Chapter 632: Sealing the Marquis Tiger

A piece of news, arriving after the End of Heat in the first year of Xiangfu, sent shockwaves through the imperial court and the public.

Grand General Yang Shenxing of Anguo, commanding forty thousand elite Jihnan soldiers, suffered repeated defeats against an enemy force numbering less than ten thousand. First, nearly half of his cavalry was lost, forcing them to retreat to the Qingyang Basin where they were encircled and utterly annihilated. This battle utterly destroyed Yang Shenxing’s reputation, turning him into a pariah. In Taian City, all departments except the Ministry of War, led by Lu Baijie, along with the two Censorates, launched a relentless series of impeachments against the old general. Their arguments were well-founded: he disregarded Commander-in-Chief Lu Shengxiang’s military orders by moving south without authorization. Furthermore, his southern campaign starkly revealed his 'advanced age,' demonstrating a complete lack of military governance and confused troop deployment, reducing him to a state where he was easily defeated by the 'insignificant' remnants of Western Chu. What had become of the national prestige of the invincible Liyang Dynasty?

Yang Shenxing paid no mind to the unrest within the imperial court. The old general and his over forty thousand Jihnan infantry, their combat strength still largely intact, had inexplicably become trapped like a turtle in a jar – a situation he found absurd and ridiculous himself.

The white-haired Grand General, despite all attempts to conceal it, betrayed signs of old age. His eldest son, Yang Huchen, survived the cavalry engagement a fortnight prior but lost an arm. His grandson, Yang Wenqi, had been severely wounded in a battle six days earlier and still lay on his sickbed, reeking of strong medicine. Yang Shenxing had never fought such a humiliating battle. He harbored little resentment over Huchen's three thousand light cavalry failing to defeat the one thousand heavy cavalry; victory and defeat were common in warfare, and he acknowledged his own carelessness and military blunders. However, the subsequent turn of events nearly drove the Grand General to a murderous rage. The three thousand 'privileged soldiers,' who had suffered minimal casualties in the initial cavalry skirmish, after witnessing the devastating power of the heavy cavalry charge, demanded to immediately detach from the main army, cross the Qingyang Basin, and retreat north of Qinshui Ferry. Yang Shenxing didn’t refuse, only suggesting they retreat slowly with the main infantry force to guard against an attack from the enemy’s considerable light cavalry. To his dismay, those scoundrels, after verbally agreeing, vanished overnight with their personal guards and retinues, fleeing north. Upon learning this, Yang Shenxing had no choice but to break camp and follow them northward, ordering his grandson Yang Wenqi to deploy nearly all available cavalry for a rear escort. Yang Shenxing could only hope that the Western Chu commander on the eastern front wouldn't capitalize on his separated infantry and cavalry. He even had his vanguard feign an attack on the Kui Xiao military town. Yet, by dawn the next day, his blood-soaked grandson returned with only a few hundred Jihnan cavalry. The over three thousand 'culprit soldiers,' on the other hand, were completely unharmed. Yang Wenqi, a large chunk of flesh torn from his shoulder, wept uncontrollably, explaining that the enemy light cavalry excelled at night combat, splitting into multiple groups not only to attack their hastily prepared Jihnan cavalry but also intentionally driving those three thousand 'worthless' cavalry southward to disrupt their formation. Yang Wenqi’s cavalry could only sacrifice themselves in detachments of three hundred to cover the rear, thus protecting those two thousand eight hundred-plus men who deserved to die but couldn't.

