Chapter 73: Jia Xu Returns to Gu, Surprise Attack on Longyou

Liangzhou.

When Gu Wei received Gu Chen's message, he was stunned.

"Has he really taken Wudu so quickly?"

He murmured softly, finding it hard to believe.

Is this really my younger brother?

They had not seen each other for years; Gu Wei's impression of Gu Chen still clung to how he had been back then.

Gu Chen was indeed the worst-performing child in the entire family.

Who could have imagined such a transformation in just a few years?

Still, Gu Wei was quite pleased.

He immediately went to see Huangfu Song and told him the news.

"General, Ziyan has taken Wudu."

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Song was also stunned, equally incredulous: "Could it be this swift?"

Gu Wei nodded with a smile.

Seeing this, Huangfu Song involuntarily drew in a sharp breath, his face darkening with complex emotion as he sighed: "Truly worthy of being a descendant of Lord Gu—such talent!"

Gu Wei handed Gu Chen's letter to him.

Huangfu Song read it carefully, then his expression changed abruptly: "Is the Young Master planning to employ the strategy of the former Wu Hou?"

In the letter, Gu Chen instructed them to pin down Ma Teng and Han Sui's forces from the front.

The current situation in Liangzhou truly mirrored that of the past.

—Ma Teng and Han Sui held the Longyou region;

Using Longyou's terrain and Ma Chao's ferocity, they had blocked Huangfu Song's army.

Li Jue and Guo Si had established themselves in Anding Commandery.

They had formed a pincer movement against Huangfu Song, which was the fundamental reason he was now trapped.

Huangfu Song, born into a military family, instantly understood Gu Chen's intent from the letter alone.

"Correct."

Gu Wei nodded slightly. "I suspected Ziyan would think exactly this way."

"No, absolutely not!"

Huangfu Song's expression darkened, his voice tense: "Young Master, you must immediately warn Ziyan—this is not the same as in the past."

"Ma Chao's valor far surpasses that of Wei Xiao from back then."

"If Ziyan dares to cross Long Mountain, and encounters Ma Chao, he will be doomed."

"Meanwhile, Li Jue and Guo Si flank us—we cannot unleash our full strength to attack Longyou."

"One misstep, and our entire campaign is lost."

Huangfu Song's tone was grave.

He was the type of general who moved cautiously and steadily.

Though Gu Xiao's past campaigns were legendary, how many throughout history could match Gu Xiao?

How could he possibly be at ease?

But Gu Wei simply shook his head and looked at Huangfu Song, sighing: "General, you need not worry—I can handle Li Jue and Guo Si."

"As for whether Ziyan can succeed in a surprise attack—"

He paused slightly, then looked at Huangfu Song and asked: "General, given Longyou's terrain—"

"If we launch a direct assault, how long would it take to subdue it?"

At this, Huangfu Song fell silent.

Gu Wei continued, watching him: "The world is in chaos now; warfare rages constantly in the Central Plains."

"If my guess is right, this war will drastically alter the Central Plains' balance."

"Should Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu emerge victorious—"

"What will we do, trapped here in Liangzhou?"

His tone was calm.

Yet each question he posed pierced Huangfu Song's heart like needles.

They truly had little time left.

No matter what, they had to seize this moment of chaos to strengthen themselves.

"But—" Huangfu Song still wanted to say more.

But Gu Wei cut him off: "General, those who achieve great things must have unshakable resolve."

"This is something our grandfather told us Gu clan disciples over and over."

"Just as he did in his time."

"Whether facing natural disasters or striving to restore the Han, our grandfather never hesitated."

"Now we merely face Longyou—what is there to hesitate over?"

Gu Wei's confidence showed clearly in this moment.

Huangfu Song's expression grew even more complex; he stared intently at Gu Wei, silent for a long while, then spoke again: "How do you plan to deal with Li Jue and Guo Si?"

"Several months ago, I sent emissaries to secretly contact their strategist, Jia Xu."

As he spoke of this, Gu Wei's expression turned peculiar, uncertain: "He is willing to surrender to Han."

"Hmm?" Huangfu Song noticed Gu Wei's unusual tone and frowned again.

Gu Wei shook his head slightly, unsure how to explain this matter.

He did indeed meet Jia Xu.

And Jia Xu himself said he was willing to surrender to Han.

But his demand was truly beyond Gu Wei's expectations.

That was, after the turmoil settled, to be allowed to retire to the Gu clan of Julu and spend the rest of his life there.

This request was far too strange for Gu Wei, leaving him uncertain.

"General, no need to worry—this matter is left to me."

After hesitating, he did not mention it, not wanting to further distract Huangfu Song.

Seeing this, Huangfu Song asked no more.

He now had absolute trust in Gu Wei.

