Chapter 227

Chapter 227

An arrow pierced through Zong Quan's heart, and soon he fell dead from his horse.

With his death, the morale of the Liang army collapsed, while the morale of the Yue army surged. The Yue soldiers, who had been relentlessly pursued by the Liang army, now fought back with renewed vigor.

Hidden on the mountain, Tong Sui focused on picking off strong enemy generals and soldiers with her arrows. By the time she had shot all fifty of her prepared arrows, all three thousand Liang soldiers had fallen.

The soldiers went to handle the bodies, and Tong Sui descended the mountain to meet Zhao Jin.

If not for maintaining his authority in front of the soldiers, Zhao Jin would have lain down on the ground. But for now, he sat, chewing on the dry rations he carried, and complained to Tong Sui, "I guessed that Zong Quan would try to disrupt our morale, so I gathered the troops in time. I knew he would launch a surprise attack, so I had the camp prepare in advance. But Zong Quan's reputation is too great; our soldiers are afraid the moment they see him."

Ordinary soldiers were like ants, while a renowned general like Zong Quan was like a hornet—his presence alone could turn the tide of battle.

If Zhao Jin hadn't ordered a retreat, all forty thousand of his troops would have been wiped out outside Bazhong.

"When we left, the old man only told me to flee in this direction if something went wrong. He didn’t mention anything about an ambush. If he had, our men might have fled even faster."

Knowing there was a chance of survival would make them fight even harder.

Tong Sui replied, "A seasoned general like Zong Quan would have easily spotted whether you were panicking or retreating strategically. If he had discovered any clues, our ambush would have been useless."

Zhao Jin drank some water, calmed down for a moment, and then asked worriedly, "The old man left three thousand men here. What about his side…?"

Tong Sui said, "If the Liang navy hasn't taken Guangyuan yet, our more than twenty thousand elite infantry and the city's garrison can work together to defeat them. But if the Liang navy has already occupied Guangyuan, then even if the old man leads twenty thousand men against thirty thousand, it won’t make a difference; they’ll all be blocked outside the city walls. The real problem would be if Zong Quan had wiped out all of you. He would have joined forces with Jiang Ru’s navy to sandwich us from both sides. In the end, all seven hundred thousand troops would have perished in Shu, let alone talk about rescuing the emperor."

A cold sweat broke out on Zhao Jin's back. "The old man is truly remarkable, able to anticipate the enemy's moves even at this critical moment."

The difficulty lay in the fact that if the army ultimately rescued the emperor, the old man would naturally receive the highest credit. But if something happened to the emperor, even if the old man had reduced his forces for a strategic ambush, outsiders would likely blame him for the failure to save the emperor, saying that if he had brought those three thousand archers, perhaps the emperor could have been saved.

Leaving that aside, these twenty thousand soldiers were indeed saved by the old man, and Zhao Jin himself had survived under Zong Quan’s blade thanks to Tong Sui’s precise arrow.

Looking up at Tong Sui, Zhao Jin said, "Great kindness needs no words of thanks. If there's ever a time you need me, just say the word, and I'll do it without question."

Tong Sui glanced at the food crumbs at the corner of Zhao Jin’s mouth and smiled. "If we were the ones trapped, would you stand by and do nothing? We fight together as comrades; no need to be so formal."

Zhao Jin smiled too, scanning the mountain path ahead and behind, recalling the events from two years ago when he and Xiao Zhen had plotted against Shizhou outside Niangzi Pass. "You two are truly a perfect match," he said.

Both were remarkable leaders.

Tong Sui, unsure why he had brought up Xiao Zhen, thought of her husband, who was still far away in the grasslands. Cutting off her emotions, Tong Sui gave her orders, "We're leaving now. After you take Bazhong, bring the troops to Guangyuan as soon as possible. The reinforcements from Chang'an will arrive in no less than twenty-one days; don’t be slower than them."

Zhao Jin said, "Yes, there are only three to five hundred defenders left in Bazhong. After taking the city, I'll lead the cavalry there first."

Tong Sui reminded, "Don’t forget to root out any spies in the city."

During the earlier dynasty, the people supported the Xingping Emperor. Now that the Xingping Emperor was attacking the already stabilized Liang, the people of the Liang army and civilians viewed the Yue soldiers as enemies.

