Chapter 89: Breaking Into the Camp Again

Once Huang Guangxing had held the rank of left deputy commander, a man second only to one and above ten thousand. Now, with a single stroke, he had been reduced to an ordinary commoner, a mere foot soldier. How could he possibly swallow that? He was just about to beg for mercy from Liu Qi when he heard Liu Qi say, “This is all thanks to the military adviser pleading for you. Hurry and thank him!”

Huang Guangxing seethed inwardly. In his eyes, if not for this Wei Nan, how could he have fallen to such a state? In the past, Liu Qi had always consulted him about everything. How could it be like now, when every matter was discussed with Wei Nan instead?

Thinking of this, Huang Guangxing fixed Wei Nan with a venomous glare and said, “If I have come to this, I truly must thank the military adviser for his nurturing grace!”

Seeing the expression on Huang Guangxing’s face, Wei Nan knew the man hated him to the bone. At that moment, he could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile and said, “General Huang overstates me.”

Huang Guangxing gave a cold snort in his heart, and was then carried out. With his present status, he no longer had the qualifications to remain there.

The hatred in Huang Guangxing’s heart was overwhelming.

After Huang Guangxing left, Wei Nan shook his head with a wry smile and said, “Great General, now General Huang is bound to hate me to death.”

Liu Qi smiled and said, “Military adviser, do not stoop to his level. In truth, his nature is not bad; it is only that his temperament has changed somewhat over these years. Let him be tempered below for a while. Fleeing from battle is a capital offense. This already counts as mercy beyond the law.”

Wei Nan nodded. He had already reckoned that after so many years at Liu Qi’s side, Liu Qi would surely be unwilling to kill Huang Guangxing, which was why he had spoken up to stop it. It also gave Liu Qi a way to step down gracefully. Liu Qi’s desire to execute Huang Guangxing was only an act for Wei Nan’s sake; it was also one of Liu Qi’s ways of winning men’s hearts.

Wei Nan stepped forward and said to Liu Qi, “General, from what I observe of the heavens tonight, if nothing unexpected occurs, there will be heavy rain.”

Liu Qi had just won a battle and was in good spirits. Hearing Wei Nan say this, he knew the man was not merely bringing up the weather, and so he asked, “Does the military adviser have some brilliant stratagem?”

Wei Nan pondered briefly, then said, “General, how about organizing another raid on the enemy camp tonight?”

“Another camp raid?” Liu Qi had not expected Wei Nan to propose this plan again. He smiled and said, “Military adviser, the Jin army has already suffered once from this trick. I fear if we use it again, it will be hard for it to work. Besides, the commander this time is the famed Jin general Wanyan Chang. He will surely be on guard against our raiding the camp by night.”

After a pause, Liu Qi continued, “And just now, military adviser, you said it will rain heavily tonight. Are we really to have everyone charge out in the rain?”

Wei Nan nodded and said, “This camp raid can only be carried out on a rainy night.”

At first, Liu Qi had thought Wei Nan had merely tasted the sweetness of success and wanted to send men out again at night for another covert assault, so that the Jin army would be deprived of rest. He had not taken it seriously. But now that he saw Wei Nan speak so solemnly, his expression sharpened, and he said, “Military adviser, explain it carefully—how exactly is this camp raid to be carried out?”

Wei Nan nodded and said, “General, this time our raid is not meant merely to harass the Jin army and keep them from resting. We are going to kill them for real.”

“A night assault on the Jin army?” Liu Qi was truly somewhat bewildered. “Military adviser, are you serious? Our troops have no experience fighting by night. If we truly rush over and clash with the Jin soldiers, once we lose the advantage of these city walls, the outcome will be difficult to say.”

Wei Nan waved a hand and said to Liu Qi, “General, you have misunderstood me. This raid need not involve many men—just the same number as last time will do. Send out one thousand skilled men, and tonight they will charge into the Jin camp in the rain.”

“Only one thousand men?” Liu Qi frowned. “Military adviser, are you certain? They have as many as eighty thousand troops. Even if every Jin soldier spat once, they could drown those thousand men.”

Wei Nan nodded and said, “The general speaks rightly, but we are going to raid the camp, not to be drowned in spit, so there is no need to worry about that. The reason I propose this plan is chiefly because of tonight’s heavy rain. Once it falls, the Jin camp will surely be unable to keep torches lit. In the darkness and confusion, our troops can take the opportunity to annihilate them.”

“But if it is all dark and dim, wouldn’t our own men be unable to see anything as well?” Liu Qi asked in confusion.

“Summer rain is usually accompanied by thunder and lightning. The soldiers sent to raid the camp can wear night-black clothing. When lightning flashes, they should lie flat upon the ground. When the lightning fades, they rise and strike to kill!” Wei Nan said to Liu Qi.

Hearing this, Liu Qi did not speak at once. He stroked his chin, constantly calculating in his mind the feasibility of Wei Nan’s stratagem.

“At that time, I fear there will inevitably be some mistaken injuries,” Liu Qi said, frowning.

“That is simple enough. Have each man hold a bamboo whistle in his mouth. When the lightning fades, the whistles sound. Then everyone can use the whistle calls to determine the positions of their own men, and they will not accidentally wound their comrades when they strike,” Wei Nan said to Liu Qi.

Liu Qi frowned. This plan sounded truly full of temptation.

“This scheme can be done!” Liu Qi said, swinging his fist with force. “Military adviser, this is a brilliant plan. I will immediately summon the generals to discuss it. If there are no loopholes, tonight we shall send another thousand elite cavalry to raid the camp.”

And so, in Liu Qi’s camp, all the generals listened attentively as Wei Nan explained the strategy. “Summer rain comes quickly and goes quickly. Altogether it should not last longer than an hour. So once the rain stops, we must instruct everyone to seize the time and withdraw at once. Otherwise, when the Jin army has a free hand, not a single one of those thousand elites will be able to escape.”

After hearing Wei Nan’s plan, the generals all fell into thoughtful silence. According to Wei Nan’s explanation, the plan ought to pose no problem.

Seeing that no one objected, Liu Qi slapped his thigh and said, “Good. Since none of you has any objection, we shall act according to the military adviser’s words and send out one thousand cavalry to raid the camp tonight.”

“Great General, instruct the raiding force that when lightning flashes, they should note the positions of the men wearing braids. When the lightning vanishes, they should cut down the braided ones directly. That way, they will surely not kill the wrong people,” Wei Nan added.