The Sui soldiers, far away on the northwestern grasslands, were about to spend their first Spring Festival away from home. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and apart from the soldiers on duty, everyone else had gathered with familiar friends to chat. The difference between the Han Chinese of the Central Plains and the Mongol people of Eastern Chu was not only in appearance, but also in personality. The Han Chinese were attached to their homes, and the saying "Parents are here, so don't travel far" still lingers to this day.
The Eastern Chu people, on the other hand, were accustomed to traveling far and wide, considering traveling and trading as their way of life. In their minds, home was just a word. The Mongol people, however, lived a nomadic life, herding cattle and sheep. Even if they couldn't leave their tribal fiefdoms, the thousands of miles of grassland were enough for them to roam back and forth.
The soldiers' conversations revolved around what their people back home were doing. Someone licked his lips and said he really wanted to eat some dumplings, a remark that resonated with many others. While soldiers from the south didn't yet have a particularly strong affinity for noodles, northern soldiers' love for dumplings transcended the mere category of food. To them, dumplings represented much more than just a meal.
The large camp, spanning over twenty li, was bustling with activity. To give the soldiers a taste of the New Year, the generals even went to the trouble of finding red cloth and carefully decorating the camp. The quartermaster, from who-knows-where, unearthed some large red lanterns, which were hung outside several of the central army tents, creating a particularly warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The soldiers talked until it was almost dark when it was time for dinner. Then, they were pleasantly surprised to find that each person would receive half a jin (250 grams) of cooked meat for dinner. For an army on a long expedition that hadn't captured any cattle, sheep, or horses, receiving a full half jin of cooked meat per person was something to celebrate. This pork had been transported thousands of miles from within the Great Wall; to feed an army of 700,000, the manpower and resources consumed for this one meal were astronomical.
General Li Yuanshan inspected his camp under the cover of night. As the commander of the empire's northwesternmost garrison, he held a pivotal position in this war. Moreover… the Right Valiant Guard's greatest advantage over other guards lay in the fact that Li Yuanshan, over the years, had poured all his efforts and resources into building a two-thousand-strong heavy cavalry force.
The Right Valiant Guard's heavy cavalry was the first heavy cavalry force established since the founding of the Sui Dynasty.
Equipped with armored warhorses, impervious to swords and spears, and impervious to arrows, they charged into battle like heavy tanks, easily crushing the enemy to dust. Each of these two thousand heavy cavalrymen enjoyed treatment unmatched by other soldiers. Each had two personal attendants, a large and powerful warhorse, and a slower horse to carry their personal belongings. After all, they couldn't wear at least forty pounds of heavy armor all day, and their lances were far larger and heavier than those of ordinary soldiers.
The elite infantry battalion was standard equipment for every guard, which wasn't particularly remarkable.
However, because the Right Valiant Guard was stationed in the far northwest, its numbers exceeded those of the guards stationed in the empire's heartland. According to the Sui Dynasty's military system, each guard had 36,000 elite soldiers and 8,000 auxiliary soldiers, plus other personnel, totaling less than 50,000. The Right Valiant Guard had a special imperial decree allowing it to recruit an additional 12,000 elite soldiers and 2,000 auxiliary soldiers, making it roughly one-third larger than the other guards.
In the entire Sui Dynasty, the only other guard unit comparable to and larger than the Right Valiant Guard was the Left Vanguard stationed in the southwest. Therefore, some in the court likened Li Yuanshan in the northwest and Luo Yao in the southwest to the two pillars of the western empire.
Li Yuanshan was ordered to lead the western expeditionary force, and his troops were always at the forefront. However, after several battles, the Right Valiant Guard's losses were not particularly significant. The troops the emperor conscripted from various regions of the empire were also under the command of several generals. On the battlefield, these troops from all over were the true vanguard; no general would be foolish enough to risk their personal guards.
Including the first battle, Li Xiaozong led 5,000 men, which, although flying the banner of the Right Valiant Guard, were actually only a single battalion of soldiers.
"General, it's unfair that we're still being given the first battle after the New Year… We're fighting tooth and nail in the front lines while they reap the benefits from behind!"
Yin Poshan, one of Li Yuanshan's seven tiger generals, said with some dissatisfaction.
Li Yuanshan waved his hand and said, "His Majesty has appointed the Right Valiant Guard as the vanguard, so naturally we should be at the forefront. Don't just focus on the losses. If we win this war, the vanguard will gain far more than the rest of the troops. Have you forgotten Luo Yao? During the Empire's war to destroy the Shang, Luo Yao's Left Vanguard was always at the forefront. Of the more than 40,000 troops, less than 15,000 remained when they conquered Yongzhou—a truly heavy loss. But what about now? The late Emperor and His Majesty both feel indebted to Luo Yao and have been extremely lenient with him. Who knows how many troops Luo Yao actually has now?"
"If our Right Valiant Guard wins this battle well, the casualties will be significant, but the glory that survives will be equally great, perhaps even greater than that of Luo Yao's Left Vanguard!"
Li Yuanshan said calmly, "I've always told you to have a long-term vision. Even if you can't see ten years from now, try to see three years from now, five years from now. The longer you look ahead, the greater your future will be."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Yin Poshan bowed his head and said. Li Yuanshan shook his head: "You don't understand. I know your personality better than anyone. Asking you to rack your brains over these things is no easier than asking you to give birth. Of the seven of you, Xu Xiao is the most composed. Now it seems Li Xiaozong and Xu Xiao are quite similar. That's why I entrusted the vanguard of the vanguard army to him, not you."
"General, you flatter me. This subordinate is a guilty man..."
Li Xiaozong, following behind, bowed his head and said. "What crime have you committed?"
Li Yuanshan smiled. "The first battle turned out this way because it was done according to my orders. If you are guilty, then am I guilty too?"
