Chapter 156: The Method to Break the Barrier

While the Hu forces suspected that the Great Song army would seize the opportunity of the general exchange to attack Luoshui Pass, someone in the Great Song military camp had indeed thought of the very same idea.

"Since we have agreed to exchange generals tomorrow morning, why don't we take advantage of the moment when the Hu forces come out of the pass to capture Luoshui Pass in one fell swoop?" The speaker was none other than Luo Simao, a young officer sent by the imperial court to reinforce the border defense.

"This plan sounds good and seems feasible!" Gao Wangjun said thoughtfully.

"General Gao, you must not!" The gathered generals all looked at Xiao Ding, who had spoken to stop them. Xiao Ding rubbed his nose and continued, "Taking advantage of the general exchange to attack the city may seem feasible at first glance, but absolutely must not be done."

"Why not?" Seeing someone object to his proposed strategy, Luo Simao asked back in a loud voice.

"Such a simple strategy—since we can easily think of it, the Hu forces will surely think of it as well. They will undoubtedly have made defensive preparations accordingly. If we rashly attack the pass, we will most likely walk right into a trap set by the Hu forces."

"What kind of traps could the Hu possibly have? Wangjun, don't listen to this kid's nonsense. Make sure you don't miss the chance to attack the pass!" Luo Simao said, somewhat exasperated.

Hearing the two of them argue thus, Gao Wangjun was momentarily indecisive. In her heart, she was equally reluctant to miss such a golden opportunity to take the pass, so she said, "Let's wait until tomorrow during the general exchange, observe the situation of the Hu forces, and then make a final decision."

Her reasoning was to see tomorrow whether the Hu forces had indeed made defensive preparations; if they had, she would abandon the plan to attack, but if they remained unguarded, she would seize the moment to strike.

Seeing Gao Wangjun speak thus, the generals said no more and tacitly accepted her decision.

The next morning, the two armies arrayed their forces before Luoshui Pass. The moment Xiao Ding caught sight of the ranks of archers concealed behind the enemy's formation, as well as the rows of bowmen with arrows nocked along the ramparts of Luoshui Pass, he knew that the Hu forces had long since prepared defenses against an assault by the Great Song army. It seemed Luo Simao's strategy from yesterday had come to nothing.

Just as Xiao Ding could discern that the Hu forces were fully prepared, Gao Wangjun and the other generals naturally saw it as well. Therefore, once the two armies had completed the exchange of military commanders, they tacitly withdrew their forces, neither side taking the opportunity to provoke a conflict.

After Fei Wen was returned to the main camp, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled back into his stomach. Ever since he had been captured by Chibu Gou, he had lived in constant dread, restless day and night, fearing that Li Daocheng would give a single order to have his head severed.

When the generals saw Fei Wen return, not a single one was willing to pay him any heed. Everyone inwardly cursed this good-for-nothing who was useless at everything—incapable of going to the battlefield to slay enemies, yet when sent to manage military supplies, he had managed to get himself captured. How utterly disgraceful! They had managed to capture a Hu military commander with great difficulty, only to trade him back for this worthless piece of trash. How could they not harbor resentment in their hearts?

Only Bian Hongtai followed as usual at Fei Wen's side, inquiring after his well-being with the same flattering and ingratiating demeanor.

Glancing sideways at Bian Hongtai, Xiao Ding abruptly noticed that today Bian Hongtai seemed somewhat different from usual, though for a moment he could not pinpoint exactly what the difference was. It appeared as though Bian Hongtai's face was whiter than before, his eyebrows blacker, and his lips seemingly redder...

Ever since Bian Hongtai had been crippled by Xiao Ding's kick, the two rarely crossed paths except during military council meetings. Bian Hongtai had originally possessed the appearance of a fair-faced scholar, but as Xiao Ding scrutinized him closely today, he found that he looked even more bewitching and seductive than before.

Yes, exactly—bewitching! It looked as though Bian Hongtai had applied makeup to his face today. Startled, Xiao Ding thought to himself that Bian Hongtai surely could not have suffered a psychological distortion due to his physical disability.

At this thought, Xiao Ding gave a violent shudder, feeling his scalp tingle slightly. Looking at Bian Hongtai again at that moment, holding Fei Wen's hand and inquiring solicitously about this and that with an expression of intense concern, the effect was deeply unsettling.

Gao Wangjun paid no attention to these details. Leading the generals back to the main tent of the central camp, she resumed the meeting to discuss how to breach the pass.

