Chapter 310: Chapter 310
Before hearing the drums from Jincheng, the Northern Army had already received news of the Xiongnu invading the pass and besieging the city. Their first reaction was that this was impossible, assuming it was local bandits impersonating foreign enemies. Since the Emperor was in danger, the Northern Army should march at full speed to rescue him.
The Northern Army General of the Right Feng Shili was the only one who opposed this. “How would bandits dare besiege His Majesty? It’s possible they really are Xiongnu. In that case, Jincheng would be a trap, waiting for our Northern Army to jump into it.”
“Ha, the Right General really understands the Xiongnu,” someone mocked.
Feng Shili’s face turned red with embarrassment. He had once been captured by the Xiongnu outside Shattered Iron City due to his reckless advance seeking glory, and having lost the Emperor’s trust, his position in the army had plummeted. Though he remained General of the Right, when faced with mockery, he dared not retort.
The Northern Army was the Emperor’s trusted force – outsiders thought so, and the Northern Army itself shared this view, so everyone was eager to rescue the Emperor.
Liu Kunsheng was especially anxious. He was one of the Emperor’s most steadfast supporters, having once conspired with Chai Yue and others at Divine Hero Pass to support the Weary Marquis in claiming the throne. Though he hadn’t been immediately promoted, he had received substantial rewards and had just been enfeoffed as a marquis. He knew his own capabilities and was quite satisfied with his rewards.
However, he was also a general who practiced caution, having guarded the imperial palace for many years, where caution was more important than anything else. Better to be cautious and wrong than reckless and right.
So Liu Kunsheng divided the thirty thousand Northern Army troops into two parts: the front section of fifteen thousand men, all elite troops, would travel light and rush to Jincheng to rescue the Emperor, while the rear section of fifteen thousand men would be led by Feng Shili, protecting the baggage train and marching normally.
This was a flawed plan. When generals conducted warfare, they either held fast or attacked with full force – they would rather abandon the baggage train and have the entire army march rapidly than divide in two. But according to the intelligence the Northern Army had received, only a few thousand scattered troops were besieging Jincheng, claiming to be Xiongnu but likely bandits composed of refugees who would be easily defeated. Googlᴇ search novel_fіre.net
The fifteen thousand Northern Army troops arrived at the outskirts of Jincheng a full hour ahead of schedule.
From a distance, the soldiers saw smoke that blotted out the sky. Forward scouts returned to report that it came from burning piles of corpses. Everyone was shocked, then filled with righteous indignation.
Liu Kunsheng ordered a full assault.
He heard the drums coming from Jincheng, but they were distant and intermittent. He mistook them for urgent calls for help, making him even more eager to join the battle. Though the army had officers specifically responsible for interpreting drum signals, they only felt slight doubt and never imagined that the Emperor was ordering them to retreat.
In a wasteland three miles from the city, the Northern Army encountered the Xiongnu.
Initially, the Northern Army was met by a group of Fuyu soldiers with mismatched armor and mixed weapons, who indeed looked like bandits. Liu Kunsheng hesitated no longer, committing his entire army to battle, including himself, agreeing with his generals to meet at the south gate of Jincheng.
Soon, Xiongnu cavalry joined the battle. Their dress, war cries, and fighting style all showed they were genuine Xiongnu, definitely not imposters.
Liu Kunsheng still paid no special attention. The enemy forces were larger than he had expected – nearly twenty thousand men – but with the Northern Army’s strength and morale, fighting outnumbered would not be a problem.
The Northern Army advanced like a breaking dam, smashing through the enemy lines and charging rapidly toward Jincheng. The battlefield thundered with noise, making the drum sounds even fainter.
Jincheng was right before them.
On the city gate tower, Han Ruzi ordered the drumming to stop. Since the Northern Army had already engaged, he could no longer use retreat orders that would only confuse them. “Prepare to open the gates to welcome the Northern Army.”
Fan Zhuangshan immediately accepted the order. Though he hadn’t slept all night, he felt no fatigue at all, but was instead eager to join the battle outside the city.
