Chapter 331: Learned Mingchao’s Eloquence

Chapter 331: Learning Mingchao’s Way with Words

Six thousand three hundred defenders of Zhenzhiguan.

Several thousand local militiamen from Zhenzhiguan.

Nearly ten thousand defenders of Shengyanguan.

Together, they killed over 24,600 enemy troops of the Northern Hu.

By the time Xie Yan led Qiao Song's reinforcements from Shengyanguan to rush and reinforce them, the defenders of Zhenzhiguan had already suffered heavy casualties, losing more than half their number, while fewer than 30% of the militia survived.

Looking around, the sight was filled with severed limbs and devastation, blood red dominating the sight, the scorched earth stretching to the horizon as if there were no end.

At summer's peak, when all things flourish in vibrant colors, Zhenzhiguan had instead plunged into an abyss, becoming a literal hell on earth.

"Clean up the battlefield," Xie Yan ordered solemnly.

The people of Zhenzhiguan never should have suffered this fate, never should have died.

It was the Emperor of Daqian who used Zhenzhiguan as a sacrificial pawn.

Inside the temporary tent.

Xie Yan dropped to one knee in a military salute.

Old Master Xie, dead on his feet, sat on the ground, his face streaked with blood, tears cutting through the blood on his wrinkled face.

His dry, cracked lips trembled slightly, parting and closing, until finally, voice breaking, he uttered just two words: "Yan'er."

The fourth son of the Xie family, Xie Yan.

Born in the northern borderlands, raised in the northern borderlands—though the Xie clan's privileged son, he had never tasted the capital's luxury and prosperity.

Not yet twenty, he had already endured the destruction of his family.

He had not even had the chance to give Yan'er a courtesy name.

Xie Yan's throat tightened, his eyes moistening as he whispered softly, "Grandfather."

"Yan'er, go," Old Master Xie waved his hand. "No time for this now. There are bigger fires to put out soon."

"Grandfather is fine."

Xie Yan shifted to bow deeply three times. He wiped away the tears streaking his face and pushed through the tent flaps.

"Yan'er, do not forget to give Gao Fuyan proper burial. Merit is merit, fault is fault—we must not leave him exposed in the wilderness."

"In the military report, record it objectively."

Old Master Xie's voice followed him.

Xie Yan paused briefly, nodding in acknowledgment.

Amid the hasty cleanup of the battlefield, Xie Yan composed a concise and factual battle report, dispatching a trusted courier to relay riders at top speed, ensuring the news of Zhenzhiguan's great victory over the Northern Hu reached every corner of the realm.

Only by forcing all Daqian to see Zhenzhiguan could there be a sliver of hope—otherwise, it would be quietly marked as rebels and erased without a trace.

Liu Jingyuan was loyal to the current emperor and terrified of Grand Tutor Qin, wouldn't dare cross imperial will.

In other words, Liu Jingyuan would frame Qiao Song for treason and colluding with the enemy.

Xie Yan probably knew Liu Jingyuan's intentions.

Time passed minute by minute, and the army led by Liu Jingyuan finally crossed the mountain path, reaching the city walls.

Without hesitation, Liu Jingyuan ordered an attack to wipe out the Northern Hu enemies and traitors within the city, claiming this would prevent the innocent people of Zhenzhiguan from dying in vain.

"Great General, why are you attacking your own subordinates?" Xie Yan stood atop the city wall of Zhenzhiguan and challenged loudly.

His voice boomed across the battlefield.

"You led your troops to flee at night, colluded with the enemy, betrayed the nation, nursed treacherous schemes, conspired with the Northern Hu army, slaughtered the defenders and civilians of Zhenzhiguan, and occupied the pass to resist the Northern Frontier Army. What's wrong with me putting you down?"

"Attack!"

"We must not allow traitors to seize Zhenzhiguan!"

Liu Jingyuan focused his strength, drew his bowstring taut, and let fly an arrow with a deadly whistle, its momentum awe-inspiring as it shot straight toward Xie Yan.

