“A villain…a villain…” Dong Cheng murmured, then his expression changed. “The art of war says, ‘If internal troubles are not resolved, how can external threats be controlled?’ This Dai Xi is reckless and disregards the overall situation. He does not understand my intention to retreat to Canghai County. Now there is only one way out. Someone, summon Mo Zidu to see me.”
Mo Zidu's subordinate rushed over, and Dong Cheng whispered a few instructions in his ear. Mo Zidu then hurriedly left. A moment later, the sound of horses neighing came from outside the tent. Mo Zidu led the remaining five hundred cavalrymen away in haste.
Before dawn the next day, Dong Cheng set off. The entire army traveled extremely fast throughout the day. Although no one supplied them with provisions along the way, no one hindered them either. After a day and a night, Dong Cheng finally saw the western city wall of Xizhou.
"We arrived just in time." Seeing that the flags of the Su Kingdom were still flying above the city walls, instead of the terrifying red dragon battle flag, Dong Cheng relaxed slightly, but then frowned.
"Why didn't Mo Zidu come to greet me?" he wondered to himself. Just then, a rider came galloping from the city.
"General, please enter the city immediately! The south gate has been captured by the enemy, and Deputy General Mo is doing his best to hold them off. Please advance quickly!"
"They've come so fast!" I didn't expect that even though I rushed here, I would still be overtaken by the Peace Army. The two armies were not on the same route, so one army entered through the west gate and the other army entered through the south gate.
"Zidu has too few soldiers, how can they last long?" Dong Cheng spurred his horse, "All soldiers, those who fall behind will be executed, those who rush forward will be rewarded! Charge!"
Seeing their commander-in-chief charge into the city first, his troops followed suit. Xizhou was an important port city in the Su Kingdom, second only to the capital Liuzhou in terms of commercial prosperity. The Canghai County garrison was not large, numbering only around ten thousand. Although they had heard of the war in the south, the garrison commander Dai Xi had not expected that the enemy would reach Xizhou in just four days. Therefore, apart from six thousand men in the city, most of them were scattered in various counties. Mo Zidu, under orders from Dong Cheng, rushed into Xizhou overnight. Under the pretext of an urgent report, he tricked Dai Xi into an audience, then imprisoned him and seized his military seal. Just as they were about to exchange it, Meng Yuan arrived right behind them and stormed open the south gate. Mo Zidu mobilized his troops and the Xizhou garrison to confront the Heping Army on the streets. The two sides fought back and forth. Although Mo Zidu had a slight advantage in troop strength, he could not withstand the Heping Army's offensive and had to retreat step by step from the streets at the south gate to the city.
Dong Cheng entered the city and looked around. All the doors on both sides of the street were tightly shut. The once bustling streets were deserted except for the wagons transporting wounded soldiers. Hearing the deafening sounds of battle from the city center, his anxiety intensified. He ordered again, "Kill the enemy, then settle them! Charge!"
He arrived just in time, seeing that Mo Zidu's formation was unstable. He quickly arrived and ordered his soldiers to dismantle the houses on both sides to create barricades, blocking the Peace Army cavalry. Meng Yuan, seeing that he had suffered more than two hundred casualties and still could not advance, had no choice but to retreat slightly. However, seeing the Peace Army cavalry's sharpness, although the terrain in the city was not favorable for a cavalry charge, Dong Cheng did not dare to easily launch a counterattack. Within the city, both sides temporarily fell silent.
“The enemy’s intention is not to capture Xizhou City,” Dong Cheng said. “They want to seize Xizhou Port for resupply. Zidu, you will confront the enemy general here, but you can only feign an attack and not engage in actual combat. I will go and occupy the port area.”
Upon arriving at the port area, he had just ordered his troops to form ranks when the Peace Army arrived in quick succession. Seeing his imposing formation, the Peace Army's commander, Lü Wubing, refrained from futile attacks and ordered a retreat. Within Xizhou City, the Peace Army numbered less than five thousand, while Dong Cheng's own troops, plus those he had seized from Dai Xi, totaled over twelve thousand. Although outnumbered, their morale was low, and Dong Cheng dared not be careless. Thus, for a time, the two sides faced off, awaiting the next battle.
