Chapter 100
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Han Jiao approached Xie Duo, looked at him with trust, and asked, “Your Highness, do you think Hanzhou can’t wait for the loyalist army to arrive?”
Xie Duo nodded.
“Your Highness, look at me, I’m sweating all over. What’s the situation? Please tell me straightforwardly, no need for cryptic words!”
Xie Duo was surprised. “Cryptic words? I was just worried about overwhelming you with too much information.”
Han Jiao stepped closer. “At this critical time for our nation, I serve you faithfully. I only worry about not sharing your burdens. There’s no reason to be afraid. Even if you want me on the frontlines, I won’t fear it!”
Xie Duo, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, paused before saying, “Alright.”
“So, how’s the current status of the battle?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know that Hanzhou can’t hold on until the reinforcements arrive?”
“Because the defenses of Hanzhou are far inferior to those of Guyuan. Plus, I’ve checked. The commanding general there is Xue Qi, a hereditary military officer. Most of his recorded achievements are gained by taking credit for others’ work. You see? He’s useless.”
Han Jiao frowned. “Then we need to quickly send a commander from the capital to take charge of defending Hanzhou!”
Xie Duo shook his head. “It’s too late. If he can proactively abandon the city and bring all his troops back for me to defend the capital, I would thank him. But if he resists halfway and then abandons the city, we won’t be able to withdraw.”
“Your Highness,” Han Jiao remained calm, “Do you have a plan to deal with the enemy?”
Xie Duo’s eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. He lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, and then looked at him. “Do you believe in me?”
Han Jiao, on the brink of despair, replied, “What do you think? How can I trust you any more than I already do?”
“Though the Tatar cavalry is formidable, their effectiveness relies heavily on the terrain. After they broke through Hanzhou, they would follow Muqiu and pass through a mountain range between Guannan and West □□… Have you been there?”
Han Jiao shook his head vigorously, almost like a tambourine. “The farthest I’ve been is to Xinxian!”
Xie Duo continued, “If we set out now with our fastest light cavalry, we can reach that mountain ridge by noon tomorrow. There’s a narrow spot between two opposing hills – the ideal place to ambush the Tatar cavalry.”
After hearing this, Han Jiao grabbed the big boss’ wrist and rushed outside!
“What are you doing?”
“You’ve got a plan now. Hurry and inform His Majesty!”
Xie Duo halted, pulling the little child prodigy back. Expressionlesy, he said, “I informed Father Emperor of this yesterday.”
Han Jiao guessed what happened and asked quietly, “How did His Majesty respond?”
“Father Emperor advised me not to meddle.”
Han Jiao: “……”
He finally understood why the big boss had this air of melancholy and despondency today.
The Emperor might know that Xie Duo possessed great political acumen, but he surely had no idea about the youth’s true military talent.
Now, with twenty thousand Tatar cavalry charging unstoppably toward the capital, twenty-two thousand elite troops far away in Luozhou, only half the soldiers left in the three major army camps of the capital, and the armies in other regions not yet receiving the news, only the nearby troops rushed to reinforce the capital, totaling just seventy thousand.
The capital had nine major gates. If they defended them separately, each gate would have only a few thousand defenders. The Tatar cavalry had extraordinary mobility, and if they found a weak point in the defense…
The consequences would be disastrous.
Han Jiao suddenly raised both arms in front of his chest, bowing deeply to Xie Duo, “I wish to request an audience with the Emperor. I beg Your Highness to introduce me.”
Xie Duo frowned. “What do you intend to do? I’ve already conveyed everything I could to Father Emperor. If he doesn’t agree with me, how could he possibly listen to your advice?”
Han Jiao raised his eyes. “I have a way.”
“No,” Xie Duo turned away, his voice icy, “Father Emperor is quite agitated right now. He scolded me yesterday, and you, with your frail body, could you even withstand a lashing? A couple of strikes might break your breath.”
