Chapter 118: Hong Chengchou’s Military Strategy

Inside the military tent, Hong Chengchou wore a cold, stern expression. As the battle drew nearer, he spoke less and less.

This was a calculated display of authority.

As Hong’s icy gaze swept across the men in the tent, neither his trusted subordinate, Major Yang, nor the arrogant and reckless commander He Renlong dared to meet his eyes; all bowed their heads.

Li Yi naturally had no intention of inviting trouble. He knew well that before a great battle, the flags must be consecrated. And the severed heads of commanders who disobeyed orders or acted insolently were the finest offerings to awe the three armies and enforce strict military discipline.

"Wang Zuogua is a deserter from the border garrisons. He has gathered eight hundred border renegades and two thousand local bandits, while forcing four thousand able-bodied peasants into his ranks. His total force has reached over seven thousand. What are your thoughts?"

"Border renegades" referred to deserters from the frontier troops, while "local bandits" meant miners and farmers.

"The rebels may seem numerous, but they are mostly a rabble," He Renlong proclaimed loudly. "Once you give the order, Commander, I shall certainly cut off Wang Zuogua’s head and present it to you."

Hong Chengchou let out a cold snort.

"If you, Commander He, can lead three hundred men to take Wang Zuogua’s head, I shall personally recommend you for the rank of Guerrilla General. How about that?"

He Renlong’s attempt at flattery had backfired. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he offered a forced smile, daring not to boast further.

"Sir," Major Yang said cautiously, "with our thousand troops, plus the Yichuan militia, we have the strength to fight Wang Zuogua. As long as we coordinate with the Hancheng garrison to strike from both inside and out, defeating him should not be difficult."

Hong Chengchou’s face remained expressionless. "My objective is to eradicate Wang Zuogua. Merely defeating him is of no use."

He glanced at the silent Li Yi and gave a grunt of dissatisfaction. "Li Yi, what do you think?"

Had Hong asked this on the first day of camp, Li Yi might have genuinely believed he was being asked for strategic advice. But now, Li Yi understood that Hong had already made his decision.

"I will strictly obey the Commander’s orders."

Hong stared deeply at Li Yi before saying in a low voice, "The rebels are agile and unpredictable. Once they suffer a setback, they will surely flee to save their lives. Therefore, to annihilate Wang Zuogua and his men, we must first lure them out, then strike, and finally surround them from all sides to wipe them out in one stroke."

With that, Hong pointed to the location of Longmen Ferry on the map.

"Longmen Ferry is the only path Wang Zuogua can take to flee east, and it is also where he stores his grain and treasure. If we take it, we will lure him into attacking us. However, if the government forces appear too strong, he will surely abandon it and flee west toward Yaozhou. Thus, we must also block the rebels at Liangshan, west of Hancheng. I will command the local garrison troops to form a massive net, trapping Wang Zuogua within. Only then will this campaign be a complete success."

Everyone understood the crux of the plan: one force had to take Longmen Ferry to draw Wang Zuogua in and pin him down.

Only then would Hong Chengchou have enough time to complete the encirclement and thoroughly eradicate the rebels.

Yet, facing seven thousand men, their current force seemed insufficient.

Hong finished and looked at Li Yi. "I will lead the Yichuan militia and my personal guard to block the enemy at Liangshan. Longmen Ferry is assigned to you and He Renlong."

"May I ask who is to be the primary commander?" Li Yi asked.

"You shall be the primary; He Renlong will be your deputy."

He Renlong rose to his feet, his face flushed with rage. But under Hong’s freezing gaze, he sat back down with a look of utter resentment.

Li Yi had no interest in fighting peasant armies. Seeing He Renlong’s humiliated expression, he smiled and said, "Commander, He’s troops are stronger. It would be better to let the border troops take the lead, with my men as support."

He Renlong looked at Li Yi in astonishment.

"Commander," He Renlong quickly interjected, "I have extensive combat experience. I will surely win this battle to repay your trust in me."

Hong Chengchou thought for a moment and nodded. "Very well, you shall be the primary. You are to win this battle; failure is not an option."

"I obey, sir."

Li Yi then spoke up: "Commander, the rebels outnumber us several times over. My men are in dire need of firearms, armor, and medical supplies."

"I will have some transferred to you from my personal guard."

As they left the tent, He Renlong followed, glaring at him. "Li Yi, you know how to read the room, willingly handing the command over to me. Be careful in this battle; don't drag me down."

With that, he stormed off.

When Li Yi returned to his camp, the orders from the main command arrived. Soon after, Hong sent twenty sets of iron armor, fifty sets of cotton armor, two small cannons, and twenty matchlocks.

Military orders were paramount; no one dared to slacken.

Li Yi ordered his officers to assemble the troops. As the Suijin Army marched out of the camp, they happened to cross paths with He Renlong’s detachment.

The arrogant He Renlong led two hundred cavalry and two hundred infantry out of the camp. It had to be admitted that compared to the Suijin Army, with their mismatched armor and crude weapons, He Renlong’s border troops were well-equipped and formidable.

The two forces marched one after another along the Yellow River toward Longmen Ferry, east of Hancheng.

The villages along the way had already been devastated by the fires of war. Among the ruins and collapsed walls, rotting corpses were visible everywhere. Ragged, disheveled villagers, upon seeing the army pass, fled into the mountain gullies without looking back.

The closer they got to Longmen Ferry, the more frequent the decaying bodies, burned houses, and wild dogs roaming the wasteland became.

When they were within ten miles of the ferry, Li Yi went ahead to scout the situation himself. With Buyan and ten cavalrymen, they reached the site in a flash.

Li Yi climbed a hill and looked down at Longmen Ferry.

Though it was a ferry crossing, its status as a vital link to Shanxi meant that the constant stream of merchants and travelers had long since turned it into a prosperous town. Now, however, it lay destroyed by war.

Li Yi had keen eyesight and saw that most of the men guarding the town were wearing simple tunics and carrying broadswords or spears; they were clearly the local bandits under Wang Zuogua.

The town had two gatehouses, manned by elite border renegades in armor. It seemed the rebels were keeping a tight guard on the outside while relaxing on the inside, wary of an attack by government forces.

Li Yi returned to the main force, where a confidant of He Renlong was waiting to discuss the assault.

He Renlong sat in the primary seat, looking smug. "Commander Li, my scouts have confirmed that Longmen Ferry is held by a rabble. I intend for your unit to launch a surprise attack on the south gate to draw the rebels out, allowing my men to strike from the north."

Li Yi replied coldly, "The rebels at the south gate far outnumber us, and among them are border renegades. My men are few and will find them difficult to handle. Furthermore, we are all infantry; we will be spotted before we even reach the gate. I suggest your cavalry lead the attack to seize the gate and cover our advance."

He Renlong brushed this off. "My cavalry lacks fodder and their horseshoes are severely damaged; they cannot fight for the time being."

Gao Jie, standing behind Li Yi, shouted angrily, "Commander He, do you take us for children? At a critical moment like this, the cavalry should be the first to strike."

He Renlong stepped forward, grabbed Gao Jie by the collar, and glared at him viciously. "A mere officer, daring to be disrespectful to me?"

He shoved Gao Jie away and stared fiercely at Li Yi. "Taking Longmen Ferry is the Commander's order. I am the lead general. If you refuse to obey, it is a violation of military law, and I will have your head right here."

Gao Jie glared back at He Renlong with fury in his eyes.