Chapter 532: The Man Who Dreads the Gonu

Li Quan may appear unremarkable, but in fact he is capable, indeed one could say his abilities are great.

To what extent?

So great that after Li Linfu heard of this man, he regarded him as having prime‑ministerial talent and, feeling threatened, brutally suppressed him. Consequently Li Quan had to resign his post and return home, and later was noticed by Pei Min, who invited him to serve as his aide.

"Now the world is in chaos, the divine artifact has changed hands, and the unscrupulous like fresh, cheap, shameless types are like minnows crossing a river; everything is driven by profit.

This is the misfortune of the Great Tang.

If we set aside loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, Lord Pei actually does not think highly of Huangfu Weiming. As for Gao Niao, he is nothing but a fool."

Li Quan, with a disdainful expression, remarked.

Obviously, he also does not think highly of these people.

Is Gao Niao a fool?

Fang Chongyong raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding something.

Sure enough, Li Quan said lightly, "All that has happened before was merely groundwork, all done by me, Li, for Lord Pei's scheme. Gao Niao is dull, just a warrior; how could he possess such tactics?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Chongyong, thoughtful, nodded and asked, "Is Lord Pei also in Gao Niao's army?"

"Indeed, Lord Pei serves as deputy commander, with many confidants in the army. Gao Niao was appointed by Huangfu Weiming; although he is the commander, his influence in the army is limited.

Lord Pei pretends to comply, cooperating earnestly with Gao Niao. In fact, he has long been preparing in secret, merely awaiting the favorable wind of the Jiedushi."

Li Quan stroked his short beard and laughed, looking as if a pearl of wisdom were in his hand.

Fang Chongyong was a bit puzzled: since Li Quan is Pei Min's confidant and had long planned to deal with Gao Niao, why bother giving Gao Niao advice that would have this army block the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's return route and set up a stronghold?

However, at this moment he could not ask, so he merely nodded slightly and replied, "I am eager to hear the details."

It seemed he saw what Fang Chongyong was thinking, and Li Quan said seriously:

"My plan indeed targets the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, so after Gao Niao gathered the generals for discussion, he gladly adopted it and personally led his troops to ambush along both sides of the canal.

Thus, the two cities Changlu and Cangzhou not only have few troops, but their commanders and many subordinates are Lord Pei's confidants.

The Jiedushi can set the transport ships on fire to burn the dikes, then depart the ships early, and the cavalry can loop around to launch a surprise attack on Gao Niao's ambush site.

Both Changlu and Cangzhou are under Lord Pei's control; even if they see the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, they will pretend not to notice and will not relay information to Gao Niao.

If Gao Niao's ambush is broken, he will be forced to retreat back to Changlu and Cangzhou. At that time, Lord Pei will hoist the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's banner atop the city walls.

In panic, Gao Niao will have no will to besiege, with no foothold forward or back, like a bird startled by a drawn bow.

When the time comes, the army's defeat will occur in an instant."

Li Quan, in a nonchalant manner, laid out Gao Niao's final battle in his life with crystal clarity.

First, by creating a diversion, let Fang Chongyong lead the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army around their defensive zone, causing Gao Niao's ambushed troops to be flanked from behind.

As long as Gao Niao hasn't obtained any supernatural‑level treasure, and as long as Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army perform normally, Gao Niao is highly likely to suffer a crushing defeat.

Second, Pei Min only needs to issue an order to have his trusted subordinates raise the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's banner atop the city walls and secure the gates. Pretending the city has already fallen to Fang Chongyong, they simply deny Gao Niao entry.

He doesn't need to mobilize troops at all.

Finally, the retreating, supply‑cut off Gao Niao can be dealt with by Fang Chongyong at a stroke; thus, Gao Niao's fate becomes irrelevant.

What, then, did Pei Min do throughout the whole process?

In fact, he needn't do anything; he only has to tell the soldiers, when Gao Niao calls for the city, that the shouting outside is not Gao Niao but bad men attempting to deceive the city.

This plan carries minimal risk, is highly practicable, and does not rely on the fickleness of human nature for hope of victory.

Pei Min almost wins while lying down.

As for Fang Chongyong, attacking Gao Niao is his own duty. Even if he is being used by a cheap‑hearted father‑in‑law, what is there to complain about?

One cannot expect Pei Min to stage a direct mutiny, can one?

After hearing Li Quan's entire scheme, Fang Chongyong thought to himself, "This horse‑riding… old ginger is still the hottest!"

Pei Min, such a "back‑stab" deity, with a slight arrangement, gives the enemy a water‑break, and Gao Niao ends up mysteriously buried by his own trap.

Not only is it clever, but it also avoids being a bad person who actively back‑stabs a colleague.

Then, since the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has already defeated Gao Niao, even beheaded him, their remaining deputy commanders, with few troops and few generals, are besieged in a lone fortress; surrendering shouldn't be surprising.