After a short rest, the two parted ways and set off.

Leading twenty thousand troops along the mountain path, Zhao Jin encountered several waves of their surrendered soldiers being guarded by a small number of Liang soldiers. After several skirmishes, about three thousand surrendered soldiers rejoined the ranks. Fear of death was especially strong in times of war, so Zhao Jin decided to give these three thousand surrendered soldiers a chance to redeem themselves, without pursuing the matter further.

Zong Quan had gone all out in his ambush on Zhao Jin, planning to head to Guangyuan to attack Xiao Mu immediately after. Therefore, he had left only three hundred soldiers to defend the city.

These three hundred Liang soldiers, despite their loyalty to the Liang emperor, ultimately prioritized their survival. Recognizing Zhao Jin and the head he carried, the three hundred defenders wisely surrendered.

Once inside the city, Zhao Jin first reassured the civilians, then gathered up the weapons, grain, and horses that Zong Quan had left behind. After completing the inventory, he led two hundred cavalry to Guangyuan ahead of the main army, which would follow with the equipment and supplies.

Zhao Jin met with the old man on the evening of October 19th.

The old general's force of 30,000 soldiers had 10,000 stationed outside Guangyuan and 20,000 outside Panlong Fortress. Both Guangyuan and the fortress had fallen to the Liang navy.

Zhao Jin couldn't believe it. "How did this happen?"

Qi Ling said with frustration, "When we arrived, we encountered some soldiers who had escaped from the Liang army. They said the Emperor had left 7,000 troops to defend Guangyuan and 3,000 to hold Panlong Fortress."

Zhao Jin nodded. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of the Liang navy, the Emperor's arrangements would have been flawless, even with 70,000 Yue troops surrounding Ba Zhong.

Qi Ling continued, "On the night of the 14th, Jiang Ru suddenly led 50,000 water forces to attack the city. The 7,000 defenders immediately took to the walls to resist, but hidden among the civilians were 3,000 enemy soldiers. These 3,000 troops coordinated with the 50,000 water forces, and within an hour, they breached the gates."

"With Guangyuan lost, Jiang Ru led 50,000 troops to take Panlong Fortress. With only 3,000 defenders and low morale, it's no surprise they couldn't hold the fortress."

"Now, 10,000 enemy troops hold Guangyuan, and Jiang Ru commands nearly 40,000 water forces to defend Panlong Fortress. It's a tough position to attack, and the old general said we should wait for your report before moving forward."

Zhao Jin reported to the old general, "Ba Zhong has fallen to the enemy. 20,000 infantry will arrive in three days!"

Xiao Mu nodded. "By the day after tomorrow, the 10,000 cavalry from Chang'an should arrive as well."

Once Zong Quan's 30,000 elite troops were out of the picture, the Yue army would have no more rear concerns in dealing with the 50,000 water forces.

—

On the 21st, 10,000 cavalry from Chang'an arrived in full force outside Guangyuan.

By the evening of the 22nd, the 20,000 infantry from Ba Zhong also arrived, and Xiao Mu once again had an army of 60,000 under his command.

After a night of rest, on the morning of the 23rd, Xiao Mu sent 10,000 cavalry to surround Guangyuan, preventing any troops from the Liang army from breaking out. He ordered Qi Ling and Tong Sui to lead the forces in a strong assault on Panlong Fortress.

Although Jiang Ru was a naval commander, he was also one of the Liang Kingdom's top generals, on par with Zong Quan. Now, defending a strategic position, he remained calm and composed.

Qi Ling hung Zong Quan's severed head on a long pole, waving it in the air, attempting to disrupt the morale of the Liang navy.

Jiang Ru immediately addressed his troops, "General Zong set up multiple ambushes on Jiange Road. By now, the Yue Emperor is trapped. As long as we hold Panlong Fortress and cut off the Yue army's reinforcements and supplies, within a month, the Yue Emperor will either be killed by our ambush or starve to death. Then General Zong will be able to lead reinforcements to support us. Long live the Liang Kingdom!"

The Liang navy raised their arms and shouted, "The Yue Emperor must die! Long live the Liang Kingdom!"

