Chapter 860: The Imperial Capital Falls! (Part I)

Night fell.

Li Xundao was inspecting the camp.

He had personally trained the Imperial Guard. Although the force had absorbed quite a few descendants of military families from the old Imperial Guard system, most of those men had been pushed to the margins. The army before him was still firmly under Chancellor Li’s control.

Yao Zizhan, dressed in a green robe, slowly approached.

Li Xundao waved for the generals around him to continue making another circuit of the camp, then walked toward Master Yao on his own.

“Master Yao, you haven’t rested yet?”

“Not only me. His Majesty probably hasn’t been able to rest either.”

Li Xundao nodded.

This was the Emperor’s first time personally leading an army.

It was also the first imperial campaign Great Qian had seen in a hundred years. To find the previous one, you had to go all the way back to Emperor Taizong.

To say His Majesty was not nervous would be impossible.

The enemy before them was no religious rebel mob.

It was the Yan army.

And more than that, an Yan army flying a Prince’s royal banner.

“Xundao, do you think the Yan will raid us tonight?”

“If I were commanding the Yan, tonight would be the latest I could possibly wait before launching a night attack. In truth, the Yan should already have reacted last night. Apart from Chancellor Han’s northern army, all three of our other forces made contact with the Yan yesterday. But the Yan only contracted inward. They made no attempt to do anything else. If they did nothing during the day, you could still explain it by saying they were waiting for night. So tonight, I expect a night raid. If they still do nothing... then the iron cage really will be cast shut.”

“What are you worried about?”

Master Yao sounded genuinely curious.

Li Xundao sat down. Master Yao followed and sat cross-legged beside him.

“Chancellor Han and Zu Xinyue send several reports every day. At first, I believed the Yan would immediately try to smash Chancellor Han’s force in a single blow. But they never did.”

“Could it simply be the rain? Yan cavalry can’t run through all this mud?”

“Two years ago, when Yan mobilized against Chu, it was that very Prince Pingxi who led troops against a Chu camp defended by rattan-armored soldiers. He had his men fill in the ground and physically dig the Chu camp open. And yes, the Yan run rampant because of their cavalry. That does not mean Yan soldiers forget how to fight the moment they dismount. The north is the Yan army’s road home. Chancellor Han’s force is sitting directly on their line of retreat. We all understand that. Prince Pingxi certainly understands it too. He cannot possibly believe a single isolated army can overturn Great Qian’s entire realm. When he came in, he had to have been thinking about how he would get back out.”

“Maybe he wants to besiege a point and strike the reinforcements. Or perhaps the Yan simply never expected us to gather this many troops around them, much less that His Majesty would personally take the field and raise morale.”

“That is possible. Battlefield conditions change constantly. Everyone has his own thoughts. Nobody can calculate everything perfectly. And judging from the reports Zu Xinyue has sent, Prince Pingxi himself is unquestionably still there. That is the one point that reassures me most. So long as he is there, everything else remains manageable.”

“Yes. So long as he is there, everything else is manageable.” Yao Zizhan nodded. “They say he brought almost fifty thousand troops on this expedition. In my eyes, those fifty thousand men are still worth less than the man himself. If Yan’s pillar holding up the sky collapses, eastern Jin will inevitably fall into chaos. Yan will lose the Jin lands. Everything, more or less, will return to how it was years ago.”

The two men looked at the matter from different directions.

One from the military.

One from politics.

“Still, faced with an opponent like this, I truly do not dare lower my guard. Ever since I failed to keep him on the Back Mountain, I’ve never been able to shake this unease.”

Back then, Prince Pingxi had been assassinated on the frozen Wangjiang River.

By drawing on the Demon Child’s strength, Zheng Fan used the methods of a Qi Refiner to escape the immediate crisis. Li Xundao seized the opportunity, using the White Lotus left behind by his teacher, Master Cang, as a medium to “detain” Zheng Fan on the Back Mountain.

He had believed they could eliminate an enormous future threat in one stroke.

Who would have imagined Zheng Fan would climb the mountain and then walk back down again?

In the end, not only was Master Cang’s White Lotus lost, Li Xundao himself sacrificed most of his Qi Refiner cultivation.

Yao Zizhan consoled him.

“Some men have Heaven’s timing on them. Perhaps he was simply born to die on a battlefield.”

Li Xundao nodded.

After a while, Master Yao lowered his voice.

“If you were in his place, what would you do?”

“You mean if I were Prince Pingxi?”

“Exactly.”

