Chapter 230

Chapter 230

Jianmen Pass.

General Feng Yun, the Liang army's Northern Expedition Commander, stood on the pass wall, overlooking from above the orderly retreat of Xingping Emperor's army.

On December 5th, a strong northern wind blew, causing the general's banner to flap loudly in the wind.

A deputy general walked over and, catching sight of the tail end of the Yue army about to turn around the mountain road, asked for instructions, "General, should we pursue them out of the pass?"

Feng Yun shook his head, "They are merely retreating, not in defeat. They outnumber us, and pursuing them would only result in unnecessary casualties."

The deputy general said indignantly, "Should we simply allow them to retreat?"

Before the Yue army's attack on the pass, they had sent a box to General Feng, which contained the heads of General Zongquan and General Jiang Ru.

General Zongquan was killed in action, and the 30,000 elite soldiers he left behind in Bazhong were certainly lost. General Jiang Ru had sacrificed himself, and the 50,000 naval troops he led were also wiped out.

These 80,000 Sichuan soldiers, along with the 40,000 who perished during the retreat from Hanzhong...

The deputy general looked up, trying to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.

Feng Yun, recalling the two friends with whom he had shared drinks before the expedition, felt a tickle in his throat and almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

This campaign, involving 200,000 troops to attack the Yue, was his suggestion. The main force feigned defeat and allowed Jiang Ru's naval division to strike from the sky—this was also his plan. Everything had been planned to perfection. They should have annihilated Xiao Mu's 70,000 troops and trapped the Xingping Emperor in Jiange Road with only a small force. Why did that cunning old fox Xiao Mu survive?

With the northern Jiange Road occupied by the Yue army, no one could bring back news of the battles in Guangyuan and Bazhong. All Feng Yun received were the heads of his two friends and the blood feud of 80,000 Liang soldiers!

Leaning one hand on the wall and covering his chest with the other, he gazed at the distant mountains and whispered almost inaudibly, "It won't end like this."

It won't end like this. If Heaven does not favor the Great Liang, I will defy it myself!

---

After retreating thirty li, there was still no sign of the Liang army pursuing them.

Leaving scouts and 3,000 cavalry to guard the rear, Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin returned to the Xingping Emperor's side, accompanying him along with Luo Xiao.

After a few more li, the army stopped by a river to rest.

Lunch consisted of dry rations distributed in the morning. The soldiers ate the same, and so did the Xingping Emperor and his generals, but at least there was freshly boiled hot water to drink.

Two out of the four scouts sent ahead returned and reported, "Your Majesty, no ambushes were found in the mountain roads ahead for twenty li."

The Xingping Emperor looked at Xiao Mu and smiled, "Feng Yun must be confident that Zongquan and Jiang Ru are enough to trap us, so he didn't set up any ambushes."

The sky was getting colder, and setting up ambushes in these deep mountains was no easy task.

Xiao Mu said, "If it were just us high-ranking generals pursuing Feng Yun, his deployment would indeed be sufficient. But since it's Your Majesty leading the charge, I believe Feng Yun, eager for merit, likely has another trick up his sleeve."

Zhao Jin, munching on his biscuit rather nonchalantly, was inwardly full of admiration for the old man. With just a few words, he had reminded the emperor to remain vigilant while also subtly flattering him.

The Xingping Emperor, not a narrow-minded man, appreciated Xiao Mu's caution. However, the scouts had already checked, proving that Feng Yun's tactics still fell short compared to Xiao Mu's. Perhaps only Xiao Mu would be meticulous enough to add another patch to an already flawless plan.

After the break, the army continued its march.

Riding in the middle of the column, the Xingping Emperor reflected on the past few months of battle and said to Xiao Mu, "You and Prime Minister Wei were right in your advice. I was indeed too hasty this time. If we had retreated after repelling Feng Yun, with Jingzhou, Liaozhou, and the northern regions stabilizing, I could have launched a campaign against Liang next year via the Yangtze River. You could lead an army of 100,000 to guard Jingzhou, and Xie Jian could lead 80,000 naval troops to follow my 150,000-strong army, bypassing Jiange Road to take Yizhou directly."

Zhao Jin said, "That would indeed give us a better chance of victory. But, Your Majesty, when you had already taken Guangyuan and Jianmen was within sight, even if I were in command, I wouldn't have been willing to give up the 600-li shortcut only to circle around two or three thousand li to Jingzhou and then proceed by water route."

The Xingping Emperor said, "Impatience is the greatest taboo in military strategy. The more impatient you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes. Even I can't match Elder Xiao's prudence."