After his grandson fainted, Yang Shenxing questioned several defeated cavalry commanders in detail. The old general grew increasingly fearful. According to their accounts, the enemy cavalry excelled not only in night raids but also in archery, even mimicking the peripheral skirmishing tactics of the Northern Barbarians with impressive accuracy. They maintained a distance of two arrow-lengths, neither closing in nor retreating too far, charging, firing a volley of arrows, then withdrawing, repeating the process. This required exceptionally skilled horsemanship and archery. Such a fragmented, mobile tactic was not impregnable; if his grandson Yang Wenqi had simply abandoned those three thousand cavalry, such a tremendous and bloody price would not have been necessary. After that, there was no further movement from the Kui Xiao side, only small cavalry units leisurely patrolling far outside the encirclement, shooting down Jihnan army scouts attempting to relay military intelligence. However, the moment Yang Shenxing showed any sign of moving his main army, the enemy could swiftly mobilize their cavalry, gather in the Qingyang Basin behind them, and deploy another thousand heavy cavalry in the distance, poised for a devastating charge against the infantry.

At that moment, Yang Shenxing finally understood that the enemy commander had no intention of directly confronting his Jihnan infantry. Instead, he had anticipated the psychological state of both Yang Shenxing and the three thousand cavalry with special status. He first lured Yang's cavalry into an attack, intending to demoralize them. From the outset, he used overwhelming force, employing heavy cavalry to terrify those privileged youths, correctly predicting their desperate, self-serving flight and the Jihnan cavalry's forced escort. Then, like cutting meat with a dull knife, he systematically decimated the cavalry. Yang Shenxing was indeed impressed by the enemy's demonstrated combat prowess, but the battle-hardened general was not inherently fearful. His defeat stemmed from having to take two consecutive risks: first, intentionally ceding a military advantage, and second, saving the lives of those privileged few. The consequence was the near-total annihilation of the Jihnan army's limited cavalry force of over five thousand.

Faced with such a devastating and rare defeat, the veteran Jihnan soldiers, personally trained by Yang Shenxing, did not lament or despair. Instead, they silently and methodically established a camp in an area with abundant waterways, digging three trenches, each over two zhang high. Between these wide trenches, which were taller than two men, they felled as many sturdy tree trunks and branches as possible. These were sharpened, their bases nailed down, and their fire-hardened tips arranged upwards, continuously interweaving and interlocking. The soil both inside and outside the trenches was thoroughly compacted. Sturdy arrow towers and numerous tents rapidly rose. The Jihnan army’s provisions were quite ample, not heavily reliant on the supply line behind them. Furthermore, the Liyang Dynasty's cavalry, particularly in the late Spring and Autumn period, benefited from well-maintained post roads. Elite first-rank soldiers, armed and armored, could cover a hundred li in half a day while carrying full loads. Light cavalry, with their unencumbered advances, could achieve astonishing speeds. Lu Shengxiang’s elite cavalry, known for continuous rapid marches, was said to cover three hundred li a day, even surpassing Chu Lushan’s thousand cavalry opening the path to Shu – though the latter traversed the difficult Shu Road, and the availability of fresh horses and riders along the route was not a factor in that comparison.

Despite the significant reduction and closure of post stations across Liyang over the years, instigated by civil officials perpetually complaining about budget constraints, the post roads in the southern capital region remained passable. This was Yang Shenxing’s source of confidence: he could calmly await reinforcements, knowing that his Jihnan army would not be besieged to death, nor would they be forced into desperate measures before then.

However, Yang Shenxing remained utterly exhausted, his mind more drained than from any battlefield struggle. To appease those privileged youths from the capital, who were now hiding and weeping for their parents, the old general, having already suffered a humiliating defeat, dared not utter a single harsh word. He knew precisely why Vice Minister of War Lu Shengxiang possessed such limited military authority: it was due to the subtle, slippery obstruction of the capital’s civil officials. Launching a major military campaign was beyond the sole authority of a grand general or even the Ministry of War. The Ministry of Revenue alone, if it chose to delay, could conjure a dozen plausible excuses to hinder military movements, rendering any refutation impossible. The fathers of a thousand capital noble scions had collectively woven a web of obstruction within the Liyang court, preventing Lu Shengxiang from swiftly gaining full command of the army. Yet, once they learned of the battle in the Qingyang Basin and realized their own descendants were trapped, they could, seemingly overnight, ensure the seamless operation of all Six Ministries.

