Chapter 706: Massacre

Once they learned that they had withstood the Song army's massive assault, and discovered that even the Yanjing they themselves regarded as rotten was not quite so helpless after all, officials throughout the court breathed a little easier.

Some who had stayed awake all night and could endure no longer finally collapsed into sleep.

The Song army needed time to rest and halted its attacks. People were also sent out from the city to take the opportunity to restore the defensive ditches outside the walls. The trenches had already been filled level with corpses.

Inside the city, bodies were being disposed of and the wounded treated, everything proceeding in orderly fashion.

Fresh defensive equipment was carried onto the walls. When materials ran short, civilian houses were simply dismantled for timber.

The poor, who ordinarily had difficulty even filling their stomachs, suddenly discovered that the arrival of war did not seem entirely bad. All at once, they could eat their fill.

For that, they had Tong Mo to thank. To prevent disorder inside the city, Tong Mo had forced the great clans and wealthy households to disgorge the enormous grain stores they had hoarded. Yanjing was a place where rich and powerful households gathered in abundance. The amount recovered could easily be imagined.

Others might not know the details, but the Grand Minister of Works had a remarkably clear idea of roughly how much grain each household in the city had stockpiled. It was as though he carried a ledger in his belly. Whenever he reached for someone, he got the right household.

Ordinarily, he kept one eye open and one eye closed. Now that his own position and power were at stake, however, he had become ruthless. He simply sent out written orders naming the amount of grain each household was to surrender. Anyone who dared argue was immediately subjected to a search. If concealed grain was found, the entire household was executed under charges of harboring treasonous intent and colluding with the enemy state.

The grain hidden in private storehouses and cellars was all dug out and seized.

After this, Shang Jianxiong discovered that the grain problem he had feared most was actually the least of his worries. So long as the city could be held, the enormous reserves were enough to feed everyone in Yanjing for several months.

It should have been good news, yet it enraged him. He had once believed only a small number of people were hoarding grain. Only now did he discover that so many of the capital's powerful families had shown no thought for serving the state. When grain had previously been requisitioned, one after another had pleaded hardship and deceived him, leaving him worried sick at the time.

Yet there was nothing he could do about it now. Under the present circumstances, he did not dare settle accounts with those people.

...

"So that was how he did it! This Meng Shanming truly is a master."

In the Qi capital, inside the Hall of Wind and Thunder, Huyan Wuhen stood before a map with dawning understanding in his eyes.

As the details of the battle were pieced together afterward, the method Meng Shanming had used to force a crossing at Rolling Dragon Gorge had already leaked out. After all, Qi cultivators had assisted Meng Shanming's side in the campaign. Once Huyan Wuhen learned the truth, he could not help marveling at it.

Zha Hu, standing beside him, laughed. "He piled up human lives until he got across. Is that really worth so much praise from the Supreme General? To my mind, flooding the river-defense army in one stroke was far more impressive."

Huyan Wuhen turned and shook his head. "It was nowhere near as simple as you make it sound. Have someone else try piling up lives and see whether they can get across. The river had to be in full flood before the men forcing the crossing even had a chance of climbing onto the opposite bank. Remember how no one could understand why he kept waiting along the Dongyu River? Everyone thought he was running short of grain and could not understand why he continued to waste time there. We all knew he must be waiting for something, but who would have imagined he was waiting for that torrential rain?"

He turned back and pointed at the map. "Rolling Dragon Gorge! He did not merely select brave men for the forced crossing. For this surprise attack, he calculated Heaven's timing and the advantage of terrain as well. He even accounted for the heavy rain several days in advance. Heaven's timing, terrain's advantage, and human resolve were all fused into this one battle. It looks simple, but the skill behind it was almost beyond improvement. Truly breathtaking. I have to admit, Meng Shanming is the real thing. He even made use of Heaven's timing. Calling him a God of War would not be excessive! Yan possesses a man like this yet never knew how to use him properly. What a disgraceful waste."

At that moment, a young officer hurried inside. "Supreme General, the Song army has begun attacking Yanjing!"

Huyan Wuhen and Zha Hu were both startled.

Huyan Wuhen said in surprise, "Were they not negotiating peace? Why the sudden change?"

The young officer presented the intelligence report. "According to the report, Meng Shanming destroyed the basis for the peace talks. He buried the six hundred thousand Song prisoners alive and enraged the Song army."

