Chapter 916: Moheduo Weighs the Poisonous Plan, Troops Pointed at Tongwan City, Star Generals Gather

Moheduo moved the back of the blade away from his palm, waving a blade flower in the air.

The blade edge swept across the firelight in the Golden Tent, reflecting a cold gleam.

"Tutun."

"Subordinate is here."

Sunongtutun's hand pressed on the handle of that human-bone dagger, waiting.

Moheduo walked to the front of the sand table, using the blade tip to point twice at the location representing Xia Prefecture.

"This plan of yours, this Crown Prince finds it truly satisfying to hear."

The knife scars on Sunongtutun's face were reflecting a blue-white color in the firelight.

"But—"

Moheduo lifted the blade tip from the sand table, turning to look at Sunongtutun.

"Chen Yan, this person, this Crown Prince knows better than you."

Sunongtutun didn't take the conversation, waiting for the following text.

Moheduo sheathed the curved saber, both hands behind his back.

"He is vengeful, his mind meticulous to the extreme. To have lived until today in that man-eating Court of Great Zhou, and to have been able to sit firmly in the position of Duke of Wei, relies not just on luck."

He walked to the side of the fire pit, bending over to pull a piece of pine wood that had burned halfway from the charcoal ash; the cross-section of the wood still retained dark red sparks.

"For such a person, daring to pull all the main force out to fight Rouran, Xia Prefecture cannot possibly be an empty city."

Zhishi Sili opened his mouth.

"Crown Prince, even if he left garrison troops, how many could he leave? Our twenty thousand cavalry press over—"

"Twenty thousand cavalry press over, attack the city."

Moheduo threw that piece of wood back into the fire pit, sparks splashing up in a small cluster.

"How long do you think we can attack?"

Zhishi Sili's voice got stuck.

Qibi Ge Leng inserted a sentence from the side.

"Subordinate understands the Crown Prince's meaning. The advantage of Turkic cavalry is in field warfare, in charging, in long-distance raids. Once trapped in a siege battle, these advantages are all lost."

He paused, then continued speaking down.

"Chen Yan only needs to leave three thousand garrison troops in the city, equipped with bed crossbows and rolling logs and stones, to drag us to death under the city walls. We can't attack it down, and the grain and grass consumption is huge; after fighting for ten days or half a month, Chen Yan returns the division from the front line, and we will be attacked from both front and back."

Moheduo nodded.

"That is the principle."

Sunongtutun released his hand from the dagger handle, walking forward one step.

"Then the Crown Prince's meaning is, don't use this plan?"

"It's not don't use."

Moheduo turned around, his gaze sweeping past Sunongtutun's face, and landing on Zhishi Sili and Qibi Ge Leng.

"It's to change the way of using it."

The Golden Tent was quiet.

Moheduo walked back to the front of the wide chair covered with white tiger skin and sat down.

He picked up that silver bowl from the desk; the mare's milk wine in the bowl had already gone cold, but he didn't mind, lifting his head and taking a sip.

"Chen Yan sent this Crown Prince a piece of meat, three thousand li of grassland. This piece of meat, this Crown Prince wants to eat."

A smile appeared on Zhishi Sili's face.

"Crown Prince is wise."

"But I can't just eat this one piece."

Moheduo set the silver bowl on the desk, his fingers tapping twice on the bowl rim.

"Chen Yan sent this letter to this Crown Prince to pull us together to fight Rouran, but in reality, he wants us to be the knife, replacing him to contain Rouran's military strength from the west, so he can take a bite from the south."

Qibi Ge Leng took the conversation.

"So the Crown Prince's meaning is, we also use him?"

"Correct."

Moheduo stood up from the chair and walked to the sand table.

"This Crown Prince will set two plans for you."

He stretched out his right hand, his index finger pointing at the location representing the western grassland of Rouran on the sand table.

"First plan, the plan on the surface."

"Immediately write back to Chen Yan, saying that the Turks are willing to form an alliance to attack Rouran together. Five days later, the Turkic large army will send troops from the west, pouncing directly on western Rouran to snatch that three thousand li of grassland."

Zhishi Sili slapped his thigh.

"Good, eat the benefits into our mouths first."

"Eating into the mouth is not enough."

Moheduo's finger moved east from the western grassland location on the sand table, stopping in the area bordering the Rouran Royal Court and Great Zhou.

"This Crown Prince wants to send an elite mobile cavalry, not participating in the frontal siege, just cruising in this area."

Sunongtutun's eyes narrowed.

"The Crown Prince wants to be the yellow sparrow."

"That is exactly the meaning."

Moheduo withdrew his hand from the sand table, turning to look at the three people.

"Chen Yan leads six thousand elite cavalry to fight Rouran; even if Nuhe Ti only has ten thousand men left, they are old soldiers who have rolled on the grassland for decades; if they clash head-on, both sides will have to suffer bone and tendon damage."

He paused, then continued speaking down.

"When they have fought to the point of exhaustion, this mobile cavalry will be the knife in this Crown Prince's hand."

Qibi Ge Leng asked.

