Chapter Sixteen: A Brilliant Stratagem Turns the Tables

Two towering earthen mounds rose abruptly in front of the Taining Army’s encampment. Countless dense figures swarmed like ants, shoveling earth and stone onto the flanks and summits of the mounds.

The construction was being carried out by the Five Virtues Battalion, the legendary engineering corps under the command of "Snow Marshal" Qi Ke-rang.

The Five Virtues Battalion was divided into five divisions—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—comprising master craftsmen recruited from across the ten circuits of the Great Tang. The Gold Division specialized in forging weapons and armor; the Wood Division excelled in camp construction; the Water Division mastered hydraulic warfare; the Fire Division was adept at manufacturing incendiary weapons and launching arson raids; and the Earth Division was skilled in the arts of building earthen mounds and tunnels. Although these technicians could not engage in frontline combat, their mastery of the five elements allowed them to substitute for thousands of troops.

Undoubtedly, it was the master builders of the Earth Division who were directing the construction of the mounds. Such massive earthworks required immense labor, which explained why the auxiliary troops and laborers brought by Qi Ke-rang numbered in the tens of thousands. Beyond using the Taining Army’s own auxiliaries, Qi Ke-rang had also conscripted local civilians to join the effort.

Because the mounds were situated directly in front of the Taining Army camp, the Grass Rebels were powerless to intervene. Once the mounds were fully formed, the heavy bed-mounted crossbows and trebuchets installed atop them rained giant bolts and boulders down upon the rebel positions like a torrential storm. Some crossbow bolts flew over seven hundred paces, embedding themselves deep into the rammed-earth walls of Yanwang City.

At such a distance, they were not yet capable of bombarding the rebel encampment deep within the city, but the psychological deterrence was staggering. If the Grass Rebels were to sally forth from their camp to engage the Snow Marshal’s forces, they would be subjected to the crossfire from the earthen mounds from above.

"Two days ago, when the enemy tried to break out through tunnels, we dug deep trenches to block them and easily repelled them," Meng Kai said during the military council. "I never imagined that in just a few nights, these two earthen mounds would rise out of the ground."

"Tunnels and mounds are being pushed forward in tandem, covering each other and dividing our attention like a two-headed snake. It makes it impossible for us to lower our guard against either threat. Furthermore, the earth and stone cleared from the tunnels can be used to construct the mounds," Huang Chao observed. "Qi Ke-rang is world-renowned for his mastery of siege engineering; these tasks require a precise understanding of the terrain and meticulous calculations down to the smallest detail."

"If this continues, sallying out to engage them will be extremely disadvantageous for us!" Meng Kai added. "I still wanted to go out and fight to my heart's content, to teach that old thief Song Jue a lesson and get revenge for my junior brother..."

Huang Chao interrupted him: "Since it is the Snow Marshal Qi Ke-rang we are facing, how could he possibly let us win another easy victory?"

The generals were left stunned and speechless, having not expected that, after the previous two clashes, the Taining Army would prove to be so formidable. In just a few days, Qi Ke-rang had shifted the situation, instantly plunging the insurgent army into a defensive slump. "Snow Clearing over the Qilian Mountains," Qi Ke-rang, truly lived up to his world-shaking reputation.

All eyes turned to Huang Chao. The brilliant Salt Marshal from Shandong had never let them down, so even with the Snow Marshal being this powerful, the men still pinned their hopes on him.

But Huang Chao only said calmly: "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, and we are certainly not rabbits. Qi Ke-rang is still holding back; that is the truly unusual part."

At his side, his nephew Lin Yan and many other generals gasped in unison.

If this was not yet his full strength, just how terrifying must the Snow Marshal, Qi Ke-rang, be?

Huang Chao, clad in full battle regalia, stood as steady as a mountain, his eyes filled with unwavering composure. "In warfare, I have heard of the clumsy speed that wins, but I have never seen the cleverness that lasts long. Earthworks are physically exhausting, and conscripting civilians will only breed public resentment. Qi Ke-rang is known for his benevolence and love for the people; he will surely not want to burden the commoners for too long."

"As for the suppression by mounds and the harassment by tunnels, we have defensive measures for both. These are merely ways to build momentum, not methods to secure final victory. Moreover, the enemy is not like us outcasts; they have families back in Taining Prefecture. If their troops are away for too long, their nostalgia will inevitably affect their morale."