Six hundred thousand people buried alive?

Huyan Wuhen and Zha Hu both drew sharp breaths. Huyan Wuhen quickly took the report and read it.

Afterward, he remained silent for a long time before slowly sighing. "He has actually disregarded whether everyone in Yanjing lives or dies. Meng Shanming is determined to beat Song half to death. In terms of sentiment, what he has done is hard to accept. In terms of strategy, however, he means to remove the threat on Yan's eastern border for a time, so that Song will not dare invade Yan again anytime soon. He also means to drive Song into a desperate corner and drag it into the water, forcing it to resist Han together with Yan. This old man is willing to bear infamy for the rest of his life to save Great Yan and create a stable breathing space for it. He has truly chosen the most ruthless course. What he is doing cannot simply be called right or wrong. But with his heart hardened to this extent, he is almost like a demon. Now that he has broken into Song, I fear the common people there are about to suffer terribly."

Zha Hu frowned. "Death on the battlefield is ordinary enough. But burying six hundred thousand men alive truly went too far."

"I have the feeling he deliberately meant to enrage the Song army into attacking Yanjing." Huyan Wuhen narrowed his eyes, light flickering within them. "Does he have some other intention? Could Shang Chaozong have instructed him?"

Zha Hu realized something and ventured, "Use the Song army's hand to destroy the foundation of Shang Jianxiong's power?"

"Ah." Huyan Wuhen suddenly sighed. "I can understand what he is thinking."

Zha Hu gave a questioning sound. "How so?"

A trace of melancholy entered Huyan Wuhen's voice. "He has spent his entire life in the saddle, guarding Yan. How many people around him have lived and died for that state? Now he has watched Yan reduced to this, humiliated at will by others. Winning one battle can no longer reverse its decline. You do not understand the grief and fury in his heart... I do."

"Report!" Another urgent cry sounded outside. A young officer entered again, presented an intelligence report, and announced, "Meng Shanming has massacred a city inside Song!"

"Massacred a city?" Both men were shocked and looked at each other.

Huyan Wuhen snatched the intelligence report and read it. Then he shook his head. "Just as I expected. The people are indeed being plunged into disaster. Meng Shanming has truly begun a great slaughter."

Zha Hu took the report from his hand and read it.

After annihilating the river-defense forces and breaking into Song, the Yan army encountered almost no opposition worthy of the name. Meng Shanming had spread his troops out, dividing them into formations of one hundred thousand and then subdividing those into groups of ten thousand, scattering them across Song to sweep through the country and carry out widespread destruction.

Wherever the Yan army passed, Song villages and towns were put to the torch. Every civilian dwelling along their route was burned.

Cultivators were sent ahead in advance to harass towns deeper inside Song, carrying out ambushes and attacks along the roads outside as well, frightening the people in those towns so badly that they did not dare flee.

One small county town with a population of roughly thirty thousand was surrounded by the Yan army. The County Magistrate and the defending commander were father and son. Both were blindly loyal and refused to open the gates and surrender, swearing to live and die with the town.

The result was inevitable. How could such a small county town withstand the Yan army? The son, who commanded the defense, died in battle. When the city was breached, the County Magistrate drew his sword and personally killed his wife and daughters, then cut his own throat to die for Great Song.

In the end, exactly as the Yan army had threatened before the assault, once the city fell they began a wholesale slaughter. Not a chicken or dog was spared. The entire population of the town was massacred.

After stripping the place of everything useful, they set another fire and buried the little city in a sea of flames.

The Yan forces sweeping the region followed the same method. First they surrounded a town and ordered it to hand over grain. If the grain was surrendered, the inhabitants were allowed to evacuate, though the town itself was still burned afterward.

Wherever the Yan army passed, Song's people were left with nowhere to live and were forced to flee ever deeper into the state's interior.

By now, the Yan army was still advancing without haste. Three cities had already been massacred, and more than ten others had been burned in various places.

"Meng Shanming has gone too far!" Zha Hu said coldly as he looked at the report.

"Too far?" Huyan Wuhen gave him a sidelong look. "It may look like an army of more than two million, but in reality it is an isolated force deep in enemy territory with no supply line at all. The grain in Meng Shanming's hands will not last long inside Song. Apart from burning, killing, and plundering, what else can he do? Without food, more than two million soldiers will starve to death inside Song. The strategy being carried out by this army bears the life and death of the entire State of Yan on its shoulders. If you were in his place, what would you do?"

