Chapter 568: - Slay the Slaves!

Rain had been falling over Juyang City since morning. The sky was a murky gray, yet even through the rain, the desolation of the Yan camp outside the city was unmistakable.

The camp that had been bustling only days before had suddenly fallen silent.

Imperial Escort General Sun Yuan hesitated for a moment, then finally sent a small group over the wall in hanging baskets to investigate. The report came back quickly: the Yan army outside had withdrawn during the night, leaving behind nothing but an empty camp.

Sun Yuan immediately reported the military intelligence to the Regent.

The Regent was eating breakfast.

“What do you think? Have the Yan outside truly withdrawn?”

“The Yan may have withdrawn, or they may be laying a false trail. Even if they intended to retreat, they should not have left so cleanly. Aren’t they afraid we might seize the opportunity to sortie and strike their rear?”

In war, attacking was a discipline, but retreating was a discipline as well. The former determined how high a campaign might rise. The latter determined how low it might fall.

“The Azure Luan Army has arrived?”

“Replying to Your Highness, judging by the time, the Azure Luan Army should be here soon. The Yan may have detected its approach.”

“So did that fine brother-in-law of Ours retreat to avoid the Azure Luan Army, or...?”

“Replying to Your Highness, by ordinary reasoning, this isolated Yan force has been hanging here alone for many days. Its morale should already be unstable. With the Azure Luan Army approaching in strength, withdrawing to preserve itself would be entirely normal. But since the commander of this Yan force is Count Pingye, there may be another possibility. Perhaps they have not withdrawn at all, but instead moved to attack the Azure Luan Army.”

The Regent stared at Sun Yuan.

Sun Yuan knelt below with his head lowered.

“So what, exactly, have you just told Us?”

“...” Sun Yuan.

The Regent shook his head helplessly. Back when Nian Yao had held Sun Yuan’s present position, this sort of thing would never have happened.

According to you, either possibility is possible. Then what did you come here to report?

“Go. Prepare to escort Us out of the city and back to the capital.”

“This subject obeys!”

...

Azure Luan Army soldiers were already coming ashore at Qingtan in batches. The Left Wing, which had landed first, was spreading toward a town beyond Qingtan. The Right Wing had landed on the opposite bank, leaving an enormous distance between the two formations. The force now disembarking was the Central Army personally commanded by Qu Peiluo.

The Azure Luan Army had brought thirty-five thousand men in all.

The Qu Clan had been able to hold a Pillar of State title generation after generation because of its genuine depth. Even after Qu Tiannan and one entire Azure Luan Army were annihilated at Yupan City, the Regent had still needed to marry off his sister to draw the clan closer.

A single clan capable of pulling together a hundred thousand troops within two or three short years would count as a first-rate great house in any state beneath Heaven.

Even Count Pingye did not have that kind of spectacle behind him yet.

“Peiluo, aren’t the Left, Right, and Central armies spread too far apart?”

The man who asked wore the attire of a military officer and a suit of silver armor. He looked extraordinarily valiant. He had appeared once before, on the day Count Pingye stole the bride, and was one of the Qu Clan’s own martial experts.

He had originally been born to a branch line, but through his martial talent had fought his way back into standing within the Qu Clan. Even Qu Peiluo, a direct-line heir, did not dare treat him disrespectfully as some ordinary household general.

“Uncle Xuan, don’t worry. The Left Wing was only rebuilt the year before last. It still has plenty of Fan Clan shadows inside it. One of its commanders has been exchanging glances with the Fan Clan for a long time. We’ve been aboard ship for days, and during all that time those people have been swatting flies right beneath my nose. Perhaps they truly think I, Qu Peiluo, am some wet-behind-the-ears brat incapable of accomplishing anything.”

“You could have told me earlier. I could have killed every one of them.”

“No need. Leave them as bait and let Zheng Fan bite the hook. Yan is powerful, and that Count Pingye is a man whose heart reaches higher than Heaven. When he sees the Qu Clan has come, sees the Azure Luan Army has come, sees that I... Qu Peiluo have come, he will certainly be unable to resist taking a bite at me. So I have deliberately exposed a flaw for him. I let him know when I would arrive and made him believe biting me would bring profit.”