Yang Shenxing had initially included that cavalry unit, which was outwardly splendid but inwardly rotten, precisely because he understood better than anyone the hidden complexities and pitfalls within the Liyang court. He simply had not anticipated the enemy commander’s extreme cunning and ruthlessness.

As Yang Shenxing had predicted, countless voices in the Taian City court were vehemently denouncing his actual crimes. Yet, Lu Baijie, the Minister of War, whose words had previously carried no weight, suddenly spoke with immense authority. Those very officials who had earlier dismissed the combined force of Yang Shenxing’s forty thousand and Yan Zhenchun’s thirty thousand—a total of seventy thousand troops—as an absurd overreaction, akin to using an ox-slaughtering knife on a chicken, changed their stance overnight. They now unanimously proclaimed the Western Chu remnants to be cunning, preparing for a desperate, decisive battle against the imperial army north of Kui Xiao. This, they argued, necessitated the immediate dispatch of another distinguished veteran general to the front. As for Lu Shengxiang, they reasoned, he had, as commander-in-chief, allowed a segment of Yang Shenxing’s forces to be besieged, which constituted extreme dereliction of duty. The only reason he wasn’t being punished was because changing commanders mid-battle was deemed highly unwise!

Lu Baijie’s proposal was immediately drowned out by the fierce debates within the court. It was decided that Lu Shengxiang would have to atone for his mistakes through meritorious service. However, beyond the title of commander-in-chief, he was left with effectively few troops to achieve this. The real command of the forces fell to Wu Jun, a cautious and seasoned veteran from the Spring and Autumn period, who now led thirty thousand elite soldiers from the Capital Garrison Army.

Furthermore, under a secret order from the Ministry of War, Yan Zhenchun marched directly south from the Eastern Yu Plain, eventually halting near Sancang. He then turned eastward, creating a formidable impression of overwhelming force to support Wu Jun’s thirty thousand troops. Whether Yan Zhenchun’s cavalry would then attack or defend would still depend on the Ministry of War’s orders.

Outside Youlu Pass, Lu Shengxiang remained oblivious to the troop movements along Guangling Road to the south. However, constant criticisms from the capital to the north steadily flowed into his main tent, casting a gloomy shadow of impending crisis. The adjutants at Youlu Pass, who had previously been diligent in their daily courtesies, had vanished over the past few days.

Lu Shengxiang sat on the grass outside the camp, with Guo Dongfeng, who had recently been feeding horses, beside him. Guo Dongfeng indignantly exclaimed, "Is this Tangxi Sword Immortal out of his mind? He’s the esteemed Minister of War, yet his words are worse than farts?!"

Lu Shengxiang calmly replied, "Lu Baijie at least has a conscience. He still spoke a few fair words on my behalf and proposed that I lead the troops south."

Guo Dongfeng scoffed, "Conscience? Then why didn't he speak favorably of that old fool Yang Shenxing? Six thousand cavalry, painstakingly amassed over more than ten years, were utterly squandered in less than ten days because of those scions, and in the end, Yang doesn't even receive a single good word."

Lu Shengxiang smiled indifferently, "Lu Baijie isn't foolish, and neither are those loudly cursing in the court. Knowing something in one's mind is one thing; speaking it aloud is quite another. As long as Lu Baijie wishes to secure his position, he must work tirelessly, patching holes wherever they appear. If Gu Jiantang were in the Ministry of War, things wouldn't be this way. Of course, with Grand General Gu currently in Taian City, there’s no opportunity for me, Lu Shengxiang, to distinguish myself."

Guo Dongfeng snorted, "The Western Chu commander-in-chief must be out of his mind, treating the Kui Xiao military town line as a mere battleground to compare military might and national power. Does he truly believe that devouring Yang Shenxing’s forty thousand Jihnan infantry will solve everything?"

Lu Shengxiang glanced at Guo Dongfeng, "The civil officials in court may be foolish, but must you follow suit?"

