Volume Two: The Battle of Hulao Pass Chapter Fifty-six: Li Mingyu’s Hat Trick

It turned out that Li Mingyu’s so-called clever plan was exceedingly ruthless.

He first stripped more than ten Xia scouts of their armor and dressed them in Tang uniforms. Then, he ordered them to be bound to horses alongside dozens of straw mannequins, which had already been outfitted in Tang gear. He selected a densely wooded spot shrouded in shadows, where he tethered the horses securely to trees.

The trees concealed much, the dim light cast confusion, and from a distance, the blurred figures seemed numerous—enough to intimidate. To ensure the Xia soldiers did not cry out, Li Mingyu simply dislocated their jaw joints.

When everything was in place, Li Mingyu judged the time ripe. With a wave of his hand, he commanded, “Begin the operation!”

The remaining Tang soldiers, some wielding branches, some brandishing shovels, others simply shouting at the top of their lungs, made a raucous uproar in the woods, sending birds and beasts fleeing in terror. The startled birds rose in great numbers, wheeling above the forest.

Soon enough, scouts reported that the Xia army had fallen for the ruse: several thousand troops had arrived outside the woods, dispatching waves of riders to investigate.

Li Mingyu’s heart pounded with anxiety; whether his stratagem would succeed depended on this moment. Now was the time for true skill, not the rehearsed exercises of his previous life. He waved again, ordering, “Proceed as planned!” The Tang soldiers dispersed to their tasks.

Meanwhile, Duan Hong led over two thousand cavalry into the woods, where they spotted what appeared to be a Tang ambush. Instantly, arrows were unleashed toward the Tang troops, the sounds of arrows piercing flesh and the cries of wounded horses echoing through the trees. With a roar, the two thousand surged forward, spears raised for the charge.

As they pressed closer, their ferocity undiminished, they finally glimpsed the “ambush” within the shadows. At once, their spirits plummeted—it was as if a mighty fist had struck nothing but air, leaving them deflated.

The Tang ambush was nothing more than the earlier arrangement: dozens of Xia scouts, bound and clad in Tang armor, strapped to the backs of horses, alongside straw mannequins dressed the same. In the dim light, without close inspection, the illusion was convincing.

“Damn it! They’re fakes!” Duan Hong’s fury surged, his whole body trembling, his face burning with humiliation. Before his subordinates, his dignity was shattered. He had been cautious, using tricks to persuade surrender and stealth to encircle what turned out to be nothing but straw men—a futile and laughable effort! If word spread, he’d be mocked mercilessly, accused of cowardice before a crowd of effigies. How could he hold his head high among his peers after that?

Just as Duan Hong was seething, a clear, childish voice rang out: “Ha ha ha ha! This is hilarious! Throwing flirtatious glances at a blind man! Ha ha ha ha! I said all along he was a fool—he’d fall for it for sure! Didn’t I call it? We must spread the word about this! Ha ha ha! Such mighty Xia soldiers, frightened into trembling by straw men! Ha ha ha!”

A robust voice chimed in with flattery, “Young master, your ingenuity is unparalleled. I am in awe!”

The child snorted, “My so-called ingenuity is nonsense—the real marvel is how pig-headed the enemy general is!”

Duan Hong followed the voices, spotting, not far ahead, beneath the shade of a tree, a horse bearing a young Tang officer, and before him, a seven- or eight-year-old child. These two were clearly the ones mocking him!

Duan Hong’s eyes blazed, and he shouted angrily, “Where did these brats come from? Daring to taunt your general! Men, seize them!”

The two were none other than Li Mingyu and Li Junxian. Mingyu was still young, not yet tall enough to ride alone, so Li Junxian carried him on horseback. With all arrangements complete, they had sent the laborers to hide deep within the forest, leaving only the Tang soldiers to lure the enemy.

When the Xia troops fell for the trap, Mingyu and Li Junxian hurried over to witness the results of their handiwork, and then deliberately taunted the Xia soldiers, provoking pursuit.

The two thousand Xia troops, their pride wounded, found themselves the butt of the child’s sharp and caustic remarks, which stoked their anger further. With the general’s command, none dared hesitate; they spurred their horses and brandished their blades, intent on capturing the pair.

“Oh dear! Someone’s embarrassed! What, you’re allowed to be foolish but no one else can say so? Stupid pig! Stupid pig! Quick, run!” Mingyu, seeing the Xia soldiers charging after him, urged Li Junxian to ride faster, all the while making faces and gestures of contempt, continuing his mockery.

In the chase, Mingyu and Li Junxian relied on their familiarity with the terrain, weaving left and right through the woods, drawing the Xia army toward the trap-laden areas—pitfalls and trip ropes carefully prepared in advance.

The Xia soldiers, blinded by fury and unfamiliar with the landscape, became even more determined by Mingyu’s taunting, pursuing relentlessly.

Unfortunately, the area was riddled with Tang traps, and the Xia troops, unaware, plunged headlong into danger.

Many, in hot pursuit, found their horses suddenly stumbling into pits, breaking legs and tossing riders to the ground in confusion and pain, bones snapping. Some, less fortunate, crashed into trees or snapped their necks in a fall, dying instantly.

Others, galloping madly, were tripped by hidden ropes, tumbling together with their mounts in a heap.

Taken by surprise, the Xia army fell victim to the snares; at least a hundred or two were thrown from their saddles, many dying on the spot. The entire Xia contingent was soon awash in misery and wails.

With heavy casualties and uncertainty about further ambushes ahead, suspicion and fear seized the Xia troops; they dared not advance.

Li Junxian halted their horse, standing dozens of yards away from the Xia army, while Li Mingyu burst into laughter, feigning bravado, “Well? Does my little trick suit you? This was but an appetizer—the main course is still to come!”

Duan Hong, now arrived, saw the devastation among his men and grew even more furious. “You brat! Don’t get cocky! These are nothing but hidden pits and ropes! When I catch you, I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!”

Li Mingyu, judging that the time was right, sneered, “Heh! You think you can catch me? You’d better worry about yourself. If I’m not mistaken, Dou Jiande is being crushed—his defeat is inevitable! Take my advice: before you lose your life, hurry and do what you must!”

Duan Hong snorted coldly. “Bah! Sharp-tongued brat! You think I’d believe your nonsense? Our Xia King commands a hundred thousand troops—how could Li Shimin’s mere thousands defeat us?”

“Ha! You think I’m lying? If you don’t believe me, send someone to check. While you were negotiating with straw men, we already dispatched a force to strike Dou Jiande’s main camp! Dou Jiande may have a hundred thousand men, but tell me, how many still stand by his side now?” Li Mingyu crossed his arms and laughed coldly.

Duan Hong, hearing Mingyu’s confident words and recalling how empty the main camp had seemed when he left, began to sweat coldly.

As he wavered between belief and doubt, a rider galloped up. “Report! General! Brothers outside sent me in haste to inform you—a Tang force burst from the southern woods, unstoppable, and severed our rear army! Rear commander Zeng Shou was killed on the spot! Now the Tang are driving our routed troops straight toward the main camp! The rear army is dead or fleeing in droves! We don’t know what to do—please give us orders!”

“Ah! Zeng Shou has betrayed me! Xia King! I have failed you!” Duan Hong’s fury and despair overwhelmed him; his vision darkened, nearly causing him to fall from his horse.

Li Mingyu heard every word, and seeing the trap had worked and his master’s surprise attack succeeded, he chuckled to Li Junxian. “The tide has turned! This Xia force is finished—let them be. Come, let’s go pick the fruits of victory!”