Chapter 43: What's Wrong?

Wang Zhifa appeared before Northern Han generals such as Liu Jiye and Feng Jinke dressed in magnificent garments.

Indeed, fine clothes make the man, just as fine horse saddles make the steed. Although Wang Zhifa's physique was rather short and stout, with a head excessively standard in its roundness, once he was attired in the finest damasks and silks and adorned with various ornaments of gold and jade, his bearing and aura underwent a dramatic enhancement. The noble status of an imperial envoy from the superior state was thus displayed to the fullest extent.

Not only was his demeanor arrogant, but upon finally meeting Liu Jiye and the others, Wang Zhifa also expressed profound displeasure. "Why have you kept this servant waiting for so long?" he demanded angrily. "Did your subordinates not report clearly? This servant is the chief eunuch of the household of the eldest son of the Great Song's Sovereign, an envoy of the superior state! How could you make me wait for this long?"

"Audacious!" Feng Jinke flared up, shouting angrily, "A mere castrated hound dare to act so arrogant and unruly in the main command tent of our Great Han army, running your mouth with such insolence! Do you believe this general cannot execute you with a single slash?"

"In a war between two nations, the messenger is not beheaded!"

Hearing this, Wang Zhifa panicked and hurriedly blurted out this age-old proverb. Fortunately, the Han army commander Liu Jiye possessed a great deal of self-restraint and did not bicker over Wang Zhifa's arrogance and discourtesy. Instead, he casually asked, "Are you truly a eunuch in the household of the Song rebel's prince? Has that eldest son of Zhao Kuangyin truly arrived at the Tuanbai Valley battlefield?"

"Of course this servant is a eunuch in the household of the Great Song prince, it is simply that having left the palace for many years, I lack the tally of our Great Song imperial palace," Wang Zhifa replied, habitually clutching his waistband with a triumphant tone. "However, if Grand Marshal Liu does not believe it, this servant shall strip off his trousers right now for you to see!"

"That won't be necessary," Liu Jiye said with a smiling wave, then asked further, "This marshal merely finds it strange. Why hasn't your master, Zhao Dezhao, been indulging in dissipation and debauchery back in Bianliang, but instead ran all the way out here for what?"

"Naturally, to establish merits and accomplish great deeds," Wang Zhifa said, his tone growing even more triumphant. "The Great King whom this servant serves is both proficient in the literary arts and martial prowess, unparalleled in wisdom and courage. In martial affairs he can mount a horse to pacify the cosmos, and in civil matters he can wield a brush to settle the realm. Therefore, this time my master went directly before the Sovereign to volunteer himself, securing the status of army supervisor to personally come to this Tuanbai Valley and help Commissioner Li fight a decisive battle to the death with you!"

After boasting endlessly about Zhao Dezhao, Wang Zhifa went so far as to offer well-intentioned persuasion. "Grand Marshal Liu, heed a word of advice from this servant. You are no match for our Great Song army, and even less a match for my master. Rather than acting like a mantis trying to stop a chariot or throwing eggs against a rock, you would be better off reining in your horse at the precipice, turning back before it is too late, and laying down your weapons to surrender to our Great Song army. Otherwise, if you wish to regret it later, I fear it will be too late."

"Listening to your tone, that little brat Zhao Dezhao sent you here to persuade us to surrender?" Liu Jiye revealed a trace of a mocking expression.

"Precisely so." Wang Zhifa nodded candidly, and only then did he draw a letter from his bosom, raising it as he spoke. "This is the letter of surrender my master instructed this servant to bring to you. Please peruse it, Grand Marshal."

Wishing to use this opportunity to understand the character and personality of Zhao Dezhao, Liu Jiye did not haggle over Wang Zhifa's arrogance and discourtesy. He signaled a personal guard to step forward and receive the letter. Taking the letter from the guard and opening it to read carefully, Liu Jiye, who came from a military lineage, could not help but laugh in spite of himself. It turned out that Zhao Dezhao had waxed exceptionally poetic in this letter, employing highly ornate phrasing to compose a rather sour-tasting letter of persuasion, strongly urging Liu Jiye to cast off the darkness and embrace the light, and lead his troops in surrender.