Zha Hu said, "Even so, there was no need to massacre a city. After taking it, he burned it as well. That is heaping up sin."

"Do you think that if he asks nicely, people will obediently hand over their grain? Do you believe the people inside the city will not either flee with the grain on their backs or have the defending officials burn it before surrendering?" Huyan Wuhen shook his head. "Old Tiger, on the battlefield there is no right or wrong in matters like this. Song chose to start the war and invade Yan. It should have been prepared to bear the price."

As he spoke, Huyan Wuhen walked back to the map and pointed at Yanjing. "Meng Shanming may appear to be burning, killing, and plundering inside Song, but his ultimate target is still the Song army attacking Yanjing. First, this supplies his own army with provisions. Second, he is deliberately creating widespread panic throughout Song, forcing civilians across vast areas to flee. He is clearing the field on an enormous scale."

"Clearing the field?" Zha Hu sounded doubtful, not quite understanding.

...

"I hear they dug up another enormous amount of grain inside Yanjing."

Outside a city consumed by fire, Meng Shanming sat in his wheelchair and handed Gong Lince the paper bearing the intelligence report.

After reading it, Gong Lince nodded. "That's true. Tong Mo is rather capable. To defend Yanjing this time, he has offended quite a few people."

Meng Shanming said, "I don't care how capable he is, and I don't care how many people he has offended. Notify the people from the three major sects in Yanjing. Have all the grain gathered together so it can be destroyed easily. The moment the city falls, pour fire oil over it and burn every last store. Not one grain of it may fall into the Song army's hands."

What a pity to burn it all. Gong Lince sighed inwardly. But Meng Shanming's reasoning was sound, so he nodded. "Marshal Meng, rest assured. It will be done. We certainly cannot let the Song army profit from it."

...

At the Chancellor's residence in the Song capital, Zi Pingxiu hurried home.

A slender, scholarly man had already been waiting in the courtyard. Three long, ink-black strands of beard hung from his chin, giving him an elegant appearance. When he saw Zi Pingxiu, he cupped his hands in greeting. "Chancellor."

This man was Jia Wuqun, Zi Pingxiu's trusted strategist.

Zi Pingxiu stepped forward and lightly supported him by the arm. Smiling, he said, "Mr. Jia, you are finally back." He gestured toward the house, indicating that they should speak inside.

After the two sat down indoors, Zi Pingxiu asked with a smile, "Did you enjoy your travels, sir?"

Jia Wuqun smiled. "I had intended to visit several more trading grounds where cultivators gather. But when I reached the Ice and Snow Pavilion, I heard there was trouble at home, so I hurried back. I hear the Chancellor had your esteemed son-in-law Chen Shaotong lead troops against Meng Shanming?"

At the mention of this, Zi Pingxiu looked somewhat embarrassed. Sitting there, he slapped his thigh and sighed. "I truly never expected the river-defense army to be defeated so suddenly. A bit of selfishness on my part ended with me lifting a rock only to smash my own foot. Once I had spoken before His Majesty, I could not take the words back. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and go through with it. Now that you are back, perhaps you can relieve some of my worries."

Jia Wuqun said, "The Chancellor did nothing wrong. Chen Shaotong should be the one to lead the army. Once Chen Shaotong takes the field, Meng Shanming is certain to lose."

"Shaotong can defeat Meng Shanming?" Zi Pingxiu looked doubtful. He himself did not believe it.

"We can discuss that later." Jia Wuqun waved a hand, dipped a finger into his tea, and drew a line across the tabletop. Water marked east and west. His finger came down on the western side. "Yanjing! You cannot act on anger toward Yanjing. Chancellor, you should enter the palace immediately and have His Majesty issue an urgent decree ordering Luo Zhao's army to withdraw at full speed. Yanjing cannot be allowed to fall. The governing apparatus through which Shang Jianxiong controls Yan must be preserved. Given the present situation, we cannot let Shang Chaozong reap the benefit. If Shang Jianxiong falls, then after this upheaval the three major sects of Yan will certainly support Shang Chaozong to take his place."

He continued, "Chancellor, a Yan controlled by Shang Jianxiong and his people is the Yan most favorable to Song. With that group still there, Meng Shanming, deprived of Prince Ning's support, is nothing more than a military man. However well he can fight, he will still be powerless to turn the tide."

[End of Chapter 706]