Chapter 51: Weighing a Tael Against a Catty

"If Geng Chongmei fully understands the situation in Shangdang, given his current movements, the likelihood of him engaging us head-on is not great. If our army shows its banners and advances south with overwhelming force, he will likely hold fast at Yangtou Mountain, or even withdraw south to Luzhou and resist us there."

"Therefore, in my humble opinion, our army should launch another sudden advance—before he has fully reacted, strike him unawares, and with the speed of thunder, attack the north of Yangtou Mountain, seizing the initiative on the battlefield!" Xiang Xun explained to Liu Chengyou.

"If we do that, wouldn't we be handing the advantage of waiting at ease to the enemy, while our own army becomes the weary one?" Liu Chengyou expressed his concern.

Xiang Xun had clearly given this consideration, and continued: "From Shangdang to the north of Yangtou Mountain is less than fifty li, the terrain is gentle, and the roads are clear. If Your Highness sends one army as the vanguard, a forced march of an hour and a half will get them there, leaving ample time to rest and recover."

"Moreover, what I worry about is not how to defeat them, but how to keep them here. The purpose of sending the vanguard south is not to attack the enemy, but to keep an eye on them—to prevent them from slipping away easily! As for Your Highness, leading the main army behind, you need only advance steadily south!"

After hearing Xiang Xun's plan, Liu Chengyou lowered his head and pondered for a moment: "When the vanguard goes south and reaches the north of Yangtou Mountain, they will surely be detected by the enemy. If the enemy throws their full strength at them, seeking to break our vanguard first, what then?"

Hearing this, Xiang Xun's face still brimmed with confidence: "If Geng Chongmei truly does that—setting aside the difficulty of a night attack—the moment he dares to sally forth, he abandons the defense of Yangtou Mountain. When Your Highness's rear army arrives in force, we can seize the moment and cut them down..."

"You're laying bait!" Liu Chengyou said.

"But this bait must be an army that can fight hard battles—one that, after a forced march, can withstand a siege by several times their number for at least an hour!" A hint of gravity settled onto Xiang Xun's expression.

"Which army do you have in mind?" Liu Chengyou asked. By asking this, he had essentially accepted Xiang Xun's approach.

"Surely Your Highness already has an answer in his heart!" Xiang Xun said.

"Indeed!"

Among the armies and battalions under the Longqi Army, the one Liu Chengyou trusted and could entrust with such a formidable task was none other than Ma Quanyi's First Army—after all, from the very beginning of its reorganization, the First Army had been his key focus of cultivation.

"However, even if he discovers our army moving south, whether Geng Chongmei has the resolve to sally forth at night remains unknown. If he is set on playing it safe, then by the time our army knocks at the gates of Yangtou Mountain, he will have little room left to maneuver. If he advances, our army will hold firm against him; if he retreats, our army will pursue the advantage; if he stalemates, once the grinding battle drags on, the victor will surely be our army..."

Under Xiang Xun's guidance, Liu Chengyou felt a sudden clarity, reaching up to rub his clean-shaven chin a few times before speaking slowly: "As it stands now, no matter how this battle is fought, victory is surely ours!"

"Merely weighing a catty against a tael!" Xiang Xun chuckled lightly.

Thinking it over carefully, in this battle, Liu Chengyou's side held the advantage in every respect.

Having already taken Shangdang, he could draw upon the strength of all the counties of Luzhou, and with Hedong at his back, support was available at any moment. His troops were no weaklings, his numbers were not at a disadvantage, and the people's hearts were largely with him. In comparison, Geng Chongmei was an isolated army on a distant campaign—few troops, unreliable supplies, and a logistics line that could be cut at any moment. Even if he were safe for the time being, Liu Chengyou could find ways to strike at him.

If Geng Chongmei had held steady from the very start, simply guarding Luzhou, then Liu Chengyou might have had no way to deal with him for a while. But since he had marched north and entered Luzhou's borders, no matter how cautious he appeared on the battlefield, he had already fallen into a passive position.

In contrast, Liu Chengyou's side had far more room to maneuver. Thinking of this, Liu Chengyou suddenly felt that his crude baiting scheme, though it had not succeeded, had at least drawn Geng Chongmei northward—it had not been entirely useless. With that thought, his mood improved considerably.

To hear both sides is to be enlightened. As night first fell, Liu Chengyou acted with swift decisiveness, summoning all his officers to his tent for a military council, laying out Xiang Xun's plan for discussion. It won the approval of most, especially Guo Rong.

With opinions unified, Liu Chengyou decisively issued the order, entrusting the vanguard mission to Ma Quanyi. And Ma Quanyi, as always, accepted without the slightest hesitation.

