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“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 309… So, this little number with the tactical staff worked because it exploited the info gap.
Those from Youzhou and Liaodong thought their handy tools were just for attacking walls, but really, these babies shine in close maritime combat, taking out enemies before they can even come close!
Lu Lingju was absolutely smitten with the thing; the only hiccup was if the axle was mishandled, making the tactical staff a bit finicky to reuse.
But with the chaotic destruction it caused, who cares?!
Watching the Liaodong contingent think they had the upper hand dissolve before our ship’s rampage, even the usually composed Lu Yi and Tai Shici were feeling a little extra excited.
Amidst this thrill, Lu Yi stayed sharp.
He heard a fleeting shout of “Fu Jun” among the retreating enemies, and immediately barked at the nearby soldiers and the dazed recruits, “Quick! Over there! Catch that big fish!”
With those magic words, Lu Lingju quickly lifted the binoculars her subordinate had handed her, and to her surprise saw a figure swimming away on a piece of wood, distinctively dressed and shielded by a few followers who’d also taken a dive.
Upon hearing Lu Yi mention “Fu Jun,” her eyes lit up.
This title wouldn’t be used for some high-ranking official in Xi’an Ping; it could only belong to the top man in Liaodong.
Gongsun Du!
Stealing people is more likely to rattle and anger Gongsun Du than just invading his territory, which was a plan set in motion before they even arrived.
However, when Gongsun Du truly rose to the bait, it was on Lu Lingju’s watch, and she couldn’t help but grip the ship’s railing tight, her fingers instinctively curling into it, wishing she could dive into the water and grab this “big cheese” herself.
Lu Yi reminded her, “Don’t forget Kongming’s plan,” giving her a moment to calm down.
It’s no wonder she was excited; the last person they caught was just Lu Su, a minor clerk from Xuzhou, and now she was after Gongsun Du, who fancied himself a king in Liaodong.
But Lu Yi was right; this victory wasn’t the finale to their Liaodong battle.
Gongsun Du showing up now only meant their cunning little snake trap was working ahead of schedule, and the next steps were where the real action was.
If Gongsun Du didn’t wholeheartedly admit he was outmatched, their plan to have him and Zhang Liao sandwich Gongsun Zan wouldn’t be worth a dime.
If they slipped up and Gongsun Zan got a chance to escape or counterattack, then this grand naval plan would go belly-up!
They couldn’t just kill Gongsun Du.
Regardless of how capable he actually was, he’d spent the last five years building his power there. He had loyal underlings too.
Even if they took Gongsun Du out, they couldn’t just drop a new guy in his spot without causing an uproar, so…
They had to stick to Zhuge Liang’s plan that Qiao Yan had given the thumbs up on.
Still, looking at the situation unfolding, Lu Lingju couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
Yep, Zhuge Liang had the idea, but it was her that got to deal with Gongsun Du face-to-face!
When Gongsun Du was dragged onto the ship, he saw the girl eyeing him up and down with a boldness that was practically a commodity check.
Gongsun Du: “…”
Having accumulated power in Liaodong, he was no longer the uncertain man appointed by Dong Zhuo. Even common folks would try to curry favor with him to show his legitimacy.
Even though he was dragged in looking like a badgered dog, his perception of himself didn’t change a bit.
But now, he was the prisoner, and no matter how disgruntled he might be, he couldn’t spill his guts in front of them. He could only watch Lu Lingju, Lu Yi, and Tai Shici and think of ways to maneuver himself out of this mess.
Sea battle prowess didn’t mean squat on land!
First off, they lacked sufficient horses, and Youzhou’s cavalry could hold their own against Liang and Bingzhou.
But Lu Lingju surprised Gongsun Du with her words.
She wasn’t demanding his surrender; after moving her earlier bold gaze away, she said, “Governor Gongsun, I bet you don’t want anyone to know you’ve been beaten by us so badly, right? Let alone by a bunch of youngsters. If this news gets to the ears of Tatu and Gongsun Zan in Liaodong, it won’t be good for you.”
Well, of course, that wouldn’t be good!
The rule of the jungle prevailed in both the North and Youzhou.
If Gongsun Du hadn’t built up his influence in Liaodong, Gongsun Zan, who seized the position of Youzhou Mu after taking out Liu Yu, would’ve been thrilled to boot him out.
