Chapter 900

Twenty li southeast of the Divine Capital, north of Wa Wu Town.

The army gathered in dense formation, brimming with killing intent; spears and blades stood like a forest, warhorses pawed the ground, as if about to surge forward in a tidal wave of slaughter.

Twenty thousand elite Mongol cavalry, having lain hidden for days, now stood like drawn bows ready to strike—the final moment of accumulated force had arrived.

Manhai, upon hearing the scout’s report, his gaze flickered slightly, and asked: “Has there been no reinforcement of troops into the city these past days?”

The scout replied: “No additional soldiers have been dispatched; the current garrison guarding the arsenal consists of eight hundred infantry and cavalry combined.”

“But every day, carts and horses leave the city, all covered with curtains, escorted by soldiers, shuttling between the city and the firearms arsenal.”

Manhai’s expression turned grave. “Are you certain the commander leading them is definitely the Marquis of Weiyuan, Jia Cong?”

The scout said: “Before we set out, we studied Jia Cong’s portrait. Though it differs somewhat from the real man…”

“But the commander leading them is a young general, very youthful, clad in bright armor, riding a Fergana steed.”

“Behind him ride officers bearing banners; soldiers show him deep respect, and his command of the cavalry is disciplined—clearly no impostor.”

“I feared I might mistake his identity, so I blended into the refugees outside the city and crept close to the arsenal to observe.”

“Fortuitously, I saw him leading a cavalry patrol, moving farther from the arsenal—I managed to catch a clear glimpse of his face.”

“He is strikingly handsome, very dignified and refined; few men possess such noble features. He resembles the portrait by seven or eight tenths—undoubtedly Jia Cong.”

Manhai burst into laughter. “Jia Cong once served as the Great Zhou’s diplomatic recorder, frequently visiting the Mongol envoy’s quarters.”

“His portrait was secretly drawn by our envoy’s artist—never imagined it would prove useful now.”

“All say Jia Cong’s appearance is exceptional, comparable to Pan An or Song Yu among the Han. Our envoy members mentioned it upon returning.”

“Who else among men could be so handsome? They say he was born lowly, his mother a beautiful courtesan; he inherited her looks, hence his fine features.”

“This man is unquestionably Jia Cong—no mistake now. When I capture him, I’ll see just what he looks like, ha ha…”

His personal guards, hearing Manhai’s mocking laughter, joined in with sneers, though military discipline kept them from being overly brazen.

…

One of his assistant commanders said: “Your Highness, our army has infiltrated Wa Wu Town and seized control of a fifty- to sixty-li radius; all living souls have been eliminated.”

“The Zhou people know not where our forces lie; they believe the suburbs of the Divine Capital are safe, yet still sent over a thousand troops to guard the arsenal.”

“Even the Marquis of Weiyuan, Jia Cong, personally oversees its defense. In my view, they must be crafting some formidable firearm—otherwise, why such tight security?”

“The carts shuttling daily between city and arsenal are all veiled—likely transporting materials for firearm production, or carrying finished weapons back into the city.”

“Your Highness, these firearms must be crucial, almost certainly intended for war against us—hence Jia Cong’s personal guard.”

“Your Highness acts with caution; we’ve sent scouts for three straight days, closely monitoring the arsenal’s movements. Their routines are highly regular.”

“I believe the moment is ripe. Your Highness must decide soon—delaying the strike risks losing this golden opportunity.”

“If they transport all finished firearms back into the city and Jia Cong withdraws with them, our months of planning will yield nothing.”

…

Manhai said: “You speak wisely. Though we brought ample provisions, twenty thousand troops consume them rapidly.”

“Earlier, we swept through Wa Wu Town, Jia Feng Town, and Yu Shan Village, seizing much grain and supplies—but it won’t last forever.”

“To strike Jia Cong and the arsenal without alerting them, we’ve hidden our twenty-thousand-strong force for days.”

“These past days, with no troop movements, we’ve been consuming our stores. Two thousand cavalry consume staggering quantities of fodder daily.”

“We cannot afford to idle any longer—we must seize Jia Cong and the arsenal quickly, to determine our next move.”

“Otherwise, if supplies run low and our twenty-thousand force is trapped, this deep-strike operation will unravel into disaster.”

“Issue my order: leave two thousand-man battalions to guard the grain and supplies stockpiled in Wa Wu Town; the remaining eighteen thousand will march with me!”

…

The Assistant Regional Commander said: “Your Highness, Jia Cong commands fewer than a thousand men. I’ll take three thousand-man battalions—we can encircle and capture him easily.”

“Is it not excessive to commit the entire army? Even if he has firearms, most are infantry—they cannot withstand cavalry in overwhelming numbers.”