Han Ruzi had never felt so tense before, not even when competing for the throne. His heart was filled with uncertainty – one moment praying that the Northern Army could safely enter Jincheng, the next fearing he would witness the worst possible outcome…
But his face remained impassive, staring intently at the battlefield, occasionally issuing orders demanding that all positions maintain strict defense and not let their guard down.
The one who was truly nervous was Cui Teng. “Faster, go faster! Oh no, why are they turning? Wouldn’t it be better to charge straight through? Can’t they shoot farther and more accurately? Great Chu’s powerful bows are no worse than the Xiongnu’s…”
Prince Donghai wanted to be a completely different kind of attendant from Cui Teng, so he appeared relatively composed, though his expression kept changing beyond his control. At this moment he pointed into the distance. “Your Majesty…”
Han Ruzi saw it too – swarms of Xiongnu cavalry were pouring out from the nearby mountains. The ambush had truly appeared.
The Xiongnu came in endless streams, the mountains like a massive beehive.
Cui Teng grew even more anxious. “The Xiongnu mustn’t catch up… mustn’t catch up… No, I can’t watch this anymore.”
Cui Teng leaned back against the city wall, breathing heavily, appearing more exhausted than the soldiers on the battlefield.
It wasn’t just him – everyone on the wall could no longer bear to watch.
The Xiongnu had planned everything well in advance, using the thick smoke to conceal their movements. Those on the wall could see clearly, but the Northern Army galloping across the battlefield had not immediately noticed the danger and continued advancing at full speed.
At the closest point, the Northern Army was only one or two miles from Jincheng.
Han Ruzi no longer needed to worry about gains and losses – this battle would bring only loss, no gain.
Fan Zhuangshan had waited long for orders that never came, so he climbed the tower himself and said to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, we could…”
Han Ruzi shook his head.
Fan Zhuangshan glanced outside, and his expression changed as well.
The Northern Army had been surrounded by Xiongnu forces several times their number. Under the thick smoke, fierce fighting had erupted. Upon discovering they had fallen into an ambush, the Northern Army did not panic or choose to retreat, but instead formed multiple defensive circles, taking turns to engage the enemy in archery exchanges.
But the Northern Army continued to dwindle. The Xiongnu were in no hurry to devour their prey in one bite, advancing and retreating intermittently, luring the Northern Army to shoot arrows. Except for preventing the Northern Army from approaching the city, they kept loose watch in all other directions.
“At this rate, the Northern Army will soon run out of arrows,” Fan Zhuangshan said in bewilderment.
Everyone understood this principle. This Northern Army unit had come lightly equipped, without even bringing wagons that could deploy battle formations. Each man carried at most twenty or thirty arrows, which wouldn’t last long.
“Your Majesty, let me sally forth! If I don’t cut a bloody path, I swear not to return alive!” Fan Zhuangshan requested orders again.
Han Ruzi still shook his head. One Xiongnu force had remained out of the fighting, waiting just outside the city. Anyone who left the city now would be marching to their death.
“All of you go down. No one is permitted to open the gates,” Han Ruzi said.
“Your Majesty…” Everyone knelt simultaneously.
“This Northern Army came to rescue Us. We should see them off properly. You need not do so. Go down and organize the troops, prepare to defend the city.”
Everyone was stunned, but the Emperor spoke seriously. Prince Donghai led the way, and one by one they went downstairs. Fan Zhuangshan was the last to rise, saying through gritted teeth, “Your Majesty, this grievance must be avenged!”
“If We do not avenge the Northern Army soldiers, We are unworthy to be Emperor of Chu.”
Fan Zhuangshan also left. Only the Emperor remained alone on the gate tower, personally witnessing the gradual destruction of the army that had come to rescue him.
With arrows running low, the Northern Army launched a charge, breaking through for nearly half a mile and getting closer to Jincheng. Han Ruzi even wondered if his judgment had been wrong – if he had sent out Fan Zhuangshan earlier, perhaps…
There was no perhaps. The Xiongnu force that had been observing finally joined the battle, blocking the Northern Army’s advance. Arrows flew like a swarm of locusts filling the sky.