Gongsun Du looked at Lu Lingju’s expression and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing much; it’s just that since you’re here, we merely need to transport some people. Since you insist on obstructing, we must retaliate.”
Retaliation resulted in Gongsun Du being caught on the spot.
Lu Lingju shrugged, looking like she was acting out of obligation. “Since you’re in our grasp now, rather than killing you, we should have a win-win.”
“We can overlook the obstruction you caused. We can let you go, making sure the situations in Tatu and Xi’an Ping don’t reach the wrong ears. But we need more manpower. Since you’re here, it makes things so much easier.”
Her “easier” didn’t comfort Gongsun Du at all; if anything, it sent ominous vibes down his spine.
Then he heard Lu Lingju say, “Relying on our abduction alone isn’t efficient enough. How about you issue an order, Governor Gongsun? Just transfer some war horses and soldiers from around Xi’an Ping to us, and we’ll send you home.”
“As for how much to offer in this oh-so-fair exchange, well, that’s up to you.”
Lu Lingju’s look clearly said it all; Gongsun Du had stepped in it big time and bumped into a tough crowd, and fairness was nowhere in sight, but hey, at least they were polite bandits allowing him to negotiate for his freedom.
Hearing this made Gongsun Du’s head spin.
He was livid at her nonchalant tone!
But Lu Lingju’s words solidified his suspicions: these ruffians launching a surprise attack on Liaodong were likely under Yuan Shao, despite their young faces and female general!
Qiao Yan had just hit Luoyang; one would expect her not to lack for manpower. Shipping people from Liaodong to Qingzhou and Donglai would be far easier than funneling them back onto Qiao Yan’s territory, allowing for round trips!
Moreover, the only ones needing war horses right now certainly wouldn’t be Qiao Yan, who was said to have a fleet of stunning horses, but Yuan Shao, who was at a disadvantage in horse resources due to Gongsun Zan taking the prime pasture!
With his mind made up, Gongsun Du steeled his confidence in this assessment.
But at the moment, if he sat down face-to-face with the enemy, maybe he could negotiate some “fairness,” but given his current state, soaked and looking ridiculous, it was hardly the right setup for a civilized chat.
The fishermen on Zhangzi Island could only submit, and he had no choice but to follow suit.
At least they weren’t planning to hold him hostage for long, giving him a shot at settling the score later.
He wasn’t out of the game yet!
He could bite the bullet and give them a slice of what he had.
With his face taut, he finally managed to grunt out, “Alright, let my two subordinates take my personal letter to the nearby cities for manpower and resources.”
Gongsun Du couldn’t help but feel like handing over his hard-earned horses and soldiers for free was like letting them cut him open.
But if he wasn’t willing to comply, it was likely they wouldn’t let him go.
His rise to this position wasn’t solely thanks to his underlings; he swiftly pivoted his strategy in his mind.
In the letter for his subordinates to take, he tipped the numbers of horses and troops just slightly above what the available ships could carry.
Lu Yi glanced at the numbers on the letter and couldn’t believe Gongsun Du wasn’t bending under pressure; he was still trying to play games!
But that was no surprise to them; it was exactly the kind of cleverness they could work with.
Gongsun Du’s little gambit saved them a lot of hassle.
“Once we take the first batch of soldiers and horses, we’ll release Gongsun Du,” Lu Yi said as he walked away, turning to Lu Lingju, “Let’s send word to Kongming; since Gongsun Du’s people are here, we can withdraw forces from Tatu and have some ships head back to Zhangzi Island for a welcoming surprise for Gongsun Du.”
Lu Lingju immediately ordered a small boat to break away from their fleet unnoticed, heading west, while the other ships returned towards Xi’an Ping with Gongsun Du in tow.
As they gently sailed into the mouth of the Yalu River, making their way north to Xi’an Ping City, Gongsun Du’s subordinates had already sent word about their lord being captured and the need to provide “resources” for his release.
The commanders in the city had high hopes for Gongsun Du’s victory, but upon hearing of his defeat, they were equally crushed.
Yet now, seeing those ships that had previously stormed their city twice reappear, they had no time to wallow in disappointment or grumble at Gongsun Du—they promptly prepared the ransom goods he had asked for.
Transporting horses was tricky when the enemy was showing up via boat, seizing things before making their quick getaway!
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“Well, now they’re being driven out of the stables and locked up in the ship’s cabin!”
Gongsun Du was watching this scene, his heart felt like it was bleeding.