“I would never have waited until now. Since ancient times, when multiple armies advance from different directions to encircle an enemy, it may look magnificent, with grand columns marching from every side. But the reason one uses such a method is precisely because no single force is individually secure enough to deal with the enemy alone. That means an encirclement’s greatest weakness appears before the ring closes. If the enemy sees through your plan early enough, then no matter how many roads you approach from, he chooses only one road and attacks it. He concentrates superior strength and eats your separate columns one by one. Even if he cannot win battle after battle without pause, once one or two directions are destroyed, the so-called encirclement ceases to exist. But that Prince deployed an enormous number of scouts. From the reports two days ago, the instant our three armies began closing in, Yan scouts reacted immediately. His ability in warfare is not so poor that he would simply sit and wait for us to finish building the cage around him. That is precisely what I cannot understand. When facing an opponent like this, I dare not hope he will simply make such a huge mistake and hand us the advantage.”

“If the Yan intend to break out, which direction do you think they’ll choose?”

“What does Master Yao think?”

“The north?”

The north was where Han Sui’s army stood.

Li Xundao shook his head.

“If the Yan intended to retreat north, they would not have waited until now without launching a single serious attack against the northern camp.”

“Then the west? The western force is the smallest, and most of it is Northern Qiang cavalry.”

“Cavalry dislikes nothing more than enemy cavalry. Mounted troops can trail and cling to one another indefinitely. His Majesty already issued explicit orders to Commissioner Mingya: if the Yan move against him, he is not to seek a decisive battle. He is to avoid the Yan spearpoint, then find an opportunity to latch onto them. The other three armies would immediately tighten the bag afterward and suffocate the Yan inside.”

“Then what if the Yan choose...”

Yao Zizhan gritted his teeth before continuing:

“What if Prince Pingxi discovers His Majesty’s Jinwu Dragon Standard and simply charges straight into our army? Given the temperament of Yan men... given his temperament... I truly think he might do exactly that.”

Li Xundao very much wanted to ask:

Does he have a death wish?

Of the four Qian armies, the hardest one to fight was unquestionably the Imperial Guard force around the Emperor.

Training.

Quality.

Equipment.

And the tremendous morale boost created by the Emperor’s presence.

In every respect, this was the hardest force to break and the one most capable of enduring pressure.

But Li Xundao could not say that to Yao Zizhan.

He understood exactly why Master Yao thought this way.

Li Xundao reached down and scraped several small stones together on the ground.

Qian people feared the Yan.

The great victory in Liang had reduced that fear considerably.

But when Prince Pingxi personally appeared at the head of an army, everyone still felt nervous.

Scholars, moreover, tended toward melancholy and overthinking.

And Great Qian’s officials especially loved searching for “patterns.”

They might never have planted their own feet on the ground, yet still convinced themselves they had comprehended the hidden laws of Heaven and Earth. Sometimes they behaved more like Qi Refiners than actual Qi Refiners.

In Yao Zizhan’s mind... the least likely choice was often the most likely one.

Because that was exactly how the Yan, and Prince Pingxi in particular, had always behaved before.

But... how could that possibly be?

Then Li Xundao reconsidered.

Perhaps even His Majesty felt a faint unease in his heart right now.

“Master Yao, don’t worry. I am here on this route.”

“Good. Good. Good.”

“You should go keep His Majesty company. Talk with him a while.”

“Very well. I’ll go now.”

Yao Zizhan rose and left.

As he stepped away, the sole of his boot scattered the little pile of stones Li Xundao had scraped together.

Li Xundao also stood.

At first he paid no attention.

But after walking two steps, he turned back and looked down.

Of the small pile of stones... only one remained where it had been.

Li Xundao frowned.

His gaze turned toward the Yan camp in the distance.

“A feint... inside another feint?”

His right hand habitually gripped his left wrist, fingertips tapping against it again and again.

“An isolated army... inside an even deeper isolated advance?”

Li Xundao closed his eyes.

A map immediately appeared inside his mind.

Then... his eyes slowly opened again.

“Place yourself on death ground... and only then live.”

He turned his head toward the Jinwu Dragon Standard.

His Majesty’s field headquarters stood there.

Li Xundao hesitated.

He wavered.

Although he was now a Chancellor, he had spent most of the first half of his life cultivating on the Back Mountain. His foundations and influence inside the Qian court were still inferior even to Yao Zizhan’s.

Most importantly...

Prince Pingxi could issue one command inside his army and have every man obey.

Li Xundao could not.

He was Li Xundao.

He was not the Emperor.

And what he had just thought of was only a possibility.

A flash of intuition.

A possibility so absurd that even he believed the other side should never think of it, much less actually do it.

Yet this possibility... was far more insane than Yao Zizhan’s suggestion that Prince Pingxi might charge directly at the army beneath the Jinwu Dragon Standard.

