Chapter 10: Someone Wants Us Dead

"Young master, we have enemy movement!"

With just one sentence, Wang Xiu dispelled the drowsiness that had only just begun to settle over Wei Wuji. Damn it, will it never end? Don’t these people from Chen ever sleep? Wei Wuji cursed the Chen soldiers quietly in his heart.

He quickly rose to his feet. "What’s going on? Where are the enemy forces?"

Wang Xiu’s expression was grim. "Young master, the scouts just reported that enemy activity has been detected fifteen li away. It appears the Chen army—ten thousand cavalry—has all crossed the river."

What? Crossed the river? The bridge was destroyed, how the hell did they get across? Wei Wuji swore inwardly.

"What do we do now, young master?" Wang Xiu asked anxiously. The decision was urgent—any delay might worsen the situation.

By Wang Xiu’s estimation, if they withdrew immediately under cover of darkness, they had a fair chance of escaping intact. Cavalry wouldn’t be able to move much faster than infantry at night.

Wei Wuji didn’t answer at once. Instead, he ordered his personal guards to extinguish the campfire, then began to ponder.

The Chen army’s intentions were clear: they meant to wipe out this detachment of Wei troops, silencing witnesses. If they tried to run, it would be nearly impossible to escape—foot soldiers can’t outrun cavalry.

Retreat meant death.

And the enemy wouldn’t choose to attack at night, when their advantage would be lost. Ten thousand cavalry was a formidable force, but their fighting strength would be greatly diminished in the darkness. If he could make use of the mountainous terrain and forests, their advantage would be even further reduced.

If he harassed them and then set an ambush, it wasn’t impossible to defeat their pursuit party—after all, their main force wouldn’t be chasing personally.

Wei Wuji made up his mind. To hell with it—if a modern man like himself doesn’t show his mettle, would they really take him for a sickly cat?

“How long until sunrise?” Wei Wuji asked Wang Xiu.

“About four hours,” Wang Xiu replied.

Four hours—eight in the modern reckoning. More than enough time, Wei Wuji thought to himself.

Fine, let’s do this! He punched the tree beside him, steeling his resolve. Besides, if he didn’t win some merit soon, the courtiers would play him to death.

“Marshal Wang, have the wounded withdraw to the central camp at once. The rest, follow me—we’ll play a little game with the Chen soldiers,” Wei Wuji said, eyes gleaming with a sly grin.

Wang Xiu hesitated, thinking he must have misheard. Was the young master truly planning to provoke the Chen army? Wasn’t that suicide?

Seeing Wang Xiu’s hesitation, Wei Wuji snorted coldly. “What’s wrong, Marshal Wang? Are you afraid? If so, you may withdraw with the wounded.”

“Never, young master! I will see to the arrangements at once.” Wang Xiu, seeing Wei Wuji’s displeasure, quickly declared his loyalty. He feared that if he left now, he’d be accused of desertion—and with the young master’s temperament, that was not a joke.

Watching Wang Xiu leave to carry out his orders, Wei Wuji rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Chen army, eager for the coming battle.

He wondered if he could pull off a resounding victory in his very first command. The timing and terrain were in his favor, and with the element of surprise, Wei Wuji had every confidence in success. Even if he couldn’t destroy the ten thousand Chen troops, he’d at least take a hefty bite out of them.

About half an hour later, fewer than two thousand Wei soldiers, excluding the wounded, assembled before him in loose formation, led by their respective officers.

“Comrades! The Chen soldiers are at our heels again,” Wei Wuji began, causing a stir among the ranks.

“What, the Chen army again?” That was the thought on most soldiers’ minds. The bridge is destroyed—how are we still not safe?

“Silence! Quiet!” Only with Zheng Dali and the personal guards quelling the unrest did order return.

“When I received this news, Marshal Wang suggested we run,” Wei Wuji said, glancing at Wang Xiu.

Wang Xiu was baffled. He had thought as much, but hadn’t said it aloud—how did the young master know? And did he have to say it in front of everyone, leaving him no dignity?

Wei Wuji pressed on. “But I ask you: can our two legs outrun the Chen cavalry’s four?”

“If we can’t outrun them, then what’s the point? The Chen army is clearly out to exterminate us. Otherwise, why would they send ten thousand cavalry here instead of holding their position at Changping Pass?”

