Chapter 62: Traitor?

Discipline is merely the basic expectation for soldiers, yet the men under Cai Cong’s command were even more composed than the battle-hardened Black Armored Army. Cai Cong sat calmly in the camp, watching everything with a faint smile. His subordinates acted with deliberate calm and precise command, nothing at all like green recruits.

In contrast, on Li Ji’s side, despite his constant adjustments to the orders, as casualties mounted, his vanguard’s commanders began to lose their composure, making frequent mistakes.

“Your Majesty, I beg you to hold Li Ji and Cai Cong accountable for deceiving the throne. This scene before us is clearly a collusion between the two to defraud Your Majesty,” said Zhang Liang, sweating profusely despite the gentle breeze. There were many bets in his gambling house on Cai Cong’s victory; earlier, he thought those bettors were fools throwing away money, but now he was growing uneasy.

“We too suspect that Li Ji and Cai Cong are conspiring. We ask Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!” echoed several others, stepping out to voice their concerns, sharing Zhang Liang’s suspicions.

Emperor Taizong cast a cold glance at them, then turned back to watch the battlefield. Zhang Liang’s face flushed instantly. The others might be clueless, but as a veteran general, he could see that the two sides were truly fighting in earnest now; withdrawal was no longer determined by colored dye, but only by the loss of combat ability.

“Heh, Your Majesty, in my opinion, Lord Mao might really lose face this time,” Li Jing said with a smile, trying to ease the awkwardness on the city wall.

“Pharmacist, have you discerned something mysterious? Pray, share it with us,” Emperor Taizong replied with a laugh, curiosity piqued.

“Your Majesty, from what I’ve observed, Cai Cong’s men had several opportunities to seriously injure the Black Armored soldiers, but at the crucial moment they always showed restraint. It seems their intent is not to rout them, but to keep them entangled and prevent their retreat. Did Your Majesty notice, at the outset, several of Cai Cong’s men quietly slipped away, unnoticed by anyone?”

Li Jing stroked his beard, smiling outwardly but chilled within. He was certain that, had he not been watching from the city wall, he too would have missed the disappearing soldiers.

“Hmm, I noticed that as well. Are you suggesting they might attempt a surprise raid on the camp?” Emperor Taizong nodded, incredulous. After all, Li Ji’s camp still held more than two hundred men—how could a few dozen hope to launch a successful raid?

“That is precisely my thought. Your Majesty must not forget, in this drill, victory can be won not only by capturing the commander, but also by seizing the command flag. As you can see, Lord Mao has realized this and stationed men around the flag. I suppose Cai Cong’s plan will come to nothing,” Li Jing said, pointing to the movements in Li Ji’s camp.

Emperor Taizong nodded in agreement. “Pharmacist, you are indeed insightful. Cai Cong once told me his men fear nothing on the battlefield, and excel especially in ambushes.”

As the two spoke, a small group, camouflaged with grass and leaves, burst from a nearby grove. Without shouting or war cries, they simply rushed in, taking down the gate guards and heading straight for the command flag.

Li Ji quickly spotted them and waved his hand; his men surged forward to intercept. On one side, there was reckless bravery; on the other, seasoned veterans, and soon the battle grew fierce.

Unlike the shouts of the Black Armored Army, Cai Cong’s troops moved with grim faces, wielding wooden clubs in silence. Even with heads bloodied or arms broken, they uttered not a single cry, only glaring fiercely at their opponents. If struck again, they retaliated immediately, unsettling the Black Armored soldiers with their eerie silence.

“What kind of training could turn men into this? It’s just a drill, not a fight to the death—why are they so desperate?” Emperor Taizong trembled with emotion; the others, all veterans of war, knew all too well how terrifying such soldiers could be.

“In all my years of command, I have never faced such opponents. Your Majesty, I daresay, just a few thousand of these men on the battlefield would be enough to shatter the enemy’s morale,” Li Jing said, his throat dry and his palms sweating.

He ran the scenario through his mind: if his own subordinates encountered such fearless, death-defying warriors, would they hold? Time and again, he concluded they would break.

Just as everyone’s attention was fixed on the two battlefields, a Black Armored captain suddenly turned and shot an arrow at Li Ji. The bright red dye marked a fatal wound to Li Ji’s heart—he was out.

Stunned by the ambush, Li Ji glanced down at the dyed spot on his chest and managed a wry smile. That young man was truly devious.

“Traitor!”

The Black Armored soldiers’ eyes reddened. Was this how they lost? All wanted to rush up and beat the turncoat, but when he removed his mask, it revealed a stranger—not their comrade, but someone else entirely.

“I am Xu Jie, captain under Baron Chang’an. Greetings, gentlemen.” Xu Jie grinned, his sly face inviting a beating.

“How shameless, impersonating our Black Armored Guards!” the Black Armored captain ground out, faces filled with indignation.

“My lord said, on the battlefield, there is only life and death, only strategy. That your men would dare to sneak outside the camp for a private matter—how could I not take advantage? I even altered my armor to match yours, though it wasn’t needed in the end.” Xu Jie’s words were infuriating, but having won, he could say as he pleased.

“And what skill is that? If you have any real ability, face us openly, blade to blade!”

“Are you that dissatisfied? Then try me!” Xu Jie replied coldly. As everyone looked on in confusion, a disguised Black Armored Guard by the command flag suddenly chopped it down in one stroke.

“If you can’t even tell friend from foe at your side, do you deserve to talk about real combat?” Xu Jie said arrogantly, head held high. His heart swelled with pride. To defeat the famed Black Armored Army—what glory!

“Their flag has fallen!” At that moment, Cai Cong’s scouts shouted in excitement.

Meng Baolai, spirits soaring, bellowed, “Attack with all your might! Thrust, left three, thrust center, shields cover, archers fire!”

“Advance, stab, blades attack, pursue!” Meng Baolai’s voice grew hoarse as the Black Armored Army broke and ran. From this day forth, they would no longer be nameless pawns; in time, they would become the Tang Empire’s foremost army.

“A great upheaval—so this is the elite of elites Cai Cong spoke of?” The shift had come so swiftly that no one had reacted before the battle was over.

Li Ji came to the base of the city wall and said sorrowfully, “I failed in my command and brought about a disastrous defeat. I beg to be punished.”

The Black Armored Army all knelt, begging for punishment together. They were legends of the Tang military, invincible in campaign after campaign with Emperor Taizong, and now they had lost utterly—a crushing humiliation.

“This was not a fault of war, so what crime is there? Stand up, all of you. In the old days, you followed me to conquer the land. Even when facing Wang Shichong’s great host, you fought by my side. What is one lost drill? You will always be my invincible army!” Emperor Taizong’s words were stirring, bringing tears to the eyes of the assembled men, who straightened their backs with pride.

The people of Chang’an, who had held resentment toward them, now turned their scorn on Cai Cong’s men, cursing them with every insult imaginable. The more bitter the abuse, the more clearly it showed how soundly they had been defeated.

Meanwhile, the Left Guard’s ranks laughed heartily. Let them curse—this time they had gained both honor and profit. Cai Cong had just told them he’d wagered everyone’s monthly rations on their victory; this month, their pay would be fifteen times the usual amount.