Chapter 038: The Double Interlocking Rings of East and West

Li Dong said, “You’ve all been wondering why, during the siege, I didn’t observe the battle at the front lines but sat inside the tent playing chess. If you truly believe I was playing chess, then you are gravely mistaken.”

“The victory at the east gate of Zhangqiu was orchestrated with a formation identical to the one the general arranged on the chessboard,” Du Fuwei explained to the perplexed crowd. “The general employed a ‘millstone’ formation. He first rehearsed the maneuvers on the chessboard and even beat Zhang Junke twice.”

“Between the formations at the east and west gates of Zhangqiu, our garrison’s triumph at the east gate was witnessed by all. It stands to reason that before long, Magistrate Zhang’s good news will surely arrive.” Du Fuwei then elaborated on the details of the ‘millstone’ strategy.

Fu Gongta, overjoyed, wore an expression of awe and addressed the others: “Ah, my mind really is quite useless! Just a few days ago in the city, the general and I witnessed a donkey turning a mill. He even asked if I had gained any insight from watching it, but I paid it no mind. Who would have thought he’d employ it so swiftly on the battlefield? I am truly ashamed; the general’s strategies are far beyond mine!”

No sooner had Fu Gongta finished speaking than a scout from the west gate reported that Zhang Xutuo had scored an impressive victory on the battlefield. The crowd rejoiced once more.

Li Dong chuckled and ordered, “Light the fires, prepare food, and ensure the troops are well fed. Then, quietly withdraw from the camp and hide in the forests and hills on both flanks. Tonight, we will face a fierce and decisive battle.”

He then instructed the scout, “Please request Magistrate Zhang to prepare in advance. When flames rise high at the west gate tonight, he must attack the city there simultaneously to relieve pressure on the east gate.”

The scout departed on his mission. The others asked, “We’ve just secured a victory—why would Zhi Shilang, with a defeated army, dare to attempt a surprise attack on our camp?”

Li Dong replied, “This is the ebb and flow of battle—the shifting of strengths. Zhi Shilang has just fallen into our trap. He now wrongly assumes that the east gate is the main force of this siege. Because of his miscalculation, he will suffer defeat and hand Zhangqiu over to us. He cannot blame us for being ruthless.”

With this explanation, the crowd immediately understood.

Zhang Xutuo’s triumph at the west gate, coupled with the simultaneous assaults by the main force at the east gate, would lead anyone to believe that the east gate was the true focus, and that the west gate’s attack was a mere feint. To avoid fighting on two fronts, it would be logical for Zhi Shilang to send troops to launch a surprise attack on the garrison at the east gate—precisely as planned.

“Know yourself and know your enemy” is not an empty motto—it must be applied deftly in real battle. Li Dong was more than merely perceptive—he was almost prophetic in his anticipation of the enemy.

That night, all was still and the world lay in darkness. The east gate of Zhangqiu, which had just seen fierce fighting during the day, was now deathly silent.

Suddenly, a muffled commotion arose from the east gate. The city gates quietly opened, the drawbridge was silently lowered, and a troop slipped out unseen.

This contingent bore no flags, their bows and blades concealed, their horses’ hooves wrapped in rags to muffle their advance. They hurriedly exited the city and headed straight for the garrison camp five li away.

Li Dong’s camp, too, was shrouded in darkness, with only the central command tent still illuminated—a beacon in the night. The enemy dashed forward, brandishing blades, straight for the command tent.

Only upon reaching it did they discover the tent was empty. They rushed to neighboring tents, but found them deserted as well. Realizing they had walked into an ambush, the leader hastily ordered a retreat back to the city.

At that very moment, two garrison units burst from the camp’s flanks, encircling the would-be infiltrators. The enemy leader raised his banner, about to order his men to break through at any cost, but the garrison archers showed no mercy, loosing a hail of arrows that swiftly decimated the attackers.

The leader, shielded by his men, carved a bloody path through the chaos, trampling over the bodies of his own soldiers to escape the camp in disarray. Only a few dozen managed to flee, most wounded and barely able to move.

