Di Ming

Chapter 389 Caiwei's Letter
"Rumble--"

A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by rolling thunder, signaling the arrival of the spring rainy season in Goryeo.

Goryeo was a northern country in the east, and its spring rainy season was half a month later than that of the Central Plains. At this time, the rainy season in the Central Plains had just passed, with its heavy rains around the Qingming Festival, while in Goryeo it was just beginning.

After a continuous spring rain, the entire Anzhou was shrouded in mist. Both the Ming and Japanese armies tried their best to preserve their gunpowder, taking precautions against it getting damp. The rain seemed destined to last for days, and it was uncertain when the sun would finally shine.

The Ming army camp was located at Wenquanyi, a low-lying area, which should theoretically be most vulnerable to rain. However, Zhu Yin had made preparations in advance. As soon as the Ming army set up camp there, drainage channels were dug. Even with days of heavy rain, the camp would not flood.

With the rain, everything became muddy and difficult to fight. Both sides became unusually quiet, and even scouts were rarely sent out.

Only the warhorses of both sides occasionally let out mournful neighs, reminding one that this was a battlefield before a decisive battle.

Logically, with the rain, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang should have moved into Anzhou City. However, both of them wanted to share the hardships with their soldiers and insisted on staying at the camp.

At the entrance of the Ming army's central camp, Xu Wei, dressed in a blue robe with a feather cloak, gazed at the wind and rain outside and said leisurely, "Indeed, the spring floods have arrived. I heard from a Goryeo minister that once it rains in Goryeo in March, it will rain until early April, and there will most likely be floods."

At this point, Xu Wei turned his head and looked at Zhu Yin, who was brewing tea, with a desolate gaze. "But whether the Japanese pirates could come up with a brilliant plan to flood Anzhou is unknown."

Zhu Yin wore a net-like headscarf and a sky-blue cotton robe, exuding a relaxed and leisurely air. He gently fanned the charcoal under the teapot with a palm-leaf fan, the glowing embers reflecting in his eyes, making them appear both bright and profound in the dim tent.

On the boy's face, where light and shadow blended, every line seemed to be meticulously sculpted. Although painting could depict his appearance, it would be impossible to capture the vivid and gentle warmth between his brows.

"The Japanese pirates are cunning; they'll fall for it." The young man smiled calmly. "Your brilliant plan will surely sell. Sometimes, it's easier to deceive a shrewd person."

He reached out and picked up a delicate piece of tea charcoal. The charcoal, against his slender, jade-white fingers, seemed to transform him into something extraordinary, like a chess piece.

Zhu Yin casually tossed the "chess piece" into the tea stove, his gaze both ethereal and dreamlike as he watched the steam rising from the teapot, as if he were a tea spirit in human form, pure and otherworldly, unlike any other person in the mortal world.

Xu Wei strolled back to the tea table and sat down, his tone still somewhat anxious: "This meticulous arrangement has finally been successful, even by the heavens. If the Japanese pirates don't fall for it, then all our efforts will have been in vain."

"If the Japanese pirates don't fall for the trap, we'll still have to fight a tough battle in the end. Even if the Japanese pirates are demoralized, our army will lose at least 20,000 men in order to annihilate their 80,000-strong army."

Zhu Yin said, "This is the only chance for the Japanese pirates to turn defeat into victory. Unless they are stupid, they will never miss it. The Japanese pirates are not stupid; they can figure it out."

Xu Wei laughed and said, "But that's exactly what I'm worried about. My lord, since the Japanese pirates have come up with the treacherous plan to flood our army, what if they realize that this is a counter-plan by our army and that we've tricked them? What if they know it's a trap?"

Zhu Yin thought for a moment, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

"Does the gentleman mean that if they realize we deliberately lured them into flooding Anzhou, they will turn the tables and play along?"

"We anticipate the Japanese pirates' predictions, but the Japanese pirates anticipate our predictions?"

At this point, he found it increasingly interesting.

