Chapter 770: The Rebel Chief's Ruthless Resolve, the Government Army Awaits the Offensive

The crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed on Wang Shun in the seat of honor. Clearly, all their hopes rested on him. After all, it was under this tall, lean man's leadership that they had accomplished such a feat, startling the entire Guanzhong region and the Great Han court. Now, with the situation critical and opinions in disarray, only Wang Shun could make the call.

A heavy pressure weighed genuinely on Wang Shun's heart. After considering for a long while, Wang Shun looked around the circle and said solemnly: "Brothers, I've thought it over carefully. The government cavalry chasing us down so wantonly—their purpose is likely to trap us here in Xuelu Town.

These past few days, they've been roaming outside without launching an attack. They probably don't want to assault with cavalry alone, but are waiting for the other infantry units suppressing the rebellion to arrive. Given the government army's strength, once their infantry gets here, with their solid armor and sharp weapons, we absolutely won't be able to hold out.

Some brothers have spoken rightly—staying in Xuelu Town is a death sentence, with no other possibility. The only way out for us now is to flee!"

Looking at the crowd, determination and ruthlessness flickered in Wang Shun's eyes: "Though government cavalry watches all around and we'll surely be intercepted and killed if we leave the town, charging out—however slim the odds—still offers a thread of life. Either way we die, so better to seek life amid death!"

Wang Shun's words did carry some power to move, steadying the rebel officers. One of them asked: "Which direction do we break through?"

"South!" Wang Shun said decisively. "Only south! North, east, and west are all covered with Northern Han prefectures and counties. Only heading south, slipping into the Zhongnan Mountains, gives us any chance of shaking off the government army."

Not giving the crowd time to react, Wang Shun continued: "Moreover, we don't have much time left! When the main government force arrives is unknown, but one thing is certain—the longer we wait, the more dangerous it becomes for us. My view is that we should not delay; we break out tonight, under cover of dusk, and strike south. No matter how formidable the government cavalry is, in the dark, they can't watch all of us."

"Brothers, are you willing to follow me in one more desperate gamble?" He gazed at the crowd.

"Why not? We're dead either way—might as well fight once more!" Someone immediately echoed. These men were basically desperadoes; when it came to desperate acts, there was nothing they dared not do.

"Good!" Wang Shun bellowed, then immediately gave orders: "Return to your units, muster the troops, gather all the able-bodied and veteran soldiers, and bring out whatever grain remains. Let the brothers eat their fill."

"Yes!"

"Also, gather those Han civilians together. When the time comes, have them break out north to draw the government army's attention. We head south, at all costs, and don't stop until we reach the Wei River!" Wang Shun added.

"Yes!"

Driven by the life-or-death crisis, the rebel officers' morale recovered somewhat from its stagnant pool, and they withdrew to make their arrangements. As soon as the meeting dispersed, Wang Shun immediately summoned his two confidants and instructed them sternly and coldly: "When we withdraw tonight, keep the brothers close together. At the first sign of trouble, break away from the main column!"

The two confidants were somewhat taken aback. Seeing this, Wang Shun lowered his voice further: "Too many people make too big a target—easy for the government army to mark us for pursuit. Besides, even if the main column escapes by luck and gets into the mountains, where would we find enough grain to feed them all? Better to let them head toward Zhongnan and draw the government's attention for us. We'll take the guard battalion brothers and move with flexibility. I've long since secretly sent men to prepare several boats on the Wei River—we'll cross at Zhouzhi."

"But..."

"No buts!" Wang Shun cut him off harshly, lecturing: "It's all for survival. Their deaths are better than ours! As long as we cross the Wei River and get into the mountains—whether we hold the heights as bandits or cross the mountains back to Chuanshu—we'll have a chance to live! Understand?"

"Yes!"

Wang Shun was clearly a shrewd, cunning, selfish, and ruthless man, and the circumstances had given him a chance to display it. During this period, while plundering the various counties, he had managed to scout out the lay of the land fairly thoroughly.

In his earlier rousing speech, many concerns had gone unspoken—such as the Han army being able to split forces to pursue and exterminate them, such as whether they could even cross the Wei River once they reached it, such as the unknown situation of government forces south of the river...

But what he could consider, he had no need to voice. Otherwise, it would diminish the usefulness of the bait and the expendable pawns.

Of course, there was much Wang Shun himself could not control. Such as how many government troops the coerced Han civilians could draw away, what to do if the government army reacted ahead of time, or what if the infantry he had only speculated about arrived early...

But this was, after all, a desperate venture, a gamble with death. It was impossible to cover every angle. Some risks had to be taken. However bad it got, could it be worse than sitting in Xuelu Town waiting to die?

Staying in Xuelu Town meant certain death with no chance of survival; withdrawing south meant nine deaths and one chance of life; but following Wang Shun's true scheme, the odds of survival might be raised by another two-tenths. A three-tenths chance—that was worth gambling on.

While the "righteous army" inside Xuelu Town made hasty, secret preparations, the Han cavalry outside Xuelu Town continued their routine, patiently waiting to strike. Two thousand horsemen were camped five li east of the town, with only a few squads of riders sent out as scouts, patrolling the surroundings to prevent the rebel army from slipping away, cutting down stragglers, and probing the area.

