Chapter 963: West Chu's Twin Jewels (Part 2)

After a lone Beiliang rider galloped away, Huang Songpu, the battle-hardened veteran, was not disheartened in the slightest. He wasn't concerned about the survival of a supply camp, which had no bearing on the overall outcome. The Southern Dynasty's strong foundations could withstand such losses. As long as the central army and the left-wing cavalry successfully intercepted and overwhelmed a contingent of the Dragon Elephant Army, even if it was less than half their numbers, or just five or six thousand cavalry, then this battle would be a minor victory for them—a true minor victory, not the "small loss is a small victory" that the Grand Peace Chancellor advocated!

To ensure they could quickly catch up to the Dragon Elephant Army, which was slaughtering its way through the supply camp, Huang Songpu and a second-tier elite cavalry unit from the Southern Dynasty's Long Pass region bypassed the camp and headed north. The Dragon Elephant Army couldn't possibly flee north; they would certainly return south to Qingcang. If the Dragon Elephant Army, all mounted, dared to retrace their steps through the dense array of tents to avoid pursuit, it would be a suicidal move. They would simply be trapped like a turtle in a jar by the Southern Dynasty's border army, which still held an overwhelming numerical advantage. Once Wanyan Yinjiang's elite first-tier border cavalry crushed Kou Jianghuai's reinforcing unit, victory would be even more assured. This great camp would become the graveyard for over 20,000 Dragon Elephant Army soldiers!

Huang Songpu believed that Li Mofan, the Dragon Elephant Army's deputy general, wouldn't be so foolish.

In fact, the movements of the Dragon Elephant Army, which had infiltrated the enemy camp, were all within Huang Songpu's predictions.

The Dragon Elephant light cavalry, formed from three converging cavalry units, naturally cut through the Beibang supply camp with ease, slaughtering all personnel and horses, and burning all provisions. They then exited the camp from the north, and instead of splitting into two groups, maintained formation and moved directly south along the western perimeter of the Beibang main camp.

They happened to encounter the numerous 38,000-plus 'Yi' character cavalry from Long Pass.

Meanwhile, Huang Songpu's main elite cavalry, still numbering 16,000, also began to gallop in from the rear after making a slight detour.

Further south, the infantry of Beibang's western front army also began to exit their camps and form ranks, constantly moving to the right to block any Beiliang cavalry that might successfully break through and advance south.

Even further south, over 20,000 'Jia' character elite cavalry from aristocratic families were arrayed against Kou Jianghuai's 10,000 low-grade Beiliang cavalry.

Under these circumstances, for the main Dragon Elephant Army to cross three defensive lines while also evading Huang Songpu's elite cavalry pursuit, they would undoubtedly pay a heavy price!

As Wanyan Yinjiang spurred his horse forward, he was truly full of pride and ambition, already imagining himself soon striding into the Xijing Imperial Hall where His Majesty the Emperor sat on his dragon throne, one hand holding the head of Xu Longxiang of Beiliang, the other the head of Kou Jianghuai, becoming the dynasty's first border general to be enfeoffed as a prince or marquis for military achievements!

This prominent Southern Dynasty aristocratic figure, in the prime of his life, couldn't help but burst into laughter, shouting, "Beiliang's 'Yellow Savage,' Kou Jianghuai! Where are your heads?!"

It was almost decided whether the two towns of Linyao and Fengxiang in Liuzhou would belong to the Xu family of Beiliang or the Murong family of Beibang, as the flags on their battlements were nearly changed.

Ma Liuke, originally a local strongman from Fengxiang who held military authority over Fengxiang Town as Liuzhou's deputy general, had only pledged allegiance to Qingliang Mountain under duress. After that, he became unpredictable, frequently colluding with the 'Spider Web' intelligence network. Last year, he was ultimately encircled and suppressed by Wang Lingbao, the deputy general of the Dragon Elephant Army. Ma Liuke's direct cavalry units were almost completely wiped out, and Ma Liuke himself vanished without a trace, his body never found. Cai Anshan, who served as the City Administrator of Linyao Military Town, was much more law-abiding. After Cao Wei's cavalry twice passed through Linyao Military Town, and Xie Xichui replaced Ma Liuke in commanding the two towns' military affairs, Cai Anshan completely withdrew from public life and closed his doors to visitors.

