If Zhang Ji himself were asked, he would earnestly believe that his teacher possessed divine powers. And since divine powers were indeed real, it was only a matter of time before he and his men captured Jianping.
When Dian Wue had appointed him to lead the army, it was precisely because of his unwavering loyalty. While Zhang Ji was undeniably incompetent and timid, he was also among those who had never once doubted the words of the Great Master Xuanyang from beginning to end.
Entrusted with the command of an entire army, the commander was now feeling somewhat uneasy in his own tent. In truth, his quarters were not particularly close to where the soldiers were stationed, yet Zhang Ji couldn’t shake the illusion that the unsettling clamor from the camp lingered incessantly in his ears.
The deputy general continued to urge anxiously, “General, there is no need for excessive concern. Our forces are numerous and have mostly been recuperating in the city, so their strength is well-maintained. That General Shi has far fewer capable troops than we do. Now is precisely the right time to strike.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji involuntarily rose to his feet as if about to speak, but after a moment, he sat back down, his brow furrowed.
Seeing this, the deputy general was not particularly disheartened. He knew his superior well – a man of wavering resolve. If something could be done or left undone, Zhang Ji would most likely choose to play dead until the end. The fact that he had shown any reaction at all meant he was already tempted!
“The day Heavenly Might General sent you here was precisely for the purpose of swallowing up the troops along the Jianping route and encircling the rebel Tao from both flanks. If the general delays action, will it not hinder Heavenly Might General’s grand plans? Why not deploy all the elite troops from the city and, with a single determined effort, crush them completely?”
At this point, the hesitation on Zhang Ji’s face grew even more pronounced. After a moment, he finally spoke, “As you’ve seen these past few days, the forces under that General Shi are not easily repelled. If we commit our entire army, I fear the losses would be severe…”
The deputy general pressed on, “When it comes to war, casualties are inevitable.” He paused briefly before continuing, “But think carefully, General – why exactly are we deploying troops?”
Zhang Ji replied solemnly, “Naturally, to fulfill the great cause that the Teacher left unfinished.”
The deputy general said, “If that is the case, then Hengping County should be our foremost concern. As long as the General does not fail Heavenly Might General, even the heaviest loss of soldiers would be insignificant in the grand scheme of things.”
Hengping County was where Dian Wue and the fake Marquis of Quanling were currently based.
Having analyzed the attitude of the leadership, the deputy general turned to assessing the thoughts of the subordinates. “The commoners of the east enlisted under the General’s command precisely to overthrow the false emperor and establish a great enterprise. If we remain inactive for too long, they are likely to grow restless.”
As a commander, this man’s military capabilities were equally unremarkable. However, due to his extensive experience, his analysis of the situation was somewhat more methodical than Zhang Ji’s.
Judging purely by individual ability, he was actually more suited for leadership than Zhang Ji. Unfortunately, as Great Master Xuanyang had died too early, none of his remaining disciples possessed sufficient authority. When Dian Wue took over the affairs, to ensure stability in management, he had no choice but to practice nepotism. This directly led to an overall deficiency in the quality of the upper-level commanders. In contrast, local magnates like those in the former Lujia City might have possessed higher combat proficiency.
In Wen Yanran’s original vision, the rebellion in the east would eventually be suppressed, but it would inevitably severely deplete the nation’s strength and sow the seeds of future crises. As her own rule weakened, those latent dangers would erupt all at once. However, ever since Yan Xiaolou’s loyal and decisive action that day, the situation in the east had already unavoidably veered onto a different path.
After a long silence, Zhang Ji finally spoke, “In that case, when is the best time to act?”
A look of delight appeared on the deputy general’s face as he replied, “The sooner, the better.” He added, “When you make your move, you should send orders to the troops at Gufeng, instructing them to coordinate with you in a pincer attack from both front and rear. That way, that General Shi will surely have no chance of escape and can only be annihilated by us.”
Logically speaking, even if they chose to launch an attack, it shouldn’t be done in such haste. However, this deputy general had his own private motives. He was worried that Zhang Ji might later regret his decision, so he pressed as urgently as he could.
