Before departure, preparations had been made for a mental reckoning—
This was a war of ambushes, and no one knew where the enemy vanguard would be encountered. In fact, there was no absolute certainty that the enemy was even in the Desheng Fortress area. Yet, this battle necessitated proactive engagement, lest they fall into complete passivity.
Zhu Mo’s calculation was that Anda, being engaged in a political war, would hold back his hand, only making a decisive move when absolutely necessary. However, after Yan Song’s withdrawal of the Outer Fortress troops, the situation changed. Anda gained an unprecedented opportunity, significantly increasing his chances of victory. Furthermore, it could be considered a substantive response from Yan Song. At this juncture, if Anda didn't act, he would be suspected by Yan Song, and their secret pact would collapse.
Therefore,
Upon learning of the Outer Fortress troops’ return, Zhu Mo immediately proposed an expedition, advocating for a substantial force of forty thousand men. The expectation was that Anda would most likely establish his royal encampment along the Desheng Fortress line. Should they suddenly encounter each other, and both sides be hesitant to engage in a full-scale battle, the possibility of negotiation would increase.
And at this moment,
Military dispatches confirmed—
Anda’s main force of forty thousand men was indeed near Desheng Fortress! They were currently advancing south in three columns, separated by three to four *li*. The vanguard’s direction of march was, without a doubt, towards Desheng Fortress.
This meant—
Anda intended to leverage Desheng Fortress, not only to deliver a psychological shock to the Ming Dynasty but also to establish a substantial advantage that would allow him to sweep through Datong with a single decisive blow. However, he would not launch a full-scale assault immediately, driving straight for the walls of Datong City.
"Anda truly is a formidable warlord of the steppes, Brother Li, what is your opinion?"
When faced with danger, Li Wenjin's demeanor grew intensely taut. Even though he was close by, he exuded an intangible aura of pressure. He replied casually while deep in thought:
"I believe Anda also has reservations and is unwilling to incur further sacrifices. He still prefers a strategic approach..."
Zhu Mo uttered a sound of acknowledgement and said:
"Precisely! He is still hoping for Yang Xuan and the others to open the gates and welcome him in! Isn't this perfect? This time, it is the Tatars who will be on the defensive!"
Li Wenjin nodded and said:
"Yes, by all accounts, he will be caught completely off guard. He wouldn't expect us to arrive so quickly, so decisively... He will first organize his formations and scout, to ascertain how many troops we have deployed and our resolve to engage in a major battle with him. Until he understands these factors, he will not make a move."
This was Zhu Mo's first experience of actual combat. Listening to Li Wenjin, an experienced veteran, explain, he finally understood that between two opposing forces, the situation was indeed like this. Neither dared to move rashly, neither wished to make excessive sacrifices, and before understanding the opponent's intentions, neither would go all-in. It was nothing like the historical dramas or movies where both sides would engage in a bloody conflict upon sight.
And this,
Was it not more beneficial for his peace talks?
He immediately asked, "Brother Li, will Brother Ma and the others initiate an attack?"
Li Wenjin's expression was solemn, and he replied:
"They shouldn't... After all, the enemy is too numerous. We have fought on the frontier for over twenty years, and this is the first time I have seen forty thousand cavalry concentrated together... Ma Fang, despite his rough exterior, is meticulous and will not take risks. Ma Lu is even more cautious and certainly won't act impulsively. I believe both their vanguards are currently withdrawing, positioned on the flanks of our main force... We should receive news soon..."
Zhu Mo murmured, "Does this mean a standoff is more likely?"
Upon hearing this, Li Wenjin suddenly looked at Zhu Mo and asked:
"Young Master Zhu, do you truly wish to negotiate for peace? Do you not want to fight? If we intend to fight, we must occupy the fortress immediately."
Zhu Mo had also figured it out by then. It was highly unlikely a battle would erupt. His heart filled with joy, yet he calmly stated:
"Since both sides are engaged in political warfare, the possibility of not fighting is higher... In fact, if Anda truly intended to fight, he should have advanced long ago. He is too hesitant and has overestimated Yan Song's factions. By dawdling like this, he has lost all opportunities..."
