Chapter 96
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Xie Duo’s analysis truly caught the attention of Prince Yan. He got up, sent someone to summon General Chen to the camp for a discussion.
Returning to his seat by the sand table, Prince Yan asked his younger brother with a puzzled expression, “Who informed you about these unfavorable terrains and potential dangers?”
Xie Duo felt a bit uneasy at the question. He picked up his teacup and took a couple of sips to avoid answering the inconvenient question.
Prince Yan was quite curious. “Did Master Han tell you this just now?”
Seeing that his sixth brother was persistent, Xie Duo raised his chin confidently and said, “I figured it out myself. This sand table is meticulously crafted.”
Prince Yan’s surprise deepened. “You… have you really been interested in military strategy all this time? I’ve never heard you discuss it before.”
“I often discuss it with Old Eighth.”
“I do know that Old Eighth likes military matters. He even collected those ancient Qiangya tribe combat scrolls. He used to talk about warfare with great enthusiasm, but it always seemed like theory to me.”
Xie Duo grinned. “Indeed, he doesn’t know how to fight.”
Prince Yan raised an eyebrow. “Since you often discuss military strategies with him, why is it that he doesn’t know how to fight, but you can analyze military operations so skillfully?”
“What’s so hard to understand? I used to play cuju with you all from a young age. Can any of you beat me, even if you gang up?”
Prince of Yan: “……” It made sense, but he really wanted to give his younger brother a good beating.
In fact, Xie Duo’s interest in the military was rooted in his admiration for Xie Jing’s love for the military.
Since childhood, Xie Duo was often held on the Empress’ lap to watch plays. The parts in the plays that interested Xie Duo the most were the ones with spear and staff fighting, and the brave generals who protected their homeland. These were the heroes little Xie Duo wanted to emulate.
Children didn’t demand much truth in their stories. Whoever seemed the most skilled in the play, Xie Duo admired. So, his heroes in his mind shifted from real legends like Han Xin and Yue Fei to fictional generals created in storytelling.
Xie Duo innocently admired these fictional heroes until he was seven or eight years old, when Xie Jing, who had also become interested in the military, harshly criticized Xie Duo’s “fake generals”.
Xie Jing presented various pieces of evidence from historical books to prove that the feats of those legendary warriors in the stories… were simply impossible!
Such a blow was more than a young child’s heart could bear. To preserve his cherished model, young Xie Duo started to compete with Xie Jing. They gathered a group of eunuchs, divided into attackers and defenders. Xie Duo led the smaller side and, using the garden’s artificial hills, pools, and corridors, engaged in battles against the larger force led by Xie Jing.
Because the numbers weren’t even, at first, Xie Duo lost more than he won. Not one to accept defeat, he secretly sought a master to explain various military strategies to him.
He had a natural gift for understanding things quickly, combined with a keen sense of observation. In less than three months, he started to figure out the typical reactions of both sides in different battle situations. Afterward, he became able to make precise predictions about the battle’s progress and set traps in advance.
Xie Jing, a “by-the-book” commander, quickly became a plaything for the little troublemaker Xie Duo.
Xie Duo enjoyed this, and to keep Old Eighth playing with him, he would occasionally go easy on him. However, when he turned twelve, Xie Jing realized he was no match for his stinky little brother and refused to play the game again.
Of course, Xie Duo never believed that his gaming experience could be useful in real combat.
He just liked the game. His obsession with cuju was because, through his adapted style of play, he could experience the joy of strategizing, surprising opponents, and breaking through obstacles while kicking the ball.
Moreover, Xie Duo often had eunuchs bring records of various battles, big and small, that had occurred in the southeast and northwest regions over the years. He carefully studied them.
He was now familiar with the terrain in the northwest border and the southeastern coastal areas. Whenever he looked at a map, his mind naturally started envisioning various battle scenarios.
Xie Duo never dared to engage in real military discussions. He enjoyed the feeling of control he had in his games and worried that if the real situation was too different, proving his skills would be pointless and disappointing.
The battle in Luozhou was his first real involvement in analyzing a military situation.
Before long, General Chen hurried back to the camp, bowing to Prince Yan and Prince Ling.
Prince Yan knew he had no combat experience and had no intention of interfering with the commander’s battle plan. While he agreed with his younger brother’s assessment of the danger, he tactfully asked a few questions.
However, his younger brother was more impatient and got interrupted after just a few words.
Xie Duo asked directly, “General, after the initial victory, how do you plan to capture the next fortress?”
General Chen was taken aback and looked at Prince Yan for guidance with his eyes.
Prince Yan smiled and said, “My younger brother is concerned about my safety and would like to hear your strategic plan.”
