"You want to be General Ke's strategist?" This fellow was quite interesting—where did he get such confidence? "Have you ever been to the front lines? How much do you really know about leading troops and fighting wars?"
"I was originally a borderer from the northern frontier. Before the age of twelve, warfare and migration were the core of daily life for the locals there." Sun Hongye smiled faintly. "Later, I served as a study companion in Lord He's household, where I read through his entire library early on. Even at the National Academy in the capital, I spent four years studying."
"Only four years?" Sitting idle was rather dull, so He Lingchuan started snacking on the strawberries. "I've heard that famed scholars spend their entire lives poring over the classics until their hair turns white. With heads of white hair, they surely grind for more than four years." He wasn't deliberately finding fault; reading books for just four years hardly qualified someone to be a military advisor.
Strawberries were not currently in season, and he had no idea how the locals managed to cultivate them—probably with the help of heated greenhouses, he guessed. Even though the berries were attractively bright red and plenty juicy, they lacked the distinctive, fresh aroma of seasonal fruit.
"If one wants to pursue true learning, one must have good books to read." Sun Hongye shook his head, looking somewhat regretful. "Though the National Academy in the capital covers a vast area, its collection is riddled with errors and omissions. No one has maintained or updated it for a long time, so there are very few worthwhile books to read. When I looked for books there, some were missing pages, some were filthy, and some crumbled to dust the moment you opened them, giving me a mouthful of powder!"
The lad certainly talked big, even disparaging the National Academy. But thinking about the state of Great Yuan today, He Lingchuan remarked, "You make a convincing argument. You're right."
He Lingchuan switched to eating a jujube.
Seeing him eating with such relish, Sun Hongye unconsciously swallowed his saliva and reached out to pick a red jujube as well.
It had been a long time since he last ate fruit.
Once he started, he couldn't stop.
He Lingchuan asked him, "So, did you manage to persuade General Ke?"
Sun Hongye hesitated briefly. "General Ke was also skeptical. He tested me with the situation on the Wuzhou battlefield. But the strategy I presented differed from his views, and he didn't approve. So I wrote down my analysis of the Wuzhou campaign and presented it to him."
"Oh?" He Lingchuan grew quite interested. "Could you tell me about it?"
Over the past few months, the newly appointed Chief Administrator of Xiazhou had received extensive public attention in the capital and the royal court, so Sun Hongye had taken note of him long ago. However, the eldest young master of the He family had no great reputation, and Sun Hongye was rather unclear on what sort of person he was.
Judging from his improvised counterattack during the ambush at Luming Garden last night, though, the eldest young master lacked neither courage nor cunning, and could adapt swiftly to circumstances. For such a man to be fond of war, skilled in battle, and eager for conflict would come as no surprise. Thus Sun Hongye did not deliberate too long before saying:
"Alright. Since General Ke rejected it anyway, there is no need for me to keep it a secret."
Thereupon, he dipped his finger in water and sketched the mountains and rivers on the tabletop.
"Due to the narrow terrain in southern Wuzhou, the government army campaigning against Wuzhou had no choice but to divide into eastern and western routes. Leaving the eastern route aside for now, the western army led by Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai initially progressed smoothly, capturing three small cities in rapid succession. But after encountering Gucheng, their advance stalled completely, remaining so to this day."
He drew a circle in the center of the sketch:
"This is Gucheng, a city true to its name—solid and unyielding. Dong Haoming has long harbored rebellious ambitions, quietly reinforcing the key fortresses and passes within his fiefdom over the past few years. Gucheng boasts high walls and deep moats, making it the first major stumbling block the government forces encountered upon entering Wuzhou."
He Lingchuan pointed to the circle east of Gucheng. "What is this?"
"This is Luyun Lake." In order to pitch his strategies to Ke Jihai, Sun Hongye had done his homework thoroughly. "Upstream from it, to the north of Gucheng, lies the Qingbai River, one of the main tributaries of the Hongchuan River, carrying abundant waters."