Qu Peiluo smiled, then continued:

“I imagine he has grown used to stepping on me by now.”

“Some things can become steps beneath your own feet,” Qu Mingxuan said with feeling. “If hatred blinds you completely, you only end up walking into the other man’s trap.”

“Uncle Xuan is right.”

“You are doing well. When everyone else mocks you, ridicules you, and looks down on you, that is actually your best cover. Some people in this world wish to hide their ability but cannot.”

Qu Peiluo understood exactly what Qu Mingxuan meant.

Within the Qu Clan, any secret that could be hidden from another person could never be hidden from the young clan lord.

Most Qu Clan members, even those from branch lines, actually lived decently enough. At the very least, the clan would not let them starve, and almost everyone could secure some sort of post.

But every great forest held every kind of bird.

When Qu Mingxuan was young, his father had been a minor supervisor at one of the clan’s carting firms. He died in an accident while delivering goods. His elder brother then seized the family property and even tried to seize his widowed sister-in-law.

Qu Mingxuan’s mother ran to the Qu ancestral hall to cry out for justice. The incident even alarmed several clan elders. Afterward, the young Qu Mingxuan was sent into the clan’s martial training hall, while his mother was placed in the inner household as a nursemaid to direct-line children.

In that matter, the Qu elders of the time had actually behaved fairly well. At least they displayed a measure of justice. Qu Mingxuan’s uncle suffered no real punishment, but the widow and orphan were given a place to live.

Twenty years later, Qu Mingxuan took a saber in hand and exterminated his uncle’s entire household, avenging the old wrong.

What followed was the oldest cliché among great families: clan interests came first.

The matter was suppressed. No one bothered debating whether the uncle’s crimes had deserved the extermination of his whole family, because Qu Mingxuan had revealed the potential to challenge the Third Grade as a Martial Artist.

And if the Qu elders who handled the matter all those years ago had ignored mother and son instead of sheltering them, this martial prodigy of the Qu Clan would probably not still be serving the clan today as something like a household retainer. He might instead have become a wild jianghu cultivator who regarded the Qu Clan as his mortal enemy.

“Uncle Xuan is right. Peiluo understands.”

“I think highly of you. I can see my younger self in you, even though you were born to the direct line.”

“Thank you for Uncle Xuan’s regard.”

Qu Peiluo swept his gaze across the surroundings and began issuing order after order.

The Left Wing numbered six thousand. Truthfully, even Qu Peiluo himself could not tell whether it was rice mixed with sand or sand mixed with rice. In any case, after the Qu Clan turned against the Fan Clan, that formation could no longer truly be trusted.

They had been placed alone at the protruding front precisely as bait, inviting the Yan to open their attack there first.

Afterward, the Right Wing would wheel around from the opposite bank and sever the Yan retreat, while Qu Peiluo personally led the Central Army forward from the front, squeezing the Yan between them and ending the battle in a single stroke.

That was the plan.

Now all that remained was to see whether the Yan would bite.

Qu Peiluo believed the Yan Count Pingye certainly would.

...

“This hook is too straight.”

Gou Moli ate roasted flour as he pointed at the rough map he had drawn.

“Count, look. Over the past few days, every group that has sent us intelligence suddenly sent word yesterday saying they would be serving as the vanguard and moving toward Dahe Town. Now, this subordinate may believe the Qu Clan’s direct heir cannot possibly compare with the wise, mighty, learned, talented, broad-minded Count, but the man is still a direct-line scion raised inside the Qu Clan. However poor he is, he cannot possibly be stupid. If he were genuinely that stupid, then continuing to put his name in the same sentence as the Count would only stain the Count’s reputation.”

“Speak like a human being.”

“Mm. This subordinate thinks it is bait. Qu Peiluo is probably sitting there right now waiting for us to bite the hook.”

“Mm. What do you think we should do?”

Count Pingye had always possessed one great virtue: he listened to good advice and knew how to use men. In truth, much of the time he preferred to position himself as Liu Bang rather than Li Shimin.

Most importantly, he had always had people around him worth using.

Having the Savage King himself serve as his staff strategist, designing and arranging the battlefield for him, was already an extravagantly luxurious configuration.