His teeth bit into his lower lip.

Blood began to seep out.

Li Xundao felt as though his mind had become a tangled mass.

But amid all that confusion, he still decisively walked toward the Emperor’s headquarters.

When he reached it, however, he stopped.

Because he suddenly realized something.

Whether that flash of inspiration had been correct or not... he had already lost the ability to stop it.

He had already lost the ability to change it.

“Chancellor Li, does this servant need to announce you to His Majesty? His Majesty is playing chess with Master Yao at the moment.”

“No need. I only came to see whether His Majesty was resting well.”

“Yes, Chancellor.”

Li Xundao left the Emperor’s headquarters and returned to his own command tent.

Generals entered from time to time to report military matters.

He answered each one and issued the necessary instructions.

By the time dawn was close...

Master Yao entered again.

“Tired. Tired. This old man needs some sleep.”

“His Majesty is asleep too?” Li Xundao asked.

“His Majesty has retired. Heh-heh. His Majesty said he had expected the Yan to attack camp tonight. He had even imagined playing chess with this old man while listening to the killing shouts from across the field, adding a little flavor to the game and leaving behind a fine story for posterity. A pity the Yan refused to grant him the face.”

Li Xundao smiled and nodded.

“Xundao, you should rest too. The safety of this army and of His Majesty himself rests more than halfway on your shoulders.”

“Wait a little longer.”

“Dawn is almost here. You’re still waiting?”

“I’m waiting for the Yan.”

“You think they refused to attack at night because they want to charge openly in daylight?”

“No. I’m waiting for the Yan letter requesting surrender.”

“A surrender letter? Who is surrendering? Don’t tell me you mean... him?”

Master Yao jolted awake completely.

“The Yan won’t even make one desperate struggle as trapped beasts? They’ll simply surrender?”

“I don’t know whether they truly will send such a letter. But to speak honestly... I hope they don’t. Because if a surrender letter arrives shortly, then...”

“Then what?”

“Then it means we spent all this time calculating them... only to discover we were the ones being calculated.”

“With the situation as it is, what could he possibly calculate? The Three Frontiers and Liang have tied down enormous numbers of Yan troops. Other Yan forces inside their own country have no way to appear in Xishan Commandery in time. No matter how good Prince Pingxi is at war, can he conjure soldiers out of thin air?”

“No, Master Yao. I just went back and reread every memorial Chancellor Han sent over these past days. Their meeting. Their later exchanges. Everything. Reading them again, I suddenly realized that every one of those military reports is filled not with words, not with events... but with deliberate intent. Prince Pingxi has behaved like a clown leaping around on a stage. Again and again, he has shouted: ‘I’m here.’ ‘I’m right here.’ ‘I am definitely here.’ And yet... heh. Perhaps this is what they call supreme cleverness appearing clumsy. The louder and more ostentatiously he shouted it... the more all of us laughed at him.”

At that very moment... cheers erupted outside the command tent.

Then came the shrill cry of a messenger:

“Report! Prince Pingxi of the Yan barbarians has sent a letter requesting surrender!”

Bang!

Li Xundao’s fist slammed onto the commander’s table.

He smiled bitterly.

“We’re finished...”

...

“Your Highness, the surrender letter has been delivered.”

Chen Xianba reported from beside him.

Zheng Fan nodded.

At the same time, he carefully inspected his armor for any remaining problems, then touched the breastplate over his heart.

The Demon Child’s stone rested there.

“Dahu.”

“Here!”

“Check the silver armor on this Prince’s Pixiu again.”

“Yes!”

The Sword Saint looked somewhat curious.

“You only just sent over the surrender letter. Why have you suddenly become so nervous?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“Originally, I wasn’t planning to send it. I was worried it would be adding feet to a snake and ruin the picture. Then I thought about it. Things can hardly get much worse now, so we might as well send one. Maybe it really can delay them a little longer. But we also have to prepare on our side. We can’t treat the Qian as fools. Someone among them may already have grown suspicious. The moment he sees that surrender letter, his suspicion will become almost certainty. Extra cookfires. Extra banners. Horses constantly galloping back and forth to kick up dust. Every remaining main-force soldier sent out to the perimeter as though he were a scout. All these false appearances are frightening so long as nobody punctures them. The instant someone does... they collapse immediately.”

“So...?”

“So now I’m afraid. All that calmness before was an act. Now I’m starting to panic.”

“You weren’t panicking when you made this decision?”