Guo Dongfeng paused, then asked in shock, "Western Chu truly intended to annihilate Yan Zhenchun's thirty thousand cavalry from the outset? Can they actually achieve that? Yan Zhenchun is no Yang Shenxing; aren’t they afraid of choking? Is Cao Changqing going to make a personal appearance?"

Lu Shengxiang gazed into the distance and said with a sneer, "You, boy, open your eyes wide and observe closely. I have a premonition that in this war, a few young men from Western Chu will emerge who will become your mortal enemies."

Guo Dongfeng chuckled, "That's excellent."

Thirty li north of Sancang, Yan Zhenchun’s thirty thousand cavalry, who had deliberately slowed their advance as they moved south, received a scout report: an enemy army, composed entirely of light cavalry and numbering no less than twenty thousand, was merely five li away!

A vast plain, a wide battlefield.

The autumn wind howled, and banners snapped in the breeze.

The usually stern Old General Yan looked up at the vivid red 'Yan' character on his banner, then turned to glance at the fearless Yan family soldiers.

The old man said in a deep voice, "Advance the standard!"

Was Old General Yan Zhenchun, who should have been commanding from the rear, about to lead the charge himself? Several trusted generals immediately stepped forward to intervene. Yan Zhenchun gripped "Reed Leaf," the long spear that had accompanied him through countless campaigns, and shook his head. "If we win," he declared, "it will most likely be my final battle in this life, and I cannot simply stand by and watch. If we lose, it is certainly my last, and I refuse to die while fleeing."

Yan Zhenchun’s words left the generals speechless.

The army pressed forward, its great banner leading the way.

The enemy’s twenty thousand light cavalry likewise advanced.

Yan Zhenchun led thirty thousand troops against the wind; the Western Chu cavalry, numbering twenty thousand, had the wind at their backs.

Neither side had the advantage of a slope, nor were there any infantry formations.

This vast expanse allowed for sufficiently wide front lines and for cavalry to be deployed in waves. Consequently, the commanding talents of both opposing cavalry commanders could be fully showcased, and the combat effectiveness of their cavalry could be perfectly demonstrated.

This was a perfect battlefield where the weaker would lose, and whoever retreated would die.

There was no room for luck.

Almost simultaneously, two bugle calls suddenly wailed, as if echoing each other, both majestic and mournful.

In identical fashion, after the first line of cavalry from both sides charged forward for more than half a horse's length, the second line immediately launched its own fierce charge.

The physique of each warhorse and the spacing of their steps were almost identical in every row, ensuring that the charging speed of subsequent cavalry lines remained entirely unaffected.

The lateral length of both sides’ front lines was similar, but Yan Zhenchun’s cavalry, having a numerical advantage, possessed greater depth.

A few riders suddenly appeared on the distant flank of the charging armies. Insignificant in number and to the overall battle, neither men nor horses were armored. Among them was Xie Xichui, the young man who had ascended the signal fire tower on Luohu Hill with Pei Sui, a scion of the Pei clan.

It was this obscure commoner from Western Chu who dared to critique grand strategies in front of powerful figures like Cao Changqing and Sun Xiji, earning him the nickname "Half-sentence Xie" from Cao Changqing. This young man succinctly summarized the entire grand strategy for Western Chu’s restoration into two core principles: "taking a beating" and "giving a beating."

In fact, everything concerning the northern front was decided by Xie Xichui.

From the eleventh-hour capture of the Kui Xiao military town, to the subsequent luring of the enemy and night raids, and then the encirclement without attack—all designed to prompt the Liyang court to send Yan Zhenchun’s cavalry to Sancang—until this very moment, watching from afar.

All of it originated from his strategic planning.

A burly middle-aged man, who sat a head taller than Xie Xichui on horseback, asked in a deep voice, "General Xie, do we truly not need to immediately deploy the three thousand heavy cavalry hidden in the rear? Do we really not need to send orders for them to armor up and mount their horses? Yan Zhenchun’s thirty thousand cavalry are no pushovers!"