After further discussing the coming situation, Gu Wei finally stepped out of the tent.

He immediately sent someone to meet Jia Xu again.

He planned to meet Jia Xu in person.

Gu Wei had absolute confidence in his own abilities.

No matter what intentions Jia Xu truly harbored, Gu Wei still firmly believed that upon meeting, he would surely discern them.

Originally, Gu Wei had thought Jia Xu might not come to see him.

But he never expected that after he sent word, not even days passed before Jia Xu replied, agreeing to the meeting.

The two met on a desolate stretch of land between Hanyang and Anding.

Night.

The moonlight was clear, the stars brilliant.

Torch flames swayed in the wind.

By the dim glow of the torches, Gu Wei studied the shadowed man before him and furrowed his brow: "Are you Jia Xu, Jia Wenhé?"

"Jia Xu pays his respects to Young Master."

Jia Xu showed no hesitation, immediately bowing to Gu Wei.

"Wenhé, no need for such formalities." Gu Wei returned the bow, fixing Jia Xu with a piercing gaze: "Were your words before genuine?"

He stared intently at Jia Xu, trying to read his thoughts from his expression.

"Naturally." Jia Xu nodded without the slightest pause. "If Young Master agrees to this, I can help you eliminate Li Jue and Guo Si."

Hearing this, Gu Wei was stunned.

He saw nothing.

Jia Xu's tone remained as calm as ever.

He fell silent for a moment, then asked directly: "Why?"

"With your talent, why choose the Gu clan?"

Julu is the Gu clan's stronghold.

The Gu clan has now fully split onto two paths—returning to Julu means tacitly renouncing all worldly affairs.

Though Gu Wei was confident, he could not risk his entire family.

Jia Xu sighed softly, helplessly: "The sages said: 'All under heaven bustle for gain; all under heaven rush for profit.'"

"But I am different."

"I shall not deceive you, Young Master—I have sought nothing but a place to settle and find peace."

"After much thought, the only place where I can truly find peace is Julu."

Saying this, Jia Xu bowed again to Gu Wei: "I beg Young Master to help me reach the Gu clan of Julu. From now on, I vow to have nothing to do with the world."

A gust of wind howled past.

Gu Wei kept his gaze locked on Jia Xu. After a long silence, he spoke: "How do you plan to act?"

"Young Master, rest assured—once you agree to my request,"

"I can ensure Li Jue and Guo Si do not harm you—indeed, they may turn on each other."

In the flickering torchlight, Jia Xu's already cold face looked even more chilling.

Gu Wei frowned, a strange unease stirring in his chest.

"Won't this move make you despised by all scholars?"

He hesitated, then could not help asking.

But Jia Xu paid it no mind, smiling faintly: "What does it matter if scholars despise me?"

"I may harm Heaven's harmony, harm human harmony—but I will not harm my own integrity."

From start to finish, his tone remained casual.

Gu Wei's hand trembled slightly. He stared at Jia Xu before him, hesitated long, then finally nodded.

"Very well."

—Though he had now reached an alliance with Jia Xu,

Gu Wei would not fully trust him.

There was no choice—Jia Xu's terms seemed impossibly unreal to him.

In this age, who among the talented would hold such thoughts as Jia Xu's? It flew utterly against the spirit of the times.

Gu Wei deliberately kept a contingent of troops, personally guarding Hanyang.

Huangfu Song, meanwhile, launched a full assault on Longyou.

Longyou, backed by Long Mountain, was easy to defend and hard to attack.

Facing Huangfu Song's assault.

Ma Teng, Han Sui, and the others were not flustered in the slightest; they immediately mustered their men and used the terrain to set up a defense.

Of course, they had already received the news that Gu Chen had taken Wudu Commandery.

But human nature has always been this way.

Even with the fate of Wei Xiao in years past before them, they were still unwilling to believe that anyone would cross Long Mountain to launch a surprise attack.

Because such a thing was inherently an immensely difficult feat.

Not just anyone can become Gu Xiao.

They merely arranged Ma Chao to hold certain key passes, while they themselves met Huangfu Song head-on in a frontal engagement, and sent word to Li Jue and Guo Si.

This had already become an unwritten understanding between the two sides.

Whenever Huangfu Song attacked one side, the other would immediately move troops to pincer them from front and rear.

But this time, an unexpected turn occurred.

Li Jue and Guo Si had been preparing to move their troops.

But just before they set out, Jia Xu stopped them.

"Are the two generals' ambitions truly nothing more than stubbornly defending this Anding Commandery?"

Faced with Jia Xu's question, both Li Jue and Guo Si furrowed their brows.

Jia Xu's standing in their hearts now was extraordinary.

The two of them could be said to follow Jia Xu's every word without question.

