The soldiers had a long march ahead of them. Jing Shao's elite troops didn't bring any equipment and heavy armor for besieging a town, and not all of them were cavalry. They also brought along pots and pans, bowls and utensils, and so on. They weren't going fast, so Mu Hanzhang's carriage didn't hold them back. It followed Jing Shao's horse unhurriedly the whole way.
Ge Ruo Yi just sat quietly at the front of the carriage and brought tea and poured water for the people inside when necessary. At wu hour, Jing Shao would slip inside the military advisor's carriage to get some rest. The right protectorate general was very envious, and often stole the coachman position. This way, he could worm his way into becoming close to the military advisor's beautiful maid. However, it was to no avail, as Ge Ruo Yi would always respond to ten questions with just one sentence. The right protectorate general's curiosity about the military advisor's origins was always on his mind, but he wasn't even able to get a word or two on it out of Ge Ruo Yi.
"It's the military advisor's maid, of course she can keep secrets better than you can." The left protectorate general patted the dispirited right protectorate general on the shoulder.
"Little Left, are you comforting me?" The right protectorate general shot a sideways glance at him.
"Naturally." The left protectorate general expressionlessly turned and mounted his horse before continuing on his way.
After more than ten days in this fashion, they arrived at the Dahang mountain range. The endless mountains blocked their way, and they would have to make a detour of more than 100 li. Jing Shao ordered them to set up camp for now, and they would continue the next day.
"The single line formation is weak in both attack and defense. Once we encounter the enemy, we'll only be able to stand there and take a beating!" In the center tent, Zhao Meng pointed at the formation chart.
"But we can't march quickly on a mountain road without a single line formation!" The right protectorate general pointed at the topographic map.
"What are they fighting over?" After supper, Jing Shao came in with the military advisor. Seeing the two men arguing until their faces were red and their necks bulged, he directed the question at the expressionless left protectorate general on the side, who was silently reading a book on the art of war.
"Responding to Wang Ye, they're discussing how to get through the mountain road in the southwest," the left protectorate general said.
Jing Shao was well aware that their journey was impeded by the Dahang mountain range they had come upon today. It was more time-consuming to climb the mountains than to make a detour because of all their weapons and horses. They had thus chosen to look for a detour, but there were hills everywhere in the southwest, and it was impossible to detour through them. They could only take the mountain road, but how they would do so was a major issue.
"Military advisor, tell us, what army doesn't use a long line formation when taking a mountain road?" The right protectorate general dragged Mu Hanzhang over to look at the topographic map of the southwest on the table. Most of the mountain paths were narrow, and any other type of formation definitely wouldn't work.
"I didn't say that we can't set up a line formation; it's just that if the enemy ambushes us on the mountain path, we can only just stand there and take a beating since the line formation is weak in the center. That's why I said we should send a group of troops ahead of time to clear the way!" Zhao Meng was afraid of being misunderstood, and quickly explained.
Jing Shao frowned. His Wang Fei had only read scholarly and religious books since young, and naturally hadn't read many books on military strategy or tactics. Jing Shao hadn't brought him along in the hope that he would be able to help on the battlefield; he just didn't want to be separated from him. Seeing that Mu Hanzhang had lowered his gaze and wasn't saying anything, he was about to speak up to help, when he saw that lustrous and slender hand pick up a stick next to the simple sand table and draw a cross in the sand.
