Chapter 954: Chen Xianba’s Fury

“Brother, food.”

Qin Xiaoyong handed the meal he had collected to his second brother.

Qin Eryong took the large bowl and chopsticks. He had only shoveled in two mouthfuls when he suddenly discovered two large slabs of salted meat at the bottom.

“Where did this come from?”

Qin Eryong immediately glared at his younger brother.

Eastern Jin military discipline was strict.

Anyone who stole in the army was executed without pardon.

Especially during wartime.

No military-law officer had the leisure to give someone a second chance.

“Don’t worry, Brother. I didn’t steal it.”

“Then where did it come from?”

“It wasn’t stolen. Just eat.”

“No. Tell me where it came from first, or I can’t eat this meat.”

Seeing his brother insist, Qin Xiaoyong could only answer honestly.

“Didn’t we run into Eldest Brother the day before yesterday? He had someone bring this over this morning.”

Inside an army containing regular troops, auxiliaries, and laborers by the hundreds of thousands, finding one specific person was extraordinarily difficult unless your status was high enough to send official notices through every command.

Still, there were ways around it.

It was difficult for auxiliaries to locate Standard-Household soldiers, because the Standard-Household troops had been integrated layer by layer and then assigned into different units.

Auxiliary troops, however, were often organized and managed according to the fort or cluster of forts from which they had been levied.

Once Qin Dayong learned which fort contingent his brothers belonged to, he had someone make inquiries inside and finally confirmed their location.

They had met briefly the previous day.

This morning, he had someone send over the meat.

“You’re muddleheaded. Eldest Brother wears armor and goes into battle. He needs meat. Without meat, where does he get the strength to swing a saber? You and I spend almost every day hauling things, training, and working. We’re not actually fighting with real blades yet. What do we need extra nourishment for? Didn’t the older men say that once we truly have to go into battle, there’ll be meat in our rations too? This was food Eldest Brother saved from his own mouth, and you actually had the nerve to accept it?”

“I didn’t want to, Second Brother. But Eldest Brother sent it through someone else. The man said Eldest Brother’s unit had already moved to a new position, so there was no way to return it.”

“Ah.”

Qin Eryong sighed.

He did not blame his younger brother any further.

“Eat.”

After a pause, Qin Eryong added:

“When the war is over and we receive our rewards, the two of us will pool our money and have a bracelet made for Sister-in-Law.”

“Deal.”

The brothers sat together and ate.

People ate quickly in the army.

To a certain extent, auxiliary troops were the reserve pool for the regular army, so many of their rules and habits were intentionally modeled after the combat troops.

Not long after they finished eating, their Lieutenant Commander arrived and began calling men into formation.

Qin Eryong and his younger brother did not dare delay.

They immediately grabbed their sabers and joined the ranks.

Truthfully, until now they had found almost no chance to use those sabers.

Most of their work had involved pushing, hauling, carrying, and chopping firewood.

But this time... the Lieutenant Commander ordered them to put on armor and carry weapons.

“Brother, are we going to fight?” Qin Xiaoyong asked, sounding eager.

“No. I heard the Chu have pulled back so far that even the regular troops at the front can barely find anyone to fight. How could it possibly be our turn?”

Their unit marched out of camp.

Another labor battalion left with them.

Five thousand auxiliaries.

Five thousand laborers.

Nearly ten thousand men in all.

That was a substantial force on its own.

Compared with the entire war, however, ten thousand men being pulled away barely caused a ripple, especially since they were not regular combat troops.

What puzzled Qin Xiaoyong was that the front lay to the south.

Yet their column marched northwest instead.

They had effectively swung around the flank and even crossed the Wei River again.

The road itself was not difficult.

There was no rain.

They marched by day, camped by night, then marched again.

After crossing the Wei River, Qin Eryong and Qin Xiaoyong had absolutely no idea where they were anymore.

Their Lieutenant Commander did not know much better.

He asked his own superiors and finally learned their current location:

Sansuo Commandery.

Sansuo Commandery and Liusha Commandery lay between Shanggu Commandery and Fan City.

Both used the Wei River as one of their commandery boundaries.

Their land stretched long and narrow, but the actual area was not small.

After the force entered Sansuo Commandery and pushed deeper for another two days... a cavalry formation of roughly three thousand regular troops appeared.

Two young generals riding Pi Beasts swept past Qin Eryong and Qin Xiaoyong.

The cavalry following behind rode with equal arrogance, whipping their mounts forward with the attitude of men whose nostrils practically pointed at the sky.

“Brother, those two generals are really young. And they’re riding Pi Beasts.” Qin Xiaoyong sounded envious.

