Chapter 116: Cao Cao Luo Rucai

The day Liu Chengzong got the news, he ordered the five squads to round up the warhorses and grain from Apricot Creek royal estate and pull out.

The decisiveness of that order left Lin Wei, who had been waiting eagerly on the side to be taken along, utterly dumbfounded.

It wasn't until the column sounded the gongs to march that Lin Wei finally believed Liu Chengzong had never intended to take him. He dropped his scholar's reserve, sprinted after them, and demanded angrily, "You're not taking me?"

What, did you come all this way just to tie me up and have a chat?

He caught Liu Chengzong off guard with that question — Liu had never seen anyone so eager to throw in their lot. "I'm going to fight Li Bei. What business does an estate manager like you have getting mixed up in this?"

He thought to himself, This is a life-or-death battle that will decide our fate. Why would I bring along a total stranger — so you can tip off Li Bei?

"No, I mean — are you taking me in or not?"

Lin Wei couldn't make sense of this leader's thinking either. Crack troops had pressed in and seized the estate, then a single piece of news came from the south, and now they were clanging gongs, mustering troops, and leaving. Apart from taking a bit of grain, hadn't they come for nothing?

The column was already moving forward, mules in tow. Liu Chengzong halted, reined his horse up onto a small dirt mound beside the official road.

"I'll take you in."

He answered with a grin, then braced himself on the saddle and thought for a moment. He nodded. "You stay right here. In a few days, have someone harvest the millet from the fields. Plant whatever needs planting. When there's nothing else, repair the fort. Remember to hide the leftover grain in the mountains — don't let anyone take it. That'll be enough to get you through till next spring."

He had never forgotten what Yang Yao said when he brought the Han brothers to join him: when it's time to run, clinging to wealth and goods, and when it's time to fight, panicking and fleeing blindly — both will make those who follow you pay with their lives.

If he hadn't received the news yet, he would have stayed a few days in this fort to learn more about the terrain.

But since the news had come, he had to devote himself entirely to preparing for battle. Win the fight, and everything would be his.

"Didn't you say you wanted to stay here? If you're taking me in, shouldn't you send someone else to manage the estate and take me with you?" Lin Wei smacked one palm against the back of his other hand, looking genuinely anxious. "What if the prince's estate sends people to arrest me?"

"Arrest you, my ass. If the estate sends a few men, fight them. If they send a lot, they won't make it through. Just stay here and relax. Manage the estate well for me. I trust you."

Liu Chengzong didn't trust him one bit. He was just spouting nonsense. "But you said it yourself — this is dead ground. If we lose, there's nowhere to run. So we can't fight a battle here."

After he robbed the Prince of Qin's estate, his father had locked him in the ancestral hall to read the Zizhi Tongjian and asked what he'd learned. He'd only remembered two things.

Be able to take advice, and be on guard against everyone.

But Lin Wei had truly latched onto him as his only lifeline. He raised an arm and pointed toward the river valley. "Pick men. Take as many of the strong ones as you want. They'll be useful for digging trenches and building ramparts — even if you just use them as pack mules!"

The middle-aged son-in-law of Prince Qing's estate clenched his fists tight. "You've already taken the rent silver. If you lose, the estate will ship me off to Liaodong. You absolutely cannot lose."

Liu Chengzong laughed at that, nodded firmly, and spurred his horse eastward.

Beneath the four-sided Marshal's banner, men in border-army armor fanned out, each picking out the strongest men to keep at their sides as auxiliaries.

As the main body marched east, nearly out of the river-valley fields, Liu Chengzong reined in his horse and looked back. Lin Wei still stood on the dirt mound, waving and shouting, "You have to win!"

A powerful will to live.

In the early hours of the nineteenth day of the eighth month, the five-squad main force returned to Great King Mountain. Liu Chengzong slept half the night, then at dawn took Cao Yao and Chengyun and hurried to Drill Peak.

Many people had come to the peak. Tall warhorses ran all over the hill, and everywhere were men with blades at their waists and bows on their backs.

Old Master Liu had set up a Brotherhood Hall on Drill Peak, in the former residence of a wealthy family. The main hall's furnishings were much the same as the main hall of the old house at Black Dragon Mountain.

