Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Before Feng Yun was forced by the Xingping Emperor to retreat and defend Jianmen Pass, he had already arranged 10,000 ambush troops near Bullhead Mountain, led by his son Feng Jing.

When Xiao Mu and Zhao Jin led their cavalry and supplies past Bullhead Mountain to pursue the Xingping Emperor, Feng Jing guessed that Guangyuan had completely fallen. The Jiange Road could no longer trap the Xingping Emperor; he and his father had only one last path to take.

Thus, as soon as Feng Jing noticed the Xingping Emperor beginning to withdraw his troops, he dispatched a team of elite soldiers to set fire to the mountain. They took advantage of the moment when the Bullhead Mountain garrison was off guard and swiftly seized the mountain stronghold.

The stronghold was well-stocked with arrows and enough food to last 10,000 men for several days.

As Tong Sui, Qi Ling, Zhao Jin, and Luo Xiao prepared to attack the stronghold from both the north and south sides, Feng Jing's 10,000 Liang army troops were also ready to defend the stronghold.

Pointing to the southern foot of the mountain, Feng Jing addressed the 10,000 defending troops, "Do you see? The Yue Emperor led 80,000 troops when he attacked Jianmen Pass, but now, after being burned by our fire, only Xiao Mu's 10,000 cavalry remain! If we can hold them off at the mountain's base for two days, the mountain fire on Jiange Road will die out, and General Feng will lead tens of thousands of troops to pursue and kill the Yue Emperor and Xiao Mu, avenging Zong Quan and General Jiang Ru, and our hundreds of thousands of fallen comrades!"

The Liang army soldiers shouted in unison, "Revenge! Revenge!"

Their voices trembled with grief and rage, and many wept openly, their tears rolling down their faces.

Feng Jing: "The Yue Emperor lacks siege equipment, such as catapults or battering rams. Deploy 300 archers on the southern side. Concentrate your forces to block the Yue reinforcements from the northern side!"

---

As Feng Jing had anticipated, the Xingping Emperor's side not only lacked siege equipment but also shields. Some cavalry were so desperate to break through the mountain fire that they even discarded their bows. The 70,000 infantry failed to escape, and the cumbersome supplies and various military equipment were left on the smoke-filled mountain road.

Zhao Jin and Luo Xiao could only feint attacks to draw part of the Liang army's forces.

North of the mountain, as Tong Sui approached Bullhead Mountain, she noticed the large area of mountain fires to the southwest and had just learned of the Xingping Emperor's troop strength from Zhao Jin.

She said to Qi Ling, "The winds are strong in the mountains. It won't take long before the trees around Jiange Road burn down. We must seize the stronghold before Feng Yun's army catches up; otherwise, the emperor will be caught in a pincer attack."

Qi Ling: "I know. I'll lead the charge, and you cover with the archers. Let's go!"

While Bullhead Mountain wasn't as steep as Jianmen Pass, the stronghold's elevated position gave it a significant advantage. The Yue soldiers struggled to climb the steep slope while dodging a relentless barrage of arrows from above.

The assault lasted through the afternoon, and by the time they retreated at dusk, Tong Sui's side had over 3,000 dead and more than a thousand wounded, with no ability to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Tong Sui could no longer draw her bow, but they would need to continue the assault at night. They had over 30,000 troops to rotate for rest, while the Liang soldiers had to continuously shoot arrows to maintain their advantage. This meant nearly every Liang soldier would take part in the battle, and if Tong Sui gave them a chance to recover, their combat effectiveness would return to 80%.

When Qi Ling could no longer run, Jiang Tiankuo took over. Both were elite 'lion soldiers,' known for their fierce combat skills, and Jiang Tiankuo was also a formidable general in siege warfare.

---

South of the mountain.

As night descended, the Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu remained vigilant, knowing they couldn’t afford to rest.

With over 13,000 cavalry, there were more than 10,000 bows. The problem was that each person only had a quiver of twenty arrows.

At dusk, the scouts sent by the Xingping Emperor returned, reporting that the fires on both sides of the southern Jiange Road had mostly died out, meaning Feng Yun would soon pursue them with his army.

Cavalry excelled on open plains, but here, in the narrow confines of Jiange Road, they were sitting ducks for archers. Therefore, they had to occupy higher ground.

