Chapter 631: The Shu Army's Advance

"Pass the order to the commanders of every camp and unit: strictly discipline your men, and remember His Majesty's gracious reward—you must fight wholeheartedly for the state!" Having finished his morning inspection of the Han army's camps, Xiang Xun gave the order with a grim face, seeing that the oppressive mood had eased somewhat, though many soldiers had grown overly lax.

The sun climbed above the treetops, and the sounds of drilling rose from the Han camp as usual, the troops practicing their battle formations without any disruption. Soon, with dispatch riders sent out, the commanders of each unit gathered at the central command, where the chief commander Xiang Xun convened a council of war.

Liu Chenghsun sat to the side as an observer, having arrived just in time. He sat composed and steady, his intelligent eyes carrying a hint of curiosity. Xiang Xun, true to his efficient style, went straight to the point: "Our army has been camped here for months, fighting long without success. I know the officers and men have grown weary and lax. Now autumn has arrived, and the opportunity for battle has presented itself. I propose we move to break through the pass!"

At these words, even the commanders who had anticipated this sat up straighter, their spirits lifted.

"As for the battle plan, drawing on everyone's input, I intend to use fire attack! Weiwu City before us is nothing but a furnace piled high with dry firewood. We have already stockpiled two thousand four hundred fire-oil bombs before the camp—when the time comes, we can burn the Shu army to ashes in a single blaze!" Xiang Xun said coldly.

Hearing Xiang Xun's words, Han Chongyun, standing at the back, instinctively glanced at Shi Shouxin—truly, he had foreseen this all along.

Xiang Xun remained stern and meticulous as he continued: "When you return to your camps, prepare your troops for battle. Store ample water in camp, and cut down all the remaining trees in the vicinity! This fire may well consume the surrounding forests, so we must be careful ourselves!"

Xiang Xun had clearly been planning this for a long time. To avoid suspicion, when he had first ordered the felling of timber to build the camp, he had ordered excessive deforestation, leaving the area around the Han camp sparse of shade—a bare "firebreak zone."

"For this battle, the Longqi Army will first attack the pass with catapults and set the fire!" Xiang Xun looked at Wang Quanbin.

"Understood!" Gao Huaide answered decisively, his attitude eager and his expression invigorated.

"The Xingjie Army will follow up with the assault!" Xiang Xun then looked at Wang Quanbin again.

Though somewhat disappointed, Wang Quanbin still clasped his fists and accepted the order.

"All other units, make your preparations and stand ready for deployment at any time!"

No sooner had he finished outlining the general arrangements than a scout rushed in with urgent news—the Shu army's movements had changed. The junior officer was summoned inside to report: "Report to the Commander-in-Chief, the Shu army is on the move. Five thousand Shu troops from Tangcang Town have marched north; judging by their direction, their target is likely Huanghua Valley. There are also Shu troops at Xie Valley, advancing to garrison Baijian."

Hearing this, Xiang Xun immediately rose and walked to the map hanging in the tent, studying the place names. After considering for a moment, he couldn't help but laugh: "Baijian and Huanghua Valley are both on our flank and rear! It seems the Shu army truly can't sit still any longer—they intend to cut off our retreat!"

"Earlier, the Wude Office and the Military Intelligence Office both reported that, under orders from the Shu court, the Shu army would be making a move. This is their choice!" Xiang Xun remarked with a sigh.

"Commander-in-Chief, Baijian and Huanghua Valley are both in our rear, and they concern our supply lines—especially Huanghua Valley, which is even easier to use to sever our retreat. We cannot afford to lose it. There are few defenders there; if the Shu army succeeds, our position will be greatly compromised!" Gao Huaide said gravely.

Though he had seen through the Shu army's intentions, Xiang Xun did not dare take it lightly. After a moment's thought, he said seriously: "We must respond quickly, especially to the enemy at Tangcang!"

"Commander-in-Chief, this officer requests permission to sally forth! The Shu troops from Tangcang heading to Huanghua Valley will have to take narrow, circuitous roads. I am willing to lead my men to reinforce and meet the Shu army in battle!" Han Chongyun could not hold back and stepped forward, clasping his fists in request. He could see that at the main camp, his turn was unlikely to come; now that an opportunity had arisen, he naturally pressed his case eagerly.

Wang Renshan also stepped forward at this moment, pressing his case forcefully: "This officer is willing to go!"

Seeing this, Han Chongyun's brow immediately furrowed in displeasure. Xiang Xun waved his hand to stop the others who were eager to volunteer, his gaze shifting between the two men a few times as he paced, seemingly deliberating over whom to send.

At this moment, Shi Shouxin, who had remained modest and low-key throughout, finally stepped forward and said to Xiang Xun: "Commander-in-Chief, why not divide our forces further and seize Tangcang, pulling out this thorn buried in our flank? In doing so, we can also cut off the retreat of the Shu army that has sallied forth. If that Shu force is destroyed, the enemy at Baijian will collapse on their own. Then, Commander-in-Chief, if you launch a general assault on Weiwu City, the Shu army across from us will surely collapse along the entire front!"

"General Shi's insight is sharp indeed!" Xiang Xun nodded approvingly, making no effort to hide his admiration. His eyes darting, he said: "The enemies at Tangcang and Baijian will be left to the Inner Palace Guard to deal with!"

