Chapter 514: Striking a Stone with an Egg?

Weinan County, right on the southern bank of the Wei River.

In Fang Chongyong's previous life, this place was called "the vital road of the Three Qin and the thoroughfare of eight provinces," and its strategic position was extremely important.

To the east it borders Huazhou, the inevitable route to Mount Hua; to the south it meets Lantian County; to the west, passing Xinfeng Station, lies Ba Bridge; to the northwest it borders Fuping County; to the north it adjoins Pucheng County; and to the northeast is Dali County.

In short, you can go anywhere from here!

Holding this place is holding the eastern gate of Chang'an.

Although rain keeps falling outside, countless laborers outside Weinan County are digging trenches and installing wooden palisades near the large camp outside the city.

At the northernmost tip of the eastern plateau of Weinan County lies a surrounding high ground. It is a village called Luduan Village, rumored to have been formed during the Southern and Northern Dynasties when a prominent Lu family and a prominent Duan family settled their clans here.

One family lived at the village head, the other at the village tail; the villagers were either Lu or Duan.

Centuries have passed, things have changed, the great families are no longer the Lu and Duan clans, yet the name remains.

Luduan Village is the defensive core that Yan Zhenqing has arranged, with the large camp set up here.

Yan Zhenqing knows that most of the twenty‑to‑thirty thousand under his command are mere fish‑flesh, even a ragtag crowd. Expecting them to win a battle is like telling a fool a dream.

But if he doesn't deploy defenses in Weinan County, where else can he? Must the line really be pulled back to Ba Bridge?

Yan Zhenqing knows clearly that if he does that, the powerful in Chang'an will turn against him.

Rather than that, it's better to go all out.

"You few, go dig a ditch in front of us; the rainwater will collect there and become a channel!"

In the downpour, Yan Zhenqing, clad in a raincoat, stopped a short distance away, looked around, and shouted at a few militiamen who were slacking off.

If they dig now, once the rain stops it will become a trench that hinders the attacking side.

Hearing Yan Zhenqing's shout, the men hurried over to greet and ask. Yan Zhenqing instructed them directly, and they reluctantly set off to dig the ditch.

With the heavy rain now, Ji Ge's units under his command could not possibly launch an attack; that is obvious.

When it rains, not only is visibility hampered and movement difficult, even bows cannot be used. Those militiamen are overconfident, believing sweeping Guanzhong poses no problem, especially since there are no border troops there now, and the hastily recruited militia are of little use.

So there's no reason to risk an attack.

Yan Zhenqing uses this time gap to gather nearby laborers and those militia, deploying defensive works around Weinan County.

He tries to give Ji Ge's Northwest Border Army a greater obstacle.

"Qingchen (Yan Zhenqing's courtesy name), you return to the county seat to rest; I am here."

Yan Zhenqing's clan brother Yan Gaoxing stepped forward to comfort him.

Yan Zhenqing is no longer young; such toil might overwhelm his body. Yan Gaoxing sees this and worries.

"Brother, time waits for no one; once the rain stops, the Western Army from Puzhou will charge."

Yan Zhenqing forced a bitter smile, shaking his head and gesturing repeatedly, leaving Yan Gaoxing looking helpless.

Fang Youde has troops in his hand, and they are elite, yet he still refuses to act.

The reason is clear to the Yan brothers; that man is their senior superior.

If Fang Youde were to act, he should have already been stationed in Puzhou. Then Ji Ge could not bring the 60,000 Western troops into Guanzhong.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhenqing let out a long sigh.

Fang Youde cannot support Chang'an's bureaucratic apparatus, and those institutions are the key to the Son of Heaven's rule and cannot be replaced by any jiedushi.

Given the two choices, Yan Zhenqing can only pick the latter, because they installed Li Chang as emperor. If a feud erupts, Fang Youde would become the next Dong Zhuo.

Many contradictions cannot be reconciled; what's past cannot be regretted.

"I am here."

Yan Gaoxing emphasized it again.

Yan Zhenqing had nothing more to say; he truly felt exhausted, so he nodded slightly and returned to Weinan County town.

Guanzhong is densely populated, and the county seat of Weinan is large. Yet at this moment, everyone who can run has fled to relatives in Guanzhong, leaving the city cold and empty, with few living souls.

Since the founding of the Great Tang, except for a few years of Wu De's time when occasional troublemakers (like Xue Ju, the Turks) caused trouble in Guanzhong, the rest of the era has been peaceful.

There has been almost no war.

Therefore, those still alive now have no mental preparation for war's arrival and do not know how to respond.

The coming war leaves them at a loss, and old terrifying legends make them fear death and the extinction of their clan.

All they can do is run away.

As long as they temporarily avoid the spotlight and stay out of the direct fire, when Ji Ge's troops pass through and they return, it will be the same, at most losing a bit of petty wealth.

Their departure caused great trouble for Yan Zhenqing. The remaining townsfolk are old, weak, sick, or crippled, unable to move, and they are of no help in defending the city.

