Chapter 18: Iron Floaters, Strategy Formulated in the Tent

Seeing Yu Ke lost in thought.

Lu Yu and his father did not disturb him, for Lu Chen had just arrived and was weary from the journey.

Yu Ke’s memories of the past twenty years passed before him like a galloping horse viewing flowers.

You are now entirely Lu Chen.

His understanding of the Northern Wind Xuan Kingdom deepened further; the current commander outside Hulao Pass was Tuoba Shuyi.

The sixth prince of the Northern Wind Xuan Kingdom, he commanded great prestige within the army.

Under his command were thirty thousand heavy armored troops, supported by hooked cavalry and light horsemen piercing through formations.

Once engaged in battle, they moved like a gale, crushing all resistance.

In previous major battles, they caused the Daqing army to flee in panic.

When two armies face off, if no strategy exists to break the enemy, one will inevitably be crushed without resistance.

On his northward journey, Lu Chen had witnessed the Iron Floater cavalry, three men per small unit, moving in perfect coordination—the pinnacle of cold-weapon warfare.

Beneath the heavy armor, only their eyes were visible; even their warhorses showed nothing but their eyes.

To defeat the Northern Wind Xuan Kingdom, one must first unravel the “Iron Floater.”

Lu Yu had gathered detailed records of the Northern Wind Xuan Kingdom and the biography of the sixth prince, Tuoba Shuyi.

At this moment, he handed them to Lu Chen, page by page.

Tuoba Shuyi’s origins were unremarkable; his mother had been neglected in the palace.

As a child, he lost his mother at four and entered the palace at five, beginning his court life from then on.

At six, he recognized Lady Xuan as his mother, gaining her faction’s support.

At seven, …

At sixteen, he breached a city, captured its governor’s wife, and earned considerable favor.

As he delved deeper into Tuoba Shuyi’s life story,

Yu Ke’s eyes grew slightly warm.

Inside his heart!

An inexplicable sense of familiarity arose, as if he had known this sixth prince for years.

Tuoba Shuyi was ambitious; his childhood experiences made him deeply suspicious of those around him, trusting no one.

He craved power and regarded human lives as worthless.

Though outwardly fearless and moody, inwardly he clung desperately to his own life.

In military strategy, he adhered to the principle: “If you employ someone, trust him completely; if you doubt him, do not employ him.”

He had thoroughly studied military texts and could flexibly apply timing on the battlefield.

He favored surprise tactics, yet inwardly was exceedingly cautious.

Unbound by rigid doctrine, he was a true military genius.

His heart felt an uncanny familiarity with Tuoba Shuyi’s character.

Yu Ke could not help but be astonished.

But he quickly realized this was Lu Chen’s talent: [Perception of Character].

This talent was astonishing indeed!

Merely from a person’s life record, he could judge their character and conduct with such precision, as if they had been close companions for years.

Yu Ke set down the documents; he had already formulated a plan.

Lu Yu hurried forward and asked: “Brother, what do you think?”

Yu Ke did not answer directly but turned to Lu Yu and asked:

“Brother Yu, do you think we could launch a surprise attack on the Northern Xuan cavalry camped to the north?”

Outside the monastery, they were no longer master and disciple, but brothers.

Lu Yu scratched his head, thought for a moment, then said:

“Brother, I think their camp is too close to the city; our surprise attack would be swift.”

“Daqing has long been terrified of them—they’d never expect us to strike.”

“Moreover, that position lies just beyond our bow range, yet it’s a vital western stronghold we cannot let them hold.”

The western gate of Hulao Pass was now entrusted to the Lu Family Army.

If another rebel force held it, Commander Wang Yang might harbor doubts; there had been precedents of rebel armies defecting to the Northern Xuan Kingdom.

But for this brave and fearless Lu Family Army, Commander Wang Yang had full confidence.

Moreover!

Opposite them, Tuoba Shuyi was infamous for his iron fist—he never accepted surrender; any enemy who bowed to him faced death.

Tuoba Shuyi was supremely confident, believing his ten thousand personal guards alone could dominate the land, unmatched by any.

