Chapter 9: To Retreat or Not to Retreat

At night, the mountain wind blew gently, but Wei Wuji found himself unusually agitated by it. Ever since arriving here, he could not help but suspect that the goddess of fate was toying with him.

When he had first crossed over, he was an orphan, and he missed his old world dearly—his phone, his computer, the WiFi. Yet, he was still excited about the new life that awaited him; after all, such an opportunity was exceedingly rare. However, reality had slapped him in the face time and again: fleeing, fighting, danger, death, and now hunger. In the brief span of a single day, he’d tasted all the bitterness and hardship life had to offer.

Now, having barely escaped with his life, he realized that he was still shrouded by a layer of darkness. Anyone would feel uneasy under such circumstances.

"Forget it, let’s just get through tonight," Wei Wuji muttered to himself. At least, for now, the greatest threat was still the Chen army behind him.

He was far from truly safe; though the wooden bridge across the river had been destroyed, for an army of ten thousand men, constructing a temporary crossing was hardly a challenge. Thus, the Chen forces across the river remained his foremost enemy.

"Wang Xiu, this isn’t the main battlefield. Why would ten thousand Chen soldiers appear here?" Wei Wuji asked, puzzled.

As the commanding officer, he knew he had to think like one, always pondering the enemy’s intentions to be prepared for battle. Otherwise, he’d find himself bitten from behind all too often.

"Young master, by rights, the Chen army should have concentrated its main force at Changping Pass. After all, this place isn’t the primary front," Wang Xiu replied, equally baffled.

Useless! Can’t you give me something valuable? Wei Wuji thought silently.

But he understood that Wang Xiu, as a Sima, was skilled at commanding a thousand men under his charge, but lacked the experience for broader strategic thinking.

Seeing Wei Wuji’s anxious expression, Wang Xiu adopted a ‘try anything’ mentality and forced himself to analyze the situation.

"Young master, the place where our army stands is separated from the main Wei force by Jianyan Mountain. For the Chen army to come here is quite a detour," Wang Xiu explained, pulling out a map from his robe. In the flickering firelight, the map appeared worn and mottled.

Pointing at the map, Wang Xiu spoke with a general’s air, "So, the Chen army’s objective is..."

Wei Wuji watched Wang Xiu slip into the role, analyzing the situation with skill. He waited eagerly for the conclusion.

After a moment’s contemplation, Wang Xiu traced along the side of Jianyan Mountain on the map. "The Chen army must intend to bypass Jianyan Mountain, swing behind our forces, and launch a surprise attack on our rear."

...

The leaves rustled in the night breeze as Wei Wuji and Wang Xiu stared at each other.

That’s it? That’s your conclusion? Even the reliable Wang Xiu couldn’t offer a satisfying answer, and Wei Wuji felt a sudden urge to cling to a tree and cry over the injustice of the heavens.

"Um... Wang Sima, is that all?" Wei Wuji asked uncertainly.

"Young master, that’s all. The Chen forces are definitely planning a rear assault," Wang Xiu confirmed.

Wei Wuji gritted his teeth and forced himself to shake off his irritation. Looking at the map and considering the battlefield situation Wang Xiu described, he had no choice but to accept the conclusion.

Now, the question arose: should Wei Wuji continue fleeing, or remain where he was?

Having barely escaped, his three thousand men had done their utmost, and it seemed reasonable to withdraw. But he could not forget the strict military laws of Wei; if he returned without orders, he might face dire consequences.

Of course, Wei Wuji also hoped to achieve something noteworthy, to gain fame and deter those who wished him harm. Though he lacked the aura of a protagonist, he still wished for a miracle.

Besides, if he returned without cause, he risked being accused of desertion and punished. In Wei’s history, there had been princes executed for dereliction of duty.

If Wei Wuji fled and the Wei army suffered a great defeat because of it, he feared he’d be forced to take his own life in penance.

Wei Wuji made up his mind, though still hesitant, and turned to Wang Xiu. "Wang Xiu, do you think we should retreat tomorrow, or not?"

"Whatever you decide, young master, I will obey," Wang Xiu replied calmly. He too wished to leave this troubled place quickly, but clearly shared Wei Wuji’s concern; desertion was no trivial matter, so he kicked the decision back to his superior.

"I knew you’d say that," Wei Wuji thought to himself. He hadn’t expected an answer from Wang Xiu anyway; in the end, the decision was his alone.

...

More than thirty li from Wei Wuji, on the banks of the Ling River, the area was ablaze with torchlight. Thousands of people bustled along both sides of the river, shouts echoing everywhere.

The Chen army’s main commander, Zhang Yunliang, sat on horseback surrounded by his personal guards, watching the busy scene before him.

Chen was a weak state, and as the commander of its only ten thousand cavalry, Zhang Yunliang bore an extremely important strategic mission.

After reviewing the intelligence, Zhang Yunliang had expected an easy task. But to his surprise, the three thousand infantry he’d dismissed as insignificant had caused him endless trouble.

When he led his troops to Dashiyi, he was ready to besiege the city—only to find it empty, wasting precious time.

He sent men to search repeatedly, hoping to wipe out the enemy, but the Wei soldiers, though poor at fighting, were remarkably adept at escaping; it took him all afternoon to locate them.

Things only worsened: his vanguard, eager for glory, had rushed ahead, failing to defeat the enemy and instead being wiped out themselves.

Worst of all, the critical bridge for the operation had been destroyed, leaving them to build a floating bridge in the dark.

Several Chen soldiers had already lost their lives, swept away by the river while constructing the floating bridge.

Zhang Yunliang’s original battle plan was to reach the designated location, rest for the night, and, when the main battle began on the front lines the next day, strike from behind to catch the Wei army unprepared.

But now, with so much time lost, urgency pressed upon him. He could only hope to cross the river quickly and reach the planned position; any unnecessary rest would have to be skipped.

"General, the floating bridge will be ready soon. We’re traveling light, so in about an hour, the whole army should be across," said one of his officers.

Zhang Yunliang stared into the distance. "Order the entire army to cross immediately."

"Yes, sir!" The officer spurred his horse and departed.

"Let’s hope nothing else goes wrong," Zhang Yunliang murmured.

If he failed to reach the rear of the Wei camp before dawn, disrupting the overall strategy, he knew he would face harsh consequences—perhaps even risk his life.

Soon, amidst cheers from the Chen soldiers, the floating bridge was completed and the army began crossing the river.

Zhang Yunliang finally breathed a sigh of relief, urging his troops on; time was of the essence.

...

Despite his careful deliberation, Wei Wuji could not reach a conclusion.

Just then, the soldiers returned with their catch. After skinning and preparing the meat, they cooked it with wild vegetables gathered earlier.

Before long, the aroma of meat wafted from the pot, making the Wei soldiers swallow hungrily. On the run, a few sips of meat broth was a rare luxury.

Soon, the soup was ready. Everyone crowded around, lifting bamboo bowls and devouring the meal with gusto.

Wei Wuji felt his stomach rumble with hunger.

As he was about to fetch himself a bowl, a sharp-eyed bodyguard handed him one from behind. The soup inside was clearly different from what the others were eating.

It seemed he could not escape the clutches of feudal society, Wei Wuji mused.

He took up his bowl and ate heartily.

After a while, the soldiers finished eating and lay beneath the trees to rest.

Wei Wuji set down his bowl, but could not settle himself. His mind kept wrestling with whether to retreat or not.

Just as he was preparing to sleep and leave the decision for tomorrow, Wang Xiu leaned in and whispered something in his ear that instantly banished all thoughts of rest.