Chapter 849: Respectfully Welcome Father Home!

The three great camps outside Chuzhou City had, in fact, made preparations long ago.

But just as Prince Pingxi had predicted, after the elites of all three camps were transferred into the city, what remained outside was little more than an impressive-looking empty shell.

Without their backbone, they appeared to retain plenty of troops, but in reality they were extremely easy to break.

As for the plan cooked up by Zhao Yuannian, his obedient "son" inside Chuzhou, together with the city's generals—to "invite the lord into the urn" and lure Zheng Fan inside before trapping him—

Zheng Fan had initially found it difficult to understand.

When he sent Xue San with that message, there had been no deep strategic calculation behind it. It was simply an idle move played casually in the middle of the campaign, like picking up a pebble from a riverbank and skipping it across the water to see what kind of splash it made and feel out the current.

If he had been facing Nian Yao or some other capable Qian commander, the two sides could have traded several rounds of probing, tried to put themselves in each other's shoes, calculated and deduced one another's plans, even gone without food or sleep while thinking desperately without pausing for a quarter of an hour.

But there was simply no way to deduce the thoughts of Prince Fu and the generals of Chuzhou City.

The reason was simple.

It was very difficult to lower your own military intelligence far enough to genuinely put yourself in their position.

Yet they had arrogantly treated him as a fool and designed a trap for him.

Zheng Fan felt insulted.

Either be cowardly all the way through or hard all the way through.

The most dangerous sort was someone who had always been timid, then suddenly felt unbelievably good about himself and decided to poke his head out for a look.

That was exactly when enormous trouble tended to happen.

The great victory in Liang had indeed lifted the spirits of the Qian people.

The officers inside Chuzhou City, together with their Prince, had actually begun dreaming of impossible glory.

Chen Xianba, Liu Dahu, and Zheng Man returned to Zheng Fan's side after relaying the orders.

All three yearned intensely for the clash of battle formations.

Zheng Man and Liu Dahu especially.

Chen Xianba was somewhat better. At least his face remained calm.

Before long, a report arrived from the west.

That camp had been overturned.

Like driving a flock of sheep, wave after wave of Yan pressure shattered the Qian soldiers' morale and forced them to abandon a camp they had actually constructed fairly well and begin fleeing.

Soon afterward, word came from the east.

The result was the same.

The rainy night magnified the spread of fear.

The Yan army continued driving the routed Qian soldiers like sheep, "guiding" them from two directions toward the final remaining camp until Qian troops themselves crashed into their own comrades and shattered it.

Prince Pingxi closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

The rain had filled the air with dampness.

Even so, he could still smell something familiar.

A scent that belonged uniquely to Great Qian.

"Why are Qian troops this easy to beat?" Zheng Man asked curiously.

He had heard stories before.

Seeing it with his own eyes still felt unreal.

Once people grew accustomed to one environment, they naturally developed the assumptions of that environment. That was why Zheng Man found the sight so strange.

"Send word to Chen Yang and Fan Li. No need to keep pursuing them. Turn back immediately.

"Also order the whole army to make camp where they are. Gather civilian labor from nearby and start constructing siege equipment."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Chen Xianba and the other two left to pass down the order.

They were personal guards. They only needed to relay the command to the next level, after which the army's messengers would carry it onward.

When the three had finished and were riding back toward the royal banner, Liu Dahu could not resist asking:

"Why didn't His Highness want to attack the walls outside Lanyang City, but now that we've reached here, he wants to besiege Chuzhou?"

Zheng Man looked curiously at Chen Xianba as well.

Perhaps because tonight's battle had gone so smoothly, Chen Xianba was in a very good mood and was willing to explain.

"At Lanyang City, if our army had stopped to conduct a siege, not only would it have worn down our offensive edge, it would also have given all of Qian behind us enough time to react.

"But now we've already driven deep inside the country. It's like a bug. When it's sitting in front of you, you can reach out and crush it with one hand. But once it crawls into your belly, it may seem even closer, yet in reality you no longer know what to do with it.

