Chapter 29: The Surprise Force Arrives

Actually, this was "information" Chai Xiao had gathered from the guards when he sent Yao Jin with the token to deliver orders to the Six Imperial Guard Command.

"What does your Captain of the Guards usually do?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, aside from martial arts training, he has no particular hobbies. He doesn't drink, doesn't gamble, and spends his free time reading."
"What does he read?"
"Jiang Taigong’s 'Six Secret Teachings', as well as 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, and things like that."

The primary principle of using subordinates lies in gathering and verifying information from multiple sources. This was now proving useful. Yao Jin felt a shiver, as if he had been "completely exposed" before the Prince.

"Your Highness, I read those books simply to calm my mind."

Chai Xiao smiled faintly. "Come! Recite it! Sun Tzu’s 'Art of War', Chapter Five, 'Strategic Military Power'!"

Yao Jin was startled, and the words slipped out subconsciously. "In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. Hence, those who are skilled in using the indirect, are as infinite as heaven and earth, and as inexhaustible as the great rivers..."

Chai Xiao raised a hand. "Good! Stop there!"

"The two methods you just mentioned can be understood as 'direct' forces. If you change your line of thinking, it would be even better—that is, the 'indirect' forces. For the first approach, checking whether the six new overt and covert patrols are in position only requires six men standing on their required routes to count them. To be even more unconventional, you only need to station four people on the bell and drum towers to the east, west, south, and north."

"Not only can you count the six new patrols, but you can also count the six existing ones. Furthermore, the eight gates of the inner and outer city, the covert guards at every mansion and shop, and even the positions of the central mobile cavalry would all be clear at a glance."

Yao Jin was left dumbfounded. His mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. His throat felt obstructed, as if by something, and he could not make a sound. He had always studied military classics, believing that "indirect forces" were simply the opposite of "direct forces"—that is, "direct" meant a frontal assault, while "indirect" meant a flanking maneuver or a surprise attack. He knew, of course, that there were many ways to achieve surprise, but he had never imagined it could be used this way.

With just four people, the movements of all the imperial guards could be monitored without a single one slipping through the net. It was brilliant!

Chai Xiao smiled. "Let me test you further. If these four people finish counting and discover the numbers are correct or incorrect, how do they communicate?"

Yao Jin was momentarily stumped, but then he noticed the Prince pointing toward the banners fluttering in the wind at the martial arts training ground. He realized it instantly.

"Flag signals!"

"Upward movement signifies north, downward for south, pointing left for west, pointing right for east, forward movement for interior, backward for exterior. Moving forward means 'solid', signifying an overt guard. Moving backward means 'void', signifying a covert guard. If the flag moves forward twice, it means the overt guards are at full strength with no discrepancies. If it moves backward twice, it means the covert guards are not at full strength, and the missing number is indicated by long and short shakes. Three long shakes for a thousand, two long for a hundred, one long for ten, and short shakes for the individual units."

Observing the Prince again, he saw him pointing toward the distant bell and drum towers. It was now four quarters past the hour of Si. The great bell struck six times, representing the hour of Si, and the small bell struck four times, representing the four quarters.

After the bells rang three times, the great drum in the drum tower sounded, repeating the proclamation to the whole city issued earlier by Junior Tutor Su Zhongjing. A reminder every quarter of an hour. There were only four quarters left until the official opening of the Heaven, Earth, and Man fair at noon.

Yao Jin realized once more. "We can also use the sound of the drums!"

"A heavy strike on the center of the drum means 'solid', and a light strike on the edge means 'void'. The same logic applies: three long strikes for a thousand, two long for a hundred, one long for ten, and short strikes for the individual units."

Chai Xiao nodded, looking into the distance. A lone bird flew past, chirping "gu-gu-gu". He wondered if it was reminding him that in half an hour, the curtain would rise. Most people would surely be nervous or even flustered when facing such a significant "grand opening," yet a confident smile appeared on his face.

He turned to Yao Jin and said, "For the second 'indirect' maneuver, bring Xiang Shouyue and his eighty men to our side. You don't need to use my authority to pressure him."

"Then what should I do?"

"Go and issue him a challenge!"

"A challenge?" Yao Jin was thoroughly confused, completely at a loss.

Chai Xiao pointed toward the training ground again. "This morning, while I was having you run drills and during the competition with Zhang Bao using brooms, I noticed several lion dance heads piled up in the corners."

