Chapter 101

Chapter 101

When the first rays of morning sunlight fell upon the earth, Jiang Mo was already in a carriage heading to Li State.

The An family army stood once again before the gates of Zhang City.

After a night of preparations, Chen Yingchou stood confidently atop the city wall. The moment he spotted the woman in the prison cart, he tensed up all over.

All night long, he kept telling himself not to be impulsive and to stick to the plan. But upon closer inspection, his heart pounded painfully. The woman had disheveled hair, wore only a thin dress, and there was even blood on it. Chen Yingchou clenched his fists, knuckles cracking, as rage surged within him, and he shouted, “An Shengwu! How dare you torture the Empress of Great Qi!”

An Shengwu looked utterly indifferent. “So what? In my eyes, you are no emperor, and she is no empress.”

Seeing Chen Yingchou’s fury and anxiety, he felt a surge of satisfaction. “What’s the matter? Does it hurt? Then give me a definite answer—can the Empress of Great Qi be exchanged for this city?”

Chen Yingchou glanced at He Ji and Zhu Shiliang; both nodded, signaling everything was ready.

“Yes!” Chen Yingchou waved his hand, and the city gates slowly swung open with a heavy groan.

Things went too smoothly, which made An Shengwu suspicious, and he hesitated to lead his army in.

An Shengwu shouted, “First, have your Flying Cavalry Army withdraw from the city!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Yingchou yelled, “All soldiers, withdraw from Zhang City!”

From within the city came the sound of orderly footsteps as the Flying Cavalry Army marched out through the gates—thirty thousand soldiers, each full of vigor.

An Shengwu gasped. The An family army had suffered heavy losses, with less than ten thousand men left. If he had tried to storm the city, he would never have succeeded.

Once the Flying Cavalry Army exited, they immediately formed ranks on either side of the gates, leaving an open path into the city.

Having to walk past an army like that was extremely intimidating. An Shengwu’s heart was uneasy. The scouts had clearly reported that the Flying Cavalry Army numbered only ten thousand—when had it become thirty thousand?

He realized this might be a trap, but the two armies were already too close. Even a retreat would be impossible. He could only stay cautious and adapt to whatever came.

Chen Yingchou shouted, “First, push the prison cart in!”

An Shengwu’s eyes darted around. He suspected a trick. “Let the An Family Army enter the city first!”

Chen Yingchou’s clenched fists trembled. He was losing patience, his eyes fixed on the prison cart, his breath coming in heavy, rapid bursts. “An Shengwu, don’t push your luck!”

An Shengwu drew a long saber from a nearby soldier’s hand and slammed it—“Bang!”—into the wooden frame of the prison cart.

Chen Yingchou’s heart clenched. “What are you doing?!”

“If you don’t agree, I don’t mind throwing another knife. Who knows where it’ll land—maybe in Jiang Mo’s body.”

Chen Yingchou glanced toward the steps of the city wall. He Ji nodded back at him.

He had been fighting since he was thirteen; there wasn’t much he hadn’t experienced. He knew An Shengwu wouldn’t fall for it so easily. So of course he couldn’t agree too quickly—he had to make An Shengwu believe he had seen through the ruse and enter the trap without suspicion.

“Fine! I agree.”

Though An Shengwu’s doubts were not completely dispelled, he reasoned that the Flying Cavalry Army was already outside the city. Once he led the An Family Army inside and closed the gates, even if the Flying Cavalry attacked immediately, it would not be easy for them to breach the walls. Besides, he still had a trick up his sleeve.

“Into the city!” An Shengwu shouted, and his troops formed four columns and marched toward the gates.

An Shengwu glanced at An Zeyou beside the prison cart and gave him a nod.

An Zeyou returned a reassuring look to his father. As he eyed the thirty thousand Flying Cavalry soldiers, he felt immense relief that he had switched Jiang Mo out. The numerical advantage clearly lay with Chen Yingchou. Once Chen Yingchou got Jiang Mo back, he would inevitably attack the city. The An Family Army, having just entered, would have no time to prepare before facing the Flying Cavalry’s onslaught. The newly taken city would be lost, and the remaining ten thousand men would suffer devastating casualties.