Like a cunning fox, Wei Wuji led his men step by step into a sense of crisis. To make them fight desperately, one must first drive them into a corner.

See? It’s not me who wants you to fight—it’s the Chen army that wants us dead. We can’t just stand here and wait to be slaughtered.

The soldiers’ emotions stirred again, thoughts churning.

What? The Chen army is here to wipe us out?

It’s over. We may never see our families again.

The Chen army bullies us too much. I’ll show them the men of Wei are no cowards!

If I must die, I’ll take some of them with me.

Except for a handful who guessed the Chen cavalry’s true aim, the majority were now convinced they were marked for destruction. They burned with hatred, eager to fight the Chen to the death.

Wei Wuji continued to fan the flames.

“The Chen army dares not face the main force of Great Wei, yet they hound us relentlessly. They must think we’re weak, easy prey for them to crush as they please.” He licked his dry lips. Brothers, let your fury burn! He yearned for their fighting spirit.

“So tonight, we, the sons of Wei, will show them we are not to be trifled with!” His tone grew more impassioned, and the soldiers clenched their fists in mounting resolve.

“We may be few, but we are the fiercest warriors of a mighty nation. Even if the Chen want us dead, we’ll make them pay dearly!” He drew his sword, pointing it skyward, the tension reaching its peak.

At once, soldiers raised their fists and shouted:

“Young master, just tell us what to do! We’re not afraid to die!”

“That’s right! We’ll follow your lead!”

Wei Wuji nodded with satisfaction. This was what he needed—today’s meal of meat had not been wasted.

He gestured for quiet, and with Zheng Dali and others barking orders, silence fell once more.

Wei Wuji took a deep breath and continued, “Since we can’t escape…”

“Tonight—tonight, we strike first and catch the Chen off guard!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than a new commotion arose.

Most of the army, the common soldiers, supported Wei Wuji’s decision, though some had been stirred up by his rhetoric.

Thus, the plan to launch a surprise attack on the Chen army was agreed upon.

The rest was simple. Following his plan, Wei Wuji split his two thousand men into separate units, each led by their officer, concealed in the hills and forests, lying in wait for the opportune moment.

The key to this battle was to lure the Chen army into Wei Wuji’s "ambush ring." For this, he needed to organize a cavalry unit: only with their mobility and knowledge of the terrain could they pull it off.

Fortunately, after the victory at the Linghe Bridge, they had seized many horses and bows. Together with their original scouts, Wei Wuji now had a cavalry unit of over two hundred thirty, all well equipped with bows and arrows.

An hour later, all the Wei units were in position, except for the main cavalry force, which was yet to set out.

“Dali, I’m entrusting these men to you,” Wei Wuji said solemnly, handing the reins of his horse to Zheng Dali.

“I will not fail you, young master!” Zheng Dali knelt on one knee as he accepted the reins.

“We will not fail you!” echoed the handpicked cavalry behind him.

Wei Wuji surveyed them one by one, nodding with satisfaction. Their success would depend on Zheng Dali and his men.

“Remember your mission: you’re not to engage the Chen forces head-on. Lead them here; once that’s done, your task is complete, and the highest merit will be yours.” He reminded them again.

“Understood?” he asked once more.

“Understood!” they replied in unison.

“Go!” At his command, Zheng Dali and his men saluted, then mounted up and rode into the night toward the battlefield.

Watching the men he’d sent into the darkness, Wei Wuji felt a pang of discomfort. War meant death; last time, he’d been forced to fight back, with no other choice.

But this time, he was attacking first—risking these men’s lives for the sake of his own advancement. His conscience stung, but he had no regrets. What was done was done; all that mattered now was to fight well.

“Has my order been passed down?” On his way back, Wei Wuji asked Wang Xiu.

“It has, young master. By your command: the first head taken wins ten mu of land; for three heads, a promotion in rank,” Wang Xiu replied.

Wang Xiu understood granting land for enemy heads, but promotions for killing? That was unprecedented. If everyone could win titles this way, things would get out of control. The young master was taking a big risk this time.

Wei Wuji ignored Wang Xiu’s worries. He had driven his men to the brink, and now, with generous rewards, brave men would surely arise. The army’s fighting spirit would only grow stronger.

With Wang Xiu and a dozen personal guards, Wei Wuji withdrew to the safety of the rear, standing on a hillside, waiting for the great battle to begin.