Chapter 1073

Chen Wuji had a sheet spread on the desk, then brushed ink freely, roughly sketching Modu Mountain's shape, and drew an arc from north to south piercing the mountain.

"Along this line, a beacon tower must be built every one or two li, the exact distance depending on terrain; the only prerequisite is that they must be visible!"

This is the defensive formation Guan Erye used when he guarded Jingzhou years ago.

Although it was eventually broken by Lü Meng's white‑clad crossing of the Yangtze, that does not mean such a formation is useless.

This formation pierces Modu Mountain; as long as the troops do not leave their posts, it is a lock on the Uyghur's southwest.

As soon as any beacon fire is lit, the defending troops can rush to reinforce within a few hours.

Xu Zengyi and the others understood this defensive formation and agreed, but they did not grasp what Chen Wuji meant by saying this, nor were they sure which of their proposed tactics he favored.

"This defensive line, we might not be guarding just one winter, perhaps several years." Chen Wuji placed his brush on the brush rack, hands behind his back, and said.

"Therefore my opinion is that before dismantling we must first calculate whether we can rebuild this winter, especially at these several troop stations; and after poisoning, whether we can guarantee the water source will be clean within a few days, so it does not hinder our troops' drinking."

"The lure‑enemy tactic is good, but we cannot precisely gauge the enemy's movements; what if they simply hold fast and refuse to take the bait? Must we resort to a frontal assault?"

"What you have just discussed, my view is: take it all! But we need to work out the details, keep our own retreat open, and not cut off our own path."

These few are top strategists; they trust their judgments and do not care about a second option or retreat, but Chen Wuji cannot think that way.

He fears more that there are not enough backup options.

Chen Wuji raised a general outline, and the smell of gunpowder in the tent finally faded.

The four each played to their strengths and soon submitted to Chen Wuji an answer sheet that could be called perfect.

The moment the tactic was settled, Chen Wuji immediately issued orders to all units.

First lure the enemy, then launch a strong attack.

Pu Cun's letter was still on the road, but Chen Wuji's side had already launched the mountain assault in full swing.

……

Time quickly arrived four days later.

In the north, this time is already the coldest of the "nine nines," entering the coldest period of the year; but here, although it has snowed and the cold makes people shiver, the grass at the foot of Modu Mountain remains green—unless one climbs all the way to the summit, perhaps only then can one feel the northern chill.

In a certain place within Modu Mountain's interior, a room whose windows face the snow‑capped peaks is burning a warm charcoal brazier; heat drifts out through the open windows and lingers in the surrounding air.

The Crown Prince held a cup of hot tea with milk, stood by the window, and silently gazed at the distant mountain that hides four seasons of snow.

Since stationed at Modu Mountain, this has been his favorite spot.

Whenever he sees the distant snow‑capped peaks, he cannot help but be inspired to poetry, yet he cannot squeeze out the words pent up in his chest. Over a few days he wrote scattered fragments; while writing he felt poetic grandeur, but the next day, upon rereading, his brow furrowed as if constipated.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside, thudding on the wooden corridor like drums.

The Crown Prince needs send no one to look; he knows it is Xu Dingguo arriving.

As expected, the next moment Xu Dingguo's loud voice boomed at the door: "Your Highness, our opportunity has come, great news!"

"General, what happened?"

"The Nan Jun troops mutinied because they lacked winter clothing and could not endure the western cold; it wasn't just one place—several of their camps rebelled." Xu Dingguo waved his fist excitedly, "Damn it, those dog‑like bastards have been pressing us to fight for so long; finally it's our turn!"

The Crown Prince frowned, "General, could this be a ruse? You said before that the Nan Jun troops have exceptionally strict discipline, rare in your experience; how could such disciplined troops mutiny so easily?"

Xu Dingguo laughed heartily, "Your Highness doesn't know this: when strictly disciplined troops mutiny, they become even fiercer; once they decide, there truly is no turning back."

"I admit Chen Wuji has a method for training troops, but they lack winter clothing! A few days ago a heavy snow fell, the temperature plunged, and these days have been overcast; while Your Highness here is hot enough to need the window open for air, elsewhere it's already freezing to the bone."

"Even the most disciplined troops are flesh and blood; they're not made of iron!"

The Crown Prince frowned, pondered a moment, and asked, "General Xu, what do you mean?"

"We must fight; this battle is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance. If we simply wait for Chen Wuji to withdraw, we will gain nothing but loss!" Xu Dingguo said.

"Since you took charge of southern campaigns, our army has lost cities and territory, suffered casualties; the king has likely considered replacing commanders many times. But if we can strike Chen Wuji down as he is about to withdraw, the outcome could be completely different."

"Your Highness seeks prestige—this is it! The merit of this battle would make any ennoblement Chen Wuji might receive from the Dayu Court trivial, not worth mentioning."

The Crown Prince's heart stirred suddenly.

If he brought up anything else, he'd have to weigh pros and cons; but if he mentioned prestige, looking ahead.

Then he would only feel impulsive!

"General Xu, what are you preparing to do?" the Crown Prince asked.

Xu Dingguo glanced at the Crown Prince's tea, snatched it, and said, "Your Highness, allow this deputy general to take a sip to moisten my throat; I've walked a lot and my throat is parched."

Crown Prince：？？？

Watching Xu Dingguo gulp down half of his tea without a care, a surge of anger flared from the Crown Prince's chest, instantly becoming an unstoppable force.

He clearly understood that this was Xu Dingguo's further probe.

"General, leaving the court, have you forgotten all rank? This is my tea—if you're thirsty, just say so and I'll have someone brew you another cup; why snatch it from my hand?" The Crown Prince was extremely angry, but as soon as he spoke his tone shifted—opening with fury, then sounding more like lovers' quarrel.

Xu Dingguo returned the cup to the Crown Prince, gave a perfunctory bow, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the tea."

"Your Highness, don't take offense—I'm a rough fellow used to it; I'm thirsty and can't wait for the tea to cool enough to gulp down. Let me tell you how to fight this battle: I intend to first attack the enemy's northern two camps, then set an ambush midway to cut off their reinforcements."

The Crown Prince watched Xu Dingguo's shameless demeanor, could only sigh inwardly, then turned his attention to the war: "General Xu, do you intend to deploy troops simultaneously in three places?"

"No, it should be four places!" Xu Dingguo said solemnly, "The routes to the enemy's northern two camps are more than two; I have selected the two they are most likely to use and set ambushes at the critical points."