The Visitor
Duan Xu seemed to be missing a string in his mind.
He Simu thought, the first time the condition of the deal was to give him a hand, the second time was to call her by her real name, this little general’s train of thought is really out of the ordinary.
However, lately, He Simu had gradually gotten used to Duan Xu’s independent ways, to the point that when he said this, she was only briefly surprised before returning to calm.
“You could have gotten more from me, things that could help you fulfil your wishes, instead of wasting it like this,” He Simu said.
But Duan Xu shook his head, saying firmly, “This is my wish, it’s not a waste.”
He Simu looked at Duan Xu for a moment, as if trying to discern some hidden agenda from his handsome face, but he looked at her with such sincerity that she might as well have pinned the words “innocent and pure” on his forehead.
His wish was truly useless, even absurd. But this little general was not her subordinate, and besides, he would likely perish within a mere century, so a couple of calls from him wouldn’t hurt her.
He Simu said, “Very well, then you owe me two now.”
“Once I’m feeling better, I’ll fulfil them, I promise,” Duan Xu said with a playful smile.
But He Simu had evidently forgotten about her initial intention to strip Duan Xu’s pants, and Duan Xu was clearly pleased with this turn of events.
Two days later, General Qin arrived at the city of Shuozhou, where the generals from the four routes occupying Shuozhou had gathered to discuss the next steps in their strategy against the enemy.
Duan Xu’s injuries were not yet fully healed, and he was more afraid of pain than the average person. Whenever He Simu touched him, he would inhale sharply, making it impossible for him to wear heavy armour. But as he watched the generals, all clad in armour from head to toe, riding tall horses and arriving in a grand procession, Duan Xu felt arrogant if he stayed out of sight, and delicate if he showed up without armour.
From the gate tower, Duan Xu sighed with a smile as he saw the imposing manner of the generals.
At this time, Chenying also asked Duan Xu with great concern, “Big Brother General, when Miss He was changing your medicine, you were still crying in pain. Are you going to battle again?”
Since being recognized as his little brother, Chenying had often followed him around, like a little tail.
Duan Xu smiled, thinking that he cried out in pain only because Miss He had been too heavy-handed.
“The battle won’t start so soon, but this matter before us is also a battle. I made great contributions as soon as I entered the military, and apart from Tabai, the other soldiers in the army are very unfamiliar with me. Naturally, some are curious, some want to show me their power, and perhaps some have some selfish motives to flatter me. But it’s clear that General Qin and my family belong to different factions, and promotions in the army depend more on General Qin and Duke Pei. Their flattery is useless to me.”
Duan Xu’s words left Chenying utterly confused, who only looked at him with a pair of bewildered eyes. Duan Xu squatted down to pat his head, saying, “It’s okay if you don’t understand, just remember it. When you follow me back to the capital in the future, you’ll encounter even more complex social situations than this.”
Pausing for a moment, he then smiled and said, “In that case, I might as well show my face properly.”
The reception of the generals in Shuozhou City had always been the responsibility of Wu Shengliu and Meng Wan. Wu Shengliu was very familiar with the military situation, while Meng Wan was meticulous and courteous, finding no fault in her actions.
On the morning when General Qin and several other generals arrived in Shuozhou City, General Qin requested that all the generals attend a meeting to discuss future arrangements. Finally, Duan Xu made his appearance.
He emerged from his tent wearing only a casual red round-collared robe, his hair tied up in a high ponytail without much care. Chenying followed beside him, holding a basket containing a silver-white armour.
Taking out his armour from the basket, he leisurely put it on piece by piece as he strolled along, calmly fastening each buckle and tie, making sure everything was in place. He walked all the way, putting on his armour in full view of everyone, as if he were trying on a new garment in the streets of the capital.
As he passed by the soldiers brought by the other generals, they couldn’t help but scratch their heads in confusion, wondering what kind of show this new general was putting on.
Some of them whispered to each other, curious about General Duan’s seemingly exquisite and lightweight armour, wondering how it was made.
Just as Duan Xu was about to arrive at General Qin’s camp, he happened to put on his wrist guard, adjusted his clothes properly, and then walked into the camp. The three generals inside had been watching him approach through the camp gate.