"This lake seems very close to Gucheng, meaning it would be difficult to cut off their water supply."
Over the past few nights, besides practicing martial arts in his dreams of Panlong City, He Lingchuan had also attended lectures at the Hall of Immortal Inquiries. Every few days, the authorities of Panlong City invited experts to give public lectures there, covering a wide variety of subjects.
That particular lecture happened to be an analysis of military strategy, and He Lingchuan had listened intently without missing a word. Among the basic siege tactics mentioned, cutting off the water supply was only one. The original owner of his body had virtually no knowledge in this area, so he had to learn from scratch.
"Indeed. The basin where Gucheng and Luyun Lake sit does not lack water. Even if General Ke could sever the route between the city and the lake, I hear that Gucheng has numerous spring wells within its walls, normally more than sufficient to supply men and horses." Sun Hongye tapped the location of Gucheng once more. "Its walls are built on bedrock, so they won't soak in lake water or rains and collapse. Thus, tactics like flooding the city or cutting off its water during a siege are useless.
"The two generals have been besieging Gucheng for over thirty days. If an assault drags on without success, morale suffers. Combined with escalating logistical strain, the situation will only grow more unfavorable."
He Lingchuan nodded. "This is likely within Dong Haoming's expectations. Having spent so long in the royal court, he must know the government army's strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand."
"To be frank, the government army's combat strength is inferior to the Wuzhou forces, and fighting on enemy turf this time puts them at an even greater disadvantage," Sun Hongye said solemnly. "Dong Haoming hasn't sent reinforcements to Gucheng either, focusing his troops entirely on the eastern front. He must be supremely confident in Gucheng, convinced it can pin down Generals Wu and Ke. And precisely because of this, fighting on the eastern front has been exceptionally grueling.
"Once the government forces fail in their assault and withdraw to regroup, Dong Haoming may well launch a counteroffensive. General Ke made this latent threat abundantly clear at yesterday's banquet."
He Lingchuan understood. "So what is the strategy you proposed?"
"Bypass the tough bone of Gucheng and turn to attack Bao Pass to the west!" Sun Hongye dipped his finger in water and tapped lightly to the west of Gucheng. "Bao Pass is roughly forty li northwest of Gucheng, right by the Qingbai River, situated further upstream relative to Gucheng."
"What's so special about that place?"
"The garrison Dong Haoming deployed at Bao Pass primarily guards the Qing Embankment," Sun Hongye explained. "Before the Qing Embankment was built, the Qingbai River frequently breached its banks at Bao Pass, flooding fertile farmland. Thirty years ago, the local magistrate built the Qing Embankment, successfully holding back the water. Since then, the river has largely ceased troubling this area, coursing down instead to surge into downstream Luyun Lake."
"The terrain of Bao Pass doesn't seem particularly special. Unlike Gucheng, which is a crossroads connecting in all directions, capturing it won't sever vital land and water routes." He Lingchuan crossed his arms. "What is the point of taking it?"
"If Gucheng withstands the government army's winter offensive, then come spring, the Qingbai River's water levels will surge dramatically. Nine times out of ten, it will flood into Luyun Lake and cause widespread inundation. By then, the lake's surface will expand rapidly, turning the entire basin into a marshland virtually impassable to humans.
"The government army's optimal route is to cross the basin northward. That is the shortest and easiest path to Wuzhou's capital, Hechong. Furthermore, it facilitates rendezvousing with the eastern forces later on to jointly attack Hechong."
He Lingchuan looked at the tabletop. "Since that is the best route, why doesn't General Ke take advantage of the lake freezing over in winter to drive straight north?"
