Chapter Ninety-Seven: War Clouds Gather

In truth, it was not only Zhang Chengwei who found it hard to believe. Many of the Liu family also doubted Zhang Desen’s idea. The Liao Kingdom had sent an army of one hundred thousand on this southern campaign. To think that victory could be won with a mere ninety-three men, or ninety-six if the three commanders were included, seemed beyond imagination. Yet since Zhang Desen was adamant, they could only urge him to withdraw quickly if matters grew difficult.

What was interesting, however, was that during this same period of training the special forces, Zhang Desen also selected a number of men from the household guards of the Zhang and Liu residences for flight training. As a result, in the newly purchased land of the Liu family’s trading house on the south bank of the Qiantang River, there were now eight fighter pilots capable of combat, as well as four Red Baron–style fighters and four old biplanes of the Camel type, all brought down from the Tycho Crater Base.

Although the records left behind by the super-ancient humans stated that, because the Tycho Crater Base was on the Moon, the aircraft it preserved were mostly space-age fighters and transports, they had still set aside a number of actual aircraft from different eras to serve as trainers, out of concern that human societies re-evolving in different regions and at different rates might develop unevenly in the future. In this way, the matter became much more convenient for Zhang Desen. And although these fighters were not suited to effective night operations, they could still drop a few flares, so they too were put on standby.

It is also worth mentioning that Zhang Desen and the others had already brought down some early aircraft production equipment from the Tycho Crater Base left by the super-ancient humans, and had begun attempting to manufacture early aircraft.

What no one had expected, though, was that although the Liao Kingdom’s invading force numbered only one hundred thousand, its vassal states contributed another two hundred thousand soldiers. In other words, the total strength marching south was in fact around three hundred thousand men, and this once again startled everyone.

Even so, Zhang Desen still decided to proceed according to the original plan. Thus, Zhang Desen and the others immediately began preparing for the night raid.

Meanwhile, Feng Yucai, leading the army to the front, had not advanced far before he ran into Wangu, the Liao Kingdom vanguard commander, and his five-thousand-man advance force.

Feng Yucai was stunned. He had never expected the enemy to have already crossed Wukang and reached so close. He immediately ordered his troops into battle, for this was the first engagement, one that bore directly on the morale of the entire army, and it had to be won.

Yet Wangu was formidable indeed. With only the forces under his command, he managed to clash fiercely with Feng Yucai’s sixty-thousand-strong army for two full shichen, or four hours, before being driven back.

Although after the bitter fight Wangu had only about eight hundred men left to flee the battlefield, Feng Yucai, despite his overwhelming advantage, had also suffered losses of nearly four thousand.

This could not help but make Feng Yucai uneasy. He had deployed sixty thousand men and gained little advantage at all, something that had never happened in his military career. And this was to say nothing of the three hundred thousand soldiers in the enemy host. The pressure on him was unlike anything he had ever known.

With no time for hesitation, he had no choice but to press forward with his troops, charging madly toward Wukang in a desperate attempt to seize it as quickly as possible and block the enemy’s advance.

After retreating to the Wukang region, Wangu went at once to the main tent of the commander-in-chief, where he recounted the entire affair to General-in-Chief Wanlu Wudi and asked to be punished. To his surprise, Wanlu Wudi was not angry at all. Instead, he personally helped him to his feet and said, “My brother, you have rendered a great service. Why would you be guilty?”

Wangu was momentarily stunned. “Marshal, are you trying to comfort me?”

Wanlu Wudi laughed and said, “Let me tell you the truth: you do not know how terrifying your opponent is. That General Feng you mentioned is none other than the Southern Court’s Tiger Might General, Feng Yucai.”

Wangu was startled beyond belief. “What? He is Tiger Might General Feng Yucai? The one I fought today was Feng Yucai?”

Wanlu Wudi burst into laughter. “Exactly. You never expected that, did you? For you to fight him to a standstill for two full shichen with inferior numbers and keep him from gaining the slightest advantage, I must say this Tiger Might General is not all that impressive after all, hahaha!”

Wangu still could not quite believe it, but he said again, “But I still lost.”

Wanlu Wudi waved it off. “Then you lost. I will spread word of your deed throughout the army. From now on, that Southern Court Tiger Might General will no longer seem so fearsome, hahaha!”

Then Wanlu Wudi said to Wangu, “Tonight, after Feng Yucai has made camp, you will lead one hundred thousand men and fight him through the night. You must hold out until dawn.”

Wangu said, “Rest assured, Marshal. This subordinate will surely bring him down.”

Wanlu Wudi laughed again. “You are still underestimating him. Though you have blunted his edge today, defeating him will not be so easy. I only want you to wear him down for one night, to exhaust him and his men. By morning, when I launch my attack, victory will be almost certain. Do you understand?”

Wangu said, “I can…”

Seeing this, Wanlu Wudi said, “Very well. Since you are so determined, I will not discourage you. Go and attack tonight. Though the sky is overcast and it may pour with rain, whether it rains or not, you must engage him. If you win, you shall be credited with the foremost merit. If you can fight through the night, win or lose, your contribution will still be considerable. But if you cannot last the night, you will be punished according to the law. Understand?”

