The evacuation of the citizens of Jiyang City and Xiao Jue's takeover of Jiyang City's army were carried out almost at the same time.
The citizens would not disobey the orders given by the princess herself. No matter how puzzled and confused they were, they would leave temporarily to protect their family's lives when they heard that the city was in turmoil. The only ones who did not leave were the old, weak, sick, and disabled who could not travel long distances. They were unable to move for various reasons and did not want to wander around on the road. They would rather die in their hometown.
The most difficult ones were probably some of the aristocratic families in Jiyang City. They were displeased with Mu Hongjin over the years and secretly had disloyal thoughts. However, Mu Hongjin had always been swift and decisive. Although she was a woman, she had always forcefully suppressed all voices of opposition. However, this time, the crisis in Jiyang City was menacing. Mu Hongjin was unable to do many things at once. These aristocratic families were eager to take advantage of this opportunity to make some moves.
Mu Hongjin could not leave Jiyang City. Once she left, not only would she give a chance to those who secretly opposed her, but it would also mean that she had given up on the city and the citizens of the city. As the princess of Jiyang City, she enjoyed the love and respect of the citizens. At this time, she should take responsibility.
A disguised inconspicuous carriage secretly left the gate of the prince's residence.
Mu Hongjin, who was dressed as a maid, stood at the gate of the prince's residence. Half of her body was hidden behind a pillar as she looked in the direction Mu Xiaolou left.
Mu Xiaolou did not know about the crisis in Jiyang City. She naively thought that she was leaving to attend the king's birthday celebration in her grandmother's place. When she left, she was very happy and said that she wanted to bring a gift for Mu Hongjin. When she came back, it would be summer. She even wanted Mu Hongjin to accompany her to make sweet ice cream.
Mu Hongjin only withdrew her gaze when she could no longer see the back of the carriage. Just as she was about to turn around and enter the residence, she glanced and seemed to see a man in white standing opposite her. She could not help but stop and look over.
It was a man dressed in white. His face could not be seen clearly. He was hiding in the courtyard across the street. Sunlight shone down from the roof, casting a large shadow. He stood in the shadow, and his face could not be seen clearly. Only a long sword hung at his waist and a zither on his back could be seen clearly.
On the wide street, the flow of people was turbulent. Among the people coming and going, he raised his head slightly. He seemed to be looking at her through the crowd, but also seemed like he was not looking at her.
A horse-drawn carriage carrying goods slowly passed by.
When Mu Hongjin looked up again, there was only the dazzling sun. There was no one on the other side of the street, as if it was just her imagination.
She stood there quietly for a moment, then walked away.
At night, the oil lamp in the Cui residence's study room was still lit. Large lanterns were placed in the four corners of the room, illuminating the room. Cui Yuezhi's study room was more like an armory than a study room. The room was cold and cheerless and square. Apart from a few scrolls that were randomly piled on the table and a black wooden shelf with books on it, there was nothing elegant about the room at all.
However, he was not a person who liked to read.
There was a map hanging on the wall. The map was huge and took up half of the wall. A river was drawn in the middle, and the whirlpools and reefs near the river were clearly drawn.
There were more than ten people sitting in the room. They were all martial artists like Cui Yue. They were all Cui Yuezhi's colleagues and subordinates. If Uto entered the city this time, these people would be the deputy leaders of Jiyang City's army and cooperate with Xiao Jue.
He Yan and Xiao Jue sat on one side, while Fei Nu and Chi Wu stood behind them with their arms crossed. Cui Yuezhi held a charcoal pencil and drew a circle on a conspicuous place on the map.
"This is the most suitable place to go ashore in the canal." Cui Yuezhi pointed at the place he drew. "If we go ashore from here, the two armies will fight here. This place is flat and suitable for Jiyang City's army. However … "He glanced at Xiao Jue and felt a little guilty." We don't have enough men and horses. "
Jiyang City did not have many soldiers and horses. Emperor Wen Xuan would not allow such a thing to happen. In the past, many vassal kings and generals disbanded in order to protect themselves. Mu Hongjin was the same. Emperor Wen Xuan was especially merciful to leave behind less than 20,000 soldiers of Jiyang City.
