The twenty elite scouts sent out returned one after another.
Jiang Xingyan gathered the five hundred elite cavalry and also invited Xiao Zhenhuai to listen to their findings.
“Reporting, General! The two of us discovered many hidden sentry posts in the mountains. They operate in pairs, not large in number, but their locations are random and hard to identify.”
Jiang Xingyan clarified for them: “Were there dense bushes or large boulders near them?”
The two men nodded dumbly, even wondering if the General had secretly followed them.
“Those hidden spots are meant to lure us into an ambush; they are all rigged with traps and mechanisms. If someone triggers a trap, the hidden sentries will arrive promptly to finish off anyone unfortunate enough to survive.”
Everyone gasped in shock.
Xiao Zhenhuai instantly understood the source of her despondent mood when she returned at dawn.
“General, the two of us found a cave full of decaying corpses, at least several dozen. Judging by their clothes, they were likely laborers forced into mining.”
The two men clenched their fists, their eyes filled with bone-deep hatred and fury.
If not for the strict chain of command, they would have charged out and slaughtered the enemy right then and there!
Everyone felt the same. One day, they swore they would have their vengeance and make the enemy pay.
Beiluo was a barbaric land that never treated the people of Xizhou as human beings. They often committed atrocities like burning, killing, and plundering along the border. Having occupied the mine for half a year, they must have relentlessly exploited the miners, using them like beasts of burden, working them to death, then going down the mountain to capture or seize more.
Jiang Xingyan suppressed her surging emotions and said solemnly, “You were right not to act impulsively. The dead are gone. What we must do is eradicate this threat for good, not add more meaningless sacrifices. For every soldier we preserve, the hope of survival increases—for those still alive on the mountain, and for the thousands upon thousands of common people suffering under Beiluo’s tyranny at the border. Do you understand?!”
Jiang Xingyan’s imposing presence and her resolute, firm tone moved many soldiers, their eyes reddening and hearts swelling with emotion.
Their General was becoming more and more humane.
Their former General would never have explained so much to them; orders were simply to be obeyed. Anyone who dared act without authorization would face death at the General’s own hands, even if they survived the enemy.
Xin Zhui stole a glance at Jiang Xingyan, feeling increasingly that the General’s wife was truly a remarkable woman!
Wait… the title ‘General’s Wife’ felt too awkward and distant. Couldn’t there be something more intimate?
Xiao Zhenhuai watched ‘Huo Ci’s’ back intently.
If someone like this was unreliable, then probably no one in the world could be trusted.
“General, the two of us discovered that besides the two main roads leading up the front of Kan Mountain, there is also a hidden path. It’s heavily guarded, with sentries every five and ten steps. We didn’t dare get too close, only took a glance from afar.”
“Good. Later, when we unroll the map drawn by the Second Prince, you will mark the location of that path on it.”
“Reporting, General! The rear mountains of the two mines seem to form a valley. We found a water source and followed it upstream for an hour, finding its origin is a massive waterfall.”
Jiang Xingyan’s heart stirred; this information seemed very important.
“Later, the two of you will lead me to investigate. Deputy General Xin, take another team, skilled in swimming and Qinggong, and follow the river downstream to scout the situation at the rear mountain.”
“Aye!”
The morale of the five hundred elite cavalry was high, eagerly awaiting Jiang Xingyan’s assignments.
“Tomorrow, the people on Kan Mountain will come down to procure supplies. We must seize this opportunity to eliminate the Beiluo scoundrels and recapture the mine!”
“Eliminate the scoundrels!”
“Recapture the mine!”
Xiao Zhenhuai felt even his own chronically ill body grow warm with fervor.
He usually lived in seclusion, seldom interacting with court officials. Not only had he never seen Huo Ci’s wife’s appearance, he hadn’t even heard her name.
To face danger without fear, to turn the tide against the odds, to support the frame of the Great General Who Pacifies the North with a woman’s heroic spirit—what must such a remarkable woman look like?
His curiosity grew heavier.
“Second Prince?”
Jiang Xingyan called Xiao Zhenhuai several times without response.
It wasn’t until Sumo, standing beside him, leaned down and whispered something into his master’s ear that he finally reacted.
“My apologies, General Huo. I was lost in thought about other matters and neglected you.”
“It’s no trouble. I merely wished to ask the Second Prince to draw another map of Qingzhou City. If we disperse and infiltrate the city, it would serve as a useful reference.”
Xiao Zhenhuai waved his hand, and Sumo presented a scroll.
“I privately thought the General might need it, so I finished drawing it after rising this morning. As long as the General doesn’t find my brushwork too crude, please feel free to use it.”
Jiang Xingyan accepted it respectfully. “The Second Prince is very considerate. Huo thanks you.”
She had six soldiers hold the three maps open, making it easy for everyone to see.
“Tomorrow, only Kan Mountain will be active. There are two main routes and one hidden path for ascent and descent. We will now divide into teams of twenty. Adapt to the timing and location, choose the most reasonable method, and keep a close watch on the main routes. For the hidden path, if conditions permit, use assassination tactics to wipe them out completely.”
“Aye!”
“We cannot relax our watch on Hou Mountain either. Ambush fifty troops at the connecting point between the two mountains. If reinforcements are sent to aid Kan Mountain, intercept them midway and strive for total annihilation!”
“Aye!”
“The remaining men, those who have rarely shown their faces in past campaigns, can disguise themselves as farmers, merchants, porters, etc., to infiltrate Qingzhou City. Gather intelligence on the recent situation in the city and procure supplies while you’re at it.”
“Aye!”
“The remaining soldiers, stay here on standby. Stay alert, protect the perimeter, and ensure the Second Prince’s safety. Await further assignments after I return from investigating the water source at the rear mountain.”
“Aye!”
All matters were arranged thoroughly, methodically, with comprehensive planning and no apparent oversights.
Even Xin Zhui couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: The General’s wife is learning astonishingly fast! Is this really the speed achievable by someone who previously had no contact with military strategy?
What he didn’t know was that, as a competent merchant, not crying over spilt milk is a required lesson. In business, there are profits and losses. If you only focus on the losses, you’ll never make money. Jiang Xingyan understood this deeply.
Since the ambush failed, there would always be other methods. And employing multiple approaches simultaneously was also a low-cost method for testing the waters in the early stages of business.
Isn’t this exactly what the Art of War says: ‘The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won’?
Setting aside her initial pride and excitement, Jiang Xingyan calmed her mind and found the common ground between business principles and military strategy, using it to break the deadlock.
Whoosh! Roar!
The tremendous sound of water interrupted Jiang Xingyan’s thoughts. She looked up and saw a vast waterfall cascading down from the cliff.
“General, we’ve reached the water source!”
Jiang Xingyan looked downstream along the rushing water. At a bend where the current was swift, the previously exposed rocks were suddenly completely submerged.
In that instant, a lightning bolt of inspiration flashed through her mind.
For the first time, she truly understood the saying, ‘Furrow the brow, and a plan comes to mind.’