The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 122 A Warrior Against a Hundred or Ten Thousand Men

Snowflakes fell like pear blossoms.

Xiao Yi looked up, staring blankly, his hand, wrapped in cloth, trembling slightly as he loosely clenched it.

It was as if I had an invisible spear in my hand, trying to pierce out the snow-white pear blossoms.

He still couldn't understand how Liu Jiye could use such a heavy iron spear to thrust out such a fast Zhongping spear technique.

Sometimes, he would recall the incantations he learned to shoot in his previous life.

"The Yang family's spear technique is renowned throughout the world; it goes like an arrow and returns like a thread, with swift hands and quick eyes, striking the face. The spear dance is dazzling and confusing; the throat-locking spear is unstoppable even by ghosts and gods."

His spear master was the 49th generation successor of the Yang family spear technique. He thought his skills were too diverse and refused to accept him as a disciple. However, he still taught him everything he knew and often said that the way of spear technique lies in the unity of man and spear.

Having lived two lives, he had only ever seen Liu Jiye achieve this. The heavy spear was fierce and powerful; the slashing and smashing were feints, while the swift spear aimed at the throat was the real attack... No, there was real within feints, and feints within real attacks.

Such a formidable opponent is merely an unknown figure in historical records.

wrong.

Liu Jiye... his original surname was Yang, Yang Jiye? Yang Ye?
Could it be that we've encountered the patriarch?
If that's the case, then this time, impersonating Murong Fu is a case of "using their own methods against them."

With this thought in mind, Xiao Yi re-examined Liu Jiye's marksmanship and felt a completely different understanding.

Suddenly, someone patted his left shoulder.

He suddenly turned around, his spear sweeping horizontally, transforming into a chopping motion, and smashed towards the man's waist.

"Boom."

Another large hand covered his right shoulder, pressing him down so he couldn't move.

"What is General Xiao doing?"

Xiao Yi snapped out of his daze and looked closely. In front of him was a very rough and ugly face, grinning and revealing several cavities.

"Tang Jin? What are you doing here?"

"General, I've been waiting here for two or three days!" Tang Jin said, "General, have you hit your head in this battle and become dazed?"

Xiao Yi looked down and realized he didn't have a spear in his hand.

Looking around, the troops had already left Fukou Pass, and ahead lay the Bianmian military camp on the banks of the Fuyang River.

Tang Jin was still rambling on and on in his ear.

"What makes the general better than me is his brain. It would be such a waste if he lost it..."

Xiao Yi asked, "In your eyes, am I not skilled in martial arts?"

"Haha, the setup is impressive, and there are lots of tricks." Tang Jin scratched his head and said, "What I admire most about the general is that he can always catch dead mice."

"In your opinion, Murong Yanchao and Liu Zhu are nothing more than dead rats?"

"A defeated general, well, his martial arts skills aren't that great anyway, at best he's a fourth or fifth-rate fighter."

"Oh?" Xiao Yi asked with interest, "Then what tier do I fall into? You can tell me the truth."

"I would never lie."

Tang Jin took Xiao Yi's horse and they talked as they walked.

"I'd say I'm alright, General Guo Chongwei could be considered one too; the Marshal was definitely top-notch in his prime, but after I came along, he hasn't made a move in a long time; Dalang has been learning martial arts from the Marshal since childhood, and his skills are not bad either; Fu Yanqing was brave in his early years, I heard he could shoot through seven layers of armor with one arrow, but I'm afraid he won't be able to now that he's old... Oh, if Li Cunxiao were still alive, he would be at least top-notch."

"What about second-rate?"

"Look ahead."

Tang Jin pointed to Li Rong in front of him and commented: "General Li Rong is indeed fierce, but he can't beat me, so he can only be considered second-rate; also, General He Fujin was considered first-rate when he was young, but he has too many old injuries and can't fight anymore; General Cao Ying's archery skills are superb, he can kill me from ten paces away, and I can kill him easily within ten paces."

Xiao Yi realized that he wasn't even considered second-rate in Tang Jin's eyes.

"Third-rate?"

