Li Yan, clad in black armor, sat in the main tent. Several coarse tallow candles, as thick as a child's arm, sputtered with flames, illuminating the entire tent. The dancing flames occasionally let out a "crackle."
A map was spread out on the desk. Several deputy generals and a man dressed as a strategist were pointing at the map, occasionally whispering detailed explanations to Li Yan. Whenever they looked at Li Yan, their eyes revealed reverence and fervor.
"My lord, for the State of Meng to dispatch troops to Fallen Immortal Slope with such fanfare is by no means a wise move. This subordinate believes they will certainly divide their forces into multiple routes to execute a feint. They might be here... hmm, here, or even here. It's possible they will launch sneak attacks from any of these locations..."
The strategist in a black scholar's robe contemplated with a frown, pointing to several locations on the map with his feather fan as he spoke slowly.
Li Yan listened, observing the terrain and mountain ridges on the map and nodding lightly. He too was thinking that the State of Meng's deployment this time was very peculiar...
Yesterday evening, in the Marshal's Residence at Green Mountain Pass , Li Yan was chatting softly with his wife among the flowers in the rear garden. He occasionally glanced at his son and daughter playing in the large pavilion in the distance, his heart filled with warmth.
In the pavilion, a pair of children, carved as if from pink jade, were sparring with two wooden swords under the watch of several servants.
The boy appeared to be seven or eight years old, while the girl was younger and naturally weaker. After just a few exchanges, the boy knocked the wooden sword from her hand.
But the girl did not cry immediately. Instead, she pursed her lips tightly, trying to keep the glistening tears in her eyes from falling, and silently went to pick up the sword from the ground.
"Little sister, you are no match for me. In the future, father's position as Marshal will surely be mine to inherit!"
After knocking his sister's sword away, the boy did not press his attack. He curled his lip and spoke with a touch of pride.
"Who says you've won? I'm just younger now and not as strong as you. Father said that as long as one's martial arts are proficient, there can be female heroes and female generals in this world. Come, let's go again! Same rules as before. If my sword touches your clothes, it counts as a win, since I'm not as strong as you right now."
The girl brandished her wooden sword, wiped her eyes fiercely with her other hand, and thrust diagonally again.
"Again it is. We fight every day, and how many times have you won, sister?"
The little boy tucked the slightly long hem of his robe back into his waistband, his figure spinning gracefully as he dodged the incoming thrust.
Although the two were young, their footwork was already measured and controlled, bearing some resemblance to masters of the martial world .
The several maids and servants nearby were not worried that the two young masters would get angry or hurt each other. Their eyes were filled with warm smiles.
They had long since moved past the initial years of constant worry and trepidation.
Among the flowers, Li Yan and his wife watched the events in the pavilion with different expressions.
Li Yan's wife was exceptionally beautiful. Her skin was a healthy tan, but unlike the women of the Imperial Dynasty, she didn't have her long hair coiled up, instead sporting short hair, which was extremely rare in the dynasty.
The originally loose palace dress was stretched taut against her body, which could only be described as a devil's descent upon the mortal realm.
The woman frowned slightly and said, "My husband, you can't keep indulging them like this. Little Gong is one thing; he's a boy, after all, and he can choose to pursue literary or martial paths when he grows up. But how can you spoil Little Meng so much and let her do as she pleases? A girl, fighting and killing all day long. Do you really want her to become one of those so-called female heroes of the martial world in the future?"
Looking at his wife, who, despite being a mother, was still as vibrant as a young girl, Li Yan did not answer her immediately. Instead, that strange thought popped into his mind again.
More than once, a ridiculous thought had risen from the bottom of his heart for no reason: this girlish wife before him was likely a person whose martial arts were even more outstanding than his own.
But he knew the woman before him crystal clear. She was the daughter of the prime minister, exceptionally skilled in poetry and prose. As for martial arts, that was utterly impossible. Although she didn't seem like a typical lady from a noble house, her talents truly lay elsewhere.
Yet, every time he saw this first wife of his, this absurd thought would inevitably emerge. He couldn't figure out where it came from.
Li Yan glanced again at the children in the distant pavilion. The older boy was named Li Xiegong, and the younger girl was named Li Youmeng.
"Hehehe, A Ying , if Little Meng likes martial arts, then let her learn. Besides, she's not lacking in the things a girl should know. Poetry, calligraphy, embroidery—is there any she hasn't learned properly? Learning some martial arts to strengthen her body is a good thing. What's more, a daughter of mine, Li Yan, will not suffer the slightest grievance no matter which family in the court she marries into in the future," Li Yan said with a chuckle to his first wife.
"Are you saying you'd let Little Meng punch and kick them? You, as a father, are truly talking nonsense," the woman named A Ying said with displeasure as soon as Li Yan finished speaking.
Hearing this, Li Yan smiled and said, "A Ying, Little Meng's stubborn and headstrong personality is just like yours. How could I possibly persuade her? Am I supposed to discipline her by force and compel her to give up her own ideas?"
Li Yan knew that this wife of his was usually a woman of few words. But did she not know the temperament of her own daughter?
Looking at his wife's beautiful face, the strange thought of her being "a master of profound martial arts" arose once more. Li Yan felt as if he were going mad.
But apart from her, he never had such an absurd thought about any other woman. It was truly strange, truly baffling.