He understood that as long as Chen Yingchou still wanted to know Jiang Mo’s whereabouts, he could keep him in check and force him to abandon the assault.

Both father and son thought they had everything covered.

Seeing the An Family Army begin to enter the city, Chen Yingchou, accompanied by his highly skilled guards, grabbed a rope and leaped down from the city wall, landing beside the prison cart.

Once all the An Family troops were inside and the gates were closed, he took a deep breath and ordered the soldier guarding the cart, “Open it!”

He had assumed An Shengwu left a single soldier to unlock the prison cart. But the soldier neither moved nor raised his head. With a wave of Chen Yingchou’s hand, one of his guards stepped forward and smashed open the cart.

Chen Yingchou hurriedly lifted the woman from the cart. The moment he saw her face, his head buzzed. The woman in his arms was not Jiang Mo.

He set her down and glared fiercely at the An family army now inside the city. His eyes were terrifyingly cold, as if he were covered in a layer of ice.

An Zeyou had expected Chen Yingchou to launch a furious attack. Instead, Chen Yingchou just stared at the gates without giving any command.

*Damn, a trap!*

By the time An Zeyou realized it, agonized screams had already erupted from within the gates. Flames shot up inside, making his hair stand on end!

The pounding on the gates grew frantic, mixed with desperate cries for help. But the Flying Cavalry soldiers outside propped heavy logs against the doors, trapping everyone inside to die in the fire.

An Zeyou stared in disbelief at Chen Yingchou. A benevolent, noble-minded man, once he became emperor, could resort to such brutal slaughter.

Chen Yingchou had left a vanguard force inside the city, hidden in the high places just beyond the gates. When the An Family Army entered and began to assemble, the vanguard would rain down hundreds of torches upon them. The An Family Army would fall into chaos. Moreover, Chen Yingchou had earlier had the ground doused with oil, so the fire spread instantly.

Now, beside the prison cart, An Zeyou tightened his grip on his sword and lunged at Chen Yingchou without warning.

He knew that even threatening him with Jiang Mo was useless now.

In that moment, no one noticed an inconspicuous soldier. Chen Yingchou dodged too late, and the blade struck his left shoulder.

He stared in shock. “An Zeyou!”

The guards immediately rushed forward. Seeing that his one strike had failed, An Zeyou knew he had no other chance to avenge his father. He decided to flee first.

On any other day, he might have escaped. But his old wounds had not healed, and Chen Yingchou’s guards were no ordinary fighters. After barely a dozen exchanges, An Zeyou was overpowered. Just as a long blade was about to pierce his body, Chen Yingchou shouted, “Don’t kill him! Capture him alive!”

If An Zeyou died, who would tell him where Jiang Mo was?

An Zeyou had no intention of surrendering. But his old wound had reopened, and he was ultimately overpowered and bound before Chen Yingchou.

“Chen Yingchou, you will never see Jiang Mo again in this life!”

Chen Yingchou had anticipated that An Shengwu might swap the woman. But he had trusted that An Zeyou would not put Jiang Mo in danger. Under heaven, all lands belong to the king. As long as she was safe, he would find a way to locate her. And this was his only chance to wipe out the An Family Army without losing a single soldier.

He looked toward the city gates. “I know you hate me, Qufei. But today, if your father had not died here, I would have.”

An Zeyou’s eyes reflected the firelight. He glared viciously at Chen Yingchou. “I never thought that a gentleman like you would stoop to such cruel means.”

“Don’t forget, it was your father who used despicable tactics first. I am merely paying him back in kind.” Chen Yingchou pointed at the flames. “Qufei, I am still more merciful than your father. If you tell me where A Mo is, I will let you collect your father’s body for burial.”

An Zeyou’s eyes filled with tears. He knew the An Family Army was defeated, the rebellion was over, and he had lost his father forever.

When the gates opened, he dared not imagine the scene inside. Could he even recognize his father’s body? But he knew that the dead were gone. He had already lost his father; he could not lose Jiang Mo too.