"What is this mobile cavalry going to do?"

"Three things."

Moheduo stretched out three fingers.

"First, harvest the Rouran remnants. Nuhe Ti was beaten to remnants by Chen Yan; eat up all the remaining scattered soldiers."

"Second, plunder Great Zhou's baggage. Chen Yan's grain and grass baggage will definitely follow behind the large army; plunder his grain route, so that no matter how much he wins on the front line, he will have to retreat with an empty stomach."

"Third, bite Chen Yan's retreat route when the opportunity arises. When he retreats from the front line, he will definitely be exhausted; at this time, charge from the side; even if you can't kill him, you can bite off a large piece of meat."

Sunongtutun's corners of the mouth pulled.

"The Crown Prince wants to eat both Chen Yan and Nuhe Ti clean."

"Correct."

Moheduo walked back to the side of the wide chair and sat down again.

"This Crown Prince not only wants to eat that three thousand li of grassland, but also wants to eat the Rouran remnants, eat Great Zhou's baggage, and preferably bite Chen Yan once more, letting him know that the Turks are not a knife he can use at will."

Zhishi Sili rubbed his hands.

"Crown Prince, this move is high."

"High what high."

Moheduo stood up, walking two steps toward the tent door.

"Chen Yan can calculate others, can't this Crown Prince calculate him? He uses this Crown Prince as a knife, and this Crown Prince uses him as a whetstone; after the knife is sharpened, the stone is shattered, and the knife is still there."

He walked to the tent door, lifting the curtain, and the night wind outside poured in, shaking the flames in the tent.

"Go handle it."

"Within three days, all deployments must be in place. Five days later, the large army will set out on time."

The three people responded in unison, turning and walking toward the outside of the tent.

Moheduo stood at the tent door, looking at that pitch-black night sky outside.

The wind on the grassland blew from far away, carrying the fishy smell of green grass and cattle and sheep dung mixed together.

The corners of his mouth hooked up.

"Chen Yan, you think you have calculated everything, but in fact, you are also a piece on this Crown Prince's chessboard."

"This game of chess has not yet reached the end."

Outside Tongwan City.

Large camp.

The dark-colored fierce tiger battle flag rustled in the wind, the fierce tiger pattern on the flag surface looking like it was about to pounce out from the cloth.

The two guards standing at the camp gate were in full iron armor, long spears planted on the ground, their gazes staring straight ahead, not even turning their eyeballs.

Inside the camp.

Training ground.

Six thousand elite cavalry stood in formation.

The neighing of warhorses rose and fell, the dull thud of horse hooves treading on the ground merging into a low thunder.

Every soldier's iron armor was polished bright, reflecting blinding light in the sun.

The saber at the waist, the bow and arrow on the back, the horse spear in the hand, every piece of weaponry exuded killing intent.

Center of the training ground.

Pointing-General Platform.

The platform was three zhang high, built with blue bricks and stone strips, covered with thick wooden boards on top.

Around the platform were inserted twelve dark-colored fierce tiger battle flags, the copper eagle heads at the top of the flagpoles reflecting dark golden light in the sun.

Chen Yan walked out from the camp tent.

The dark golden Xuan iron heavy armor on his body was the latest built by the Weaponry Bureau; the armor plates were three parts thinner than ordinary heavy armor, but the hardness was more than double.

Hanging at his waist was the sword that never left his body.

The black cloak was fastened with a copper button at the collar, blown backward by the wind.

He walked with big strides toward the Pointing-General Platform, his boots treading on the blue brick floor, every step very steady.

Following behind were Zhang Wenqian and several personal guards.

The six thousand soldiers on the training ground saw him come out and straightened their bodies in unison.

Chen Yan walked onto the Pointing-General Platform.

A desk covered with tiger skin had already been set up on the platform, with command arrows and military tallies placed on the desk.

He walked to the front of the desk and stood still, his gaze sweeping a circle over the black mass of heads below the platform.

He did not speak.

The training ground was quiet, leaving only the sound of the wind and the occasional snort of warhorses.

Chen Yan's gaze swept through the crowd, stopping for a breath when it reached the three generals in full armor standing at the very front.

Gu Yuci stood on the left.

Over his iron armor was a gray cloak, a curved saber hanging at his waist, both hands hanging at his sides.

His face was mostly blocked by the cheek guards of his helmet, revealing only a pair of steady eyes.

Lu Ming stood in the middle.

Nearly two meters tall, standing there like an iron tower.

On his shoulder he carried a zhang-eight horse spear, the spear shaft so thick that an ordinary person couldn't hold it with one hand.

There were several deep dents on the chest of his iron armor, left over from previous battles; he didn't have them repaired, just leaving them there.

Ye Zhuxi stood on the right.

She was half a head shorter than the two men beside her, but the momentum of standing there didn't lose at all.

In her hand she held a long spear, the spear tassel blood-red, fluttering in the wind.

There was no cloak over her iron armor, the armor plates reflecting cold and hard light in the sun.

Chen Yan withdrew his gaze, picking up the first command arrow from the desk.