That was not all. At the very end of the letter, Zhao Dezhao had even penned a poem for Liu Jiye, two lines of which even moved Liu Jiye, a rough military man, to secretly praise them: *The sovereign is muddle-headed and cares nothing for his officers, the heroes of the realm yearn to sacrifice their bodies.*

Silently reciting these two lines, Liu Jiye displayed a faint smile and remarked quite sincerely, "Who would have thought that the talent and literary style of that kid Zhao Dezhao would be quite out of the ordinary? Such a resplendent piece of writing is truly something this marshal has never witnessed in his lifetime."

"Marshal, your words hit the nail right on the head!" Hearing this, Wang Zhifa grew even more smug. "Have you ever heard of Xu Xuan, the Minister of War whose fame fills Jiangnan, Grand Marshal? Although he is universally recognized as the foremost literatus of the present day, when he arrives before my master, the only thing he can do is bow in utmost reverence, not daring to show the slightest disrespect toward my master."

Having said this, Wang Zhifa hastily added, "Rest assured, Marshal, this servant is by no means boasting. If the Marshal does not believe it, you can ask anyone who has recently traveled to Bianliang whether the Southern Tang envoy Xu Xuan willingly conceded defeat before my master!"

"That won't be necessary either." Liu Jiye could not be bothered to entangle himself with Wang Zhifa on this topic and said quite directly, "I must trouble Envoy Wang to return and tell your master that this marshal appreciates his kind intentions, but alas, as the saying goes, a loyal minister does not serve two masters. Since this marshal is a subject of the Great Han, I can only exhaust my utmost loyalty and exert myself to the very end for the Great Han court until my dying breath. Therefore, please ask your master not to waste any more effort trying to persuade us to surrender."

"Marshal, are you truly willing to let this opportunity slip away?" Wang Zhifa persisted, unwilling to give up. "My master is the Sovereign's own son, and the eldest imperial son at that. You cannot possibly fail to understand what that implies, Grand Marshal! If you miss this village, you might not find this shop along the road in the future."

"Say no more." Liu Jiye smiled and waved his hand, saying, "This marshal's loyalty to the Great Han court is as clear as the sun and moon. Let alone the fact that Zhao Dezhao is merely the son of Zhao Kuangyin; even if Zhao Kuangyin himself were to come before this marshal to persuade me to surrender, he could never dream of shaking my resolve by even a fraction."

Wang Zhifa was utterly disappointed. Yet the matter was not finished; he forcibly rallied his spirits and said, "Grand Marshal's loyalty is unwavering, and this servant admires it! In truth, my master also knew that you might not necessarily accept his kind persuasion to surrender, so he did not demand that this servant successfully sway the Marshal. He merely instructed this servant to bring one more message: he invites the Marshal to lightly move your esteemed steps and attend a banquet within our Great Song army's camp."

"You invite this marshal to a banquet in your army camp?"

Having fought wars for half a lifetime, this was the first time he had ever heard such an invitation, and Liu Jiye could not help but reveal a smile of astonishment. Wang Zhifa, however, wore a completely earnest expression as he nodded and said, "Precisely so. To welcome and dust off the travel-weariness for my master, Commissioner Li has already decided to host a banquet this afternoon to entertain him. My master is someone who enjoys liveliness, and he wishes to invite the Marshal to come over as well, to drain a few cups together and get acquainted. I wonder how the Marshal feels about this?"

After issuing this fanciful invitation on behalf of Zhao Dezhao, Wang Zhifa hurriedly added, "Please rest assured, Marshal. My master is willing to swear by the Fen River that even if you cross into the camp alone, he will definitely guarantee your safety!"

