Book 20 - Chapter 2 – Chatting and Joking About Troop Deployment (1/2)

Book 20 Chapter 2 – Chatting and Joking About Troop Deployh, just like the two boys’ expected, as soon as the fake news about alliance with Li Zitong and the borrowed provisions spread out, Yuwen Huaji’s twenty-thousand-du’s northern city gate, so that its vanguard arrived within two days, and i moat, setup camp, and constructed outposts at the front line

Froh, on top of a hill so looked down at the plainly visible ene is to build a ca is to form troop disposition This army camp has water source, which is also a risk to defend, to attain good grip over the enemy and self’s solid objective It can clearly be seen that our opponent this tiu’s coh battle experience; absolutelynodded his head in praise On the surface, Kou Zhong see thick ste out the impression as one as easily pleased that he loses his sense of measure However, he was actually cool-headed, prudent and cautious; he would notthe ene is the location Currently the eneh place, on the slope of a hill, facing a flat land neighboring a forest In ter to the rules, which was another proof that they were not a htly, which was precisely the funda commander

“What does Mr Lu’s secret book say about this situation?” Xu Ziling casually asked

Kou Zhong replied, “The ihold is peaceful caate, facility to treat ill soldiers, device to check the arainst disturbance and cala the water source and grass, dusk to dawn bugle calls, lighting arrangeht security, checking the visitors, avoid water attack, and so on Is that enough?”

Listening to hi up the ca said in surprise, “You have quite an understanding of what you read”

Proud of hience, also called cra too hard just before the battle But if you look at it, don’t you feel that in terh this ca to transport besieging equipment from here to the city wall, before they even arrive, they would have tire the mules and the horses half dead; it is not practical at all”

While hed and said, “You, this kid, are starting to acquire a little skill! Yuwen Clan deployed their enerals, they setup their camp like this must be for his e is for storing provisions and treating injured soldiers? In addition, this is more their rear area, with the main purpose is to provide support to the frontline co said, “Great minds think alike It could be said that this provision station is the foundation of Yuwen Huagu’ssouth this time But since it is far behind the frontline, they won’t have to worry that we et out of the city to attack it Therefore, the defense will inevitably rather weak If we coordinate with Xuan Yong’s aht unprepared, ould already have half of the victory in our bag Ha! This battle does not see his power to his eyes, Xu Ziling looked at the situation of the enemy’s camp, and spoke heavily, “You seem to think too easily This camp has the mountain behind it as the natural defense, outside there are moats all around, inside there are barriers If they also had some pits with sharp bamboo, caltrops, and the likes as defensive measures, plus the ra crossbow, and then they also arrange sentries all around, widespread alarm system, plus Yuwen Guan’s numerous martial artto attack you will be able to attack?”

Kou Zhong laughed and said, “You seeet that what Mr Lu, the Senior, was n and manufacture of exquisite equipment In his book he listed in details hold, saying that breaking a fort is just like breaking a city Breaking a city needs cloud ladders, battering rahold also needs vehicles As long as we can open one or two gaps, and the ene a fort should be as easy as a hand’s turn”

Frowning, Xu Ziling asked, “And where can we get the vehicles fro vehicles Xuan Yong is in charge of this Xiaodi has mastered Lu Miaozi’s handed-down techniques; at least it’s like half of Sun Wu [Sun Tzu] ca by like this, if I didn’t lead away a goat in passing [to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain] by stealing his provisions, stealing his horses, angering hi? Don’t worry! I understand your filial piety!”

Hearing that, Xu Ziling did not knohether he should laugh or cry, while at the sa’s eneenius inthe various battles earlier, he had used unusual ned by Lu Miaozi, that can be used to deal with all kinds of situation, inside out [orig ripe as a ed to asseroup of well-trained elite warriors, who in the world would be able to resist this military power? Perhaps even Li shi+min would have to suffer defeat

Currently, what he lacked was precisely this group of elite force, and the ‘Duke Yang’s Treasure’

“But the top priority right now,” Kou Zhong continued, “is not to break the stronghold, but to steal arrows You ought to know that our supply of arrows in the city will last less than half a sichen And when that happens, we could only rely on boiling oil, boiling water, and rocks; which would not last too long either”

Xu Ziling was stunned, “Hoe steal arrows?” he asked

Kou Zhong giggled and said, “Not stealing, but re-enacting Kong Ming’s [Zhuge Liang] borrowing arrows skill We send them fake arrows, they shoot us real arrows Won’t it be so profitable?”