"Besides, His Highness has never liked fighting stupid, rigid battles or grinding dead battles.

"Right now, almost all the forces outside Chuzhou City have been swept away. From tomorrow morning onward, the morale of both soldiers and civilians inside the walls will inevitably collapse.

"If we then put on the appearance of preparing siege equipment... there's a fair chance Chuzhou City will surrender on its own.

"After all, His Highness broke into Chuzhou once before, and he didn't massacre the city then either.

"Quite the opposite. Back then he did the same thing in Chuzhou that he just did in Lanyang—distributed grain and wealth."

"Oh, I see. So we're just putting on a show to frighten the Qian?" Zheng Man laughed happily.

Liu Dahu asked another question.

"What if other Qian forces arrive?"

Chen Xianba answered:

"The new armies Qian has trained over these past few years should be capable of fighting hard battles. But they're still in Liang right now. We don't even know whether they've received news of us yet.

"And with our Left- and Right-Wing Armies still threatening them, they can't openly turn around and march straight home.

"At Qian's Three Frontiers, Imperial Son-in-Law Zhong took away Qian's only organized cavalry corps, and Grand Commander Zu's son, Zu Dongling, also took a force of Zu Clan elites with him.

"The Three Frontiers still have plenty of troops, but that strength is built on defending fortifications. Once those men are pulled out into the open for field battle, even they themselves probably don't know how much they're worth.

"Meanwhile, the First Prince and Chief Commander Li Liangshen currently have troops deployed along the border, facing Qian's Three Frontiers.

"If the forces of the Three Frontiers dare turn around to reinforce the interior and pursue us, they need to be prepared for Great Yan to attack them from both north and south.

"Back then, Prince Jingnan borrowed passage through Qian, opened South Gate Pass, and attacked Jin.

"Although His Highness's decision to enter Qian this time was a stroke of divine inspiration, the Governor-General of Qian's Three Frontiers would never dare think of it that casually.

"He'll suspect that Great Yan intends to repeat Prince Jingnan's old campaign to open Jin: borrow passage through Zhao, then smash the main force of the Three Frontiers!"

When Prince Jingnan entered Jin back then, the Jin army had been locked in a brutal struggle with Yan troops around the Horsehoof Mountains.

Then another Yan force struck from the flank.

The Jin formation collapsed outright.

How similar was the present situation?

Chen Xianba took off his helmet and wiped rainwater from his face.

"As for the rest of Qian's troops, by the time they scrape forces together from every region—five thousand here, ten thousand there—we'll have more than enough time to withdraw calmly.

"And even if we really meet them head-on, does Qian dare take fifty thousand local troops and fight the fifty thousand Great Yan cavalry personally led by our Prince?

"This is actually what His Highness once called Prince Pingxi's Horse Racing."

According to legend, the expression had originated in a conversation between Prince Pingxi himself and his foremost strategist, Zheng Fanli. Originally, it had been called Marquis Pingxi's Horse Racing.

"Qian has too few good horses, so they deserve to be bullied like this.

"It's only a pity that Count Huwei died in that one battle. Great Yan could have handled everything with far greater ease otherwise."

One rainy night no.

More precisely, half a night.

The Yan army took less than half the night to uproot all three great camps outside Chuzhou City.

Afterward, the Yan army began making camp.

By dawn the next day, the defenders atop the walls and the city commoners mobilized by the government to help defend them looked outside and saw a bleak ruin.

At the same time, because the Yan army had not pursued far during the night, the routed Qian soldiers had not dared flee farther through the rain.

Almost instinctively, they gathered once more beneath Chuzhou City's walls.

The Yan had not killed many of them the previous night. There simply had not been enough time.

So the number of routed soldiers outside was enormous.

They had thrown away helmets and armor. Their formations had completely dissolved.

All they knew how to do was shout continuously toward the walls, begging the defenders to open the gates and let them inside, or pleading for food to fill their stomachs.

