“Thus, we shall first station our troops before the city of Dayi.”
Shi Zhuhe, after all, was the commanding general. Though his battle achievements were not illustrious, he excelled in military administration. Fair and just in meting out rewards and punishments, he had earned the respect of his officers and soldiers, who trusted his command. After making his decision public, the others naturally expressed their agreement.
According to scout reports, the enemy general at Dayi was named Zhang Ji. He was a junior fellow disciple of Dian Wue, and as a disciple of Xuanyangzi, he held considerable prestige in the eastern regions. Nominally, he commanded an army of 200,000, but in reality, his forces numbered around 60,000 – twice the size of Shi Zhuhe’s troops. Moreover, the city was well-stocked with weapons and provisions, and morale was quite high. To facilitate combat operations, Zhang Ji had also established encampments outside the city.
Shi Zhuhe led his troops eastward, halting about ten miles from the walls of Dayi. Though they encountered several small enemy detachments along the way, all were easily repelled. As they approached Dayi, Shi Zhuhe ordered the logistics militia to set up camp on the spot, while he led the vanguard to provide protection.
His concerns were not misplaced – before long, Dayi dispatched cavalry to attack. The enemy force was substantial, clearly aiming to deliver a heavy blow to the imperial troops.
Ren Feihong watched the robust cavalry charging toward her position and concluded decisively, “They are not skilled in warfare.”
Her judgment was well-founded. The timing of Zhang Ji’s offensive was ill-conceived -neither too early nor too late. At this moment, their camp had yet to be fully established, but their battle formations were already in place. Moreover, the distance between the two sides was not particularly close. Given Shi Zhuhe’s cautious approach to marching, he would certainly not have left any glaring vulnerabilities exposed. As a result, the attack failed to achieve the intended effect of “striking the enemy midstream before they could fully cross.”
Based on Ren Feihong’s visual estimate, the enemy cavalry launching the assault numbered around three thousand. Shi Zhuhe positioned halberdiers at the front and crossbowmen at the rear. As the enemy entered firing range, he immediately ordered the crossbowmen to unleash a volley. Most of the cavalry were unhorsed instantly, while the few who managed to charge forward were swiftly halted by the long halberds.
The enemy’s tactical experience remained relatively shallow. With their first wave of attack failing to break through, their formation quickly began to falter.
Ren Feihong felt somewhat reassured. She had initially thought the delayed response from Dayi was due to overconfidence, fearing that dispatching troops now might prompt Shi Zhuhe’s army to retreat. However, Zhang Ji’s actions proved otherwise – his failure to seize the opportunity was simply due to a lack of experience in commanding troops.
As a strategist who had first served as an advisor in Tai Province, a place rife with scheming among powerful families, and then faced off directly against the Emperor during the Western Tribes War, Ren Feihong found it difficult to adjust to her current predicament of being pitted against Zhang Ji. As a strategist, she was accustomed to meticulous planning at all times, yet her current opponent’s capabilities were so lacking that it made it challenging for her to accurately assess the situation.
Another advisor sighed, “Such men can actually command vast armies.”
Ren Feihong replied, “It’s a matter of timing and circumstance. Since fate has placed us here, we must let them enjoy their moment of triumph.”
If even such incompetent individuals could seize control of power in the eastern region, it spoke volumes about the caliber of its officials.
Ren Feihong reflected that her earlier predictions weren’t entirely off the mark. Her initial plan had been to assist Fuhe Fang in unifying the Western Tribes, then gradually expand into the Central Plains using Dan and Tai Provinces as bases. Under those circumstances, it would have been figures like Zhang Ji commanding armies across the land today.
Faced with this reality, Ren Feihong once again recognized the Emperor’s keen insight and better understood why he had insisted on personally leading the campaign against the Western Tribes back then.
Only by first pacifying Dan and Tai Provinces could the imperial forces free up their hands to deal with the eastern region. Had both sides rebelled simultaneously, Jianzhou would likely be teetering on the brink by now.
If Ren Feihong’s thoughts were posted in the comments section, many players would likely agree. Among those interested in the game, some planned to play as a tyrant, while others aimed to be enlightened rulers – fully embodying the diversity of the Fourth Celestial Calamity in choosing gameplay paths. However, in the beginning, most players genuinely hoped to make a difference. The reason many eventually opted to slack off and happily dive into memes while dragging new players down the rabbit hole was purely because they believed they had uncovered the game’s malicious intent: doing nothing led to smooth sailing, but any attempt at reform would prematurely trigger latent dangers across various regions.
Some veteran players have summarized the strategy: upon logging into the game, the emperor is initially given a period to develop and consolidate power. During this time, most crises occur within the court, with occasional side quests like assassination attempts. While these seem perilous, they pale in comparison to later events. Once the eastern region rebels, the Western Tribes will seize the opportunity to follow suit. Even if players manage to suppress both rebellions forcefully, the power of regional warlords will inevitably grow significantly as a result. At this stage, players can simply put down their keyboards, switch to AI-controlled mode, and calmly face their ensuing life as a puppet ruler.
Now, Wen Yanran had personally gone to Shangxing Pass, forcing the Western Tribes to launch their uprising prematurely. Then, with lightning speed, she pacified Tai Province. Even if the east rebelled, it would no longer receive support from the other side.
As Ren Feihong reflected on this, she also took the opportunity to observe the enemy’s offensive maneuvers. After a while, she remarked, “In truth, having such command over troops is already quite decent.”
