Chapter 504: Man's Trouble Is Liking to Teach Others

The ambush Zhou Zhi encountered that night was only the beginning of a nightmare.

In the following days, whenever anyone left the Qinghe County seat to requisition grain, cavalry from the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army would trail them.

Because the Hebei rebels had almost offended every local of Beizhou, every move they made was reported to Fang Chongyong.

Moreover, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was not only a force that struck the grain‑requisition parties after they set out, but also employed tactics unfamiliar to the Hebei border troops:

namely the Western Regions cavalry javelin technique.

This was a tactic the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army learned from the Anxi Army when they once campaigned in the Western Regions.

It is seldom used in the Central Plains, but common in the Western Regions.

For example, Anxi Army commander Bai Xiaode carried, besides standard Tang‑army gear, two Duannao strapped to his waist.

They can serve as javelins or, in combat, as two‑handed spears—extremely versatile.

He has earned considerable battlefield merit with this technique before.

The Anxi Army is an all‑cavalry formation; when confronting the typical knife‑shield plus long‑spear infantry of the small Western Regions states, it has its own unique formation‑breaking method.

Otherwise the battle would be unwinnable—cavalry cannot charge foolishly. They almost always win despite being outnumbered; if a war were fought toe‑to‑toe, the horses would be dead after a few engagements, making further fighting pointless.

When the Anxi Army charges, it concentrates on using javelins—also called Suo Spears—to breach enemy shields and create chaos in a sector. The cavalry vanguard then exploits the breach, charging through the confused zone; the following troops press on to enlarge the victory.

With these three tactics, infantry in the Western Regions can hardly hold.

To counter nomadic cavalry, they formed a Mo Blade Unit that employs a "foot‑to‑cavalry" strategy. Different enemies meet different tactics—highly targeted. This is the secret of the Anxi Army's strength.

Especially against the heavy infantry of Tubo, swords and bows are nearly useless; only long‑range Suo Spears and close‑range mace‑like war‑clubs are effective.

This time Fang Chongyong used Suo Spears seized from the Beizhou Prefectural storehouse to strike the Hebei rebels gathering grain in the countryside. One volley of Suo Spears threw the enemy line into total chaos; the following cavalry surged forward, cutting them down like reeds.

It was like an adult bullying a child—easily exploiting mobility for a surprise attack.

After the strike, the cavalry immediately withdrew to Wucheng; by the time Zhou Zhi sent men to the scene, the locals had stripped the corpses of their clothing, leaving nothing behind!

After suffering several setbacks and losing hundreds, Zhou Zhi ordered a retreat to Qinghe County seat and dispatched scouts to request aid from An Shouchong.

He honestly became a turtle in Beizhou, daring not to show his head again.

Knowing he was inferior and could not win, he chose not to force himself forward. Though Zhou Zhi's command ability was lacking, he at least had self‑awareness.

Seeing no opportunity left, Fang Chongyong did not linger; he boarded a transport boat and continued north, leaving Beizhou and entering Dezhou.

A few days later, An Shouchong, who had gained nothing in Liaocheng, arrived at Qinghe County with five thousand cavalry. He was in a sour mood, because the situation in Liaocheng showed he had completely misread the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's movements.

Upon reaching Qinghe County, An Shouchong saw an empty dock, an empty granary, and an empty prefectural storehouse.

His heart sank to the bottom of a valley; he could not help but mutter his woes.

When Zhou Zhi led him into Qinghe County seat, An Shouchong's face remained calm and unruffled, as if even a mountain pressing down would not change his expression.

However, when the two entered the magistrate's study to discuss matters in secret, the moment they stepped inside, An Shouchong blurted, "Didn't I tell you to advance slowly before? Why did you still take a transport boat for a rapid march?"

Zhou Zhi was speechless, quickly bowed and apologized, daring not to argue.

"Alas, this is troublesome."

After a long while, An Shouchong let out a long sigh.

