Chapter 429

Seeing the Emperor silent, Xiao Ningxun stepped forward and said: 'Your Majesty, the terrain here is narrow; the cliffs on both sides can be used for ambush with bows, rolling stones, and rolling logs.'

'Those child-mother thunderbolt bombs can also unleash their maximum power here.'

Xiao Ran asked: 'What if they don't take the bait?'

Xiao Yuanhang replied: 'Then we'll make them believe; as long as they believe, they will surely send troops.'

Xiao Jieyun stared at the map: 'Yuanhang, why have you suddenly taken such a risky move?'

'We just defeated the Ni Ze's fifty thousand troops; isn't our army already in an invincible position?'

'Your Majesty,' Xiao Yuanhang knelt on one knee, 'although the two armies face off seemingly stable, it is actually as precarious as a pile of eggs.'

'Today, Chief Luo said that the Chen Wang and the Qing Wang have exempted the Jiangnan Region from three years of taxes, and the people have begun to praise the Imperial Court's benevolence.'

Xiao Jieyun startled, lifted his eyes to look at him.

Xiao Yuanhang continued: 'They monopolize the court's affairs, and with the Empress Dowager and the new Emperor in their hands, each day of delay drives the people's hearts further from Your Majesty.'

'This subject's action is to break the stalemate, behead these sixty thousand troops on horseback, and help Your Majesty return to Jingcheng as soon as possible!'

Xiao Jieyun closed his eyes, as if seeing again Tuan Tuan holding pastries to give him, those bright eyes.

'Imperial Uncle, eating pastries should make you happy!'

Yes, only by taking Jingcheng can we punish the Ni Ze and give these loyal followers what they deserve.

He slowly opened his eyes: 'Approved.'

A few days later, the rebel Main Camp.

The two sentries on the watchtower rubbed their eyes, then counted again carefully.

'The cooking smoke is less again?'

'Yes, it's much less than yesterday.'

When the report reached the central command tent, the Qing Wang's chief general Zhou Han and the Chen Wang's chief general Li Shen were leading a group of deputy generals looking at the map on the case.

Li Shen asked: 'How many fewer stoves?'

'About thirty percent.'

'It's been three consecutive days.' Zhou Han's eyes flashed with excitement: 'The cooking smoke decreases day by day, and the vehicles and horses in the camp are being moved frequently.'

'I think, Xiao Yuanhang can't hold on any longer; he wants to make a run for Jingcheng while he still has some fighting strength, to go all out.'

Li Shen shook his head: 'Xiao Yuanhang's use of troops is deceptive; it's likely just a feint, we must not let our guard down.'

Zhou Han snorted coldly: 'They have no supply from the Imperial Court; their provisions are limited, and being dragged here by us, over time it's also a dead end.'

'If General Li were in your position, what brilliant plan could he have?'

Li Shen pondered for a moment: 'What do you mean, General Zhou?'

Zhou Han's eyes flashed with murderous intent: 'Launch the entire army, chase them until they are exhausted of men and horses, all the way to the foot of Jingcheng, then cooperate with Jingcheng's great army for a pincer attack, and behead Xiao Jieyun.'

'This is a heaven-sent opportunity for us to achieve extraordinary merit; missing it would make it hard to come again.'

Li Shen shook his head: 'What if it's Xiao Yuanhang's lure-the-enemy plan?'

'If it's a lure, he should have packed up and retreated early; how could he leave an empty camp for us?' Zhou Han sneered: 'General Li, you aren't scared silly by Xiao Yuanhang, are you?'

These words were heavy; hearing them, several Chen Wang's generals in the tent changed their faces.

Li Shen only said lightly: 'Caution brings safety for ten thousand years.'

'If General Zhou insists on pursuing, I will not stop him.'

'Just, my troops are only the rear guard, ten li behind you, to provide support. If there is deceit ahead, I can also respond.'

'If General Zhou truly encounters an ambush, my troops will rush up quickly; you can order the rear guard to become the vanguard, and we can still gather and annihilate them.'

'Ten li?' Zhou Han's eyes widened: 'Ten li is enough for Xiao Yuanhang to swallow my vanguard!'

'Then five li.' Li Shen stepped back: 'No closer. The two armies should advance and retreat together, as mutually supporting horns.'

This old fox! Wants to earn merit, yet fears walking into an ambush.

Zhou Han stared at him for a while, then grinned: 'Fine, just as General Li says.'

'My unit will be the vanguard; you are the Chen Wang's elite, must not suffer losses, so take the rear.'

However, don't involve the Empress Dowager.

The sarcasm in his words was heard clearly by all the generals in the tent, but Li Shen remained unmoved: 'Good! Just decided like that!'