With a frowning face, he saw that the strong soldiers had unloaded their armor and were being pushed onto the warships one by one, while civilians who couldn’t fit on the ships were sent packing. This was a tremendous humiliation for him.
Fortunately, those “bandits” hadn’t forced him to show his face right at that moment, sparing him the embarrassment of being captured in front of everyone.
“Gongsun Taishou is really generous, not only sending his soldiers but also bringing their families along,” Tai Shici suddenly interjected, interrupting Gongsun Du’s internal rant.
To ensure he could escape the grasp of this predicament, Gongsun Du could only reply, “Isn’t this to prevent the soldiers from resisting boarding and causing unnecessary chaos? If that happens, it’ll be bad for both sides.”
He maintained a calm demeanor under Tai Shici’s scrutinizing gaze, almost swearing to the heavens that he was indeed sincere in this matter.
Only when he started sweating from being stared at did he hear Tai Shici say, “You make a good point. You can go now, just let the remaining horses and folks board the ship the next time we come around.”
Gongsun Du breathed a sigh of relief, as if granted a reprieve.
But once he realized what Tai Shici meant, he started to doubt whether his ears were malfunctioning.
They just let him go back?
While he hoped for this, he had mentally prepared a speech to convince the other side when the deal was halfway done, and now it wasn’t needed at all!
No matter if the other side was feeling a bit cocky after consistently beating him and his men, as long as he could return to safety, that was all that mattered.
Gongsun Du stepped back onto the ground, his legs feeling a bit wobbly.
During that earlier sea battle, the tactical equipment nearly skimmed past his face, almost splitting his head open, leaving him with a lingering sense of dread.
But thankfully, that was all behind him now.
He looked toward the warships sailing away, a flash of grim determination crossing his face.
“Reinforcements! Bring more ships from around! To think they can snatch so much away from me, Gongsun Du, and still get away unscathed—I’ll make sure they pay for it!”
One of his loyal subordinates, Liu Yi, wanted to talk him out of this impulsive action.
After all, if those guys really were Yuan Shao’s men, helping out this attacking force wouldn’t be hard for them. While Gongsun Du might get his revenge, it would also stir up greater trouble.
But seeing the fury in Gongsun Du’s eyes, Liu Yi knew convincing this powerful prefect of Liaodong to change his mind wasn’t going to be easy.
So he simply asked, “What do you think we should do about that tactical equipment?”
Without an effective counter to that sea battle tool, talking about showing them a good time was one thing; actually flipping the situation around was yet another.
Liu Yi continued, “Although we may have the time to prepare while they run back and forth from Xi’an Ping to Donglai, that tactical equipment isn’t just a wooden stick with a rock. It’s not going to be easy to weaponize it on our ships.”
Having fought alongside Gongsun Du before, Liu Yi was sharp on these battle details, and Gongsun Du had to admit that what Liu Yi said was true.
He pondered and replied, “Look, whether it’s their common hook bridges or that piece of equipment, they actually need to be at a closer range to work their magic. What if we strike from a distance?”
Gongsun Du pointed to the nearby Xi’an Ping city wall and said, “Let’s set up enough catapults here. When they come to retrieve those still on the board, we’ll give them quite the surprise. Right now, send people to gather enough stones.”
He needed to deal them a solid blow!
However, little did he know that he thought Lu Lingju and her fleet were going to deliver the first batch of spoils back to Qingzhou, but in reality, they were leaving the soldiers on Zhangzi Island with enough supplies, under Sima Yi’s watch, while passing the warhorses to Zhuge Liang and others, and then turned the ships back to Xi’an Ping.
Not to mention whether Xi’an Ping was properly prepared to launch a long-distance attack against these foes, Lu Lingju’s team wasn’t planning on launching an assault the same way as before.
Before the catapults could hit, the ships suddenly surged toward Xi’an Ping, and the Divine Bows on this side had already unleashed a volley from a distance.
Gongsun Du hadn’t anticipated that he had let slip some kind of intel; instead of the teams coming into his attack range unguarded, they had acted first.
What shocked him even more was that the flurry of arrows was actually fire arrows!
Cloth soaked in oil, sulfur, and strong spirits wrapped around the arrowheads were lit before being launched, soaring high and crashing into the city.
It was the height of summer; while Xi’an Ping sat by the water, making it less stifling, the dry nature of the season still had its effect.
A great fire immediately broke out in the city.