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "Your Majesty flatters me. The older I get, the more timid I become. I always imagine the worst possible situation first and only act when there is a seven or eight percent chance of success. Being cautious has its advantages, but it can also cause us to miss out on rare opportunities."

Zhao Jin said, "Remember when we were at Niangzi Pass two years ago? Would you have had the guts to take just nine thousand troops and bluff Shizhou City like Xiao Zhen did?"

Xiao Mu replied, "Absolutely not. To this day, I’m still unsure whether to praise or scold that kid for the Battle of Shizhou."

The Xingping Emperor said, "Feel free to scold or praise your grandson as you see fit. But on my side, rewards are due when they are deserved. Without Xiao Zhen taking Shizhou, it would have taken us at least half a year longer to cross the river."

While the emperor and his ministers were reminiscing about the past, two scouts suddenly came rushing back. They dismounted hurriedly in front of the Xingping Emperor and reported, "Your Majesty, the Bullhead Mountain fortress has been taken by the Liang army!"

Bullhead Mountain, located thirty miles south of Jiameng Pass, was a crucial high ground that both armies had to pass through. The Xingping Emperor had attacked the fortress three times in one day during his pursuit of the Liang army. He had left two thousand elite soldiers and a number of wounded troops to defend it. On the fourth day, the crown prince's battle report had still been able to get through, so how could the fortress have fallen back into Liang army hands in just one night?

The emperor turned to Xiao Mu.

Xiao Mu said gravely, "This must be Feng Yun's backup plan. He hid ambush forces in the mountains. If Your Majesty continued to be delayed, the ambush would not need to act. But once Panlong Town was taken by our army, the ambush would seize Bullhead Mountain just before Your Majesty began to withdraw, using the terrain to block us."

Zhao Jin said, "Given the terrain, even if they have eighteen thousand ambush forces, can they really stop our eighty-thousand-strong army?"

Luo Xiao looked behind them.

The Xingping Emperor said, "Even if Feng Yun chases us with his army, he only has sixty to seventy thousand foot soldiers. Attacking us would be suicide."

At that moment, a soldier suddenly pointed to the forest ahead and shouted in alarm, "Smoke!"

Everyone looked up to see thick black smoke rising from the forest at least ten miles to the northwest.

Xiao Mu said, "This is bad. Feng Yun is going to set the mountain on fire!"

The forests in Sichuan were dense, and it was early winter. The dry grass and trees would catch fire easily, and with the northwest wind, a small fire could quickly spread across the mountains.

In just a short time, the black smoke began to spread rapidly towards them, with faint glimpses of golden-red flames.

Panic-stricken soldiers began fleeing, shouting, "Retreat!"

The Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu locked eyes and immediately gave the order, "No retreat! Charge forward at full speed!"

"The fire is spreading south, and the smoke is drifting south. If we retreat, we'll either be burned by the mountain fire or choked by the thick smoke. The only way to survive is to reach higher ground!"

The nearby troops quickly relayed these orders throughout the army. Xiao Mu, Zhao Jin, and Luo Xhao led ten thousand cavalry to escort the Xingping Emperor and other mounted officers, along with the supply carts, to the front of the mountain path. Seventy thousand infantry scrambled to follow behind.

They were still thirty miles from Bullhead Mountain.

By the time they had ridden five miles, the cavalry could already see the mountain fire ahead, with smoke thickening along the path.

They tore cloth and soaked it with water to cover their faces, and even covered the mules and horses. Spurring their horses on, they raced forward.

The mules and horses, driven by instinct, charged forward desperately.

As the cavalry passed the burning mountain, thick smoke began to fill the path behind them. After running another seven to eight miles, the Xingping Emperor, Xiao Mu, and the others finally left the burning mountain and smoke behind. However, the mountain fire still threatened to spread in their direction. After a short rest, they ran another six miles, passing through a stretch of steep, rocky mountains with no trees, and finally escaped the danger.

They were still more than ten miles from Bullhead Mountain and twenty miles from where they had first spotted the mountain fire.

The Xingping Emperor collapsed to the ground, his face smeared with ash, staring in shock at the forest and mountain path behind him, now consumed by flames.

Xiao Mu and the others were similarly stricken, some still shaken, others relieved to have survived, and a few weeping uncontrollably.

They had survived, but what of the 70,000 infantry…

Zhao Jin pressed his arm against his face, hunched over a large rock, trying to muffle his sobs, his shoulders trembling with suppressed emotion.

Xiao Mu was frozen with cold, but then a few warm drops landed on the back of his neck.

Xiao Mu spun around abruptly.

The Xingping Emperor remained in the position where he had coughed up blood, his mouth and chin streaked with it, and the ground between him and his ministers was soaked in blood.