Xie Xichui pursed his lips and shook his head. "The deployment of heavy cavalry," he stated, "is meaningless if it's either too soon or too late."

Xie Xichui exhaled slowly and said, "Moreover, losing two light cavalrymen is still a net gain compared to losing one heavy cavalryman. In fact, unless the three thousand heavy cavalry can guarantee victory upon their deployment, and if it becomes clear that even committing them would not reverse our disadvantage, then those twenty thousand light cavalry can be fought to the last man to shatter the morale and spirit of Yan Zhenchun’s cavalry, marking the end of this battle. Otherwise, I would rather see every light cavalryman perish and retreat with the heavy cavalry, preserving them for the next engagement!"

The burly man glanced at his young commander, who was certainly not well-known in the Liyang court, and offered a slight smile.

This man was born in the "dragon-rising land" of the Great Chu Dynasty’s founding emperor, a place once renowned as "Four Lords within Ten Li." After Emperor Taizu of Great Chu ascended the throne, he enfeoffed over one hundred sixty generals and marquises, with forty-six of them hailing from that very region!

There was a custom there for every household to sew cloth "Marquis Tigers" for newborns, embodying the fond hope conveyed by the ancient saying: "Though a young tiger's stripes may not yet be formed, it possesses the spirit to devour an ox."

However, this young man named Xie Xichui was certainly not a descendant of those illustrious generals or marquises.

However, none of this mattered, for he was Cao Changqing’s only disciple.

Xie Xichui maintained a cool, detached observation of the battle’s progression. After half an hour, then an hour, the burly man and several other men beside him were drenched in sweat.

Xie Xichui shifted slightly, craned his neck to survey the scene, his lips moving as he muttered to himself.

Still, he waited.

Several men who had participated in the Spring and Autumn Wars began to show anxious expressions.

On the battlefield, their side had lost five thousand cavalry, while Yan Zhenchun’s forces had suffered over six thousand casualties.

In a battle where neither side had retreated nor yielded, such a massive death toll relative to the total forces, with both sides still fighting to the death, was truly horrifying. In cavalry engagements, significant casualties typically surged dramatically only when one side finally broke and retreated.

The sweat-soaked burly man tugged at his collar, then slammed his fist heavily on his horse’s back.

Xie Xichui remained expressionless.

The burly man glanced at the sky and whispered, "General Xie, if we continue trading lives like this, we will lose!"

Xie Xichui merely hummed softly, still outwardly unmoved.

Another man furiously declared, "I’m going to deploy the heavy cavalry to the front! I am not as heartless as you, Xie Xichui!"

Xie Xichui simply said, "Oh," then calmly added, "Wei Hong, if you dare go, I will kill you."

The man gnashed his teeth and retorted, "With your paltry skills?!"

Not far away, a delicate-looking youth, bearing four longswords on his back, hesitated for a moment, then stated with a cold expression, "I, Lu Sichu, can kill you."

The man roared, "Lu Sichu, don't think I'm afraid of you just because your grandfather is Lu Dantian!"

Xie Xichui calmly stated, "I have always maintained that our time to engage is either when Yan Zhenchun falls, or when the spirit of the Yan family cavalry is largely broken. You may disregard whether Lu Dantian is the foremost swordsman of Great Chu, but as a soldier in my army, you must obey military orders. If you wish to die, I will not stop you, but I ask that you, Wei Hong, die on a future battlefield, beneath the hooves of Liyang cavalry."

The fierce-looking man violently rubbed his face, then tilted his head and spat. "If we lose this battle," he growled, "even if it means disobeying orders, I will personally beat you to death!"

After a seemingly endless half hour, Xie Xichui declared in a deep voice, "Liu Cong, Wei Hong, heed my order!"

Wei Hong cursed, then spun his horse around like a madman. "To hell with your military orders!" he roared. "I'm going to kill the enemy right now! If we win, you can beat me to death later, I don't care!"

The burly man named Liu Cong cupped his fists and departed.