Chapter 1082

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, you are wise; the city truly cannot be held. Since I can see through your plan, Da Yong also has no shortage of brilliant strategists, and they can likewise guess your intention. This does not mean Yu Tianxing's plan is bad, only that it lacks in detail."

Hu Xiaotian bowed deeply and said: "Sir, please instruct me!"

Zhuge Guanqi pointed to the reed beach beside him; it was winter, and the reed marsh had turned a withered yellow: "Preparing the iron-chain river crossing takes seven days, while fog-locking the river crossing needs only the effort of lighting a fire. Before the Da Yong warships arrive, Sir, have someone set fire to this reed marsh; today the wind is from the northwest, so all the smoke produced by this north-bank reed marsh will be blown onto the Yong River, not only concealing the positions of the three pontoon bridges but also creating an obstacle for the Da Yong fleet. Once this reed marsh is set ablaze, they will not choose to force a landing here."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; this point he had indeed not considered.

Zhuge Guanqi also said: "Following Tang Bohsi's military habit, he likes to place three assault ships at the very front of the fleet to deal with obstacles ahead, but everything in the world has a weakness; assault ships can break iron chains and smash reefs, yet they cannot escape the attraction of lodestone. Sir, you can have lodestone attached to the chains in advance; then the iron armor all over the assault ship will be firmly attracted by the lodestone and the chains, so when Tang Bohsi uses those assault ships to clear the way, they will instead become an obstacle for his own fleet."

Hu Xiaotian's face lit up with pleasure; in fact, what Zhuge Guanqi said were merely simple principles, but truly applying them in tactics is rarely done so skillfully; from how Zhuge Guanqi handles matters, one can see the gap between him and Yu Tianxing.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Thank you, Sir, for your guidance."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, I have a humble request; I hope you will keep secret everything I have said today, for Yu Tianxing, that young man, is truly a rare talent. Sir, you must employ him heavily."

Hu Xiaotian's respect for Zhuge Guanqi grew; he was modest and low-key, and even more rare, he sought no credit, earnestly recommending talent to Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian said: "Without hiding it from you, Sir, I have just acquired more than ten attack-ship weapons. Are you interested in taking a look together?"

Li Yongfu quietly arrived at Dongliang Jun; what he saw was refugees fleeing south across the pontoon bridges, his first impression being that Hu Xiaotian intended to abandon the city. Among the Dakang navy, Li Yongfu was undoubtedly the most hardline hawk, yet his position in the military carried little influence, and he could not sway Zhao Dengyun's decision. This visit was made at the commission of Zhao Wusheng. The newly recruited soldiers of Dongliang Jun were mostly stationed on the pontoon bridges to maintain order and assist the refugees' retreat; just moving thirty thousand refugees to the south bank already required considerable time, not to mention also including some of Dongliang Jun's native residents who were willing to temporarily leave to avoid the war.

All morning Li Yongfu gathered information in Lower Sand Port and within Dongliang Jun; he was a pragmatic sort, believing only what he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears. Hu Xiaotian had already proclaimed outwardly the slogan of fighting the Yong army to the bitter end, yet most locals remained indifferent to the impending war.

When Li Yongfu went to see Hu Xiaotian, he merely said he had come to provide information, without initially revealing his identity.

Following Liang Da Zhuang to the martial arts hall, I saw Hu Xiaotian and Yu Tianxing chatting about something; when they reached a cheerful point, they both burst out laughing.

As Li Yongfu entered the gate, Hu Xiaotian already sensed his arrival; he lifted his head and fixed his gaze on Li Yongfu, who immediately felt that Hu Xiaotian's deep, piercing eyes seemed able to see into his very heart. He could not help feeling strange: Hu Xiaotian was still under twenty, yet his aura was so imposing that in his presence Li Yongfu felt breathless. He had originally intended to circle around a few times when meeting Hu Xiaotian to test his true intentions before revealing his identity, but after actually seeing Hu Xiaotian, he hesitated as to whether that was necessary.

Hu Xiaotian got straight to the point: "Brother, what information do you have?"

Li Yongfu bowed with clasped fists and said: "May I speak with Sir Hu in private for a moment?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "There are no outsiders here; you need have no scruples."

Yu Tianxing had originally wanted to leave, but upon hearing Hu Xiaotian's words, his heart warmed; Hu Xiaotian indeed placed full trust in him. As the saying goes, a scholar dies for one who knows him; others laughed at him as mad, and before this he had found no one to appreciate him, let alone give scope to his ambitions. Now meeting Hu Xiaotian, he had finally encountered a wise lord.

Listening to Hu Xiaotian say that, Li Yongfu did not press further, and in a low voice said: "Sir Hu, I am Li Yongfu, commander of the Azure Dragon Battalion of the Martial Prosperity Commandery navy."