Not far away, small groups of Yan cavalry patrolled slowly while watching the scene.

...

"Your Highness, under no circumstances can we open the gates now."

"Why?" Zhao Yuannian clearly did not understand.

The previous day, they had transferred the elite core of the three camps into the city to prepare an ambush for Prince Pingxi.

But to conceal their intention and numb the Yan, they had not moved too many soldiers inside.

As a result, the defenders now inside Chuzhou barely had enough men to place bodies along all four walls.

They had been forced to mobilize the city's commoners overnight to reinforce the defenses.

Yet there were so many routed Qian soldiers below.

"We cannot accept routed troops into the city. Once they come in, the soldiers already inside will lose the will to defend as well."

Fear would enter with the routed men.

Then it would spread into a much larger panic.

Those soldiers had been frightened out of their wits the previous night.

Not only did they no longer dare pick up weapons and fight the enemy, they would drag everyone around them into panic too.

"Could we not admit only some of them?"

"Your Highness, look over there. Yan cavalry have been watching the gates the entire time.

"They seem far away, but once we open the gates, the routed troops will surge inside. At that point, even if we want to close the gates again, we won't be able to. Those men will fight desperately to get through.

"The Yan only need to gallop around behind them, loose a few arrows, and hurry them along.

"Those routed soldiers will open the gates completely on the Yan army's behalf."

"I see. This Prince miscalculated."

"Your Highness..."

"General Wang, what should we do now?" Zhao Yuannian asked the defender.

"I ask Your Highness and the honored officials to mobilize more of the common people. Offer additional rewards and promises.

"This general believes the Yan have driven too deep into our country. They probably won't genuinely commit themselves to a proper siege."

"But they're clearly building siege equipment. This Prince saw it from the watchtower earlier."

"This general believes that is only the Yan making an empty show!

"So long as we hold the walls now, reinforcements will arrive before long.

"Chuzhou City will remain safe!"

"General Wang, you've worked hard."

"It is my duty. I dare not speak of hardship!"

"This Prince will return to the Residence at once, take out some of our stored wealth, and call upon the great households of the city to donate funds and goods as well, so we can reward the soldiers and civilians defending Chuzhou."

"Your Highness is loyal to the country and devoted to public duty. This general admires you!"

"You flatter me. You flatter me."

Zhao Yuannian descended from the wall and entered his carriage.

The carriage began moving toward Prince Fu Residence.

"Your Highness," the driver said quietly, "Thousand-Man Commander Ming's men are following behind us."

Zhao Yuannian let out a long sigh and laughed bitterly at himself.

"I shouldn't have thought myself clever.

"I truly shouldn't have thought myself clever."

Qian's feudal princes were essentially raised like pigs.

Under those conditions, yes, some "talented" men could emerge.

But their talent was usually limited to scheming, social maneuvering, and knowing how to deal with people.

Put more plainly, they knew how to get along.

In ordinary life, such people often appeared capable and impressive.

But when a moment came that demanded real ability, they were finished.

Compared with the Zhao Yuannian who had once trembled in terror before Zheng Fan, the current Prince Fu had matured enormously.

Yet you could hardly demand that a feudal prince who did not even dare involve himself deeply in his own guard camps suddenly understand how to command armies overnight.

If the troops under him had been elite soldiers, then perhaps things might still have been manageable.

Not Great Yan's Zhenbei Army, Jingnan Army, or eastern Jin iron cavalry.

Even ordinary Three Frontiers border troops might have been enough.

The problem was that Qian's local commandery troops and auxiliary forces were already poor fighters to begin with.

Their margin for error was extremely low.

Then put a complete novice above them, pointing fingers and giving orders...

Rather than hope to win with the sabers, spears, clubs, and staves in their own hands, it would almost be more realistic to pray that Prince Pingxi was killed by a stray arrow.

Though even that would be rather difficult.

What kind of stray arrow could pass through tens of thousands of soldiers, then through the Sword Saint's interception, A’Ming's defense, and the Demon Child's block... and finally pierce the black armor Prince Pingxi himself wore?