Under these circumstances, Xie Xichui, the new deputy general of Liuzhou who was supposed to lead 20,000 Lantuoshan monk-soldiers to Qingcang City, suddenly divided his forces halfway through their journey, near Linyao after passing Fengxiang. He personally led half of the monk-soldiers to Fengxiang Military Town, while the remaining 10,000 were entrusted to the Six-Bead Bodhisattva, to be stationed in Linyao Military Town. The female Bodhisattva from Lantuoshan was not without objections to this. After all, the reinforcement of Qingcang with 20,000 monk-soldiers was a resolution personally sanctioned by both Qingliang Mountain and the Protectorate General's office. Without a direct military order from the young Lord or Chu Lushan himself, the established route could not be altered! Now, both Lantuoshan and she herself were tied to the Xu family. How could she dare to add superfluous details like this? If it led to a missed military opportunity, a Beiliang newcomer like Xie Xichui might at most die to atone for his sin, but she would drag tens of thousands of believers in the Western Regions into a miserable, irretrievable predicament. Because of this, she and the young deputy general had a fierce dispute. She completely failed to understand the meaning of pointlessly wasting 20,000 monk-soldiers by keeping them in two towns far from the main battlefield of Qingcang! Could it be like the common tactic of 'watching the fire from the other bank' in the unrighteous wars of the Spring and Autumn period? Did Xie Xichui truly believe these 20,000 monk-soldiers were his personal troops? Did he want to hold onto military power and wait for the right price?

At that time, Xie Xichui calmly told her that battlefield situations changed instantaneously. The two towns of Linyao and Fengxiang, which linked the Western Regions and Beiliang, might seem like a mere embellishment, expendable even. However, under certain special circumstances, they could very well become a breakthrough point for Beibang's surprise forces. Not only could they serve as a 'strategic pass' to cut off the retreat routes of Yu Luandao's Ghost Riders and Cao Wei's cavalry, but they could also comfortably allow the Southern Dynasty's border army, for whom troop numbers were never an issue, to use the two military towns as a base, spreading out an attack line of sufficient breadth against Qingcang City, which was isolated beyond the Great Wall. Originally, the two towns were not enough to be a turning point in the Liuzhou campaign. However, the current favorable situation for Liuzhou instead highlighted the towns' potential strategic significance, truly bringing into play the old strategy of Beiliang strategist Li Yishan.

The female Bodhisattva's Buddhist teachings were profound, but she knew she was not skilled in military matters. Especially since Xie Xichui was a young grandmaster of military strategy who had shone brilliantly on the Guangling Dao battlefield, she admitted she couldn't persuade him. However, she also absolutely dared not tie the safety of the entire Buddhist sect in the Western Regions to that young man alone. Facing Xie Xichui, who insisted on his own view, she could only propose a compromise: they would both lead the 20,000 monk-soldiers to Linyao Military Town. At the same time, a middle-aged high monk among the monk-soldiers, whose identity was concealed but who possessed the Vajra divine power of Buddhism, would temporarily act as a scout and swiftly proceed to the Liuzhou Governor's mansion within Qingcang City to report the matter. Her intention was that even if Qingliang Mountain and the Protectorate General's office did not have time to reply, as long as the Governor's mansion assented, she would agree to Xie Xichui's plan to split the forces and station them in the towns.

However, Xie Xichui bluntly told her that in Qingcang City of Liuzhou, neither Governor Yang Guangdou nor even Chen Xiliang would dare to make such decisions on their own, and besides, it might not even be timely enough.

Thus, the two of them reached an impasse at that time.

The deadlock was finally broken by a magnificent gyrfalcon that pierced through the clouds and landed on Xie Xichui's arm!

The war in Liuzhou had already begun, and the war in Liangzhou was about to commence. Yet, under these circumstances, this gyrfalcon, personally bred and trained by Chu Lushan and having followed the young Lord for years, actually chose Xie Xichui—young and far from both battlefields—as its sole contact!

At that moment, her feelings were complex, and she was speechless.

Xie Xichui told her in a low voice, "I alone will bear the credit and blame for this matter!"

The young man added, "The King of Beiliang also firmly believes that I, Xie Xichui, Deputy General of Liuzhou, can bear this alone!"

Only then did she tacitly approve his troop deployment, with 20,000 robust and fearless Lantuoshan monk-soldiers splitting their forces to garrison Fengxiang and Linyao.

At this very moment, the female Bodhisattva, clad in a white kasaya but with a head full of black hair, stood on the battlements of Linyao Military Town. Looking at the over 10,000 elite Beibang infantry outside the city, who were arriving to besiege it, escorted by thousands of cavalry, she felt a great sense of relief.

She had bet correctly.

Beibang indeed intended to launch a surprise attack on the two towns!

Even an amateur in military affairs like her knew that the meager forces in the two towns, depleted by constant transfers, were utterly insufficient to defend them. She had some general understanding of the main elite units of both Liangzhou and Beibang's border armies, such as the Grand Snow Dragon Cavalry and the White Horse Crossbowmen outside Liangzhou Pass, Yan Wenluan's infantry in Youzhou, and the Dragon Elephant Army in Liuzhou. She had also heard of the infantry under Dong Zhuo of Beibang's Southern Dynasty, said to be able to contend with Youzhou infantry, as well as 'Fatty Dong's' Crow Cages, or the Qiang cavalry unit that had already been annihilated in Liuzhou, and the now dispersed Rouran Iron Cavalry, among others.