Xu Wei nodded and said, "My lord is truly wise. That is exactly what I was worried about. If they turn the tables on us, they will surely figure out our intentions."

"At that point, our army will think they've been tricked, but in the end, we'll be the ones who've been tricked. Wouldn't that be ridiculous?"

Zhu Yin chuckled and personally poured tea for Xu Wei. "This is precisely the reason I invited you here today. You and I are friends despite our age difference; we are truly of one mind. I was just about to bring this up when you brought it up yourself."

Xu Wei's expression relaxed. "The General knows too?"

Zhu Yin nodded, "It's not that the General knew, it was the General who specifically reminded me of this matter. Old ginger is spicier. I also felt that something was amiss."

"Just recently, the general said that we should find a way to counter the Japanese pirates' strategy of turning the tables on us. The general said that the Japanese pirates are characterized by their arrogance when things are going well, but they become cautious and suspicious as soon as they encounter setbacks."

“The Japanese pirates have already suffered a great loss and can no longer be as arrogant as before. Even if they remember the plan to flood Anzhou, once they actually carry it out, they will definitely think it over repeatedly. Sooner or later they will realize that this may be a trap set by our army, and sooner or later they will realize that our army set up camp at Wenquanyi to lure them into flooding Anzhou.”

Xu Wei laughed and said, "So you all thought of that. You really are of one mind."

Zhu Yin said, "That's why I called you here immediately, to discuss how we should respond if the Japanese pirates anticipate our predictions and turn the tables on us."

His tone turned cold as he said this, "What I want is a fatal blow! To annihilate the 80,000-strong Japanese pirate army with minimal losses!"

"Good!" A powerful and deep voice rang out, and a burly, silver-haired old general strode in.

Zhu Yin immediately stood up, "Godfather, you've come at the perfect time."

When no outsiders were present, he would naturally address Qi Jiguang as his godfather.

Qi Jiguang sat down with an imposing air, his piercing eyes fixed on Xu Wei, and said in a clear voice, "Brother Wen, you have always been known for your wisdom and resourcefulness, and you are most adept at anticipating the enemy's moves. Back when you served under Lord Xiangmao, you often devised ingenious strategies. Today, I'm sure you already have a plan in mind?"

"You, Qi Yuanjing," Xu Wei stroked his beard and shook his head. "Don't flatter me. You clearly have your own ideas, yet you insist on my advice. You'll only adopt them if they're the same as yours. Isn't that right?"

"Hehe!" Zhu Yin chuckled, pouring tea as he spoke, "What my godfather said before was true; if the three of us think alike, that would be the perfect strategy. Winning this battle isn't difficult, but winning it decisively is not easy. Let's finish this pot of tea today and decide on our battle strategy!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, and Murong Gou Dan immediately brought over a small sand tray and placed it on the tea table.

The sand table is very simple, with the terrain shown only including Anju Castle, Myohyang Mountain, Cheongcheon River, Sukcheon, and the old city of Sukcheon where the Japanese army camp was located.

Suchuan Ancient City is no longer a city, but the ruins of an ancient city from more than two hundred years ago. After Anzhou City was built, Suchuan City was abandoned and became a ruin.

The ancient city ruins of Sukcheon are situated on high ground, at the bend where the Sukcheon and Cheongcheon rivers meet. The Myohyang Mountains act as natural barriers to the east and north, leaving only the west unprotected, making it ideal for a large army to encamp. This is why the Japanese pirate army chose Sukcheon as their base. "Father, Master," Zhu Yin stood up, pointing with his tiger tooth fossil to the location of the Sukcheon ruins on the sand table, "This was the Japanese pirate camp. During the Goryeo Dynasty, it was incredibly prosperous; Anju City didn't exist then."

"But more than two hundred years ago, Sukcheon Ancient City was abandoned. The Koreans built a new city just seven miles away outside the Cheongcheon River, which is today's Anju."

Zhu Yin was telling a story, "Do my godfather and teacher know why the Koreans suddenly abandoned Sukcheon Fortress back then?"