It also showed, from another angle, how much respect Count Pingye was giving that Brother Qu of his.

“This subordinate believes we should treat the Left Wing at Dahe Town as a piece already pushed off the board. We can ignore it. That leaves only two formations. One is the Right Wing west of Qingtan. The other is east of Qingtan, with the neatest armor and ranks. Barring an accident, that is the Central Army personally led by Qu Peiluo. Since the young lord of the Qu Clan has spread his formation and deliberately chosen open terrain like this, his meaning is obvious. He wants us to attack. Then we choose one route and hit it.”

Count Pingye nodded and pointed at the ink-drawn sketch.

“Then we hit the Right Wing?”

...

“Report!”

“Yan troops have appeared ten li south of General Lin’s position!”

General Lin was Lin Rong, a household general who had served under Qu Tiannan and now served Qu Peiluo. His family had been loyal retainers of the Qu Clan for generations.

Qu Mingxuan drew a deep breath.

“The Yan did not bite the bait at Dahe Town.”

Qu Peiluo smiled.

“That Count Pingye is naturally no incompetent. In truth, the bait was simply too obvious. Unfortunately, there was no other choice.”

With battle imminent, if he did not place men who might harbor treacherous thoughts off on one side, was he supposed to keep them inside the Central Army and constantly guard against a sudden defection?

“Can Lin Rong hold?” Qu Mingxuan asked.

He had spent his entire life on the martial path and was not especially skilled at arranging formations and deploying troops.

In truth, his purpose in accompanying this expedition was to protect Qu Peiluo.

Qu Peiluo shook his head.

“General Lin should withdraw.”

“I heard the Yan have no horses this time. They are not cavalry.”

By ordinary logic, if this became an infantry battle, the Azure Luan Army ought to have the advantage.

“The Yan edge is fierce. Even without horses, any troops Count Pingye dared bring deep into Chu territory must be elites of the Yan army. Troops like that can never be underestimated. Besides, I want to wrap the Yan up completely here at Qingtan. I do not want to collide head-on with them from the beginning. Otherwise, the Yan can simply enter Changxi Commandery from here, pass Baipu, and disappear into the Great Marsh. I have no interest in spending the days ahead watching the north burn with battle while we chase these Yan through the Great Marsh in circles. Last time, Zheng Fan escaped. This time, I absolutely will not let him get away again. Pass down the order. General Lin is to follow the original plan. Once he makes contact with the Yan, he will withdraw toward Qingtan and draw them inward!”

...

“Count, this subordinate thinks that if we attack the Chu Right Wing, that army will certainly retreat in order to lure us farther inside.”

“So you disagree with attacking the Right Wing?”

“Count, our troops are fewer than the Chu. Our only advantage is that morale is high, our soldiers dare fight, and every one of them is elite. That means dividing our force or advancing recklessly are both grave taboos. This subordinate thinks Qu Peiluo right now is like one of those old girls in a red tent, staring at the silver in our pockets and throwing come-hither looks as hard as she can. She is only waiting for us to walk inside so she can strip us clean. So we absolutely refuse to give her what she wants. She flirts with us and entices us inside? Fine. Then we act like some miserly old rooster of a customer. You beckon, you tease, and I enjoy the show. I let you beckon and tease. Every so often, if there’s a chance to cop a feel, I cop a feel. And Qu Peiluo still cannot get angry. She has to half-hide her face behind a fan, play coy, and tell us, ‘You’re awful~’”

“What strange place did you learn that metaphor?”

“Uh... Count doesn’t like it?”

“Used for war, it feels too unserious. If I copied you and spoke like this in front of the Prince of Jingnan, heh...”

“Count, we only talk this way because we’re family. Besides, you’re the hero. Compared with you, isn’t Qu Peiluo practically a woman in all those popular tales and rumors?”

What man with balls could let someone storm his wedding and carry off the bride on the very day he married her?

“Enough, enough. I understand what you mean. We’ll do this instead. Have Xue San take one force and use willow branches and vines to make their numbers look larger. Press toward the Chu Right Wing west of Qingtan and make them think we’ve bitten. Let them retreat on their own and beg us to enter the tent. And warn San’er to know his limits. He may make contact, but he is absolutely not to become entangled. The moment the Chu Right Wing retreats, he retreats as well.”