Facing the front courtyard, the host's and guest-of-honor's seats sat left and right, with two sets of unified-monument chairs — low-backed — on each side, two chairs and a side table per set.

Behind them, more than twenty round stools had been placed, packing the entire front hall.

By the time Liu Chengzong arrived, the hall was nearly full. Old Master Liu sat in the host's seat on the right; the seat on the left stood empty, waiting.

On the right, four chairs were lined up. The first was Liu Chengzu, followed by Guo Tianxing Zhang Tianlin, She Tiantian Li Wanqing, and Chuang Tiantian Liu Guoneng, all seated in order.

On the left, four chairs. The foremost seat was empty; next sat Zhong Douxing Gao Ying'en, then Wang Heshang Wang Ziyong.

In the last chair sat a short, stocky man, sitting bold and unconstrained with his robe open. His head was wrapped in clean bandages — he seemed to be wounded — and he watched Liu Chengzong step over the threshold with curious eyes.

Every leader of any name in the prefectural seat's vicinity had come.

Except for that last man, they were all old acquaintances. Liu Chengzong clasped his fists and saluted each in turn. Cao Yao had already squeezed over to Guo Tianxing and was proudly showing off his suit of armor.

Liu Guoneng had risen the moment Liu Chengzong entered the hall, but he was probably a bit embarrassed and didn't step forward, merely watching Liu Chengzong.

After all, they should have been true comrades, but Liu Guoneng's insistence on reporting to the authorities had split them apart — and in the end, Liu Guoneng had still become an outlaw.

If not for Li Bei's campaign this time, with all the leaders running around like headless flies, Liu Guoneng might have kept avoiding Liu Chengzong forever.

But things had come to this, and Liu Chengzong didn't hold it against him. He clasped his fists and smiled. "Brother Guoneng, I trust you've been well."

"Ah, how can I call this 'well'?"

Liu Chengzong greeting him on his own initiative delighted Liu Guoneng. He returned the clasped-fist salute, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "I regret not listening to you. I regret it to death!"

The two said no more, because Li Wanqing had also risen. He merely smiled, then stepped forward, pulling the last man over to introduce him. "Chief, this is Luo Rucai, called Cao Cao — the leader from the prefectural seat's East Gate."

"Chief Luo, my respects. I've heard Brother Guo Tianxing Zhang mention your name."

Liu Chengzong smiled. He'd been hearing people talk about Cao Cao quite a lot lately.

This was a desperado of exceptionally high purity, addicted to raiding landlord stockades. If he wasn't raiding a landlord stockade, he was on his way to raid one.

But now, hearing the full name Luo Rucai, a vague impression stirred in his mind. In that other set of memories, this leader seemed to have died at the hands of the Yellow Child in the end.

"General Liu has actually heard of me?" Luo Rucai was greatly astonished by this, even clasping his fists toward Zhang Tianlin before waving a hand. "The things I've done — compared to the General killing Lu Cheng at Yanshui Pass, they're not worth mentioning. Not worth mentioning at all."

With the pleasantries over, Liu Chengzong stepped forward and saluted his father. His elder brother Liu Chengzu extended a hand toward the first seat on the right. "Lion, Squad Leader Cao, sit."

Chengyun sat behind Liu Chengzong and Cao Yao with the Han brothers and the Zhong brothers.

The Zhong brothers were named Zhong Hu and Zhong Bao. On the day of the fixed-troop merit martial contest, the two had bested Liu Chengzong and were thus chosen as vanguard guards to follow at his side.

Once they were truly seated, the atmosphere grew far more solemn.

Before long, Yang Dingrui came in from the rear hall with two estate hands, hung a map on the main hall's wall, and took a seat among the guests.

Only then did Old Master Liu speak. "As all the chiefs know, a great foe is upon us. This old man is no master of military strategy. I have called you all here for one matter alone: whether we fight, hold, or leave, we must together reach a decision. If our hearts are not united, we shall have no burial ground for our bones."

When Liu Xiangyu finished, Yang Dingrui rose, picked up a three-foot pointer, and indicated the location of Yanchuan on the wall map. "At noon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Yan'an Adjutant Li Bei routed Hun Tianwang at Yanchuan. On the sixteenth, routed troops fled to Gao Chuangwang at Yanchang. At the same time, Chuang Wang sent word to Yan'an Prefecture. On the eighteenth, Zhong Douxing reached the prefectural seat."