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief! This officer will not fail the order!" A pleased expression finally appeared on Shi Shouxin's face.

"Speed is of the essence in war—go make your preparations!" Xiang Xun instructed Shi Shouxin.

Turning back, he studied the military map for a while longer. The Shu army's move had set off a chain reaction, showing him too many opportunities at once. Even his plan to burn the forests was beginning to waver.

But staring at Weiwu City marked on the map, Xiang Xun quickly steeled his resolve and said to the assembled commanders: "Make your preparations today. Tomorrow we march to attack the pass and break the Shu army in one stroke!"

"Understood!"

As for Generals Shi and Han, they quickly left the command tent and returned to their camps, mobilizing their troops to carry out their missions. In the commander's tent, the orders had sounded simple, but actually executing them would not be so easy.

On the way back to camp, the two had already divided their tasks—though, of course, it was basically Shi Shouxin who made the arrangements. Han Chongyun wanted to lead troops to Huanghua Valley, but Shi Shouxin refused.

When it came to military arrangements, Shi Shouxin was stern and gave no face at all, saying directly: "I'll take only half the men—two companies of crossbowmen and three companies of infantry, with plenty of arrows and nothing heavy weighing us down. We'll travel light and fast, heading straight for Huanghua Valley to race the Shu army for time and set up an ambush in advance!

You lead the remaining troops and strike directly at Tangcang Town, adapting to the situation as it develops. If their forces are insufficient and their defenses lax, attack. If their defenses are tight, fall back halfway and set up an ambush to block and kill the Shu troops!"

"Yes!" Faced with the military order, Han Chongyun had nothing more to say and accepted his orders readily.

Huanghua Valley, being a key logistics route, had been garrisoned by the Han army with one company of troops and laborers to guard against Shu attacks. Its defenses were not particularly strong, and the Shu army's choice of it as a target was clearly based on prior reconnaissance—they knew the situation at Huanghua Valley well.

About three li southwest of the valley mouth, thousands of Shu soldiers had stopped to rest, having turned from a cramped path onto the main road. Looking up at the sky, the sun was sinking low, setting over the western mountains.

They had marched for nearly a full day, much of it along wild mountain trails, and it had been exhausting. Looking around, many soldiers had already lost their formation, resting carelessly in a scattered, undisciplined manner.

The commanding general, Han Jixun, immediately grew angry. He sent his personal guards out to relay orders, directing his troops to disperse by company into the hills on either side to rest, drink water, and eat.

At the same time, the scouts sent ahead to reconnoiter returned with intelligence on the enemy.

"How is it? Any abnormalities at Huanghua Valley? How are the Han defenses?" Han Jixun handed a waterskin to the scout personally and asked urgently.

"Governor!" The scout drank a little to quench his thirst, wiped his mouth, and reported: "Nothing out of the ordinary. However, the pass defenses are quite tight—Han soldiers are patrolling continuously and have not let down their guard!"

Hearing this, Han Jixun actually breathed a sigh of relief—that was normal. After thinking a moment, he asked: "Are there any sentry posts outside the camp?"

"We probed carefully, even getting close to the pass, and saw no Han sentries or scouts!"

"It seems the Han army has grown somewhat lax after all!" Han Jixun sighed, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He immediately gave the order: "Pass the order to the entire army—rest another two quarters of an hour, then launch the attack on Huanghua Valley! Select five hundred elite soldiers; I will lead them personally to advance straight for the valley mouth!"

"Governor, the men have been marching continuously and are utterly exhausted. It's already getting dark—would it not be ill-advised to attack now? Why not rest here for the night and attack tomorrow morning instead?" A commander beside him, hearing the order, couldn't help but offer counsel.

"I know full well how weary the men are. It's not that I lack consideration for them, but speed is of the essence in war—we cannot afford delay." Han Jixun said: "For these past three months, both armies have sent scouts probing each other. Though we've tried to keep this sortie as concealed as possible, I fear we cannot hide it for much longer. We must take Huanghua Valley and strengthen its defenses before the Han army can react.

Otherwise, once the Han army reacts and Huanghua Valley is still not in our hands, our forces will be in grave danger! Moreover, we've already crept right up to the valley mouth, practically under the Han army's noses—how long can we possibly keep our movements hidden?"

"Tell the men to hold on a little longer and push through their fatigue. Huanghua Valley is defended by only a few hundred soldiers and laborers—once we take it, they can rest easy!" Han Jixun explained patiently.

"Understood!" Having heard him out, the commander beside him was clearly persuaded and immediately went to make the arrangements.

Han Jixun continued to endure his own fatigue, forcing himself to stay alert. His left hand gripped his sword hilt tightly, his eyes fixed northward with a piercing gaze, as if he could see through the layers of forest to his destination—Huanghua Valley.

Han Jixun felt that his defeat at Huangniu Stockade had been due to carelessness. This sortie was one he had personally requested, determined to wash away that shame.

When the time came, as he had arranged, Han Jixun personally led five hundred elite soldiers at the front, creeping up to the mouth of Huanghua Valley. The moment the horn sounded, they launched their attack on the Han defenders at Huanghua Valley.