The military order was passed down, and the soldiers in the Main Camp quickly sprang into action.

The Qing Wang's thirty thousand troops donned armor and grasped sharp weapons, their warhorses neighed.

The Chen Wang's thirty thousand troops maintained strict formation, building camp with each step.

Zhou Han mounted his warhorse, looked back at Li Shen: 'General Li, keep close.'

Li Shen clasped his hands: 'General Zhou, may your flag open to victory.'

Zhou Han led the troops forward swiftly; a deputy general pointed to the roadside: 'General! Look!'

Scattered damaged grain sacks and overturned cooking utensils could be seen sporadically by the roadside.

Zhou Han's eyes gleamed with even more excitement: 'Pursue! Full-speed pursuit!'

The deputy general felt uneasy: 'General, should we wait for General Li's rear guard...'

'What are we waiting for?' Zhou Han pointed with his whip at the faint dust ahead: 'If our army reaches Jingcheng first, that's a great feat! Issue orders: light equipment, rapid advance; baggage train moves slowly.'

The thirty-thousand-strong army surged forward like wolves scenting blood.

They chased across the open fields, into the hills, and finally into a long narrow valley.

The valley's sides were steep cliffs, jagged rocks scattered.

Zhou Han suddenly felt something was off; it was too quiet.

Not a bird chirped; even the wind's whine through the valley seemed especially clear.

'Stop!' he shouted, raising his hand.

Just as the words fell, an inconspicuous pottery jar flew down.

Zhou Han was stunned.

In the next instant, boom!

The pottery jar exploded instantly, countless iron caltrops shot out like poisonous bees, and pale purple thick smoke rolled and expanded with the blast, quickly spreading.

Er-ah!

My eyes!

The wail had just begun when it strangely turned into hysterical laughter.

Hahaha… hahaha…

Countless soldiers clutched their bodies, pierced by iron caltrops, wailing while laughing loudly.

Laughing until it tore their hearts out, laughing until it chilled them to the bone.

Zhou Han's hair stood on end as he hoarsely shouted: "Retreat! Quick! Fall back!"

But it was too late; more pottery jars fell, then rolling stones, rolling logs, and a barrage of crossbow bolts like a rainstorm.

"Form up! Shield formation!" Zhou Han still roared, as a pottery jar landed before his horse.

Boom!

The warhorse neighed in fright, raising its forehooves.

Zhou Han was thrown to the ground; just as he tried to rise, he inhaled a mouthful of drifting smoke.

Zhou Han laughed hysterically, unable to stop, his wide eyes reflecting countless figures on the cliff.

As it turned out, it really was a trap.

A pottery jar fell toward his face, and his laughter cut off abruptly.

Five li away.

Li Shen reined in his warhorse, looking ahead with uncertainty.

What sound is that? A rumbling.

Soon, shouts of killing and wails could be faintly heard.

The deputy general urged: "General, we should hurry to rescue…"

"Rescue?" Li Shen interrupted him: "Since Xiao Yuanhang set a trap, he's clearly waiting for me to walk into death!"

He turned his horse: "Issue the order—rear army becomes front army, withdraw to the main camp!"

The deputy general stared: "General! How will we explain this to Qing Wang?"

"Explain?" Li Shen said lightly: "Why should I have to explain?"

"Zhou Han ignored advice, dooming thirty thousand elite troops—do I still need to demand an explanation from Qing Wang? Withdraw!"

He loosed no arrow, took no step forward, and led the great army back the way it came.

That night, Xiao Yuanhang led the great army back to the main camp and rewarded the troops.

The soldiers were overjoyed, as if celebrating a festival.

"We've won again!"

"If we keep fighting like this, we'll be able to return to Jingcheng soon!"

"Yeah! I've long wanted to go back and see my father!"

Xiao Yuanhang hugged Tuan Tuan and kissed her cheek: "You're my good daughter! If it weren't for what you said, your father wouldn't have even thought of this."

Xiao Tuanzi widened her eyes, smiling at everyone: "This is great! Everyone is so happy!"

Hearing this, she looked puzzled: "Huh? What did I say? Father, what did I say?"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled without speaking, then pinched her little nose.

Xiao Ningyuan sighed: "Too bad, that gorge is narrow but not long enough—we couldn't wait for their rear army to enter, and still thirty thousand got away!"

Xiao Ran shrugged: "Now the tide has turned—can't our fifty-thousand-strong army swallow their thirty thousand remnants?"

Xiao Ningchen nodded: "The Ninth Prince makes sense! Once we deal with these thirty thousand troops, we can march on Jingcheng!"

Under the same starry sky, several carriages sped along the official road toward Xibei.

Inside one of the carriage compartments, a strong stench of rot and foul odor emanated.