Young men of eastern Jin... or more accurately, young men throughout Yan... regarded military service as an honor and military merit as glory.

Of course, not everyone could obtain a purebred Pixiu like the Regent Prince.

For an ordinary son of the army, merely dreaming of one day replacing his mount with a Pi Beast was already an extraordinarily high ambition.

“Yeah.” Qin Eryong nodded.

The Pi Beasts had moved too quickly.

Neither brother had managed to recognize that one of the two young generals was the same man who had stood up for them during the dispute over stuffed mantou.

...

“This subordinate pays respects to the Field Commander!”

“This subordinate pays respects to the Field Commander!”

A group of Thousand-Man Commanders saluted Chen Xianba.

Chen Xianba returned the salute with cupped fists.

“Gentlemen, this is not the time to rest. The column must continue moving. I have already arranged guides for you. The rainy season is nearly here. Do not delay.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

After giving the orders, Chen Xianba and Tian Tian mounted their Pi Beasts again and rode back the way they had come.

Three days later... the force of three thousand regular soldiers, five thousand auxiliaries, and five thousand laborers finally reached Xiawei County in Sansuo Commandery.

Xiawei County’s walled town stood not far ahead.

Inside the command tent, Chen Xianba had just finished convening a war council and issuing a series of deployments.

Next, the laborers began building camp.

The auxiliaries began constructing simple siege equipment.

Chen Xianba’s own three thousand cavalry spread completely outward to provide security.

“Whew...”

Chen Xianba drank some water.

Then he looked at Tian Tian sitting opposite him and shook his head helplessly.

Tian Tian gave an embarrassed smile.

A month had passed since the battle on the southern bank of the Wei River.

Then Father Commander had suddenly ordered Tian Tian to lead a force out on an independent assignment.

Tian Tian, keeping his word as a brother, immediately pushed Chen Xianba forward for the opportunity.

The moment Chen Xianba learned of it, he became so excited he could barely contain himself.

This time he did not decline.

He went directly to the command tent and volunteered.

And so...

Chen Xianba became commander of this operation.

Tian Tian served as his deputy.

Under eastern Jin’s military system, when someone independently commanded a separate force on a distinct wartime front but did not possess a sufficiently high permanent rank, he was temporarily granted the office of Field Commander.

What Chen Xianba had not expected... was that this assignment would not be some difficult mission whose success could decide the larger campaign in one hammer blow.

Instead, he had been told to take his own three thousand cavalry, add a force of auxiliaries and laborers, enter Sansuo Commandery... and pull out nails.

In truth, the main Chu armies had already withdrawn.

Their principal defensive front now centered on Moya Commandery, Wenqiu Commandery, Shangyang Commandery, and the Great Marsh region extending westward.

Once eastern Jin’s army crossed the Wei River, Sansuo and Liusha Commanderies might still nominally belong to Chu.

Their officials were Chu.

Their garrisons were Chu.

Their banners were Chu.

But in reality... they had become an isolated enclave.

If Yan swallowed the region too quickly, it would only dilute its own troops.

So this military operation was, in substance... little more than sweeping up loose pieces.

Even the strategic objective could not exactly be called vague.

“Perfunctory” was more accurate.

The Prince’s original words had been:

**Take as many cities as you can.**

It was like tossing a random toy to a whining child.

Go play.

Stop making noise.

Chen Xianba was somewhat disappointed.

Fortunately, not terribly so.

At least he had finally received the chance to command independently.

He treasured the opportunity.

The reason he kept deliberately putting on such a dissatisfied expression in front of Tian Tian... was because he wanted this one not to count.

Next time, he intended to steal another opportunity from his little brother.

There was no real malice in it.

His hands were simply itching too badly.

“When the Prince made the forced march to relieve Fan City back then, Xiawei County was the first county town west of Zhennan Pass. Marshal Gou’s vanguard broke it once. And before this, Chief Commander Li Chenghui brought the Zhenbei Army through here too. No, more accurately, he practically bypassed the place. He crossed the Wei River to pressure the Chu army and forced them to withdraw without daring to entertain any other ideas. This county town has no real foundation.”

“So, Brother Ba, the reason you ordered siege equipment built and sent the cavalry sweeping outward is to make the city think we’re about to storm it, forcing them to surrender?”

“If they have any sense, they’ll surrender directly. Qu Peiluo’s Chu Battalion has spent years infiltrating this area too. I already sent someone inside to deliver terms. As long as they’re willing to submit, everything can be discussed. Officials keep their offices. Rich households keep their wealth. They only need to contribute some grain and enough money to reward the army. The rest can remain as it is. We do not currently have enough troops to absorb such a huge region completely. My guess is that His Highness only wants us to sift through the area first, make an appearance, polish the surface a little.”

