Fish Meat – Chapter 245

The Tenth Year of Shunde

Like Snapping Dried Twigs and Pulling Up Rotten Wood (12)

Before the first lunar month​¹ of the tenth year of Shunde was even over, the Yao family poured out in full force​², their grand army pressing towards the northwest.

            

Just as Zhen Wenjun had anticipated, their target was Pingcang.

Having foreseen the Yao family army’s attack route in advance, Zhen Wenjun laid an ambush in the Yinyang Mountains​³, a necessary passage point into Pingcang. Pits were dug into the mountain roads, then covered over, peacefully awaiting their prey. All arrows were coated with saima anesthetic​⁴. In this battle, twenty thousand soldiers of the Yao army were captured alive, over thirty thousand were slain, and a large amount of supplies and horses were seized.

Suffering a setback right at the start, the Yao army dared not advance rashly again. They retreated to the southeast of Pingcang and set up a temporary encampment.

            

Yao Lin’s three sons were all fierce generals seasoned through countless battles. Now was the critical moment for them to fight with desperation, and the experience accumulated over years of warfare proved extremely useful. Coupled with Ge Sheng assisting by their side, the Yao army quickly regained composure and began formulating a new attack strategy.

Seeing the Yao family slow their pace, Zhen Wenjun knew they had suffered a blow and were adjusting their strategy—an excellent opportunity for a surprise attack.

Six days prior, Zhen Wenjun had already exchanged messages via carrier pigeon with Xiao Xiao and Wei Jing’an, confirming they would rendezvous at the southern foot of the Yinyang Mountains tomorrow.

            

Tomorrow was the perfect day to raid the Yao family. Once the three armies converged, crushing the main Yao force would not be difficult.

On the second day, Zhen Wenjun’s contingent met up with the armies of Wei Jing’an and Zhangsun Wu, but they failed to see Xiao Xiao and Zhu Maosan’s hundred thousand troops. This made her both anxious and worried. She could only temporarily cancel the planned raid and immediately sent messages seeking Xiao Xiao’s whereabouts.

Many days later, she received a personal letter sent back by Xiao Xiao, saying she was currently in Nanya, having just breached Fengxi City and destroyed the Yao family’s main base. She told her Ah Mu not to worry. Her forces were rushing towards Pingcang and would definitely arrive within a month.

            

Receiving this letter, Zhen Wenjun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

By now, the Yao family had already fought their way to the borders of Pingcang. The three Yao sons were no straw bags; several battles had been fought with victories and losses on both sides. Both sides were conserving strength and continuing to probe each other—all thanks to Xiao Xiao. She had changed the plan on a whim; otherwise, Zhen Wenjun would have kicked the Yao family into a fiery pit long ago. Why would it require so much effort now?

Xiao Xiao was probably the first person ever to stand someone up​⁵ during a major war. Zhen Wenjun still harbored the urge to beat her ass rotten.

            

But while this child was mischievous, her instincts were exceptionally sharp.

Setting that aside, the matter of seizing Fengxi deserved high praise.

The Yao family had poured out of their city, their massive army of two hundred fifty thousand departing Nanya entirely—a true fight with their backs to the river​⁶. Fengxi City must have been empty at that time.

            

Xiao Xiao had marched towards Pingcang for several days when she felt something was increasingly amiss. She shouldn’t be going to rendezvous with her Ah Mu; she should turn back and take Fengxi. Once Fengxi was occupied, the Yao army would become utterly isolated, like lonely ghosts​⁷.

Xiao Xiao sent a fast horse messenger to Zhen Wenjun explaining her plan, but unexpectedly, the messenger was killed by other forces en route, and the message never arrived.

Ultimately, no major disaster occurred. Fengxi was taken with ease, and Xiao Xiao even captured Yao Zhaoyi. It counted as a great victory.

            

Xiao Xiao left fifty thousand troops in Fengxi, tasking Zhu Maosan with defending the city. She led the remaining fifty thousand troops west, bringing Yao Zhaoyi along. With this Yao family legitimate daughter as a hostage, they were bound to gain some advantage when the two armies faced off.

Yao Zhaoyi was a captive, and a disabled one at that. Xiao Xiao hadn’t paid her any attention initially.

After days of hard marching, the army was exhausted. Once camp was set up, Xiao Xiao prepared fine wine and good meat to reward the soldiers.

            

On this spring night, myriad things were reviving, the starry river​⁸ brilliant. Within the camp, the aroma of meat drifted, and bonfires blazed towards the sky.

Xiao Xiao stopped after a few sips of wine, not daring to drink more, afraid her inner ‘wine bug’ would be hooked, leading her to drink too much and neglect her duties.

While wandering through the camp gnawing on a leg of lamb, she happened to see Yao Zhaoyi, hands and feet bound, tossed onto a plank cart. The woman’s eyes were wide open, unblinking, her face ashen like death. Xiao Xiao’s heart jumped—could she be dead?

            

Xiao Xiao immediately went forward to check her breathing. Clearly, she was still alive.

“What are you looking at?” Xiao Xiao asked.

“Looking at the night sky.”

