Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Xiao Zhen's plan was to launch his attack after passing through the outer gate of the southern city wall. Although the main force had not yet fully entered the city, thousands had already crossed the outer gate, and with both city gates unable to close, it was safe to act ahead of schedule.

He would engage Cheng Lun himself, while two cavalry commanders led nine thousand elite troops to seize the southern city gate. Six other commanders, familiar with Shizhou's streets, would lead their forces to capture the garrisons near the eastern, western, and northern city gates.

With forty-five thousand troops facing off against fifty thousand defenders, this was destined to be a bloody battle.

But as Xiao Zhen had previously analyzed, his side consisted of nine thousand cavalry and over thirty thousand strong and capable surrendered soldiers, while the fifty thousand defenders included many old and weak soldiers left behind by Dou Dechang, as well as a batch of officials' sons who were just there for the pay.

The corruption of the Great Zhou court had long spread to the military camps. Some garrison commanders even falsified soldier numbers to defraud the court of military funds. The border troops, due to their need to resist external enemies, generally maintained their combat readiness, but the further inland one went, the more rampant the corruption became. Garrison soldiers often went hungry and were forced into labor, leaving them with neither the strength nor the time to train.

Cheng Lun was also a corrupt general, a man who had won many battles, which is why Imperial Uncle Dou sent him to defend Shizhou, to guard against Han Zongping's advance from Ji Prefecture.

During the battle, the self-assured Cheng Lun kept looking for other enemy commanders, never believing that such an important operation to capture Shizhou would be entrusted to an unknown new commander. Even if it wasn't Lu Gong, Feng Ji, or Fan Zhao, it should have been someone like Luo Xiao, a young commander who had already made a name for himself.

Unprepared for the battle, Cheng Lun only had his saber, while Xiao Zhen wielded a long spear.

As Cheng Lun's attention wandered again, Xiao Zhen disarmed him with a single thrust.

Cheng Lun's arm went numb, and he finally took his opponent seriously. Unfortunately, Xiao Zhen had to oversee the larger battle in Shizhou and did not want to waste time on a conceited enemy commander. He did not need to engage in a fair duel to prove his prowess.

He thrust three times in quick succession. Cheng Lun dodged the first two but was deeply impaled by the third.

Cheng Lun clung to the spear shaft with both hands, trying to make the wound shallower. His black eyes, which had witnessed countless deaths on the battlefield, looked at the young man opposite him in disbelief.

Was he really dead?

What was this man's name again?

"Thank you for your courtesy," Xiao Zhen said expressionlessly, pulling back his spear. With his left hand holding the spear and his right hand wielding a saber, he decapitated the enemy commander and raised the head high, shouting to the defenders still fighting on the outer gate wall, "Commander Cheng Lun is dead! Surrendering soldiers will not be killed!"

Cheng Lun's severed head indeed shook the morale of some defenders, but they were regular army troops, and Cheng Lun had loyal subordinates. Seeing their commander killed, one of the subordinates beheaded a soldier who seemed to be giving up, then roared and led the defenders to fight even more fiercely.

Xiao Zhen, holding Cheng Lun's head, mounted his horse and rode into the city to boost the morale of his troops and undermine the defenders' resolve.

The civilians within the city had already fled into their homes, hugging their families and waiting for the battle to end.

Some cowardly defenders took the opportunity to escape through the city gates, while the rest continued to resist stubbornly.

Once all four city gates were secured by Xiao Zhen's forces, it was simply a matter of closing the gates and mopping up.

From noon until dusk, the cries of battle in Shizhou finally ceased.

Xiao Zhen sat in the governor's office, continuously issuing new orders to the commanders who came to report. They were to arrest officials, reassure the people, clear the battlefield, and collect supplies, all according to military discipline.

"Report, General, our army has suffered over ten thousand casualties, nearly two thousand severely wounded. The enemy has lost over thirty thousand, with eight thousand surrendering, and the rest fleeing south."

"This is the first list of our fallen soldiers; the rest are still being counted."

Xiao Zhen took the list, which recorded the names, ages, and hometowns of the fallen soldiers based on their identification tags.

Xiao Zhen flipped through a few pages and saw a familiar place name—Lingshui Village.

He closed the list and stopped reading.

"General, it's almost dark. Would you like something to eat?"

"Not yet. Bring me ink and paper; I need to write a battle report to the Grand General."

—

On the first day of the sixth month, the southern gate of Shizhou opened early. A messenger rode out, first to Niangzi Pass, where he was verified by Zhao Jin, then mounted another horse arranged by Zhao Jin and rode straight to Tai Yuan, bypassing Quan County.

After a five-hundred-mile ride, the messenger arrived at the camp outside Tai Yuan just before sunset, where Han Zongping had just set up his base.

Han Zongping had received Zhao Jin's battle report the previous afternoon.

Learning that Xiao Zhen had taken only nine thousand cavalry and a group of newly surrendered soldiers to attack Shizhou, a risky move that could easily result in total annihilation, made Han Zongping want to tie Xiao Zhen up and scold him like a young nephew for his recklessness, yet he also felt an overwhelming pride in having a truly wise and brave commander by his side!

It was easy to find soldiers, but hard to find a good commander, and even harder to find a strategic genius. Despite the dozens of experienced and new commanders around him, very few could lead a separate force into battle!

Though his emotions were running high, Han Zongping did not share this news with anyone, especially Xiao Mu, who was seventy-one years old. If the old man were to be shocked by his grandson's actions... better to wait until the battle in Shizhou was over.

"General, we have a battle report from Shizhou!"

Upon hearing this, Han Zongping immediately left his tent and went out to meet the messenger.