“That silly donkey has some strength, so he counts; to be honest, General, your strength isn’t even third-rate, but you have skill, and your fancy moves can fool laymen. Your horsemanship is really amazing, you’re better than me in that respect. If an ordinary third-rate general isn’t careful, he can actually take you down. So you can be considered third-rate.”

At this point, Tang Jin grinned and sneered, "General, don't be so unconvinced. Many of the people you killed died because they underestimated their enemies. I saw it clearly when you killed Liu Zhu. Everyone says Liu Zhu is ruthless, but his martial arts skills are so poor that it's like he swallowed croton seeds. He only relies on his reputation for ruthlessness to scare people. When I cut him with my knife later, his skin and flesh were loose. He can only be considered a fourth-rate. As for Yan Kunlun, don't even mention him. He has a second-rate physique and his movements are too clumsy and slow. He's a fifth-rate piece of trash. How can he become a famous general? Bah!"

Since joining the campaign, Xiao Yi felt he was quite capable in combat. But after hearing Tang Jin's words today, he realized that so far, all the capable fighters were on his side.

Have you ever heard of Liu Jiye?

"No, I've heard of all sorts of things, from cats to dogs."

Xiao Yi thought back for a moment and realized that since he had known Tang Jin, he had only seen him guarding Guo Xin, and it didn't seem to take much effort.

"Shall we spar a bit sometime?"

"Hehe, I never spar with people, I only know how to kill. Why is the general asking these questions today? You are handsome and literate, you can be a match for ten thousand men in the future! No matter how high your martial arts are, you can only be a match for a hundred men at most."

"You understand this principle?"

Tang Jin probably thought Xiao Yi was praising him, and he laughed happily, quite self-satisfied.

"Aside from being illiterate, I have no other shortcomings. If I could read, I could write a list of all the great generals in the world, and everyone would praise me for my knowledge... Oh, I mean, why don't you ask me something more useful, General? For example, why did the commander-in-chief summon you back?"

"I know that."

As they spoke, the group had already reached the main camp gate. Xiao Yi looked up and saw the Tianxiong Army's banner fluttering in the wind.

Various directional flags were erected behind the main flag, with blue, red, white, and black pointing to the southeast, northwest, and southwest respectively, and a yellow flag standing tall in the center.

Almost immediately, Xiao Yi and Li Rong were led to the central command tent. Behind the commander's desk, Guo Wei sat upright, an old felt draped over his knees. He still exuded an imposing aura without being angry, but upon closer inspection, his eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he hadn't slept for several nights.

"Greetings, Marshal!"

Before the generals saluted, Xiao Yi noticed that the map on the general's desk had been replaced with a map of the current dynasty's territory, which covered a wider area. The names of the regional military governors were written in ink and vermilion, with the vermilion characters mostly appearing in Hedong.

In the Hedong region, two names were crossed out and rewritten with ink: one was Chang Si from Luzhou, and the other was Wang Yan from Jinzhou.

As he was pondering, he suddenly sensed something, looked up, and saw Guo Wei staring intently at him.

"What have you gained since you first arrived in Hedong? Tell us all."

Li Rongxian exclaimed, "We almost got Qinzhou, but unfortunately we had to retreat... But then again, the commander-in-chief has his reasons. I'm just a fool who only follows orders."

Guo Wei remained silent, his face grim.

Li Rong then honestly recounted the events of the campaign against Hedong. At the end, picking at the horse manure under his fingernails, he said, "The commander-in-chief asked me what I had gained. I think Liu Chong and Li Cungui are nothing special. We can settle things in one battle next spring and summer!"

"Xiao Yi, you speak."

"Hedong is not easy to attack."

"General, don't pay him any mind," Li Rong interrupted. "He's never experienced hardship before, and he's completely bewildered by this trip."

"What the general says is true. Our army can defeat the enemy's elite troops on the front lines. Breaking their formation is easy, but destroying Liu Chong is difficult."

"If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense. Aren't you afraid people will say you're boosting others' morale while diminishing your own?"

Guo Wei raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Let this kid speak."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

He is at least more educated than Li Rong.