"Young Tiger, are you telling a story?" Qi Jiguang laughed. "Stop keeping me in suspense and just get to the point."

Zhu Yin continued, "Because the ancient city of Suchuan is frequently flooded. It is located at the confluence of two rivers. If the rain lasts too long, the floodwaters from the confluence of the two rivers will submerge the ancient city. During the flood season, it is common for the water in the city to be three feet deep."

This information was provided by Huya.

Qi Jiguang looked at the sand table and pondered, "The terrain of the ancient city ruins is at least ten zhang higher than that of Anzhou City. There's no reason why the ancient city was submerged while Anzhou wasn't. Even if Anzhou is relatively far from the confluence of the two rivers, it shouldn't be like this. What's going on?"

Zhu Yin smiled and said, "My godfather is wise and immediately saw the problem. Although Anzhou is located in a low-lying area, it is downstream. When the floodwaters submerge the ancient city and then spread to Anzhou, they will flow into the Anzhou Canal, which is specially designed to store water and irrigate hundreds of miles of fertile fields. With the Anzhou Canal to discharge floodwaters, Anzhou is safe, hence the name Anzhou (meaning 'safe city')."

Qi Jiguang understood, but still said with doubt, "That's not right. Why didn't I see the Anzhou Canal? A canal that can irrigate hundreds of miles of fertile fields must be quite large, but I didn't find it. It's not on your sand table either."

Xu Wei continued, "That's because the Anzhou Canal no longer exists. The current location of the Anzhou Canal is the Wenquanyi post stationed by our army!"

“A century ago, the Anju Canal silted up and began to disappear slowly. To prevent floods from inundating Anju, the Goryeo people built a dam on the site of the ancient city and reinforced it every year. At present, this dam is within the area of ​​the Japanese pirate camp.”

Qi Jiguang nodded and said, "When the flood comes, the Japanese pirates will try to flood our army. They will first withdraw from the ancient city overnight, and then blow up the river dam. The flood will submerge the ancient city and Anzhou together. The Japanese pirate army will have to move their camp to the nearby Miaoxiang Valley to avoid the flood in advance."

“It was very close to the ancient city and large enough to be the only ideal camp for the Japanese pirates to avoid the flood. There was nowhere else to camp within a dozen miles. The rainy weather made marching difficult and the army was too conspicuous. In order to remain hidden, they could not go far and had to move their camp nearby.”

Qi Jiguang stared at the location of Miaoxiang Mountain, took a sip of tea, and pointed at Miaoxiang Mountain with his hand.

"According to our original plan, we would use the tunnels in Anju City to lay an ambush in Myohyang Valley. Once the Japanese pirates withdrew from their fortified camp in the ancient city and entered the valley, that would be the perfect ambush site for our army. They wanted to drown us, but they could only drown the empty city and camp. Our army was already waiting in Myohyang Mountain for them to walk into the trap."

Qi Jiguang frowned at this point, "But what if the Japanese pirates are thinking even further, what if they've considered this aspect? With this incessant spring rain, the flood season is inevitable within half a month. If they can think of flooding Anzhou, they might also realize we know their flooding plan, and they might use it against us. Then…"

Zhu Xia laughed and said, "Then they might have laid an ambush at Myohyang Mountain in advance. They could use a double-dealing strategy, one openly and one covertly. They could deliberately blow up the dam to release floodwaters while using the empty city strategy, with their main force lying in ambush at Myohyang Mountain in advance."

"By the time our main force enters Miaoxiang Mountain to set up an ambush, they will have already laid their traps, and we will become the prey to be ambushed. At that time, they will have an absolute geographical advantage, the strength of both sides will be roughly equal, and our cavalry will be unable to make full use of their strengths, so defeat will be inevitable."

Xu Wei stroked his beard and smiled: "So I guess that as long as the Japanese pirates have capable people, they will think of this place sooner or later, and they will use the empty city strategy to their advantage and ambush the enemy with their army at Mount Miaoxiang."