With that, Yang Dingrui turned to face the assembled chiefs. "Thus far, all we know is that Li Bei's force did not pursue into Yanchang and remains encamped at Yanchuan. Beyond that, we know nothing."

This "knowing nothing" was utterly absurd.

Liu Chengzong asked, "Mister Yang, did Hun Tianwang's routed troops truly not know Li Bei's troop strength?"

Yang Dingrui sighed, his expression one of helpless sympathy.

Zhong Douxing Gao Ying'en cleared his throat lightly and explained, "They were scattered through the villages eating when they were caught off guard and attacked. Every unit fled in panic. Hun Tianwang himself abandoned his men and ran the moment he heard of the attack. He fled all the way to Yanchang without ever even seeing what Li Bei looked like."

"Some who fled here later did fight the government troops, but as soon as they open their mouths it's eight thousand, ten thousand — nonsense about three battalions converging, chaos on four fronts, cannon fire from five directions. Nothing reliable."

Liu Chengzong nodded slowly, understanding in his heart that this so-called fighting was nothing more than being chased and slaughtered by government troops.

They could not count on routed peasants, bandits, and mountain brigands to bring better intelligence. Liu Chengzong turned his head toward his elder brother: "Split-sentry coordinated strike?"

Liu Chengzu nodded.

Split-sentry coordinated strike held the same place in the Ming army as the three-three system did in the Liberation Army — it was both a formation method and a combat method, and a common fundamental tactic.

Specifically, a unit was divided into five sections. The five sentries could coordinate with one another, each was also a tactical individual, and each could further divide downward into five sections for coordinated combat.

Against bandits with little training, once they were stunned they would feel enemies pressing in from every direction.

Guo Tianxing said, "I talked with your brother last night. Li Bei likely has only one battalion, at most three sentry battalion commanders, but no fewer than three company commanders — fifteen hundred to three thousand men."

Liu Chengzu picked up: "If there were more, say truly three battalions of government troops, then by now they would have already routed Tall Invader King and continued advancing west... they definitely would not be encamped at Yanchuan. The grain supply wouldn't support that many men sitting and waiting."

Gao Ying'en of the Central Dipper Star raised his thumb and nodded: "My brother said the same. That's why he set up camp and dug trenches in the mountains, but he doesn't plan to defend to the death — he just wants to block the government troops a while and buy as much time as possible for everyone here to devise a way to defeat them. Because the government troops from Qingyang are also about to arrive."

At these words, the various leaders all turned their heads. At the head seat, Yang Dingrui said, "Last night, Heaven-Soaring Monkey from Fuzhou sent a messenger. Han Chao Zai of Qingyang joined forces with Liu the Fifth Liu Daojiang and Liu the Sixth Liu Daohai, and they fought a battle with government troops at Huan County."

Yang Dingrui turned his head to look at Liu Chengzong: "Heaven-Soaring Monkey sent someone looking for you. He says he got hold of quite a bit of grain and fodder and wants to retreat here and join forces with you."

Gao Ying'en turned his head and laughed: "That filthy monkey. Huan County is two hundred li from Qingyang prefectural seat, and five hundred li from Fuzhou, and this already has him scared."

Old Master Liu was a stern man. Seeing the atmosphere in the hall relax somewhat, he gave a light cough and asked, "Fight, hold, or flee?"

"We can't flee and we can't hold."

Liu Chengzu answered first: "We can only run northwest. Once we start running, Li Bei will always catch up. Likewise we can't hold — though the prefectural seat is strong, there isn't enough grain for all our people to eat. One winter would trap us to death. Not to mention two forces closing in, and if more relief troops come from everywhere... there's no way out alive."

"Right!" Guo Tianxing Zhang Tianlin slammed the table twice heavily, raised his arm and pointed to the sky: "It's only a matter of discussing how to fight."

"Fight!"

Liu Chengzong sat upright at the lower seat and nodded: "Li Bei's troop strength is not great. If each leader draws elite troops to rush to Tall Invader King's aid — though our weapons are inferior, our numbers are slightly greater. If we stake everything on one throw, victory or defeat could be even odds."

