MFMH C90

Chapter 90 — The Art of War Is the Way of Deception

If anyone else had said, “I have a way to break Great Qi’s passive position on the battlefield,” the generals might have scoffed, dismissing it as nonsense. But Gu Changfeng never doubted Shen Yanbei’s ability to follow through on what he said. He merely froze for a heartbeat before looking at Shen with urgency in his eyes.

From his sleeve, Shen Yanbei drew out a piece of paper. Borrowing the dim firelight of the training ground’s torches, he carefully explained to Gu Changfeng the function and method of crafting a certain kind of weapon sketched upon it.

Soldiers who kept a watchful eye on their surroundings could not help but notice the astonishment on the Duke’s heir’s usually indifferent face.

Shen Yanbei was delighted by the shock he had managed to stir in his husband and smiled. “Time was short, so I only managed to put together a simple version. Shall we test it?”

Gu Changfeng nodded at once.

Shen slipped the blueprint into his hand and, while doing so, teasingly scratched his palm. “Go wait for me at the archery range.”

Gu gripped the paper tightly, feeling the warmth in his palm rush straight to his face.

The weapon on that paper, if it truly worked as Shen claimed, would stir not only Great Qi but also the entire world — it could even bring about a revolution in warfare. Yet the young man had handed the drawing to him as though it were a toy he had casually tinkered with.

The night was thick and visibility poor. The archery range, unused by the men for night practice, lay quiet in the corner of the camp where Gu Changfeng often trained. Torchlight from the arrow stands threw his tall figure onto the ground. He pulled an arrow from a quiver, notched it to his bowstring—

The bow arched like a full moon. Gu loosed his fingers. With a sharp “swish,” the arrow flew like a shaft of light, piercing the air and slamming deep into the target one hundred and fifty paces away.

Expression steady, Gu drew another arrow.

His dark, still eyes fixed on the arrow in the target’s center. Narrowing them slightly, he released the string again.

The impossible occurred: the arrow he shot split the shaft already embedded in the bullseye, shattering it and taking its place in the heart of the target!

Such archery was dazzling beyond compare.

“Excellent!” Shen Yanbei shouted, unable to restrain his applause as the arrow’s fletching still quivered in the target.

At his words, Gu turned. Shen approached, his eyes bright with laughter. “The heir’s archery is truly masterful — an eye-opener indeed! They say a true archer can shoot a willow leaf at a hundred paces, but your sight and strength are fit for a master of the martial world!”

Gu ignored the teasing, his gaze fixed instead on the wooden contraption Shen carried in his hand — similar to a bow yet different. About a meter long, the front bent like a bow with string attached. A stock braced the middle, with a groove to place an arrow. At the tail was a movable catch to hold the string, and below it, a handle to control the firing.

Shen called it a crossbow.

The night before, after leaving the command tent, Shen had lain awake in his quarters — on the very bed where he and his husband had just spent themselves. His mind turned over and over the question: how to not only cut down the raiding barbarians but also ignite the army’s spirit?

The answer lay in finding a way to counter the enemy cavalry. He dredged up half-buried memories, though unfamiliar with Great Qi’s exact military capacity. At dawn, he went straight to General Tai Qigang to learn about the garrison: its numbers, its divisions, its composition.

As imperial inspector, it was natural to inquire about such matters. His humility and courtesy made him well-liked, so apart from top-secret intelligence, the general spoke freely, even assigning a personal guard to escort Shen in a tour of the camp.

The army consisted mainly of infantry and cavalry. Infantry itself split into archers, shield bearers, axemen, pikemen, and others. In this cold-weapon era, most bore simple iron arms: knives, spears, axes, swords. The wealthy and officers wielded sharper, finer weapons, but there were no so-called divine arms.

Then Shen discovered something crucial—Great Qi had no crossbows.

What is a crossbow? A weapon with greater range than the bow, stronger lethality, higher accuracy, and lower demand on the user’s strength. Most importantly, it was the bane of cavalry: a powerful long-range weapon that infantry could use to devastating effect.

He remembered a famous battle in the Three Kingdoms, where a statesman armed his infantry with improved crossbows, supported by spearmen and war carts, combined with terrain traps — and crushed enemy cavalry.

The discovery thrilled him. He was a modern man, ignorant of warfare and hot weapons, but he knew how to make a crossbow!

For this, he thanked his university roommate, an enthusiast of ancient weaponry.

It was thanks to that roommate that he remembered the case so clearly. The man idolized a certain Three Kingdoms strategist and often reenacted his exploits. During Shen’s darkest days — his mother had passed away, leaving him sunk in grief — his roommate dragged him into building a replica of the legendary repeating crossbow.

Together they gathered materials and crafted the weapon. Shen had witnessed the entire process. When it was done, they tested it in the wild by shooting pheasants. The weapon’s power stunned him, leaving an indelible memory.