Qi Jiguang put down his teacup. “Brother Wenchang, if this is truly a trap within a trap, how do we break it? If the Japanese pirates think of this, they will definitely keep a close watch on our army’s movements, and we will not be able to set up an ambush in advance. In the end, it will be like we all played for nothing.”

“It’s easy to defeat them!” Xu Wei seemed to have a plan all along. “Whether the Japanese pirates use a flooding plan or a plan within a plan, they will definitely go to Miaoxiang Valley. The only difference is that if it’s a flooding plan, they will set up camp in the valley and will not ambush. If it’s a plan within a plan, they will not set up camp, but will ambush. Whether they set up camp or ambush, they will go to Miaoxiang Valley.”

"Once the river dam is breached, floodwaters from both rivers will pour down, turning both Gucheng and Anzhou into a vast expanse of water. They will have no choice but to retreat into the valley, as will our army. They are closer to Miaoxiang Mountain, giving them a greater advantage in terms of terrain, which is also their opportunity."

"Our troops pretended not to know their plan and proceeded to Myohyangsan according to the plan, seemingly falling into their trap. But when our troops reached the mountain pass, they deliberately did not enter, and then suddenly turned around and seized the ancient city camp abandoned by the Japanese pirates!"

"Because the Japanese are using a feint, with very few troops in their camp and their main force already quietly entering the valley, our army can quickly storm the poorly defended Japanese camp, seize control of the dam, and prevent the Japanese from destroying it. The dam can't be destroyed in a short time; once our army enters the Japanese camp, the dam will be saved. With the dam saved, the Japanese camp won't be flooded, and our army can then seize control..."

"Haha!" Qi Jiguang laughed loudly, clapping his hands and saying, "What a brilliant plan! So insidious and cunning! So perfectly calculated!"

Zhu Yin also laughed and said, "In this way, we have mobilized the Japanese army and carried out a 'replace the bird in the cage' strategy! The main force of the Japanese army has entered the valley. Once our army occupies the Japanese camp, we can use the Japanese army's own camp to trap them in the valley and prevent them from coming out! We'll catch them like turtles in a jar!"

"They are lying in ambush in the valley with only a few days' worth of food. How long can they hold out? The mountain pass is blocked by the main camp. It will be extremely difficult for them to get out, and they will be trapped to death. If they want to cross the mountains... Mount Miaoxiang is so big and so high. They will have to give up a lot of things, which will be a dead end!"

"At that time, the Japanese pirates will have almost nowhere to go, and our army will not have to exert much effort. At most, we will suffer 10,000 casualties, but we can annihilate 80,000 enemy troops!"

"The Japanese pirates never imagined that they would rely on the water to aid their battle, but we would rely on the mountains to aid ours!"

Xu Wei narrowed his eyes. "Although we plan to rely on the mountains for support, water is also indispensable! If the spring rains stop and there is no spring flood, these plans cannot be implemented. In the end, we will still have to fight a tough battle, and the casualties will certainly not be small."

Looking at the spring rain outside the tent, Qi Jiguang said, "I hope the rain keeps falling and never stops."

The three exchanged a smile, feeling much more at ease. They discussed the matter for a long time before finally going their separate ways.

For the next few days, the rain, though not heavy, continued intermittently, with no sign of clearing up. It looks like it might really rain until early April.

Before we knew it, the spring rain had fallen until March 28th.

That noon, Zhu Yin saw Xiao Hei lying on the ground sleeping. Just as he was about to take a nap, Kangxi entered the tent wearing a wet raincoat.

"My lord, there's a secret letter from the lady in Xi'an. There's also one for the second mistress."

Emperor Kangxi presented two encrypted letters, both sealed tightly with sealing wax.

Caiwei's letter? Zhu Yin's expression immediately changed, and he was wide awake.

"Dog Egg, go and call Qingchen's wife over." Zhu Yin ordered, then opened the letter Ning Caiwei had given him and his expression immediately changed!

Zhu Yihang, you're asking for it!
P.S.: I have to work tonight, so I'll stop here for now. Any requests? Thank you!
(End of this chapter)