With 20,000 soldiers and horses, it was not enough to rebel and set off a big wave. Similarly, it was not enough for the Uto to resist tens of thousands of murderous soldiers. Cui Yuezhi also understood this point. Even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice. Even if they had General Fengyun, who was a brave soldier, they did not even have soldiers. How could he fight with others? With his face?
"It's not that we don't have enough men and horses." Xiao Jue looked at the map and said calmly, "It's that we don't have enough ships."
"Ships?" One of Cui Yuezhi's subordinates looked at him in confusion.
It was not their fault. Jiyang City had been peaceful for so many years. Other than Cui Yuezhi and the others who were older, the younger ones had not even been to a real battlefield.
Xiao Jue tapped the teacup in front of him with his finger and said, "You tell me."
He Yan: "Me?"
Cui Yuezhi and the rest of his subordinates looked at He Yan.
He Yan had now changed back to his female disguise. Everyone present had heard about how he defeated Mu Yi in the martial arts arena today. However, the only thing a female subordinate with outstanding skills could do was to protect her master's safety. More importantly, she could kill a few people on the battlefield.
Arranging troops and formations and analyzing battle reports were not things that ordinary people could do. Moreover, men were probably born with a sense of superiority over women in terms of military affairs. Thus, they were somewhat mischievous towards Xiao Jue's actions. They thought that the rumors were not completely true. Everyone said that General Fengyun was cold and heartless and did not get close to women. It turned out that it was all fake. Now, he was blinded by lust and allowed this female subordinate who had a "close relationship" with him to fool around.
For a moment, everyone looked at Xiao Jue as if they were looking at an incapable ruler who had been bewitched by a vixen's concubine.
All these years, He Yan had long seen the gazes of men who looked down on women countless times. He wanted to teach these people a lesson. After thinking about it, he did not refuse. He stood up and walked to the map with a smile.
Cui Yuezhi returned to his seat. The rest of the people looked at He Yan with an expression that said, "Let's see what nonsense she is going to spout."
He Yan did not look at the map. He only looked at the crowd and said, "These are not important."
Everyone did not understand.
"There is no other way to fight on the water. Big boats beat small boats, big guns beat small guns, many boats beat few boats, many guns beat few guns."
"You are small boats and small guns, few boats and few guns. No matter how you look at it, where you go ashore and how you arrange your troops are not the most important. In Da Wei, except for the Imperial Guards, firearms are prohibited. They only talk about boats. As long as the Uto has enough boats, they can win. "
"If you want to win a battle with fewer people, you can't do without boats."
"On the water, they have more boats. On the shore, they have more people. This map is not used in this way."
Although the people present hadn't fought in the past few years, they weren't fools. Whether He Yan was spouting nonsense or not, they were well aware of it. She hit the nail on the head and pointed out the crux of the problem. For a moment, everyone's contempt disappeared.
"Miss He," Cui Yuezhi said, "But you also know that in these years, His Majesty has prohibited the privately raising of troops, let alone soldiers and boats. The ships on the canal are originally used to transport goods or carry people on long journeys. Jiyang City would never dare to build its own navy, much less use firearms. "
He Yan sighed in her heart. She naturally knew this. After all, the previous dynasty had a rebellion. After the previous emperor succeeded the throne, he paid special attention to reducing the power of the vassals. The current vassals were actually the same as the nobles with no real power in Shuo City.
"Dare I ask Military Governor Xiao," one of Cui Yuezhi's subordinates looked at Xiao Jue and carefully asked, "How many soldiers does Uto have?"
Xiao Jue: "One hundred thousand, more and not less."
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
With such a difference in military strength, it was difficult for them to have any hope.
"The people in the city have already been evacuated by His Highness. They left through the city gates." One of the deputy soldiers said with a dry voice, "We … will try our best to delay for more time."
The meaning of his words was that everyone was prepared to sacrifice themselves. The people who evacuated from the city, as well as His Highness, were the seeds of hope. The only thing they could do was to buy more time for the people. It was only a matter of time before the city was captured.