When asked for strategies to take the pass, the generals all fell silent. Everyone secretly harbored a sense of regret that Luo Simao's plan from yesterday could not be implemented, but since the Hu forces had long since made defensive preparations, there was nothing anyone could do about it.

To come up with an alternative plan to break through the pass now posed a genuine difficulty for the commanders. Most of the officers present in the grand tent were low-ranking junior officers—commandants and lieutenants like Xiao Ding—and many had never led troops into battle, let alone understood the art of military strategy.

Only Gao Wangjun, Huang Wenlong, and Luo Simao could be considered battle-hardened veterans with some battlefield experience and a slight grasp of military manuals and tactics.

Although Xiao Ding was resourceful, his knowledge of military tactics was only half-baked. However, having consumed numerous novels and television dramas in his previous life, he was capable of following a pattern and had managed to pick up a tiny veneer of knowledge.

Seeing Gao Wangjun ask the assembled officers for a method to breach the pass, Xiao Ding began turning his gears and pondering as well. When it came to profound treatises like Sun Tzu's Art of War or the Thirty-Six Stratagems, he knew absolutely nothing; yet the mindset he had acquired in the military was one of contingency, turning circumstances to one's advantage, and acting according to changing situations.

Although the strategy Luo Simao proposed yesterday failed to be executed smoothly, it had nonetheless provided the generals with a direction: the best approach would be to lure the Hu forces out of the pass and then annihilate them in a prepared ambush, making the task much easier. But how could they manage to draw the Hu forces out of Luoshui Pass?

Everyone racked their brains and pondered deeply, yet utterly failed to come up with a foolproof plan to entice the Hu troops out of the pass.

"What do you all think of this? The Hu army is currently short of provisions. We could feign a retreat while leaving behind a quantity of grain in the camp. The Hu forces are very likely to sally forth from the pass to seize the provisions, and then we can lay an ambush to wipe them out in one stroke. What do all of you think of this plan?" Gao Wangjun pondered for a moment before speaking to the generals.

Her reason for voicing it openly was precisely because she lacked confidence in her own plan and wished to solicit everyone's opinions.

"I think this plan is viable! This tactic of luring the enemy out of the pass is indeed ingenious!" Luo Simao was the first to stand up in support.

"Since we can't think of any other plans anyway, we might as well give this one a try!" Huang Wenlong also suggested.

Following that, several junior officers chimed in one after another:

"We can give it a try."

"Might as well try it."

"Perhaps we can take Luoshui Pass in one fell swoop!"

"Exactly, exactly! Besides, there are no other good strategies anyway!"

Just as everyone was buzzing with discussion, a dissenting voice suddenly pierced through to their ears.

"I think this plan will not work!"

The crowd turned their heads in unison to look at the speaker.

The person raising the dissenting voice was once again Xiao Ding. Seeing everyone's gazes fixed upon him, Xiao Ding hurriedly explained, "Since the Hu forces had already made preparations during the general exchange, it shows they had long since anticipated this. Even if they sally forth from the pass, they will surely take defensive precautions and will not be easily fooled. If we are not careful, not only will we fail to take Luoshui Pass, but we might also lose the rations used to lure the enemy, inadvertently benefiting the Hu forces instead."

Gao Wangjun and Huang Wenlong, both seasoned veterans of many campaigns, realized upon hearing Xiao Ding's words that his reasoning was not without merit, and both immediately hesitated.

Meanwhile, Luo Simao felt a growing irritation toward Xiao Ding. Yesterday, Xiao Ding had opposed the plan he proposed, and today, when the woman he fancied put forward a strategy, Xiao Ding stepped forward to object yet again. Was he deliberately trying to pick a fight with him?

"Since you say this plan won't work, have you come up with a better and more brilliant strategy?" Luo Simao asked, sidelong glaring at Xiao Ding with a distinctly unfriendly tone.

"I wouldn't dare call it brilliant, but I actually have thought of a method to breach the pass," Xiao Ding said, completely composed and at ease.

Hearing that Xiao Ding possessed a method to take the pass, Gao Wangjun, Huang Wenlong, and the other junior officers all converged their gazes directly upon him.

"Commander Tian, what is your strategy? Quickly, let's hear it!" Gao Wangjun asked, unable to conceal her eagerness.

Observing this array of expectant faces, Xiao Ding said to himself inwardly that he clearly could not afford to keep them in suspense any longer.