Zhang Ji was, by nature, a man of wavering resolve, and given that the other had invoked Dian Wue as justification, he sighed and said, “In that case, let it be as you suggest.”
Overjoyed, the deputy general bowed right where he stood.
The camp of Shi Zhuhe was located about ten miles away from Dayi City. Previously, he had taken the initiative to send troops to cause trouble for the Dayi garrison. This time, however, it was the Dayi forces that personally came knocking.
Soldiers poured out from the camps outside the city, first securing defensive positions. Then, the city gates swung open, and elite troops surged forth. Under the command of the deputy general and others with battlefield experience, they swiftly formed a wedge formation on the spot. From a bird’s-eye view, the shape resembled an “▲” — clearly intended to rely on the impact force of the cavalry to directly break through the Jianping army.
The distance between the two sides was not particularly short, and the process of assembling and arranging troops was an exceptionally time-consuming affair, providing Shi Zhuhe’s side with ample opportunity to respond.
Judging solely by the roughness of their maneuvers, even if the opponent facing Zhang Ji and his men were the Emperor Li instead of Shi Zhuhe, one might get the illusion that “I could do that too.”
Meanwhile, Shi Zhuhe was also deploying his formation. Skilled in military management, his command was naturally more methodical than Zhang Ji’s.
Since this was an open-field engagement, keeping the camp intact would only be a hindrance. He ordered the soldiers to quickly dismantle the camp, leaving only a few defensive structures that would impede the movement of horses. Then, he arranged his forces in a reverse wild-goose formation, waiting at ease for the enemy to approach.
The wild-goose formation primarily relies on troops positioned at the two wings and the center. From a bird’s-eye view, it resembles a slightly open “U” shape.
Scouts from both sides exchanged movements, and after a series of probing actions, the troops from Dayi finally set off. Tens of thousands marched together, stirring up billowing clouds of dust across the land.
The first to appear within the sight of the Jianping army were enemy cavalrymen. Wielding their weapons, they roared as they charged forward – not because they lacked strategic awareness or failed to notice the wild-goose formation laid out like an open bag, but because, as mere soldiers, they simply did not have the ability to discern the overall situation. In an instant, the leading cavalry had already charged ahead in confusion. As they advanced, screams rang out continuously as soldiers fell from their horses. Others noticed their comrades on the ground but were unable to halt their momentum, trampling over them in their rush. The troops behind surged forward relentlessly.
The commanders’ banners fluttered high above. The rebel forces breached the outer defenses, flooding forward like a tide.
Though timid by nature, Zhang Ji had no choice but to step out to oversee the battle. At this moment, he sat atop his war chariot, surrounded before and behind by a vast, dark tide of humanity – a force of tens of thousands was far too immense a number. No one else within Dayi City commanded such authority; only he could personally lead them.
The blare of war horns filled the sky, stirring the heart and unsettling the mind. Zhang Ji couldn’t help but rise from his chariot, looking around in all directions, yet he could see no end to the military formations. In that moment, even he himself became part of the surging tide before him, flowing inexorably onward with its current.
As someone lacking experience in battlefield command, the terror in Zhang Ji’s heart was indescribable. At the same time, the officers on the Jianping side also shared a similar sense of dread.
Although neither Shi Zhuhe nor Ren Feihong were new to the battlefield or to command, this was their first time leading tens of thousands of troops in a full-scale engagement. Many commanders came to understand why there existed the saying, “armchair strategist.” After all, no matter how much one had studied, without firsthand experience on the battlefield, it was impossible to truly imagine the reality of such a clash between two massive armies.
A young officer renowned for his valor caught sight of this scene and, to the disbelief of those around him, began trembling uncontrollably before attempting to turn and flee. Without hesitation, the military judge behind him struck off his head.
At such a critical moment, the slightest hesitation in action could lead to the collapse of the entire formation.