Zhao Yuannian took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.

His palms were covered in sweat.

He knew matters had already slid into an abyss whose depth he could no longer measure.

In fact, whether Chuzhou City could still be defended hardly mattered anymore.

If it actually held... that might be worse for him.

He had told the defending generals that Prince Pingxi had contacted him, and that he intended to turn the scheme against the Yan.

Prince Pingxi had answered by turning the counter-scheme against the counter-scheme.

Without enough real troops and relying mostly on civilian laborers, if the Yan were not bluffing and genuinely finished their siege equipment before attacking the walls... could Chuzhou possibly hold?

And as far as the court and His Majesty were concerned, what they usually cared about was not the winding path inside your heart.

They cared about the result.

Zhao Yuannian knew perfectly well that this time he had stood on Qian's side and genuinely tried to deal with Prince Pingxi.

But in everyone else's eyes especially in the eyes of Thousand-Man Commander Ming—would he not look exactly like the man who had secretly coordinated with Prince Pingxi and deliberately set a trap for Chuzhou's defenders?

What exactly were his intentions?

Even if Chuzhou City survived, what fate would be waiting for him afterward?

Worse still, the first time the Yan army broke through Chuzhou, Prince Fu Residence had appeared virtuous when compared with the Wen Clan.

The Wen Clan betrayed the country.

Prince Fu Residence at least held its bottom line.

But after what happened this time, the implications could cause the people above to reinterpret everything.

Perhaps Prince Fu Residence had survived the last Yan occupation only because it had secretly bent the knee to Yan from the very beginning.

Bent the knee to Prince Pingxi.

After the war... for the sake of face, the court and His Majesty probably would not publicly convict Prince Fu Residence.

But making Zhao Yuannian "die" and replacing him with another Prince Fu?

That would be effortless.

In matters like this, people preferred to kill a thousand by mistake rather than let one suspect escape.

Zhao Yuannian grabbed his hair with both hands.

Absurd.

It was truly absurd.

How had everything somehow become this?

The carriage entered Prince Fu Residence.

Zhao Yuannian went straight into the inner quarters.

When he entered his mother's room, he found her sitting in a chair.

Today, she was no longer dressed in plain clothes.

Instead, her garments were bright and beautiful, and she had even applied colorful makeup.

News of the rout outside the city the previous night had already reached the Residence.

Zhao Yuannian sighed.

Then he knelt.

The Princess Consort smiled.

"What's wrong?"

"Your son has lost."

"No. You haven't lost yet.

"You're still alive.

"So long as a person remains alive, there is still a chance to reverse the board.

"Besides... you still have your mother."

"Mother. Your son is useless."

"Enough, my son. Get up."

Zhao Yuannian stood.

Tears filled his eyes.

The Princess Consort rose and walked down to him.

She reached up and wiped away his tears.

"Silly child. Why are you crying?"

"Your son is useless. That's why Mother must suffer humiliation again."

"A mother can do anything for her own son. What humiliation is there in that?"

Seeing that he was still crying, the Princess Consort laughed instead.

"Why would I be humiliated?

"If we really calculate it, isn't your mother the one getting an enormous bargain?

"That man is younger than me, he's a military commander, his body is strong, his status is high, his prestige is immense, and he's handsome and imposing.

"Your mother should be delighted.

"Why would I feel wronged?"

"Heh... heh-heh..."

Zhao Yuannian began laughing through his tears.

"Exactly. Your mother is clearly the one benefiting.

"I'm even afraid.

"Afraid that after all these years, I've grown old and faded, and he won't want me anymore.

"If that happened, all my son's tears would truly have been wasted."

"Heh-heh-heh..."

Zhao Yuannian drew a deep breath.

"Mother. Your son has no road back."

"Then don't turn back."

"Yes.

"Yes, but your son... is surnamed Zhao."