The first time it was the tactical equipment smashing into the wall, the second it was bashing ships during the sea battle. Gongsun Du had been so focused on the wall that he didn’t consider that just because the enemy came from one place, they could also strike back just as fiercely.
Even though plenty of civilians were taken away by Lu Lingju or were freed when Gongsun Du made his bargain, there were still many folks living in the city.
With the fires raging, and the shouts for help echoing throughout the city, who could possibly focus on the catapults?
As small warships moved along the moat, creating a mobile encirclement, the catapults just couldn’t achieve the success Gongsun Du was hoping for.
Amid the sounds of fire suppression, he noticed an arrow whistling toward him, hitting one of the soldiers operating the catapult right next to him, and there was Lu Lingju, grinning at him, saying, “You know, Gongsun Taishou, it appears we need to negotiate again.”
This arrow’s impressive gust felt like a thunderclap in Gongsun Du’s mind.
Something’s off; this isn’t right!
Everything about this felt way too familiar, like someone had learned the essence from a particular individual.
The person in question? The Grand Marshal, Qiao Yan!
At this moment, the aroma of ignited strong liquor from the city only reinforced his deduction.
But at this point, confirming whether this was Yuan Shao’s troops or Qiao Yan’s didn’t mean much to Gongsun Du.
Because he found himself in a perilous situation again!
Having faced two siege attacks, breaking down Xi’an Ping’s walls a third time didn’t seem like it would be too challenging.
The whole notion of “negotiating” felt like it was still some light-hearted explanation of not killing him outright, but Gongsun Du suspected that due to his lack of cooperation this time, Lu Lingju likely wouldn’t let him off easy.
But if he let them uproot his foundation in Liaodong, even if he survived today, he risked rebellion from the locals, or worse, being ambushed by Gongsun Zan and Ta Dun.
He couldn’t submit now; he had to escape!
Even if it meant sacrificing the remaining troops in the Xi’an Ping garrison, he had to get out of here.
Once he returned inland, no matter how advanced or fierce the weaponry on those warships was, he still had the upper hand as the local power in Liaodong!
Gongsun Du did manage to escape.
But when he got far away enough that he no longer heard the sound of pursuing soldiers and looked back toward Xi’an Ping, he saw the unextinguished flames accompanied by black smoke, stark against the sky.
His trusty lieutenant, Liu Yi, who had helped him break through the city earlier, was now nowhere to be found, perhaps intercepted by that attacking force.
The sight and situation left him feeling a deep sense of melancholy.
But this wasn’t the time for dwelling on such thoughts, nor was it the moment to ponder why Qiao Yan sent forces to Liaodong.
He needed to hurry back to Xiangping and summon the cavalry forces, using his strengths to counter the enemy’s weaknesses.
That was his effective strategy for reclaiming his reputation!
What he didn’t know was that those crafty foes, having fought along the coastline before, were now adjusting their strategy, as they had also acquired a batch of warhorses.
A few warhorses may not suffice for major combat, but they were more than enough to intercept his retreat to Xiangping.
After completing their supply transfer, Zhuge Liang led his troops to disembark from the north of Zhangzi Island, intercepting Gongsun Du’s path back to Xiangping as Lu Lingju and Lu Yi’s forces closed in on Xi’an Ping.
Hurrying back to Xiangping, Gongsun Du found himself in a state of panic as he now faced a well-prepared opponent. He was taken completely off guard.
This time, unlike the Xi’an Ping battle earlier, there were no brave subordinates to rescue him, and he was bound up with no mercy by his opponents.
Gongsun Du’s face turned pale.
He discovered that the head of the team that captured him was a young lad, appearing calm and composed, though he couldn’t be any older than twenty.
This youth, claiming to be Zhuge Liang, slowly spoke up, confirming Gongsun Du’s earlier reasoning that this group was indeed under Qiao Yan.
He was the very one praised as “Sleeping Dragon” by Qiao Yan!
That said, Gongsun Du couldn’t feel happy about this at all.
This meant that after five years of consolidating his power in Liaodong, he repeatedly lost to a bunch of kids.
What a ridiculous situation!
While Zhuge Liang spared him some dignity, upon being returned to Xi’an Ping, Lu Lingju made no hesitation in rubbing salt in his wounds.
She circled around the tightly bound Gongsun Du, expressing a mix of regret and pity, stating, “Gongsun Taishou, how did you end up in our hands again?”