The Xingping Emperor ordered Zhao Jin and Luo Xiao to take 5,000 men to hold the southern slope of Bullhead Mountain, defending from the high ground to prevent Feng Yun from sending more troops to the stronghold. Only by holding out long enough for Tong Sui and Qi Ling’s reinforcements to reach them would they stand any chance of surviving. To this end, apart from the Xingping Emperor, Xiao Mu, and twenty imperial guards, who kept twenty arrows each, the remaining arrows were given to the 5,000 men.

After the deployment on the mountain slope was complete, the Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu left their mules and horses behind and retreated five miles to join the 8,000 troops hiding on a nearby hilltop. These 8,000 soldiers had spent the morning stockpiling stones for the coming battle.

The 8,000 troops were exhausted and had run out of food, now subsisting on cooked mule and horse meat.

They were all cavalrymen, reduced to eating their mounts, each chewing through their tears.

The Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu slept in the same tent, listening to the wind outside. The Xingping Emperor said with a self-mocking smile, "I’ve been fighting for over 30 years, and this is the first time I’ve been beaten here in Jiange Road. Now we’re down to just a blade and a pile of rocks, no horses, no arrows."

Xiao Mu replied, "Your Majesty, I have only been fighting for three and a half years, starting with just a few hundred villagers, each with a crude spear. Now, I still have 8,000 elite troops at my disposal, so it’s not too bleak."

The Xingping Emperor was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, tears rolling down the corners of his eyes. "This is all my fault!"

Xiao Mu said, "No, it’s because of you that I’ve been able to put my skills to use and achieve something in my later years."

"I must confess, Your Majesty, I am not afraid of defeat or death in battle, but of dying in obscurity without the chance to serve our country or leave a legacy for future generations. Now, having been granted the title of Duke and being able to fight alongside you in Jiange Road, I have no regrets in this life."

The Xingping Emperor was silent for a long time, then in the darkness, he reached out his hand to Xiao Mu. "We’re far from finished. Liangzhou and Qingzhou are still unstable, and Liang and Ling remain threats. There’s still much work to be done, and I need you by my side to see this through."

Xiao Mu smiled and shook the hand firmly. "Very well, Your Majesty. As long as you are willing to use me, I will fight for you as long as needed!"

---

The seventh day of the winter month, dawn broke again.

On the northern slope of Bullhead Mountain, Jiang Tiankuo was hit by an arrow in the back and barely managed to retreat by clutching onto a corpse of a soldier left from the previous day.

Another 3,000 soldiers had perished in the night's battle, leaving Tong Sui and Qi Ling with only 27,000 troops.

Tong Sui and Qi Ling had rested through the night, but there was no time to waste; the assault must continue!

To the south of the mountain, Jiange Road.

The wildfire, pushed by the northwest wind, had spread further south, leaving behind only charred remains and the bodies of 70,000 Yue soldiers.

Some were still barely alive, only to be finished off by Liang soldiers—no mercy, only revenge, both personal and national.

The Liang army set out at dawn and arrived at the foot of Bullhead Mountain by morning.

Seeing the ambush troops led by Zhao Jin and Luo Xiao guarding the southern slope, Feng Yun sneered and left 40,000 troops to press the attack while he led 30,000 infantry to search for the Xingping Emperor's hiding place. If they could kill the Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu, the campaign against the Yue would not be considered a failure. Regardless of how many Yue reinforcements remained to the north, they could retreat to Jianmen Pass with the heads of the emperor and general and sleep peacefully.

"Search every hill within ten miles! Leave no place untouched!"

The Liang army was very familiar with Jiange Road and had superior numbers. By the afternoon, they had located the hill where the Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu were hiding.

Feng Yun stood at the foot of the hill on his horse, looking at the makeshift imperial flag of the Yue nation, and sneered coldly before raising his sword and ordering, "Kill!"

The shield-bearers escorted the archers up the hill, and Xiao Mu, watching the archers, estimated they were nearing shooting range before ordering the catapults to fire.

Boulders, each weighing dozens of pounds, tumbled down the hill, gaining speed and smashing through the archer formation.

That day, three fronts saw fierce fighting. Tong Sui and Qi Ling couldn’t capture the stronghold, the 40,000 Liang troops were held back by Zhao Jin and Luo Xiao, and Feng Yun couldn’t breach the hill where the Xingping Emperor was hiding.

The night passed, and it was the eighth day of the winter month.

After five relentless assaults, Tong Sui and Qi Ling had lost 16,000 men, with another 4,000 wounded, leaving them with only 15,000 effective troops. Tong Sui could no longer draw her bow, and Qi Ling and Jiang Tiankuo were covered in wounds, but the assault had to continue.