            

“The night sky?” Xiao Xiao followed her gaze upwards. “Isn’t it just an ordinary night sky? How can you look so intently?”

“It’s different,” Yao Zhaoyi said. “Different from the night sky in Nanya. I read in a book that the Ziwei Palace​⁹ has fifteen stars in its eastern and western fences, forming two arcs that enclose it like walls. In Nanya, I could never see them clearly. Here, I can see them. Very clearly.”

Xiao Xiao sat down beside the cart, still holding the lamb leg, and asked her, “Where are they?”

            

“How can that be described in words?”

“Aren’t you afraid of dying? You still have the leisure to look at stars.”

“Since I’m going to die anyway, might as well look at more stars.”

            

Xiao Xiao found this person both amusing and interesting. These days had been exhausting; even able-bodied soldiers were worn out, let alone a disabled person like her. Yet, she hadn’t complained and was still looking at stars. Xiao Xiao felt a bit curious.

Fetching a basin of water, Xiao Xiao cut all the ropes binding Yao Zhaoyi and washed the dirt from her face.

“What are you doing?”

            

“Want to see what you look like.”

Yao Zhaoyi gave a cold laugh.

“I heard that. You said I’m childish. Fine, childish then.”

            

Once the dirt was wiped clean, a pale, delicate face, faintly tinged with anger, was revealed.

Yao Zhaoyi said, “Having fallen into the hands of people like you, just humiliate me as you please. I never intended to cling to life. There’s no need for these inexplicable actions.”

Xiao Xiao retorted, “I refuse.”

            

Yao Zhaoyi simply closed her eyes. Out of sight, out of mind.

“You’re Yao Zhaoyi, how old are you?”

“How did you become disabled? How long has it been?”

            

“You look about thirty, why aren’t you married? Could it be that others dislike your disability and are unwilling to marry you?”

“That shouldn’t be right. No matter what, your Yao family is considered a prominent household in Nanya. Let alone a disability, even for a ghost marriage​¹⁰, your threshold would be worn down by suitors. Seems like it’s you who doesn’t want to. You can’t even walk, what lofty ambitions could you still have? Hmm? Tell me, bei.​¹¹ The road ahead is still long. Isn’t it good to have someone chat with you to relieve the boredom before you die? Huh?”

Xiao Xiao sat there, gnawing on the lamb leg and rambling on endlessly by herself. Yao Zhaoyi remained like a corpse, showing no reaction no matter what she said.

            

Marching was extremely dull and boring. Having found Yao Zhaoyi as a source of amusement, Xiao Xiao became almost addicted, seeking her out every day, as if competing with herself, determined to provoke her into speaking.

Yao Zhaoyi had no intention of bothering with this little brat​¹². For three consecutive days, Yao Zhaoyi didn’t open her eyes or speak. Fearing she might die of thirst or starvation, Xiao Xiao pried her mouth open and forced some water and food into her. Just then, a messenger arrived with a letter for her, saying it was an urgent message from General Zhen. Xiao Xiao beamed with delight:

“Ah Mu must have won a battle!”

            

Yao Zhaoyi suddenly opened her eyes.

The letter was encoded with a cipher key. Xiao Xiao had already memorized the key and could decipher the contents as she read.

Her Ah Mu had indeed won a battle and had now driven the main Yao forces north of the Wei River. This letter was precisely to order Xiao Xiao to lead her troops to the Wei River to jointly annihilate the Yao army.

            

Xiao Xiao’s fighting spirit soared. She ordered the army to set out at dawn tomorrow for the Wei River.

“Zhen Wenjun is your Ah Mu?”

As Xiao Xiao burned the letter, she was surprised to hear Yao Zhaoyi speak voluntarily.

            

“Yes. What of it?”

“She’s only just past thirty. How could she have a daughter as old as you?”

“I am her adopted daughter.”

            

Yao Zhaoyi suddenly recalled that when investigating Zhen Wenjun and Wei Tingxu previously, there was indeed mention of a Hu adopted daughter. So, it was her.

“You care a lot about my Ah Mu’s affairs.”

“I care.”

            

Xiao Xiao: “Huh?”

“Thanks to her, I became disabled.”

Yao Zhaoyi quickly suppressed her curiosity and returned to her silent state. As they neared the Wei River, Xiao Xiao also shifted her attention from Yao Zhaoyi to troop deployment and formations.

            

With Zhen Wenjun holding the tiger tally and possessing the golden light protection​¹³ for crusading against rebels, wherever her army went, common folk lined the roads to welcome them, voluntarily offering grain and rice. Some even brandishing clubs and hoes wanted to help fight the bandits.

The Yao family naturally knew what earth-shattering deeds Zhen Wenjun had accomplished. Back when Li Yanyi, in order to win over the Ruan clan, had rehabilitated their name, Zhen Wenjun’s identity as a descendant of the Ruan clan no longer needed to be hidden. Later, she and Wei Tingxu conspired to inflict a major loss on the Yao clan, and also drove out the Chongjin, becoming a true national hero​¹⁴. Having experienced countless battles large and small, accumulating unparalleled merits, General Zhen was only thirty years old. If ranked, she might have already surpassed her mother, Ruan family’s Ah Qiong. Among all military generals in the two-hundred-year history of Da Yu, she would certainly be in the top five.

