Volume One: Flames on the Frontier Chapter Seventy-Three: The Spiked Mace

Encouraged, Cui Hao’s cheeks flushed inexplicably; he struggled to calm his inner anxiety and spoke confidently: “Murong Lin is out in the open, while Chief Linghu operates in the shadows; Murong Lin commands many men, Chief Linghu few. Murong Lin has dispatched a large force of cavalry to guard the camp, but this is a losing proposition and cannot be sustained. After today’s fierce battle, Murong Lin’s mind should be fully cleared. He must now realize the threat posed by Chief Linghu’s cavalry, and will surely exert himself over the next few days to hunt them down outside the city. Therefore, I believe that tonight, Chief Linghu cannot harass the enemy camp; instead, he should quietly withdraw, retreat far away, and hide his forces, leaving Murong Lin to chase shadows and exhaust himself for nothing.”

“Young General’s prediction is sound. Tomorrow, Murong Lin will surely dispatch his army to hunt Chief Linghu’s cavalry. We must warn him to avoid confrontation as soon as possible. Moreover, Murong Lin is cunning and bold; though newly defeated, we must guard against him making a desperate counterattack without pausing for rest.” He Yu took the opportunity to express his concerns clearly.

Everyone present was perceptive; immediately, they snapped out of their earlier optimism and agreed with He Yu and Cui Hao’s reasoning.

Cui Liang and Tuoba Yan exchanged glances and nodded. Cui Liang said, “Chief He speaks wisely. Send word: Chief Linghu is to withdraw fifty li by night, avoiding entanglements with Murong Lin. All other city defense matters shall follow wartime protocol, with designated personnel on duty shifts.”

They discussed other military affairs, then adjourned the meeting. They shared food and wine, and each went home. He Yu, holding Qingyun’s hand, returned to his small courtyard. It was already midnight, and the summer breeze was cool. Thinking back on the day’s bloody battle, both were still shaken.

Without troubling the servants, Qingyun personally attended to He Yu’s bath, brewed a pot of tea for him, and took a bath herself. When she returned to the bedroom, He Yu was sitting by the bed and beckoned her to his side. They embraced and talked quietly.

Qingyun gently stroked the purple bruise around He Yu’s neck, her eyes glistening with tears. She asked anxiously, “Does it still hurt, my dear?” The injury was from fighting with the Yan army’s assault warriors on the city walls.

“It did hurt before, but with your touch, darling, it suddenly feels as if there’s no pain at all.” He Yu didn’t want Qingyun to worry, so he spoke playfully, kissing her softly.

But Qingyun, instead of smiling, was lost in thought and then said quietly, “Once matters here are settled, let’s leave for the south, to your hometown in Nansha County. We’ll build three cottages, raise chickens and ducks, just like Deng’er’s family used to.”

Mentioning Deng’er brought a wave of sorrow to He Yu’s heart; he wrapped his arms around Qingyun and said, “I promise you, when things here are done, we’ll depart for the south and never return to the north. But if it’s so, will you regret it, my dear?”

Qingyun shook her head: “Wherever you go, I’ll go with you. Chen Family Wu is gone, the north is beset by constant warfare, and there’s nothing I’m attached to. My brother once strongly advocated moving south. For a time, I didn’t understand, but now I see he was farsighted.” Thinking of her brother’s tragic death, she was overcome with grief.

He Yu did not wish for Qingyun to be sad, so he changed the topic: “We have no roots in the south. When we get there, everything will be up to us, and life will be much harder. You were born into a noble family, used to luxury, yet you’ll endure hardship with me in the south—how can I feel at ease?”

Qingyun’s bright eyes looked at him: “If Deng’er were going south with you, would you have such worries, my dear?”

“Oh, certainly not,” He Yu replied without hesitation, then explained, “Deng’er has endured hardship since childhood, unlike you, who came from a noble house.”

Qingyun’s face took on a look of defiance: “If Deng’er can bear hardships, so can I. We have hands and feet, and some savings. We don’t seek wealth and glory; as long as we have food and clothing, we’ll be fine.”

He Yu’s eyes sparkled mischievously: “With just the two of us, that’s plenty. If we have a few kittens and puppies, though, we might not make ends meet.”

“Nonsense, how could people give birth to cats and dogs?” Suddenly realizing something, she fell silent, then laughed and lightly pounded He Yu’s chest: “You’re awful! If I really give birth to kittens and puppies, we’ll cultivate our own land, the south has many rivers, you can learn to cast nets and fish, and our family will be happy, raising our little kittens and puppies.” As she spoke, her face glowed with a gentle, maternal light, her smile soft and genuine, filled with warmth.

He Yu rubbed his cheek against Qingyun’s, then suddenly straightened and murmured, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it.”

Qingyun was startled and quickly asked, “What is it, my dear?”

He Yu said, “Darling, what do you think is the most formidable siege weapon used by the Yan traitors?”