...

“Report!”

“General Lin reports that the Yan have withdrawn. They did not enter Qingtan!”

Lin Rong had followed the prior arrangement. The moment he contacted the Yan, he feigned defeat and began withdrawing. The Yan pursued only a short distance before immediately breaking contact and falling back as well.

The two sides had been like two burly men braced for a collision. They crashed together, did nothing more than kiss once, then instantly jumped apart.

By now Qu Peiluo was no longer sitting on horseback. He sat inside a command tent.

A contest involving tens of thousands of troops was no small game. Unless both sides simply rolled forward in one great mass and collided head-on to see who lived and who died, there was no chance the battle could end quickly.

Moreover, although Qu Peiluo had chosen Qingtan as the main battlefield, whether the Yan actually came to attack still depended on them. The true operational space remained large. Both sides could circle the ring slowly, playing push-hands.

Qu Mingxuan sat at the entrance to the tent. Messengers came and went without pause, receiving and carrying Qu Peiluo’s orders.

“Order Zhang Huang to take one formation and push forward.”

Zhang Huang was a general of the Central Army with five thousand men under him.

Inside the tent, a handsome young personal guard was brewing tea over a small charcoal stove.

A long while later, the tea was ready.

“Master, tea.”

Qu Peiluo accepted his cup.

“Lord Xuan, tea.”

Qu Mingxuan accepted his as well.

He disliked the fashion of keeping this sort of person inside a military command tent, but the custom had become so deeply rooted that even when Qu Tiannan went to war, his own command tent had included handsome personal guards to attend to his daily needs.

The Jin fashion was not as strong in Chu as in the north.

But they were nobles.

How could nobles not know how to enjoy themselves?

Women could not appear in military camps.

Men, however, were apparently fine.

Over time, these pretty personal guards became almost like military banners. A commander did not need to use one and did not need to have that taste, but not having one at all seemed improper.

The tea was excellent Wenjin Tea, said to clear the mind and replenish qi.

As Qu Peiluo drank while studying the map before him, Qu Mingxuan truly saw traces of his father in him.

“So the Yan still did not take the bait?”

Qu Mingxuan spoke.

Qu Peiluo nodded and took another sip.

Qu Mingxuan continued:

“The Yan are an isolated force operating deep in enemy territory. Naturally, they must be cautious in everything.”

“No, Uncle Xuan. If it were another man, perhaps. But the opponent is Zheng Fan, so he will not behave that way. His way of war descends from that Southern Marquis, and the Southern Marquis has always believed that if one does not move, one remains utterly still, but when one moves, it must be like a gale. Besides, Zheng Fan himself is arrogant and unruly. On the day of my wedding, he could have stolen the Princess away in secret, yet he deliberately chose that exact day and acted before all the guests. What he wanted was fame. When that man does something, he either does not do it at all or he does it without hesitation. If he did not want to fight, there would have been no need for him to send troops out and make contact with us. He could simply have slapped his backside and headed straight into Changxi Commandery. I have the feeling he intends to swallow me whole. He is waiting me out, breaking me like a hawk. That is fine. I can wait with him. Let us see which of us lasts longer.”

...

“Soup has to simmer slowly before it becomes fragrant and the flavor penetrates. This subordinate has always thought war was like simmering soup. You have to let the flavors of the ingredients and seasonings blend completely. Only then do you lift the bowl and drink. That is when it tastes satisfying. I think Qu Peiluo intends to play with us in exactly that frame of mind. The old girl’s business is poor, so she gives every potential customer more patience. If she wants to keep a returning guest, she might even stay and chat after the business is finished, making you feel the money was truly well spent, so when you leave, your friends are waiting for you instead of the other way around.”

“Qu Peiluo has detached part of his Central Army and pushed it forward. He is using that formation to beat the grass and scare out rabbits. He is searching for our main force and compressing the space around us. He is convinced we’ve been holding back too long and have fallen in love with her at first sight, that we absolutely must call for her by name. This subordinate suggests we simply open the way and let that force come through. We do not block them and we do not harass them. Let them keep marching south. I want to see exactly how far south they dare go. No matter what, our own fist has to remain clenched tight.”