After understanding all this, Fang Chongyong almost felt like applauding Pei Min. Of course, this chain of schemes may well have been Li Quan's idea rather than Pei Min's.

This alone proves that Li Quan is indeed quite capable.

Just as Fang Chongyong bowed his head in thought, Li Quan pulled a parchment map from his coat and spread it on the table.

"This is the spot where Gao Niao's troops are ambushed."

Li Quan's tone was very calm, and he was too lazy to explain why he was so certain.

Gao Niao is a fool, but sometimes a fool can be good because he is obedient.

Li Quan said this spot would be a better ambush; after inspecting, Gao Niao found Li Quan's words reliable and arranged accordingly.

The terrifying part of Li Quan's scheme is that everything he arranged is optimal, yet he never mentions that Pei Min will betray!

"Mr. Li's talent surpasses others, a talent of a national hero."

Fang Chongyong folded the map away, unable to help but exclaim that he was truly impressed this time.

Li Quan, modestly crossing his arms, gave a bow, then smiled without speaking, as if waiting for Fang Chongyong to ask.

It was clearly a test.

Fang Chongyong also understood, and after a moment of contemplation asked, "Since Lord Pei intends to oppose Huangfu Weiming, he must have planned an escape route; what is Lord Pei's retreat?"

"That question, Li, should rather be asked of the Jiedushi. The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is deep in Hebei alone; what constitutes a retreat?"

Li Quan smiled and retorted.

Fang Chongyong, not wanting to play riddles with him, laid his cards on the table and said:

"The Yongji Canal runs northward to the place where several rivers converge, then turns east, following the Zhang River toward the sea, where there is a ferry dock for sea vessels."

In autumn and winter, the north wind blows; taking a sea vessel southward with the wind allows one to leave Hebei.

Our army has proclaimed we will march to Youzhou, which is merely a feint; sailing south by sea vessel is the true retreat.

Hearing this, Li Xuan nodded slightly and said, "Lord Pei's former troops are stationed here, originally set up to secure Gao Mo's rear. Now that they are leaving Hebei, Lord Pei can also turn clouds with a hand and rain with a hand."

He made a palm‑flipping gesture.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but mutter in his mind, "Just as expected." Indeed, how could the old fox not have prepared a fallback?

He couldn't help but feel that the Tang dynasty's waters are truly deep.

The Hebei rebels are of complex composition, with many factions and uneven hearts. Rather than being an organized rebellion, it's more like a coalition that scrapes by, adapting to the local conditions.

Now that Huangfu Weiming has taken Luoyang, the petty thoughts of many Hebei forces have multiplied. Previously they united out of pressure; now that momentum is rising, they begin to think about how to divide the cake.

"Sir, if you don't come this time, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's thousands of soldiers will die without a place to be buried.

Fang thanks them on behalf of Mr. Li."

Fang Chongyong stood up and gave Li Xuan a deep bow.

"General Fang, Li will return to Cangzhou City to report. Gao Mo is quick‑tempered; if the fleet is delayed, he may change his mind.

Farewell."

Li Xuan saluted and took his leave; Fang Chongyong escorted him off the boat, only then did he relax.

He returned to the bow and was surrounded by his subordinate generals; He Changqi asked in confusion, "Jiedushi, just now… what exactly was said?"

The others wore hopeful faces, clearly sharing He Changqi's mood. Now, at the moment of life and death, no one wants to be the "ignorant and clueless" one.

"This is not a place for talk; in short, the plan has changed."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand lightly and entered the cabin first.

The others present exchanged glances and followed him inside.

…

The moon hung high, like a silver plate in the sky, exuding a hint of sanctity.

Today is the Ghost Festival, a day for honoring ancestors.

If Chang'an were still as bustling as before, the emperor and central officials would attend a Taoist celestial welcoming ceremony during the day.

The altar bore fragrant dew of cypress leaves and locust flowers, and Taoist priests in beautiful celestial robes performed rites, on a truly spectacular scale.

At night lanterns are released on the river, and altars are set up throughout Chang'an to liberate wandering souls; every household lights candles and offers food to the unclaimed wronged spirits.

In any case, the celebrations are very grand.

The authorities will also grant a day off.

But none of this concerns Gao Mo, because of the war; these events are likely being cut back, stopping when necessary.

At this moment, Gao Mo leads a detachment of Hebei rebels, ambushed in the woods beside the Yongji Canal, not far from Changlu County.

They plan to ambush the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army fleet led by Fang Chongyong.

A direct strike to cut the fire at its source.

The ambush work is arduous, because often the enemy does not arrive on schedule.

Being a few days later is quite normal.

So the hidden troops must endure all hardships during these days. As long as the commander hasn't ordered a retreat, they must endure no matter how hard.