"Because of Gucheng, of course," Sun Hongye sighed. "Even if the government army crossed the frozen lake northward, they likely wouldn't be confident in taking Hechong within two months. Once the spring floods arrive, the Qingbai River will deluge the basin, cutting off the army's rear supply lines entirely. Advancing deep into enemy territory without logistical support is a cardinal sin in military strategy. At that point, Gucheng could deploy troops at their leisure, with an overwhelming chance of victory."
"So Generals Wu and Ke are mounting a frontal assault on Gucheng precisely to secure the entire basin before feeling safe to advance north?"
"Exactly, the Eldest Young Master has hit the nail on the head! To the two generals, Gucheng is a thorn in their side, a festering sliver. If they don't remove it, endless trouble will follow." Sun Hongye pointed to Bao Pass. "However, my plan is to seize Bao Pass, and then blow up the Qing Embankment!"
He Lingchuan started, examined the map closely for a moment, and suddenly clapped his hands. "Brilliant!"
Having finally found someone who appreciated his idea, Sun Hongye breathed a sigh of relief. "You are very perceptive, Eldest Young Master."
"Blowing up the Qing Embankment effectively diverts the floodwaters away from Luyun Lake in advance. After all, before the embankment was built, downstream Luyun Lake rarely expanded, which proves the original natural flood diversion was effective," He Lingchuan continued along that line of thought. "Once the Qing Embankment is demolished, as long as the lake's expansion during the spring flood remains limited and doesn't submerge the entire basin, men, carts, and horses can all pass through."
Sun Hongye's tone quickened with excitement. "The army and logistics can proceed north according to the original plan, drastically reducing the necessity of taking Gucheng, leaving the two generals free to adapt as the situation develops. This also preserves their military strength and minimizes casualties."
"It seems like a good plan to me. Why didn't General Ke like it?" At the banquet in Luming Garden, He Lingchuan had indeed seen Ke Jihai shake his head, clearly displeased with the plan.
"Bao Pass isn't an easy target either. There are Wuzhou-held cities to both the west and south, and Gucheng lies directly to the east. If it isn't taken swiftly, the army could end up encircled. Furthermore—" Sun Hongye lowered his voice, "there was a reason our predecessors built the Qing Embankment. If the Qingbai River breaches its banks here, it will submerge countless fields and cottages, affecting at least a hundred thousand civilians across the townships and counties. It is said that before the campaign against Wuzhou, the King reminded the army that Wuzhou's civilians are also subjects of the Yuan Kingdom and strictly forbade widespread slaughter and pillage. If the two generals were to breach the embankment intentionally, it would be a willful defiance of royal decree. Given the temperament of the one upon the throne, even if the Wuzhou campaign ends in total victory, they would still face punishment upon their return."
He asked He Lingchuan, "If the Eldest Young Master were in General Ke's shoes, what would you choose?"
On one side lay victory or defeat; on the other lay the common people. He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. "If neither Gucheng nor Bao Pass were attacked, is there no other path to victory?"
"If neither is attacked, the government army can only detour around the northwestern mountains. That would double the distance compared to pushing east, and the route cuts through rugged, mountainous wilderness, making it treacherous to traverse." Sun Hongye frowned. "The sole objective of war is victory! How can one go far while tying one's own hands?"
He Lingchuan shrugged. "I will think it over carefully when I get back. In the meantime, I wish Brother Sun every success in achieving your ambitions."
Sun Hongye offered a bitter smile.
"What, lacking confidence?"
"There is probably no hope left. I saw General Ke hand my written proposal to a subordinate officer, but that officer died in last night's ghost ape ambush. His corpse was thrown down the mountain along with the carriage. I doubt General Ke will go out of his way to retrieve the document." Sun Hongye gave another wry smile. "My words carry no weight; he never cared about it in the first place."
"By the way, why did you say earlier that staying in Shihuan would only mean waiting around aimlessly for death?" He Lingchuan still remembered those words. "On my journey here, I witnessed nothing but starvation, cold, and displacement. Those able to live in the capital and Shihuan City are already the most fortunate people in Great Yuan."
Chapter 182