Chapter 63: A Clever Stratagem

The soldiers of the Eastern Yue army were given the order to charge forward and kill, so naturally, they could not stop on their own. Even if those ahead halted, they would only be trampled to death by their comrades behind. Thus, they could only grit their teeth and continue surging ahead—straight into Chen Mu’s trap.

All at once, screams erupted among the Eastern Yue soldiers as they desperately flung their feet and tried to pry off the objects stuck to them with their weapons. No matter how much spiritual encouragement they drank in daily, the pain of stepping on these things was very real. Divine protection could not solve such problems.

Each soldier had a small wooden board affixed to his foot, and in the center of each board was a large iron spike. Chen Mu had originally intended to use caltrops, which would have been even more effective, but due to a shortage of materials at the front, he had to settle for spiked boards instead.

The soldiers at the front fell into the trap, but those behind, unaware of the danger, continued to push forward, even blaming their comrades ahead for weakness and lack of faith in the mountain god. This was because the terrain Chen Mu had chosen worked to his advantage—the Grand Xia army was positioned slightly higher, and from a distance, only two ranks of soldiers blocked the view of the trap.

With the bodies of the Eastern Yue soldiers now covering the field, those further back had no idea that the open ground ahead was covered with spiked boards. By this time, the Invincible Flying Corps and the Wudang Flying Corps had already adjusted their formations and begun firing repeating crossbows at the Eastern Yue soldiers, causing great casualties.

Some clever Eastern Yue soldiers tried to bypass the trap by going around, but the Invincible Flying Corps and Wudang Flying Corps had also placed spiked boards on both flanks. Those who tried to circumvent the center stumbled into more traps and perished under the hail of bolts, never even getting close to the Grand Xia army.

One after another, Eastern Yue soldiers fell at the front lines. Only after a while did their general realize something was wrong and hurriedly ordered a retreat.

Seeing the enemy’s withdrawal, Chen Mu immediately commanded his troops to pursue and slaughter them. In this brief interval, more than two thousand Eastern Yue soldiers had perished at the trap. Although the number of spiked boards was limited, the narrow terrain and mounting corpses created a natural barrier.

The crossbows of the Grand Xia army continued to reap lives, and few Eastern Yue soldiers managed to reach their lines. Now, the Grand Xia held a significant numerical advantage.

After a relentless pursuit, several thousand Eastern Yue soldiers were completely annihilated. The languages of the two sides were mutually unintelligible, and there was no need to take prisoners; besides, with their fanatical beliefs, even if they understood the interrogations, they would never confess.

When the battle ended, Chen Mu ordered the reserves to clear the battlefield—burying their own dead with care, while the enemy corpses were piled to one side and burned.

After a day of rest, Chen Mu ordered the army to advance once more. This time, there were no further ambushes, and the main force smoothly reached the location Chen Mu had designated.

There, as expected, stood a city.

But to Chen Mu’s surprise, the city was constructed in the style of a Grand Xia fortress—complete with city walls, gates, parapets, and all the usual defenses.

Could there be another traitor?

This question could wait until after the city was taken. For now, Chen Mu ordered the army to make camp and begin constructing siege engines.

On the city tower above, a general who resembled a Grand Xia man gazed down at the encampment and shook his head in silence. From the layout of the barracks, it was clear this Grand Xia army was well-trained. The blocking force sent out earlier had already been defeated, and those left inside the city were all the old, weak, and infirm. This battle would be a hard one.

He silently drew a worn brocade pouch from his chest, opened it, and pulled out a silk scroll. Reading the strategy inscribed upon it, he nodded slowly to himself.

…

In the central command tent of the Grand Xia army, Chen Mu was working on a new invention. On his desk lay a pile of wild grass, which he was attempting to weave into grass mats to wrap around the stones used by the catapults. Once drenched in oil, these could be set alight—imagine the spectacle of the catapults hurling blazing fireballs into the city!

With this, he could easily suppress the defenders on the city walls, without even needing to deploy the siege towers. Even if the enemy had prepared logs or stones to roll down from above, they would be rendered useless.

Once the city walls were suppressed, the battering rams would break down the gates, allowing the army to surge in. With the combat prowess of the Invincible Flying Corps and the Wudang Flying Corps, the city should fall in a single assault.

As Chen Mu busied himself with preparations, a soldier arrived to report. Upon summoning him in, Chen Mu learned that an envoy from Eastern Yue had arrived, and—unexpectedly—he spoke the language of Grand Xia and even looked the part.

Chen Mu was taken aback—another traitor? What was his purpose here?

After a moment’s thought, Chen Mu instructed, “Bring him in. And summon the officers as well.”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier departed, and soon Zhang Zhong and the others arrived. Shortly after, the envoy from Eastern Yue was ushered in.

Looking up, Chen Mu saw that the envoy was indeed a Grand Xia man, not only in appearance and stature but also in his grasp of Grand Xia etiquette.

The envoy entered and bowed deeply, his hands reaching the floor. “General Li Su of Eastern Yue, pays his respects to the Crown Prince of Grand Xia.”

Chen Mu was surprised—he had not expected the envoy to be a general. Normally, such missions were entrusted to eloquent scholars, not military men.

Chen Mu frowned. “Are you a Grand Xia man or an Eastern Yue man?”

Li Su smiled. “My father was from Grand Xia. Years ago, he was lost in the mountains and saved by the Eastern Yue people. He later married a local woman, and I am their son. Thus, I belong to both peoples. But as I was born and raised in Eastern Yue, I call myself an Eastern Yue man.”

“So, you’re a half-blood,” Chen Mu nodded.

Li Su repeated the term twice, “Half-blood, half-blood—how apt! I have long heard of Your Highness’s famed learning, and now that I see you, the tales are confirmed!”

Chen Mu laughed, “So, what brings you to my camp today?”

As he spoke, the officers looked on with curiosity, eager to learn the envoy’s purpose.

Li Su sighed. “Ah—this is a long story.”

And so Li Su began his tale.

After his father arrived in Eastern Yue, he learned the local language and introduced many new technologies—nothing as advanced as Chen Mu’s, just some everyday tools. Even so, these contributions earned him a position as an official, and he married into a prominent family, fathering Li Su.

A few years prior, his father passed away, and Li Su succeeded him, taking on even greater responsibilities—including military affairs.

Li Su had always maintained contact with the people of Qingqu County and was aware of Chen Mu’s exploits, including his recent victories over the steppe tribes, the southern barbarians, and Persia.

Therefore, he knew full well that Eastern Yue could not escape its fate. The high city walls were nothing but a self-deception.

Yet the city’s lord did not see it that way. Urged on by the faction of the sea god, he chose to block the path of the advancing army.