Tears finally streamed down Xiao Mu's face as he knelt to support the emperor. "Your Majesty, do not worry. Even if our 10,000 troops cannot pass Bullhead Mountain, by noon at the latest, Aman and Qi Ling will realize something is amiss. Once they arrive with 35,000 infantry, if that’s not enough, they can call for more troops from Guangyuan. We will strike from both the north and south, and we will definitely retake Bullhead Mountain Fortress!"

The Xingping Emperor slowly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Xiao Mu. "I am guilty. It is my fault that those 70,000 brave men died…"

Xiao Mu said, "No, it is not your fault. This is the work of Feng Yun, the Liang general, who has lost all sense of humanity. He set the fire that burned our 70,000 troops alive!"

The Xingping Emperor gave a bitter laugh and suddenly fell backward.

When the Xingping Emperor awoke, he found himself in a military tent, the mountain wind howling outside, and a small campfire flickering within.

13,000 cavalry had brought out five carts of rations. By rationing the food, they could survive for a while without worrying about hunger, and if necessary, they could slaughter the mules and horses for sustenance.

Luo Xiao was holding a bowl of porridge, trying to feed the Xingping Emperor, but the emperor weakly pushed the bowl away and turned to lie facing inward.

Xiao Mu sighed. "Leave the bowl here. You should go out; I need to speak with His Majesty."

Luo Xiao looked at the emperor, his expression heavy with sorrow, and withdrew.

Xiao Mu was just considering how to start when the Xingping Emperor suddenly grabbed the quilt and covered his head, sobbing in a muffled voice.

He had grown used to losing men in battle, but the thought of 70,000 soldiers being burned or suffocated to death was unbearable.

It was all his fault, all his fault!

Xiao Mu patted the emperor roughly on the shoulder and sighed. "Your Majesty, you always praise me for my foresight, but even I didn't expect Feng Yun to dare set fire to the mountains. This fire will not spare hundreds of miles of Sichuan forests. Countless lives near and far will perish because of this. It is Feng Yun's sin, and the heavens will punish him. You must not let this harm your health."

The Xingping Emperor cried for a long time before speaking hoarsely. "You don't need to defend me. It is my fault. I was too hasty, too eager to unify the world, to build an immortal legacy, to be a heroic and wise ruler."

Too eager to secure my son’s future by eliminating all threats, both internal and external, and too eager to have the historians record the great achievements of my reign.

Xiao Mu said, "That just shows you are human like the rest of us. No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes."

The Xingping Emperor said, "I understand your good intentions. It's late; go and rest. Let me have some peace and quiet."

Xiao Mu said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Let me say one last thing. In my heart, you are the great general who dared to save the northern regions' people from suffering with just 50,000 Jizhou troops. You are the emperor who still cares deeply for the people and is willing to offend all the corrupt aristocratic families of the northern regions. The millions of people in the northern regions are grateful for your kindness and will not blame you because of this defeat."

The Xingping Emperor choked up again.

——

On the sixth day of the 11th lunar month.

Before dawn, Tong Sui was already standing on the watchtower of Jiameng Pass, looking out. A hundred miles of mountain road—at a normal marching pace, the emperor's army should rest at Bullhead Mountain for the night and arrive at Jiameng Pass around mid-morning.

"Why are you up so early?" Qi Ling walked over and stood beside her.

Tong Sui pointed at a towering mountain in the distance and asked, "Is that Bullhead Mountain over there?"

Qi Ling replied, "I'm not sure. All these mountains look quite similar. By the way, it turned cloudy out of nowhere yesterday, and I was worried it might snow at night."

Tong Sui said, "Let's send two scouts to check it out. If the Emperor has made it to Bullhead Mountain, they'll return to report. If not, one scout will come back to report, while the other keeps heading south until they find him."

Qi Ling agreed, "Sure, sure, just to make you feel better."

The two scouts left after breakfast, but after a half-hour, neither had come back.

Tong Sui called Qi Ling over and said, "Something’s definitely gone wrong at Bullhead Mountain. We need to get our troops there right away."

Qi Ling also realized something was wrong and without a word, went to gather the army.

The 35,000 infantry moved fast for nearly two hours and finally reached the foot of Bullhead Mountain.

A fortress loomed on the mountaintop, guarded by soldiers in Yue armor.

Tong Sui glanced at Qi Ling, waiting for his response.

Qi Ling sprinted to a nearby hill and hollered across, "Your Majesty, are you on the other side? I am Qi Ling!"

His voice carried across the wind, and soon, a reply came from Zhao Jin on the other side of the mountain, "The Liang army is on the mountain. We'll start the attack in a quarter of an hour!"