"If you are unwilling to speak, you also can't always shield them in so many ways when I am trying to discipline them," A Ying said, glaring at him reproachfully.
Every time she tried to discipline the children, if this husband of hers was present, he would find an excuse to interject with jokes and nonsense, rendering her stern lectures moot.
Inside the main tent, Li Yan looked at the map and gently shook his head, as if to shake the images from his mind.
Whenever he faced a great enemy, he would occasionally think of his family. Far from distracting him, it would instead give rise to a determination to defend his home and country to the death, to protect the people and his family.
Li Yan's finger slid gently across the map, and then he fell into deep thought.
Seeing the Marshal lost in thought, the generals in the tent stopped their quiet discussions. They knew that at times like this, the Marshal was always exhausting his mind. Although others offered strategies, he would always synthesize all the intelligence before making a final decision.
After a long while, Li Yan finally moved. He then said with some confusion, "Regardless of the results of your analysis or the news from the scouts ahead, only two of those directions show signs of troop movement from the State of Meng. The other areas are normal. But even if the State of Meng has some means for a hundred-li surprise attack, we have troops stationed there year-round, vigilant day and night. What's the point of their sneak attack?"
Li Yan couldn't figure it out. The purpose of the enemy's attack was very elusive, and the potential gains were minimal, yet they mobilized their forces in such a manner.
At this moment, a clatter of armor plates echoed urgently, the sound approaching from afar. In just a moment, it reached the front of the tent, followed by a hurried voice.
"Report! To the Marshal, the State of Meng launched a five-pronged attack half an hour ago with a total force of about one hundred thousand, striking three of our key passes and one supply depot. The two passes, 'Moon-Gazing Ridge' and 'Green Wind Forest,' are holding their ground thanks to the natural terrain. The last report indicated no immediate danger. 'Fallen Immortal Slope,' however, is being attacked from both the east and west. The enemy force is about thirty thousand. General Cui is holding the line. At the supply depot, General Ma is also holding the enemy, a force of about ten thousand, at bay three li away. The battle is fierce."
Although Li Yan's army was at the front line, it was only a little over two hundred li from Green Mountain Pass, not at the true vanguard of the battle.
"They deployed half an hour ago, which means contact with our various positions would have happened more or less a quarter of an hour ago. 'Moon-Gazing Ridge' and 'Green Wind Forest' have natural defenses. But 'Fallen Immortal Slope'... why are there enemy troops on the west side as well..."
"There are enemy troops attacking the west side of 'Fallen Immortal Slope'?" Li Yan asked with a frown. Enemy troops shouldn't have appeared there.
"Reporting to the Marshal, yes, enemy troops have appeared on the west side, but their numbers are only three to four hundred. However, their assault is exceptionally fierce!" the scout outside the tent replied immediately.
The State of Meng's attack this time was somewhat beyond Li Yan's expectations. Firstly, the news blockade before the deployment was not strict. Secondly, the State of Meng had lost its usual indecisiveness.
While Li Yan and his men were still analyzing based on their opponent's usual tactics, the enemy had already launched an attack in such a short time. This had never happened in the decades of war with the State of Meng.
The military situation was urgent. Li Yan commanded in a deep voice, "General Zhang, General Guan, you will each lead a contingent to reinforce 'Moon-Gazing Ridge' and 'Green Wind Forest.' You must assist the defending forces to crush the enemy as quickly as possible. Then, launch separate raids on the enemy's main camp. You must pin the enemy forces in place for one day and await my command. General Lin, you will lead a unit to support General Ma's supply depot and annihilate the incoming enemy. Strategist Wen, you and General Luo will remain here at the central command. The remaining troops and generals are all under your command. I will personally lead a unit to 'Fallen Immortal Slope.' That location is a direct route to our rear; it must not fall. The enemy's attack with two armies shows their determination to take it."
"Marshal, it would be better to have another general lead the troops. You..." Strategist Wen began to say worriedly upon hearing Li Yan's words.
"That is all..." Li Yan cut Strategist Wen off directly. Several command arrows had already been thrown from the Marshal's desk.
A military order was like a mountain. Moreover, everyone was well aware of their Marshal's valor.
At the same time, this was a common trait among the several Marshals on the Imperial Dynasty's borders. Each of them was exceptionally brave, often leading the charge themselves. The troops they led were all like tigers and wolves, making the Imperial Dynasty the most powerful among all the surrounding nations.
Fallen Immortal Slope was surrounded by mountains on its west and south sides. The State of Meng, coming from the south, only needed to cross Fallen Immortal Slope to have a clear path northward, straight to Green Mountain Pass. It was of paramount importance.
Li Yan's main army, positioned to support various locations, was at a central point and not particularly close to Fallen Immortal Slope.
By the time Li Yan led his troops there, the battle was already in full swing. This time, the State of Meng had gone to great lengths, taking a six-hundred-li detour from the west, crossing treacherous mountains and ridges to launch a surprise attack on Fallen Immortal Slope.
Although there was a path on the west side of Fallen Immortal Slope, it was a mountain path—high and perilous. As the saying goes, "Even the yellow crane cannot fly over it, and apes and monkeys worry about climbing." Even local hunters were unwilling to tread there.
Therefore, the defense of Fallen Immortal Slope had always focused heavily on the east. This time, they were forced to divide their forces to fend off enemies on two fronts.