"Damn it, none of our cavalry are here, otherwise we could have caught up!"
Looking at the cart tracks and footprints left by the Peace Army, Wu Ying said hatefully, "If these Soviet cowards hadn't been hiding in the city and dared not come out, I would have killed all these scoundrels long ago!"
"It seems the thief has quite a lot of supplies. He's only been gone for two or three hours at most. If we give chase, even infantry can catch up," a general reminded them.
"Exactly!" Wu Ying's heart skipped a beat. The supplies the Peace Army carried could make up for the loot they had lost to the flood. He ordered, "Chase them! We must catch those scoundrels tomorrow!"
They pursued quickly, but were defeated even faster. By the following evening, thousands of soldiers speaking with foreign accents had fled into Nan'an Pass. Zhao Xing learned from them that Li Jun had indeed died, having devised a plan to repel the pursuers before his death. Ji Su and Wei Zhan were jointly in charge of military affairs. Wu Ying fell right into the trap and was shot dead under a large tree. After sending the defeated soldiers back to their camp, Zhao Xing laughed heartily, "Li Jun was indeed cunning, but with the brutes of Lan Kingdom clearing the way for us, we have nothing to fear now."
"General, do you want to give chase? What if Li Jun has another plan?" Ding Zhi objected. "That girl said that as long as we hold this city, our army will win a great victory. Why should we kill more enemies?"
"I was just saying." As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a commotion outside. Soon after, soldiers came to report that the defeated soldiers of the Lan Kingdom who had fled into the city were setting fires and looting in the streets because they had no general to control them. Zhao Xing and Ding Zhi's expressions changed drastically upon hearing this. They realized that there was something wrong with these defeated soldiers of the Lan Kingdom.
But it was too late. The outer city of Nan'an had already collapsed. Although repairs had been made in the past few days, the south and east gates had fallen into the hands of the defeated Lan Kingdom army. They drove the civilians out and set fires everywhere, keeping the Su Kingdom army busy fighting the fires and hindered by the civilians, preventing them from approaching the two city gates. Immediately afterwards, the sound of drums thundered outside the city, and the thunderous hoofbeats of cavalry rolled in like joyful spring thunder.
"Hold this city! Hold this city!" One piece of bad news after another arrived, leaving Zhao Xing and Ding Zhi disheartened. After their cries proved ineffective, they fled out of the city amidst the chaos of battle. Zhao Xing was now without a single guard or lieutenant by his side. The extreme turn from a great victory to a crushing defeat had almost robbed him of his ability to think. Only when he reached the north gate did he suddenly realize this. After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and turned his horse around.
"Li Jun, you scoundrel, come on!" he shouted amidst the wailing.
Meanwhile, about a hundred miles away from Nan'an City, Li Jun lay on a soft couch carried by his soldiers and coldly ordered, "That's about enough. Bury all the captured Lan people alive as a sacrifice for the soldiers who died in this battle."
Chapter Ten: Coup
one,
"Nan'an Pass has fallen?"
Wu Shu slumped in the armchair, completely devoid of his usual imposing manner. Nan'an Pass, where the last elite troops of the Su Kingdom were gathered, along with the 100,000-strong army from the Lan Kingdom, still couldn't stop Li Jun's attack. Was his painstakingly constructed defense line so fragile and vulnerable before Li Jun?
The defense of Nan'an Pass means that south of Liuzhou, the capital of the Su Kingdom, there is no longer any natural barrier. Future battles will take place on the flat plains, and the only troops the Su Kingdom can mobilize are the tens of thousands of regular troops guarding the capital and the local militia from nearby prefectures. Even the Lan Kingdom's 100,000-strong army couldn't withstand Li Jun; how could such a small force possibly be enough to hold him off?