Hearing his self-introduction, Hu Xiaotian's eyes lit up, a smile touched his lips, and he returned the salute with clasped fists: "So you are General Li; I have heard of your name, but this is our first meeting. Please sit! Quickly, sit, Liang Da Zhuang, bring tea!"

Liang Da Zhuang answered and soon brought up the tea.

Li Yongfu, having traveled so far, was indeed a little thirsty; he took the chazan, sipped a few mouthfuls of tea, caught his breath, then said: "Without hiding it from you, Sir, I am here at Dongliang Jun on the commission of General Zhao Wusheng."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Thank you, General Zhao, for your concern; General Li, please be sure to convey my thanks when you return."

Li Yongfu nodded and said: "Sir Hu, I arrived this morning; I have just been to Lower Sand Port and around the city, and the military preparations I saw are far from optimistic." He was straightforward, speaking his mind.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since Dongliang Jun returned to Dakang, the court has never increased its defenses here; there are shortages of troops and officers, making it hard to quickly form a decent force." He thought to himself: Since Li Yongfu came on Zhao Wusheng's commission, he surely is not just here to sightsee; his particular emphasis on Zhao Wusheng rather than Zhao Dengyun suggests he likely did not obtain Zhao Dengyun's approval for this visit, and as for why Zhao Wusheng did not come in person, it must be because he does not want to draw Zhao Dengyun's attention.

Li Yongfu said: "I saw many refugees already retreating south across the pontoon bridges; Sir Hu, are you not considering abandoning the city?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "According to General Li's view, should I abandon the city or hold out in a desperate last stand?"

Li Yongfu fell silent, for Hu Xiaotian's question was hard to answer; according to his own thinking, even if he died in battle he could not relinquish an inch of territory—that is a soldier's duty and bottom line—but what right does he have to demand that of others?

Hu Xiaotian said: "General Li, do not stand on ceremony; speak your mind freely, or let me put it another way: if you were in my position, what choice would you make?"

Li Yongfu pursed his lips and said: "As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we perish!" He did not hesitate; that was his true inner thought.

"As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we perish!" Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "I have seen the city endure while its people remain, but I have seen more often the people perish while the city survives. Throughout history, Dongliang Jun has changed commanders countless times; the soldiers who died defending the city are innumerable, and the cities they swore to protect ultimately merely saw their walls fly different kings' banners—yet who remembers their sacrifice?"

Li Yongfu had no reply.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Is holding Dongliang Jun and fighting to the bitter end General Li's intention, or Commander Zhao's?"

Li Yongfu said: "It represents only my own view as a subordinate."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I previously sent men to Wuxiang Jun to request aid, but Commander Zhao remained unmoved; it seems even if Da Yong's navy attacks, he will only stand by. General Li, you must have come to ask what decision I will make, so let me tell you now: it is still 'as long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we perish!' Since the court has granted Dongliang Jun to the Yongyang Princess and placed me in charge of this place, for me, even if I must sacrifice my life, I will not be a coward who flees the battlefield."

Li Yongfu felt as if pricked by a needle, his face flushing red; Dakang's soldiers likewise have hot blood, and after receiving Zhao Dengyun's order not to act rashly but to stand by, many soldiers including Li Yongfu are seething with resentment, watching helplessly as their homeland is invaded and their compatriots slain while they do nothing—this sorrow for Dakang's troops may become an indelible shame in their hearts.

Li Yongfu blurted: "Sir Hu, it is not that we are unwilling to send troops, but Zhao Sir has ordered us, and we must obey..." His heart was in fierce turmoil.

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "General Li, you need not feel troubled; my words are not aimed at you or anyone else. Commander Sir naturally has his own plans—each sweeps the snow before his own door, and cares not for the frost on others' roofs—but I simply cannot understand: although Dongliang Jun and Wuxiang Jun are separated by the Yong River, both cities are Dakang's land, so why in their minds can Dongliang Jun be casually abandoned and given up? Why has Dakang fallen to this state?"

Li Yongfu shook his head; he did not know. In fact, many commanders are like him, their hearts filled with bewilderment, unable to comprehend how Dakang, once supreme over all under heaven and looking down on the nations, could have fallen so far—reduced to the point where, even when the enemy reaches its very gates, it can only shrink back like a frightened turtle.

Hu Xiaotian said: "What can a commander rely on to defeat the enemy if he cares neither for his soldiers nor his subordinates? How can a ruler govern the state well if he cares neither for his land nor his people? I know the court has abandoned us, yet we cannot abandon ourselves; if I were to give up, who would look after the hundred thousand commoners in this city? If everyone chose to abandon before war arrives, our defenses would surely collapse at the first blow. Perhaps in people's eyes I am a mantis trying to stop a chariot, an egg striking a stone—but even if I lose, I will lose honorably; I want the world to see the Dakang people's fighting spirit, I want everyone to know we are not to be bullied, and I will use our blood to awaken the fighting will of all Dakang folk." (To be continued~^~)