“Yes.”

Tian Tian nodded.

He had reached the same conclusion.

At that moment... two armored soldiers entered.

They carried a box.

“Field Commander...”

“What happened?”

“The Magistrate of Xiawei County killed our messenger and sent his head back.”

...

The camp continued to deepen and strengthen.

Eastern Jin’s army possessed its own standardized method of encampment, doing everything possible to secure its foothold.

At the same time, siege equipment gradually took shape as the days passed.

Meanwhile, the cavalry systematically cleared the outskirts of Xiawei County.

The county town became an island.

Inside... food shortages had already appeared.

As for reinforcements... the county should have sent requests for help long ago.

But neither Chen Xianba nor Tian Tian worried that Chu troops from nearby cities might come.

Without the support of Great Chu’s imperial-clan Imperial Guards or some serious noble private army, these so-called reinforcements were not worth discussing.

Never mind whether they had the courage to come.

Even if they did... no one here would truly take them seriously.

Tian Tian had originally assumed Chen Xianba would become furious over the severed head.

He did not.

Even though the envoy Chen Xianba had sent was one of his trusted men, apparently someone he had known at Zhennan Pass and kept close ever since.

At last... every preparation was complete.

At dawn, Chen Xianba ordered the entire army to cook and eat.

Tian Tian and Chen Xianba sat facing each other.

Neither spoke while eating.

Outside...

Qin Eryong and Qin Xiaoyong sat facing one another too.

There was meat in their bowls.

...

“WOOOOOO...”

The horns sounded.

Chen Xianba and Tian Tian each mounted his Pi Beast and rode to the front.

It was a small county town.

One could even call it dilapidated.

The population was not large.

Yet at this moment, all of Chen Xianba’s earlier flippancy and casualness had vanished.

His expression was completely solemn.

“Deputy Commander,” Chen Xianba said.

Tian Tian immediately cupped his fists.

“Field Commander!”

“Inspect the line for me.”

“Yes!”

Tian Tian rode his Pi Beast along the battle preparations.

In truth, it was closer to ceremony than necessity.

A pre-battle ritual.

When Qin Xiaoyong saw Tian Tian ride past, he instinctively straightened his chest.

By now, the brothers finally knew who commanded this force.

But what stirred them even more deeply... was their deputy commander.

The Prince’s eldest son!

The very Heir Prince who had once stood up for the brothers, killed that Savage, and then announced his own identity!

After completing the inspection, Tian Tian returned to Chen Xianba’s side.

He reported:

“Field Commander, inspection complete. No deficiencies found!”

Chen Xianba nodded.

He looked toward the signal soldiers beside him.

“Advance.”

“The Field Commander orders: advance!”

“Yes!”

A portion of the auxiliary troops began pushing shield carts forward.

The remaining auxiliaries advanced alongside them carrying shields.

While the distance was still great, arrows already began flying from Xiawei County’s walls.

Most did not even reach the shields.

They simply fell to the ground short of the formation.

Qin Xiaoyong, entering a battlefield for the first time, was extremely nervous.

He and his brother pushed one shield cart together.

“Little Brother, don’t be afraid. The Chu on the walls are the ones who’re truly scared. Keep steady. Keep pushing. The regular troops are coming up behind us. We can’t fall back.”

Qin Xiaoyong nodded hard and focused on pushing.

As the distance closed... arrows finally began striking the shield cart one after another.

Thrum!

Thrum!

Thrum!

The wood vibrated under the impacts.

The Qin brothers were relatively safe behind the broad cart.

The men advancing beside them with handheld shields were less fortunate.

Some were already being hit.

Whenever one man took an arrow, the comrades around him instinctively shifted to cover him.

Those with light wounds withdrew on their own.

Those badly wounded were first helped behind the shield carts.

“CLANG!”

“BOOM!”

The defenders on the walls began throwing logs and stones.

Yet the Yan ladder teams had not even advanced.

That meant the defenders were extremely nervous.

And their training... was probably almost nonexistent.

Looking upward from below, there were not many genuine Chu soldiers on the walls at all.

A large proportion of the defenders still wore ordinary civilian clothing.

The Qin brothers might have been serving as auxiliaries for the first time... but they had seen plenty since entering the army.

Every day, they lived and worked beside genuine elite soldiers of the age.

Their standards had risen accordingly.

Once you realized the opponent was far worse than you... you stopped feeling quite so nervous.

In fact, the shield carts and shieldmen had done almost nothing except advance.

They had barely returned fire.

