Chapter 846

Qin Zhong snapped, "How would I know? The Datong frontline is so long—I only guard West Three Post. If you ask me about West Three Post's defense, I can tell you: the line still stands, but it's on the verge of collapse. Our troops, equipment, and warhorses have suffered heavy losses, and without reinforcements, we won't hold after two more Mongol charges."

He paused, his voice sinking: "No other garrison's defense is better than ours."

Pan Yun gripped the letter tightly, turned twice on the spot, and asked softly, "Have you seen the Duke of Ying?"

Qin Zhong nodded, speaking gravely: "I have. I reported everything truthfully."

Pan Yun quietly exhaled.

Qin Zhong also felt some relief: "Now, we can only hope for the Duke of Ying."

Pan Yun stared at the letter, then shook his head after a long while: "No. We cannot stake our lives and our comrades' lives on someone else."

Qin Zhong: "What, are you going to petition the Emperor directly?"

"What good is petitioning? The Emperor has to listen," Pan Yun said, his view of the Emperor shaped by family exposure—he deeply distrusted the Emperor's bias and had no faith in him. "We must prepare ourselves. If we truly face the Oirat army, what do we do?"

Qin Zhong: "What else can we do? Fight bravely. Are we going to run?"

Pan Yun fell silent—he couldn't bring himself to flee, but he couldn't charge head-on either.

He turned twice on the spot, thinking: "If we meet them, first we must protect Your Majesty—but we can't charge blindly. The Oirats excel at swift attacks and flanking. Their cavalry is superior; we can't match them head-on. We must avoid their edge, maneuver around, and strike again. If we can't, we must rely on weapons."

Qin Zhong crossed his arms: "You're brilliant—what divine weapon can counter cavalry?"

"There really is one!" Pan Yun shouted. "Firearms!"

He spun in place: "Of course, single firearms won't do. In open battle, we form formations—combined troop arrays. First, suppress with bows and crossbows, then use long spears. Too bad we're in the north—if we were in the south, we could use bamboo blades, then finish with firearms and long knives…"

Qin Zhong mused: "What if the cavalry attacks from all sides?"

"If we fight outside West Three Post, use the Queyue Formation," Pan Yun said excitedly, snatching up a stick and sketching in the dirt: "This formation works well near water. Isn't there a river outside West Three Post? The Oirat army must cross it to attack—we position crossbowmen, spearmen, and firearms along the bank…"

Qin Zhong stared, dumbfounded—he'd never seen this formation. He interrupted: "Did you invent this formation?"

"I'm not that talented. This is Liu Yu's formation. I only made minor adjustments—hardly any at all. We have firearms now, don't we?"

"Who is Liu Yu?" Qin Zhong's eyes lit up. "Your comrade?"

Pan Yun paused, looking at him meaningfully: "Liu Yu? He was an Emperor—well, before becoming Emperor, he was a great general."

Qin Zhong's smile vanished. He rolled up his sleeves.

Pan Yun got two punches, yelping loudly.

A patrolling soldier glanced over, saw they were in uniform, and looked away.

Only then did Pan Yun give Qin Zhong a full account of Liu Yu.

Qin Zhong quickly asked: "Did he have any formation to counter cavalry on the grasslands?"

Pan Yun rubbed his chin: "He didn't mention one, but he did give me inspiration. That combined formation we just thought of? I think it's good. If the enemy attacks from all sides and tries to flank through, we extend the formation—like this, like this—form a circle…"

Qin Zhong frowned skeptically: "Will it work? The center's empty. If they break through anywhere, let cavalry slip through, your formation collapses. Then we're surrounded—won't we be dumplings?"

"You're stupid. Once they're inside, close the circle immediately—here, here, and here—the firearm and long-knife troops strike. Who's the dumpling now? The cavalry that charged in!"

The two argued fiercely until dusk, when they finally slung arms over each other's shoulders and headed toward the camp gate. Pan Yun warned: "Go back and test it. Trust me—my formation is flawless."

Qin Zhong draped an arm over his shoulder: "Fine. Remember to report it to your superior. Stay with the reinforcements. We'll fight side by side again. You came up with the formation—you've got to test it yourself, right?"

"Naturally. As soon as the imperial court gives the order, I'll apply immediately."

Both felt confident, certain this was settled—they'd fight together again.

Neither expected that the next day, the Emperor ordered the camp broken and the army recalled to the capital—without a word about leaving reinforcements.

Pan Yun panicked and rushed to find their battalion commander.

The commander was already organizing men to pack up and break camp. Seeing Pan Yun pressing the question, he snapped: "How would I know why we're not leaving reinforcements? Don't ask me—even the deputy commander can't answer. You need to ask Minister Kuang, or even Wang Zhangyin or the Emperor. Do you dare ask? Can you ask?"

Pan Yun froze.

The commander waved him off irritably: "Go, go, hurry up and pack. We're running out of time."

Pan Yun could only trudge back in silence.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Ying knelt outside the main courtyard, begging for an audience with the Emperor.

After a long while, Wang Zhen opened the gate and said to the Duke: "The Emperor stayed up late reviewing memorials last night and will soon depart with the camp. Duke, if you have matters, come another day?"

The Duke of Ying rose from the ground, his gaze fixed heavily on Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen's eyes flickered. He averted his gaze, refusing to meet his.

The Duke of Ying was still the Duke of Ying—not like Kuang Ye and the others. Wang Zhen dared not overstep.

When Wang Zhen looked away, the Duke spoke gravely: "I must see the Emperor."

Wang Zhen frowned slightly.

The Duke stepped forward two paces, nearly face-to-face, staring intently: "I have not seen the Emperor since last night. The Emperor personally led this campaign to block Yeshi's army at Datong—but he turns back before even meeting the Northern Hu. I must suspect he is being coerced. Wang Zhen, if you won't let me see the Emperor…"

He gripped the hilt of his waist sword, voice low: "Then I shall purge the court."

Wang Zhen's heart lurched. He sensed—deeply—that the Duke spoke the truth.

His face paled. He yielded: "I'll inform the Emperor."

The Emperor knew the Duke waited outside, but he did not wish to see him—he was ashamed to face him. He feared the Duke would demand to know why he suddenly turned back.

As the Duke had said, the Emperor had personally led the campaign, yet had not yet met Yeshi's army at Datong.

But…

Wang Zhen and Jing Yuan both claimed Oirat troops had breached the frontline and entered the rear, possibly cutting off their route back to the capital.

He wanted to punish Guo Deng and Guo Jing for concealing military intelligence, but Wang Zhen said now was not the time: first, he and Jing Yuan had received secret reports from low-ranking soldiers—no proof. To verify would take time.

No one knew what might happen during that investigation.

For an Emperor, his own safety was paramount.