I was worried about the reliability of our neighbors' cavalry, so I had the little slave take all the soldiers from the artillery battalion to chop branches and load them onto the artillery carts, as much as they could carry. If the escorting cavalry couldn't withstand the enemy's charge, we could also throw burning branches down to provide cover and prevent the cavalry from closing in.
I returned to the mountaintop and ran another circuit, issuing the established tactics. On the north gate side, the largest combined infantry and cavalry formation to arrive last would be responsible for cover, pretending to be there to support the forces coming out of the city. The infantry of the other ten formations were to remain stationary on the mountaintop of the circular mountain, each finding a position to cut off the retreat of fleeing enemy soldiers (this would only happen if we won, and in any case, the infantry wouldn't be needed).
All cavalry were to assemble from the outer perimeter of the circular mountain towards the artillery battalion. Branches would be collected as they were brought up the mountain.
About half an hour after the orders were given, the cavalry formations began to arrive. I divided them into two teams, left and right. To avoid friendly fire, they formed a layered, single-file serpent formation. The three teams would advance in sequence, alternating their coverage.
Once everything was in place, the artillery battalion began its ascent. Upon reaching the mountaintop, I instructed the cavalry commanders that even if they encountered enemy resistance, their advance route must not deviate. Deviation would lead to chaos. They were to push forward on a direct line to the north gate of Er Qi City, even if it meant a head-on clash with the enemy.
The cavalry, knowing this was a battle to reinforce the king and that the legendary "War God of the Wind" was commanding this battle, were very enthusiastic and vowed to complete their mission.
However, we couldn't descend the mountain yet, as the route down would be discovered by the enemy.
I handed over command of the artillery battalion here to Bing Bing and the little slave, telling them to start collecting branches. I couldn't stay here; I had to go to the north.
Moving to the north, the troops on this side were already preparing to descend and provide support. Through the art of qi sensing, I saw a large number of people from within the city also preparing to break out to the north. But there was no hurry. My attention was drawn to the commander's apricot-yellow banner. This commander was quite distinguished, with a dedicated banner-carrying squad of four men who, like sedan chair bearers, carried a banner over ten meters tall with the character "昊" (Hao) inscribed on it.
"Why 'Hao'? Aren't you surnamed Li?" I asked, puzzled. This commander was Li Yuanhao, a prominent historical figure and the founding emperor of Western Xia.
"To avoid the taboo of my superior's name, Li Shimin," Li Yuanhao said coldly. The man looked very sinister, as if his appearance reflected his nature. Despite being an emperor, he was ultimately not from the legitimate lineage.
"Then do you mind if I change a stroke?" I asked with a smile.
He was quite clever. "To 'Wu'?"
I nodded. It was better to use my own name for borrowed authority than to be a jackal for another.
"All right, but I have a condition. If we win this battle, please, Lord Wu, ask His Majesty on my behalf for a fiefdom and a posthumous title."
So, he still wanted to be a local emperor.
"No problem. As long as you are loyal to the court and do not associate with the rebels, everything can be discussed." I took the opportunity to warn him that all benefits came with prerequisites. Li Yuanhao smiled but didn't reply.
I had someone lower the banner and use cloth of the same color to cover the horizontal stroke in the middle of the character "昊," so that from a distance, no trace would be visible, and only the character "吴" (Wu) could be seen. The four men carrying it moved too slowly. I requisitioned a grain cart and fixed the modified banner onto it. I also selected fifty loud-voiced cavalrymen to guard around the large banner and shout slogans, with only one phrase: Wu Chengfeng is here!
That would be enough.
After everything was ready, I contacted Zheng Bing Bing with the Soul Capturing Token. "Go to the position in the northeast and have them fire three shots."
Over there were the ineffective traditional artillerymen, who were laboriously transporting their cannons up the mountain. They were probably only halfway up and would use their cannons to prevent our artillery battalion from being exposed prematurely.
Bing Bing said "okay" and used the Gale Art. Three minutes later, I heard three cannon shots from the flank.
After the cannon fire, the north gate of the city opened, and a cavalry unit charged out. On our side, we also began our charge, with the cavalry and the large banner as the vanguard, heading towards the plains.
I sat on the banner cart, wearing the uniform of the White Impermanence and a tall hat. The cart was a bit bumpy, and I had to hold onto the flagpole. My posture was somewhat undignified, but it didn't matter. Once the two sides engaged, the speed would naturally slow down.