Shi Zhuhe had deployed a reverse wild-goose formation. The rebel forces surged forward relentlessly, yet hindered by obstacles, they were unable to charge at full speed. Meanwhile, the Jianping army steadily retreated in an orderly manner – the wings of the wild-goose formation consisted of cavalry. These horsemen carefully maintained distance from the enemy while wielding powerful crossbows, continuously launching volleys of arrows to suppress the foe with ranged fire.
Positioned between the cavalry wings were infantry, most of whom were halberdiers and shield bearers.
The vanguard of the wedge formation crashed fiercely into the infantry phalanx, forcing them to a halt. However, the cavalry behind did not stop; they continued to charge forward, like wave after wave pounding against a rocky shore. Those caught in the very center suffered the most – more than half were slain not by enemy weapons, but by those of their own comrades.
As the formations of the two armies began to interlock, Shi Zhuhe commanded his troops, ordering the cavalry on both wings to actively press inward while sealing off the rear to prevent the rebels from escaping through the center.
In purely tactical terms, if there had been commanders on both sides of the wedge formation leading cavalry to charge against the flanks of the wild-goose formation, the rebels would certainly not have been so easily surrounded. The outcome of this battle could be said to have been entirely determined by organizational discipline.
Rebel horsemen were continuously unhorsed, only to perish under the hooves of their own comrades. Arrows rained down ceaselessly from the sky. A brave junior officer, wielding a spear, deflected an iron-tipped arrow and drove his weapon straight through the chest of a Jianping centurion. Seeing an enemy closing in and lacking the time to retrieve his weapon, he rose from his saddle and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Like plucking a chick, he lifted the foe into the air and then, as if tossing a bundle, effortlessly flung him to the ground below, laughing heartily as he trampled him to death.
Cavalry from both sides rode back and forth, blades and spears clashing, giving Zhang Ji the illusion of being trapped in a nightmare.
The deputy general, aware that the situation was dire, gritted his teeth and said, “Victory or defeat is still uncertain. I urge you to hold fast, General. Once reinforcements from Gufeng arrive, we can strike from both inside and out – there remains a chance for victory. If we withdraw our troops now, we will surely face utter defeat!”
Zhang Ji opened his mouth, pointing a finger at the other man before letting his hand drop weakly. Though he yearned to flee, his loyalty and reverence for his teacher prevented him from abandoning so many soldiers and leaving.
Meanwhile, Shi Zhuhe had long been aware that Dayi had sent messengers to coordinate with the troops at Gufeng. He ordered Ruan Mingfan to lead his soldiers to intercept them but also instructed this new commander not to block them with full force. Instead, he was to slowly lure the approaching reinforcements here. When the Gufeng forces arrived, Shi Zhuhe deliberately loosened a section of the encirclement, creating an opening that was tight on the outside but porous within.
The rebel troops from Dayi, upon discovering a weakened point in the encirclement, were overjoyed. Their will to survive drove the soldiers to spontaneously charge toward the breach. However, the cavalry from Gufeng were equally desperate to break through the Jianping army’s encirclement. The two sides collided head-on and, due to a breakdown in command, found themselves stuck in a deadlock – unable to advance or retreat. Meanwhile, the Jianping cavalry on both sides calmly rained down arrows upon them.
In truth, if a natural-born commander like Xiao Xichi had been here, they could indeed have forced their way through the gap in the formation and rescued their main general. However, among the rebel forces of the east, there was not a single individual capable of such a feat.
The sounds of slaughter all around were deafening, and everywhere one looked, there was the vivid red of blood. The two sides had clashed from dawn until dusk, and it was only by mid-Shen hour (4PM) that the cries of battle gradually subsided, replaced by the agonizing moans of the wounded.
In this battle, the rebel forces had deployed a total of eighty thousand troops. Of these, thirty thousand perished, while fifty thousand surrendered outright.
Shi Zhuhe ordered the battlefield to be cleared and the remaining soldiers rounded up – since these were rebels, they could not be left in place. Instead, they would be relocated in batches to prevent any potential unrest. Some commanders, to be absolutely certain, might even choose to bury all surrendered soldiers alive in pits!