Although he had studied considerable military knowledge through the system along the way, facing such practical combat and the suddenly tense atmosphere, he still felt uncertain. Thus, he asked again:
"Brother Li, at this very moment, both our side and the enemy see too many people, exceeding expectations, and neither dares to make a rash move. Is a standoff more likely at this point?"
Li Wenjin said with a stern face, "Yes, that is correct. But neither side should occupy the fortress. If either side occupies the fortress, this kind of encounter battle will inevitably erupt."
"Mm-hmm,"
Zhu Mo murmured, "Not to occupy, not to occupy. We cannot occupy the fortress... we mustn't let a battle erupt. But, but, will they bypass us and march directly towards Datong?"
This question indeed reminded Li Wenjin. He pondered for a moment, then decisively stated:
"Ma Fang and Ma Lu must also be anticipating this. We need to proactively deploy our forces... Young Master Zhu, I believe there is no time to delay. We must immediately spread out to the flanks and rendezvous with Ma Fang and them. If we delay, it will be too late. If there is even a single opening, they will advance. We have committed too many troops this time, leaving the city defenses vulnerable, which still poses a significant risk."
With a whoosh!
He dismounted, ordered the main tent to be set up, and took out a military map to review with Zhu Mo and several scribes.
Li Wenjin, intimately familiar with the terrain, gestured and pointed, speaking continuously as he finalized the plan for deploying defenses on both flanks.
He then called for the trumpeters to be dispatched to each garrison, summoning all the *can jiang* and *fu can jiang* to the main tent for deliberation.
Li Wenjin seemed to transform, exuding boundless energy, his eyes shining, and his speech precise and unwavering. The *can jiang* and *fu can jiang* were also different from what Zhu Mo had seen in dramas and online novels. In the entire main tent, few people spoke, and when they did, their tone was decisive. The atmosphere, amidst the quiet, exuded a profound killing intent.
Watching Li Wenjin command with such confidence, Zhu Mo thought: This skill is something I must learn in the future; otherwise, it would be a great pity...
Soon,
Li Wenjin had completed his deployment, and the generals received their orders and departed.
The two men exited the main tent. They saw vast expanses of moving heads, the sounds of footsteps and hooves, but rarely heard the boisterous clamor of voices. The soldiers kept their mouths shut, moving according to the banners.
After the repositioning, the main army, which was once stretching as far as the eye could see, suddenly appeared slender. Standing on the small hill and looking around, the main army's formation was only about a hundred meters long, but in the distance, the banners dotted the landscape like rolling sand dunes, echoing each other, forming a killing formation.
Zhu Mo felt an emptiness in his heart—
This is how warfare is conducted...
In this ebb and flow, victory or defeat was essentially decided. When actual combat occurred, it was surprisingly straightforward. It was no wonder they said strategic planning was paramount.
He was extremely satisfied with this arrangement, even the system gave it a high evaluation. Unable to help himself, he praised:
"Brother Li, the Ming Wei soldiers are so well-trained. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have truly believed they were incapable of fighting... With this deployment and formation, the enemy, upon seeing it, surely will not dare to advance south aggressively?"
Li Wenjin, having commanded similar campaigns dozens of times in his life, was already adept at it. Within about half an hour, the deployment on both flanks was completed, and he no longer felt any fear. He smiled and said:
"Young Master Zhu, the Ming Wei army can be considered a formidable force of the past five hundred years. How would ignorant civil officials know this? Alas, let's not speak of this. If you truly wish to meet Anda, then prepare yourself..."
And at that very moment, the sound of hurried hoofbeats approached.
Ma Fang’s messenger had also arrived,
"Reporting to Commander Zhu and General Li, General Ma states that Anda, upon discovering our army, has ceased advancing and has now formed a goose-feather formation."
Good,
Zhu Mo knew that there would be few more variables. Today would either be a major battle, a fight to the death, or a negotiation and cessation of hostilities; there were no other options.
He immediately said in a deep voice:
"General Li, dispatch a message to Anda at once."