“Next, I think Qu Peiluo will use that deeply advanced force as an anchor. His Central Army and Right Wing will gradually press forward after it, forcing us to choose: do we go to the Great Marsh, or do we go to her bed?”

“You’re wasted not telling stories in a teahouse,” Count Pingye said.

“Heh. Back when I was in Beifeng Commandery, I made up plenty of stories like these to swindle drinks out of other grunts.”

The years in Beifeng Commandery had always been the happiest period in the Savage King’s memories. Life had been bitter then too, but it had been full.

There he learned the Zhenbei Army’s methods of war and the way they managed their troops.

There, he left a scar on his face and picked up one embroidered shoe.

“What do we do once they press forward?” Count Pingye asked.

War was like setting out a board. Since he had already agreed to let the Savage King make the opening moves, changing players now would be the equivalent of changing commanders in the face of battle, a great military taboo.

Count Pingye would not make that mistake. He would only stand nearby, watching and listening. Said nicely, he was checking for omissions and filling gaps. Said plainly, he was very seriously loafing.

“We keep retreating and compressing. We remain patient. We simply refuse to fight. Count, look. From Qingtan to Dahe Town, this whole region spreads like a fan. Once the Chu continue advancing south, we will be squeezed into the gap between their Central Army and Right Wing. That position is the center of a man’s chest. If we can drive the knife into that point, we can overturn the entire board in an instant.”

“But it is also the most dangerous position. The moment the Chu discover us, we will immediately be caught between attacks from their Right Wing and Central Army. And the Left Wing at Dahe Town is bait Qu Peiluo deliberately placed alone, so he must have made some preparations for it too. At the critical moment, he can still use it. Once they see us falling into a disadvantage, those men who were originally wavering, even those who already sent us letters offering surrender, may fight harder than anyone else. Qu Peiluo can use that Left Wing to circle behind us after the Central Army and Right Wing complete the pincer. At that point, we really will be trapped with no wings to escape.”

In the past, when Yan armies relied primarily on cavalry, they possessed many ways to break through an encirclement and could do so calmly.

But now the few cavalry Count Pingye retained could only be used as scouts. Barring an accident, he probably had fewer mounted men than Qu Peiluo.

Count Pingye had grown accustomed to cavalry warfare.

Faced with this situation, his sense of rhythm was inevitably uncomfortable.

“Count...” Gou Moli looked troubled.

“Speak. At a time like this, what meaning is there in hiding it?”

“This is not something about battlefield planning.”

“Say it anyway.” Count Pingye smiled. “We actually like talking about irrelevant things most when we are in the middle of serious business.”

The Sword Saint, who had been resting with his eyes closed nearby, gave a slight nod.

He had noticed that long ago.

And he had long since grown used to it.

For example, just before the last charge of a battle, Count Pingye might ask Fourth Lady what topping she would put on the noodles that night.

Then Xue San and Fan Li would seriously argue over which topping should be chosen.

Gou Moli nodded.

“Then please, Master, give this dog one chance. What I am best at is overturning the board in exactly this kind of situation. The most dangerous place is also the safest place. Only from there do we have the chance to drive one blade into him and drain every drop of blood!”

Count Pingye frowned slightly.

Gou Moli watched his expression with lips pressed together.

Count Pingye inhaled, then slowly breathed out. He raised one hand and pointed north.

“I believe Qu Peiluo over there should know I want to step on him until he dies. Yes, I stole his wife. Yes, I made him lose face before the whole realm. But for some reason, whenever I meet him again, I still cannot resist the urge to go over and step on him one more time. He really is pitiful, but this Count truly cannot help himself. Maybe he was simply born to be stepped on.”

Gou Moli nodded.

“Fine. You command. I will ask questions, but I will not change your orders. I have one demand. Let this Count step on him again. Grind his face into the mud of Qingtan for me!”

“Count can rest easy. This subordinate will certainly do it!”

The Savage King immediately turned toward Count Pingye’s personal guards.