Pointing to the Tongji Canal flowing on his left, he said, “Our spies reported back that Yuwen Huagu’s ht I already sent men to hide more than a hundred fast boats full of dummies tied onto them in the forest on the opposite bank By the time his troops arrive, we’ll launch the fast boats into the river, and sail downstream Each boat will only have three men in it; one man to steer the boat, two men to release bamboo arrohile at the san an attack In his distress, Yuwen Huagu will have no choice but to send some arrows for us to use Just consider it the appetizer before the hed and said, “Now even I aht win this battle”

※ ※ ※

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, two boys, on their horseback, stood side-by-side on top of a s into the distance, at the spectacular scene ofthe prairie right next to Tongji Canal

Kou Zhong laughed quietly and said, “I was right in saying that in order to reduce the possibility of being attacked, Yuwen Huagu would travel along the river; ould have thought that he is doing exactly what I was thinking?”

Xu Ziling looked up at the ht sky; he said, “Your fake alliance and fake provisions tactic has worked, otherwise Yuwen Huaji can’t possibly urge his troops to travel even at night, which is giving us the opportunity that we can exploit”

Kou Zhong took a deep breath and said, “It’s ti, he raised his hand to the sky A rocket ih in the sky, brightening the ht sky

Instantly battle cry rose up frodu, followed by dots of torches casting their light on the ene display of military prowess But the fact was that each person was holding two torches, without holding any weapon or wearing any ar short bows and fake arrows colance, it appeared that nearly ten thousand du to launch a surprise attack toward the ene behind Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were nearly two hundred riders, consisted of Peng Liang Hui men whose horse all the horses within the city of Liangdu, for the only cavalry they had

Far away ahead, the ene to turn chaotic, but the front and theturned to Xu Ziling and said with a laugh, “Thisthe torches’ method Evidently this second batch of Yuwen Arood and bad interive theuarantee we’ll occupy the advantageous position”

The long fiery dragon of the torches separated and stopped; apparently the ene up battle array to deal with the ene cla the predeter toward the ene!’

Another rocket burst open in the sky with a loud noise

Battle cry sprang up everywhere from the direction of the river and canal, ht boats and speedboats filled with dummies rushed downstream, several hundred fiery arrows, made of bamboo with cloth dipped in oil wrapped around its tip, streaked across the e in the direction of Liangdu

All the real fighters on the boats were hiding behind wooden board to block the arrows, letting the dummies dressed in soldier uniforrass of the forest and prairie along the bank started to catch fire, so that the eneht between two fires; immediately they were thrown into confusion Especially the rear of the line

Kou Zhong shouted his order; pulling a shi+eld with his left hand, he urged his horse to charge at full speed toward the ene spears, long-reaching weapons which were beneficial to be used in battle on horseback, fighting at the head of the troops, passing through the sparse forest, blocking a dozen or so arrows that were occasionally shot toward the into the enemy ranks

The riverbank was full of individual torches running away for their lives, while the water was full of light boats, continuously increasing the intensity of the light; certainly it appeared as a terrifying ’s two spears were like a pair of dragons co and striking; everywhere they went, one after another the eneround

This particular unit of Yuwen Huaji’s army was exclusively made of infantry; their responsibility was to transport arons They had been shocked and scared by the false bravado of the earlier pincer attack from front and rear, and now that they saw the ene uessed correctly that the leaders were Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong, whose names shook the heavens, momentarily their soul fleay, and could never think that the enemy was only a little more than two hundred ht, and fled to all directions

Everybody was greatly delighted Under Kou Zhong’s direction, some pursued the enemy, while others burned the carts

A hoof beats, several hundred ene the riverbank

With his sharp eyes, Kou Zhong saw that the leader was their old acquaintance, Yuwen Wudi [see Book 4, Chapter 5] Laughing aloud, he said, “Wudi Xiong, I trust you have been well since we last di [I, your brother] has to leave!”