Chapter Four: Capturing the City
Section 01
Located on the Liuhe Plain, Liuzhou, the capital of the Su Kingdom, was renamed Liujing after the former capital Pingjing fell into the hands of the Lan people, becoming the new capital of a small, isolated dynasty. However, the people mostly referred to it as Liuzhou. The city lived up to its name, boasting beautiful scenery, with shimmering waters and verdant mountains. As a natural harbor, even in the previous dynasty with its strict maritime prohibitions, it was one of the few ports that established a maritime trade office to allow long-distance trade. In the current dynasty, especially after losing half of the northern territory, national tax revenue increased rather than decreased, a significant portion of which relied on the commerce of Liuzhou. Therefore, there was a saying among the people: "Every large ship heads towards Liuzhou," with rare treasures from all directions and the world displayed in the market; people of all races and skin colors filled the streets.
Such a prosperous place naturally became a source of envy and trouble for many. The previous ruler of Lan Kingdom, captivated by the splendor of the "Willow Capital Watching the Tide" painting by the Su Kingdom artist Xu Buding, hung it in the court and, obsessed with it day and night, ultimately led to the invasion of Su Kingdom by a five-nation coalition. If it weren't for the emergence of the peerless general Lu Xiang at that time, the Su Kingdom might not have belonged to the Li family anymore.
"Mr. Lu has come here not only to give me these treasures, but also because he has done so to me."
In the small living room of the Prime Minister's residence, Wu Shu withdrew his gaze from the eight boxes of rare treasures. A half-smile appeared in Huang Youyou's eyes, and his expression was more cunning than kind.
"Naturally, it's just a small gift for you, sir. With you taking care of me, what else do I have to worry about in this Su Kingdom?" Although he felt pierced by that gaze, Lu Yuan kept his expression well under control. Even though deep down he, like Li Jun, looked down on this greedy and avaricious Su Kingdom official, he still treated him with caution.
"Well, that's good, that's good." Wu Shu repeated a couple of times, leisurely playing with the crystal-clear jade finger ring on his index finger. This made Lu Yuan's gaze, which had been momentarily stunned, return, and his eyes seemed to become blank and dizzy again.
"However, there are some bad rumors circulating in the capital lately. What do you think, sir?" Lu Yuan asked, seeing Wu Shu's listless appearance.
"Oh?" Wu Shu raised an eyelid slightly. "What rumors are you spreading?"
"Does Your Excellency not know? Dong Cheng, the prefect of Yunyang, always compares himself to Lu Xiang. Everyone knows that Lu Xiang deserved to be killed for treason, yet he compares himself to Lu Xiang. I'm afraid his intentions are... well, never mind. If Your Excellency doesn't know, then so be it. I must take my leave now. Please take care, Your Excellency. My business in Liujing depends entirely on Your Excellency's support."
"Are you leaving already? Please sit a little longer." Wu Shu did not serve tea to see the guest off as usual, but simply sat in the armchair, showing no intention of letting Lu Yuan leave.
"Is there anything else you need, sir?" Lu Yuan bowed respectfully, then shrank back into his chair, his heart pounding for some reason.
"Mr. Lu, in your opinion, between Dong Cheng and Lu Xiang, who is more skilled in military strategy?" After a long pause, Wu Shu suddenly uttered this question.
“It’s Lu Xiang, of course.” Lu Yuan blurted out almost without thinking.
Wu Shu's eyes flashed with that strange light again: "If that's the case, why is Li Jun, as Lu Xiang's successor, afraid of Dong Cheng? Why did he send you, sir, to sow discord between Dong Cheng and me?"
In an instant, Lu Yuan felt as if he had been doused with ice water, his legs trembled, and "escaping for his life" became the only thought in his mind.
"When will the commander's main army arrive?"
Standing in front of the simple sand table, Meng Yuan had to admit that it was indeed not easy for cavalry to gain an advantage against an enemy force twice their size in this kind of street fighting.