Yet the defenders atop the walls were already showing growing panic and early signs of collapse.

When the distance had closed enough...

Chen Xianba ordered the regular troops forward.

From very early in Yan’s history, its iron cavalry and mounted archery had been famous throughout All Xia.

And ever since establishing himself at Cuiliu Fort, the Regent Prince had been an unapologetic cavalry fanatic.

Chen Xianba had always been cultivated by the Prince as the seed of a future famous general.

The troops he had trained over the past several years were excellent horse archers.

There was no reason men who could shoot accurately from horseback would suddenly become useless the moment their feet touched the ground.

So when this group of regular soldiers advanced carrying bows, using the shield carts and auxiliary shieldmen as cover while returning fire against the walls... the city defenses immediately descended into chaos.

The accuracy on the two sides was not even remotely comparable.

The gap was enormous.

Gradually, the defenders atop the walls no longer dared show their heads above the battlements.

On some stretches of wall, even the banners had fallen.

Clearly, men had already begun fleeing their positions.

This was more or less what pure peasant levies looked like.

Compared with true regular elites... they were inferior in every possible dimension.

Chen Xianba had not even bothered building trebuchets.

With this simple deployment alone... the fundamental tone of the “siege” had already been decided.

Next, the ladder teams lifted their ladders and prepared to press forward.

At the same time, many regular soldiers took ropes and prepared to climb the walls directly.

Under the cover of shield-bearing auxiliaries, the archers kept moving closer.

Their suppressive fire became stronger and stronger.

At that moment... the gates of Xiawei County opened from within.

A tall, thin, middle-aged man emerged slowly.

He wore long white robes.

He had a flowing beard.

His feet were bare.

The elegance Great Chu took such pride in... was indeed fully visible in him.

Chen Xianba raised one hand.

The attack paused.

Under circumstances like these, the city could no longer play any meaningful tricks.

A delaying tactic had no value either.

The middle-aged man continued walking forward.

He even passed through the line of shieldmen.

Everyone understood that he had come to surrender.

And since the city gate remained wide open behind him... no one felt any urgency to seize him.

Chen Xianba rode his Pi Beast forward to meet him.

“Are you the commander of the Yan army?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Chen Xianba answered expressionlessly.

“I am Wang Qingmei, Magistrate of Xiawei County. I surrender to the Yan army here. The guilt lies with me alone. General, I ask that you spare the innocent commoners inside the city.”

“Wang? I don’t remember any noble clan surnamed Wang inside Chu.”

“I was born from a poor family. His Majesty did not disdain me and accepted me into official service. Yet I failed to defend His Majesty’s territory properly. I am ashamed. The only thing I, Wang, can still do... is trade my own death for the lives of the people inside this city. General... please spare them.”

Chen Xianba nodded.

“You want to die?”

Wang Qingmei lifted the long hair hanging beside both temples with both hands.

He smiled.

“To lose territory is a great crime. When a local official loses the place entrusted to him, he should die with that place. His Majesty recognized and raised me. I will never betray Chu and submit to Yan.”

“You misunderstand. I’m not trying to persuade you to surrender.”

Wang Qingmei frowned.

“What does the General intend?”

“I carry the Prince’s order to lead troops through this region and uproot cities and stockades. You’ve already delayed me here far too long.”

“General, the people of Chu do not lack officials with backbone. Nor do we lack commoners with backbone. If Yan intends to destroy Chu, then truly—”

“You misunderstand again. What I mean is that I don’t have much time. I have no intention of spending this many days making preparations every time I reach another city.”

Chen Xianba raised one hand and pointed toward the wide-open gate.

“Go back. Continue defending your city.”

“General, this violates Heaven’s harmony!”

Wang Qingmei had of course understood what the young Yan general intended.

“When two armies fight, if you dared kill my messenger, then you should have been prepared for both sides to stop following the rules. You broke them first. I’ll repay you in kind.”

Chen Xianba roared:

“Go back now. Continue defending the city. Once it falls, the women and children may live. If you keep standing here and refuse to return... then when Xiawei County falls... not a chicken or dog will remain alive!”

“General, are you not afraid your Prince will learn that today you—”

“What a coincidence.”

Chen Xianba flicked his riding crop.

Then smiled.

“In this life, the man I revere most is my Prince. And I believe that if my Prince were standing here now and saw you fishing for reputation, pitying yourself, and savoring your own noble sorrow... he would issue exactly the same order I did. My Prince and I despise men like you most. The Prince once asked me something: when you see a pure and holy lotus flower... what do you want to do most? Really... you want to throw a ladle of shit over it.”

[End of Chapter 954]