Although Zhao Dezhao's promise still carried a sliver of weight, Liu Jiye certainly could not take such a massive risk. Therefore, after laughing heartily for a moment, he smiled and said, "There is no need. Although this marshal is a military general, I am not fond of wine. Please return and report to your master, Envoy Wang, and tell him that this marshal appreciates his kind intentions. If there should be an opportunity in the future—for instance, after this marshal captures him alive—we will surely drink a few cups together then."

"Rest assured, Marshal, this servant will certainly convey your words." Without showing any anger, Wang Zhifa took his leave with brisk directness. "Since that is the case, this lowly person dares not disturb the Marshal any further. I take my leave."

"Someone, send Envoy Wang off."

At last, after Liu Jiye's personal guard led Wang Zhifa out of the main command tent, Feng Jinke voiced his opinion: "A complete waste of time! I actually thought this son of Zhao Kuangyin might pull some new tricks out of his sleeve, but after all this fuss, he turns out to be an utter fool sending someone here to spout sheer nonsense."

"A fool he may not be; rather, he must have read too many books and had his brain turned into a block of solid knotty wood," Liu Jiye chuckled, remarking, "He tries to imitate Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, by pointing to the Luo River as a pledge to guarantee my personal safety. Why didn't it ever occur to him that ever since Sima Yi used that exact trick to deceive Cao Shuang, no one has ever fallen for that routine again?"

"What should our next course of action be then?" Feng Jinke pressed on.

"Meet all changes with constancy; continue to hold the strategic passes and keep our camp closed without going out!" Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Jiye stated immediately, "Our Great Han nation is small and its military strength weak. To engage the Song rebel army in a direct, hard-fought battle—even if we were to achieve victory, the price might outweigh the gains. Therefore, the sole method is to mount an all-out, stubborn defense and patiently wait for reinforcements from the Khitan Liao dynasty—"

At this point, Liu Jiye suddenly halted of his own accord, a thoughtful expression surfacing on his face. Feng Jinke had served alongside him for many years and knew his temperament well, so he asked, "What is it? Did you think of something?"

A hesitant look appeared on Liu Jiye's face, and it was only after a brief moment of hesitation that he spoke: "General Feng, have you noticed that tonight presents a prime opportunity for us to achieve victory through a surprise maneuver? If we succeed, let alone winning yet another battle, taking the heads of Li Jixun and Zhao Dezhao is well within the realm of possibility!"

Possessing vast military experience, Feng Jinke grasped his meaning the moment he finished speaking, exclaiming with pleasant surprise, "Indeed! Tonight is truly a rare strategic window! That little thief Zhao Dezhao has just arrived at Tuanbai Valley; given his status, Li Jixun will undoubtedly host a personal banquet to welcome him, and any Song rebel general of any standing will surely attend this feast. With all of them solely preoccupied with drinking and feasting, there will inevitably be lapses in the camp's defenses!"

Liu Jiye rose to his feet and strode over to the map sandbox to calculate, and Feng Jinke hurriedly followed, urging, "Marshal, there is no need to look any further. Our camp is sixteen li away from the rebel camp. Even if we mobilize our troops after the sky turns completely dark, we will still have ample time to reach the Song camp and launch a surprise raid! Let me go! As long as the surprise attack succeeds, I will surely take the heads of those two dogs, Li Jixun and Zhao Dezhao!"

"What if we fail to succeed?" Liu Jiye asked as he calculated.

"We resolutely retreat, of course! Who would be foolish enough to go and stubbornly bash their heads against them?" Feng Jinke answered without a second thought. "If the surprise raid cannot succeed, we will decisively withdraw. In the dead of night and under pitch-black skies, even if the entire Song rebel army swarms out in full force, it will be utterly impossible for them to catch up to and encircle us."

Pondering this, Liu Jiye found the reasoning sound and could not help but nod. Yet he still harbored some lingering worries and added, "What if the rebel camp has made preparations in advance? As long as they have prepared ahead of time and laid an ambush with a force outside the camp to catch us in a pincer movement from front and back, we will undoubtedly suffer a disastrous defeat."

