Chapter 47

"Your Highness, this Luo Shixin is too arrogant." Watching Luo Shixin's retreating figure, Pei Qingyi couldn't help but mutter.

She didn't dislike Luo Shixin, but compared to Princess Pingyang, he was far inferior, and she firmly stood on Princess Pingyang's side.

Princess Pingyang sighed and said, "Fortunately, I can see it. General Luo is not intentionally targeting anyone; he is just being persistent. He firmly believes he can win, which is why he refuses to listen to me and tries every means to make me listen to him. The key is that I can't understand where his belief in certain victory comes from. Can 2,500 men really stand against 10,000 Tujue cavalry on open ground?"

"About that?" Pei Qingyi couldn't quite explain. She had learned martial arts from Li Jing's wife, Hongfu, not Li Jing, and her studies were in martial arts, not military strategy. After some thought, she said, "Perhaps he has a winning move? I once heard my master's husband say that the way of the world is that all methods have their roots, and even military strategy and martial arts have their similarities. I don't quite understand all the complicated talk, but I have a move that my master, Qiu Ranke, taught me, a move that can kill the enemy but also injure me. With this move, I once killed a highly skilled opponent who was far superior to me, accomplishing the impossible."

Princess Pingyang was silent for a moment, then decisively said, "Li Zhongwen, Xiang Shanzhi, each of you lead 150 soldiers to ambush on both sides of the Jingxing Ancient Road with all our banners. If General Luo retreats here, immediately raise the banners and shout, making as much noise as possible."

Li Zhongwen and Xiang Shanzhi exchanged glances, then loudly accepted the order. They were both old subordinates that Princess Pingyang had requested from Li Shimin, so even if they had doubts, they had no second thoughts about her orders.

Princess Pingyang continued, "The rest of you, lower the banners and follow me!"

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The Tujue iron cavalry galloped across the land of Hedong like a flood. Suddenly, Si Liye, a Tujue leader, received a report from a scout that a Tang army of two to three thousand was heading their way, causing him to rein in his horse.

"Where do these soldiers come from, daring to appear before my Tujue army!" Si Liye had penetrated over 200 miles into the heart of Bingzhou, and every city he encountered had hunkered down like turtles, not daring to fight. His eastern advance had been unimpeded, but now, just as he was about to reach his destination, he unexpectedly encountered the Tang army, his words filled with contempt.

"Ha! The might of the Tujue army is overwhelming. This Tang army is like an egg hitting a stone, courting destruction." The extremely fawning and flattering words came from a bearded man, sounding out of place.

A flash of disdain crossed Si Liye's eyes. True heroes could earn the respect of their enemies, while small men were despised even by their own people.

The speaker was none other than Liu Shitan, Liu Heita's younger brother.

Liu Shitan looked very much like Liu Heita, tall and imposing with thick eyebrows and large eyes, but he was far inferior to his brother. He had no great abilities, was excellent at fleeing, and was a poor fighter. When he abandoned the city and fled, he ran faster than a frightened rabbit, all the way to the Tujue, where he received protection from Jiali.

Jiali saw Liu Shitan as a piece of mud that couldn't be propped up and gave up the idea of sending troops to help him rise again. He just kept him around. This time, when the Tujue army set out, he brought Liu Shitan along as a guide.

This time, the Tujue army's invasion was so massive that the Tang local forces were powerless to resist 150,000 cavalry. They ordered all civilians in the war zone to take their valuables and hide in the cities for safety, and each city and region to defend itself strictly, awaiting Tang reinforcements.

The Tujue could only plunder the rural areas and small towns, looting some worthless items, which were clearly not enough to be divided among 150,000 people.

Liu Shitan, as the Tujue's dog, proved his worth at this time. He knew a small path that could bypass the Jingxing Pass and reach the heart of Hebei, Ji Prefecture. Ji Prefecture, located in the heart of the North China Plain, was one of the most prosperous areas in the north, unaffected by war and unprepared, making it a treasure trove for plunder.

Jiali was overjoyed and appointed Si Liye to penetrate deep into Tang territory, bypass the Jingxing Pass, and plunder Hebei.

Because of this, Si Liye's path coincided with Princess Pingyang and Luo Shixin, who were supporting Hebei, leading to their unexpected encounter.

Si Liye's full name was Ashina Si Liye, a member of the Tujue royal family. He was brave, wise, and loyal to Jiali, earning his trust and being entrusted with this important mission.

Despite his contempt for the Tang and the warriors of this land, Si Liye was still very rational and ordered scouts to gather detailed information, personally leading the army to approach slowly.

Times had changed, and the Tujue were no exception.

Han military strategy had long been transmitted to the grasslands. Although they might not fully understand its subtleties, even a superficial understanding was enough to last them a lifetime and elevate them beyond mere brutes.

Si Liye did not arrogantly crush the 2,500 enemies but remained calm, gathering information and planning his strategy in his mind. He believed his troops could defeat the enemy in one wave, but that would be too costly. He was considering how to annihilate the enemy with the least casualties.

As they slowly approached, Si Liye could already see a dark, dense formation on the horizon, a square formation with a small number of men but tightly packed.

"Lord Si, the Tang army opposite is flying the banner of 'Right Brave Guard General Luo.' They have stopped advancing and are preparing for battle. Additionally, their weapons are strange, not quite spears or swords, and look quite intimidating, but we don't know what they are," the last scout reported in detail.

Si Liye looked at Liu Shitan.

Liu Shitan immediately said, "The commander of the opposite side is Luo Shixin, a very arrogant and fierce man, a rare brave general. The weapons are likely陌刀 (mò dāo), rarely used. They evolved from the Han dynasty's 斩马剑 (zhǎn mǎ jiàn), longer, thicker, and much heavier, with tremendous power."

Si Liye imagined the appearance of the mò dāo, looked at the square formation opposite, and laughed, "I understand. The Tang general wants to use the mò dāo to resist the impact of our Tujue cavalry, to break our cavalry's momentum and eliminate the advantage of being on horseback. It's a clever plan, but a bit naive."

"Exactly, exactly!" Liu Shitan flattered, "How can this mere mò dāo formation withstand the impact of Lord Si's army? One strike will make them scatter and flee."

"Hmph!" Si Liye sneered, then raised his whip, "Warriors, do you see those clumsy prey? Follow me and charge forward. Use your bows to shoot them down one by one!!"

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