We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1110 Surprise Attack on Chuimacheng

Let's turn back to the present.

Li Che lay prone behind a sheltered earthen slope, wrapped in a cloak identical to that of a soldier, with anti-freeze grease applied to his face.

With his imperial attire removed, Li Che looked no different from an ordinary soldier at this moment.

Beside him stood Qiu Bai, also in disguise, and over a hundred personal guards.

In the distance, shrouded in twilight, the outline of a city looms at the confluence of the river valleys.

The city wall was much taller than that of Chiling Fort, and one could vaguely see figures patrolling and banners fluttering.

That place was an important stronghold of the Tibetan army in the east—Chuima City.

This place not only housed a considerable number of Tibetan troops, but also served as a storage and transshipment center for grain, fodder, and military equipment for hundreds of miles around, making it the first city on the Tibetan border.

Taking it would completely disrupt their plans and throw the Tibetan army's rear into chaos.

Such an important strategic objective cannot be achieved by relying on others.

Li Che slowly exhaled a breath of white air, which condensed into a thin mist in the cold air.

"It's about time, let's retreat," he said in a low voice.

Qiu Bai nodded beside him and waved to the guards behind him.

The group silently disappeared into the darkness like ghosts.

His main force is now hidden in the mountains ten miles away, and they have only come here to scout.

Although Chuimacheng was a Tibetan city and not as magnificent as Daqing, it was not a city that cavalry could easily conquer.

Li Che did not bring heavy siege weapons with him during this infiltration; it would be a pipe dream to launch a cavalry assault.

Although they carried some small-caliber mortars, those were good for blowing up doors, but it took a lot of effort to blow up city walls.

Even if it's blown up, it will be difficult to break through, since there's still a barbican, and there are quite a few Tibetan soldiers guarding the city.

A surprise attack is necessary to win.

The night was as dark as ink. Li Che led his personal guards back to the desolate mountain valley ten miles away.

The temporary campsite was hidden by the mountainside, with no campfires to light it up; only a few dim lights, tightly blocked by the rocks, were used for warmth.

The warhorses were gathered together in a sheltered depression, with gags in their mouths and cloth wrapped around their hooves, and were unusually quiet.

The soldiers rested in groups of three, wrapped in felt blankets, with their weapons at hand.

The sentry posts were positioned at a higher elevation, blending seamlessly into the night.

Li Che returned to the central command post, which was simply surrounded by stones and felt blankets, and Ying Bu stepped forward to meet him.

"Any news from other units?"

Yingbu whispered, "Two more scouts have been sent out, but they haven't returned yet."

Li Che nodded without saying anything, and instead leaned against a rock, fully clothed, and closed his eyes to rest.

In times like these, you must not rush things.

Anything can happen on the battlefield; other teams might not arrive for several more days.

All I can do is make the right choice based on the current situation.

Since there's no word from the others yet, let's hold off for now.

As long as the strategic intention to attack Chuimacheng is not revealed, there is still a chance.

Lost in thought, Li Che fell asleep.

He slept more comfortably on the battlefield than on the dragon throne in the imperial palace.

. . . . . .

The next morning, before dawn, the mountain air was bitterly cold.

Starting at dawn, several fast horses entered the camp from different directions.

"Your Majesty! We've made contact with General Ma Zhong. They're resting at 'Wild Goat Gully,' thirty miles to the northwest, and have achieved a great victory with no casualties!"

"Report! General Luo's troops have ambushed a Tibetan supply convoy at 'Blackwater Bank' in the southeast, burning more than twenty grain carts. They are now approaching the designated location!"

"General Yu Daliang sent a report that two small Tibetan settlements had been raided and destroyed, and a number of livestock had been seized. They are currently being dispersed and hidden."

"General Xiong Tai's troops encountered a small group of Tibetan cavalry and annihilated them."

Upon hearing the good news, Li Che did not show any elation. He simply ordered his scouts to maintain contact with them.

Around noon, Ma Zhong and Luo Yueniang, along with their personal guards, arrived at the secluded valley camp one after the other.

Seeing that Li Che was safe and sound, the two of them visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, these battles were truly exhilarating!" Ma Zhong's stubble was still frosty, but his eyes shone brightly. "The men who came with us all say they've never fought such satisfying battles before, hitting the Tibetans right where it hurts!"

Li Che laughed and scolded, "You rascal, when have you ever fought a battle without stabbing someone in the back?"

Ma Zhong chuckled and scratched his head: "I just didn't catch the big fish, which embarrassed His Majesty."

Li Che said, "It's good that you can't catch it. There were no big fish among the targets I set for you."

Luo Yueniang spoke less, simply clasping her hands in a gesture of respect and explaining the situation of her tribe.

Li Che asked them to sit down and have some hot water to calm down before inquiring in detail about their respective harassment attempts.

Ma Zhong was known for his mobility and targeted the weak points of the Tibetan forces, causing unrest in their rear.

Luo Yueniang was even more ruthless, specifically targeting key transportation points, burning grain and military supplies to delay the Tibetan frontline's resupply.

The other tribes also made their own gains. Although they did not capture any fortified cities, they had already caused panic and fear in the Tibetan rear.

