CHAPTER 346: CHAPTER 23 NO ONE IS A FOOL_1

Zheng Fan and A Ming returned to the fortress. The next moment, Green Willow Fortress was on full alert. The sentry cavalry, usually dispatched at night as per custom, were all summoned back. The role of the sentry cavalry in Green Willow Fortress was primarily to patrol and maintain vigilance, ensuring their fellow soldiers within the fortress could rest and carry out daily activities with a sense of security. Since it had been confirmed that a sizable cavalry unit from Qian State was heading north with Green Willow Fortress as its target, the sentry cavalry outside no longer served any practical purpose now that the fortress was on full alert. Chief Zheng, accustomed to small-scale operations, was meticulous about every detail. He reasoned it was better to withdraw all the sentries than to risk them being ambushed or overwhelmed outside.

On the crenels of Green Willow Fortress, soldiers stood ready with bows and crossbows. As a precaution, hot oil was already simmering in large iron cauldrons to repel a potential siege. If this were a drill, Green Willow Fortress would undoubtedly earn a commendation as an advanced combat unit. Oh, right, upon his return, Zheng Fan had already ordered the Green Willow Fortress sign, which originally hung at the entrance, to be taken down.

The cold night wind howled relentlessly over the fortress, yet not a single soldier dared to slacken their efforts. The news their commander brought back wasn’t just about the possibility of Qian cavalry launching a sneak attack on their fortress, but also about the calculation of their military merits for this campaign. The families of the prisoner soldiers from influential clans would soon have their servitude status removed. The barbarian soldiers would soon receive Yan State citizenship. Spurred on by these two pieces of good news, the looming shadow of an enemy attack truly seemed insignificant.

Liang Cheng was overseeing the defenses and deploying troops. Given that the enemy consisted of cavalry making a swift advance, he reasoned they were unlikely to attempt a conventional siege. The situation would likely resemble their own two incursions into Qian State to attack Mianzhou. An assault with scaling ladders, swarming the walls like ants, was out of the question; the enemy would aim to strike when they were unprepared. From Liang Cheng’s perspective, with everyone now on high alert, unless the Qian State commander was truly out of his mind, he would be unlikely to order an attack on such a heavily fortified fortress with its towering walls. It was a case of getting what you paid for. Compared to the hastily constructed wooden stockades of other military outposts, Green Willow Fortress was, one might say, quite the "turtle shell."

Zheng Fan was somewhat surprised and pleased to find that Blind Bei had awakened. After controlling Lady Daxi at Mianzhou, Blind Bei had severely overdrawn his spiritual energy and had been unconscious for two days. Now, Blind Bei sat in a wheelchair with a warm towel on his forehead, looking rather frail.

"When did you wake up?" Zheng Fan asked.

"In the afternoon." Blind Bei coughed a few times after answering.

"We’re in trouble this time," Zheng Fan said.

"It’s not so bad." Blind Bei seemed very calm. "My lord, your luck is truly unparalleled. Imagine, we capture a ’tongue,’ only for them to ask where our own home is..."

"Well, kind-hearted people are always protected by the heavens," Zheng Fan declared.

Blind Bei remained silent. Perhaps because he had just woken up and was still spiritually weak, he couldn’t immediately keep up with his lord’s thick-skinned pronouncements.

Zheng Fan then recounted what happened when he ate wontons during the day, including the old fortune-teller and the down-and-out swordsman.

Blind Bei asked, "So, My lord, you didn’t inform the Spy Bureau?"

Zheng Fan shook his head. "I considered it, but then decided against it."

"Yes, according to what you said, My lord, those two are clearly beyond the level of mere spies. Such matters are best left to those more capable; we don’t need to interfere."

"Exactly my thoughts," Zheng Fan affirmed.

At this moment, the beacon smoke of Green Willow Fortress began to rise. Truth be told, no one in Green Willow Fortress knew the specifics: how many columns of smoke, what color, or what signals they represented. If the personnel manning Qian State’s fortress system were lax, then Yan State’s system could be described as utterly dysfunctional. The long-term strategic and psychological advantages had made the Yan people careless about such details. This was why the Qian cavalry, now heading north, could advance as easily as fish in water. The effectiveness of beacon smoke depended on nearby fortresses relaying the signal to achieve a chain of alerts. There was a profound science to this, comparable to the espionage battles of World War II. Unfortunately, a long time after the beacon smoke of Green Willow Fortress rose, no second column of smoke could be seen nearby.

Since the war began, Yan, which had always held the dominant offensive position, now appeared as slow and feeble as an octogenarian. Zheng Fan was quite certain that the Qian troops had yet to face any effective encirclement or significant threat. Faced with such a sudden situation, the typical reaction of various military leaders would undoubtedly be to hold their positions and await reinforcements—a common way to conserve strength.

Well, Chief Zheng was doing precisely that.

Of course, Chief Zheng had his reasons and excuses. Due to special circumstances, he knew that the target of the enemy’s northern sneak attack this time was his very own Green Willow Fortress. So, Chief Zheng’s plan was to hold their ground, draw the enemy’s fire, and thus enable allied forces to counter-encircle them.

Of course, that was just an excuse.

Late at night, even if the Qian troops were a lone force deep in their territory, Zheng Fan was unwilling to send his cavalry out for a night engagement until he had a clear understanding of the enemy’s numbers and combat strength. Military accomplishments were tempting, but if he accidentally got all his men wiped out, he would be the one left heartbroken.