Lu Jiaxuan, Lu Chen’s father, disagreed with Lu Yu’s view.

He pointed at the map on the table and said solemnly:

“Tuoba Shuyi took the battlefield at fourteen, fought countless battles, wielded strategy like a god—how could he make such a mistake? This is surely a decoy.”

“I believe his flanks conceal ambushes; once we attack, we’ll be struck from both sides.”

Lu Jiaxuan’s finger traced the terrain on the map; indeed, that location was vulnerable to attacks from both flanks.

“Therefore, I advise against acting rashly. You do not understand the true danger of this Northern Wind Xuan prince. Five northern cities surrendered outright upon hearing Tuoba Shuyi was leading the army.”

“His discipline is absolute; orders are obeyed without question. His hundred thousand troops form an iron wall, unbreakable.”

With their opinions clashing, both fixed their gaze on Lu Chen, awaiting his decision.

Lu Chen’s father knew his son had always been calm and methodical, rarely making mistakes, and thus he especially wished to hear his view.

And Lu Yu had trusted Lu Chen since childhood.

Seeing this, Yu Ke no longer delayed.

“I suggest we be bold: open the city gates and launch a surprise attack, catching the enemy off guard.”

At these words, both were stunned.

Though Lu Yu was bold by nature, even he was shaken by the proposal and worried:

“Brother, opening the gates is too risky—if anything goes wrong, Hulao Pass may fall into crisis.”

Lu Chen’s father also frowned.

“This plan is still too dangerous.”

As for why Yu Ke proposed this strategy, the reason was simple.

He understood Tuoba Shuyi’s nature well—he felt this man resembled the historical “Cao Cao,” who loved other men’s wives, was deeply suspicious, and excelled at surprise tactics.

Thus, Yu Ke’s strategy was a variant of “borrowing arrows with straw boats” and “empty city ruse,” designed to strike unexpectedly, exploit unpreparedness, and target Tuoba Shuyi’s suspicion.

With the Jiachi of [Perception of Character], Yu Ke’s understanding of this sixth prince was deep enough to dare such bold action.

Lu Yu, though pleased his brother supported the surprise attack, still harbored doubts about opening the gates.

Lu Chen, aware of their concerns, calmly laid out his plan:

“Father, tomorrow morning, fog will obscure visibility—we can use this to buy time.”

“Brother Yu, you lead two thousand elite troops. If there are ambushes, Father and I will follow with two thousand reserves.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu’s confidence surged and he readily agreed:

“Father, rest assured.”

“With me, Lu Yu, the troops will return safely.”

Lu Jiaxuan, hearing Lu Chen’s plan, nodded slightly; it now seemed far more Wentuo .

In truth!

Lu Jiaxuan himself found it strange why he agreed to such a risky plan.

Perhaps, from his eldest son Lu Chen, he glimpsed an unprecedented calmness and composure—especially in those bright eyes.

He remembered when Lu Chen was young, his tutor had said:

“If this were a time of peace, this boy would become a pillar of governance.”

But alas—he was born in chaos!

Lu Jiaxuan snapped back to reality and thought:

Hulao Pass urgently needed a victory—to declare to the world and stabilize morale.

To tell the allied forces that the Northern Xuan Kingdom was not invincible.

The three settled on the plan.

Lu Yu rose to make arrangements.

Watching Lu Yu’s retreating figure, Yu Ke felt a surge of thought, curious about his younger brother’s current martial cultivation.

What level had Lu Yu’s innate qi cultivation reached?

According to soldiers’ reports from Hulao Pass, Lu Yu moved as light as a swallow, leaping effortlessly atop city walls over ten zhang high, and once fought eighty men alone without defeat.

Such martial skill was extraordinary.

Yu Ke secretly speculated that Lu Yu’s martial prowess might rival Guo Jing, who defended Xiangyang in “The Return of the Condor.”

At that time, Guo Jing had fully mastered his arts and still moved effortlessly against ninety-eight men in the Heavenly Gang Northern Dipper Formation.

But Guo Jing was then middle-aged.

How old is Lu Yu now?

He has not yet turned nineteen.

(End of chapter)