Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Seven Strategies of War

Qi Shu Xian badly needed a meritorious feat to steady his heart. Over the next two days, he studied the situation with Governor-General Xu while also sending people to secretly investigate where the Xu Family was most likely being hidden.

Since Northern Di wanted to use the Xu Family to threaten Governor-General Xu, the Xu Family should have been safe for now. The Northern Di forces were led by General Pu Er Gu and the Eldest Prince of Northern Di, Lu Yang. Governor-General Xu held the city and refused to go out to fight.

Pu Er Gu was cruel and vicious. From time to time, he led troops to Beyond the Pass and, right in front of the Wu Du Pass soldiers, paraded Sheng Kingdom commoner covered in wounds as if he was walking dogs. The Wu Du Pass soldiers begged to fight but were denied, so their morale dropped day by day.

As for Lu Yang, he was a prince, so he had to be protected by a large group of elites. The Xu Family might even have been with him.

Thinking of this, Qi Shu Xian suddenly remembered a book he had seen in Cang Nan, “Seven Strategies of War”. One of its strategies fit the current situation perfectly.

He thought for a long time, and a plan slowly formed in his mind. At once, he sent someone to invite Governor-General Xu and several of Mo Bei’s generals. Facing the sand table, he explained his strategy.

When he finished, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Someone blurted, “A bluff?”

Another asked, “A feint to the east and strike the west?”

“No, no.” A third voice rose in excitement. “Deputy General Qi combined those, but made it even more brilliant. It’s unbelievably devious. Even an old veteran on the battlefield would struggle to guard against it. One careless step, and you’d fall straight into the chained traps Deputy General Qi laid.”

“And if this works,” someone added, “it will count as revenge for Northern Di’s night raid and the burning of our grain.”

“The most important thing,” another said, “is that there’s hope we can rescue Governor-General Xu’s family!”

“Deputy General Qi used troops like a god!” Kong Song Feng stood and shouted. “I, Kong Song Feng, will follow Deputy General and slaughter those damned Northern Di bandits!”

The other junior officers were no slower to speak up. Governor-General Xu bowed to Qi Shu Xian in gratitude.

Qi Shu Xian finally showed a lighter smile.

It was just a pity that “Seven Strategies of War” only had the first half. If he could find the second half, he might have been able to use something even more refined.

He just did not know where Sheng Zhi Wan had found such a powerful military book.

With the strategy decided, they began assigning troops, reorganizing the army, and preparing for battle. When the Mo Bei army learned they would finally face the enemy head-on, the soldiers who had been holding in their anger for so long all burned with a fierce determination.

The next night, the gates of Wu Du Pass opened wide.

Northern Di scouts stationed several kilometers away heard the movement. They pressed their ears to the ground and, judging by the weight of the footsteps, immediately rushed back to report.

The Sheng Kingdom army marched through the darkness. The Northern Di army also mobilized in the dark.

But in that darkness, those heavy-footed soldiers each had weights tied to their legs. In one hand they held a long spear, in the other a short blade, and with every step they struck their spears against the ground. They forced a column of twenty thousand to march with the momentum of countless armies.

As for the true main force, it had already left the city under the cover of the larger group. Traveling light, they broke into smaller units and moved from both sides toward the rear of the Northern Di military camp.

They had two destinations.

One was the camp where the Eldest Prince of Northern Di, Lu Chuo, stayed. The other was where Northern Di kept its grain and supplies.

Northern Di wanted to rob and burn their supplies, so they would return the favor, tooth for tooth and eye for eye, using the same method to strike back. That was Qi Shu Xian’s plan.

As long as the Northern Di army had no supplies, it could not continue fighting like this even if it wanted to. And as long as Northern Di grew greedy for quick success, Qi Shu Xian could find more cracks to exploit and control the enemy.

Beyond that, the troops Qi Shu Xian led were the best of the Mo Bei elites. They were also the main force responsible for rescuing the Xu Family young gentlemen.

When the two teams reached the outer edge of the Northern Di camp, the sounds of killing already came from ahead. Qi Shu Xian did not hesitate and rushed toward the camp.

Most of Northern Di’s troops had already been pulled to the front line, leaving the rear weak. Qi Shu Xian led his men and quickly cut through.

The Sheng Kingdom troops set fires all around the Northern Di tents, but whether Northern Di had prepared in advance or had learned from using the same method against Sheng Kingdom before, they did not find any grain or wagons in the camp at all.

Even Governor-General Xu’s family was nowhere to be seen.

“Deputy General Qi! What do we do?” Li Ming An asked as he finished off a Northern Di soldier with another slash at the throat. “Do we keep searching the remaining tents?”

Qi Shu Xian’s expression darkened.

He swept his gaze over the camp. About one-fifth of the tents were still unsearched. If they left now and joined the front, they could attack from both sides and kill even more Northern Di troops. Otherwise, this battle would not mean much.

Since they had not found the supplies or Governor-General Xu’s family, killing more Northern Di troops would at least turn this into a small victory.

Besides, most of the unsearched tents were on the outer edge. They should not have been used to hold important hostages or grain. It seemed Northern Di had moved both Governor-General Xu’s family and the supplies farther back, to a mountain hollow away from the main camp.

They really were cunning.

“No need to search.” Qi Shu Xian gave the order. “Set the camp on fire and go to the front to strike from both sides with our brothers.”

Someone beside him immediately blew a horn.

The scattered units regrouped in the dark. Qi Shu Xian’s men spread out through the camp, lighting tents one by one with torches. In only a short time, the Northern Di camp became a sea of flames.

Hearing the horn, the Sheng Kingdom troops who had been collapsing on the front line suddenly regained their will to fight.

Northern Di troops were already being dragged apart by the endless fire in the rear. Now they were attacked from front and back, and no matter how fierce they were, their losses became enormous.

Right then, in the firelight, Qi Shu Xian saw a small squad of Northern Di elites in distinct armor charging toward a burning section of the camp.