“Pass down the Count’s military order. Have all our forces contract. Do not make contact with the Chu.”

The personal guard glanced at Count Pingye. Only after Zheng Fan nodded did he answer:

“Yes!”

Once the order went out, Gou Moli licked his lips.

“This subordinate has spent most of his life causing trouble. Losing to you, Count, was unavoidable. But a mere direct heir of the Qu Clan? How could he possibly outplay us? It is almost dusk. He will grow impatient. He will start wondering whether we truly changed our habits and slapped our backsides before leaving.”

...

“The Yan... really left?”

Messenger after messenger returned, continuously reporting the battlefield situation to Qu Peiluo.

The battlefield situation was... there was no situation.

The Yan seemed to have vanished without a trace.

It was almost as if the force that had contacted the Right Wing earlier had only been the Yan rear guard, and after General Lin ordered his withdrawal, that rear guard immediately broke contact and hurried after the main force.

That seemed the most reasonable explanation.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why their forces continued advancing without finding any sign that the Yan army existed.

Yes. After Zhang Huang’s force moved south without encountering Yan interference or harassment, Qu Peiluo ordered it to stop. Then his Central Army, Right Wing, and other formations all began pressing forward together.

Starting from Qingtan, with Dahe Town as another fixed point, the entire army spread like a plow and began turning over this piece of ground.

Qu Mingxuan sighed deeply.

“The Yan may truly have run.”

The result was cruel.

It would mean the grand young lord of the Qu Clan had spent the whole day at Qingtan matching wits against empty air, throwing his army around blindly after a long expedition.

That would no longer be merely a joke.

It would deal a grave blow to Qu Peiluo’s authority inside the Azure Luan Army.

Soldiers would never willingly follow a fool into battle.

Why did that Southern Marquis of Yan, a man who exterminated his own clan and maintained terrifyingly strict military law, still receive such devotion from his soldiers?

Because he had never lost!

“There is another possibility...”

Qu Peiluo gritted his teeth and lowered his head over the map again.

“The Yan contracted. Perhaps they are right beneath our noses. Give us only a little more time, and before the latter half of the night we will discover them. They are waiting for a field battle. Waiting for a night attack. They deliberately chose the point we would least expect!”

Qu Peiluo’s eyes began reddening.

He had guessed correctly.

And the foundation of that guess was not exceptional military accomplishment or some powerful commander’s intuition.

It was because he understood Zheng Fan very well.

In the past, when Count Pingye first rose through military merit and stood alongside Nian Yao among the Four Great Rising Generals, Qu Peiluo had been unconvinced.

But after Count Pingye stole the Princess, Qu Peiluo did not sink completely into despair.

He had indeed spent a period lost and miserable.

After that, he began using every resource of the Qu Clan to collect every deed and rumor about Count Pingye, from Beifeng Commandery all the way to Snow Sea Pass.

He wanted to understand this man completely.

Because he had a premonition.

One day, he would meet this man again.

And when that day came, he would have a chance to recover every scrap of dignity he had lost.

The more he learned, the more terrifying the man became.

This man was flawless in political scheming, military affairs, and governance of the people, perhaps even the best of the best.

Field battles.

Sieges.

He could be called a master of both.

His talent, poetry, and personal strength were equally astonishing.

He had written few poems, yet every one had become a classic. His *Zhengzi Art of War* was practically a grand synthesis of military thought.

Rumor even said that every time he charged into battle, arrows struck his body and were ignored, assassins came before his face and found him utterly calm.

The Sword Saint of Jin remained at his side because he could offer the Sword Saint guidance in the Sword Dao!

Perhaps even Count Pingye himself had no idea what a towering, majestic figure he had become inside Qu Peiluo’s mind.

And precisely because of that, Qu Peiluo refused to believe Count Pingye had brought an army here, seen him waiting, and simply fled into the Great Marsh without attacking.

I am here.

I am right here.

How could you possibly resist striking me?

How could you resist stepping on me again?

Qu Mingxuan heard him and thought Qu Peiluo had trapped himself inside a dead end. He could not help saying:

“Peiluo, if that were true, would he not be walking straight into a net?”

Contract all his troops into one place and wait to be wrapped up like dumpling filling?