“Dying on the battlefield is a soldier’s fate. Even if I don’t collect his body, won’t your Flying Cavalry take care of the dead? Won’t they bury them and let them rest in peace?” His gaze turned fierce. “Chen Yingchou, I will not tell you where Jiang Mo is. Not even if I die.”

Chen Yingchou grabbed An Zeyou by the collar. “An Zeyou! You’d better understand this: An Shengwu is dead, but you still have a mother, an elder sister, and a little nephew. If you don’t care about their lives anymore, then don’t bother telling me where Jiang Mo is!”

An Zeyou tilted his head, looking at him lazily. "Jiang Mo said I'm her savior. She doesn't want me to die, nor does she want my innocent family to die. Go ahead, kill them—kill the An family members who never set foot on the battlefield. See if Jiang Mo will ever forgive you."

Chen Yingchou was momentarily speechless, unable to utter a rebuttal.

"You can't kill me, and you can no longer kill my family. My father is dead; the An Family Army is reduced to remnants. Whether you wipe them out or let us live all depends on your decision. But don't forget, Jiang Mo is still in my hands. Since she doesn't love me..." An Zeyou took a deep breath. "I wouldn't mind returning a corpse to you, letting you taste what it's like to lose something you just regained."

How could he bear to harm Jiang Mo? He was only provoking Chen Yingchou with words. Seeing Chen Yingchou flustered and furious was the only way he could feel a sliver of satisfaction.

"You!" Chen Yingchou fell silent for a long moment, then softened his tone. "I don't believe you'd harm A Mo. But it's too late; He Ji has already sent men to the An Family Army's camp to root them out. Your elder brother is likely already dead."

An Zeyou's expression shifted, his heart sinking. Grief instantly flooded his entire body. Ignoring the guards restraining him, he struggled with all his might. "Chen Yingchou, those were ordinary soldiers, lives! You burn them to death, kill them! The An Family Army has already lost; you have already won. What's left in the camp are the old, weak, sick, and disabled. Why can't you spare them?!"

"The old, weak, sick, and disabled are still part of the An Family Army. If I keep them and your elder brother, am I supposed to wait for your An Family Army to stage a comeback?"

"The heart of an emperor is truly ruthless." An Zeyou's voice was grief-stricken and indignant. "You might as well kill me too, kill my little nephew. With no more male members in the An family, you'll never have to worry about a resurgence again!"

"Why do you think I haven't killed you? Ask yourself honestly—how have I treated you these past ten years? And you? Were you truly loyal to me? Or was it because you were the crown prince's companion, forced to defer to me, get close, care for me, and keep me company?"

An Zeyou recalled those ten years. When he first arrived in the capital, he dared not speak much, timid and weak. If not for Chen Yingchou dragging him along everywhere, sharing delicious food and fun activities, he truly didn't know if he'd have had the courage to curry favor with the Late Emperor and the Empress Dowager, or become the foremost playboy of the capital.

"I'm your companion. What else could I have done but coax you, stay with you, and take care of you?"

Uttering these insincere words, An Zeyou felt a mix of emotions. He was supposed to hate Chen Yingchou—the man who had killed his father and his elder brother. But he knew Chen Yingchou had done nothing wrong. As the emperor of Great Qi, protecting the Chen dynasty and eliminating rebellious ministers was exactly what he should do.

"If that's how it is!" Chen Yingchou spread his robe, drew his sword, and cut off a corner. The brocade fluttered to the ground. "Today, I sever ties with you. The bond between us ends here. Considering you once protected me, I'll grant you one chance to live. Tell me where Jiang Mo is, and I will spare your life."

He acted with finality and spoke harshly, but Chen Yingchou had never intended to let An Zeyou die.

Back in the Kunning Palace days, that companion had been diligent and dutiful. In every late-night recitation session, every summer and winter of martial training, every time he was punished, An Zeyou had been by his side—stealing him snacks, sneaking him wine, taking punishments for him, standing guard for him. Those years were vivid and real. If they hadn't belonged to two opposing families, they might have become lifelong friends.