Han Jiao clasped his hands and swiftly moved in front of Xie Duo, “I know the stakes, I won’t anger the Emperor. You can introduce me, and no matter what the Emperor says, he won’t take my life.”
Xie Duo didn’t agree.
“Your Highness! At this perilous moment, we can’t afford any more delays. If you won’t introduce me, I’ll march straight into the Xiyuan Hall and beg for an audience with the Emperor on my knees!”
“Are you out of your mind, Han Xiabai?” Xie Duo roared. “Even if we miss the chance to ambush, the capital has seventy thousand defenders. I can still discuss strategy with the garrison commanders when the time comes.”
“How does the odds of defending the capital compare to the odds of ambushing them in the mountains, Your Highness?”
“You already know.”
“In that case, how can Your Highness sit back and watch the Emperor, driven by his love for his son, miss this opportunity and fall into danger?” Han Jiao looked directly into Xie Duo’s eyes. “You’ve reached the age of seventeen, with the capability to make decisions. You’re a natural military genius, and a true commander not only needs sound judgment but also the courage to take risks!”
Xie Duo suddenly reprimanded, “Do you want me to risk your life?”
Han Jiao hesitated, his eager peach-blossom eyes instantly clouded with confusion.
“I am not one to act recklessly. In front of the Emperor, I will certainly know my place and won’t get into trouble.” Han Jiao stood up straight, returning to the pleading expression he had when asking for help from the big boss. “I only dare to be impolite and arrogant in your presence.”
Xie Duo grew more irritated at his words. “Why?”
A moment of silence.
Han Jiao quietly replied, “I don’t know either.”
Xie Duo’s sharp gaze suddenly softened for a moment. “Do you only feel extraordinary and uncontrollable in front of me?”
Han Jiao’s peach-blossom eyes fluttered nervously. “……”
The way he asked was so weird that it left one feeling embarrassed to respond.
The gleam in Xie Duo’s eyes suddenly turned intense, filling with a hint of aggression. He took a step closer and pressed in a low, demanding tone, “Are you impudent in my presence because you can’t control yourself?”
Han Jiao felt like some very, very hidden secret had been suddenly exposed. Ears warming, he anxiously dodged Xie Duo’s intense gaze, needing a moment to regain his composure before finally nodding stiffly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Han Jiao noticed Xie Duo suddenly revealing a cute, little tiger toothed smile.
Han Jiao contemplated making a run for it again.
Frustration turned into anger!
He turned around and headed towards the courtyard. “I’d rather go to Xiyuan Hall alone to beg for an audience!”
However, he felt a gust of wind behind him. The stinky little brother rushed up to him in a few quick steps, walking shoulder to shoulder with him and occasionally stealing glances at his expression.
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Han Jiao’s face felt like it might burst into flames.
Why did he have to confess such a strange and embarrassing thing voluntarily?
This was not good.
Oxygen was running low.
“Please don’t follow me, Your Highness,” Han Jiao said as he walked and stuck a note on the palace lane wall. “I’d rather go alone to seek an audience with the Emperor.”
“I’ll accompany you to see Father Emperor.”
“That won’t do!” Han Jiao stopped in his tracks, turned to face Xie Duo, and said, “If you stand by, the Emperor will find it even harder to be stern!”
“I’m afraid that if I’m not there, Father Emperor might heartlessly deal a fatal blow to you.”
Han Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Not at all. You don’t need to worry. I’m quite clever!”
Xie Duo appeared in a good mood. “I’ll wait for you in the courtyard.”
After their discussion, Han Jiao successfully met the Emperor.
Despite the urgency of the military situation, the Emperor had not consulted with his ministers about strategies against the enemy. He had been anxiously waiting for reports from the loyalist armies arriving from various regions.
When Han Jiao entered the study, the Emperor was standing by the window lost in thought. There was a stack of reports on his desk, untouched for at least three days.
“Minister, what brings you here at this time?” The Emperor gazed out of the window and spoke somberly, “If you don’t have a winning strategy to propose, you may as well leave. I don’t want to hear comforting words.”