Xiao Jue's gaze lightly swept across everyone. She sat up slightly and was about to speak when suddenly, a woman's clear voice sounded.
"It is not a good thing that the morale is so low. You must know that we have a famous general here. Do you know what a famous general is? "
Everyone was stunned.
"You will not lose a battle that you should not lose, and you will have a chance to win a battle that you should not win. This is what a famous general is." He Yan raised his eyebrows, "It seems like we will lose without a doubt. Even a famous general can find a breakthrough and turn defeat into victory. There is a famous general here who can turn the situation around with his own strength. How do you expect him to face himself like this? "
She thought that there was not only one famous general here, but a pair. Two famous generals from Da Wei were here. If they lost, they would not be able to face others.
No one knew her background. They only looked at Xiao Jue and thought that Xiao Jue's subordinates really did not spare any effort to flatter him. They even believed that Xiao Jue could turn defeat into victory in such a terrible chess game. How much did they worship him?
Cui Yuezhi was silent for a moment and asked Xiao Jue, "Then Military Governor Xiao, how should we turn defeat into victory?"
The world did not know that Xiao Jue had won the Battle of Water with a small number of troops. After all, to outsiders, Xiao Jue had led 100,000 soldiers from the Southern Prefecture to victory in Guo City. However, at that time, they were pouring water into the city. They were attacking the city, not defending it. Moreover, the environment of Jiyang and Guo City was different. Jiyang was a water city. Although they were both attacked by water, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair. The joints of his left hand were slightly protruding as he touched the tea lid. He looked at He Yan, his beautiful eyes filled with deep emotions, and said, "You tell me."
He Yan frowned slightly.
He said, "You have fought with the Uto before. You know the Uto's methods better than anyone else."
The Uto's methods were crude and direct. This was related to their style of doing things. They had been hiding in the dark for so many years, probing and harassing from time to time. They were both arrogant and inferior. This time, they had planned for a long time and had chosen Jiyang as their first battle. They would definitely make this battle a grand one.
He Yan said, "Water counters fire. Water and fire are incompatible. Why don't we use fire to attack?"
For a moment, no one spoke in the study.
"Miss He, please explain more clearly," Cui Yue said.
Cui Yue's attitude towards He Yan became more and more respectful. He felt that this girl was very different from other girls. She was also very different from Xiao Jue's other subordinates. For example, Fei Nu and Chi Wu were also Xiao Jue's subordinates. However, they only listened to Xiao Jue's orders. Xiao Jue would not let them express their opinions like this. He Yan had always been very respectful towards Xiao Jue, but if one looked carefully, it did not seem like a relationship between a superior and a subordinate. Cui Yue was a big-hearted person. He could not tell if He Yan loved him or not. However, he could feel that He Yan regarded him as the same as Xiao Jue.
If she were a man, she would probably be more like a good friend to Xiao Jue than a master and servant.
"The Uto's boat might be very big. At least, it won't be like the small boats in Jiyang City's army that transport goods or people. The Uto Kingdom is far away on land and there is no sea around it. It seems that they are not as good at water as the people in Jiyang City. I think that the biggest possibility is that they will take a big boat to the edge of Jiyang City. They will go ashore at the place Cui Zhongqi pointed out. "She pointed at the place Cui Yue had marked." If … if their boats are very close to each other, we can use fire to attack. Once the fire spreads, the small boats in Jiyang will be able to quickly leave, but the Uto's big boat will not. We can take this opportunity to eliminate the Uto's main force. "
Using fire to attack on the water was a method that no one had tried before. For a moment, no one said anything, but He Yan's words made everyone suddenly see the light. Their hearts faintly stirred up, secretly thinking about the feasibility of this plan.
"The Uto's military strength is much greater than ours. They also know that Jiyang has been peaceful for many years and is not a match for the Uto. They must be proud and short-sighted. This is their weakness, but it is our strength."
When she spoke, her voice was gentle and firm, clear and organized. Every word seemed to be able to give people endless confidence. Just now, everyone thought that they would definitely lose this battle, but after hearing her words, they felt that they might be able to create a battle in the history books where they won the battle with a small number of people. This battle would be admired by the world.