Duan Xu smiled and saluted them, “Duan Xu of the Tabai Army, greets General Qin and the other generals.”
After the greeting, he calmly adjusted his hair ornament before taking his seat, finally completing his attire. The generals who had intended to assert their authority were surprised and exchanged glances, just as perplexed as their soldiers.
Chenying stood behind Duan Xu, his mind filled with the tactics Duan Xu had taught him.
—”When strategizing against the enemy, employ the strategy of doubt. Strike first to appear stronger, create diversions to confuse the enemy, deceive them with subterfuge, making them hesitate and remain inactive.”
Duan Xu seemed oblivious to everything as he smiled and said, “As a newcomer, this is my first time meeting all the generals. I hope to receive your guidance and advice.”
General Qin, seated high in the main tent, a nearly fifty-year-old veteran, looked calmly at Duan Xu, then turned away, saying, “General Duan is a young talent. He has single-handedly withstood the Danzhi army of over two hundred thousand for more than two months in Shuozhou City, and even infiltrated their camp to assassinate Awoqi, reversing the tide of the battle. I have already reported such merits to the court, and I believe rewards will soon follow.”
The way they spoke made it seem as if Duan Xu was sent to Shuozhou to die.
Duan Xu smiled and bowed, saying, “For the country and the people, it should be so. I am grateful for the general’s trust in entrusting me with such an important task, and fortunately, I have not disappointed.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sneer from beside him.
Glancing over, Duan Xu saw He Simu sitting next to him in a triple-layered curved robe, casually leaning on her chin and looking around the camp. Seeing Duan Xu turn to look at her, she smiled slightly and said, “Please, continue.”
What she meant to say was probably—continue the performance.
He Simu had once again transformed into an invisible ghost to watch the show.
Duan Xu seemed to want to laugh, but halfway through, he stopped and returned to his generous and righteous demeanour, exchanging pleasantries with General Qin and the other generals in the camp, who were all secretly turbulent.
The recent battle with Danzhi had also resulted in significant losses. The defence of Yuzhou against the Feng Lai army had resulted in tens of thousands of casualties for Dabian. Similarly, guarding Shuozhou City had also led to the deaths of over a thousand men. With Danzhi in turmoil, now was a rare opportunity, but given Dabian’s current situation, they couldn’t afford to overextend themselves.
By imperial decree, General Qin was ordered to lead troops to attack and occupy Shuozhou, then act accordingly based on the situation. With Dabian’s current military strength, they could only occupy at most two more provinces. Therefore, the focus of the discussion was on the direction of the next attack.
It boiled down to two options: attack northwest towards Luozhou and Yuzhou, or northeast towards Youzhou and Yingzhou.
Listening to the generals’ discussions for a while, He Simu roughly understood that the direction of attack had already been decided on Youzhou and Yingzhou. The reasons were compelling—Youzhou and Yingzhou were strategic locations, occupying them would choke Danzhi’s lifeline and pave the way for capturing the Danzhi capital. Furthermore, Yingzhou was the ancestral home of the current emperor. Its loss to the enemy for many years had been a source of embarrassment for the emperor. Reclaiming it would naturally please him greatly, a significant achievement.
However, it was clear that they hadn’t informed Duan Xu of the decision to attack in this direction beforehand.
Duan Xu’s hands were clasped together at his lips, his smiling eyes watching the generals as they discussed the direction of attack and the strategies involved. His gaze was somewhat mocking and indifferent. When General Qin finally noticed his prolonged silence and symbolically sought his opinion, Duan Xu chuckled softly and said, “While Youzhou and Yingzhou are undoubtedly excellent choices, I believe the key focus of the attack should be on the northwest provinces of Yuzhou and Luozhou.”
Duan Xu’s remarks caused the generals present to furrow their brows, and he continued with a smile, “Indeed, Youzhou is strategically vital as the lifeline of Danzhi, and the Huqi people from the grasslands and deserts are extremely sensitive to crises. If we truly attack Youzhou, even amidst the chaos in the royal court, they would temporarily set aside their grudges and regroup their forces to deal with us. Brothers quarrel within the wall, and face insults from outside—this principle is not only understood by the Han people.”