"Your Highness, I wish to go south together with General Ma!" After the deployment was settled, Guo Rong volunteered.

Looking at Guo Rong, a flicker of subtle contemplation passed through Liu Chengyou's eyes. After only a brief thought, he agreed: "If you go as well, I will be all the more at ease!"

Soon, the troops inside and outside Shangdang city began to move, just as they had on that night three days prior, in orderly fashion. Ma Quanyi and Guo Rong led the soldiers of the First Army, taking advantage of the night, and hurried south. This time, they were fully equipped, with ample weapons and armor, and Liu Chengyou had even specially allocated carts and horses for them.

The First Army set out, with Liu Chengyou leading the main force behind. During this process, Luzhou's troops hit a snag and lagged behind somewhat—after all, they had not undergone targeted night training like the Longqi Army had.

The night was hazy, shrouding the earth and blurring one's vision, yet the stars and moon above the night sky shone especially bright, guiding the way ahead. On a road neither wide nor smooth, a fiery dragon wound its way south, like flowing water surging without end.

The soldiers of the entire First Army wore grave expressions, marching in orderly silence with heads down. Before departure, Ma Quanyi had gathered the whole army for a speech, explaining the importance of this mission, spurring the troops with the words "His Highness's great kindness, repaid this day"—so the soldiers now marched with a spirit of generous resolve, ready to brave mountains of blades and seas of fire.

Ma Quanyi walked at the front, torch in hand, marching alongside the men. His warhorse was used to carry arrows, saving the soldiers' strength wherever possible. Guo Rong followed his example, walking beside him, glancing sidelong at the solemn-faced Ma Quanyi, approving of this young general's ways.

From Shangdang to Yangtou Mountain was a distance of forty-three or forty-four li—truly not far—and with no obstacles in between, the advance went smoothly. In fact, when they were halfway there, they were already spotted by Liao army scouts, and Han Tong concentrated all his cavalry, desperately tangling with and slaughtering them as a diversion.

Over these two days of "vision battles," the cavalry unit Liu Chengyou had formed suffered over thirty casualties, losses approaching two-tenths of its strength. The Liao army was primarily infantry, but they were not without cavalry—their scout riders were numerous and quite troublesome.

Yet it was precisely under such disadvantage that Han Tong led his men through that brutal contest without losing ground, proving that Liu Chengyou's sudden elevation of this "newcomer" to cavalry commander had not been a mistake in judgment.

Less than five li north of the Liao army's camp, the First Army halted, seizing a high slope. Then, under Ma Quanyi's leadership, without resting, they split into two groups—one using carts as defensive barriers for vigilance, the other building palisades and setting up camp from local materials.

This high ground had also been selected in advance by Han Tong for Ma Quanyi. It was not particularly steep or formidable, but it was a position worth relying upon. Moreover, it was the most suitable defensive spot north of the Liao camp—Han Tong's military vision was quite sound.

Just past midnight, Geng Chongmei was roused from sleep. Upon learning of the Longqi Army's arrival, his drowsy spirit was instantly jolted awake.

"So Shangdang was just a facade, meant to lure me into a trap. That Liu boy—his schemes are truly devious!" After a moment's thought, Geng Chongmei let out a long sigh, a hint of wariness in his tone.

Liu Chengyou, however, did not know that his self-acknowledged crude, hole-ridden scheme had earned rather high "praise" in Geng Chongmei's estimation.

"How many men have come?"

"Estimating, just over a thousand or so!"

"Commander, that Hedong army is too arrogant—riding in by night, daring to set up camp right under our noses!" The reporting yabing officer suggested: "Why not take advantage of their unstable footing and send troops to wipe them out!"

At this suggestion, Geng Chongmei hesitated directly—he still did not quite understand the purpose of the Hedong army's move...

After deliberating for a long while, Geng Chongmei ultimately chose to play it safe, waving his hand and saying: "Night fighting is disadvantageous. Pass the order to all camps: hold our positions and defend the camp!"

By the time dawn was breaking, a crude yet practical defensive palisade had already been erected on that high ground, facing the Liao army camp not far away across the distance. And the soldiers of the First Army had already taken turns resting through one rotation.

"This Geng Chongmei—he truly doesn't dare attack?" Ma Quanyi, having already caught a short nap, muttered as he gazed at the Liao army's camp to the south. There was even a hint of disappointment in his tone, which to Guo Rong's ears sounded a bit like "getting a bargain and still acting smug."

By full daylight, Liu Chengyou led the main army forward at a turtle's pace, conserving their strength. Gazing north at the sea of banners slowly pressing southward, Geng Chongmei dared even less to make any rash move.