Chapter 115: Slaying the General and Seizing the Pass (Part II)

The group rode from the rear of the army to the front of the city. Qin Bo had just returned from the city walls, clearly having failed to reach an agreement with those above. Upon seeing Zhang Chi, he said, "Young Master, the garrison commander refuses to let us pass. In my view, this must be under the instructions of the Inspector of Liang Province."

Zhang Chi nodded. This was obvious; since this territory fell under the jurisdiction of Liang Province, a minor commander would never dare block a large army’s advance without orders. That much was clear, but what troubled Zhang Chi was why the Inspector of Liang Province would repeatedly and covertly obstruct them.

"Can we bypass this city and take another route?" Zhang Chi asked.

"That would be feasible on the plains, but we are in the mountains now, surrounded by high peaks. A detour would only cause further delay." Qin Bo, well-versed in the geography of Shu, spoke with certainty.

Pingwu was in a state of emergency, and time was of the essence. There was no time to return to Chengdu to confront the Inspector.

"If we attack the city by force, can we take it?"

Du Ximing replied, "The garrison is small, but if we assault it, I fear their archers will cause us significant casualties."

"The burning of the relay station must have been the work of the Inspector’s men, too! Now he sets up a blockade here. I cannot fathom his intentions," Qin Bo said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"But what benefit does this bring him?" Santong wondered.

"A man like the Inspector of Liang Province would never act without a profit motive," Ding Yizhi said with a smile.

"That’s right." At Ding Yizhi’s prompt, Zhang Chi had a sudden realization: "Ever since the Hu barbarians occupied the six commanderies, the Inspector has been advocating for surrender. Could he be secretly colluding with the barbarians?"

"It is highly probable," Qin Bo agreed.

"If that is the case..." Zhang Chi mused, but stopped short. The matter was of grave importance, and he lacked definitive proof.

Ding Yizhi took up the thread, "If so, the Inspector is undoubtedly an agent for the barbarians. His secret obstruction is not meant to harass you, Young Master; his goal is to delay our army’s progress."

Hearing this, Santong cried out, "Oh no! They must be planning to attack Pingwu!"

Santong’s reasoning was sound; in his view, the Inspector had set up this blockade specifically to prevent the army from reaching Pingwu.

"If that were the case, it would be fortunate, for it would mean the enemy commander is merely a mediocrity," Ding Yizhi said with a smile.

"Why would that be considered mediocre?" Santong asked, puzzled, as he already found such an enemy quite cunning.

"The highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy’s strategy; the next is to attack their alliances; the lowest is to attack their cities." Ding Yizhi appeared to be explaining to Santong, but he was truly guiding Zhang Chi. "Attacking a city is the worst option. Pingwu is a vital town; if it cannot be taken within three to five days, the situation will become unpredictable once the elder brother’s reinforcements arrive. Thus, strategy is superior to siege."

Santong, eager to learn, quickly asked, "And if the barbarians were to attack via strategy, what would they do?"

"If I were the enemy commander, I would feign an attack on Pingwu, using only a small force to create a diversion. Though Pingwu has a garrison, it is an isolated city and would not dare sortie, relying instead on its walls. I would then have my men cut off their water supply and wait for chaos to ensue."

Ding Yizhi spoke of military strategy before even encountering the enemy, the battle unfolding in his mind as if he were the legendary Zhuge Liang. "In reality, I would hide my main force along the path of the reinforcements, attacking the unprepared with a prepared force to achieve total victory. With the reinforcements gone, the isolated city of Pingwu would be as good as mine. In this light, the Inspector’s obstruction is merely to delay our advance, giving the barbarians enough time to position their encirclement."

Everyone was stunned by Ding Yizhi’s analysis. It was clear that if the enemy employed such a strategy, they would undoubtedly fall into the trap. They felt fortunate that Ding Yizhi was not the enemy’s commander.

Zhang Chi suddenly recalled a tactic frequently used by the Red Army and blurted out, "Besiege the city to strike at the reinforcements!"

"The Young Master is truly brilliant. You have captured the essence in just four words; I am filled with admiration," Ding Yizhi said. He had always used a Socratic method to lead Zhang Chi to his own insights, always ensuring he saved face.

Zhang Chi sighed inwardly. This cousin of his was not only intelligent but also tactful. Yang Xiu was brilliant, but his brilliance led to his downfall. A truly wise person was like Ding Yizhi—never causing offense.

"But Brother Zhang’s mobilization only happened these past few days. The Inspector has been in Chengdu, far from the barbarians. How could he inform them, and even if they used this strategy, how would they have time to set up this blockade?" Santong asked.

