Chapter 15

Before Li Shimin received any concrete news about Liu Heita, his heart was filled with unease. Liu Heita had long been in cahoots with the Turks. If he fled, he would surely receive their assistance and make a comeback. The efforts of the past six months would be in vain.

However, he soon realized his concerns were unfounded. Once the situation at the Ming River stabilized, Li Shimin learned that Luo Shixin had captured Liu Heita and taken control of Mingzhou. He couldn't help but recall the scene from that day:

"Your Highness, Prince of Qin!"

At the time, Li Shimin found Luo Shixin's request for an audience quite strange. In his mind, Luo Shixin was a brave general, a step above a reckless one, but not a renowned one.

Reckless generals, tiger generals, and renowned generals may seem similar, but there are significant differences. Reckless generals are undoubtedly those who charge into battle, crush enemies, and inspire thousands with their bravery, but due to various factors, they cannot shoulder great responsibilities. Renowned generals have their own style and ideas, understand military strategy, can stand on their own, and can take on the role of a commander in critical moments. Brave generals, on the other hand, are generally capable in battle and have some cleverness, but lack their own style and cannot truly stand on their own. They can efficiently complete tasks assigned to them, sometimes even surpassing renowned generals, but when it comes to strategic thinking, they fall short.

Luo Shixin was such a brave general, brave in battle and clever, but lacking in strategic wisdom. Therefore, Luo Shixin rarely sought him out, and he wouldn't rashly consult Luo Shixin about military affairs.

But that day, Luo Shixin's words shocked Li Shimin.

"Your Highness, Prince of Qin, I have a plan to defeat Liu Heita," Luo Shixin said formally.

Although Li Shimin didn't think Luo Shixin's idea could surpass the strategy he and Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui had devised, he was curious and asked Luo Shixin to share his thoughts.

Luo Shixin spoke earnestly, "Liu Heita has already fallen into your Highness's trap. He is now in a desperate situation. His only way out is to fight to the death. Therefore, I predict that he will soon send troops across the river to engage our army in a decisive battle. Our army has the numerical advantage. To break the deadlock, they will have to emulate Han Xin's strategy of fighting with their backs to the water. We can build a dam upstream on the Ming River. If the battle goes poorly, we can use a water attack. If it goes well, we can use the water to cut off their retreat, capturing Liu Heita completely."

Li Shimin was somewhat restless after hearing this, feeling doubtful. Perhaps because of his youthful talent, Li Shimin was a proud and somewhat narcissistic person. The strategy he and Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui had just discussed was now being suggested by Luo Shixin, giving him a sense of déjà vu.

But something felt off. If a renowned general like Li Shiji or Hou Junji had proposed this, it would have been a case of great minds thinking alike. However, Luo Shixin was clearly a step below them, and it felt degrading to think that he had the same idea.

Could it be that he had misjudged Luo Shixin all along?

Had he been using a potentially renowned general as just a brave one?

Just as he was about to reassess Luo Shixin, Luo Shixin spoke again, "However, this plan has a fatal flaw."

Li Shimin, now taking Luo Shixin seriously due to the similarity in ideas, asked, "What is the flaw?"

Luo Shixin replied, "If we breach the dam and release the water, the flood will cause the Ming River to rise significantly, making it difficult to cross. This will affect both sides. If Liu Heita sees the situation is unfavorable, he might secretly cross the river before we breach the dam, making it impossible for us to pursue him."

Luo Shixin's words made Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui take notice. Even the most brilliant minds can have blind spots. They had thought of cutting off the Han Dong army's retreat by breaching the Ming River, but they had overlooked what to do if Liu Heita fled before the breach.

"Therefore, I propose that I lead my elite troops to cross the river and intercept the Han Dong army's fleeing soldiers when Liu Heita attempts to cross."

Li Shimin didn't want to assign this task to Luo Shixin. Intercepting fleeing soldiers could be done by anyone. Luo Shixin, a brave general, should be used on the front lines. He refused and tried to console Luo Shixin, "General Luo Shixin is a tiger general, invincible in battle. In the final battle with Liu Heita, your efforts will be crucial. Intercepting fleeing soldiers would be a waste of your talent."

Luo Shixin, not easily swayed, said shamelessly, "Not so, not so. The key to intercepting is not the number of troops but their strength. Only with sufficient strength can we ensure that Liu Heita doesn't escape. Therefore, I believe I am the most suitable person for this task."

Since this was a private discussion and not a military meeting or an assignment, Li Shimin couldn't assert his authority as the commander and force Luo Shixin to accept the task.

In the end, it was Du Ruhui who helped Luo Shixin, suggesting, "Liu Heita is crucial, and General Luo's proposal is not without merit."

Li Shimin no longer insisted. The Tang army had so many talented individuals that the absence of one brave general like Luo Shixin wouldn't make much difference. Think of Qin Qiong, Wei Chi Jingde, Cheng Yaojin, Hou Junji, Duan Zhixuan, Liu Hongji, Chai Shao, Changsun Shunde, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Gongjin—any of them could be considered formidable generals.

These days, Li Shimin had been puzzled by Luo Shixin's transformation, especially his insistence on intercepting the Han Dong army's remnants. Liu Heita, a well-known and brave man, was unlikely to flee. This was why Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui had overlooked the possibility of Liu Heita fleeing and hadn't assigned anyone to intercept him.

Choosing not to take the glory of a frontal charge and instead waiting in the rear for a slim chance of success was truly incomprehensible.

Even more incomprehensible was that Liu Heita did indeed flee, abandoning his reputation and allowing Luo Shixin to claim the glory.

The battle at the Ming River, the plan to defeat the enemy, and the capture of Liu Heita... Li Shimin felt it would be embarrassing not to list Luo Shixin as the top contributor in this campaign.

The more he thought about Luo Shixin's insistence that night, the more he felt that Luo Shixin's determination was aimed at Liu Heita.

"Do you think that guy saw this coming?" Li Shimin couldn't help but ask, and only Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, who were nearby, could hear him.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged awkward glances.

"Perhaps it was just a coincidence!" Fang Xuanling, like Li Shimin, felt that Luo Shixin had targeted Liu Heita. But Liu Heita's unusual behavior had no warning signs. How could Luo Shixin have been so sure?

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't fathom that Luo Shixin had a foresight that even Zhuge Liang couldn't match in certain aspects.