It was just that … Cui Yue Zhi looked at He Yan doubtfully. In such a short period of time, she had thought of a way to deal with it. Although it wasn't flawless, it was unique and pointed out the key to victory or defeat. Could an ordinary woman really do this? Not to mention a woman, even a man who had been in the army for many years might not be able to react so quickly. After all, a general not only needed experience, but also a little talent and a unique vision. However, how old did He Yan look? He heard that she was only seventeen. A seventeen-year-old girl was already so powerful?
Xiao Jue's subordinates were already so powerful. Wouldn't the Nine Flags Barracks be filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons? Cui Yue Zhi felt a faint chill in his heart.
"I'm just suggesting this idea," He Yan said, "I'm not sure if it can be implemented or how it can be implemented." He Yan knew that he had said too much, so he consciously passed the words to Xiao Jue. "Whether this plan will work or not, it depends on the commander-in-chief's decision."
She did not need to say this, but it was the responsibility of every general to treat every battle seriously. Moreover, Jiyang City was a good place, and the people were very warm and honest. She was not willing to let this beautiful place, which was like a paradise, be destroyed by the Uto. After all, if the Uto took over Jiyang, they would only go all the way north, and the people of Da Wei would suffer.
She would fight until the end.
Everyone looked at Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue's gaze swept past He Yan. She stood up and walked to He Yan's side.
He Yan lowered his head, avoided Xiao Jue's thoughtful gaze, and returned to his position.
He picked up the charcoal pencil that Cui Yuezhi had put aside and circled it in front of the mark that Cui Yuezhi had just made. He then made a new mark.
The new mark was in front of the old one, which was also in front of the shore of Jiyang City. There was a narrow exit. This was the place where the canal and the river in Jiyang City met. It was like the mouth of a gourd, sharp and thin. Only after passing through the mouth of the gourd could they reach the real canal.
"Fire attack is feasible, but we can set up an ambush here. This passage is narrow, so large ships cannot enter. Small boats can pass through it. "
Cui Yuezhi's eyes lit up. Xiao Jue had sharp eyes. This place was very suitable for an ambush.
"As for fire attack," Xiao Jue said, "it depends on the wind direction and the terrain."
"There are people from the Directorate of Astronomy in the city who are in charge of observing the weather and wind direction!" A Jiyang soldier said, "They can be used to make arrangements for the planting of paddy fields in the farms."
Another person asked hesitantly, "But what if the wind direction is opposite on that day?"
"Then we can't use fire attack." Xiao Jue said, "After all, war is about the right time, the right place, and the right people."
He Yan thought to himself, 'That's true. Everything is indispensable.' Of course, Xiao Jue did not finish his sentence. If the wind direction was opposite on that day, there would naturally be other ways.
However, when it came to war, it was all about luck. If God did not let you win, there would be many examples of failure on the verge of success in the history books. What they needed to do was to minimize the possibility of these uncertainties.
The discussion on the water attack lasted until midnight before the crowd finally dispersed. At first, everyone was listless and disappointed. Later on, they were full of energy and high spirits. It was all because of the "ridiculous" idea that He Yan came up with.
Lin Shuanghe saw that the group of people's expressions were very different from when they first came out. He asked them in surprise, "What happened? What did you do inside? Why are they so happy? "
He Yan yawned. "Of course, we used reason and emotion to persuade them."
"That's not necessary," Lin Shuanghe muttered, "If I didn't know better, I would've thought that you guys were drinking wine inside."
He Yan was speechless.
She said, "It's getting late. I'm going to rest first. If there's anything else, we can talk about it tomorrow."
Lin Shuanghe nodded. "Okay."
He Yan returned to her room. During the day, she was correcting the formation of Jiyang City's army in the training field. At night, she was discussing the map. She was already very tired. After she washed up, she walked out and saw Xiao Jue still sitting at the table in the inner room. He was writing something with a brush.