"Two generals, the realm under heaven today is already in chaos; the Central Plains are locked in endless war. Once the Central Plains fighting ends, no matter who wins or who prevails—"

"For the likes of us, it will all be unfavorable news."

"Could it be that the two generals truly believe that holding a single commandery is enough to rest easy?"

The expressions of Li Jue and Guo Si grew increasingly serious.

Jia Xu watched them calmly in this way, and only after a pause did he speak again: "At present, the only path is to occupy the entirety of Liang Province."

"Only then will we have a slim chance of survival."

"This is presumably also the reason Huangfu Song is straining every nerve to attack Longyou."

"If the two generals move their troops now, it may resolve the battle of Longyou, but what benefit is there for the likes of us?"

"On the contrary, if Huangfu Song and Ma Teng and Han Sui both end up badly wounded—"

"Then the two generals can send out troops to take Hanyang and Longyou, and occupy the entirety of Liang Province."

"Have the two generals truly never considered this?"

This simple, plain-spoken remark could be said to have struck straight to the hearts of both Li Jue and Guo Si.

The expressions of the two of them instantly became wonderfully complex.

"Mr., you mean that we should now rally our forces and prepare for war, and sit back to watch Huangfu Song and Ma Teng and Han Sui tear each other apart?" Li Jue asked, his face alight with excitement.

Guo Si, too, had a gleam in his eyes, staring fixedly at Jia Xu.

"Exactly!" Jia Xu did not hesitate in the slightest, and nodded his head directly.

Seeing this, the two exchanged a glance, and finally made up their minds, then nodded one after another.

"Good! We'll follow Mr.'s lead!"

Wudu Commandery.

Gu Chen was leading his forces, heading straight for Longyou.

He had already divided his troops into two columns.

One column was the most elite three thousand men, led by him personally, crossing mountains and ridges to launch a surprise attack on Longyou.

The other column, meanwhile, would attack Longyou to draw the attention of Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Gu Chen's judgment of the overall situation was indeed extraordinary; he had long since mapped out the specific route for this surprise attack.

—First travel north along the Western Han River valley, avoiding the main passes of Longnan.

March by day and night, pass through Qiuchi Mountain into Qi Mountain, avoid the main Qi Mountain road, detour through Yanguan Town on the western side of Qi Mountain, traverse the Maoshui River valley, and head straight for the Longyou granary at Shanggui.

This move was bound to be immensely difficult.

Whether for the commander-in-chief or for the soldiers under his command, it was an unprecedented trial.

But Gu Chen was quite confident about it.

The Gu clan had specifically preserved books on surprise-attack tactics.

Every current condition perfectly met the prerequisites for a surprise attack.

It was also late autumn, which spared them from mountain floods;

The morale of the soldiers under his command was as steady as a mountain;

Gu Chen had studied the terrain maps left behind by his clan more than once.

All these prerequisites gave Gu Chen absolute confidence.

As the army pressed forward, just as they were about to enter the mountain forest, Gu Chen suddenly halted his steps, his gaze sharp as a torch, and with a serious expression swept his eyes over every soldier present.

In the mountain forest, the wind howled.

"Brothers!" Gu Chen's voice rang out like a great bell, echoing on the wind through the mountain forest. "In this campaign, we shall重现 the glorious feat of my Gu clan ancestors, who descended upon the enemy like heavenly troops!"

"No matter how perilous the road ahead, and whatever the outcome, success or failure, my Gu clan will never let down our brothers!"

Determination and resolve shone in his eyes. "Here do I, Gu Chen, swear: even should I die, I shall fall before any one of you!"

"If this battle succeeds, we shall together leave our names in the annals of history, and let later generations remember our glory!"

Boosting morale is the prerequisite for every general to become a commander-in-chief.

Gu Chen's ringing words struck every soldier's heart like one heavy hammer after another.

All of them stared fixedly at Gu Chen, and the worship in their hearts reached its peak at this moment; they immediately raised the weapons in their hands.

"We are willing to follow the general, smash the enemy and return in triumph, leaving our names for a thousand autumns!"

The voices gathered together, shattering the silence of the mountains and forests, soaring straight into the clouds.

Gu Yi had been watching Gu Chen the whole time, and his expression gradually grew complicated.

Who could have imagined that after so many years, the Gu clan disciples would once again reenact that scene from years past?

Another surprise raid on Longyou?

If this matter truly succeeded, the reputation of being "skilled at surprise raids" would probably be permanently attached to the Gu clan.

Thinking this, Gu Yi could not help but smile, not intending to interfere.

A man like Gu Chen was destined to grow ever stronger through all manner of trials and tempering.

If one kept interfering.

It would only affect Gu Chen's path to the heavens.

All he had to do was protect Gu Chen's life at the critical moment, and that would be enough.

PS: Begging for monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)