From the perspective of suppressing the rebellion, the Battle of Dayi was a resounding victory. Yet, the commanding general Shi Zhuhe, shielded at the center by his personal guards, remained silent once the dust settled. He watched the scene before him quietly, his face showing no clear sign of triumph.
Beside him, the deputy general presented the head of Zhang Ji. This timid and incompetent man had actually survived until the very end under the protection of his guards. However, when the Jianping army called for surrender, he raised his long halberd and charged at the enemy soldiers, only to be cut down by a single stroke of their blade.
As the commanding general of the rebel forces, his head was severed and eventually hung above the gates of Dayi City.
By the time the battle report from Dayi reached Wen Yanran’s hands, several days had already passed.
Many court officials were anxious about the situation at the front, yet also impressed by the Emperor’s calm demeanor – Wen Yanran opened the report, skimmed through it quickly, and remained composed from start to finish, showing no visible joy over the achievements of Shi Zhuhe and others.
This was hardly surprising, as the system prompts had already begun frequent battle updates well before this.
[System: [Battle] [Great Victory at the Battle of Dayi].
Player has achieved the accomplishment [Grace Under Pressure].]
[System: [Battle] [Victory at the Battle of ××]…]
[…]
Perhaps due to its inherently poor design, Wen Yanran felt that whenever messages were displayed, she could always detect a faint, almost imperceptible sense of lag from the system. She wondered whether this interface had something like a “graphics card”…
With Shi Zhuhe’s decisive victory on his front, the central army led by Tao Jia and the left flank commanded by Chen Ming also achieved significant successes – relying on shamanistic rituals is a double-edged sword. Placing excessive confidence in mystical beliefs means that once news of the Emperor’s recovery and the death of Great Master Xuanyang’s disciples spread, the enemy would engage in self-inflicted psychological warfare without the court needing to exaggerate anything.
Judging from the current situation, the front lines could advance significantly eastward within two months.
Beyond that, they would reach the vicinity of the Right Camp. Wen Yanran speculated that the rebels would inevitably fortify this location as a stronghold to hold their ground against the imperial forces.
The locations of the five major military camps of the Great Zhou were chosen after thorough consideration. For the eastern region, the position of the Right Camp was particularly strategic, facilitating coordination and mutual support with other regions. Moreover, after generations of renovations, the camp’s fortifications had become exceptionally sturdy. Ironically, at this moment, they served as a formidable defensive advantage for the rebels to rely on.
Apart from the Right Camp, another core stronghold in the east was located in Hengping County. Wen Yanran had examined the maps and suspected that the Right Camp served as a crucial defensive line before Hengping.
An attendant entered Western Yong Palace carrying a wooden case. Today, not only were there battle reports from the east, but also some correspondence from the southern region.
The small court assembly had already concluded, and the only one remaining in the hall to attend to the Emperor was Chi Yi. As the Vice Commissioner of the City Bureau, she had a multitude of responsibilities and should not have been lingering in Western Yong Palace. However, since the Emperor had recently recovered from a minor illness, Chi Yi dared not relax her vigilance and became even more attentive to matters within the palace. Thus, she personally took the case from the attendant and presented it to the Emperor.
Wen Yanran opened the case – the letter on top bore the seal of General of Huairen.
“General of Huairen” was the official title of Xiao Xichi.
Chi Yi vaguely suspected that the Emperor intended to deploy Xiao Xichi. However, the Qingyi tribe was located in the southernmost part of the Great Zhou. No matter how skilled the border people were in archery and horsemanship, after marching thousands of miles, they would inevitably be exhausted and unfit for battle. Yet, knowing her own limited expertise in military affairs, Chi Yi chose not to voice any advice.
Wen Yanran noticed the fleeting contemplative look on her close attendant’s face and casually offered an explanation: “This time, it’s not about sending Xiao Xichi there.”
![The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth]](https://i2.wp.com/lazygirltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/4322s.jpg?resize=151,215 "The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth]")
