Chapter Three: Guo Zihe

“Details are unclear, but it doesn’t look good,” Luo Shixin rubbed his face helplessly. “The Turks have launched a massive invasion—no matter how stable Lingzhou’s situation was before, it can’t hold under this pressure.”

Chen Ying fell silent upon hearing this.

Although the Turkic Khaganate boasted formidable military strength, their national resources were limited. Their usual stockpiles of food and forage were scant, especially under such harsh winter conditions. Countless cattle, sheep, and horses would perish from the cold. While immediate food shortages were unlikely, the daily consumption needs of over thirty thousand Turkic troops were enormous.

Just like horses, a person’s food intake depends on their caloric expenditure. A fine horse might only need ten jin of fodder daily without losing condition, but in this weather, even feeding twenty jin would still cause weight loss. They had no choice but to supplement with beans or wheat bran.

Similarly, a person might survive on a jin of grain during normal times, but vigorous activity would demand three jin just to maintain energy. Now, three jin was the bare minimum. Chen Ying roughly estimated that the Turkic force of over thirty thousand men and horses consumed at least one thousand shi of grain and nearly one hundred thousand shi of fodder each day.

Beyond food and forage, they also required vast amounts of fuel—without which no one could withstand such bitter cold.

“If they don’t break through Lingzhou, the Turks simply won’t survive the winter,” Chen Ying frowned. “So they must be willing to do whatever it takes to capture Lingzhou.”

Luo Shixin nodded. “That’s certain. But if we try to relieve Lingzhou with our current strength and the Turks catch wind of our camp, they won’t show any mercy.”

“I’m aware of that,” Chen Ying replied thoughtfully. “The most important thing now is to gather intelligence on Lingzhou. Could we select a group of volunteers to infiltrate the city and establish contact?”

“That’s unlikely,” Zhang Shigui said. “Snow and ice cover everything, and our armor stands out like a beacon. Even from ten or twenty li away, we’d be easy to spot.”

“Wait—we can disguise ourselves!”

Chen Ying recalled that in later eras, camouflage techniques had become highly advanced. There were digital camouflages that could evade infrared detection, jungle camouflages for dense forests, desert camouflages for arid regions, and mountain camouflages. Without infrared technology, snow camouflage was even easier.

Zhang Shigui looked at Chen Ying in puzzlement. “General Chen, are you skilled in the Five Elements concealment art?”

Chen Ying shook his head. “That’s unnecessary. We just need to don white cloaks, like moonlight cloaks. Even if we approach closely, we won’t be noticed against the snow.”

The Five Elements concealment art was a fundamental Daoist technique. After Japanese envoys learned it from Tang China and improved upon it, it became the legendary ninjutsu. But in this era, it was not especially advanced.

Once Chen Ying thought of disguise, he had several white silk fabrics brought forth. Zhang Shigui volunteered as a test subject. Lacking professional tailors, Chen Ying simply wrapped Zhang Shigui in white cloth, covering even his face.

Sure enough, from ten paces away, Zhang Shigui nearly blended perfectly with the snowy landscape.

“It’s still not enough,” Zhang Shigui said. “We can only hide by staying still. The moment we move, scouts from the Turks or Liang Shidu will spot our tracks in the snow.”

“Then we’ll have to try harder!” Chen Ying recalled how Yang Zirong had used skis and white cloaks to launch a surprise attack on Weiwushan in the snowy forest. Even if the Turks detected him, horses running through deep snow could never match the speed of skis. In later times, skis could reach speeds of up to ninety kilometers per hour.

Of course, such speeds required very specific conditions. Chen Ying did not expect to reach ninety kilometers per hour, only to exceed the Turkic cavalry’s snow march speed of thirty kilometers per hour.

Without hesitation, Chen Ying summoned Lin Chuanfu, the overseer of the imperial workshops.

For this relief mission to Lingzhou, the Ministry of War had mobilized five or six thousand laborers to transport supplies, but Chen Ying had gradually sent many back along the route. The more people, the greater the consumption; he could not disregard their lives.

Now, at the hot springs camp, fewer than a thousand laborers remained, but all two hundred skilled craftsmen were still present. Snow sleds had been damaged along the way, and they were responsible for repairing and replacing them to keep operations running smoothly.

“Greetings, Commander Chen!” Lin Chuanfu arrived and saluted respectfully.

“No need for formalities, Overseer Lin,” Chen Ying said. “I’ve called you here to craft something for me.”

Drawing from his vague memory, Chen Ying sketched out the design of skis. The technology for skis and poles was not difficult—without alloys or plastics, they could still be fashioned from available materials.

About an hour later, Lin Chuanfu delivered the skis and poles. Chen Ying examined them carefully. The skis were made from the same wood used for sleds, polished to a mirror finish. For the footwear attachment, Lin Chuanfu employed a clever mechanism resembling a mousetrap. When a person stood on the ski, steel clamps on both sides would snap tightly around the shoe soles.

Using the ski poles to reset the mechanism would release the clamps automatically.

Eager, Chen Ying strapped on the skis and began sliding around the camp despite the bitter cold.

Luo Shixin and Zhang Shigui watched in astonishment.

“I’m just fooling around,” Chen Ying said with a bright smile. “If we practice enough, we can run faster than horses with these.” He turned to Zhang Shigui. “Select thirty fit soldiers to quickly learn skiing and prepare to break into Lingzhou.”

...

Inside Lingzhou city, Duke Guo Zihe, Military Governor of Lingzhou, stood atop the city wall with a look of helplessness.

Now nearly thirty-three years old and in his prime, Guo Zihe appeared much older—his weathered face etched with deep lines, his beard and eyebrows stark white as frost.

Once the King of Yongle during the late Sui dynasty’s rebellion of thirty-six kings, Guo Zihe had no ambition to claim the throne. Oppressed severely by Liang Shidu, he had surrendered to Li Yuan in Chang’an.

Li Yuan granted him the title Duke of Jinhua and military governorship of Lingzhou. But he had barely settled into his post when Liang Shidu’s forces appeared beneath the city walls. As the saying goes, enemies glare with burning hatred upon meeting. When Liang Shidu arrived in person, Guo Zihe did not wait defensively but launched a counterattack, flanking with his younger brother Guo Zisheng. They inflicted nearly a thousand casualties on Liang Shidu’s troops.

Yet he had not expected Liang Shidu to bring in the Turks. As soon as the Turks appeared at Lingzhou, Guo Zihe urgently requested reinforcements from Chang’an. By now, the reinforcements should have arrived.

For nearly two months, he and the Lingzhou soldiers and civilians had fought fiercely, refusing to let Liang Shidu’s army breach the city walls.