The only hope rests on the large army assembled near Zhanyang. If Dong Cheng can be defeated at Zhanyang, and the army sails down the river, they can reach Liuzhou in less than ten days. Even if they cannot defeat Li Jun, they can buy some time to persuade Lan Kingdom to send reinforcements. This time, they must persuade Lan Kingdom to invite their pillar general, Wu Wei, so that he can subdue Li Jun. Even if that fails, they can move the capital north and cede the land south of the Liu River to Li Jun. They can still be the Grand Chancellor of Taiping, and His Majesty can continue his decadent monarchical life.
Even if something unexpected happens, it'll just be Beitou Lan Kingdom. While I might not be able to wield the same absolute power as I did in Su Kingdom, preserving my vast fortune and continuing my luxurious lifestyle shouldn't be a problem. As for what happens in the future, let future generations talk nonsense. What does it matter to me if the heavens and earth collapse after I die? Right now, the most important thing is to preserve my wealth and power…
Even the usually composed man couldn't help but let his mind wander for a long time. The entire court dared not breathe, all trying to discern his thoughts from his ever-changing expression, but after waiting for a long time, Wu Shu remained silent.
"His Majesty has decreed that Chancellor Wu Shu be summoned to the palace for an audience!"
The eunuch delivering the imperial edict raised his voice, piercing the silence of the hall with his sharp tone. Since Wu Shu had returned to power, Li Gou had not summoned him in front of his ministers for a long time. Today, it must have been some foolish eunuch who risked his life to report the matter to him, and he was so anxious that he came to Wu Shu for advice.
"Gentlemen, please wait here. I will come after I have seen His Majesty."
Wu Shu knew that these ministers would be gossiping after he left, but he also understood that no matter how much they talked, they wouldn't come to any conclusions. The important thing now was how to ensure that His Majesty would still trust him and that he wouldn't lose his power because of this matter.
"Thank you for your hard work, Wu Qing."
In his early years, Li Gou was diligent and accomplished, earning him the reputation of being the restorer of the Su Kingdom. However, in his later years, he indulged in calligraphy and music, neglecting state affairs and entrusting them entirely to Wu Shu. Some ministers advised Wu Shu that he was greedy, cunning, and lacked the magnanimity of a prime minister, but Li Gou simply smiled and remained silent, not informing Wu Shu of the matter. Eventually, rumors reached Wu Shu's ears, but he again dismissed them with a smile, only finding an opportunity to banish the minister from the capital and never employ him again. Gradually, people understood Li Gou's intentions: he wanted to be a peaceful ruler, thus requiring a capable person to govern him. However, like all rulers throughout history, he was suspicious; if the governing person were both exceptionally talented, he would feel uneasy. Wu Shu possessed governing ability but lacked magnanimity, which suited Li Gou's needs perfectly.
"Your Majesty's favor has been bestowed upon this old minister, and I dare not fail to devote myself wholeheartedly to serving Your Majesty." From Li Gou's tone, Wu Shu did not sense any danger, and relaxed slightly, saying, "This old minister has urgent military information to report to Your Majesty, but I fear it may disturb Your Majesty's peace and quiet. I am not sure whether I should speak of it or not."
"Tell me, with everything in chaos outside, how can I possibly maintain my monastic discipline?" Li Gou sighed softly.
"The 100,000-strong army of Lan Kingdom was first caught in the rebels' water trap, and then in an ambush. Most of them were drowned or buried alive. Zhao Xing, the garrison commander of Nan'an Pass, won a battle and defeated the rebels, and even seriously wounded the rebel leader Li Jun. However, due to the defeat of Lan Kingdom, Nan'an Pass eventually fell, and Zhao Xing's fate is unknown."
Wu Shu did not conceal anything, but specifically mentioned Zhao Xing's serious injury to Li Jun. Li Gou listened and made a long sound, saying, "Someone has already reported this matter to me. I said that you would never conceal military information or do anything to deceive your superiors. Now that the country is in a critical situation, we still need to rely on your wisdom."
