlights his well-defined features. Standing on his horse, he seems to merge seamlessly with the steed, exuding an aura of iron and blood.

The subordinate spoke out of turn ... ... The confidant quickly retracted the statement, yet was unaware of what had provoked Wu Jingzhong's anger again

The two individuals clasped their fists in acknowledgment and mounted their horses to depart

"The commander, your subordinates have returned." During the march, Li Rong did not dismount.

Subsequently, Li Congjing issued an order to the entire army: "The main force will bypass the walled city and march south for ten miles to camp at Luoyankou"

You are also aware that currently my main forces are in Zhenzhou and Youzhou. This time, I am leading my troops south with only five thousand personal cavalry. At present, General Duan Ning of the Liang army commands tens of thousands of troops in Weizhou, so how can I spare you even a thousand cavalry?" Li Cunxiu patted Li Congjing on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, "In fact, your mission to Weicheng and Qimen is not primarily about battle, but about capturing. Therefore, it is possible to achieve your objectives without a large army, though the scale of success may vary.

The Walled City is merely an ordinary county town, and the garrison of the Jin army stationed here at that time consisted of only one commander. In this battle, as the attacking side, how could the Liang army have stationed one thousand troops in the Walled City?

The reason it is temporary is that the soldiers from Ma Zhi are the personal troops of Li Cunxiu, and Li Congjing is uncertain whether Li Cunxiu will reclaim these men afterward. However, knowing this, Li Congjing still requested these soldiers from Li Cunxiu, which indicates his intention to retain the more than one hundred soldiers from Ma Zhi—after all, who would spit out the fat meat that is already in their mouth? Even if he cannot retain more than one hundred men at that time, he at least aims to keep a squad of around twenty guards.

In military operations, scouts are typically deployed at a distance of five to ten miles. For a large army, the reconnaissance range of scouts is even broader. This is standard practice for scouts, and both the Ma Zhi and Wei Bo armies are not lacking in such soldiers. However, Li Rong, dispatched by Li Congjing, did not advance at the normal pace with the main army; instead, he headed straight for the city of Wei at full speed to ascertain the situation there, making his task even more challenging

Commander Li. Li Rong dismounted and cupped his fists towards Li Congjing, saying, "In accordance with military orders, the reconnaissance team is here under the command of Li Rong to await instructions."

In light of this, Li Congjing had already formulated a plan for the upcoming battle. He then called over Li Shaocheng, the head of the Mashi Dutu, and carefully briefed him. After finishing, he instructed both Li Shaocheng and Li Rong, saying: "After the mission is accomplished, head south for ten miles and meet up with the main army at Luoyankou."

Thank you, Captain Li. Li Congjing nodded in response

Amidst the rumbling footsteps, Li Congjing turned his head to take a glance and saw the white-haired General Wu Jingzhong still standing at the city gate, discussing something with those beside him

In accordance with the order of Prince Jin, I, the subordinate general, will lead one hundred cavalrymen and will obey the dispatch of Commander Li!" Li Shaocheng stepped forward two paces, his voice firm and resonant.

Wu Jingzhong stood with his hands behind his back, watching the departing Southern Expeditionary Army, his expression bearing no resemblance to kindness or benevolence. After a long pause, he finally asked: "Has everything been clearly explained to He Chong?"

As a result, there are actually around 120 subordinates by his side

Li Congjing wants to turn around and leave; this is fundamentally not the same matter

The humble general understands and is grateful for the grace of King Xie Jin. Li Congjing expresses his thanks. This battle appears to be difficult, but if successful, it would indeed be a great opportunity. The importance and nurturing intentions of Li Cunxiu are self-evident

Li Congjing has already been promoted to the position of commander. Although he is still only a deputy, it is evident from his leading five hundred men into battle this time that he will surely become the commander after this campaign. As a commander, he is entitled to have guards, and Li Congjing, not one to be pretentious, requested to have the team he previously commanded as a temporary guard by his side before setting off.

In a moment, a cavalry unit of about ten men approached, led by a middle-aged general whose eagle-like gaze revealed a fierce aura; it was Li Rong.

The subordinate reported after investigation that there are numerous signs of human activity outside the city walls. Li Rong continued, "Yesterday, our army achieved a great victory against the Liang army outside Weizhou City, causing many of them to flee. Furthermore, due to the loss of their commander, their actions became disorganized, and it is likely that many have escaped to the city walls.

Li Congjing walked silently, unaware of how far he had gone. He gently stopped, standing alone, silently gazing at the splendor before him, feeling somewhat lost. It was as if he had fallen into a tunnel of time and space, thrown into a parallel universe, momentarily unsure of where to go, even forgetting who he was and where he was.

Li Congjing also saw Li Rong, as the scouts ahead had just signaled, informing the army that their own scouts had returned

Even so, one hundred people are far from enough!" Li Congjing said with a mournful expression. If it were not for the fact that he was conversing with the esteemed King of Jin, he would truly want to stamp his shoe sole on his face.

Li Congjing nodded silently upon hearing this, as it could indeed explain why the city had one thousand Liang troops. Looking again at the admiration reflected in Li Rong's eyes—this is the distinction between an experienced scout and an ordinary scout; the experienced scout is always able to see things that ordinary scouts cannot.

"One hundred cavalrymen? Is it really appropriate to joke like this?" Li Congjing felt a wave of despair in his heart, "What use is one hundred cavalrymen? I am not you, Li Cunxun. When one goes to battle, a display of might can cause the Liang army to flee in panic..."

Wu Jingzhong nodded and uttered a brief "mm", saying no more

According to the situation of the city defense, the Liang army in the walled city has approximately two commanding forces, the city gates are closed, and the defenses are very tight. The scouts of the Liang army are not deployed far, but their numbers are considerable. Li Rong explained the situation in detail, and after listening, Li Congjing slightly frowned: One thousand Liang soldiers is somewhat excessive

He Chong, who silently walked in front of the army, watched as Li Congjing coordinated various parties without understanding the reason behind it. His prominent eyes rolled around twice, falling into deep thought

The crux of the problem is that five hundred people attacking a city defended by one thousand cannot possibly succeed in taking it down