novelSusiti Chapter 112 Alliance
Chapter 112 Alliance
Que Xuan turned around and strode towards his own tent.
"Pass down the order: get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow at the alliance meeting, everyone must be alert and not lose face in front of those country bumpkins from the north."
"promise!"
Meanwhile, in Hexi, at the Taiping Army camp.
Li Sheng sat in the central command tent, with a detailed scout report that Li Feng had just sent on the table in front of him.
Li Feng sat to one side, his expression solemn.
"General, the scouts have already found out the details of Que Xuan's side."
He pointed to a simple map that was spread out, on which several locations were marked with charcoal.
"Que Xuan claims to have tens of thousands of soldiers, but in reality, there are only two or three thousand actual combat soldiers. The rest are civilians who have been coerced and are completely incapable of fighting. But the problem is that those civilians have great faith in Que Xuan and regard him as a god. If a war really breaks out, although these people cannot charge into battle, their sheer number will cause us trouble."
Li Sheng nodded without saying anything.
"In addition, their equipment is very poor."
Li Feng continued.
"The scouts observed that most of Que Xuan's soldiers were unarmored, and their weapons consisted mainly of sharpened wooden sticks, bamboo spears, and farm tools; iron weapons were rare. Compared to us, they were far inferior, even to ordinary government troops."
"Anything else?"
Li Feng turned a page of the silk scroll, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Regarding provisions, Que Xuan has plundered a considerable amount of grain in the three counties of Qulu, Suiling, and Linhuai, which should be sufficient for the short term. However, according to the people who escaped, Que Xuan's control over his followers is extremely strict. Most of the grain in each household has been confiscated, leaving only enough to barely feed them. The powerful families in the county town fared even worse; anyone who resisted the 'grain donation' had their property confiscated."
Li Sheng's eyelid twitched.
"Confiscating property?"
"Yes. Que Xuan claimed to be 'acting on behalf of Heaven,' but in reality, he was just trying to seize grain. He confiscated the property of at least a dozen wealthy families, and they were all killed."
Li Feng lowered his voice a few decibels as he said this.
"General, Que Xuan is a ruthless and unscrupulous man. He's capable of anything at tomorrow's alliance meeting."
There was a moment of silence in the tent.
Li Sheng stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth for a couple of steps.
"I understand about the troop strength and supplies. Is Que Xuan making any further moves?"
"have."
Li Feng also stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the location on the west bank of the river.
"Que Xuan erected a high platform in the center of the camp, surrounded by yellow cloth. It was more than three zhang high, and a banner that read 'The Yellow Heaven Shall Stand' was hung on it. The scouts said that the platform was very well protected and could not be easily accessed. It must have been specially prepared for tomorrow's alliance meeting."
Upon hearing this, Li Sheng's brows twitched slightly.
High platform...
A thought flashed through his mind, but he didn't think about it further and simply nodded.
"understood."
"General."
Li Feng hesitated for a moment, but still spoke.
"Tomorrow is the alliance meeting, and we don't know what tricks Que Xuan might have up his sleeve. I think General, you must wear armor tomorrow, just in case."
He looked into Li Sheng's eyes, his tone sincere.
"General, the safety of the entire army rests on your shoulders; you must not take unnecessary risks. If Que Xuan launches an attack tomorrow, having your armor on will provide an extra layer of protection."
Li Sheng glanced at him and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Don't worry, I'll be wearing armor tomorrow."
Li Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, it's getting late, go and get some rest. We have a meeting early tomorrow morning."
Li Sheng waved his hand.
"General, you should also rest early."
Li Feng clasped his hands in farewell and took his leave, then lifted the tent flap and went out.
Only Li Sheng remained in the tent.
He sat back down at his desk, his gaze fixed on the detailed scout report, and remained silent for a long time.
He pieced together the information that Li Feng had gathered, gradually forming a vague outline.
Que Xuan probably intends to use supernatural tales to undermine the morale of the Taiping army and gain the upper hand in the alliance meeting. That high platform is likely the tool he will use to perform his supernatural charade tomorrow.
Li Sheng rubbed his temples and let out a long breath.
Pretending to be a ghost or spirit...
He has never been interested in this matter.
He believed in tangible power: the land, the food, and the weapons in his hands.
The problem is, his disbelief doesn't mean his soldiers don't believe it.
People in this era were superstitious about these things. Not to mention ordinary people, prophecies and divination were even an ideology that the government strongly promoted.
If Que Xuan really pulls off some kind of "miracle" at the alliance meeting, his soldiers might very well be affected.
However, after thinking it over and over, he still couldn't come up with a solution.
We'll just have to wait and see how things go at tomorrow's meeting.
The next morning, as dawn broke.
Li Sheng got up early and put on his armor with the help of his personal guards.
The iron armor plates were fastened one by one, making a soft metallic clanging sound. He stretched his shoulders; the heavy armor on his body did not hinder his movements at all, as if he were wearing a breeze.
Li Feng stood aside, carefully inspecting each interface, and only stepped back half a step after confirming that everything was correct.
"General, the accompanying troops have been mustered. There are a hundred veteran soldiers who followed you from Xiapi. They are all reliable."
Li Sheng nodded, picked up the sword from the table and hung it at his waist, then took the helmet handed to him by his personal guard and tucked it under his arm.
"Let's go."
He strode out of the tent, where a hundred elite soldiers were already lined up and waiting. They were all dressed in iron armor and carried long swords. Although their numbers were small, they exuded a chilling aura.
Li Sheng mounted his horse and glanced back at Li Feng.
"I'm leaving the camp in your hands. If I'm not back by noon, you know what to do."
Li Feng's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Rest assured, General. If he does not return by noon, I will lead the entire army to raze Que Xuan to the ground."
Li Sheng said no more and spurred his horse forward.
"Set off!"
A hundred elite soldiers followed closely behind, and the whole group moved in unison with thunderous momentum.
The meeting place was chosen on the banks of the Sishui River outside Suiling City, where the terrain on both sides was open and could accommodate both sides' troops.
When the Taiping army arrived, Que Xuan's men had already arrived.
The place was packed with people, numbering at least several thousand.
Most of these people wore armor, but it was mostly leather armor rather than iron armor.
In the center of the crowd, a three-zhang-high platform stood prominently, wrapped in yellow cloth, and was particularly dazzling in the morning light.
Li Sheng reined in his horse and squinted at the scene.
Below the high platform, eight burly men stood on either side, each holding a long horn in their hands, the bronze mouthpieces gleaming in the sunlight.
"Quite a spectacle."
Li Sheng dismounted and led a hundred soldiers forward on foot.
The two sides stood several dozen steps apart.
On the Taiping Army's side, a hundred men stood in formation, the atmosphere solemn, while on Que Xuan's side, thousands of men whispered amongst themselves, the buzzing sound never ceasing.
Just then, there was a commotion on the platform.
A figure dressed in a magnificent Taoist robe walked out from behind the stage. The robe was wide and the sleeves were long. He wore a golden crown and a jade belt. He exuded an ethereal aura.
It was Que Xuan.
He was followed by four attendants, each carrying an incense burner, talisman water, a copper bell, and other items, who filed onto the stage one after another.
Que Xuan stood on the platform, spread his arms, and looked up at the sky.