134: The First Probe
By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the third week of the eighth moon of the twenty-first year of Da-ye, Pang Yu laid in his accumulating *first probing patrol*.
It was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's accumulating saying at the past two days — at the small accumulating *forty-strong* shape, with the small accumulating *senior sub-officer of the southern garrison's accumulating reconnaissance arm* (a man called *Cui Xiaobo*, perhaps thirty, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler) at the head. The patrol was — by the small specific accumulating reading — *not* at the small accumulating *engagement-shape* of the past Yu-Wenhuo or Qu-Tutong patrols. It was at the small accumulating *real reconnaissance* shape. It would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler's reading of Cui Xiaobo's accumulating *Sui-court training*, lay in the small accumulating *real-eye-on-the-upper-hills-arrangement*.
The patrol was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — perhaps four days from the southern fold's accumulating *first cut*.
Yan Wenshu's accumulating coordinated arrangement at the cold-spring brigade — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past day's runner-relay — laid the small accumulating *receiving-but-not-engaging* shape. By the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating saying — the cold-spring brigade would, at the small accumulating *first cut's accumulating outer arrangement*, let Cui Xiaobo's *forty* approach to the small accumulating *visible cold-spring camp's accumulating outer-watch* shape and would, at the small accumulating *first sign of accumulating real-engagement-intent*, withdraw the brigade at the small accumulating *real holding-place* of the cold-spring camp's accumulating *full perimeter*.
Cui Xiaobo would — by the small specific reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating reading — see the small accumulating *real* shape of an accumulating *one-hundred-and-twelve-strong upper-hills sub-base* at the small accumulating *visible* shape and would, by the small specific reading I am giving, lay in the small accumulating *real reconnaissance reading* at the small accumulating *back to the southern garrison*.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past two days' arrangement at the small wooden bench at the master's hut — Lao Wen had named the small accumulating *seeing-and-being-seen* shape as the small accumulating *correct* response to Cui Xiaobo's accumulating *real reconnaissance*. By the small specific reading at Lao Wen's accumulating saying at the past two days — Pang Yu would, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past Sui-court's accumulating reading of Yang Yichen's old patrols and Pei Renji's three-hundred and Qu Tutong's five-hundred and Yu Wenhuo's eighty, lay the small accumulating *full reading* of the upper-hills sub-base at his accumulating *campaign-plan*. By the small specific reading I am giving — Pang Yu would, at the small specific accumulating *full reading*, decide whether to lay in the small accumulating *real campaign* of three waves at the small specific accumulating *moment*.
By the small specific reading at Lao Wen's saying — letting Cui Xiaobo see the small accumulating *one-hundred-and-twelve* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, perhaps slow Pang Yu at the small accumulating *real campaign-decision* by perhaps a moon, perhaps two. By the small specific reading I am giving — Pang Yu would, at the small accumulating *seeing the *one-hundred-and-twelve*, perhaps lay in the small accumulating *first wave at four hundred* shape rather than the small accumulating *first wave at three hundred* shape, and would perhaps wait until the small accumulating *late winter or early spring of the next year* before laying in.
By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *seeing-and-being-seen* would, by the small specific reading at Lao Wen's accumulating reading, buy the cold-spring brigade and the master's hut perhaps two months. The accumulating *real moment* would, by the small specific reading I am giving, move from the small accumulating *late autumn of this year* to perhaps the *spring of the next*.
Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the third week of the eighth moon nodded.
He filed it.
The small accumulating *first probing patrol* came at the noon of the fourth day after the peddler's saying.
Cui Xiaobo's *forty* came up the southern fold at the small accumulating *real Sui reconnaissance* shape — at the small accumulating *open formation*, at the small accumulating *senior officer at the front with the small accumulating *map-and-brush*, at the small accumulating *visible counting-the-numbers* shape.
The cold-spring brigade — by Yan Wenshu's coordinated arrangement at the past two days — laid the *one-hundred-and-twelve* at the *full perimeter* of the cold-spring camp at the small accumulating *visible-but-not-engaging* shape.
Cui Xiaobo's *forty* sat at the small accumulating *first cut's accumulating outer arrangement* at the noon and the early afternoon. They counted. They mapped. They — by the small specific accumulating reading at the cold-spring brigade's accumulating watch on them — did not advance into the cut.
By the dusk, they withdrew.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past four days' arithmetic — Cui Xiaobo's reading of the cold-spring brigade was, by the small specific reading I am giving, the small accumulating *one-hundred-and-twelve at the seasoned shape*. He would lay it at his accumulating brush at the small specific accumulating *real* reading.
He left the southern fold at the dusk.
By the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the second day after the engagement — Cui Xiaobo had, at the past two days, returned to the southern garrison and had laid the small accumulating *real reading* at Pang Yu's accumulating *campaign-table*. Pang Yu had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler — laid the small accumulating *first wave at four hundred* at the small accumulating *spring of the next year's accumulating real campaign* shape. He had — by the small specific accumulating reading — set the small accumulating *real campaign* at perhaps the small accumulating *third moon of the twenty-second year of Da-ye*.
By the small specific reading I am giving — perhaps seven months ahead.
Lao Wen at the cot looked up.
He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad. By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — Pang Yu has, at the past peddler's saying, laid the *real campaign* at the small accumulating *third moon of the twenty-second year*. By the small specific reading I am giving — that is the small accumulating *first wave's* accumulating moment. The cold-spring brigade will, by the small specific reading at the past four years' accumulating arithmetic, hold the *first wave* at four hundred. By the small specific reading I am giving — the *second wave* at six hundred or seven hundred would lay in at perhaps the *seventh moon* of the twenty-second year. The cold-spring brigade would hold but at the small accumulating *real strain*.*
He paused.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — Pang Yu's *third wave* at perhaps eight hundred would lay in at perhaps the *eleventh moon* of the twenty-second year, perhaps the *first moon of the twenty-third year*. By the small specific reading I am giving — the cold-spring brigade would not, at that moment, hold."
He paused once more.
"By the small specific reading I am giving — the small accumulating *real moment* is, at this dusk, at perhaps fifteen months ahead, perhaps eighteen."
Heizi nodded.
He filed it.
By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the small accumulating *real moment* had, at this past peddler's saying, become the small accumulating *Pang Yu's accumulating third wave at the eleventh moon of the twenty-second year or the first moon of the twenty-third*. The lad had, at this dusk, perhaps fifteen to eighteen months at the cot's-side.
That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire.
He listened.
The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *senior sub-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating master had, by the small accumulating *seeing-and-being-seen* of Cui Xiaobo's accumulating *forty*, bought the small specific accumulating *another fifteen to eighteen months*.
He filed.
He sat his watch through.