Iron Pagoda Cavalry, Strategy Set in the Command Tent

Seeing Yu Ke lost in thought.

Lu Yu and his father did not disturb him either. After all, Lu Chen had arrived only yesterday, and the journey had been arduous.

Yu Ke's memories from the past twenty years flashed through his mind like scenes glimpsed from a galloping horse.

You were now completely and utterly Lu Chen.

His understanding of the North Wind Profound Kingdom deepened further. The commander outside Hulao Pass was none other than Tuoba Shuyi.

The sixth prince of the North Wind Profound Kingdom, he commanded immense prestige within the army.

Under his banner were thirty thousand heavily armored troops, supported by Linked Horse Cavalry and light cavalry that pierced through enemy formations.

Once they entered battle, they were swift as a gale, crushing all before them like dead wood.

In the previous great battles, they had sent Great Qing's armies fleeing at the mere sight of them.

When two armies faced each other, without a means to defeat the enemy, one side would inevitably be crushed.

On his journey north, Lu Chen had witnessed the heavily armored Iron Pagoda Cavalry. They operated in teams of three, coordinating flawlessly—truly the pinnacle of the cold-weapon era.

Beneath their heavy armor, only their eyes were exposed. Even their warhorses were the same, with only their eyes visible.

To defeat the North Wind Profound Kingdom, they first had to unravel the Iron Pagoda Cavalry.

For this reason, Lu Yu had gathered detailed intelligence on the North Wind Profound Kingdom, as well as a biography of its sixth prince, Tuoba Shuyi.

At this moment, he brought it over and handed it to Lu Chen, who turned through it page by page.

Tuoba Shuyi's birth was not illustrious. His mother had not been favored in the palace.

He lost his mother at four. At five, he entered the palace, beginning his life amid its walls.

At six, he acknowledged Consort Xuan as his mother and gained the backing of her faction.

At seven, ...

At sixteen, he captured a city and seized its prefect's wife, earning considerable favor.

As he delved deeper into Tuoba Shuyi's life.

Yu Ke's eyes grew faintly hot.

In his heart!

A strange sense of familiarity arose, as though he had known this sixth prince for many years.

Tuoba Shuyi was wildly ambitious. His childhood experiences had filled him with vigilance toward those around him, and he trusted no one.

He craved power and status, treating human lives as less than grass.

Though he appeared brave and fearless, with a temper as fickle as the weather, he was in truth exceedingly protective of his own life.

In military strategy, he adhered to the principle: "Trust those you employ; do not employ those you distrust."

Well-versed in military texts, he could also seize opportunities and apply them flexibly on the battlefield.

He liked using surprise troops, yet was in fact cautious to the extreme.

He was not bound by military manuals—a genuine military genius.

It seemed that he was extraordinarily familiar with Tuoba Shuyi's character.

Yu Ke could not help but feel astonished.

But he quickly realized that this was Lu Chen's talent: [Insight into People].

This talent was simply too astonishing!

Merely from a person's life records, he could judge their character and conduct so accurately, as if the two had been close friends for years.

Yu Ke set down the documents in his hand. A plan had already formed in his heart.

Lu Yu hurried forward and asked, "Brother, what do you think?"

Yu Ke did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to Lu Yu and asked:

"Brother Yu, do you think we can successfully launch a surprise attack on the Northern Xuan cavalry camped to the north?"

Once they had left the daoist temple, they were no longer fellow disciples, but addressed each other as brothers.

Lu Yu scratched his head. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Brother, I think their camp is too close to the city. If we launch a surprise attack, we should reach them quickly."

"Great Qing has long since been beaten into fear. The Northern Xuan Kingdom soldiers would never expect us to launch a surprise attack."

"And that position lies just beyond our bows and crossbows' range. It is also a key point to the west, so we cannot let them occupy it so easily."

Hulao Pass's western gate had now been entrusted to the Lu Family Army.

If it had been any other rebel force, Wang Yang, the defending commander, would inevitably have harbored doubts. There had been many precedents of rebel armies defecting and surrendering to the Northern Xuan Kingdom.

Yet Wang Yang felt at ease with this Lu Family Army, so valiant and fearless in the face of death.

What was more!

Tuoba Shuyi on the other side was famous for his iron-fisted methods. He never accepted surrender; any enemy soldier who bowed to him would meet the fate of death.

Tuoba Shuyi was brimming with confidence, convinced that with his hundred thousand personal troops alone, he could gallop across the realm, unmatched by anyone.