"Human messengers wouldn't suffice, but carrier pigeons would," Ding Yizhi reasoned. "If things are as we suspect, the Inspector must be in constant contact with the barbarians via pigeon."

Du Ximing nodded. "I agree with Young Master Ding. Regardless, we must speed up our march. The key is to get past this city gate first."

Du Ximing was right, but how were they to pass? Everyone fell silent.

"Perhaps I should try to trick them into opening the gates," Zhang Chi said, having thought of a plan.

Daoxuan, seeing Zhang Chi’s intent to go alone, said, "Brother Zhang, I will go with you."

Zhang Chi smiled. He knew Daoxuan was concerned for his safety, but he refused. "If there are too many, they will grow suspicious. Besides, I have White Snow; she is incredibly fast. Even if they shoot, they won't hit me. Do not worry."

...

As Zhang Chi and his men had guessed, the commander was indeed under orders from the Inspector to delay the army. He stood on the walls with his archers, prepared to use them should the army attempt to force their way through.

Though the main army was out of range, the commander remained vigilant, watching the tens of thousands of troops from the city wall, observing their every move.

Suddenly, a lone rider emerged from the army, galloping toward the city. The rider was a young man in a green scholar’s robe on a white horse—it was Zhang Chi.

"Who goes there?" the commander shouted from above.

Zhang Chi smiled and answered loudly, "Please inform the commander that I have a letter from the Inspector of Liang Province to be delivered to him in person."

Zhang Chi claimed he had to deliver it in person to lure the commander out.

The commander was no fool. He sneered, "Do you think you can trick me into opening the gates? I am well aware of your juvenile schemes."

"I truly have a letter from the Inspector. I am but one man on one horse; even if you open the gate, what could I do? If the army surges forward, you can simply close it again," Zhang Chi replied calmly.

That was true. The main army was an arrow-shot away; if they made a move, the gates could be shut before they reached them.

The commander remained cautious. "Even if there is a letter, how did you come to have it? And why are you with this army?"

"The circumstances are too complex to explain. But I truly have a letter to present to you," Zhang Chi laughed. "I am but a scholar, unarmed and alone. You may bring a dozen guards with you. Surely a commander of your stature is not afraid of an unarmed scholar?"

That was true enough, the commander thought. Though he did not trust Zhang Chi, he saw little risk in a lone scholar. He descended the tower, ordered a dozen riders to follow, drew his blade, and opened the gate.

The riders stopped a dozen paces from Zhang Chi. The commander demanded, "Where is this letter? Let me see it."

Zhang Chi grinned. "Actually, I lied. There is no letter."

The commander was furious. "You dare mock me?" But before he could react, Zhang Chi had already spurred his horse forward.

Zhang Chi’s horse was fast. Before the commander could finish his shout, Zhang Chi was upon him. The commander swung his long blade, unable to comprehend why an unarmed scholar would seek death.

The blade descended, but White Snow swerved in a sharp, zigzag motion. The blow missed, and before the commander could recover, Zhang Chi was behind him.

Zhang Chi had no weapon, so he relied on the horse’s speed. As the commander turned his back, Zhang Chi reached out and grabbed his hair.

The ancient custom of wearing long hair made this easy. White Snow seemed to sense his intent; as soon as Zhang Chi grabbed the commander, she accelerated violently. The commander let out a startled cry as he was yanked from his saddle.

Zhang Chi had intended to drag him back to the army, but he lacked the strength to lift a full-grown man with one hand. Even so, the speed of the horse sent the commander flying through the air before he hit the ground with a thud, landing on his back.

The event unfolded in the blink of an eye. The dozen guards were stunned; by the time the commander hit the dirt, they finally reacted and rushed to his aid.

Zhang Chi could outrun them, but he could not fight them all. He knew he could not let them save the commander, or his efforts would be in vain. If he could not capture him, he would have to kill him.

White Snow was faster than the guards. Before the commander could scramble to his feet, White Snow was upon him. She brought her hooves down, landing squarely on his throat.

Swift as lightning, then still as a painting. The violent motion ceased instantly. The horse’s hoof remained on the commander’s throat, crushing it and ending his life on the spot.

Everyone, both on the walls and in the army, stood frozen, their breath caught in their throats.

Zhang Chi enjoyed the sensation, as if he were a star with all eyes upon him. "I am a Commander acting on the orders of the Prince of Chengdu to march north against the barbarians. Those who obstruct me are guilty of treason and deserve to die. The ringleader is dead; the rest of you, open the gates, and you shall be spared. If you persist in your folly, I shall have my army grind this small outpost into dust!"

Zhang Chi’s voice was not loud, but in the deathly silence of the surrounding crowd, every word was clearly heard by everyone on the walls.