Qu Mingxuan did not understand military affairs, but even he knew Count Pingye was no man incapable of war. In fact, he was better at it than the overwhelming majority of generals beneath Heaven.

How could he possibly commit something as foolish as packing all his troops around himself merely because it made him feel safe?

“No. No. He would not. He did not run. He could not have run. He is planning something. He must be plotting something!”

...

“What the hell are you plotting?”

Count Pingye finally could not resist asking.

Scout after scout had come in reporting just how close the Chu spearhead had drawn.

At this point, discovering the Yan force was genuinely only a matter of time.

It would not have been strange if the Chu found them in the very next instant.

If one wanted to stab a blade into someone, one had to choose the moment. It was not enough simply to decide one wished to stab.

Qu Peiluo was no fool.

The Azure Luan Army was no mob.

“This subordinate remembers something the Count once said. The people who understand you best are often your enemies.”

“I did say that.”

“So this subordinate can imagine exactly how terrifying the Count must be in Qu Peiluo’s eyes.”

“And this is the time to flatter me?”

“Count, please come outside with this subordinate.”

Count Pingye followed Gou Moli out of the tent.

Five armored men in Chu equipment were kneeling outside.

More precisely, the armor they wore did not belong to ordinary Chu soldiers.

It did not even belong to ordinary Imperial Clan Guards.

It belonged to the true personal guards of the Son of Heaven, the palace gate guards who protected the imperial city.

When the Yan raided the outskirts of Juyang City, two cavalry detachments responsible specifically for carrying memorials and decrees for the Regent had been stationed in camps to the north and south. A portion escaped, but more than half were left behind.

Almost all had been killed.

None had surrendered.

The loyalty of the Son of Heaven’s personal guards was beyond question.

The five armored men kneeling here now were Yan soldiers wearing their armor.

Gou Moli asked:

“You have memorized every word?”

“Memorized!”

“Memorized!”

“The medicine is hidden between your teeth?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Good. All of you have parents and brothers at Snow Sea Pass. Today, the Count’s great undertaking requires your sacrifice. But rest easy. Your families will be treated by the Count as his own kin.”

“We will die for the Count!”

“We will die for the Count!”

Soldiers who came from Snow Sea Pass were genuinely willing to walk through boiling water and fire for Count Pingye.

Their ideological-political credentials were absolutely sound.

And they and their families had personally experienced what kind of life the people of Snow Sea Pass now lived.

“Go. For the Count!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The five armored soldiers mounted their horses and left the camp.

A small cavalry detachment followed behind them.

Cavalry were precious under Count Pingye now.

He was usually reluctant to use them.

Yet for this move, he had thrown out one-third of all the riders he possessed.

Gou Moli looked at Zheng Fan and grinned.

“This pot of soup lacks only this one final and most important seasoning. Once it goes in, we can serve the bowl. Count, I guarantee you will be satisfied.”

“The Regent will not come to the rescue,” Count Pingye said. “Nor will he send the troops protecting him in Juyang City to strike our rear. That is common sense. He is the Son of Heaven.”

Gou Moli shook his head.

“Count, when it comes to you, common sense does not work.”

“We are gambling on this?”

“What this subordinate is gambling on is the human heart.”

...

“Hyah!”

“Hyah!”

One cavalry detachment pursued another, far smaller group of riders.

They chased them straight into Zhang Huang’s formation.

“Save His Highness!”

“Save His Highness!”

“Save His Highness!”

The riders in front screamed themselves hoarse.

“Aaagh!”

“Aaagh!”

Two riders were struck by arrows and fell from their horses.

Once the Chu soldiers clearly saw the armor on the remaining three riders, they opened their formation and let them inside.

But the Yan cavalry behind them continued charging without hesitation and smashed directly into the Chu ranks.

Caught unprepared, the Chu line loosened.

The Yan riders seemed completely insane, disregarding their own lives as they hacked deeper in, intent only on killing the three “Chu” cavalry ahead.

At last, after many of their comrades had been picked from the saddle and stabbed to death by Chu spears on both sides, the relentless Yan riders killed two more of those “Chu” cavalrymen.

The last rider took two arrows in the back.