"The army is moving slowly and needs to clear the rear along the way, so it will take at least four more days for the commander to reach Xizhou. The messenger has already been sent to urge them on. If the commander sends a troop to meet them, they may arrive in two days."
“There’s something… very strange.” Lü Wubing frowned for a long time before finally saying, “Why is Dong Cheng only defending and not attacking with twice the number of troops as me? Our army being in the city is extremely disadvantageous to him. Look, he controls the western and northern districts and the eastern port, while our army controls the southern city. It’s like a sharp knife piercing the enemy’s belly, which is exactly what he’s worried about. He must also know that our main force is on its way. Only by driving us out of Xizhou City before our main force arrives can he avoid the most unfavorable situation of being attacked from both inside and outside.”
"There's definitely something fishy about this." Meng Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword. In this city battle, the enemy skillfully used roadblocks and barricades, rendering the cavalry's advantage ineffective. And in a war of attrition, the side with superior numbers would inevitably win first, barring unforeseen circumstances. Given the current situation, Dong Yuan should eliminate Meng Yuan, this thorn in his side, at any cost, before considering anything else.
"Let's capture a prisoner and question him." After only a moment's thought, Meng Yuan stopped his pointless speculation. If it were Li Jun, he might be interested in such a battle of wits, but Meng Yuan used the simplest and most direct method.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the unfortunate prisoner limped over, followed by several Peace Army soldiers.
"What? You started before I even laid a hand on him?" Seeing the prisoner's bruised and swollen face, Meng Yuan asked menacingly, as if he had suffered greatly during his capture. However, his murderous intent was not directed at the Peace Army soldiers who had captured the prisoner, but at the terrified prisoner, as if he felt the soldiers hadn't been rough enough.
"Why doesn't Dong Cheng attack me?" Meng Yuan then asked the prisoner.
The prisoner's silence was his only response. He stared at the prisoner with terrified eyes, the various rumors about the Peace Army overlapping with the ferocious face of the short enemy general before him, creating a wave that shook his soul.
"Looks like you've captured a hero." Meng Yuan then turned to the Peace Army soldiers. "Dig a hole and bury him."
As the soldiers of the Peace Army swarmed forward, some of them quickly bringing out tools such as shovels and picks, the prisoner cried out, "I don't know! I don't know anything! I'm just a soldier, how could I know about such important military matters?"
“I know you know nothing.” Meng Yuanhu rolled his eyes. “If you know nothing, what use are you?”
Bury it!
The prisoner struggled in the strong arms of the two Peace Army soldiers, finally crying out, "Didn't you say you were avenging Marshal Lu? Why are you treating me like this? Marshal Lu never killed a prisoner back then!"
Meng Yuan's anger flared up instantly. His face turned bright red, and he strode forward, snatching the prisoner from the Peace Army soldier's hands. His tiger-like eyes seemed to spit fire, and his teeth were grinding together.
"If you refuse to reveal what you know," he tried to calm himself, "then how can we avenge Marshal Lu? For the greater cause of Marshal Lu's revenge, why should I care about such trivial matters?"
The prisoner was already ashen-faced. Meng Yuan was beside him, making him feel as if a mountain was pressing down on him, rendering him unable to move. He could even hear the heavy, rapid pounding of his own heart, and sensed that before the Peace Army soldiers could bury him alive, this enemy general would tear him to shreds without hesitation.
"I'll talk, I'll talk..." he stammered, tears welling in his terrified eyes. No matter how much he wanted to play the hero, he was still just a young man in his early twenties. He could only muster his courage for a while, but he couldn't sustain it in the face of Meng Yuan's immense pressure.
"Hmph!" Meng Yuan released his grip, leaving the prisoner sprawled on the ground like a rag doll. "Tell me the truth. And remember this: we are here to avenge Commander Lu. For this purpose, I will stop at nothing!" Recalling the kindness Lu Xiang had shown him that day, Meng Yuan's words, though not as violent as before, were filled with a firmness that anyone could hear.