"According to your report, the granary is empty, the transport boats were burned, the dock's vessels cleared, and you are still constantly harassed by cavalry.

Right?"

An Shouchong's expression turned puzzled as he asked.

Zhou Zhi wanted to argue a few words, but knowing An Shouchong was not easy to placate, he merely nodded and said, "Indeed, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is hard to deal with, and Fang Qing is even more cunning than a fox; my troops cannot profit from them."

Zhou Zhi then detailed, point by point, everything about the first night in Beizhou—how they set an ambush in the main camp, how the transport boats were burned, his own bewildered expression, and his ignorance of cause and effect—telling An Shouchong each fact.

Upon learning these details, An Shouchong's face immediately grew solemn.

When an expert makes a move, the outcome is clear; Zhou Zhi was led by the nose and lost without grievance.

Could Fang Chongyong have raided the camp that night?

The answer is yes; he could even withdraw unscathed thanks to his army's excellent tactical literacy.

However, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army did not deploy its whole force; a small cavalry detachment took a roundabout route to burn the transport boats, then withdrew cleanly without lingering or leaving any trace.

With the boats gone, Zhou Zhi's pursuers had to go on foot to chase those who had boarded.

The more An Shouchong thought about it, the more he found the move exquisitely ingenious; Fang Chongyong's control of the war's tempo was profoundly seasoned.

Because Zhou Zhi's rashness lost the transport boats, and the two sides' levels differed greatly, the threat from their pursuers was far less than expected. At minimum, re‑organizing transport boats and grain supplies from Weizhou would take a great deal of time.

Once they sorted that out, Fang Chongyong, with the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, had already been stirring trouble in Dezhou and had even moved on to Cangzhou.

According to An Shouchong's original plan, their pursuit was meant to pressure the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, preventing the enemy from calmly searching for supplies, calmly seizing strongholds, and calmly redeploying troops.

The delay meant the plan failed by more than half.

An Shouchong's cavalry required, per horse in combat, ten kilograms of dry hay and five kilograms of premium feed daily, halved when not in combat. The arrival of these five thousand riders undoubtedly added a severe strain to Beizhou's already tense logistics.

Talking about pursuit at this point was like speaking to a dreamer.

"First rest in Beizhou for a few days; Weizhou has little grain, we can only transfer from Liyang."

An Shouchong let out a long sigh, feeling the battle was stifling.

"Beizhou is full of obstinate locals, and there are ambushes against our grain‑requisition teams. General An, what do you think is the best response?"

Zhou Zhi asked calmly.

They now had to raid villages for grain; otherwise, without Liyang's supplies, they would starve.

That said, Beizhou originally had abundant supplies; it was Fang Chongyong's covert move—opening the granaries to give grain to locals and large households in Beizhou and Bozhou—that left the storehouses empty.

If not for that, would Zhou Zhi's men need to raid the countryside?

This war truly spared no means!

"Those provisions were originally in Beizhou's northern state granary. No need for politeness with those obstinate locals; whatever comes, comes."

"I will dispatch cavalry to escort all the way; I won't believe Fang Qing still dares…!"

An Shouchong snorted coldly.

He had already made up his mind: as long as Fang Chongyong dared to send troops to harass the grain-collection teams as before, he would spring a "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" trap, ensuring those whelps never returned.

"With General An here, there is naturally nothing to worry about."

Zhou Zhi wore a fawning smile on his face and offered the flattery.

An Shouzhong waved his hand gently without saying much. On that ferocious face of his, his features were all squeezed together. Those small eyes were narrowed, and it was unclear what he was calculating.

His large hands, callused at the tiger's mouth, kneaded each other, and his left leg bounced lightly, as if he were scheming up some wicked idea.

"General An, is something amiss?"

Zhou Zhi asked cautiously, not daring to interrupt An Shouzhong's train of thought.

"Tell me, that bunch of theirs keeps heading north — how do they plan to return to Bianzhou?"

Even if they truly intend to fight all the way to Youzhou, Commander Huangfu does have troops garrisoned there, does he not?"