"The land east of the river is truly worthy of its name, as it is surrounded by mountains and rivers. In winter, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains are difficult to cross, and in spring, the great river acts as a barrier. There are countless passes, each of which can be held by one man and be defended by ten thousand. Even if our army has hundreds of thousands of troops, it will be difficult to conquer them quickly. If the war drags on, the cavalry of the east of the river can harass the supply lines at any time."

He paused, glancing at Guo Wei, who remained expressionless, clearly aware of the situation.

This question, if answered correctly, carries a stronger sense of examination.

"In addition, the soldiers in Hedong are quite fierce. Most of them are brave warriors from the border regions who have fought against the Khitan and Tuyuhun for a long time. They are a mix of Han and non-Han people, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and have far more fine horses than our army. Moreover, their morale is not low. Liu Chong is, after all, the younger brother of Emperor Gaozu. He has been building up his foundation for many years."

After speaking, Xiao Yi stood solemnly for a long time.

He could sense that Guo Wei, like him, harbored a strong sense of resentment.

Guo Wei rubbed his knees and asked, "If we cannot quickly take Hedong this time, in your opinion, how do we break through it?"

Xiao Yi didn't dare to answer immediately.

He has not studied military strategy. If he has any advantages over other generals, it may be that he has more experience and has seen more "demonstrations" of warfare. I wonder if he can teach others how to fight.

Seeing that he was at a loss, Li Rong broke the silence and said, "This kid is so young, what nonsense can he possibly spout?"

"Since there is no one else around, speak boldly."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi decided to try speaking up anyway. He stepped forward, pointed to the map, and said, "This humble general dares to suggest that we can use a 'step-by-step' strategy to break through the dangers of Hedong."

Guo Wei seemed interested and gestured for him to explain in detail.

Li Rong then calmed down and stopped picking at the horse manure.

Xiao Yi gained some confidence and said, "The first step is to strengthen defenses and cut off reinforcements, thus choking off their throat. Lu and Jin are the gateways for Liu Chong's southward expansion. We need to send trusted generals to guard them, which will not only stop his expansion but also serve as a springboard for our northward advance. By cultivating land and stockpiling grain and weapons here, we can avoid the hardship of transporting supplies for our large army."

"You have some knowledge," Li Rong said. "But how could you possibly store grain in that wretched place?"

"Go on."

"The second step is to cut off their external support and weaken their foundation. Liu Chong, with the strength of Hedong alone, cannot compete with us and will have to rely on the Khitan. If we cannot defeat Hedong in one battle, it is better to use our troops to wear down the Khitan and our strategy to wear down Hedong."

What does it mean to strategically deplete Hedong?

"For example, sell luxury goods from Jiangnan and purchase their warhorse leather; spread rumors to sow discord among their capable ministers and generals, and bribe their trusted confidants with large sums of money; attract refugees, send spies to gather intelligence, and take control of their city defenses... Once you are fully prepared, then take the third step, choose an opportune moment to fight a decisive battle, and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

Xiao Yi was unsure of himself when he first tried to propose a strategy. After speaking, he waited for Guo Wei to reply.

Guo Wei offered no comment, but simply gave him a deep look.

At this moment, Wei Renpu entered the tent, bowed to Xiao Yi and Li Rong, and said: "My lord originally planned to march into Hedong and take advantage of Liu Chong's oblivion over his son's ascension to the throne to annihilate him in one battle. However, when the news came, Jinyang was already prepared, so I ordered you to withdraw your troops. My lord was also afraid that the troops in Hedong would pursue him, so he overruled the objections of the crowd and personally led a large army north to stand guard for you two."

Xiao Yi didn't care whether he believed it or not; there was a reason nonetheless.

"Thank you, Lord Xie."

"Thank you, Marshal."

Wei Renpu said in a serious tone, "Liu Yun abandoned the throne and fled to Hedong. The two generals went to great lengths to stop him. Now that he is no longer the rightful heir, the commander-in-chief should return to Kaifeng and establish a new successor."

coming.

Xiao Yi suddenly felt that a snowstorm was about to break.

It's getting colder; it's time to put on more clothes.

(End of this chapter)