Precisely because of this, Gao Mo is uneasy, fearing others' command might delay the major operation, so he personally set the ambush on both banks of the Yongji Canal.

Although Gao Mo's military command is mediocre, he does have a virtue: he can take advice.

The battle plan proposed by Li Xuan was discussed with his trusted subordinates; indeed it holds up, essentially without flaw.

Although Li Xuan belongs to Pei Min, Pei Min's loyalty has been questioned by Huangfu Weiming.

Nevertheless, Gao Mo adopted Li Xuan's suggestion.

This is also why this mediocre talent has reached today's importance.

"General Gao, Li Xuan won't betray us, right?"

A nearby personal guard whispered,

The mosquitoes in this forest are truly fierce; basically everyone here has been bitten by a swarm of welts.

But there's no choice; to win the battle, they must endure.

"Today is the Ghost Festival; it's been ages since we last worshipped our parents."

Gao Mo couldn't help but sigh, seemingly not taking the guard's words seriously at all.

In chaotic times, everyone has their own hardships. Who has no dream, yet who isn't merely scraping by under life's heavy pressure?

Often, people wrestle back and forth between their dreams and their limits.

"General Gao, will Fang's bandits not come?"

The guard asked again.

"Hard to say."

Gao Mo uttered two words, his mind also murmuring.

When Li Xuan first offered the idea, he spoke convincingly, as if Fang Chongyong not heading toward the canal embankment were being foolish.

But now the other side is delayed, Gao Mo becomes anxious and indecisive, unable to grasp what will happen next.

"General Gao, you said if we deal with Fang's bandits, is there a chance to make a fortune in places like Chang'an and Luoyang?"

This guard's words today seem unusually many.

Gao Mo was initially irritated by his question, but this final query seemed rather reasonable.

He frowned slightly, then let out a long sigh, saying, "Who knows? In any case, if we can't get meat, at least we can have some soup."

Gao Mo clearly lacks confidence.

Given the current situation, the Hebei rebels' advance into Guanzhong is now a fait accompli. Once Chang'an falls, those siege teams will surely join the looting.

And the group of Qiu Ba, including Li Baochen, likely won't even make it in time.

Speaking of it, it really is a bit disheartening.

"General Gao, we're deadlocked with the Fang bandits here, and the brothers don't know how many will die."

"As a result, that bunch can live it up in Luoyang, carefree and happy. General Gao, the brothers are really resentful."

"The unusually talkative personal guard spoke, indignant and dissatisfied."

"His remarks would likely resonate strongly among the troops."

"It's a pity that Gao Miao also doesn't know what to say. Often, life is just this helpless."

"You fight a life-or-death struggle here, and even if the dead are wounded they can't earn much, yet someone can easily take Luoyang, take Chang'an, and loot wildly inside for three days."

"Who can Gao Miao turn to for reason?"

"Li Baochen only has command and dispatch authority, no power over personnel appointments, and no right to distribute captured goods."

"He is also miserable."

"Now the situation is clear: whoever is closer to Huangfu Weiming, whoever is closer to Guanzhong, gets to enjoy the good life."

"Don't nag about these unlucky things, shut up!"

"Gao Miao retorted rudely, yet he did not punish this personal guard."

"This attitude actually proves his true inner thoughts."

"General Gao, the fleet is coming! Look over there!"

"Another personal guard, pointing at the river surface of the distant canal, said:"

"He saw, under the moonlight, a fleet with fishing lights blazing, mighty and mighty, coming toward the 'dam', seemingly intending to force a breakthrough."

"Good!"

"Gao Miao instantly beamed with joy."

"Set off fireworks, beat the drums, blow the bugle!"

"He ordered the messenger:"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Soon, three fireworks burst in the night sky, extraordinarily beautiful. Only the color is special, a kind rarely seen among the people, and the brightness is also higher."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"On both banks of the canal dam, the drums suddenly thundered!"

"Kill!"

"Gao Miao shouted loudly, and countless heavily armored infantry rushed out of the woods, charging straight at the grain ships that had rammed the dam."

"However, before Gao Miao's subordinates could hurl incendiary objects at the fleet, the ships that had bumped into the dam caught fire first."

"The coarse hemp rope was quickly ignited by the fire on the ship and burned rapidly."

"And the dam, made of joined wooden and bamboo poles, was likewise set ablaze by the fire."

"The fire spread with incredible speed, almost impossible to contain."

"This, this, this—this isn't right, is it?"

"Gao Miao stood at the edge of the nearby woods, somewhat dumbfounded."

"On the grain ships, there was no enemy troops dropping into the water like dumplings as expected."

"Instead, it was utterly silent, as if no one was aboard."

"Oh no! We've been tricked!"

"Gao Miao's heart gave a jolt, and he silently thought, 'Not good.'"