An Shouzhong's eyes narrowed into slits as he posed the question.

He simply could not figure out what Fang Chongyong was really thinking, which was why he felt somewhat indecisive.

Zhou Zhi smiled bitterly; if he had figured it out, he would not be so troubled now.

Just then, an orderly hurried in and reported to An Shouzhong, "General An, Commander Huangfu's messenger has arrived at the gate of the prefectural office. Shall we show him in?"

"Who is it?"

An Shouzhong asked in a low voice, his expression calm, not panicked in the least.

"To answer General An, it is Zhang Xiu — he has been here once before."

The personal guard answered honestly.

"Bring him in."

An Shouzhong sighed; he had probably already guessed why Zhang Xiu was coming.

Sure enough, the moment they met, An Shouzhong saw that Zhang Xiu's expression was grim.

"Judge Zhang, have you come to Beizhou this time because Commander Huangfu has something to instruct?"

Before Zhang Xiu could even open his mouth, An Shouzhong preempted him with a question.

"Hmph, see for yourself, General An. This is the latest military intelligence."

Zhang Xiu handed over an unsealed letter to the other man, then stepped aside.

An Shouzhong took the letter, casually tore it open, and upon reading it felt a wave of numbness across his scalp.

The letter stated: after leaving the borders of Beizhou, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had suddenly turned west and appeared in Zaoqiang County of Jizhou, successfully capturing the county seat.

The same old routine — opening the granaries and distributing grain, dismantling the Hebei rebel army's local rule.

Caught unprepared, Zaoqiang County was taken virtually without bloodshed. The county magistrate and the county commandant fled, and under the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's guidance, locals swiftly emptied the county treasury.

"Why would they attack northwest into Jizhou?"

An Shouzhong was utterly baffled. Only after a long while did he snap back to his senses, hastily pulling out a map and poring over it repeatedly.

By ordinary reasoning, Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had two routes they could take.

Continue north along the canal, first reaching Dezhou then Cangzhou, and finally Youzhou — a carefree romp.

Or head south to attack Ande City, the prefectural seat of Dezhou, then cross the Yellow River and make a clean getaway.

No matter how you looked at it, they would not head northwest to attack Jizhou!

Incomprehensible, completely incomprehensible!

"General An, Commander Huangfu is very angry right now. You've been led in circles by Fang Qing's few thousand troops, and now they've pressed all the way into Jizhou. How am I supposed to explain this to Commander Huangfu when I return?"

Zhang Xiu let out a long sigh and voiced his challenge.

"Judge Zhang, I trouble you to put in a few good words for me before Commander Huangfu when you return. Many thanks, many thanks."

An Shouzhong pulled a coin purse from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Xiu, wearing an amiable smile. Only, such a smile on his somewhat ferocious face looked wrong no matter how you viewed it.

Zhang Xiu pushed the purse aside, refusing to accept it.

He could not help shaking his head as he said, "I will help cover for you when I return, General An, but whether it will be of any use is another matter entirely. Moreover, Commander Huangfu has already ordered Gao Miao's forces — garrisoned in Dingzhou to guard against the Hedong army advancing east — to march south and block Fang Qing from the north. If the situation on the battlefield worsens further, I fear General An will inevitably face punishment under military law."

Zhang Xiu spoke with a velvet glove concealing a hidden needle.

An Shouzhong gave a slight nod and offered no further defense. In truth, the fact that Huangfu Weiming had been forced to redeploy troops from the heart of Hebei to help him block the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was already a sign of doubt about his competence.

From now on, he truly had to advance step by step with caution and care.

"I still have urgent business and must hurry back to Yecheng. General An, there is no need to see me out."

Zhang Xiu gave An Shouzhong a brief bow, then departed in haste.

After he left, Zhou Zhi leaned in and whispered to An Shouzhong, "General An, that cur Zhang Xiu's attitude was far worse than last time. I fear someone has been speaking ill of General An to Commander Huangfu."