Wangu replied, “Understood.”

Wanlu Wudi said, “Go then. This time, we must avenge Commander Xiaoliba and wash away our disgrace!”

Wangu answered, “Your subordinate obeys!”

Meanwhile, Feng Yucai, who had hurried to the vicinity of Wukang, was astonished to discover that the Liao Kingdom’s army had already occupied the area. Having no other choice, he could only make camp on the spot, relying on the terrain for defense, and prepare to hold out until reinforcements arrived from all quarters, before seeking an opportunity to strike.

In fact, earlier, when Zhang Desen had gone to the Southern Dian Kingdom to destroy the mountain base of the terror men’s Olmedy Empire, he had ordered Lord Liu to hasten the manufacture of old-fashioned Brown Bess muskets. And after Zhang Desen and the others set out, Lord Liu had also supplied a batch of Brown Bess muskets to the Daxing Kingdom’s army, replacing some of the matchlock guns then in use.

But at this very moment, rain began to fall, and the Brown Bess muskets in Feng Yucai’s army were soaked and became unusable. So for now, they had no choice but to fit bayonets to the muskets and prepare to fight alongside the other branches of the army in close combat with the Liao Kingdom host.

Before long, night had fallen. On the surface everything seemed calm, yet in truth everyone was terrified. By day, the whole Western Capital had fallen into chaos. Great numbers of common people had already fled, while those unwilling to abandon their homes were busy stockpiling grain everywhere, dreading a siege and a drawn-out war.

And earlier that day, before the trading convoy from the Southern Dian Kingdom was due to arrive in the Western Capital, Zhang Desen, Zhao Chengming, Li Longfang, and the others had taken Zhang Desen’s Lifeboat One spacecraft to rendezvous with the merchant fleet and return together to the city, making it seem as though Zhang Desen and the others had only just come back to the Western Capital.

Unexpectedly, though everyone was already in a state of panic, Zhang Desen’s return still prompted many people inside the Western Capital to come forward and greet him personally. This surprised Zhang Desen, who had not imagined that his influence had already grown so great.

Returning now to the present, before departure, in the special forces training base on Wushan, Zhang Desen and the rest had all changed into the night-combat camouflage uniforms brought down from the Tycho Crater Base.

Although rain was falling from the sky at this moment, so that what should have been a training exercise…

Of course, Zhang Desen had not yet brought down the manufacturing machines for the camouflage uniforms left by the super-ancient humans at the Tycho Crater Base, because the pilots had not yet completed all their training.

But the already produced camouflage uniforms from every era left behind by the super-ancient humans were more than enough to equip a massive army for a very long time, let alone the fact that Zhang Desen and the others numbered only ninety-six at present.

At this moment, Zhang Desen stood before the entire Flying Dragon Special Operations Team. Looking at the special forces gear in everyone’s hands, he felt as though he had returned once more to the universe of his past.

Naturally, aside from Zhang Desen himself, everyone else held guns that he had brought down from that super-ancient human base, weapons resembling the Type 56 submachine gun. Because of their resemblance, Zhang Desen simply called them Type 56s as well. As for Zhang Desen himself, he held the Type 95 assault rifle he had brought from the universe of origin.

Then Zhang Desen began his pre-departure speech.

“Comrades, today is your first actual battle. It is also a test of the results of your training during this period. Although the enemy is numerically superior, once we destroy their leaders and burn their provisions, they will be nothing more than an empty shell. We already have intelligence that the enemy’s commanders are in Wukang, and that their grain stores are kept on a mountain near Wukang. This is precisely the enemy’s mistake. They probably think our General Feng is doomed to fail, which is why they placed their provisions so close to the front line. But there is no need to worry. This is our chance. Tonight we will destroy the enemy’s leadership and smash their supply lines. Let us achieve victory in our first battle and move out!”

Victory! Victory! Victory!

The entire special forces detachment answered Zhang Desen’s speech in one voice.

Then they set out at once, racing toward the front.

By then it had just reached the first watch, between seven and nine in the evening. General Feng Yucai’s army had only just finished making camp. He looked tensely at the situation, fully aware that the coming battle would not be easy. One mistake, and his army could face annihilation. And if that happened, not only his own lifetime reputation would be ruined; even the capital behind him might not be able to be held.

At this time, Wangu, obeying Wanlu Wudi’s orders, led one hundred thousand troops to the vicinity of Feng Yucai’s camp. Looking at the three Feng Yucai encampments arrayed in mutual support, he let out a faint, cold smile and thought to himself, What Tiger Might General? He is nothing but a turtle that has frightened itself into retreating inside its shell. I will smash your shell to pieces right now.

Then he issued orders to his deputy, Wudu, at his side: “Immediately take twenty thousand men and attack Feng Yucai’s central camp. Make a greater show of force. When his other two camps send reinforcements, I will destroy them myself. When the time comes, I will credit you with the foremost merit!”

“Thank you, General!”

Thereupon Wudu led his troops away, and Wangu immediately began arranging the next phase of the deployment.