Back in the county office's study, Yan Zhenqing stared at the defensive map hanging on the wall.

Hmm, the more I look at this map, the more flaws I see!

Yan Zhenqing even finds it amusing himself.

In fact, the Western Army could bypass Weinan County by the north bank of the Wei River!

Should a force also be deployed over there?

The thought just arose, but Yan Zhenqing snuffed it out.

What's called strengthening everywhere is weakening everywhere. Setting defenses everywhere is not setting defenses anywhere.

Only by concentrating forces can their proper strength be realized.

Yan Zhenqing dares not split his troops.

Of course, Ji Ge's Northwest Border Army is proud; letting them bypass Weinan County while ignoring Yan Zhenqing's tens of thousands and striking Chang'an directly would be a slap in the face.

Thus it can be basically confirmed that the defenses deployed in Weinan County are not useless.

The more Yan Zhenqing examined the map, the more indecisive he became; sitting on a cushion, he closed his eyes to ponder the myriad problems, and eventually fell asleep from fatigue!

That sleep was extremely deep.

Yan Zhenqing had a very long dream; in it, blood was everywhere, and masked, armored militiamen rampaged through a great city.

That place seems familiar, as if it were… Chang'an!

The Hill Eights rushed into the city's neighborhoods and markets, dragging the rich or noble people out of their residences, snarl‑laughing as they butchered them, while hauling away an incalculable amount of treasure, box after box, as if they would never finish.

These people set fires all over Chang'an, even Tai Chi Palace was ignited, and the blaze turned many places into a white wasteland.

How tragic!

"Qingchen? Qingchen?"

Yan Zhenqing felt someone shaking his shoulder. He propped himself up from the desk, rubbed his eyes, and realized it was Yan Gaoqing returning.

"Any movement at the large camp outside the city?"

Yan Zhenqing asked reflexively, his heart trembling with dread.

Recalling that vague dream, cold sweat broke out over his whole body, yet he could not recall any details.

Yan Gaoqing shook his head and said, "There's no movement; the roads outside are muddy and unsuitable for marching. Even if the western army's troops were to arrive, it wouldn't be now."

Yan Zhenqing silently breathed a sigh of relief.

He was too nervous; even the slightest rustle of wind and grass pushed his nerves to the brink of collapse.

"Qingchen, if this battle is lost, how will you respond?"

Yan Gaoqing suddenly asked a seemingly senseless question.

His words were not that blunt; the question he actually wanted to ask was: if we are defeated, should the Yan clan be buried together?

"Brother, what do you want to say?"

Yan Zhenqing retorted.

"Qingchen, what will be the outcome of this battle? I think most people already know deep down.

I suggest that after a defeat, we retreat with the remnants to Lantian County, and then decide according to the situation. If things go badly, we can fall back to Wu Pass."

Yan Gaoqing lowered his voice and said.

Yan Zhenqing never expected his clan brother to propose such a suggestion; he was instantly at a loss for words, unable to speak for a long while.

"Not returning to Chang'an?"

Yan Zhenqing sighed helplessly and asked, having already guessed what Yan Gaoqing meant.

"Qingchen, if we return to Chang'an, even now, there is a chance we could be sentenced and sent before the Retired Emperor.

Some people inside Chang'an City have no backbone."

Yan Gaoqing's expression had grown serious; there was not a hint of joking in his words.

Seeing Yan Zhenqing at a loss for words, he continued to emphasize:

"Brother probably doesn't know yet, Li Mi has already spoken with Fang Dashi, arranging for the Emperor to go to Longzhou, where he can protect the Emperor.

As for us going to Wu Pass…"

Yan Zhenqing spoke while tapping his fingers on the desk, still unable to decide.

"Qingchen! As long as the green mountains remain, we need not fear a lack of firewood!

If Fang Dashi settles the overall situation, doesn't the Emperor still need our support?

How could we die here!"

Yan Gaoqing grew urgent; at this moment, there was little room for choice left, so why still hesitate?

"That will do, then."

Yan Zhenqing let out a long sigh; he also did not understand how things had come to this point.

…

A few days later, the rain finally stopped.

During those days, Yan Zhenqing commanded farmers and soldiers to build fences and dig trenches, never pausing even for a moment.

At last they had roughly constructed something. Whether it was useful is hard to say, but at least it looked like it.

A large camp and the Weinan County town formed two independent garrisons; together with the dug trenches for water diversion, the horse‑stopping stakes and wooden fences made a defensive line, and the separate passages allowed covert troop transfers between the two locations.

Early that morning, Yan Zhenqing at the Luduan Village camp had just arranged for the temporarily recruited Hill Eights to finish breakfast, when he saw a dark mass to the east.

From this high perch, the distant situation was completely visible.

He watched the astonishing numbers: troops wielding swords and shields advanced slowly, making up about one‑fifth; behind them were archers with horn bows and crossbows, also about one‑fifth.

On the north bank of the Wei River, cavalry seemed to be galloping westward.