Wu Shu knew that his honest report had saved him from another crisis. He said, "This old minister has failed Your Majesty's high expectations, causing the clown to act so ridiculously and causing the Holy Lord to worry. I deserve to die a thousand deaths."
"What good plan does Minister Wu have now?" Li Gou asked after a moment of silence.
"This old minister was just discussing countermeasures with the Grand Chancellors in the Hall of Heroes," Wu Shu coughed, cleared his throat, and said, "This old minister believes that Li Jun is now invading from the north and south, while Dong Cheng is coming from the west, creating a pincer movement against Liuzhou, the capital of our Great Su Kingdom. To break this pincer movement, we must first cut off one of their arms. This old minister has ordered the troops from the northern prefectures to gather at Zhanyang. Together with the garrison in Zhanyang, this will be enough to defeat the rebel Dong Cheng. There are also tens of thousands of troops near the capital. This old minister has already ordered them to be deployed along the river to slow down the rebels' advance. After the victory on the western front, we can join forces with the reinforcements arriving from the west to defeat the rebels. In this old minister's opinion, for the sake of a foolproof plan, Your Majesty should do three more things."
"What three things?" Li Gou asked eagerly, somewhat relieved by Wu Shu's eloquent explanation.
"Firstly, Your Majesty should reward Zhao Xing and his men to recognize their merit in severely wounding Li Jun and to inspire the soldiers to strive for glory. As the ancient saying goes, 'Unity is strength,' and as long as the ruler and his ministers are of one mind, and the court and the people are of one mind, a mere rebel is no threat. Secondly, Your Majesty should quickly send the Crown Prince north to inform the Lan Kingdom of Wu Peng's defeat, thus inviting them to send troops immediately. Wu Peng, a mere mortal, destroyed an army of 100,000 in a single day, which will surely lead the Lan Kingdom to send Wu Wei to their aid. If this happens, Li Jun will gain a formidable enemy; this is a strategy of using someone else to kill him. Thirdly, Your Majesty should quickly issue a summons for reinforcements, ordering all men in the land to bring their own weapons and come to the capital to guard the palace. This will supplement our insufficient military strength."
Li Gou remained noncommittal after hearing this, and only after a while did he say, "Is that all?"
“Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted, far beyond the reach of this old minister…” Wu Shu hesitated slightly, wondering what Li Gou was thinking.
"It is said that Liu Guang of Chen State, in order to win over Li Jun, bestowed upon him the title of 'Count Yu'," Li Gou said. "Li Jun was quite pleased with this reward and no longer had any intention of advancing westward into Chen State. Is a mere empty title of Count Yu something that Chen State has, but our Great Su State doesn't?"
Wu Shu felt a tremor in his heart upon hearing this. He knew that Li Jun and he were sworn enemies because of Lu Xiang's death, so he had never thought of trying to win Li Jun over. Now that he thought about it, Li Jun was already proud of the nominal title of Earl of Yu in Chen State. If Su State were to grant him a title as well, would Li Jun withdraw his troops because of it? After all, who doesn't love high-ranking officials and generous salaries?
"I have already sent people to investigate Li Jun. He was originally from my Su Kingdom. In fact, he is my relative. His branch was originally a descendant of Emperor Xianzong," Li Gou said slowly. "Emperor Xianzong loved to travel and favored women wherever he went, so he had many descendants. Later, Emperor Xianzong fell from the throne, and Emperor Jingzong succeeded him. Emperor Xianzong's entire clan was exiled, and the Li family in Li Jun's hometown originated from this clan. Emperor Jingzong ascended the throne for only three years before he fell ill and could not attend court. The ministers then supported my great-grandfather, Prince Ping. If it weren't for this, Emperor Xianzong's entire clan would probably have been slaughtered, and there would be no Li Jun."
"Since he is my relative, what harm is there in bestowing upon him the title of Duke?" With that, Li Gou finally made his stance clear.