With educational resources largely monopolized, someone of Zhang Ji’s ordinary background could hardly become an outstanding military leader. Indeed, he lacked the ability to command large armies. Yet, the eastern forces had no choice but to keep him in charge – though incompetent, his status was undeniable. As a disciple of Great Master Xuanyang, no one else possessed the authority to lead the troops. If the system were to display key data on enemy personnel, Zhang Ji’s stat sheet would likely include a line such as “[Prestige (Eastern Region): 30/30 (Profession Bonus)].”
Seeing that the enemy’s first wave of attack had been repelled, Shi Zhuhe called forward a burly man with a full beard from his ranks – one of the new commanders who had performed exceptionally well and had been recommended by Tao Jia. His name was Ruan Mingfan. Though still relatively young, he had deliberately grown a beard to appear more seasoned and reliable.
Upon receiving the order, Ruan Mingfan immediately mounted his horse. Wielding a long-handled broadsword, he charged straight ahead with his personal guards and engaged the enemy general in battle.
Shi Zhuhe watched silently from the rear. Though Zhang Ji’s command was mediocre, his ranks did include some formidable warriors. After dozens of rounds of fierce combat, Ruan Mingfan was still unable to gain the upper hand.
The enemy warrior was strong and fierce, but his command skills were mediocre. With his own movements constrained by Ruan Mingfan, he struggled to coordinate the cavalry around him. Recognizing this, Shi Zhuhe dispatched junior officers to lead troops in harassing and attacking the enemy’s personal guards from the flanks.
As this was their first engagement, the primary goal was to probe the enemy’s strength. The battle proceeded without major twists, and after a period of fighting, both sides sounded the retreat, having gained a preliminary assessment of each other’s capabilities.
Two days later, having familiarized himself with the terrain around the city, Shi Zhuhe abandoned his defensive stance and chose to take the initiative. During this campaign, he had gathered many surrendered soldiers along the way and now selected those who were physically intact to serve as the vanguard in the siege.
“Pass the order to all military commanders: anyone who retreats will be executed without mercy.”
He once again assigned Ruan Mingfan to lead the vanguard, while he himself donned armor and took command at the rear. Though the surrendered soldiers were timid and lacked fighting spirit, they were well aware of Shi Zhuhe’s strict discipline. Retreating would implicate both themselves and their superiors, so even if they fought poorly, they dared not withdraw into the camp. Their only hope was to muster courage and fight with all their might, perhaps even seizing a chance to survive.
The general from Dayi grew increasingly infuriated. Leading wave after wave of charges, he relentlessly cut down his opponents, yet each time he wiped out one group, fresh troops immediately took their place. In the end, even his own officers began to waver. One of them knelt down and cried out, “There are villagers from my hometown among the enemy. I cannot bring myself to strike them!”
As soon as the words were spoken, the Dayi general drew his blade and beheaded the junior officer on the spot to prevent further demoralization. In truth, he should have acted sooner – waiting until the words were spoken was already a step too late. After the outburst, many among his troops wore expressions of grief and sorrow.
He could sense that his side held an advantage, yet no matter how fiercely he attacked, the enemy’s formation remained unbroken. To him, the opposing forces felt like a heavily armored turtle – there seemed to be no opening to exploit.
Inside the city of Dayi.
Zhang Ji stood atop the city walls with his advisors, observing the battle and asking those around him, “We must have the upper hand in this fight, right?”
“Exactly as you say, General.”
Zhang Ji nodded slightly, then smiled. “So utterly feeble – it shouldn’t be long before we cut them down to the last man. Once that’s done, let Heavenly Might General lead the charge with our army straight into Jianping. We’ll capture the little emperor, make Marquis of Quanling ascend the throne, then have her abdicate in favor of my senior brother. After that, you and I can enjoy the thrill of being high-ranking court officials.”
Those present, whether wise or foolish, largely believed the Great Zhou dynasty’s mandate of heaven was nearing its end, so naturally, they had no objections to Zhang Ji’s words. In fact, the eastern forces had already nominally declared their support for Marquis of Quanling as emperor. Strictly speaking, Zhang Ji should have referred to her as “Your Majesty,” but being poorly read, he was not particularly careful with his words.
Hearing their superior’s words, the advisors joined in, lavishing him with endless praise.
Feeling somewhat light-headed from the flattery, Zhang Ji gazed toward the battlefield. He had assumed Shi Zhuhe’s forces would soon be routed, but the ensuing battle took a different turn than expected. While the imperial army’s right flank suffered significant losses, their front line had not been pushed back much. Instead, they nearly managed to counter-charge several times.
For a moment, Zhang Ji was unsure whether to commit more troops or halt the offensive.
A relatively seasoned advisor advised, “That stubborn General Shi is proving difficult to break. We may not be able to defeat him in a single battle today. It would be wise, General, to withdraw the troops for now and plan our next move carefully.”
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Ji finally nodded in agreement.
Seeing the enemy retreat, Shi Zhuhe refused to let up and instead ordered the vanguard to continue their pursuit. Only when soldiers atop the walls of Dayi began firing arrows did he recall his troops.
A colleague nearby, observing this, expressed some confusion. “General, you seemed unusually aggressive today.”
From the current situation, there was little need to continue the pursuit. At most, it could only cause some disruption while wasting soldiers’ energy – hardly worth the effort.
Ren Feihong chuckled and explained, “In my opinion, General Shi is likely using this as an opportunity to train his troops.”
The eastern front was stretched too thin, naturally requiring constant reinforcement. However, the surrendered soldiers lacked comprehensive training, forcing Shi Zhuhe to resort to drastic measures to shape them up.