Han Jiao understood the Emperor’s current mood. So, for this counsel, he couldn’t beat around the bush as he did when persuading Prince Yan. He had to be direct. He immediately recited a passage aloud, “Holding a high position without achievements, receiving generous gifts without effort, and accumulating many valuable possessions. Now, you have given the Lord of Chang’an his prestigious title and granted him fertile lands and many valuables, yet he has not contributed to the country. If the mountains and tombs were to collapse, how could the Lord of Chang’an rely on the State of Zhao for support? I think that you are not thinking far enough ahead for the Lord of Chang’an, so I dare to think that your love for him is not as great as your love for Empress Yan.”
[T/N: a passage from the Strategies of the Warring States]
Taken aback, the Emperor turned his head, his deep and authoritative dragon-like eyes staring directly at Han Jiao. After a moment, he spoke in a cold tone, “Presuming to be clever. A’Duo is my legitimate son, so why should he need achievements for his esteemed position? Comparing him to mere noble families, you have insulted the dignity of the imperial family. What crime should you be charged with?”
Han Jiao remained calm and replied, “If Your Majesty is only concerned with securing Prince Ling’s family fortune, there is no need for him to achieve greatness.”
Eyes narrowed, the Emperor asked in a low voice, “What do you mean by this?”
Han Jiao gathered his courage. “Your Majesty, the Tatars have taken advantage of our weak border defenses and sent twenty thousand cavalry to attack Hanzhou. Once they breach the defenses, they could reach the capital in just two days. This peril is a thousand times more dangerous than the rebellion in Luozhou.”
The Emperor stared at him coldly.
This astute Emperor was far from naive and likely understood Han Jiao’s intentions. There was no need for elaborate explanations. It was a matter of whether the Emperor was willing to let him speak further.
“Han Jiao, do you understand the implications of your words?”
Han Jiao was well aware of the Emperor’s thoughts, something he couldn’t address openly in the past, but now was the perfect opportunity.
Han Jiao nodded. “I don’t dare to speak thoughtlessly about the fate of the country. I only feel that, with the three princes being legitimate sons, it is according to the ancestral traditions of our Great Chu to judge by military achievements. At such a critical moment, if Prince Ling can demonstrate his strengths and help in this crisis, it will surely win the hearts of the people.”
“Do you want him to help in this crisis or to lead him to his death? Do you realize the strength of twenty thousand Tatar cavalry? And do you know he has never set foot on the battlefield? No matter how eloquent he may be, it’s all just theory on paper.”
Han Jiao clasped his hands and replied, “In such a rare opportunity, there will inevitably be risks. Prince Ling not only displayed military talent during the refugee rescue operation but also, during the recent Luozhou rebellion, he formulated a battle plan that astounded General Chen, the renowned anti-Wokou General. He did so merely by observing a sand table of the Luozhou region.”
Without waiting for the Emperor’s question, Han Jiao enthusiastically praised Xie Duo’s accurate assessment of the Luozhou terrain, making it seem like famous anti-Kangwo General was almost seeking to learn from him. He described it vividly, as if he had been there personally.
Seeing the Emperor being taken aback and captivated, Han Jiao felt that he had done enough. He provided the final reassurance, “Regarding the plan to ambush the Tatars, Prince Ling not only has a winning strategy but also a contingency plan. He won’t be directly commanding in the front lines. He only needs to be there to observe the terrain and set up the ambush. Once it’s set up, he’ll let other Generals execute the plan. He can retreat to the north of the mountains, where the terrain is protected by hills and marshes, and he can safely withdraw at any time.”
The Emperor’s face darkened, and he closed his eyes in deep thought. After a long while, he said in a low voice, “Summon him to speak with me, and bring Generals Zheng Tao and Liu Jishan to see me as well.”
Han Jiao’s eyes lit up. He obediently nodded, accepting the order, and quickly left the room.
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