Xie Yan did not dodge. A guard behind him raised what appeared to be a shield, cleanly stopping the arrow.

He had long prepared a batch of shields embedded with magnets.

"Great General, when you're out to get someone, you'll always find reasons!"

"I was commanding the night watch when I saw the beacon smoke rising from Zhenzhiguan. Suspecting an attack, I led my troops to reinforce the pass and encountered a messenger from Zhenzhiguan along the way."

"My men and the defenders and civilians of Zhenzhiguan fought shoulder to shoulder, wiped out over 24,600 enemy troops. The Left Wise King was slain, and the Northern Hu army scattered. Such a great achievement, yet Great General Liu accuses me of colluding with the enemy and treason? I won't stand for this!"

"I suspect that Great General Liu is the one with ulterior motives."

Xie Yan raised his hand, signaling his guards to haul up the Left Wise King's body onto the city wall. Several torches flared up, illuminating the body clearly.

"It really is the Left Wise King!"

"I remember the Left Wise King's wolf-tooth bone necklace."

"It truly is the Left Wise King!"

The army broke into chaos.

What traitor would kill the Left Wise King?

Liu Jingyuan's eyes narrowed as he stared in disbelief at the Left Wise King's body swaying on the city wall.

No one in the Northern Frontier Army failed to recognize the Northern Hu's Left Wise King.

What had happened in Zhenzhiguan that even the Left Wise King had perished here?

The Left Wise King commanded nearly 80,000 troops, while Qiao Song had fewer than 10,000. As for Zhenzhiguan's defenders, they were nothing but a motley crew—could barely hold their own, let alone achieve victory.

With such odds, such peril—how had Qiao Song won?

Liu Jingyuan's eyes darted blankly. Had he underestimated Qiao Song all along, or had Qiao Song been deliberately concealing his talents, playing dumb to ambush the tiger?

Who knew Qiao Song had such skill?

"Great General Liu, do you still think I colluded with the enemy and committed treason?"

"If you issue another order to attack and slaughter the city, it will only raise suspicions of covering up evidence."

Xie Yan drew his bow and shot an arrow straight at Liu Jingyuan’s black command banner. "General Liu, call it payback."

Liu Jingyuan was furious, his mood plummeting as he roared, "Qiao Song, this is open defiance!"

"General Liu," Xie Yan sneered, "you truly embody the saying, 'You can set fires but forbid others to light lamps.'"

"With just a casual remark, you seek to turn Zhenzhiguan into a ghost town, yet you won’t tolerate a single arrow shot in return."

"Rank sure does make you scary."

"General Liu, do you still wish to enter the city?"

Liu Jingyuan instinctively glanced at the advisor beside him.

The advisor pressed his lips together, his expression inscrutable.

"The General may enter the city with only three thousand troops," Xie Yan emphasized, "to keep General Liu from slaughtering more."

At these words, Liu Jingyuan’s hesitation vanished completely.

No entry.

Three thousand troops entering the city would be like lambs to the slaughter.

"Qiao Song, give a full account of tonight’s battle so this General may report it accurately."

Xie Yan replied, "Seeing is believing."

"I suggest General Liu come in and see for himself."

Liu Jingyuan seethed, tempted to order an all-out assault, but he knew better—not all Northern Frontier troops backed him.

Tonight’s plans were in ruins because of the Left Wise King's death.

"Just tell me."

Xie Yan spoke slowly, "If you insist, but I hope General Liu remembers every word."

"First, former Vice Minister of War Gao Fuyan defected with the defense plans. The Northern Hu court ordered the Left Wise King to lead eighty thousand troops to attack the city. Upon hearing this, General Qin of Zhenzhiguan fled without a fight, abandoning the city."

"He fled without even facing the enemy."

"The bandits under his command ran rampant, burning, killing, raping, and looting, treating defenseless civilians of Zhenzhiguan as disposable trash."

"At this stage, Gao Fuyan is guilty of treason, and General Qin is guilty of desertion—both punishable by death!"

"A power grab is underway."