The Liang troops above the stronghold were down to 4,000, each more exhausted than Tong Sui and her forces.

As the red sun rose higher, the distant sound of clashing steel echoed from Jiange Road behind her. She turned to see 300 cavalry galloping forward, followed by 20,000 infantry, their banners emblazoned with the character "Yuan" waving in the wind.

The 20,000 troops Tong Sui sent out at noon on the sixth day have finally arrived after traveling over 100 miles of mountain roads!

Two hours later, Feng Jing and the 4,000 Liang defenders fought to the last man, while Tong Sui's coalition sacrificed another 5,000 soldiers to finally retake the mountain stronghold.

On the southern slope, Zhao Jin and Luo Xiao, with only 1,000 troops left, were still desperately blocking the Liang army's reinforcements. As soon as the Liang commander saw the Yue reinforcements descending from the mountain, he immediately ordered a retreat.

By this time, there were still over 30,000 Liang troops at the foot of Bullhead Mountain, while the Yue army had 30,000 men in total.

The Liang commander retreated two miles to avoid the Yue army's charge downhill and regrouped before charging back. "They have 30,000 men, and so do we. Hold this pass, and wait for the Great General to kill the Yue Emperor!"

---

Three miles away, after a day and night of fierce battle, the stones on the mountaintop had been exhausted, and the Yue's 8,000 elite troops had been reduced to 3,000. They retreated north along the mountain path, protecting the Xingping Emperor as they went.

Feng Yun sent troops to pursue from behind while also dispatching soldiers to climb the front mountain to intercept the Xingping Emperor.

With enemies in front and behind, the Xingping Emperor and Xiao Mu had no choice but to continue fleeing deeper into the mountains.

Feng Yun's forces chased relentlessly until dark when Feng Yun lost sight of the emperor and general, drifting farther from Bullhead Mountain.

At the foot of Bullhead Mountain, the Liang army fought desperately to block the Yue reinforcements, while Zhao Jin, Qi Ling, and Luo Xiao fought fiercely. Every moment they delayed could mean the emperor's life.

Tong Sui did not descend the mountain. If she did, several soldiers would have to protect her.

She watched from above the stronghold, while Zhou Gui stood by to help her stretch her arms.

As it grew dark, the Yue army had not yet broken through the mountain pass. Both sides were exhausted and camped two miles apart.

Tong Sui returned to her room, where Zhou Gui administered acupuncture.

After the treatment, Zhou Gui sat beside her and saw that Tong Sui still had a frozen expression, as if she would never smile again, nor cry.

Zhou Gui wept, clutching Tong Sui's hand tightly. "Old Master Xiao has the protection of heaven; he will be fine. Don't worry, sister."

Tong Sui lowered her eyes and held her sister's hand firmly, able to use three-tenths of her strength.

"If I get some rest tonight, will I be back to normal by tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, I'll take turns with your brother to massage you. After another acupuncture session tomorrow morning, you'll definitely be fine."

"Alright, I'll sleep then."

As Tong Sui rested, Xiao She and Xiao Shouyi, leading a cavalry unit, were still 20 miles from Guangyuan City.

More worried about Old Master Xiao than the Xingping Emperor, father and son left Chang'an early in the morning on the seventh day and had been traveling day and night. Their mules and horses rested only when exhausted, then continued. They had traveled 800 miles in just two days and one night.

Xiao She could continue running, but their horses needed rest again.

Upon receiving another war report from Bullhead Mountain, learning that 30,000 reinforcements were still locked in a stalemate with Liang's 30,000 troops at Bullhead Mountain and that Old Master Xiao and the emperor's fate was unknown, Xiao She was anxious and worried.

Xiao Shouyi was also anxious, but the journey depended on the mules and horses. Tonight, they had to rest sufficiently.

"We'll leave at dawn, no earlier; otherwise, if the mules and horses collapse halfway, we won't even make it to Bullhead Mountain."

Xiao She slammed his fist and suddenly looked at the messenger. "How far has your horse run?"

Messenger: "I've just come from outside the city on a fresh horse, only 20 miles."

Xiao She: "Alright, we’ll swap horses. You rest, Father. I’ll go see Second Sister-in-law first!"

There were still 140 miles to Bullhead Mountain, but he would definitely reach Second Sister-in-law by dawn.

Xiao Shouyi: "Go then. The mountain roads are steep. Bring a squad from General Yuan to guide you with lights. It’s better to take it slow than to rush and risk an accident!"