Hearing this, An Shouzhong waved his hand gently, signaling Zhou Zhi to say no more — such idle talk was meaningless to him.

Generals on the battlefield must speak through their battle record. When your record falls short, people gossiping behind your back is inevitable.

"I am only worried about the saying: one monk carries water to drink, two monks carry water together. Add a Gao Miao to the mix, and this war may not be any easier to fight."

An Shouzhong sighed helplessly. Huangfu Weiming's move to "block and intercept" looked like mending the fold after the sheep were lost, but was in fact a blunder.

Gao Miao would never coordinate with An Shouzhong — the two were of equal rank, and neither could persuade the other.

This would instead make it easy for the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to exploit the gaps.

"General An, then what should we do?"

Zhou Zhi asked with a worried look on his face. He believed in An Shouzhong's ability — the man possessed great talent.

As for Gao Miao, if he were truly formidable, he would not have been sent to Dingzhou by Huangfu Weiming. The Hebei rebel army's elite forces were all at Liyang now, and those who could fight were mostly there as well.

"What else can we do but give Gao Miao the chance to earn merit."

An Shouzhong gave a cold, dark chuckle. He had long since made up his mind: since Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army were so troublesome and hard to deal with, there was no need to rush headlong into bad luck.

An old hand like him came out ahead even when he lost — let alone when he won? He would not lose out no matter how he played it!

Let Gao Miao waste time and energy against the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army at the front. Losing did not matter — as long as it whittled down the enemy's strength, that was enough.

Once Gao Miao and the troops under his command had been beaten by the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army so badly they could barely function, Fang Chongyong's side would presumably be exhausted too.

At that point, An Shouzhong would lead five thousand cavalry in a pounce, and a single strike would be lethal!

The whole plan hinged on the snipe and the clam grappling while the fisherman reaped the benefit.

"We can rest and reorganize in Bei Prefecture for a few more days, prepare more provisions before setting off. No rush, no rush."

An Shouzhong used his finger to write the character "endure" on the desk.

Zhou Shu understood perfectly — no wonder people said An Shouzhong had strategic depth and knew how to fight! The rhythm of war was crucial; fail to master the rhythm, and one would lose all bearing in advance and retreat.

Since Gao Miao would come to "cooperate" with them in encircling and intercepting the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, An Shouzhong would likewise "cooperate" with the other party in his own way.

The whole approach was one of "yielding."

"But General An, that Fang Qing is now making waves in Ji Prefecture — are we just going to ignore it? Xindu in Ji Prefecture is one of the most prominent cities in Hebei."

Zhou Shu could not help but remind An Shouzhong.

"Heh, that just shows your eyes are dull."

An Shouzhong suddenly grew animated; his usual habit of playing the teacher flared up again.

He waved his hand and said, "That Fang Qing is just toying with you. Attacking Ji Prefecture is nothing but a feint — he cannot leave the canal. I'm certain he will ultimately head to this place, without a doubt!"

An Shouzhong used his index finger to draw a circle around a certain spot on the map.

It was a point where the Yongji Canal and the Zhang River converged, southwest of Cang Prefecture near the border of De Prefecture. The spot had also been specially marked with two characters: Baiqiao!

"Dongguang County, Baiqiao Town?"

Zhou Shu murmured to himself. The place was indeed well known — a key point along the Yongji Canal.

"But of course it's Baiqiao Town."

An Shouzhong's face showed a look of complacency as he laughed and continued, "Heh, Baiqiao Town grew from the market around Baiqiao. Baiqiao spans the Yongji Canal, with numerous ferry crossings nearby, and it is also a hub for transferring goods and supplies. If Fang Qing wishes to continue north, he must take Baiqiao Town. We'll leak this information to Gao Miao and let him test the mettle of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army — there's no hurry to head north."

Zhou Shu could not help but give a thumbs up, flattering An Shouzhong: "General An, you're still the sharpest! This move is brilliant! Brilliant!"