“Have you all forgotten the terrifying elite forces of Danzhi? South of the Guan River, there are many marshlands where we can hold our ground. But if we were to engage the Danzhi army on the plains, I believe all of you generals know what the result would be. As for Yingzhou…” Duan Xu chuckled, almost saying, “You want this province just for the sake of the emperor’s face. Besides that, what use does it have?”
General Qin, nonchalantly sipping his tea, allowed his trusted general, Wang, to speak up, “General Duan should also understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While there is indeed a gap between us and the Danzhi army, if we don’t seize Youzhou while the enemy’s morale is in disarray, we may never get another chance. Youzhou is strategically advantageous for both offense and defence. Once we occupy Youzhou, it would be difficult for the Huqi people to reclaim it. With the chaos in the Danzhi royal court now, I don’t believe they will regroup their forces so quickly; instead, they may be open to negotiations.”
Duan Xu smiled and remained calm. He couldn’t say, “I’ve spent many years in the Danzhi royal court, far more than you understand.” He just remained silent for a moment and suddenly said, “I see that all you generals seem quite interested in the armour I’m wearing.”
—Is it really the armour they’re interested in? Or is it his peculiar behaviour?
Duan Xu continued without changing his expression, “This armour I’m wearing can be lifted even by an eight-year-old child like my adopted brother, yet it is incredibly tough and impervious to blades and spears. It is made from a mineral called ‘Tianluo.’ This mineral is lightweight and durable, and after refining and forging, it can be used to make armour that is just as effective as heavy armour weighing dozens of pounds. However, such armour is rare in Dabian, with each piece costing over a hundred gold coins, as General Qin should also know. Dabian does not produce this mineral; instead, it is predominantly found in Luozhou, named after it. When Danzhi captured Luozhou years ago, they ignorantly massacred the city. Now, they are unaware of the refining method for Tianluo. Over the years, they have tried to obtain the refining method from Dabian, but they have failed repeatedly.”
At this moment, Chenying, standing behind Duan Xu, remembered the latter part of what Duan Xu had taught him—”It’s not always about being mysterious; it’s best if there’s something real in all these mysteries that people can taste.”
“Not only that. Yuzhou has pastures for horse breeding, which Dabian lacks within its territory. Therefore, warhorses are scarce, and the cavalry force of Dabian is weak. If we can occupy Yuzhou as a place for breeding warhorses, the combat power of Dabian’s cavalry can be greatly enhanced, narrowing the gap between us and the Danzhi army. Moreover, Danzhi has vast grasslands in the north and doesn’t care much about Yuzhou and Luozhou. It would be much easier for us to occupy these two provinces without arousing Danzhi’s suspicions.”
Duan Xu laid out the pros and cons one by one based on his understanding of Danzhi. After a moment of silence in the camp, General Qin spoke leisurely, “General Duan’s words are not without merit. The grasslands of Yuzhou and the mineral veins of Luozhou are indeed important resources, but—”
Almost simultaneously with General Qin, He Simu uttered the word “but.” She knew that everything before it was just a pretext, and there would inevitably be a “but” afterward.
“But the timing on the battlefield changes in an instant, and we need to make choices. We must not be greedy for small gains and lose sight of the bigger picture. Youzhou is the heartland, and a victory there could bring many years of peace. All the generals believe that Youzhou and Yingzhou are the best choices, General Duan…”
General Qin didn’t continue his sentence, indicating that their decision to exclude Duan Xu from this decision-making process wouldn’t change even with his opposition.
Duan Xu’s gaze swept over the faces of the people in the camp. Just when He Simu thought he might say something to justify himself, Duan Xu suddenly smiled brightly and said, “It’s just my shallow insight. Since the seniors have already chosen the direction, the junior will do his best to cooperate and will say no more.”
He Simu looked at Duan Xu with some surprise and said, “They also know that capturing Youzhou is difficult. Most likely, they are aiming to force Danzhi into negotiations. Once a peace treaty is signed, there would be no reason for another major battle. Your wish to reclaim the Seventeen Provinces is probably not going to be realized in this lifetime.”
Duan Xu smiled faintly, nodded to indicate he understood, and then softly said—there’s no point in saying more.
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