Qingyun thought for a moment and answered, “Their assault warriors.”

He Yu asked again, “Between the Yan army’s assault warriors and myself, who is stronger?”

Qingyun replied without hesitation, “Of course you are, much stronger. The assault warriors are formidable mainly because of their heavy armor—there are four layers, I’ve heard from Chief Cui and the others, making them hard to deal with.” She didn’t know why He Yu suddenly brought this up, but in her heart, He Yu was like a god descended to earth, unmatched by anyone.

He Yu clenched and released his fists, gently touching the bruise under his chin: “Exactly. The assault warriors are tall, strong, and impervious to blades and spears. If we can restrict their movement, we effectively disable them.”

Qingyun was puzzled: “The assault warriors aren’t ordinary soldiers. Despite their four-layer armor, they possess immense strength and it doesn’t hinder their movement. That’s what makes them so dangerous. Even with your skills, you can’t kill them in one blow, let alone others. Restricting a living person’s movement is extremely difficult.”

He Yu said excitedly, “It’s not difficult—use nets! Your mention of fishing nets just now inspired me. Why not wrap them in fishing nets, then attack with heavy weapons? There aren’t many fishing nets in the north, but plenty of hunting nets. It’s worth trying.”

Hearing this, Qingyun immediately understood. After thinking it over, she agreed the method was clever: “I think your idea is ingenious. Tomorrow, let’s report it to Tuoba Yan and Cui Liang and have them give it a try.”

“Exactly,” He Yu praised her.

After a day of battle and some conversation, both were tired, so they loosened their clothes and embraced each other to sleep.

Early the next morning, the council resumed in the main tent. He Yu proposed using hunting nets to defeat the enemy’s assault warriors. Cui Liang and the others were intrigued and agreed it was worth trying. In yesterday’s battle, the Wei army and allied leaders had all suffered greatly at the hands of the enemy’s assault warriors, so He Yu’s clever solution was most welcome.

Orders were given, and soon a soldier brought a hunting net. They found a tall man in the army, dressed him in three layers of armor to mimic an assault warrior.

At the command, the soldier charged forward. He Yu took the hunting net, sidestepped, and cast it over the man’s head. The net was enormous—large enough to cover two rooms—so when thrown from above, it was impossible to evade. The soldier was caught, and He Yu pulled the cord, tripping him. Other soldiers rushed in and struck him with the backs of their blades. The fallen man tore at the net with arms and legs, but could not escape in the short term.

“Excellent, it worked!” Cui Liang clapped.

“Chief He is truly brilliant, admirable!” Tuoba Yan praised with a smile.

Yet He Yu frowned: “Using hunting nets against the assault warriors seems feasible, but those warriors wield sharp blades and wear heavy armor. If we don’t inflict damage quickly, they’ll break free. Their armor protects them from clubs and axes, which cannot strike their vital points.”

Everyone considered this and agreed. Tripping the assault warriors was only the first step; breaking their armor and killing them was the crucial second.

“I have it. In my view, breaking their armor is not so difficult,” Lu Yi stood up and said. He had a pair of cockeyed eyes, mostly white with little black, and now, having found a solution, felt confident and stood up to show off.

“Well then, Chief Lu, please share your method,” Tuoba Yan urged.

Lu Yi nodded and explained, “The Yan army’s assault warriors are formidable because their armor is so strong. Once we break their armor, dealing with them is no longer difficult.”

“Oh, come on, Chief Lu, at a time like this, why are you still being mysterious? Even a three-year-old knows what you just said. Skip ahead and tell us the method,” Yuan Bin said impatiently. He was good friends with Lu Yi and spoke freely.

Lu Yi felt displeased by Yuan Bin’s interruption, but could not retort. He held back his boasting and explained the method straightforwardly.

He Yu was surprised: “Such a simple tactic—why didn’t I think of it? Clubs and axes can’t harm the assault warriors for two reasons: insufficient strength, which can’t be helped, and too broad an area of impact, meaning the pressure isn’t concentrated enough. Solve this, and everything falls into place.”

There were many blacksmiths in Pingcheng, with all sorts of hammers. One type, with a short handle and pointed head like a crane’s beak, was used for finer work. Lu Yi’s suggestion was to lengthen the handle and sharpen the point, increase its weight, and use it as a weapon to smash armor—no great difficulty.

“Ha, isn’t that just the European medieval knight’s war hammer? I can’t believe I didn’t think of it,” He Yu mentally chided himself, but didn’t forget to flatter Lu Yi: “Chief Lu, your resourcefulness is unmatched. I admire you.”

With He Yu’s rising reputation and everyone’s trust, Lu Yi felt greatly pleased by this compliment. His cockeyed eyes rolled even more, and his face was full of pride.

Yuan Bin deliberately argued: “It’s only a war hammer after all. I thought of it long ago, just let Chief Lu take the credit—it’s nothing special.”