"However..."
He paused and said, "The first battle after the New Year must be fought brilliantly. The Prince sent a message by carrier pigeon, instructing us to make our performance convincing. We need to win a few morale-boosting victories to please His Majesty. First, let him be happy, then let him be disappointed; that will amplify His Majesty's anger. So remember, in the following battles, fight as you normally would. If you embarrass yourselves again, I'll take away your weapons."
"Yes, sir!"
Several generals bowed their heads in response.
Li Xiaozong hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "General, please allocate another five thousand men to me. This time, I will definitely fight brilliantly."
"You're tired."
Li Yuanshan waved his hand. "Let Xu Xiao fight the next battle. You should rest for a few more days."
Li Xiaozong's expression changed drastically, a fleeting hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. The hatred was as intense as the impenetrable darkness of night. Though fleeting, it was exceptionally clear. Li Xiaozong, feigning agreement with his head bowed, concealed his displeasure, but a fire burned ever brighter within him.
...
...
A dozen or so men dressed in black, their bodies shimmering in the moonlight fragmented by clouds, moved with the swiftness of wild beasts through the grass. They not only covered their faces with black cloth, but even their heads were tightly wrapped, revealing only their bright eyes. These men were like fish swimming in the ocean; the vast, boundless grasslands were their home, so even as the night deepened, their pace did not slow.
The leader of the men in black suddenly stopped and gestured. The dozen or so men immediately prostrated themselves on the ground, lying motionless in the grass. A short while later, twenty or so warhorses galloped past their hiding place, the black armor of the riders proclaiming their identities.
These were Sui Dynasty scouts.
The Sui army camp was less than three li away, and the Sui scouts were patrolling more and more frequently. The dozen or so men in black proceeded cautiously, their pace slowing considerably after avoiding the scouts.
The leader climbed a high slope and lay prone in the grass, watching the brightly lit Sui army camp in the distance. In the deep of night, the lights stretching for twenty li resembled a shimmering lake. The undulating tents were the waves of this vast lake.
"The banner chief said that the Sui people's New Year's Eve is as important as our fasting festival, and sure enough... Look..."
The leader of the black-clad men pointed to the Sui army camp and said, "Although the defenses still seem tight, those moving torches in the camp are patrolling soldiers, and there seem to be far fewer than usual."
The black-clad man beside him chuckled coldly, "Commander, the Sui people still have the nerve to claim to be the most knowledgeable nation in war. Look, those large tents in the central army are all decorated with red lanterns. This is utterly idiotic. It's as if they're telling us those tents are the Sui army commander's residence."
The leading commander was named Agudamu, a capable general under Mandulang of Nirvana City. Although young, he possessed profound cultivation and a cold, ruthless nature, killing without blinking an eye. "These are habits hard to change."
Agudam said in a low voice, "General, you once disguised yourself as a herdsman and infiltrated Fangu City, so you know the Sui people's customs. Every New Year's Eve, the Han people hang big red lanterns in front of their homes. They also eat a food called dumplings and set off firecrackers. It's like our Ramadan, a time of revelry. On New Year's Eve, the Sui people are almost completely unguarded. Their soldiers also drink and eat meat, and even prisoners in jail get wine and cooked meat. Especially at midnight on New Year's Eve, their vigilance is at its lowest."
"This time, even if we can't achieve a complete victory, catching the Sui people off guard is almost guaranteed,"
another man in black said.
Agudamu shook his head and said, "We can't be careless. Even though the Sui people have many unchangeable habits, what you see before you are real soldiers, and there are simply too many of them."
"Ten thousand sheep can't stop a wolf's attack."
A man in black laughed, "Just wait, tomorrow night we'll let those Sui people taste the flavor of scimitars."
Agudamu nodded, pointed ahead, and whispered, "Move forward another hundred paces, see if you can see any better. Spread out, each of you choose a good place to hide. When your hourglasses run out, immediately return here to regroup. We need to get back to report to the young banner lord and the general before dawn."
"Hoo-ha."
The men in black responded softly, then each chose a direction and dispersed.
Agudamu didn't move, remaining on the high slope.
Less than one hundred and fifty paces away on another high slope, several people covered in dry grass lay prone in the grass. Their hats and clothes were camouflaged, making them virtually undetectable even in the darkness.
One of them put down his clairvoyance device and asked a petite woman beside him in a low voice, "Commander, should we capture one and interrogate him?"
The woman called Commander shook her head slightly, habitually plucking a blade of grass and putting it in her mouth. "Let them watch as much as they want. Before they leave, notify the scouts to capture a few. If we let them go so easily, they'll become suspicious. We just need to keep an eye on whether anyone approaches the camp; capturing people on the battlefield isn't the responsibility of the Imperial Guards."
Judging from her voice, she was a woman.
"Yes, sir."
The man who had asked the question responded, raising his clairvoyance device again to look at the opposite hill.
The female Commander, lying on the grass, looked up at the moon, half-hidden by clouds, and gently chewed the blade of grass. The grass was withered and yellow, so it didn't taste bitter.
She thought of the young man far away in Chang'an, and a sweet feeling welled up in her heart. That guy, even at a very young age, knew how to camouflage himself with wild grass, wear different colored clothes for different environments, paint his face with ugly colors, and could even stay motionless in one place for a whole day, not moving even when he urinated in his pants. He said it was a survival tactic. She looked down on him at the time, but later she gradually realized that these methods were indeed very effective.
Changing into clothes the color of withered grass, they wouldn't be noticed even during the day when hidden in the grass. Relying on this color camouflage, the Imperial Guards repeatedly approached Manduqi's camp.
What is he doing now?
She wondered.
His shadow wasn't in the moonlight, but she gazed at it so intently.