Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 204: The enemy has arrived, but General Su Dingfang remains motionless

Li Jing led his army, sleeping in the open air, and rushed towards the border.

Seeing that they would reach the border in a few days, the entire army was on edge, preparing for the upcoming fierce battle.

That day, a scout from the front came running back with a serious report: "General, the Goryeo army of 300,000 has arrived at the border. Their camp stretches for miles and their momentum is overwhelming."

Li Jing's expression froze, but he showed no sign of panic. He reined in the reins, pondered for a moment, and then calmly gave the order, "The entire army will camp and rest here. Do not panic. Pass on my order, all generals, to come to the tents immediately to discuss the military situation."

Upon hearing the news, Cheng Yaojin rushed over and shouted, "Grandma, these Koreans are quite quick. General, let's charge at them now and catch them off guard."

Li Jing shook his head slightly. "General Cheng, don't worry. The enemy has already arrived and must be prepared. Our army has come a long way and is so exhausted that we shouldn't attack rashly. We need to first ascertain the enemy's strength before making any decisions."

Border military camp

The military advisor stroked his beard and spoke solemnly, "General Su, the enemy has reached the border, and Generals Li and Cheng have not yet returned. The situation is quite difficult. We must plan carefully and strengthen our camp defenses to prevent a surprise attack."

Su Dingfang nodded slightly, his eyes firm. "Military Advisor, you are absolutely right. I would like to lead a team of soldiers to strengthen patrols around the camp to prevent any accidents. At the same time, you can arrange for sharpshooters to set up ambushes on the high ground of the camp. If the enemy attacks, we can first rain arrows to weaken their spirit."

The military advisor pondered for a moment, then continued, "This is an excellent plan. Furthermore, we must send a message to General Li as soon as possible, informing him of the situation here so that he can make timely strategic arrangements. I will write a letter immediately, and please ask General Su to arrange for a reliable person to deliver it quickly."

Su Dingfang clasped his fists and replied, "I obey your command. I will select the most elite and loyal soldiers in the army to deliver the message and ensure that everything goes smoothly. However, with the enemy at hand, I wonder if the military advisor has any estimate of their strength and tactics?"

The military advisor gazed out into the distance outside the camp and spoke slowly, "According to intelligence, the Goryeo army is coming with great force this time, and their strength should not be underestimated. They typically employ formations such as the Fish Scale Formation and the Long Snake Formation, excelling at coordinated combat. We must exploit this and find a way to break their formation. Once General Li returns, we can defeat them in one fell swoop."

One day left to the border

The messenger came galloping over, saw the army, and immediately shouted: "General, we finally found the army!"

Upon hearing the sound, Li Jing immediately spurred his horse forward and shouted, "How's the battle going on up ahead? Tell us quickly!"

The soldier dismounted, knelt on one knee, and said hurriedly, "General, the Korean army has reached the border, and the military advisor and General Su are defending the camp."

"The enemy is numerous and their camp is meticulously laid out, but our soldiers are also on high alert. While there hasn't been a large-scale clash yet, the situation is dire. The military advisor has sent me here with a message, General, asking you to make a swift decision!"

Cheng Yaojin, standing nearby, widened his eyes and shouted angrily, "Stop talking! These Korean bastards are really hard to deal with. General, we need to speed up and not keep the military advisor and the others waiting too long."

Li Jing's face was stern as he nodded. "All troops, listen up! Speed ​​up your march and make sure you reach the border tomorrow. Pass the word down! Prepare for battle! Once we reach the border, we must show the Korean rebels the might of the Tang army!"

Su Dingfang was walking back and forth anxiously in front of the tent, looking into the distance from time to time with a frown on his face.

Seeing this, the military advisor gently waved his feather fan and said calmly, "General Su, don't worry so much. Relax. Our camp is well-defended and our soldiers are well-trained. Even though Goryeo arrived first, the Tang Dynasty is so powerful and prestigious that they won't dare to attack easily."

"Besides, General Li and General Cheng will be back soon. Once the army is assembled, it will be time for us to strike back."

Su Dingfang stopped and said with a wry smile, "Military Advisor, it's not that I'm cowardly, but I'm responsible for guarding the border. Now that the enemy is approaching, if we make any mistakes, how can we explain to His Majesty and face the people of the Tang Dynasty?"

The military advisor approached and patted him on the shoulder. "General, your loyalty is evident. However, the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing. We must all follow the plan and hold our ground until reinforcements arrive. I have calculated that the main force will arrive within the next day or two. By then, we will attack from both inside and outside and will surely defeat the enemy."

Su Dingfang nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief: "I hope everything goes smoothly as the military advisor said. I only hope that the general and the army will arrive soon, so that I can truly feel at ease."

At this time, the sentry came in and said, "Report~ It's not good, it's not good."

Su Dingfang and the military advisor were startled and shouted in unison: "Why are you so panicked?"

The soldier who reported the news was terrified, and his voice trembled as he said, "General, Military Advisor, the Korean army has launched a sudden attack. Their vanguard is pouring into our camp like a tide, and their force is extremely fierce. Our sentries have already engaged the enemy, and the situation is critical!"

Su Dingfang's thick eyebrows arched, and he grabbed the weapon beside him and shouted, "!!! How dare these Koreans launch a surprise attack! Military Advisor, I will go meet them first and repel them!"

The military advisor's face was solemn, but he remained calm. He quickly said, "General Su, wait a minute. Don't be impulsive. The enemy's sudden attack must have been planned in advance. We cannot blindly engage in battle."

"First, order the archers to form a battle array and fire arrows in front of the camp to block the enemy. Then, send the light cavalry to harass the flanks and blunt their attack. Once our army stabilizes its position, we can make our plans."

Although Su Dingfang was extremely anxious, he knew that the military advisor was a man of extraordinary strategy. He suppressed his anger and nodded, saying, "I will obey your orders!"

After saying this, he turned around and strode away, quickly organizing the soldiers to act according to the military advisor's plan. For a moment, shouts of killing gradually arose in the camp, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.

The military advisor waved his hand and said, "No, no, come back. No need to go. General, have you forgotten the new wall we built on the border some time ago?"

Su Dingfang had already drawn his weapon, ready to charge out to meet the enemy, but upon hearing this, he paused, slapped his head, and suddenly realized, "Look how anxious I was, I almost forgot about this! Military Advisor is right, the wall we built on the border a while ago is incredibly strong, it's not something to be trifled with."

"Those Korean thieves want to break through easily, but it will take a lot of effort."

The military advisor smiled slightly, waving his feather fan, and said leisurely, "That's exactly what's going on, General Su. The city walls are tall, thick, and well-fortified. Our soldiers are standing in formation atop them, commanding our superior position. If the enemy wants to break in, they'll first suffer heavy casualties within the walls."

"If they were to attack rashly now, they would only seek their own death. Let them crash into this iron wall while we defend it."

Su Dingfang grinned, his laughter hearty: "Haha, what a brilliant plan, military advisor! Then I will keep my troops in place and see what they can do to me. Pass the order down, brothers, tell them to stay alert and guard their positions."