"Gu Yuci."

Gu Yuci walked out from the formation, walking with big strides to below the Pointing-General Platform, dropping to one knee.

"Subordinate is here."

"This Duke orders you to lead two thousand light cavalry as the vanguard for the entire army."

Chen Yan held the command arrow up, pointing downward.

"Five days later, the large army will pull up camp, and your men will take the lead. The mission is only one: tear open the outer warning defense line of Rouran. If you encounter Rouran scouts, kill if you can, shake them off if you can't, and don't allow entanglement."

He paused, then continued speaking down.

"Your target is the hinterland of the Royal Court; insert in at the fastest speed to tear open a gap for the subsequent large army."

Gu Yuci took the command arrow with both hands, holding it above his head.

"Subordinate accepts the order."

"Retreat."

Gu Yuci stood up and retreated back to the formation.

Chen Yan picked up the second command arrow.

"Lu Ming."

Lu Ming walked out from the formation, the horse spear planting on the ground with a dull thud.

When he dropped to one knee, the ground shook.

"Subordinate is here."

"This Duke orders you to lead three thousand heavy armor as the main force of the central army."

Chen Yan's voice sank, as if ground out from the depths of his throat.

"Your mission: crush Nuhe Ti's Personal Guard Camp head-on. Those remnant soldiers of his, this Duke wants you to crush them all within three hours."

Lu Ming's voice was like a striking bell.

"Subordinate accepts the order."

"Remember, leave no living souls."

"Subordinate understands."

Chen Yan threw the command arrow down.

Lu Ming reached out to catch it, standing up and retreating back to the formation.

Chen Yan picked up the third command arrow.

"Ye Zhuxi."

Ye Zhuxi walked out from the formation, spinning a spear flower in her hand.

Her action of dropping to one knee was neater than the two men in front.

"Subordinate is here."

"This Duke orders you to lead one thousand mobile cavalry, cruising on the two wings of the battlefield."

Chen Yan's gaze landed on her face, stopping for a breath.

"Your mission: cut off the retreat route of the Rouran large army. If Nuhe Ti's men dare to run west, you block from the west. If they dare to run north, you intercept from the north."

He held the command arrow up.

"Not a single living soul is allowed to be let go."

Ye Zhuxi took the command arrow, the spear tassel fluttering beside her wrist twice.

"Subordinate accepts the order."

"Retreat."

Ye Zhuxi stood up and retreated back to the formation.

Chen Yan withdrew his hand from the command arrow, both hands supporting on the edge of the desk, his body leaning forward.

"Six thousand elite cavalry is what this Duke emptied the Xia Prefecture family foundation to feed."

His voice was not high, but every word was smashed very heavily.

"The iron armor on your bodies is forged from the best iron materials by the Weaponry Bureau. The horse spears in your hands are forged by the best craftsmen. The warhorses under your crotches are the best breeds picked from the grassland."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the soldiers below the platform one by one.

"This Duke spent so much money and spent so much effort, not to raise you as decorations."

The soldiers on the training ground straightened their bodies in unison.

"Five days later, the large army will pull up camp and head north. For this battle, what this Duke wants is not to win, but to annihilate."

He withdrew his hands from the desk edge and stood straight.

"That old dog Nuhe Ti has occupied the grassland for decades. This time, this Duke wants to break his spine completely, letting all the tribes on the grassland see clearly what the end is for going against Great Zhou." ===== CHAPTER 917 =====

Her movement of dropping to one knee was more agile than the two people before her.

"Subordinate is here."

"I order you to lead one thousand light cavalry to patrol the two flanks of the battlefield."

Chen Yan's gaze landed on her face and paused for a breath.

"Your mission is to cut off the retreat of the Rouran army. If Nuhe Ti's people dare to run west, you block them from the west. If they dare to run north, you intercept them from the north."

He raised the command arrow.

"You are not permitted to let a single living soul escape."

Ye Zhuxi took the command arrow, and the spear tassel fluttered twice by her wrist.

"Subordinate accepts the order."

"Withdraw."

Ye Zhuxi stood up and retreated back into the ranks.

Chen Yan withdrew his hand from the command arrow, braced both hands on the edge of the desk, and leaned his body forward.

"Six thousand elite cavalry—I emptied the entire treasury of Xia Prefecture to feed and raise them."

His voice was not loud, but every word landed heavily.

"The iron armor on your bodies was forged by the Weaponry Bureau using the finest iron. The horse lances in your hands were forged by the best craftsmen. The warhorses between your legs are the best breeds selected from the grasslands."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the soldiers below the platform one by one.

"I spent so much money and put in so much effort not to raise you as ornaments."

The soldiers on the training ground straightened their bodies in unison.

"Five days from now, the army will break camp and head north. In this battle, I do not want just a victory; I want total annihilation."

He withdrew his hands from the edge of the desk and stood up straight.

"That old dog Nuhe Ti has entrenched himself in the grasslands for decades. This time, I will completely break his spine and let every tribe on the grasslands see clearly what the end is for those who oppose Great Zhou."