General Chen had heard about Prince Ling’s temperament and quickly regained his smile. He nodded and approached the sand table, pointing to the various routes marked with flags. He briefly explained his plan to the upcoming battle.
He assumed the Prince, who had yet to leave the palace, knew nothing about military matters and intentionally skipped over the various risks in this war.
But before he could finish speaking, he noticed that Xie Duo wasn’t looking at the sand table but was staring at him with a cold, challenging gaze.
It was an indescribable aura. General Chen, a seasoned warrior who had faced numerous formidable opponents, had never experienced this sudden plunge into a sense of loss of control. But it lasted just a moment, and the General quickly regained his composure.
The young prince exuded the bloodthirsty aura of a top predator.
“Your Highness, do you have any concerns about this assault route?” General Chen didn’t dare to continue and eagerly wanted to dispel the prince’s displeasure immediately.
Xie Duo’s face darkened as he lowered his head, pointing to the area near General Chen’s suggested attack route. “If the enemy sets an ambush here, how should our army respond?” Then he pointed to another spot. “If the enemy deploys their navy here to intercept, how should our army respond?”
One after another, Xie Duo astutely pointed out several potential dangers.
General Chen maintained the composure expected of a seasoned commander, but he was secretly horrified.
How could this young prince discover the hidden concerns in his heart?
He even added some blind spots that General Chen hadn’t noticed.
Xie Duo turned to stare at General Chen and demanded, “General, please answer.”
Prince Yan smiled wryly and asked General Chen to forgive his brother’s impoliteness.
General Chen’s lips formed a straight line as he silently locked eyes with Xie Duo.
After a moment, General Chen answered in a low voice, “Unable to respond.”
Xie Duo’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
Prince Yan was greatly alarmed.
General Chen stood tall and declared loudly, “This battle can’t be fought. Our army’s initial victory can release this frustration, and we can pretend to attack, wearing them down for six months. When the treasury can’t sustain it, the court will naturally issue orders to withdraw the troops.”
“General Chen!” Prince Yan was stunned. “What do you mean by this? How can we justify such a strategy to Father Emperor?”
General Chen lowered his head, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, “I can guarantee that as long as the Governor-General of Sichuan-Guizhou sends troops to guard the southern border of Zhonglin County, the Chieftain of Luozhou won’t dare to continue invading outside. If he takes one step, I will engage him in a fight to the death. But now, he’s holed up in the mountains, and the terrain in Luozhou is extremely unfavorable. If our army forcefully attacks, there’s almost no chance of victory.”
“Why… why didn’t you say this earlier? I heard that you voluntarily requested to lead this campaign, and now you’re talking about giving up? What’s your true intention?”
General Chen had spent more than twenty years on the battlefield, his spirit unyielding. However, his eyes welled up with tears as he replied hoarsely, “It’s true that I volunteered for this battle, and I’m willing to bear all the honor and disgrace alone. I’ve been fighting the Wokou pirates in the southeast for over twenty years, and I know the characters of Generals Liu Chongguang and Zhao Hui very well. If they were appointed to lead the troops, even if it came down to the last soldier, they wouldn’t retreat. That’s why I had to volunteer, even if it means enduring a terrible reputation. I will never recklessly attack Luozhou! Your Highness, these 220,000 soldiers are the elites of Great Chu!”
Prince Yan’s heart shook. He rushed forward to help the General up. After a long silence, he choked out, “General, I understand your intentions.”
The hostility in Xie Duo’s eyes also dissipated. He lowered his head to study the sand table.
“Even you are helpless in this situation. It seems we can’t fight this battle.” Prince Yan lowered his gaze, pondered for a long time, tightened his fist. “General, you’ve defended the homeland for decades, and your contributions are immeasurable. I’ll take the blame for the accusation of cowardice.”
“Absolutely not! Your Highness…”
“Stop arguing,” Xie Duo suddenly interrupted, staring at the sand table. “Father Emperor won’t let you waste half a year for nothing, will he? Have the spies of Longyin Guards all perished? Even if you take no action for half a month, the urgent decree to change the commander will reach you faster than your triumphant news.”
Prince Yan’s face went pale, thinking of Father Emperor’s temperament, and he became anxious. “What can we do now?”
Xie Duo turned to his sixth brother. “Wasn’t it Senior Minister Xu who suggested fighting quickly at any cost? Let the old man lead the troops himself. If he refuses, have him move this sand table to the palace and explain the situation to Father Emperor in person.”
Prince Yan frowned. “Why say such harsh words now? But we do need Father Emperor to understand the risks of this battle. I’ll go to the palace immediately!”
“The battle hasn’t even started, will Father Emperor trust these words? Senior Minister Li couldn’t even persuade him. Don’t go seeking trouble,” Xie Duo urged in frustration.
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