Under the Emperor’s gaze, all fifteen thousand Northern Army soldiers were killed or wounded. The victorious Xiongnu howled in triumph, even charging to the moat to shoot wildly at the city.
Han Ruzi walked to the top of the stairs and looked down, seeing Meng E and the others. They had not gone far, all waiting on the stairs.
“Summon Dai Marshal Deng Cui.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” someone replied.
Han Ruzi looked toward Meng E, who was closest, only a few steps away.
He had fallen into desperate straits again, this time of his own making. Whether he could once more find life in desperate circumstances, he had no confidence at all, not even a clear plan.
Meng E wanted to learn the art of rulership, but right now he truly had nothing to teach her.
Meng E raised her head to look up at the Emperor and suddenly showed a slight smile. She rarely smiled, but this time she not only smiled, it was a genuinely relaxed smile from the heart, as if she and the Emperor shared some unspoken secret, and relying on this secret, the Emperor would be invincible.
Below, many people were watching. Han Ruzi did not smile, only blinked once, then turned around and gestured for everyone to come up.
He said to Liu Jie: “Call up more ceremonial guards, and have the remaining men line up on both sides of the city tower. Bring all the banners and hold them as high as possible.”
“By Your Majesty’s command,” Liu Jie asked no additional questions.
The Northern Army’s vanguard general had also arrived. After beating drums for so long, his arms were sore, yet he still had not rescued his comrades outside the city, which filled him with grief and indignation.
“Assemble all Northern Army soldiers in the city and have them come defend the southern wall.”
“By Your Majesty’s command.” The vanguard general also asked no questions.
“General Fan, bring your men to the southern wall as well.”
Fan Zhuangshan received the order.
Several officers from the Ceremonial Guard Battalion were also present. Han Ruzi commanded them to assemble all soldiers except the standard bearers from their battalion and have them stand ready below the city.
Cui Teng could not help but ask in surprise: “Your Majesty is only defending the southern wall—what about the other directions?”
“Let the soldiers of Dai guard them.”
“Can they… hold their positions?”
Han Ruzi gazed at the Xiongnu forces showing off their might outside the city and did not speak.
Prince Donghai said: “Your Majesty intends to use himself to attract the Xiongnu to concentrate their attack on the southern wall.”
“What?” Cui Teng was shocked and alarmed.
“The Xiongnu have just won a victory and will surely be arrogant. They will accept Our challenge,” Han Ruzi said. He had no other choice—there were only slightly over four thousand defenders in the city, and if scattered, their numbers would be even fewer. Only by concentrating in one place could they possibly hold out.
Noon had long passed. The Xiongnu outside the city were cleaning up the battlefield, throwing the corpses of Chu soldiers onto fires. Next, they planned to formally assault the city.
“Marshal of Dai Deng Cui requests an audience with Your Majesty.”
Han Ruzi turned around to look at the general kneeling at the top of the stairs. Cui Teng’s eyes flashed with a fierce glint, but he dared not explode in anger before the Emperor.
“You have fewer than a thousand Dai Kingdom soldiers. We will defend the southern wall—can you hold the other three sides?”
Deng Cui raised his head, revealing a young face, around twenty years old, quite handsome but showing some unruly defiance. He stared at the Emperor for a while, then replied: “I can.”
“We command you to defend the city while bearing the burden of guilt. If you hold your position, you will be pardoned. If you fail to hold it, you will be executed immediately.”
“I thank Your Majesty for this grace.” Deng Cui rose and withdrew.
“That fellow cannot be trusted,” Cui Teng said in a low voice, his face red with anxiety.
“As long as he is willing to defend Great Chu, it does not matter whether he can be trusted or not.” Han Ruzi no longer judged people’s worth based on their degree of loyalty to the Emperor.
“Have General Fan beat the drums to tell the Xiongnu that We are prepared for battle.”
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