Zhong Li stood on the shore, gazing at the warships sailing east across the sea.
She turned to face Deputy General Chen, recalling Lu Wuxie's parting words.
'So, Li'er, with me by your side, and the Water Army's command token in my hand, those rebels will surely seek revenge on you, believing Guo Qi died because of it. I've asked Deputy General Chen to escort you back to Jincheng to ensure your safety.'
She had asked Lu Wuxie what would become of the people of Jinzhou and the port of Nanyue if she left.
He had fallen silent then.
So...
“Deputy General Chen, I have no experience leading troops in battle. If these rebels are coming, I hope that no matter our strength or our odds of victory, we must hold out until the Young Lord eradicates the Beichuan Gang and comes to our aid!” Zhong Li said, looking at Deputy General Chen’s weather-beaten face.
Deputy General Chen nodded and cupped his hands in greeting. "I've heard of your uprightness in handling cases, Temple Official Zhong. I never imagined you to be so enlightened and righteous. I am deeply impressed."
Zhong Li shook her head and replied, "I am but one of many court officials, Deputy General Chen. Please do not be modest. Use the remaining two thousand or so soldiers at the port to make arrangements and defend Jinzhou."
"Alright!" Deputy General Chen said, and turning, he walked towards the waiting soldiers not far away.
Deputy General Chen had served in the Jinzhou Water Army longer than anyone except Guo Qi.
By rights, he should have had the most military merit, and the position of Water Army Commander should have been his. However, he was not as smooth in his dealings as Guo Qi, nor did he know how to curry favor, which resulted in him remaining a mere deputy general capable of leading only a hundred men.
Zhong Li followed him into the ship's cabin, listening to him outline the deployment and arrangements for the port's forces. She had to admit, some people were born commanders.
After Deputy General Chen finished his arrangements, Zhong Li walked to his side and said with a smile, "Deputy General Chen, you are very familiar with the Jinzhou port. Your ambushes are meticulously planned based on Jinzhou's terrain and the city's conditions. With such preparations, even if the rebels greatly outnumber us, I believe we can hold them off for a while."
Deputy General Chen chuckled and shook his head. "Temple Official Zhong, you jest. This is all I can manage in front of you. If I were to face the Young Lord, I would likely be laughed at."
"The Young Lord is skilled in naval warfare?" Zhong Li asked.
Deputy General Chen nodded. "Before you arrived, Temple Official Zhong, the Young Lord had already discussed the battle plans with me. In my opinion, the Young Lord is a rare military talent."
"Report!"
As Deputy General Chen finished speaking, a young soldier rushed in. "General, our scouts have detected rebel ships advancing from the west. They should reach the port in about two cups of tea."
Upon hearing this, Deputy General Chen gripped the sword at his waist. "Sound the horns and raise the battle signal."
"Yes!" The soldier acknowledged and hurried out.
"Report!" As the first soldier left, another rushed in.
"Speak!" Deputy General Chen commanded.
"General, bad news! We've spotted another rebel ship in the east."
"What?" Deputy General Chen was startled. "Impossible! The Young Lord departed in that direction. How could these people appear there?"
Zhong Li stepped forward to analyze, "The enemy is very cunning. They know the Young Lord will definitely pursue the Beichuan Gang to Xiaoyudao. This is when Jinzhou's forces are weakest. They must have been hiding near the inconspicuous reefs, waiting for the Young Lord to leave, and then attacking us at our most vulnerable point."
"Bang!" Deputy General Chen slammed the table in anger. "Damn it, I was negligent." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"What should we do, General?" the soldier asked.
"Divert a small boat from nearby and assign a few dozen sailors to hold them off," Deputy General Chen said.
"But, the unmutinied soldiers are all new recruits. Without anyone to lead them, I fear the mission may not be completed, and they might lose their lives," the soldier reminded him.
"This..."
"I will go. I will lead a small team to engage the rebel ship," Zhong Li said as Deputy General Chen hesitated.
Deputy General Chen turned and looked at her.
"Temple Official Zhong, I have heard of your skills, but fighting a battle is not the same as catching a thief..."