Manhai laughed. “Jia Cong may be a master of firearms, but firearms are not heavenly thunder. They may have some power, but most claims are exaggerated.”

“With such a small force, what can he possibly accomplish? Does he merit our ten thousand Mongol warriors launching a full-scale assault? He has no such worth!”

“Though Jia Cong commands fewer than a thousand, the Divine Capital is the Great Zhou’s capital—its garrison must number at least a hundred thousand. We dare not underestimate it.”

“Jia Cong is a vital figure of the Zhou. If we send several thousand to crush him, the capital will surely send reinforcements—then we won’t achieve a decisive victory, and complications will arise.”

“Though the northern garrisons of the Divine Capital are numerous, the Zhou have always been short on warhorses. In recent years, their trade with Mongolia yielded mostly stallions.”

“We received very few mares in return; even those that escaped were often tampered with, rarely able to breed normally.”

“Thus, the Zhou’s cavalry is severely limited. Most have been withdrawn to the Beisan Passes. Even in their capital, they can muster at most five thousand cavalry—that’s their absolute limit.”

“If we send only three thousand, they may still have strength to resist, making capture of Jia Cong difficult.”

“But if we unleash eighteen thousand cavalry, the noise alone will terrify the Zhou—they won’t dare open their gates.”

“Otherwise, if they send troops out and we overwhelm them before they reach the field, we’ll breach the gates—then this war between our two nations would become a farce.”

“So if we commit the full force, the Zhou, fearing battle and desperate to protect the capital, will abandon Jia Cong—then we can strike and win decisively!”

…

The Assistant Regional Commander suddenly understood. “My vision is narrow. Your Highness, with your strategic brilliance and bold courage, this battle shall surely end in triumph.”

“If Your Highness captures Jia Cong, it will humiliate the Zhou, shatter the morale of the Beisan Pass garrisons, and grant Mongolia the prestige of firearms.”

“This is a monumental achievement. The Khan will surely reward you handsomely—among all the princes of the Tu Man tribe, none will match Your Highness’s renown.”

Manhai smiled smugly, saying aloud: “Prince Daxian’s capture of Xuanfu Town was the true first victory in the southern campaign—how fortunate for him, truly enviable.”

Yet his tone, though feigning admiration, brimmed with arrogance, insolence, and disdain—not a trace of envy.

The deputy commander, a veteran of the army, knew well the inner intrigues of the Tu Man tribe. As Manhai’s right-hand man, he understood his thoughts perfectly.

He smiled: “Xuanfu Town fell, yes, thanks to sound tactics—but also because the Sun family planted spies within the city. Without them, success would have been impossible.”

“Your Highness’s surprise strike, however, will capture Jia Cong and the arsenal—that is true genius. The Han have a saying: ‘A thousand soldiers are easy to find; a single general is hard to come by.’”

“Jia Cong is a renowned minister and general of the Great Zhou—his value far exceeds Xuanfu Town. I congratulate Your Highness in advance.”

Manhai, deeply pleased, laughed heartily and declared: “Full army advance! Victory shall be richly rewarded!”

…

East suburb of the Divine Capital, Ministry of Public Works Firearms Arsenal.

On the wasteland south of the arsenal, Jia Cong led three hundred elite cavalry in continuous drills, his movements precise and meticulous.

The cavalry charged forward, circled in flanking maneuvers, halted to shoot, then remounted and withdrew—tactical maneuvers executed with mastery, synchronized in perfect unison.

Jia Cong had been hastily ordered to lead six thousand Shenji Camp troops into battle, so his training and cohesion with his men remained crude.

Though he seized every opportunity during the march to deepen his bond with his troops, time was too short for meaningful results.

Moreover, his battle strategy required a decisive victory, and the key to success lay in efficiently commanding two thousand firearm-equipped cavalry.

For the two-thousand-strong cavalry to unleash their full power, they must master tactical maneuvers—only then could they maneuver freely in the critical moments of combat.

When Jia Cong decided to return and confront the enemy, leading his troops into the Shi Jia Mountain to secretly maneuver against the Mongol main force, he seized an unexpected opportunity.

In fact, the three hundred elite cavalry he rode daily were not the same men—each day, at least three rotations ensured all two thousand cavalry on Shi Jia Mountain received training.

Even under the watch of Mongol scouts, concealing this was not overly difficult, for Shi Jia Mountain lay north of the arsenal, closer to the eastern city wall.

Since Mongol scouts dared not approach the arsenal too closely to hide their own movements, they naturally missed details—so long as Jia Cong deliberately planted decoys, he could slip past unseen.