Wu Shu hesitated, unable to speak. In the current situation, trying to persuade Li Jun based on kinship ties from a century ago was utterly wishful thinking. Even the high rank and generous title of Duke wouldn't be of much interest to Li Jun. If he were to conquer Liuzhou, relying on his lineage as a descendant of the Xianzong Emperor, he could enter the palace in grand style and ascend the throne—wouldn't that be far better than being a duke in name only? But he dared not say these words aloud, and could only manage a forced reply: "Your Majesty is wise. Although Li Jun has committed treason, Your Majesty still cherishes kinship and wishes to grant him a path to redemption. However, I fear that Li Jun grew up in a barbaric place and has never received the Emperor's grace and education..."
"I understand, I was just being wishful," Li Gou said wearily. "Even if Li Jun were to accept my conditions, I would need to win a battle first. Minister Wu, you and I are both old, and our days in this world are numbered. As long as we can get through this peacefully, what does it matter to me if the heavens and earth collapse afterward?"
Wu Shu shuddered. Just now in the Hall of Heroes, how similar his thoughts were to Li Gou's! He suddenly realized that the reason why the two of them had gotten along so well for so many years was that they were essentially the same kind of people.
However, to the surprise of the Su Kingdom's rulers and ministers, Li Jun did not advance further after capturing Nan'an Pass and seizing Zhang County, where the Lan Kingdom's army had been stationed. Firstly, Li Jun's injuries were too severe for battle; secondly, he realized that flooding the Lan army and massacring prisoners would lead to an even larger battle, and he would soon face Wu Wei, the very man who had previously stumped Lu Xiang.
“If we attack now, the government troops only need to defend our route. Their concentrated forces are roughly equal to ours. In a major battle, both our army and the local people will suffer heavy losses.” The story of the people helping Zhao Xing dig a reservoir in the shortest time during the Battle of Nan'an Pass deeply moved Li Jun. When he entered the city and saw the massive project, he realized that if he attacked the people alongside the Su troops, he would push the people to the Su side, creating a miracle that would lead to his crushing defeat. The popular support he had gained was hard-won; if he didn't cherish it, it would be difficult to rebuild. In the past two years, as his power grew, he had become somewhat neglectful of the people, a fact he truly needed to reflect upon. Therefore, when deciding to attack Liuzhou, Li Jun placed the people at the forefront of his strategy.
“This blow to Lan Kingdom will surely provoke their retaliation.” Li Jun shifted on the soft couch, a strange glint flashing between his brows. “After this crushing defeat, Lan Kingdom will definitely send Wu Wei. If we attack too hastily, Wu Wei will hide in the icy snow of Lan Kingdom. My Peace Army is mostly composed of soldiers from the south, and I fear there will be an epidemic in the army if they are not used to the climate. Therefore, I need to slow down and lure Wu Wei out.”
"Furthermore, if we delay for a while, Dong Cheng and others will arrive. At that time, the enemy will be attacked from multiple sides and will have to divide their forces to defend. It will be easier to break through. The only worry is that the people of Su will rise up to support the king. If we fight, we will be at odds with the people; if we do not fight, all our previous efforts will be in vain."
“I have a plan,” Shi Quan suggested. “The wealth looted by the Lan Kingdom’s army and the supplies stockpiled by the Su Kingdom for war preparations are all in Zhang County. Now that I have Zhang County, the supplies transported from the Three Souths are plentiful. Why not open the treasury and let the people take what they need? The Su Kingdom has suffered from natural disasters this year, and the people are impoverished. If they have food to eat and clothes to wear, why worry that they won’t cut down trees and rise up to help me?”
"Excellent plan!" Wei Zhan praised. "Not only that, why doesn't the commander issue a proclamation to the public, stating that all the government granaries and treasuries are plundered from the people, and that the people have the right to take them back? Wherever the Peace Army goes, the government granaries will be opened and grain will be distributed. Wouldn't the people be overjoyed and rise up at the mere sight of the army?"