The convoy halted beneath Yanmen Pass.
A rider emerged from the Xuanjia Army and galloped towards the pass city, shouting upon reaching its base.
"Who is the defending general of Yanmen Pass! Come out swiftly to welcome His Majesty!"
The guard on the city wall was startled. He had just been wondering where this contingent of officials had come from.
To think it was the Emperor himself!
However, with a professional demeanor, he shouted back to the Xuanjia Army below.
"What proof do you have!"
This was a crucial pass. Although the troops came from the south, who knew if they intended to infiltrate the city and let the Tujue in?
The Xuanjia Army soldier reached into his robes and tossed a token towards the city wall.
The guards’ reflexes were sharp; with a grab in mid-air, the token was caught.
The bronze token bore only the inscription 'Xuanjia Army'.
"Open the gates and welcome the Emperor!"
The defending general turned and issued the command to the soldiers behind him.
The soldiers’ hearts tightened, and they quickly descended the wall, with the general following closely.
Creeeeeak!
The heavy wooden gates were opened. The defending general, mounted on a warhorse, charged out. He reined in his horse before the Xuanjia Army, dismounted, and held the token high above his head.
"Your Majesty's arrival was unexpected; we apologize for the lack of a grand reception. Pray, forgive us!"
The Xuanjia Army soldier retrieved the token. "Follow me!"
With that, he led the defending general towards Li Shimin.
Gazing at the convoy before him, the defending general looked bewildered. Judging by the wheels, they appeared to be carriages, and they looked quite marvelous.
But this was not the time for curiosity. He quickly approached Li Shimin's carriage and bowed.
"Your humble servant, Commandant Qi Delong, greets His Majesty!"
Li Shimin withdrew his crossed legs and expertly flicked away some ash. "How many soldiers are stationed within the pass?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Yanmen has a garrison of eight thousand, all within the pass," Qi Delong replied with his head bowed, not daring to meet Li Shimin's gaze.
"Lead the way! Enter the pass. My army will rest here for a day!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Qi Delong rose and walked towards Yanmen Pass.
Li Shimin pressed the electric ignition switch, and the three-wheeled vehicle rumbled to life again.
The Xuanjia Army escorted them, following Qi Delong into the pass city.
Fang Er's pickup truck and Zhang Gongjin's armored vehicles followed behind.
The pass city was not large. With eight thousand guards already inside, the convoy of over ten thousand could not entirely fit.
Only the thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers accompanied them; the rest of the troops were stationed outside the city.
The interior of the pass was dilapidated. Besides the barracks where the soldiers lived, there was only one building that could be considered complete, bearing a plaque that read 'Council Hall'.
"Your Majesty, the conditions here are simple; we beg for your forgiveness," Qi Delong said cautiously before Li Shimin in the Council Hall.
"No matter! Tell me about the situation on the grasslands. I will find a clean stool to sit on," Li Shimin said, beginning to inquire about the military intelligence.
Qi Delong took out a piece of sheepskin from his robes, opened it, and placed it before Li Shimin.
It was clearly a map of the area around Yanmen Pass.
His finger traced from Yanmen Pass, through Shuozhou, Shahu Pass, and Eyangling, stopping at Dingxiang City. He then spoke.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the closest place where the Tujue are stationed outside the pass is Dingxiang City. This city maintains a standing force of about twenty thousand men. Further north is Black City. As for how many troops are there, this humble servant is incapable of gathering that intelligence."
Fang Er leaned in to examine the map. Indeed, although the Tujue roamed in search of water and pasture, there were only a few major water sources. The main routes of these rivers became the preferred gathering places for the Tujue. Dingxiang City, which Qi Delong mentioned earlier, was located in the middle section of the Jin River. Black City was also marked on the map, adjacent to the Jin River, and faced Dingxiang City across the water.
Li Shimin smiled at Fang Er. "Young man, how do you plan to fight?"
Fang Er looked at Li Jing and the others standing behind him, feeling speechless.
"Fight what? Either Li Jing or Li Ji could easily defeat Jieli."
"Your Majesty, with the Duke of Wei present, I will simply follow orders. How would I dare to show off my meager skills?"
"Hahahaha!" Li Shimin laughed heartily at Fang Er's words, looking at Li Jing and the others. "Listen to him, this kid has learned humility!"
"Rare, truly rare!"
Fang Er: "..."
"You say that as if I'm usually so arrogant."
"Alright, kid, just speak when you're asked. Are you still a man if you're so hesitant?" Li Jing teased Fang Er with a laugh.
Those words truly spurred Fang Er on. If he didn't know military strategy, couldn't he just copy it? He'd directly copy Li Jing's historical troop movements!
"Damn it, I don't believe it! With six thousand bolt-action rifles, two hundred mortars, and thirty mountain cannons, I can't take down this old fox Jieli!"
"If you push me, I'll just set this entire grassland on fire! Damn it!"
"Um, Your Majesty, esteemed Dukes, in my humble opinion, there's nothing to discuss. We should just attack!"
Li Shimin and Li Jing exchanged glances and nodded with smiles.
"Kid, explain your reasoning for doing so."
Fang Er took a puff of his cigarette and looked in the direction of the grasslands.
"If we take Dingxiang City, let's see if old Jieli dares to come. If he comes, we'll take him all at once. If he doesn't, we'll advance to the Qikou! No matter the wind from the east or west, we will strike directly at the heart!"
ps: First update.