Outside the camp, Xiao Mu addressed the 50,000 Yue troops, "The Emperor holds 100,000 troops. As long as we retake Panlong Fortress and restore the supply lines, the Emperor will be able to break through and capture Yizhou. When that happens, we will all be hailed as heroes who destroyed the Liang Kingdom, with high official positions and great wealth!"

"But if we fail to retake Panlong Fortress and the Emperor's forces fall due to lack of supplies, not only will your heads be on the line, but the 50,000 of you will also bear the blame."

"You see what's at stake, right? The wealth and honor of us 50,000 men lie within this fortress. Take it, and we feast in the capital. Fail, and we all die far from home when the Liang forces strike back."

The Yue army shouted in unison, "Honor and glory! Wealth and prosperity!"

Qi Ling stepped out from behind the old general and shouted, "We've marched 3,000 li from the northern regions to get here. Do you think we're afraid of a bunch of weak sailors who can only row boats? Brothers, grab your weapons and follow me to catch some shrimp!"

The vanguard, archers, and shield soldiers quickly assembled.

Qi Ling led the vanguard and charged forward, while Tong Sui and the archers, hidden behind the shield soldiers, unleashed a volley of arrows at the less fortified fortress.

The Liang navy, holding the high ground, coordinated long-range arrow attacks with rolling logs and stones.

By noon, Xiao Mu sounded the retreat.

Qi Ling had taken an arrow to the shoulder and was helped back to the main tent for treatment by Zhou Xian.

Qi Ling waved it off. "Lucky it's just my left arm. I can still swing my sword with my right hand. As for climbing the walls, as long as my legs are fast, losing half an arm won't make a difference."

Zhao Jin said, "Stop trying to be a hero. Rest and recover. I'll take over in the afternoon."

Both sides were determined to fight to the death, with no room for tactics—only raw determination. It was a brutal fight where every soldier was willing to die for victory.

By the evening of October 25, after three grueling days of non-stop fighting, the attacking Yue army had lost 15,000 men to casualties, leaving only 35,000 soldiers still standing. The Liang army defending the fortress had also suffered 7,000 to 8,000 casualties, leaving them with just 30,000 men.

Both sides were extremely exhausted, but the Liang soldiers were even more fatigued. They were outnumbered from the start, kept awake at night by Yue army's feints, and during the day, they had to cut wood and move stones. After all, they had only just taken Panlong Fortress when Xiao Mu's large army arrived, leaving them little time to prepare for its defense.

That night, Xiao Mu launched two more night attacks, one in the first half of the night and another in the second half. Though these were feints, the constant attacks kept the 30,000 Liang soldiers on edge, living in fear.

At dawn on October 26, Xiao Mu launched another attack on the fortress.

General Jiang Ru had just fallen asleep when he heard the enemy horn outside. Cursing Xiao Mu for keeping them on their toes, he had no choice but to lead his men out to meet the attack.

But the Liang soldiers assumed it was just another feint. After all, the Yue army had been fighting for three days and nights; even the Yue soldiers couldn’t keep up this pace forever.

This complacency made the Liang soldiers sluggish and unprepared.

However, this time Xiao Mu sent an elite force, including 2,000 "Lion Army" troops led by Qi Ling, who had rested for three days, 2,000 archers who had taken a day off, and 10,000 cavalry led by Zhao Jin, who had been called back from outside Guangyuan city overnight.

These 10,000 cavalry had been holding back their energy for days, and even though they were now infantry, their charging steps could cover twice the distance of exhausted soldiers!

The first wave consisted of tired soldiers pretending to attack, but the second wave immediately switched to this elite vanguard of over 10,000.

Seeing this, Jiang Ru immediately gave a strict order for his soldiers to defend with all their strength!

But his naval forces were already at half strength; even if they gave it their all, how could they stand against Qi Ling and the others?

Tong Sui first coordinated with Qi Ling, and when the main force of the defenders gathered on Qi Ling's side, she then redirected her archers to support Zhao Jin.

The defenders couldn’t keep up with the speed of her arrows. After half an hour of fierce attack, Zhao Jin was the first to climb onto the fortress!

"Ha ha, finally it’s my turn to claim the glory of being the first to breach the walls!"

Zhao Jin laughed heartily and then swung his blade towards the enemy commander, Jiang Ru.

He refused to believe that, as a seasoned cavalry general from Datong, he couldn’t take down a naval commander, especially after losing to Zong Quan in close combat.