Hearing this, Lin Yan and the others let out long sighs of relief, knowing that Huang Chao must have a countermeasure.

"Duan Hongyan, report what you have discovered!" Huang Chao commanded.

Duan Hongyan acknowledged and stepped forward: "To the east of Mengzhu Marsh, within the dense forest, there are traces of the enemy moving about. I feared being detected, so I did not venture further into the woods to investigate."

"East of Mengzhu Marsh?" one of the generals asked. "That forest still follows the line of the North Bian River. Could it be..."

Huang Chao stroked his beard and laughed: "Just as I expected!"

"Qi Ke-rang’s strategic style has always been interconnected, leaving no move to chance. For example, the earth from the tunnels is used to build the mounds. However, since I have dug trenches around the camp to guard against tunnel incursions, the tunnel strategy cannot deal a fatal blow to our army. This Yanwang City is easy to defend and hard to attack, as solid as a fortress, and nearly impossible to break."

"However, now is the time of the summer floods. The land in Song Prefecture is high in the north and low in the south. The greatest disadvantage of Yanwang City is that it lies in a low-lying area, making it prone to flooding."

Meng Kai exclaimed in shock: "In that case, those tunnels leading to our camp could serve to channel the water."

"And the enemy is secretly working in the forest not only because the woods can hide their efforts to breach the North Bian River embankment, but also because the forest is unsuitable for our chariots to charge..."

"Hahaha..." Huang Chao laughed. "Juehai, you were able to think of this—you have made great progress recently. You are no longer just good at slaughtering; you are teachable!"

Zhu Wen, who had been standing to the side with his eyes cast down in thought, realized it was time for him to speak.

It was time for him to place a piece on this stagnant chessboard.

And it would surely not be a wasted move.

He touched his chin: "Master, I have something to say, though I am not sure if it is appropriate."

"Speak freely."

"I am a native of Song Prefecture. In my humble opinion, although the North Bian River has an abundance of water, even if the embankments were fully breached and Yanwang City were turned into a lake, it would still be quite difficult."

After Zhu Wen finished, he was surprised to see Huang Chao nod decisively: "Exactly so."

"It wouldn't be enough to flood our camp?" Lin Yan asked. "Since Qi Ke-rang miscalculated, does that mean we don't need to worry about it?"

Huang Chao shook his head: "Do you know how Guanqiu Jian was defeated when he campaigned against Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong during the Three Kingdoms period?"

Lin Yan replied: "I do not know, nephew only knows that the later Jinxuan Emperor, Sima Zhongda, led his troops to conquer Liaodong again and slaughtered the city."

That battle was quite famous, the pinnacle of the cunning Sima Yi's career. By comparison, Guanqiu Jian’s earlier defeat in Liaodong was often overlooked.

"Gongsun Yuan hunkered down and refused to fight, engaging in a standoff with Guanqiu Jian. But in the land of Liaodong, summer often brings torrential rains. The Liao River surged, flooding the Wei camp. Although it did not fully submerge it, the water was over a foot deep, burying men and horses, turning the ground into mud, and causing supplies and grain to rot. This forced Guanqiu Jian to move his camp to higher ground."

"However, during the relocation, the troops were inevitably shaken, and their heavy supplies, burdened by the mud, threw the ranks into complete chaos. Gongsun Yuan was waiting for this exact moment. He ordered his general, Bi Yan, to attack. Guanqiu Jian was soundly defeated, abandoning countless supplies and equipment as he fled in a panic."

The group was stunned. Gongsun Yuan had been able to hold Liaodong for many years; he was clearly no ordinary man. This only made Sima Yi’s command appear even more divine, and as for Zhuge Wuhou, who could suppress Sima Zhongda to the point that he dared not come out to fight even after receiving a woman’s garment as an insult, he must have been like an immortal!

"So, it seems Qi Ke-rang wants to use the same trick Gongsun Yuan used against Guanqiu Jian—using flooding to force us to abandon the favorable terrain of Yanwang City, then launching a surprise attack during the chaos. And those heavy crossbows and stone catapults on the earthen mounds will be able to provide suppression fire while we are moving our camp across the open ground," Duan Hongyan concluded.

"Exactly," Huang Chao commanded. "Generals, follow me to lead our troops out of the camp toward the North Bian River. We will strike the Taining Army and stop their attempt to breach the embankments!"