“Only when catastrophe is truly hanging over your head do you understand what fear feels like. Everything before that is imaginary. I have only ten thousand troops beside me. Qian has more than two hundred thousand. Yes, the founding Marquis Zhenbei once defeated five hundred thousand with thirty thousand men a century ago. But the disparity we’re facing now is even more absurd than the one he faced back then. Xianba. Pass down the order. The entire army is to make ready and await this Prince’s command!”

“Yes!”

...

“Uncle, any news from the north yet?”

“Not yet. Not yet.”

“Makes me worried.”

“You brat, what are you worrying about? Patch your fishing net properly.”

“I’m afraid the Yan dogs will come again!”

“How could they? How could they? The Yan dogs aren’t what they used to be. Haven’t you heard? Their two greatest warrior Princes are both gone. Now they’ve only got one younger fellow propping things up.”

“Uncle, that younger fellow isn’t simple either.”

“And Great Qian isn’t what it used to be either. Did you ever imagine His Majesty would personally lead the army? The Emperor himself went north. You think those soldiers won’t be excited enough to fight with their lives? Yan men, Yan men. So what if they’re Yan men? Don’t they still have one head on two shoulders like everyone else? Didn’t we just beat them in Liang? They say there’s a huge lake over there. So many Yan dogs died that their corpses filled the whole lake.”

“Uncle, last time the government recruited civilian laborers, why didn’t you let me go? My parents were killed by Yan dogs. I dream about killing Yan dogs every night so I can avenge them.”

Years earlier, Li Fusheng’s army had fought all the way to the walls of Shangjing. Faced with a capital city that was nearly impossible to storm, Li Fusheng ordered civilians seized from the capital region and forced them to assault the walls, causing enormous casualties among the common people.

“Stay alive. If you’re alive, there’s still hope in life. Your parents are gone. It wasn’t easy for your uncle to raise you. I didn’t even take a wife because of you. Nothing can happen to you. You still have to support your uncle in old age and see me into the ground.”

“Uncle, you’re the one who says we can win. You’re the one who says His Majesty went personally. Then why...”

“Why do you have so much nonsense in that mouth? Come on. Unload the fish. Once news of the great victory up north comes back, fish and meat in the city are bound to rise in price.”

Uncle and nephew unloaded the fresh catch together.

They had only just stepped ashore on the southern bank of the Bian River... when both suddenly felt a terrifying tremor run through the ground.

The two looked west in confusion.

From that direction... a sea of black clouds was crushing toward them with overwhelming momentum.

Soldiers.

So many soldiers.

So many cavalry!

“Ha... haha... ha... those damned bastards... must be the great victory up north... His Majesty must be returning to court in triumph... ha... hahaha...”

“No, Uncle. Black armor! Black-armored cavalry! Those are Yan! The Yan are here! The Yan are here again!”

...

It was a dust-covered army.

The riders were exhausted.

The horses were exhausted too.

Taking advantage of the days of heavy rain, they had marched through mud and concealed their movement, sweeping westward in a huge arc before the Northern Qiang cavalry had arrived to block that direction.

Many soldiers’ lips were cracked and scabbed.

Foam flecked the mouths of the galloping horses.

After this desperate rush, Heaven knew how many mounts would have to be sent to the rear and used only as pack animals, no longer capable of serving as warhorses.

But... everything had been worth it.

Because they had succeeded.

Ahead of them stood the richest, most magnificent, most populous city in all Xia...

Shangjing.

A hoarse roar tore from Chen Yang’s throat.

He shouted toward Fan Li, who was running flat-out on his own two legs ahead of him:

“General Fan! We’re here! We made it! Quick! Take out the silk pouch His Highness gave you! Open it and see what His Highness ordered!”

Prince Pingxi had used himself as bait.

He had pinned Chancellor Han’s force in place and drawn the Qian armies inward to surround him.

The purpose... was to create enough room and enough possibilities for the main force under Chen Yang.

Before they separated...

Prince Pingxi had, in front of Chen Yang, handed Fan Li a silk pouch.

He instructed them to open it once they could see the walls of Shangjing.

“Oh. Right!”

Fan Li appeared to have forgotten the pouch completely.

Unlike the others, who practically worshiped Prince Pingxi without limit, Fan Li possessed the least sense of “awe” toward the Master even among the Demon Kings.

Playing at mysterious silk-pouch stratagems.

So damned fussy.

But Chen Yang’s eyes were burning into him.

Fan Li had no choice but to pat himself down.

At last, he pulled out the pouch.

Opened it.

Inside was a sheet of paper.

Still running, Fan Li mumbled to himself and kept tugging the sheet around until he finally managed to see the writing.

Only two characters.

Two characters he knew extremely well.

Heh-heh!

Fan Li grinned.

Raised both axes high.

And roared:

“Ura!”

[End of Chapter 860]