Watching the spectacle unfold.
After Hou Junji left, Li Shimin and the others decided not to waste any more mental energy.
Li Shimin first turned to Li Jing and said, “Master Physician, tell us about the movements of the Dragon Cavalry. We have already guessed some details, but we need your firsthand explanation.”
Li Jing smiled wryly. “Your Majesty, why must you know the Dragon Cavalry’s movements in advance?”
Li Shimin replied, “I simply do not want to miss their splendid performance. Surely you and Zhinu don’t intend for me and the other lords to suffer the cold here in vain?”
Li Jing clasped his fists. “Since Your Majesty and the others wish to witness it firsthand, then at the beginning of the hour of Chou, endure the cold with the two of us.”
Li Shimin nodded, then asked, “Tonight, are the troops divided into two groups for the final assault?”
Li Jing answered, “Though it is a general assault, the troops are not divided.”
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin’s eyes suddenly widened.
Qin Qiong, Yuchi Jingde, and Cheng Yaojin wore the same expression.
All four were well versed in military strategy and reached the same conclusion nearly simultaneously.
Yuchi Jingde sprang to his feet in shock and asked, “Has the Dragon Cavalry really already ascended?”
Li Jing nodded. “Though I have not seen it with my own eyes, barring any mishaps, the Dragon Cavalry has indeed reached the top.”
Cheng Yaojin exclaimed, “Could it be that all a thousand of them managed to climb the cliff?”
Li Jing said nothing, only nodding proudly.
This answer rendered everyone utterly speechless.
Everyone, including Li Shimin, had previously inferred from Li Zhi’s expression that the Dragon Cavalry would send scouts to the mountaintop as insiders.
Yet none, no matter how hard they contemplated, had imagined that a hundred men could accomplish such a feat.
Thus, all prior analysis had centered on how the Dragon Cavalry would coordinate from inside and outside, and how those who climbed up would maximize their impact.
But Li Jing’s answer was simply astonishing.
The Dragon Cavalry was capable of having their entire force climb up from beneath the cliff.
Li Shimin was the first to recover from his shock.
He asked with a puzzled expression, “If the Dragon Cavalry have already ascended, why have they not launched their attack? Could they be recovering their strength?”
His suspicion was not unfounded.
No matter how formidable the Dragon Cavalry, ascending such a steep cliff must have been grueling.
Hence, their stamina might be severely depleted, requiring a period of rest before launching a full assault.
From previous clashes, it was clear that the sixteen guards’ four thousand men could not match the Dragon Cavalry.
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Therefore, if the Dragon Cavalry’s stamina permitted, they could launch a direct attack once all defenses of the sixteen guards were rendered ineffective.
What surprised him was that Li Jing immediately shook his head upon hearing this.
As everyone wondered, Li Jing spoke, “Your Majesty, do not forget that the Dragon Cavalry’s strength has never been in frontal combat.”
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood.
Li Jing and Li Zhi had repeatedly emphasized that the Dragon Cavalry did not rely on direct confrontation.
Yuchi Jingde exclaimed in surprise, “The Dragon Cavalry plans to launch a stealth attack even under such favorable conditions?”
Li Zhi smiled and replied, “General Yuchi, the lives of the Dragon Cavalry warriors are very precious.”
This remark elicited knowing smiles from all.
Indeed, having seized the initiative, why would the Dragon Cavalry recklessly clash head-on with the enemy?
Thus, everyone returned to their tents, feigning ignorance, calmly awaiting the final moment.
At this time, the sixteen guards, including Hou Junji, were extremely tense.
As night deepened, their worry about an impending stealth attack grew.
However, excessive tension and the cold were rapidly draining their strength.
By the hour of Zi, the relieved sentinels who had just been relieved had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Those on duty earlier were snoring loudly.
At the end of the hour of Zi, Li Zhi and Li Jing quietly began to coordinate with others.
After bundling themselves up tightly, they were soon led by Li Zhi and Li Jing to a dimly lit spot.
Not long after they settled, numerous shadows emerged from the darkness.
Their footsteps were light, movements agile, showing no sign of exhaustion.
As they approached the edge of the firelight, everyone simultaneously dropped to the ground.
When a patrol passed by, some silently followed.
They moved like skilled assassins, swiftly closing in on the rear patrol soldiers.
Then, in a flash, they covered their targets’ mouths.
A precise strike followed, and the soldiers collapsed silently.
A patrol of a dozen men was quietly subdued by an equal number of Dragon Cavalry warriors.
No one raised the alarm during the entire process.
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Next, Li Shimin and the others saw the Dragon Cavalry warriors quickly draw wooden swords from their backs.
They first coated the wooden swords with white ash, then silently slipped into the tents.
Soon, faint disturbances arose inside.
But the commotion quickly ceased.
Before long, Li Shimin and the others were astonished to see the Dragon Cavalry warriors emerge wearing the uniforms of the sixteen guards.
They then formed ranks and brazenly approached the sentinels at the mountain pass.
Li Shimin and the others, now deeply intrigued, excitedly followed at a distance.
Hou Junji never imagined that the Dragon Cavalry had already come so close.
So, when the shift-changing soldiers approached, he showed no reaction.
He merely glanced back briefly, then resumed watching outside the mountain pass.
But he soon regretted his carelessness.
As the Dragon Cavalry drew near the sentinels, someone sensed something amiss.
A centurion recognized Su Lie’s face and shouted, “They are Dragon Cavalry!”
The shout immediately caused an uproar among the sixteen guards.
They hastily raised their wooden swords in resistance.
Yet it was already too late.
The Dragon Cavalry warriors were close enough to strike with just two strides.
As expected, the thousand sixteen guardsmen were swiftly defeated.
The sixteen guards’ commander of a thousand men once again faced Xue Li under tragic circumstances.
Although he was better prepared this time, he still fell within a few moves.
Disheartened, he threw down his wooden sword.
Then, filled with bitterness, he looked at Su Lie and asked, “General Su, why do you treat me so harshly? Am I not worthy to face you?”