Beyond these, there were some other military units with which she was also familiar, including the 'Foot-Brave Soldiers,' who stood out among Beibang's Southern Dynasty border armies. It was well known that nomadic cavalry had plagued the Central Plains for nearly eight hundred years, and it was unheard of for cavalry from the grasslands to be skilled in siege warfare. They always either bypassed formidable passes, dangerous bottlenecks, and large, well-fortified cities, or actively sought out the main field forces of the Central Plains' border armies to annihilate them in one swift blow, thus rendering those border cities strategically irrelevant. However, the current Beibang was somewhat different. Aside from the fact that most of Dong Zhuo's private army consisted of infantry, the Southern Dynasty's border army also stationed a special force called 'Foot-Brave Soldiers' in several military towns. They were completely unlike ordinary infantry; their treatment was on par with that of heavy-armored infantry in Central Plains history, and they were considered true 'men worth a hundred gold' in the eyes of the Beibang empress. Li Yishan once described this force as follows: "The Foot-Brave Soldiers of Beibang's Southern Dynasty are the pride and joy of Huang Songpu, the Southern Court's Grand King. They are adept at ascending and descending slopes, traversing streams and ravines, excellent at overcoming heights and distances, light-footed and swift. In deep, treacherous valleys, Foot-Brave Soldiers are often employed, and their siege capabilities are no less than those of the Central Plains' top elite soldiers."

She softly exhaled, her eyes instantly growing cold. With a flick of her hand, she threw a corpse clad in armor high over the city walls.

It was none other than Cai Anshan, the City Administrator of Linyao, who had been attempting to seize an opportunity to act!

Beibang had clearly come prepared, having already persuaded Cai Anshan to secretly defect to the Southern Dynasty. With an inside traitor collaborating with outside forces, how could Linyao Military Town be defended?

Before entering the city, Xie Xichui had told her to keep a close eye on Cai Anshan, and if there was even the slightest stir, it was better to mistakenly kill him than to not kill him at all!

She didn't even glance at the corpse that hit the ground with a thud, murmuring, "I used to think that the so-called 'divine generalship' in military texts was just historians, who came from scholarly backgrounds, carelessly exaggerating. Now it seems I was a frog in a well."

That young man not only foresaw Beibang's intention to seize the two towns, but also, through that gyrfalcon, ordered Cao Wei's cavalry unit not to support Yu Luandao's Youzhou cavalry in the Southern Dynasty's interior, but to swiftly return the way they came and wipe out all Beibang border troops that had infiltrated Liuzhou's border passes!

This courage and boldness truly struck fear into her, even though she was on the same side.

There were always 'what-ifs,' but when the moment of truth arrived, it was undeniable.

But that deputy general of Liuzhou was precisely capable of turning that 'what-if' into a reality and returning it in full to Beibang.

She didn't think this was merely a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

Among martial artists, there are exceptionally brilliant geniuses who appear only once in an era.

And it was the same for those who employed military strategies; they became the kind of heroes who appeared only once in an era.

On the battlements of Fengxiang Military Town, the remotest of the three Western Regions towns and closest to Beiliang, Xie Xichui stood, clad in armor, hand resting on a Liangdao sword, his expression indifferent.

Even in such attire, this scholarly-looking young man still gave people the impression of being a scholar.

He whispered in a voice only he could hear, "Kou Jianghuai, you once said that one day, in a cavalry battle, you would fight as if you were bullying infantry with cavalry!"

Later generations of the Liyang Dynasty commented that among those who could be called 'scholar-generals' since the Great Feng Dynasty, Ye Baikui, the military strategist of the Spring and Autumn period, was preeminent. After Ye Baikui, it was Chen Zhibao.

After Chen Zhibao, Xie Xichui was the foremost scholar-general!

The three each had their own unique brilliance, with no one superior to the other.

Perhaps because only Xie Xichui was still alive at the time and held a high position in the imperial court, this definitive judgment might not have entirely convinced everyone.

But even so, Xie Xichui's distinguished status in the minds of later military strategists was already substantial enough.

Regarding this, Xie Xichui, in his twilight years, merely chuckled privately to his closest friends, saying, "In terms of miraculous military tactics, I am far inferior to Kou Jianghuai."

Xie Xichui, Kou Jianghuai.

The Twin Jewels of Great Chu!

Now, they were the Twin Jewels of Beiliang.