Section 003: Outsmarting the Opposition

Lu Li'er and the county constable exchanged glances and nodded in agreement; three thousand soldiers could still be gathered at present. Yet both harbored doubts, uncertain what strategy Li Dong would employ, and whether he could truly withstand Zhi Shilang’s surprise attack tonight.

Lu Li dragged out his question, “If you are given these three thousand soldiers and are defeated, how will you answer for it?”

Li Dong replied proudly, “If I am defeated, I will bring my head to you! I will not break my word.”

Li Hun was so frightened he dropped to the ground, thinking, “Trouble, trouble! That boy’s old vice has acted up again. I must stop him.” He said, “Your honor, please forgive my son’s youth and ignorance, for he speaks recklessly without knowing the gravity of his words.”

Li Hun served under the county magistrate, who, along with the county constable, was outwardly cordial but inwardly hostile—both coveted the lucrative position managing the granary. Relying on his good relations with Lu Li'er, the magistrate had placed Li Hun in charge.

In this way, Li Hun blocked the constable’s path to riches, earning his lasting enmity. Now that Li Hun’s son had acted so rashly, the constable could scarcely wait for Li Dong to lose his life before the armies, thereby ending his bloodline.

The constable chuckled shamelessly, “With the enemy at our gates, now is the time to use every hand. Everyone should fight bravely, serving the Emperor above and saving the common people below. It is rare to see your eldest so courageous, willing to lead three thousand soldiers to drive out the rebels. As his father, you lack sense—why are you so hesitant?”

Lu Li'er’s expression grew stern. “War is not a child’s game! Someone, have Li Dong sign a military pledge!”

Seeing his scheme succeed, the constable was secretly delighted. Nonchalantly, he took up a written pledge and a brush, placing them before Li Dong, pretending to be considerate as he personally ground the ink.

Li Dong, observing his father’s shock and fury, surmised that the constable was no friend—likely convinced he would die, and thus eager to curry favor. Li Dong took the inkstone, but instead emptied all the miscellaneous items from his pocket onto the ground, telling the constable, “There’s no need for you to grind the ink. Please put these things back into my pocket.”

The constable was puzzled and glanced at Lu Li'er.

Needing talented people at this moment, Lu Li'er could only indulge him, nodding to signal the constable to comply.

The constable had no choice but to return the items to Li Dong’s pocket. When finished, he asked if Li Dong needed anything else.

Li Dong emptied his pocket again, dropping things to the ground once more. “Pack them up—keep packing!” he said.

His voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly. Li Dong was making a pointed remark, a double entendre with hidden meaning.

The constable’s eagerness to ingratiate himself while plotting against Li Hun’s confidant had already enraged the magistrate. Now, seeing the constable humiliated by Li Hun’s son, the magistrate laughed heartily.

The guards nearby understood the joke, but as the constable was their superior, they dared not laugh openly, covering their mouths to snicker.

Even Lu Li'er could hardly suppress his amusement; as his hand left his wound, his forehead throbbed with pain, and he quickly covered it again. Inwardly, he was astounded—Li Dong, though young, was so meticulous and quick-witted. If this acuity was applied to military strategy, he could surprise the enemy and attack where least expected. Perhaps the county of Zhangqiu could indeed be saved.

As everyone watched the constable’s embarrassment, Li Dong swiftly finished writing the military pledge, handing it to the mortified constable. “When will these three thousand soldiers be assembled? I have important matters to instruct.”

The constable was unwilling. Three thousand soldiers were no trifling matter—how could he hand them to a mere youth? If Li Dong failed to convince everyone, even with the pledge signed, he could still be removed.

With a grave face, he saluted Lu Li'er and asked, “May I ask what strategy the eldest intends to use to repel the enemy?”

Li Dong glanced at Lu Li'er, who did not intervene, confirming his own doubts. He thought, “If I don’t show my real skill, this matter will likely fall apart.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and strode forward, full of confidence. “The Art of War says: ‘Make real the false, and false the real.’ Zhi Shilang, newly raised in arms, lacks a firm foothold and is eager to seize territory as a long-term base.”

“Capturing Zhangqiu as his stronghold is his chief aim. He will dispatch heavy forces, sparing no cost, possibly attacking from all four gates at once.”

“Our task is to withstand their assault tonight, while sending troops to Qi Commandery for reinforcements.”

The constable hurriedly asked, “All four gates are tightly besieged. How can we break out?”

“That’s where strategy comes in!” Li Dong smiled. “If the enemy attacks all four gates simultaneously, our few troops cannot hold. We must lure their forces to where it suits us best. Zhi Shilang is from Zouping, northeast of Zhangqiu. We should heavily guard the east and north gates, but without letting him know.”

“Qi Commandery lies directly west of Zhangqiu, so we must break out through the west gate. We must create a false impression that all our forces are concentrated here. If he seeks a swift victory, he will avoid a head-on clash and attack a weaker point, giving us the chance to break through.”

“Brilliant, truly brilliant!” Lu Li'er clapped his hands and exclaimed.

The constable asked skeptically, “If he sees through the ruse and still attacks all four gates simultaneously, what then?”

Li Dong thought, “If you can’t even devise a feint, how can you anticipate Zhi Shilang’s tactics? How did you ever become a constable?”

He answered, “Zhi Shilang aims to seize the city, so he brings his full force against Zhangqiu. But he will never divide his hundred thousand troops equally among the four gates—that would only weaken himself. He will concentrate his forces and attack whichever gate seems weakest.”

“Although we lack troops, defending a city is not a battle between armies; we need only mobilize the townsfolk, send them to the walls to fight alongside us. If we survive the night, reinforcements will arrive, and Zhi Shilang, unwilling to risk a drawn-out fight, will surely retreat in haste.”

“Mobilize the whole populace?” the constable muttered, thinking, “Why did I never think of that? How foolish!”

Lu Li'er, impatient, urged the constable to rally the townspeople to the walls for defense.

Seeing Lu Li'er’s trust, the constable blushed, then called Li Dong and left the county office together.

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