He Yan went over to take a look. He had somehow obtained a copy of the map that Cui Yuezhi had hung on the wall of the study room. However, it was a smaller copy. He put the copy of the Uto's defense map that Chu Zhao had given to Mu Hongjin and compared it with something.
What he wrote was what He Yan had just mentioned. It was about the various aspects that they might need to pay attention to when attacking with fire. For example, how many ambushes should be set at the mouth of the calabash, the direction of the wind on that day, the arrangement of the city gates, and the guards in the city. Because there were too few soldiers in Jiyang City, they had to be extremely cautious even if they had to arrange a soldier.
She was simply like a little wife who lived frugally to manage the family.
He Yan said, "Commander in Chief, why aren't you sleeping?"
"Go ahead." Xiao Jue didn't even raise his head.
He Yan sighed in his heart. He thought to himself that one only needed to be talented to get first place when they were young. Even if they slept in class, they could still get first place. However, maintaining first place for many years was not something that could be done with talent alone. Back when she was in the Fuyue Army, she was also like this. She had even seen the moon in the middle of the night from one to three in the morning.
Thinking of this, she said, "Commander in Chief, let me help you."
As she spoke, someone knocked on the door outside. It was Liu Buwang. "A He, are you asleep?"
It was already so late. Why was Liu Buwang still looking for her? He Yan and Xiao Jue looked at each other and said, "No, Master, please wait a moment."
She put on an outer robe and opened the door. Liu Buwang was standing outside the door. He had just returned from outside the residence, and his clothes were still covered with the cold dew of the night. He Yan looked outside the door and said, "Come in and talk."
Liu Buwang entered the door and saw Xiao Jue. He nodded slightly to Xiao Jue as a greeting. His gaze fell on the scroll in front of Xiao Jue. He paused for a moment and then said, "Commander in Chief, do you have a way to deal with the battle of Jiyang?"
He Yan said, "A little bit."
"What are the chances of winning?"
He Yan said, "At most 50%."
It would be best if it was 50%.
Liu Buwang was silent for a moment and said, "The Uto may take action soon."
Xiao Jue looked at him and asked, "Master Liu, what have you found?"
"The Uto I've been tracking have already gone in one direction. Some of them went out of the city, and some of them disappeared. They have noticed my whereabouts. The news of Her Highness evacuating the people can't be kept a secret. "Liu Buwang said," The Uto's ship hasn't arrived yet. We have to race against time now. "
"In the shortest time possible, the people of Jiyang should evacuate as far as possible, but there are civilians in the city who can't leave." Liu Buwang's voice sank.
He didn't want the civilians to be slaughtered by the Uto.
"Master," He Yan said, "Don't you know how to do divination? Have you ever divined whether this battle will be won or lost?"
"No solution."
He Yan asked, "No solution?"
In fact, many years ago, when Liu Buwang was still a teenager, he had divined the opportunities of Jiyang City in the next few decades on the mountain. The divination showed that decades later, there would be a great disaster in the city. Corpses would be piled up, and there wouldn't be any chickens or dogs left. Even Da Wei was the same. Wang Chao's fate was about to end. He wanted to continue divining, but Daoist Yun Ji, who happened to see it, smashed the tortoise shell with his palm and reprimanded him, "The Heavenly Dao is unpredictable. How can you peek into the Heavenly Dao?"
The matter was left unsettled.
Many things happened later. He also knew that the affairs of the world were unpredictable. Compared to the Heavenly Dao, human strength was too insignificant. Liu Buwang hadn't divined for many years. However, ever since he met He Yan this time, he knew that there might be a war in Jiyang City and that the Uto didn't come with good intentions. In the end, he couldn't stay out of it, so he secretly divined again.
Divinations could never see the cause and process. They could only see the ending. He still remembered the result of the divination many years ago. However, decades later, the divinations were completely different.
This was originally a dead end, and there was no chance of survival. However, he still saw the same scene as back then, but in the picture, there was an additional pair of blurry shadows. The shadows were golden and seemed to have infinite merit. They were as panicked as the sky, and like two bright golden lights, they illuminated the dead divinations.
A dead end became an "unknown" because of this pair of blurry shadows.
He couldn't see the ending.
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