They had barely reached the vicinity of the east gate when yet another garrison force, about five hundred strong and led by Zhang Junke, surged out of the darkness like wolves upon prey, annihilating the stragglers in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, distant shouts and the glow of flames rose from the west gate, casting the area in a bright, unnatural light.

Li Dong ordered the drums beaten furiously and stood in place, shouting and calling for an assault, feigning an imminent attack on the east gate. The defenders clustered atop the wall, hearing nothing but battle cries without seeing any assault, left utterly confused.

Li Dong instructed Du Fuwei, Zhang Junke, Fu Gongta, and others to take turns shouting and beating the drums, keeping the racket going until nearly dawn. The entire city was thrown into panic, with no one getting any rest until the troops finally withdrew.

The city’s defenders were harried all night, exhausted to the point of collapse. Some, overcome by fatigue, even dropped their weapons from the ramparts. Meanwhile, Li Dong’s troops, alternating between rest and harassment, remained fresh and alert.

By this time, the conscripted soldiers under Zhi Shilang’s command inside the city were utterly demoralized, with no will left to fight—only desperate to cling to life and maintain their hold on Zhangqiu, if only for a little longer. From roll call at dawn until dusk, not a single sortie was made to engage the enemy at either gate.

Zhang Xutuo and Li Dong did not remain idle. Knowing that allowing the defenders even half a day to rest could tip the scales, they continually feigned assaults with siege ladders, affording the city no respite.

As dusk fell, Li Dong noticed that the number of defenders on the east gate dwindled until none remained. Just as he wondered whether Zhi Shilang had retreated, a scout from the west gate arrived with news that Zhang Xutuo had breached the west gate and was advancing into the city, requesting Li Dong to coordinate an assault.

Delighted, Li Dong thought, “Zhi Shilang is even more cowardly than the county bailiff. He couldn’t hold the city for a single day before fleeing.” He promptly ordered three thousand troops to storm the city, encountering little resistance as they broke through the east gate and opened it for the rest.

Inside, the city was all but deserted—the conscripted soldiers had vanished, and even ordinary citizens had hidden themselves away. Li Dong, puzzled, galloped to the county office, hoping to find some clue as to whether Zhi Shilang had truly been defeated or was feigning defeat to lure them in.

At the county office, he found everything in perfect order, with not a sign of chaos, yet Zhangqiu was evidently an empty city. If they had retreated, why was there no sign of panic? And why had they taken some of the townsfolk with them?

As he puzzled over this, Zhang Xutuo arrived with his forces at the county office. Twenty thousand troops converged, filling the area with noise and excitement.

Upon seeing Li Dong, Zhang Xutuo immediately gave a thumbs-up and said, “Ambition is not determined by age; without it, a hundred years are wasted!” His meaning was clear: though Li Dong was young, he was a rare talent who, given time, would achieve greatness. Even with a lifetime of campaigns behind him, Zhang Xutuo could only admit defeat to such promise.

Li Dong, unmoved by such praise, bowed and asked, “There is something I do not understand, Magistrate. Since Zhi Shilang has retreated, why is there no sign of disorder?”

Zhang Xutuo replied, “The answer is simple. From the start, he intended to abandon Zhangqiu, so he arranged everything in advance, leaving not a trace of confusion. However, he cannot have gone far. I shall pursue with my forces and ensure he finds no peace or escape—capture is inevitable!”

Li Dong exclaimed, “Absolutely not! Zhangqiu is not yet secure. Pursuing now would be extremely perilous—you must proceed with caution and not lose composure.”

But Zhang Xutuo, seasoned by countless battles, would not heed Li Dong’s warning. He immediately led his troops out the north gate in hot pursuit.

Li Dong stamped his foot and sighed, “With this pursuit, Magistrate Zhang is doomed to defeat. I must lead troops to support him, or Zhangqiu may yet fall back into enemy hands.”

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