Chapter Ninety-Four: Wudelu

“There is a way, though it can only be carried out under certain conditions,” Zhang Juntai said after a moment of reflection to Li Wenyuan.

“Oh? Then tell me, Juntai—what is this method, and what conditions does it require?” Li Wenyuan asked with great curiosity.

“This time, Li Gui has thrown everything he has into the fight, relying only on those Turkic horsemen skilled in riding and archery. Because of their presence, our infantry does not dare to leave camp lightly and fight in the open, and we must also commit far more men and resources to keeping our supply lines running smoothly. On top of that, the Guazhou front is close to Li Gui’s old lair; if the campaign drags on too long, our logistics will be worn down to exhaustion. By then, even if not a single battle has been fought, we would have no choice but to withdraw.

“So my thought is this: we gather all our mobile forces and utterly wipe out this Turkic cavalry. Once that threat to our supply lines is gone, we could even follow the same example set during the campaign against Goguryeo in earlier years, when the commander there chose some of the finest horsemen, divided them into small detachments, and sent them deep behind the enemy’s rear to harass his transport routes. If we do that over time, we can turn the tables, use the advantage of our unbroken supply lines to suppress Li Gui, and force him either to gradually pull his troops back toward Dunhuang or have them destroyed at Guazhou.

“But all of this rests on one condition: we must first annihilate that Turkic cavalry force. Until it is destroyed, our army can only entrench itself and hold firm, relying on our fortifications, our guns, and our arrows to withstand the Turkic horsemen.” Zhang Juntai laid out his entire plan to Li Wenyuan.

“Li Gui has no truly capable cavalry of his own. His horsemen rely entirely on that Turkic contingent, but this time he has transferred all of them to the Guazhou front. Ah, that’s right—we still have one division at Dangjin Mountain Pass, and there are still three thousand cavalry there that can harass Li Gui’s rear. Have someone tell Qin Qiong to wait until Li Gui has moved his entire army to the Guazhou front, then find a way to strike at his supply lines. We cannot let all of their provisions reach the front line. As for that Turkic cavalry unit, I will deal with them together with Uderu and wait for a chance to destroy them. During this period, Juntai, you remain with the army and oversee military affairs. We must wait until Uderu and I have broken that Turkic horse force before anything else.”

Only then, after hearing Zhang Juntai’s plan, did Li Wenyuan remember the Second Legion he had placed at Dangjin Mountain Pass. Since Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin had led the Second Legion to seize the pass, they had been stationed there the whole time, never once taking the offensive beyond their position. That led Li Gui to assume it was merely one of Li Wenyuan’s secondary forces, kept there to guard the route by which Li Gui might raid his rear, and incapable of posing any real threat to Dunhuang County. For that reason, when he redeployed his troops this time, he had simply ignored that army.

After receiving Li Wenyuan’s order, Qin Qiong replied in his letter with only a single short sentence: I shall not fail the trust placed in me.

Although the two armies were separated by the Qilian Mountains stretching for a thousand miles, no mountain was too high for the messenger hawks carefully bred by seasoned military men. Because of them, Li Wenyuan’s grasp of his own forces far surpassed Li Gui’s, whose information still had to be carried by mounted messengers. Li Wenyuan firmly believed that this difference in speed alone could often decide the outcome of a war. As the Art of War says: in war, speed is of the essence.

Zhang Juntai had never failed Li Wenyuan when it came to encampments. This time, in order to deal with that Turkic cavalry force, Li Wenyuan sought out Uderu early to discuss countermeasures, and simply entrusted Zhang Juntai with overseeing all matters relating to the western campaign against Li Gui’s army.

“Uderu, how are those things I had you train with going?” Li Wenyuan asked the moment he met him, dispensing with courtesies and going straight to the point.

“Commander, you mean those hand-cannons, don’t you? The recoil is indeed fierce, but there is nothing that riders of valor cannot master. Rest assured—this time, when we face the Turkic men, we will give them quite a surprise,” Uderu said, thumping his chest in assurance.

“Listen, Uderu. Last time, some of the gunmen in the infantry formation truly had poor nerve. They stuffed four or five rounds into the barrel, nearly filling it completely. Don’t let anything like that happen this time,” Li Wenyuan said with a smile, patting Uderu on the shoulder.

“Haha, Commander, I’ve heard about that too. Still, you can hardly blame them. No infantryman can stay perfectly calm when facing a cavalry charge. To be honest, being able to hold their formation without breaking when confronted by an equal number of charging horsemen, while still loading and firing at the same time, already earns my respect. Even the warriors of the steppe cannot keep a perfectly steady heart in the face of a cavalry assault.”

At the mention of some of the incidents from the battlefield, Uderu laughed heartily as well. “But cavalry against cavalry is different. We’re all mounted men. You ride a four-legged horse, and I ride a four-legged horse. If we can win, then we fight. If not, then we run. There’s no need to fear being caught.”

Li Wenyuan nodded with a smile. “Good. With that single line from you, I’m reassured. In this battle, let us show these Turkic men what true light cavalry looks like. You will still command the entire army as legion commander and lead the attack on the Turkic horsemen. This time I will serve as nothing more than a common soldier under your command. Pay no mind to me. Pretend I do not exist and direct the battle as you see fit. I will obey your orders without question. I know the rules of the army.”

Uderu frowned. “Commander, that is too dangerous. Do you not trust my ability?”

“No, no, Uderu. It is not that I do not trust your ability. It is just that, having come all the way to the frontier, it would feel as though something were missing if I did not claim a wolf banner as my prize.”

Li Wenyuan patted the lance hanging from his horse. “Besides, when it comes to mounted combat, I should be a little better than you.”

“Well, that is true. I still remember when the Commander first came to Xue Ju’s training grounds. Back then I could still defeat you with ease, but in these years, after you took part in the eastern expedition against Goguryeo and practiced diligently in your spare time, your progress has far outstripped mine. Since you are determined to do this, then I shall show the Commander my own methods of training troops. I am no worse than Zhang Juntai.”

Hearing Li Wenyuan mention his horsemanship, Uderu could not help but recall those early days when they had only just met. He thought to himself that when Li Wenyuan first said he intended to make him the new Turkic king, he had still harbored some disbelief. Yet in this short span of time, that aim had already begun to take shape.

Still, looking at the weapons equipped by the troops under his command, Uderu suddenly felt a pang of reluctance. If he truly abandoned these elite soldiers and turned instead to ruling the Turkic people, who were still living at the nomadic stage, would he really be willing?

End of chapter