"Well done." After listening to the report, Li Che did not hold back his praise. "The generals fought bravely and the soldiers were courageous. I remember all your merits and will reward you according to your merits after the battle!"

Everyone bowed in unison: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

His Majesty personally recorded everyone's merits, so there was no need to worry about their achievements being embezzled. The generals had never felt so at ease.

"Although such harassment has exhausted the enemy, it has not damaged their fundamental strength; it is merely a minor skirmish."

Li Che's eyes brightened slightly, and he slowly said, "The military and political center of eastern Tibet is still here..."

He pointed to a simple map on the ground, which was Chuima City!

Everyone's eyes fixed.

“If this city is not captured, the Tibetan command will not be in disarray. They will search us inch by inch and eventually drive us out.”

"Only by taking this city and disrupting the communication among the various Tibetan tribes can our follow-up army advance unimpeded, wipe out the remaining enemy forces, and even..." Li Che's gaze shifted westward, "to spy on their heartland!"

The atmosphere inside the tent turned tense, and the generals' eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

Chuimacheng is not a small outpost like Chiling Fort. Moreover, like Li Che, they did not carry siege weapons in order to ensure mobility, and their force was mainly composed of cavalry.

Such a team is good at picking off weak opponents, but attacking cities is wishful thinking.

“Your Majesty,” Ma Zhong scratched his head and told the truth, “I’ve seen that city from afar. The walls are high and thick, and there are quite a few soldiers guarding it.”

"We are all light cavalry, and we don't have any siege equipment. Even if we gather all the units together for a strong attack, we'll be risking our brothers' lives, and we might not even be able to take the city."

“A direct attack is certainly a poor strategy,” Li Che said. “I ask you, how many pieces of clothing, armor, and flags of the Tibetans were collected during this raid?”

Everyone was taken aback, and then each person reported their number.

Ma Zhong's troops raided several small camps and obtained three or four hundred sets of equipment.

Luo Yueniang ambushed the supply convoy and also captured some of the guards' armor.

All the other parts together amount to about 1,100 complete and usable sets.

Ma Zhong's eyes darted around: "Your Majesty intends to... disguise yourself as Tibetan soldiers and trick your way into opening the city gates?"

He then shook his head again: "No, there aren't enough of us, and our accents aren't right either."

"Even if we manage to sneak to the gate, the city's garrison isn't stupid. Once we're discovered, the area under the city gate will become our death trap."

Li Che shook his head: "There's no need to take down the city gate. All I want is an opportunity to get close to the city wall."

"Get closer?" Ma Zhong asked, puzzled. "So what if we get closer? Can cavalry just smash down the city walls?"

“Cavalry is naturally out of the question,” Li Che said slowly as he stood up. “But we can draw upon the power of heaven and earth.”

Everyone was even more confused.

Li Che turned around and glanced at the generals: "Chuima City is built against the mountain and by the river. The foundation of its western city wall is mostly rammed earth on the original hillside, not all of it dug up and buried deep."

“In recent years, Tibet has been busy with its eastward raids and has not paid much attention to the maintenance of major border cities.”

"During my daytime observation, I found that there were more than one small crack on the outer southwest corner of the city wall, and the soil at the base of the wall was a different color from the surrounding soil, indicating that it had been hollowed out by rats and ants."

Ma Zhong seemed to understand a little, but not entirely: "Your Majesty means... that the city wall is not sturdy?"

Li Che laughed and said, "That's right, and it's very flimsy."

"We will disguise ourselves as Tibetan troops. We don't need many people, just five or six hundred. We will wear Tibetan military uniforms and armor, carry Tibetan flags, and act as if we are in a panic and disarray, heading straight for their west gate."

"The garrison will be suspicious when they see that the enemy is one of their own and in this situation, but they will not immediately fire arrows. Instead, they will carefully examine the enemy."

"This gave us an opportunity."

He paused, then continued, "I have ordered the artisans accompanying the army to double the amount of gunpowder we are carrying and make it into explosive packs."

"This thing is not powerful enough to blow up the main body of the city wall, but if it is buried in a weak point in the foundation of the city wall, a series of detonations will be enough to cause the structure to loosen."

The tent was deathly silent, save for the sound of heavy breathing.

"And then?" Luo Yueniang pressed.

Li Che pointed to the map: "Then, have a large cavalry force gather on the outskirts and make a feint to attract the attention of the defenders."

"At the same time, detonate the stun mines!" Li Che pressed his finger down sharply. "We don't need to collapse the entire section of the city wall, just loosen its foundation, cause a local collapse, and tear open a gap!"

"At that time, we can break through this gap and seize the city gate while the whole city is in chaos!"

Ma Zhong gasped, his eyes widening in shock: "Your Majesty... this, can this really work? What if the city wall doesn't collapse...?"

"Man proposes, God disposes," Li Che said calmly. "But I've estimated that I'm at least 70% confident."

He looked at the generals in the tent and said, "This matter is extremely dangerous, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. Who is willing to take on this great task?!"

Ma Zhong and Luo Yueniang exchanged a glance and took a step forward almost simultaneously.

"The general will go where he wishes!"

"This humble general requests permission!"