"Zhao is His Majesty's Zhao. It isn't the Zhao of Prince Fu Residence.

"How has the court always treated the feudal princes?

"You only need to look at your father.

"Besides, your father already died for the court.

"You owe the court nothing.

"Your mother has no great ability. I can't speak grand principles.

"All I want is for my son to live.

"To live well.

"That is the greatest wish in your mother's heart."

"Yes, Mother."

At that moment, a servant came to report.

"Your Highness, Lord Ming has entered the Residence and requests an audience."

"Very well. I know."

Zhao Yuannian wiped his tears and turned out of the room.

Thousand-Man Commander Ming stood in the front courtyard.

More than ten Silver-Armored Guards stood behind him.

Zhao Yuannian walked toward them.

Then stopped.

Suddenly...

Commander Ming's pupils contracted.

Zhao Yuannian swept one arm outward.

Arrows flew from every direction.

At the same instant, Prince Fu Residence guards charged out from the rooftops and flowerbeds.

"Zhao Yuannian, you dare!"

"I dare!"

Zhao Yuannian roared, his face twisted viciously.

...

It was already late morning before Prince Pingxi finally lay down inside the newly erected command tent.

He slept straight through until afternoon.

When he woke, he rubbed his eyes and stretched.

Tsk.

Whenever he marched and fought outside, his sleep was always exceptionally good.

Chen Xianba was sitting in the command tent reviewing reports.

Zheng Man and Liu Dahu were crowded beside him watching.

The one writing was extremely serious.

The two watching were equally serious.

The command tent had been divided into two sections by a large curtain.

The front half, where Chen Xianba and the others sat, was used for military councils and official business.

Behind the curtain was the Prince's sleeping area.

Zheng Fan had just woken and felt thirsty.

He reached for the teacup placed near him.

Cold.

Whenever conditions allowed during a campaign, Prince Pingxi always drank a cup of hot tea immediately after waking so his mind would sharpen for whatever came next.

The three men in the front section were so absorbed that they had not heard him get up.

Zheng Fan called out:

"Water! Water! Is it boiling yet?"

All three immediately raised their heads.

At that exact moment, a messenger shouted from outside:

"Report! Your Highness! Chuzhou City's gates are open! The defenders have surrendered!"

For an instant...

Chen Xianba, Liu Dahu, and Zheng Man all stared with eyes stretched wide.

Their hearts were filled with shock.

This... this was their Prince.

This... was Great Yan's God of War.

...

The Yan army entered the city.

Prince Pingxi donned his black armor, mounted his Pixiu, raised his royal banner, and entered Chuzhou City as well.

Prince Fu had opened the gates.

Zhao Yuannian led the guards of Prince Fu Residence, seized the defending general, and ordered the garrison to open the city and surrender.

The defenders had already been driven to the bottom of their morale by everything that happened the previous night, together with the endless cries of the routed soldiers outside the walls.

They barely resisted.

If anything, surrender seemed to come as a relief.

And so the gates opened.

First, the routed Qian soldiers surged into the city.

Then the Yan army entered behind them.

If Zheng Fan had not known perfectly well that he and this "son" had never coordinated to this extent, even he might have started wondering whether Zhao Yuannian was genuinely some great exemplar of filial piety.

Luck.

Perhaps this was simply luck.

That was fine too.

Whenever Zheng Fan remembered how years ago, despite observing a battlefield from far, far away, a stone thrown by a trebuchet had nearly turned him into meat paste in the middle of a rainy night... he felt that Heaven was finally compensating him for having been excessively cruel before.

Very well.

This Prince accepts.

Yan cavalry surrounded their Prince in layer after layer as they advanced along the broad streets of the commandery city.

Then... the procession reached the gates of Prince Fu Residence.

Zhao Yuannian, dressed in formal python robes, had been waiting on the steps for quite some time.

The moment he saw Zheng Fan...

Zhao Yuannian immediately dropped to his knees.

Then shouted:

"Respectfully welcome Father home!"

[End of Chapter 849]