Yao Jin hurriedly explained, "Your Highness is referring to those! This is the 'Five-Direction Lion Dance' that the founding Emperor promoted widely in the palace and among the people, emulating the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The five directions are East, South, West, North, and Center. The competition is about who can leap, roll, and play with more agility, and who can be the first to snatch the top prize."

"There is a major competition in the palace every five years, and a minor one among the people every three years. This year, it happens to be the minor competition. Although our Ninth Prince's Mansion is at the bottom in the capital, everyone is holding back their frustration and waiting for the Great Xu fair!"

Chai Xiao glared at him. "Since everyone is holding back their frustration, why haven't you gone to issue the challenge yet?"

Yao Jin understood. "Your Highness! I understand! You want to build another stage right in front of the two large awnings on the first floor to host a preliminary 'Five-Direction Lion Dance' competition!"

"And knowing Xiang Shouyue, he is always proud and arrogant; he will definitely accept! What’s more, he will lead his team himself!"

Chai Xiao clapped to encourage Yao Jin. "Exactly. Soldier against soldier, general against general—you will lead your team yourself! When the time comes, set up a betting box on the side. I am prepared to place a heavy bet on your victory!"

"Oh, and to ease Xiang Shouyue's concerns, tell him that I will provide the host's stake—two hundred taels to start!"

With that, Chai Xiao pulled a two-hundred-tael silver note from his robe, waved it, and tucked it back inside. Yao Jin did not know that the Ninth Prince had already used that same two hundred taels—won from the Second Prince's "beauty pillow" wager—as a bet many times over.

The Captain of the Guards suddenly felt as if two mountains, Taihang and Wangwu, had been placed upon his shoulders. It felt more stressful than his promotion to the ninth rank. He had never realized the Ninth Prince was such a gambler! Ever since he ascended as the Lord of Great Xu, he seemed possessed by a legendary "God of Gamblers." He would bet on anything!

As the saying goes, "He who stays near vermilion gets stained red; he who stays near ink gets stained black," and "what the superior does, the inferior will follow." It seemed he would have to change his own habit of avoiding gambling. He would have to become as full of competitive spirit as his master. Still, the Prince was probably doing this to defeat Xiang Shouyue and those arrogant guys who thought they were invincible. Those fellows certainly deserved to be fleeced!

But this put all the pressure on the guard unit. Although they were all hoping to wipe away their past humiliations—even neglecting their training to practice the lion dance—this was only the first day the Prince was helping them rebuild their morale. Winning in one fell swoop would be no easy task!

Yao Jin thought of something and asked, "Your Highness, if both Xiang Shouyue and I are competing in the lion dance, what about the city's defense and those two hundred mobile cavalry?"

Chai Xiao waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. They want to be thieves, and we want to prevent thieves. The best way is to get them entangled with us. 'You are in me, and I am in you.' If you can't be a thief, I am the thief myself! Therefore, once their minds are occupied by this, our goal of protecting the borders and the people will have been achieved! This is the most proactive form of all-city defense!"

Yao Jin silently repeated the phrase, "the most proactive form of all-city defense," lost in thought.

Chai Xiao interrupted him. "As for the two hundred mobile cavalry, their most important task right now is to help build the lion dance stage!"

"By the way, as the commander, how have you organized these two groups of one hundred?"

Yao Jin confessed, "Reporting to Your Highness, I originally wanted to appoint a deputy commander for each to lead their respective hundred men, as they are familiar with the personnel and coordination. But then I thought that would still keep them as two separate entities, and since the mobile cavalry is crucial, I decided to reorganize them completely. I have set up ten teams of twenty men each. Although the ten captains were chosen from the two groups, the soldiers have been completely shuffled!"

Chai Xiao nodded in approval. "Excellent! That is also 'you are in me, and I am in you'!"

"Go and arrange the stage construction immediately! If you have extra strength, help speed up the construction of the two large awnings. Also, make sure to choose those four people for the bell and drum towers carefully! Furthermore, pick fifty men from your guard unit—the ones you trust the most—I have a specific use for them!"

"Understood!"

Yao Jin accepted the order, then realized he was still holding the branch he had used for "commanding." He hurriedly placed it on the stone table and walked away to make his arrangements.

At that moment, someone walked to the entrance of the garden and said slowly, "What are these fifty selected men going to do? Shall I take a guess?"