Wei Qi and Song Lan looked puzzled.

They were unaware, and the other generals were even more confused about why the commander was so excited, but they followed him out.

The messenger dismounted and knelt before Han Zongping, pulling out the battle report and smiling uncontrollably. "Report, Grand General, we have captured Shizhou!"

Everyone was stunned, except Han Zongping, who snatched the report and confirmed it was Xiao Zhen's handwriting. Seeing that his great contributor was still alive, Han Zongping took a few steps to Xiao Mu and, gripping the old man's broad shoulders, laughed heartily. "Old General, you've given me a fine son! Xiao Zhen, that boy, actually managed to capture Shizhou!"

Xiao Mu was still in shock. He knew his grandson and Zhao Jin had gone to support the reinforcements and that they had completed their mission successfully, but how did his second grandson end up in Shizhou?

Han Zongping handed the report to his son, asking him to read it aloud.

As Han Bao read, he too began to smile. This meant that Xiao Zhen had captured Shizhou with only nine thousand troops and added another thirty thousand elite soldiers to their ranks!

Fan Zhao: "Well done, Xiao Zhen. He seems calm and steady, but when it counts, he's bold and decisive!"

Feng Ji: "Capturing Shizhou is like gaining a granary. With Tai Yuan losing both its granary and reinforcements, we can starve them out!"

Wei Qi smiled. "With Shizhou in our hands, Tai Yuan is no longer important. We need only leave ten thousand troops to besiege Tai Yuan and send sixty thousand to advance south. If Tai Yuan sends reinforcements, they will be defeated. If they continue to hold the city, they will watch us advance southward."

Song Lan: "Meanwhile, General Lu can join forces with Xiao Zhen in Shizhou and push through Xingzhou, Handan, and Anzhou to reach Kaifeng, threatening the capital from the east!"

Han Zongping: "Yes, Xiao Zhen's brilliant move will allow us to cross the river at least three months ahead of schedule!"

Xiao Mu finally reacted, a smile spreading across his face.

Han Zongping lavished more praise on Xiao Zhen.

Xiao Mu modestly interjected, "It was all thanks to General's ingenious plan to set up ambushes and the assistance of the five thousand elite cavalry under the command of Second Young Master Zhao that he managed to use Dou Dechang's old trick again."

Han Bao asked in surprise, "What old trick?"

Xiao Mu then recounted the strategy used during the attack on Imprisoned Dragon Ridge from Lingshui Village, which indeed bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Zhen's clever breach of Shizhou City.

Han Bao understood; it was a method the Xiao family had used before. Thus, Xiao Zhen's tactic didn't seem so extraordinary, and perhaps Xiao Zhen had only intended to capture a large city, not foreseeing the subsequent benefits of taking Shizhou.

However, Han Zongping said, "Old General, there's no need for modesty. Opportunities are fleeting, and Xiao Zhen was able to recognize them and quickly devise an excellent strategy. Moreover, he managed to win over thirty thousand surrendered soldiers in just two days. I doubt anyone else, including myself at his age, could have achieved such thorough success. Everyone, pass the order down: tonight, each camp may drink to celebrate Xiao Zhen's victory!"

"Yes, sir!"

Xiao Mu glanced at Han Bao, seeing that he was simply pleased with the victory, and felt somewhat relieved.

After all, their backgrounds were different. Only someone like Zhao Jin, from a prestigious family, could make Han Bao feel competitive. No matter how capable his own grandson was, in Han Bao's eyes, he would be no more than a subordinate like Fan Zhao.

—

As soon as the old man returned to the right wing army, he was surrounded by Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, and the others. "Grandfather, what great deed did Second Brother accomplish? The Great General usually dislikes drinking in the army, yet tonight he ordered wine for everyone?"

Xiao Mu looked at his daughter-in-law, who stood quietly nearby but was equally eager to hear the news, and smiled. "Don't make a fuss outside. Let's go inside the tent to talk."

They quickly entered the tent.

Inside, there were three seats on the north side: one main seat and two guest seats. The old man sat in the middle, and the guest seats were for Xiao Shouyi, Xiao Gufu, or Tong Sui, whichever was present.

Today, all three were there.

Tong Sui was about to stand beside the old man when the Qiao brothers pulled their father to either side, and Xiao Ye gently pushed Tong Sui into the guest seat. "Second Brother's achievement is also Second Sister-in-Law's achievement. Uncle has been sitting and reviewing accounts all day; standing for a while won't hurt him."

Xiao Gufu chuckled and shook his head.

The old man watched them for a moment before quietly recounting the good deeds his second grandson had done outside.

Xiao She grew anxious. "I told you, let me follow Second Brother. Watching him fight was so exciting, while we've just been marching here!"

Xiao Ye couldn't laugh and didn't want to speak, his mind filled with fear.

Tong Sui's hands, resting on her knees, were trembling slightly. Leading nine thousand men into an enemy stronghold with fifty thousand troops, what if something had gone wrong?

Seeing the uncle and sister-in-law like this, those who wanted to celebrate held back their words.

Xiao Mu first calmed the two who were frightened. "Alright, although Second Brother took a risky move, he must have made thorough preparations and had confidence before acting. He wouldn't act impulsively just to earn military merit."

The uncle and sister-in-law exchanged glances and nodded.

Xiao Mu then instructed the others, "Great trees attract the wind. Second Brother has accomplished a great feat, and while we are happy, there will be those who are jealous. Be careful outside. No matter how others congratulate us, we must not boast or show off. We should attribute the credit to the Great General's brilliant strategy. If anyone brags and I find out, I'll send them home immediately."

The Qiao brothers and Sun Dian all looked at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan: "..."