Lu Jiaxuan, Lu Chen's father, did not agree with Lu Yu's view.

Pointing at the map spread across the large table, he said gravely:

"Tuoba Shuyi went to the battlefield at fourteen. He has experienced countless battles in his life and commands troops like a god. How could he make such a mistake? This is most likely a scheme to lure our troops out."

"I believe there must be ambushers on both flanks. The moment we attack, we will be assailed from both sides."

Lu Jiaxuan's finger traced the terrain on the map. Indeed, that area was vulnerable to attacks from both sides.

"Therefore, I do not advise you to act rashly. You do not understand the true terror of this sixth prince of the North Wind Profound Kingdom. The five northern cities opened their gates and surrendered the instant they heard Tuoba Shuyi was leading the army."

"His discipline over his troops is absolute; orders are carried out without fail. His hundred-thousand-strong army is like an iron barrel, unbreakable and impregnable."

The two men held opposing views, and both fixed their eyes on Lu Chen, awaiting his decision.

Lu Chen's father knew that his son had been steady and methodical since childhood, rarely making mistakes. That was why he especially wished to hear his thoughts now.

As for Lu Yu, he had trusted Lu Chen since they were children.

Seeing this, Yu Ke stopped keeping them in suspense.

"I suggest that we be bolder. Throw open the city gates and launch a surprise attack, catching the enemy off guard."

The moment those words fell, both men were utterly stunned.

Though Lu Yu was bold by nature, even he was shocked by the proposal and said worriedly:

"Brother, opening the city gates is far too risky. If anything goes wrong, Hulao Pass may fall into danger."

Lu Chen's father frowned as well.

"This plan is still too risky."

As for why Yu Ke had proposed this strategy, the reason was not complicated.

He knew Tuoba Shuyi's habits well. This man reminded him greatly of the Chancellor Cao from history, who loved other men's wives, was suspicious by nature, and excelled at using surprise troops.

Thus, Yu Ke's scheme resembled an alternative version of "borrowing arrows with straw boats" and the "empty city stratagem"—meant to strike where the enemy was unprepared, while playing upon his suspicion.

With the aid of [Insight into People], Yu Ke understood this sixth prince deeply enough to dare such a bold move.

Seeing that his elder brother supported the surprise attack, Lu Yu was delighted, yet he remained somewhat worried about throwing open the city gates.

Lu Chen understood everyone's concerns, so he calmly arranged matters.

"Father, tomorrow morning, the mist will be thick and visibility blurred. We can use that to buy time."

"Brother Yu, you need only lead two thousand elite soldiers. If there is an ambush, Father and I will support you from behind with two thousand reserve troops."

After hearing this, Lu Yu's confidence soared, and he readily agreed.

"Father, rest assured."

"With me, Lu Yu, there, I will certainly bring the men back safely."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Lu Jiaxuan nodded slightly, finding the plan much more sound.

Actually!

Lu Jiaxuan himself found it strange that he had agreed to such a risky undertaking.

Perhaps it was because, in his eldest son Lu Chen, he had glimpsed an unprecedented composure and calm—especially in those bright eyes.

He remembered what Lu Chen's teacher had once said when Lu Chen was young.

"If this child were born in peaceful times, he would surely become a pillar of governance."

What a pity he had been born in troubled times!

Lu Jiaxuan came back to himself and thought!

Hulao Pass also urgently needed a victory—one to announce to the world and steady the army's morale.

To tell their allies that the Northern Xuan Kingdom was not invincible.

The three of them settled on the plan.

Lu Yu rose and went to make arrangements.

Watching Lu Yu's receding back, Yu Ke found his thoughts stirring. He could not help wondering about his younger brother's current martial cultivation.

Just what realm had Lu Yu's Innate Skill reached?

According to the soldiers' accounts from Hulao Pass, Lu Yu was light as a swallow. With a single leap after gathering his breath, he could move easily across city walls several zhang high. He had even fought more than eighty men alone without being defeated.

Such martial prowess had already transcended the ordinary.

Yu Ke secretly guessed that Lu Yu's martial attainments might already rival Guo Jing, the defender of Xiangyang City in The Return of the Condor Heroes.

At that time, Guo Jing had achieved great mastery in martial arts. He could fight ninety-eight men of the Heavenly Dipper Formation alone and still move with effortless ease.

Yet Guo Jing had been middle-aged by then.

How old was Lu Yu now?

He had not even turned nineteen.