That roommate later pursued a dual major in small-arms manufacturing and entered a state arsenal as a weapons researcher. Shen had long since lost contact with him, but the memory was etched so deep that even now he recalled the steps and craftsmanship needed to build a crossbow.

So he sketched the design, gathered materials, and after some labor, produced a prototype. Too impatient to wait, he sought out his husband — only to learn from Zhou Yu that Gu was at the training ground.

Fearing too many eyes, Shen first presented the blueprint. Unsurprisingly, his husband loved it.

Beaming inwardly, Shen now placed an arrow without fletching into the crossbow’s groove, drew back the string, aimed at a straw target at a visible distance, and pulled the trigger.

The bolt thundered forth with wind-like force, embedding deeply into the target. The power of it made Gu’s eyes shift.

“Well?” Shen lowered the weapon and raised a brow. “This is just single-shot. A repeating crossbow has a magazine, can fire continuously, and has even greater killing power.”

“It’s terrifying,” Gu replied. With hardened metal tips, a volley would skewer men like sieves.

“This thing is just an enhanced bow, but more practical. It requires little training, easy to use, and can be mass-produced with simple materials. New recruits may lack archery skill, but if each carried a crossbow, their fighting power and survival would soar.”

“…Thank you.”

Shen blinked in surprise.

Gu’s gaze locked onto him, eyes bloodshot from fatigue. His lashes trembled as he leaned in and brushed his lips against Shen’s. “Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

The deep, magnetic voice surged into Shen’s ears, and his heart raced. When Gu pulled back, firelight revealed a faint blush on his handsome face.

The seasoned flirt had been struck back — straight to the heart.

Shen screamed inwardly. His husband’s skill at seduction was growing; he needed to hold firm! He cleared his throat, composed himself, and continued with the discussion of cavalry-countering tactics.

At last, he said gravely, “These are orthodox methods. They require cooperation of multiple units and time to drill. Results will not be immediate.”

Orthodox? Not immediate? Gu instantly heard what lay between the lines — there was also an unorthodox, immediate method.

The youth’s ideas were always strange yet practical. Gu waited quietly for him to finish.

The man’s eyes were clear, brimming with trust. Heat rose in Shen’s chest. Unable to resist, he whispered, “Kiss me again, and I’ll tell you.”

Seeing no one around, Gu, pained by how Shen always fretted for him, kissed him obediently. This time not a fleeting touch, but prying Shen’s lips apart.

Shen revived as though reborn, cradled him lightly, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Gu froze, astonishment filling his gaze.

“The art of war is the way of deception,” Shen said with a mischievous smile, letting him go.

Gu’s eyes glittered. “If the barbarians harass us again, I will request to fight.”

Shen gave him a helpless look and sighed. “I’ll prepare the materials for you. But remember, this is a trick. You must account for the wind, or you might harm our own men.”

“I will be careful,” Gu promised solemnly.

Handing the crossbow to him, Shen spoke warmly: “Alright. Win and come back, and I’ll make you a feast.” The frontier was harsh. Training was grueling, battles frequent. His husband had grown thinner, his voice hoarse from drilling recruits daily.

“Good.” Gu’s heart warmed. Seeing Shen’s weary state, he urged him to rest, then took the crossbow to Tai Qigang.

The weapon’s killing power shocked the generals. Upon learning Shen had invented it, they praised the young scholar — a mind far keener than their own brute force.

Each tried the crossbow in turn, enchanted by its might, unwilling to let it go. Someone asked curiously, “Where is Master Shen?”

Indeed — why had Gu presented the weapon to Tai Qigang instead of Shen himself?

All eyes turned to Gu. His face unreadable, he replied, “Master Shen worried over military affairs. He didn’t sleep all night, and spent today inspecting the camp and making the crossbow. After handing it to me, he went to rest.”

Tai Qigang asked, “You two knew each other before?”

This was the question on everyone’s mind.

“Yes.”

Sudden understanding swept the room. No wonder on Shen’s first day at camp, he had gone to the gates to welcome the heir, greeting him with, You’re back, face alight with familiarity.

That joyful look was simply the reunion of old friends!

Tai Qigang nodded inwardly. For the Duke’s heir to befriend a man, he must be of the highest character. This Shen was indeed exceptional: brilliant, unambitious, truly rare!

The barracks were filled with rough men. Life was dull: train, fight, and nothing more. In spare time, gossip was their favorite pastime. Once a bit of news spread, it would soon be everywhere. With the strategist intentionally letting it out, word that Shen Yanbei had invented the crossbow and the general planned to arm everyone with one, spread like wildfire. The camp boiled with excitement. No one wished for death; no one refused a weapon to save their life. Most thrilled of all were the new recruits.

But before they could chatter about the new weapon, Gu dragged them out to drill. This time, it was not the usual kill-and-defend routines, but exercises divided by unit types, practicing coordinated attack and orderly retreat.

And one detail left everyone baffled: Gu ordered them, when chasing or retreating, to scatter the cloth bags filled with ash that had been issued to them!