"Let me go!" Zhong Li interrupted him quickly. "General Chen, you may not know, but I have some understanding of military strategy."
"Oh?" Deputy General Chen looked surprised.
Zhong Li took a deep breath. She didn't know how to explain that in modern times, she had played countless war simulation games and was already adept at them, not to mention that Sun Tzu's Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems were common reading material for children.
"General Chen, you have no one else available. You must choose me," Zhong Li stated with a firm and irrefutable tone.
Deputy General Chen pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. "In that case, please, Temple Official Zhong."
He then looked at the soldier opposite him and said, "Select a few skilled and stealthy new recruits to protect Temple Official Zhong."
"Yes!"
The soldier left quickly after acknowledging the order.
Zhong Li prepared to follow.
"Wait." Deputy General Chen called out to her.
Zhong Li turned back.
Deputy General Chen thought for a moment, then turned and retrieved a sword from another room, handing it to Zhong Li. "This is the Phoenix Sword. It is named for its lightness and ability to seal a throat with a single drop of blood, making it suitable for ladies. Temple Official Zhong..."
"No, thank you." Zhong Li declined, taking out a scalpel from her懷. "This is enough, and I am used to it. As for the sword, I don't know how to use it. As for other things... I will need General Chen to prepare some firecrackers for the New Year!"
With that, she hurried away.
-------------------------------------
Since Lu Wuxie had taken most of the troops, and Deputy General Chen had deployed the remaining two thousand water soldiers and all the warships to the west of the Jinzhou port, Zhong Li and over a dozen new recruits were left with only a decommissioned junk to intercept the approaching rebel forces towards the Jinzhou port.
"Temple Official Zhong, are we just charging in like this?"
Among the dozen or so new recruits, a man in the lead approached Zhong Li and asked.
Zhong Li stood on the deck, looking at the rebel warships, which were only four leagues away. She pondered for a moment and asked, "A'wu, how long have you been in the Jinzhou Water Army?"
A'wu replied, "About two years."
Two years? Zhong Li mused, then asked, "If my memory serves me correctly, the rebel leader in the Jinzhou Water Army is Deputy General Hou, with ten thousand men. Is that true?"
"Yes!" A'wu nodded.
"Then do you know Deputy General Hou's combat style? For example... if he were to launch a sneak attack, how would he achieve victory? With elite troops or by overwhelming numbers?" Zhong Li inquired further.
A'wu thought for a moment and replied, "To Temple Official Zhong, based on Deputy General Hou's character, I estimate that if he intended to sneak attack and take Jinzhou port by surprise while Deputy General Chen was unprepared, he would certainly place his most capable elite troops on the opposing ship."
"Good! Then do you know how many elite troops capable of sneak attacks there are among these ten thousand men?" Zhong Li asked again.
A'wu answered quickly this time, "Deputy General Hou has a maritime covert unit, numbering about a hundred people. Deputy General Hou is a suspicious person. If my estimation is correct, these hundred people should all be part of the raiding party, meaning they are on that ship."
He said this while pointing his finger towards a large wing warship opposite them.
"So that's how it is," Zhong Li nodded, her eyes lowered as she contemplated for a while. She turned to look at the dozens of elite soldiers behind her and said, "In facing the enemy this time, I'm sure everyone has already made their own judgment about the outcome. Since Deputy General Chen trusts me and has allowed me to be the commander for this engagement, I ask you all, do you trust me?"
As soon as she spoke, the dozen or so men exchanged glances, remaining silent.
Only A'wu knelt on the ground with a thud. "Your subordinate is willing to follow Temple Official Zhong to the death."
As A'wu's words fell, those around him exchanged glances, and they all knelt on the ground in silence.
Zhong Li glanced at these dozen or so men. She was not surprised by their actions; after all, they had not interacted before, and speaking of loyalty unto death felt a little out of place.
As for A'wu, the leader among these dozens of men, after he spoke, she couldn't help but look at him closely, feeling as though she had seen him somewhere before.
"If that is the case, then listen to my command!"