At dusk, as the sun slanted low in the west, with the bright yellow sunset as a backdrop, Murong Chengtai led his men back to the campsite east of the town. Sentries had already lifted the alert and let them pass. A cavalry camp differed from a large army's formation—the layout was quite dispersed.

Riding straight to the center, Murong Chengtai dismounted nimbly, his movements quick and practiced. Handing his horsewhip to a subordinate, he instructed the riders following behind: "You all go rest!"

"Yes!"

Inside the simply arranged tent, an appetizing aroma filled the air. Ma Renyu was personally roasting meat—a fat sheep on a spit over the fire, roasted to a golden, glistening crisp, as Ma Renyu applied the seasonings.

Hearing the commotion, he looked up and said: "General Murong is back! Perfect timing—the meat's just about done!"

"Young General Ma is in good spirits!" Murong Chengtai replied with a glance, then casually took a waterskin and gulped down several mouthfuls.

Letting out a satisfied burp, Murong Chengtai summoned a messenger and ordered: "Go, notify the four squads of the right camp to take over the watch!"

"Tastes good!" Ma Renyu sampled some on his end, beaming with delight, then carved off a large chunk of leg meat and handed it to Murong Chengtai: "Try it!"

Murong Chengtai didn't stand on ceremony and took it readily: "Let's see if your skill has improved..."

Cutting off another piece and sticking his knife into it beside him, Ma Renyu called out: "Someone!"

A guard entered, and Ma Renyu pointed at the roasted mutton, instructing: "Take this sheep down and distribute it to the wounded brothers!"

"You made a circuit—how's the situation?" Ma Renyu asked, his expression turning somewhat serious as he ate.

"Same as before. Those rebel troops are still holed up in Xuelu Town. They're probably afraid of our iron cavalry's sharpness and don't dare come out easily!" Murong Chengtai said.

Clicking his tongue, a trace of contempt flashed across Ma Renyu's young face: "That bunch of Shu captive rebels—they weren't our match back then, let alone now. The way I see it, even if we attacked their stockade directly, we could break it!"

Hearing this, Murong Chengtai replied: "That's certainly true, but using our cavalry lads to assault a town fortification would inevitably cost casualties. Cavalry isn't meant for that kind of task—training and raising a rider isn't easy.

Besides, the Commander-in-Chief also instructed that our coming east this time is to coordinate with the Guanzhong Regional Command in suppressing the rebellion. We should try not to overstep our role!"

Ma Renyu had only been venting a bit, and now the rough lines of his face showed deep thought as he asked Murong Chengtai: "I've been mulling it over for days, and I still can't quite understand what the Commander-in-Chief's orders mean—having us southwestern elites fight alongside those provincial troops!"

Facing his question, Murong Chengtai chuckled softly, lowered his voice a little, and gestured with the mutton in his hand: "I've thought about it too. For the sake of this meat, I'll explain. I'm thinking—this sudden rebellion in Guanzhong, someone will need to take responsibility afterward. The Guanzhong Regional Command should see considerable shakeups.

Chief Commander Zhao Hongyin—he's responsible for the defense and public order of the entire circuit. Though the root of this rebellion isn't his fault, since the chaos occurred, he bears an inescapable responsibility.

Commander Xiang Xun and Chief General Zhao have a good relationship. He probably intends to yield the credit for pacifying the rebellion, giving Chief General Zhao a chance to atone and reduce his punishment.

On the other hand, we're border troops after all, established for garrisoning the frontier and conquering Shu. When there's internal unrest, the primary duty of suppression falls on the Guanzhong Regional Command. His Majesty's edict also only has us assisting in the suppression..."

Hearing Murong Chengtai's explanation, Ma Renyu was stunned for a moment before slowly recovering, and said with a wry smile: "I never imagined that merely exterminating a bunch of rebel troops and mutineers could involve such complex considerations behind it."

As he spoke, he couldn't help casting a look of surprise at Murong Chengtai.

And Murong Chengtai, clearly understanding the meaning behind that look, showed a hint of reserved smile and said lightly: "I'm just guessing wildly—don't take it as truth, and certainly don't repeat it to outsiders!"

Ma Renyu nodded.

Murong Chengtai, the youngest son of Murong Yanchao, Commandery Prince of Changli, had originally been nothing but a martial, restless playboy. But in the years since being "exiled" to the southwest, he had clearly grown—and grown quickly. Especially in these years serving at Xiang Xun's side.

"By the way, has there been any word from Chief General Zhao? Where has his army reached?" Murong Chengtai asked.

"Already at Xingping—temporarily stationed in the county town, arriving tomorrow!" Ma Renyu said. "General Zhao hasn't had it easy either. No sooner was the unrest east of Jingzhao pacified than he turned his army west and marched swiftly, barely getting any rest!"

"The rebel army is all right here anyway. We've prepared the battlefield for Chief General Zhao—just waiting for him to come fight!" Murong Chengtai said.

As he spoke, his eyes, much darker than his complexion, flashed with two gleams of ruthless resolve: "I spent some time in Jingzhao back then, and accompanied Prince Yong on inspections of the prefectures and counties. At that time, the people's livelihoods were stable, and the common folk had enough to eat.

But these past few days, riding around on patrol, I've seen devastation everywhere—houses destroyed, people displaced, not even a chicken or dog left. It's the harvest season, yet the crops in the fields go untended, and large swaths of farmland have been trampled and ruined!"

"These rebel scum have done too much evil. We must cut them down to the last man to vent my hatred!"