Yan Zhenqing thought for a moment and understood: the opponent was sending a portion of troops to clash with them, while sending cavalry to bypass Weinan County and head straight for Xinfeng Station and Baqiao!

If nothing goes wrong, it will surely be the usual combination of civil attack and military intimidation.

"Relay my orders; all units prepare to meet the enemy."

Yan Zhenqing ordered Zhang Guangsheng beside him.

Zhang Guangsheng's troops were not newly recruited street thugs from Chang'an, but were formed from the Jinwu Guard, Qian Niu Guard, and other Southern Yamen Imperial Guard units, supplemented with some veteran retirees.

They could be called the only combat‑capable unit among the tens of thousands. Of course, having combat ability is different from being highly combat‑effective—that's two different concepts.

Their ability to go into battle does not mean they can defeat those border troops who are like wolves and tigers.

"Sir Yan, I, the junior commander, think we should start preparing a retreat route."

Zhang Guangsheng said to Yan Zhenqing without showing any emotion.

"Ah?"

Yan Zhenqing was stunned.

You've really got it, huh? The battle hasn't even started, and you're already planning to run away?

Seeing Yan Zhenqing's seemingly unsettled expression, Zhang Guangsheng continued: "Sir Yan, warfare emphasizes striking where the enemy is weak and avoiding where they are strong; tactics are not bound by a single pattern. In fact, this defensive line serves no purpose—it merely looks intimidating. The Hill Eights from Hexi and Anxi Beiting are advancing; they will not march along the route you expect."

Zhang Guangsheng was tongue‑tied, unsure how to explain further.

Yan Zhenqing had never commanded a battle in a border town, so he also did not know what tactics the Tang army used for sieges and raids.

Just then, thick smoke billowed up from the direction of Weinan County — clearly someone had set it alight!

Yan Zhenqing's face showed a look of horror, but Zhang Guangsheng calmly explained, "This is a feint to the east while attacking the west. If Lord Yan leads troops there to reinforce, they will certainly fall into an ambush."

The attacking side was actually laying an ambush!

Such a thing, absurd as it sounded, was in fact commonplace in Tang army operations.

"And what if we don't go?"

Yan Zhenqing asked in a deep voice.

Zhang Guangsheng replied helplessly, "If we don't go, they'll press the advantage and attack Weinan County. Guanzhong has been at peace for a century, and apart from Chang'an, the city walls are all low and short — hardly an impassable natural barrier. Lord Yan has been continuously building ramparts and digging trenches here, so this position is not easy to breach. If I were leading the troops, I would certainly choose Weinan County town as the breakthrough point."

He spoke with absolute certainty, as though mocking Yan Zhenqing for not understanding the use of troops, yet it also seemed to be simply his habitual way of speaking, with no ill intent.

Yan Zhenqing, unwilling to accept this, retorted, "By that logic, were the ramparts built for nothing?"

Zhang Guangsheng noticed that Yan Zhenqing seemed displeased, and hurriedly explained, "If we hadn't built the ramparts, the situation would be even worse — tens of thousands of troops would surround Weinan County completely, and I fear it wouldn't hold even for a single day."

"This won't do, that won't do either — doesn't that mean this battle is bound to be lost?"

Yan Zhenqing demanded, looking already quite angry.

"Exactly, it is indeed bound to be lost beyond doubt — which is why this subordinate asked Lord Yan about a way out."

Zhang Guangsheng spread his hands, feeling that explaining military strategy to this kind of civil official was exhausting.

He had said it the moment they met — if they couldn't hold the position, best to run. After going around in circles, it was still the same words — when had it ever changed?

Just then, a messenger ran over in great haste, an arrow still lodged in his shoulder, blood staining a large patch red. But it appeared that after piercing the armor, the arrow had lost most of its force, so it had not gone deep into the flesh, and that half of his arm could still move freely.

"Lord Yan, the north gate of Weinan County has already been breached — the rebel army has entered the city!"

The messenger reported, panting heavily, his face full of despair.

The news he brought seemed to confirm Zhang Guangsheng's inference.

Breaching one side of the city wall first, though not necessarily enough to charge directly into the city, still allowed them to set fires and create chaos, luring relief troops to come support.

The next step was to fight in the streets while repelling reinforcements, entering the countdown to a captured city.

Yan Zhenqing's assumption that the enemy would first breach the camps that "appeared easy to breach" and then gnaw on the city — that was merely his own wishful fantasy.

"Lord Yan, this subordinate has one plan to seek survival from the jaws of death. If you are willing to listen, this battle is still worth fighting.

If you don't want to hear it, then this subordinate has nothing more to say."

Zhang Guangsheng suddenly grew solemn, speaking in a way that startled with every sentence.

"What is the plan?"

Yan Zhenqing asked in confusion. Given the current situation, let alone seeking survival from the jaws of death, even if it were ten deaths and no survival, he had nothing to rebut.

"As long as Lord Yan is bold enough, there is a chance of victory. But this subordinate cannot say it now — saying it would ruin things."

Zhang Guangsheng waved his hand and began keeping them in suspense.