"Marshal, why is it that the older you get, the more timid your courage becomes?" Feng Jinke mocked, pointing out, "Why on earth haven't you considered how the Song rebel army could possibly make preparations in advance? That little brat Zhao Dezhao only arrived at Tuanbai Valley today; those Song rebel generals, including Li Jixun, are busy hosting banquets to welcome him and racking their brains to curry favor and build connections with him. How could they possibly have ambushed troops in advance waiting for us to raid them?"

Liu Jiye slowly nodded once more, finding himself truly unable to resist the temptation of once again inflicting a crushing defeat upon the Song army. Finally, he gave the sandbox a heavy slap and declared, "Very well! Let's do it just like that! Tonight, we will launch a sudden troop movement and catch the rebel army completely off guard!"

Once a decision was made, action followed immediately. Liu Jiye and Feng Jinke meticulously deliberated and jointly finalized a nighttime surprise attack plan that was both daring and prudent: Feng Jinke would lead two thousand elite soldiers to move out first, launching a sudden assault on the Song army encampment at the third watch. Liu Jiye would personally lead five thousand cavalrymen to follow closely behind. If the vanguard's progress went smoothly, they would resolutely press forward to expand the fruits of victory; should the vanguard encounter setbacks, Liu Jiye would take charge of接应 (providing support and cover) for their retreat, minimizing troop losses to the greatest extent possible.

As it happened, just as Liu Jiye and Feng Jinke had finished deliberating this battle plan, a scout from outside the tent suddenly reported that Song army soldiers had been spotted gathering and drilling within their camp, seemingly undergoing a review by someone. Upon hearing this, Liu Jiye burst into a cheerful laugh and remarked, "Splendid! The more strenuous their commotion, the better. Once your soldiers are worn out from all that exhaustion, they will sleep all the sounder tonight!"

Since their subordinates were elite veterans who had spent years locked in mutual slaughter with the Song army, the Northern Han troops naturally made secret preparations for the nocturnal raid with great swiftness. After the sky turned pitch black, they quietly slipped out of the camp, every single man holding a bit in his mouth and wrapping their horses' hooves in cloth, assembling into formations guided solely by the moonlight.

Perhaps due to a sixth sense, just as Feng Jinke—fully prepared—came to request orders for departure, Liu Jiye suddenly felt a sense of unease. He felt as though something was amiss, yet rack his brains as he might, he could not figure out what exactly was wrong. Moreover, with the situation poised like an arrow drawn back on a taut bow, Liu Jiye forced himself to steady his spirits and instructed Feng Jinke, who had come for his orders: "Go, and exercise utmost caution. Remember above all not to grow greedy for merit."

Promising profusely, Feng Jinke departed with the vanguard. The subsequent force of five thousand troops also marched out of the camp to form up, hurrying toward the designated battlefield under Liu Jiye's personal command to stand by for orders. Under the cover of darkness, the Northern Han troops, being far more familiar with the terrain, successfully carried out these maneuvers. Yet during the period of patient waiting, Liu Jiye—endowed with a keen sixth sense—grew increasingly flustered and restless, his heart filled with foreboding.

"Strange? What has come over me? After fighting in wars for so many years, I have never experienced a feeling like this before. Exactly what is wrong here?"

Repeatedly questioning himself in his heart, a terrifying thought suddenly flashed into Liu Jiye's mind, causing him to involuntarily break out in a cold sweat as his heart shrieked in alarm: "I know what is wrong! How could I have neglected to consider whether this might be that little thief Zhao Dezhao playing the pig to eat the tiger—deliberately feigning the demeanor of a bookish pedant to trick us into lowering our guard, only to lay a trap, lure the snake out of its hole, and catch us completely unawares?!"

"Could that little thief be that crafty?!"

As he hurriedly analyzed this possibility once more, the pitch-black and silent expanse ahead suddenly erupted with drums rolling like thunder and battle cries shaking the heavens. The color drained entirely from Liu Jiye's face.

For the vanguard of the Northern Han army led by Feng Jinke carried no heavy battle drums; it was utterly impossible for them to suddenly unleash such thunderous, dense drumming from their own ranks!