Chapter 551

「My lord, this matter really isn't me spouting nonsense; military orders and tactics—I only need to glance at them briefly to understand them clearly, but these things…… I often look at them several times and still can't grasp the correct point. 」 Yang Tiejiang said indignantly.

「The coffin seller can vouch for me on this; back then he often explained these things to me. Just because of this, that old bastard has constantly complained about me. 」 Yang Tiejiang said indignantly.

Chen Wuji showed slight surprise, "There's still such a thing?"

「Actually I also can't understand it, but sometimes not understanding just means not understanding. 」 Yang Tiejiang said helplessly, 「The coffin seller once teased me as a strange person because of these matters, saying my approach to managing troops was extraordinarily clear and my approach to governance was also extraordinarily clear, and now I also think he's right. 」

Chen Wuji laughed heartily, "It doesn't matter anyway; after all, this isn't a big deal."

「Let's get back to the point; the day after tomorrow I'll lead the troops out on campaign, so I entrust Hezhou to you—grain and fodder, the money the Emperor sent us, and Guangyuan Prefecture—these three major matters still require Lao Yang to put in extra effort. 」

Yang Tiejiang's expression instantly became solemn, "With me, a Yang, here, Hezhou City won't lose a single brick. Actually, I want to say, why not let me go to Wenkou in your stead, my lord? Your status is different now; there's no need for you to personally venture into danger."

「The Emperor is even personally leading the campaign, yet I, with my meager status, am so reluctant to risk my life—how could the soldiers then march forward bleeding? Although I'm not a great general skilled in warfare, I've fought quite a few battles; even if I can't win, I still have the ability to preserve one's life. 」 Chen Wuji laughed reassuringly.

「Well then, it seems there's nothing else to explain. Come on, let's go to Dingqing Lou; today let's have a good drink. 」

「Yes! 」

Chen Wuji hosted a banquet at Dingqing Lou for all military officers of rank ten generals and above, as well as all civil officials of Hezhou, creating a grand mix of civil and military, and he outright rented out the entire venue of Dingqing Lou.

Today, with over a dozen tables upstairs and downstairs, the servers at Dingqing Lou didn't dare even lift their eyelids while serving dishes, and the proprietor personally crouched in the back kitchen watching the chefs cook, terrified that any slip-up would cause the crowd upstairs to tear down his shop and his head together.

Although after this incident, Dingqing Lou is likely to become Hezhou's truly first-rate tavern.

But the wealth sought through danger makes the elderly proprietor tremble with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

At the banquet, Chen Wuji individually acquainted himself with those ten generals below, and also met Cao Mu, the former military Bīngmǎ envoy whom Yang Tiejiang had painstakingly selected.

This Cao family member is nothing like the Cao family members Chen Wuji imagined.

According to Yang Tiejiang, this is a Fierce General capable of lifting a ding, with brute strength comparable to Wushuang's, yet he happens to have a scholar's face—fair and clean, refined and genteel, and he speaks somewhat bashfully.

After glancing at him a few more times, Chen Wuji vaguely recalled having noticed this person before.

But frankly, it's not his fault that he can't remember the names and appearances of these generals.

Previously, as Guoyi Commandant, Yang Tiejiang led over twenty thousand men, with a whole row of several dozen brigade commanders under him; he truly couldn't remember all of them, which heavily taxed his brain that has to handle many matters every day.

……

The time before battle is always rushed.

After downing a hearty, free-flowing big drink, the next day Chen Wuji handed over all his affairs to his subordinates, then relaxed at home spending a day with his lovely wife and concubines, engaging in some light, deep communication of feelings.

The next day, at dawn's first light, he set off for the military camp.

Drums were beaten to gather the generals, troops were mustered, and they set out on campaign.

Although the year's end hasn't arrived yet, the winter in Nan Jun, which isn't cold at all, is already drawing to a close.

In a few days it will be the start of spring; the earth is about to sprout new buds, and a flower bud nurtured over winter is already eager to bloom.

And after Chen Wuji had lain low for nearly three months, he finally took up his ancestral sabre again, mounted his horse, and rode out to ask where the heroes of Lingnan were.

After a not-too-complicated ceremony, the great army left the camp.

In this battle, Chen Wuji personally led six hundred Personal Guards, six hundred convicted troops, and Chen Baojia's contingent of six thousand soldiers, barely mustering enough to call themselves ten thousand; they marched out of Hezhou and headed for Wenkou Town.

This battle gathered nearly all of the Chen clan's Clan Troops, as well as more than half of Chen Wuji's Cavalry under his command; it can be said to be elite piled upon elite.

Although Chen Wuji deliberately told Lu Ping'an that he was taking out half of his family's wealth, but if we don't count troop numbers and only consider strength, these seven thousand plus indeed amount to half of his family's wealth.

Of the family wealth Chen Wuji had when he raised troops in Xishan Village, half of those people are really here.

……

Wenkou Town, located at the southernmost tip of Nan Jun, is a rather inconspicuous small town.

If military matters are disregarded, probably only the merchants who ply the trade routes would be somewhat familiar with this place.

This small town is like a nail protruding downward, snugly embedded between San Guan Jun, Nan Jun, and Shangtang Jun, which is currently occupied by the Qiang People.

In terms of terrain, it's also interesting: going from Wenkou to San Guan Jun, the elevation steadily drops, as if descending a mountain.

Whereas going from Wenkou toward Shangtang Jun, the elevation steadily rises; within thirty miles to the northwest, the landforms become plateau terrain.

For these reasons, this small town of Wenkou has seen many battles since ancient times.

The fiercest of them was the battle between the Former Dynasty and the various Qiang tribes.

At that time, both sides deployed over two hundred thousand troops in this small town and once engaged in a brutal slaughter.

It was also because of that battle that the Qiang People honestly withdrew from this land, hunkering down for nearly a century.

Quite coincidentally, the commander of that army was none other than an ancestor of the Chen clan.

A century later, the fallen Chen clan descendant Chen Wuji again led troops to this place.

The troops marched for three and a half days, reaching Po Feng Ridge, less than thirty li from Wenkou Town.

On such gentle terrain, a place called a "ridge" isn't necessarily a true ridge.

Anyway, in Chen Wuji's view, this ridge is somewhat misnamed; calling it a small earthen embankment would be more fitting.

Although it's still early, making a trip before sunset could still get us to Wenkou Town.

But Chen Wuji does not intend to continue forward.

He summoned Chen Baojia and ordered him to send out several groups of Scouts to first scout the situation in Wenkou Town and to monitor the surrounding key routes, preparing for the subsequent dispatch of Bīngmǎ to cut off Wenkou Town's connection with Qingzhou.

To prevent Lu Ping'an, that old fox, from discovering his true intent, Chen Wuji dispatched his troops a full five days earlier than Qian Fugui; these five days were precisely the marching time and road-blocking time calculated with careful planning.

On the battlefield, there are only details that are calculated more finely; there is no such thing as the finest detail.

Having undertaken such a grand mobilization, Chen Wuji and his aides do their utmost to try to look after everything.

But at this moment, being on the battlefield, he still faces various kinds of unease.

Fortunately, Chen Wuji is already accustomed to this; unease is the norm on the battlefield.

「The scenery here is actually quite nice, prettier than our Xishan Village! 」 Chen Luozi walked out of the Lìng tent, handing over a jug of wine that had just been warmed with fresh ginger.

Chen Wuji glanced at it, shook his head and refused, 「What kind of fetish is this—how could this taste be good? 」