Anyone facing her had to be extremely careful. This was what Ge Sheng also told Yao Lin and the three Yao sons.

            

Ge Sheng said, “This Zhen Wenjun possesses the advantages of timing, terrain, and popular support​¹⁵. Fighting her requires strategy, not brute force. Superficially, the enemy holds the advantage, but they also have fatal weaknesses: their three armies advance together but lack unified command, and after a long pursuit, their supply lines are strained. As long as we hold fast by the Wei River and do not initiate attacks, once the enemy’s provisions are depleted, their morale will waver, leading to internal strife.”

Ge Sheng pointed to the Wei River terrain map displayed by the Heavenly Soldier Divine Box: “My Lord, please look. Thirty li​¹⁶ south of the Wei River is where its current is most rapid. Crossing the Wei River leads to Da County. We cross the river, station ourselves in Da County, destroy the bridges, and occupy the strategic choke point of the Wei River to effectively block the enemy’s advance and stall for time. More importantly, eighty li​¹⁷ beyond Da County lies Sui County.”

Yao Lin: “Sui County?”

            

Yao Sirang​¹⁸ said, “Father, Sui County is the territory of Li An​¹⁹, the King of Hengshui​²⁰. It’s said Li An’s troops are likely hidden in Sui County.”

“Oh?”

Ge Sheng: “King Hengshui, Li An, is different from Li Min​²¹. Back then, Li Min was the first to acknowledge the new emperor’s legitimacy, and Li An even cursed him loudly for it. King Hengshui has always belonged to the faction of Emperor Min, harboring deep hatred for the Wei and Zhangsun clans. If we can ally with King Hengshui for a pincer attack​²², avoiding the enemy’s main thrust and then defeating them piece by piece, great success can be achieved.”

            

Yao Lin was very pleased with Ge Sheng’s strategy. He quickly dispatched an envoy to Sui County, requesting them to send troops in support.

Ge Sheng’s idea was brilliant. If they could indeed ally with Li An’s forces, it was highly likely they could threaten Zhen Wenjun.

Unfortunately, the Yao family envoy failed to reach Sui County smoothly. He was intercepted and killed halfway by Wei Tingxu, who had been waiting for some time.

            

Wei Tingxu had suffered defeats before. In recent years, she had read through all the military manuals in her possession, noting down all her questions, and would consult Zhen Wenjun whenever she was free. Besides reading military texts, she had also personally gone onto the battlefield. The feeling of deploying troops on a real battlefield was completely different from armchair strategy​²³; one’s perspective became extremely narrow. When reading books, one might wonder how someone could make such a foolish mistake, but only after experiencing it firsthand did she understand that the battlefield changes in an instant​²⁴, and no one could guarantee that a decision made in the moment was correct. Decisions that previously seemed foolish were actually not that stupid.

Wei Tingxu immersed herself in this, accumulating considerable experience. Coupled with her innate talent for understanding, her once narrow perspective broadened again. This interception of the Yao envoy was the best proof.

When the envoy was captured, he was quite dismissive, assuming Wei Tingxu wanted the information he carried. As long as he didn’t speak, his life wouldn’t be in danger. Besides, she was just a woman; what was there to fear?

            

“Why do you think I was waiting here for you?”

When Wei Tingxu posed this question, the envoy initially paid no mind. But after a moment’s reflection, his expression shifted through myriad changes​²⁵, and he looked at Wei Tingxu in terror.

Wei Tingxu had someone impersonate Li An’s subordinate and sent the envoy’s head back to the Yao army camp. Their attitude was exceptionally contemptuous. Standing before the main camp, they cursed loudly, every word targeting Yao Lin, calling him a delusional and shameless peasant​²⁶.

            

Yao Lin flew into a rage, threatening to attack Sui County first. Ge Sheng and his three sons immediately stopped him.

“My Lord, do not fall for the trick! If we attack Sui County now, the enemy will only take advantage of our weakness. I fear we’ll be caught in a pincer attack before we even reach Sui County.”

“Yes, Father! That messenger’s baseless insults were precisely to provoke Father. You absolutely must not fall for this treacherous plot!”

            

Yao Lin had always stayed in Nanya; his experience in military campaigns couldn’t compare to his sons and advisor. Although not particularly clever, he possessed one very important virtue: he knew how to employ capable people and had a broad mind.

Yao Lin listened to the words of Ge Sheng and his sons, suppressed his anger, and seized the messenger [impersonator] for interrogation under duress​²⁷. Before the messenger could even be dragged away, he bit down on a poison capsule hidden in his mouth and died on the spot.

Ge Sheng, however, thought of a plan: “This messenger was most likely sent by the enemy to sow discord. My Lord, since the enemy wants us to fall out with King Hengshui, why don’t we grant them their wish?”

            

Yao Lin uttered an “Ah?”, not understanding what was meant.

Seeing his surrounding sons nodding in agreement, he felt no shame and humbly asked Ge Sheng for guidance.

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