The three who had been soldiers spoke of fighting one after another. Li Wanqing and Liu Guoneng exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding, and neither spoke.

Monk Wang gritted his teeth and looked around: "The leaders with the strongest forces all think we can fight, so that means we can fight. But I think going from Ansai along the Qingjian River, taking a detour back to Yanchuan, might also be a path — wouldn't that also let us break out of the government troops' encirclement?"

It was indeed a path, and if their troop organization were strong, they would appear behind Li Bei like divine soldiers descending from heaven.

But for them, it would only mean abandoning all initiative.

Liu Chengzu retorted: "A long-distance rush, soldiers exhausted, soldiers and civilians all massed together — if suddenly attacked, who could form ranks?"

With a different government commander, they could try it. But Li Bei's reckless marching style was extremely effective at suppressing peasant armies.

A unit's organizational ability is at its worst while on the march. The moment they decided to run, they would fall into a situation of being pursued.

In a long pursuit, you have no strength and I have no strength — I just bite at your heels and chase. Once I catch you, I give you no chance to organize. The organized fighting the unorganized, after breaking through, driving straight in, scattering and routing.

In regular army warfare, this tactic would be called reckless advance.

Put simply, it's bullying — bullying you because you're a peasant army, daring not to fight me in a hard battle, and lacking the ability to clash head-on with me.

Unless Monk Wang led his own troops away while they held Li Bei off from behind.

Liu Chengzong, Liu Chengzu, and Zhang Tianlin reached a consensus. The situation was also very clear to them.

No schemes or tricks could be used.

Flee — cannot escape. Hold — cannot hold out.

It forced people to deploy their formations and clash head-on, proper ranks against proper banners. Either win, or die.

Suddenly, someone in the hall began to clap.

It was Luo Rucai at the farthest seat. The short, stocky man clapped as he laughed, pointing at everyone, nearly laughing to tears. He slapped his thigh: "You people, I truly love you all! Each one living like a real human being. I'm different — I'm a beast. The officials calling you roving bandits really got it wrong. Neither roving, nor bandits — this is just a bunch of government troops."

The assembled leaders all turned their heads. Zhang Tianlin furrowed his brow and glared angrily at Luo Rucai. But Liu Chengzong smiled, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Chief Luo can deal with Li Bei?"

"I can't deal with him!"

Luo Rucai said it with utter ease: "If I could deal with him myself, I'd go straight and take care of Li Bei. Why would I come play with you all? But I can help you deal with him. I'll say it, though you may not use it. But Second Master Liu has to promise me one thing."

"Hm?" Liu Chengzong turned his head and extended a hand: "Chief Luo, please speak."

"In this hall, Second Master's prestige is the highest. If you use my plan and defeat Li Bei, then as long as I'm still alive, no matter how much spoils are taken, I get two hundred suits of armor and two hundred mules and horses. And at the next council..."

As he spoke, Luo Rucai stood up, turned and looked around the hall, his gaze finally settling on the faces of Monk Wang and Cao Yao: "My seat ranking, I want it moved up a bit — to sit beside you."

Cao Yao threw his head back and laughed loudly, turning to Liu Chengzong: "I say it's fine. If Cao Cao has a plan to defeat Li Bei, then he can take my seat. I'll go stand at the back."

Liu Chengzong nodded: "I agree. What plan does Chief Luo have?"

"Second Master just said each division should gather elite troops to rush to Tall Invader King's aid. Even if that wins, the cost would be too great. All divisions spend their elites to the last and fight Li Bei to mutual ruin — then who deals with the Qingyang government troops? In the end, isn't it still death?"

Luo Rucai walked to Liu Chengzong's side, raised a hand and lightly patted the tea table twice: "We fear government troops only because we fear their cannon fire. Recruit refugees and famine victims — ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand. Divide into five formations encircling them. Each leader supervises the battle — whoever retreats, kill them. Let them be defeated. Quietly wait as the five formations suffer casualties. But don't say I'm harming them — I'll go up with them."

The hall fell silent as the grave.

Luo Rucai turned his head and looked around at everyone. He paused, then said: "What dogshit court — bah! Once the government troops run out of gunpowder and lead shot, their armored soldiers will already be exhausted. Then Second Master Liu sends out the elite troops, and with one surge, break their formation!"