Still, he hunched over his horse and kept racing forward.

The Yan cavalry on the outside finally withdrew.

The dozen or so riders trapped inside the Chu formation were quickly surrounded and killed.

Every last one died.

Not a single man threw down his weapon to surrender.

“General! General!”

Several Chu soldiers carried a horseman wearing the armor of Great Chu’s palace gate guards before Zhang Huang, commander of the Azure Luan Army vanguard.

Two arrows protruded from his back.

“What happened?”

Zhang Huang had already been burning with frustration because they could not locate the Yan main force. As a general, he had begun sensing a vague but ominous foreboding.

The badly wounded “Chu” rider lifted his head and looked at Zhang Huang.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Then, using the last of his strength, he gasped:

“His Highness ordered the escort troops... to harass the Yan dogs’ rear... we... fell into... Yan dog... Yan dog ambush... danger... His Highness is in mortal danger... Save... save His Highness!”

The final words were roared.

Once they left his throat, the rider’s neck stiffened.

His body went limp.

He stopped breathing.

Zhang Huang stood frozen.

At that moment, Zhang Huang was truly panic-stricken.

But he immediately bit down on his tongue and forced himself to calm down.

He roared at the guards beside him:

“Report to the young lord! Quickly!”

Then

Zhang Huang hesitated.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and shouted:

“Pass down the order. Entire army south! March toward Juyang City!”

...

“What? His Highness fell into a Yan ambush and is in mortal danger?”

Qu Peiluo’s whole body swayed.

He truly had never imagined that the Regent, who should have been in no real danger inside Juyang City, would choose this moment to send his own escort troops out to harass the Yan rear.

His Highness must have learned Qu Peiluo had arrived and decided to strike the Yan from front and rear.

But why would His Highness make such a choice?

He was the ruler.

He was Great Chu’s Son of Heaven!

A violent dizziness struck Qu Peiluo.

He nearly failed to stay standing.

The handsome personal guard reached out to support him, but Qu Peiluo shoved the man away.

“That explains it. That explains it. No wonder the Yan main force vanished. Zheng Fan is borrowing my blade to lay a trap for His Highness.”

Yes.

That was the sort of move Zheng Fan would make.

That was the style of war Zheng Fan loved.

He was a madman.

He loved dancing on the edge of the blade.

He loved gambling.

He dared make decisions no one else dared make!

And he, Qu Peiluo, had spent the entire day endlessly shifting troops and arranging formations.

Instead, he had sold out his own sovereign.

He had given the Yan complete freedom to calmly encircle the Regent’s escort force in the field without suffering the slightest pressure from him!

Qu Peiluo’s face felt as though someone had slapped it until it burned.

Now was not the time to investigate why His Highness would risk himself this way.

Qu Peiluo had to rescue him.

He absolutely had to!

“Pass down the order to Lin Rong. He is to force-march toward Juyang City! Pass down the order to the Central Army. Move immediately... save His Highness!”

...

“The Chu spent the whole day fishing. At last, they bit the hook themselves! The Chu have moved. Their flank is completely open to us!”

The Savage King was so excited he could not stop waving his arms and legs.

Two years.

Two whole years.

At last, he had successfully commanded another great battle.

This was not like charging Central Mountain Camp or East Mountain Fort, where he had simply tricked soldiers into throwing away their lives.

This was art.

This was the art of war accumulated through everything he had learned, felt, and understood across his entire life!

Exhilarating.

Magnificent.

This old man’s youth had returned!

Still, Gou Moli quickly forced his violent excitement back under control.

He bowed deeply to Count Pingye.

“Count, please give the order!”

The rice had been served.

The chopsticks had been set out.

Everything left was simple.

Count Pingye swung himself onto his horse.

All around him, every armored soldier turned his gaze toward one man.

Count Pingye drew his Barbarian Saber and raised it high.

“Soldiers of Great Yan! Men beneath this Count! Now is the time to use the blades in your hands to prove your valor to the Prince, to His Majesty, and to this Count! Yes, this is Chu territory. But this is still a battlefield for us to ride across as we please! Tonight, all of you follow this Count... Slay the slaves!”

[End of Chapter 568]