Chapter 592: Ningyuan City Falls

Ningyuan City fell.

It fell unexpectedly, it fell without any omen.

When Shi Dao was still full of confidence, it was like an egg that had fallen to the ground, with a splat.

Then it fell.

Shi Dao abandoned the idea of field battle outside the city, concentrating all his troops on the city walls, dividing them into three batches to take turns guarding.

Facing such a defense, he felt full of confidence, it was practically too safe.

In his plan told to Nan Li, he intended to hold out for half a month first, to wear down Chen Wuji's manpower and patience, then launch a grand field battle to completely wipe out Chen Wuji, this tender shoot that had just sprouted in Nan Jun.

He said these words to Nan Li at the foot of the city.

And the city fell when the two of them climbed onto the walls.

No one came to report what had happened; they heard the shouts of killing shaking the heavens from the city walls in the darkness, and prepared to go up to see what was happening, only to run headlong into their own chaotic routed troops.

A group of soldiers shouted like they were rushing home for a funeral that the enemy had mounted the city, and came flooding down right under their noses; if they had not dodged in time, Shi Dao, the lord of Guangtongzhou, would have almost perished under the feet of his own routed troops.

Immediately after, a group of ferocious-looking soldiers in different clothes shouted vulgarities like "Your grandfather has come, quickly show your neck so your grandfather can see if it's clean," brandishing their claws and fangs as they rushed down.

Shi Dao was almost frightened stiff.

He was a commander of troops, but he had never seen such a military bearing.

Shi Dao's first thought was, "The begging evil ghosts have come!"

If Nan Li had not reacted in time, the two of them might have been broken at the foot of the city walls.

"Sir, the enemy has mounted the city; what should we do now?" In a quiet alley, Shi Dao, like a panicked and helpless child, urgently grabbed Nan Li's hand.

He had previously thought Nan Li's words were exaggerated; he himself was a mighty lord commanding twenty thousand troops—how could the gap with Chen Wuji be so great? But now he truly saw it.

He was also thoroughly alarmed.

Even though they had hidden in a safe place, that chill that penetrated from the soles of their feet upward and condensed along the spine's great dragon still persisted.

"My lord, quickly summon Peng Jingxuan and others to organize defenses, take advantage of the night and engage the enemy in street fighting to drive them out!" Nan Li said in a deep voice.

"Okay, I, I'll issue the order right away!" Shi Dao readily agreed.

This should be the most obedient he has ever been in his life, without a hint of hesitation.

"Wait!" Nan Li stopped him again, "My lord, our military prestige is lost, our soldiers' hearts are not with us, the enemy is fierce, and the troops cannot muster any fighting spirit. At this point, we must bestow rich rewards, not be stingy, and use wealth to forcibly raise morale."

"Okay, how much?" Shi Dao asked blankly.

Nan Li pondered briefly, "First give each person five taels of silver, and promise that if they win this battle, each will receive twenty taels and a bolt of cloth. For beheading more than ten heads, double it; for beheading twenty heads, double again!"

This huge amount of silver finally brought Shi Dao to his senses, "Sir, isn't this too much?"

"My lord, now is not the time to be stingy with money; if you trust me, just arrange it this way!" Nan Li said in a deep voice, "If we can turn defeat into victory in this battle, your troops will truly have a hint of strong-arm force, but… there probably won't be many left."

"How many will be left?" Shi Dao thought he had misheard, and repeated it.

Nan Li nodded, "How many can remain depends on how many the enemy has prepared for this assault. Even if only two thousand remain at that time, if we can win this battle, those two thousand would far surpass your previous twenty thousand."

"My lord, the difference between units is real. I often mention Tang Yu and the Chen Family Army—not to boost others' morale, but because these two forces are the strongest units of Nan Jun and San Guan Jun, their achievements unmatched so far."

These words made Shi Dao's feelings complicated, but he still answered honestly.

He no longer had any choice.

"Following Sir's advice, we'll return to the manor at once!" Shi Dao said hurriedly.

Nan Li again stopped Shi Dao, "My lord, we cannot return to the manor now; we must go to the government office."

"……Okay."

……

Two days later, at the si hour, Chen Wuji led his troops to Red Maple Valley.

Xie Fengxian and Tang Yu had already been waiting there.

Seeing Chen Wuji's personal guard corps come like a black hurricane, Tang Yu pulled hard on the rope, bringing the tightly bound Shi Dao forward, "Did you remember what I taught you? Upon meeting, perform three bows and nine kowtows, greet the Commander-in-Chief, wishing the Commander-in-Chief victory like a breaking bamboo, to recover Guangtongzhou."

Shi Dao, his face bruised and swollen, nodded hurriedly, "Remem… remembered."

That night the city fell, Nan Li's scheme also failed.

Under the generous rewards, his morale was high, but after less than half an hour of fighting in the city, they were beaten like dogs; a force of over ten thousand was routed by just a few thousand, to the point that even their parents might not recognize them.

They were also trapped in the government office and captured alive.

While Tang Yu and Xie Fengxian spent two days in a neither-human-nor-dog existence in the great camp at Red Maple Valley, they and a group of civil and military officials from Guangtongzhou were led out to greet Chen Wuji.

Xie Fengxian, holding his horsewhip, circled from the rear and said to Tang Yu, "Not bad, their spirit still looks decent. But did we perhaps kill those wealthy magnates of Guangtongzhou too early? What if…"

Tang Yu calmly asked, "Brother Xie, should we have killed that bunch? Is there sufficient evidence?"

"Yes, that's fine!" Tang Yu laughed confidently, "Just trust me, brother; at worst you'll get a scolding, but it doesn't matter—this is just for show to Chen Wuji's army, but in substance you will surely be richly rewarded."

"Brother Xie, you're from Nan Jun after all—how can you understand Chen Wuji less than I, a man of San Guan Jun? Chen Wuji is not hostile to wealth; he comes from a military family, surely he has no such flaw, but Chen Wuji opposes the unjustly rich. Among the remaining clans of Hezhou, which isn't engaged in bridge-building and road-repair, looking after neighbors?"

"As for those who seize land and treat the common folk like livestock, are they all dead now?"

"Seems so!" Xie Fengxian said uncertainly.

Before marching to Wenkou Town, he knew of Chen Wuji, but truly understood little.

"Don't be so uncertain; you're definitely going to earn great merit from this battle, rest assured." Tang Yu laughed heartily, thrusting his chin forward, "Here we come, here we come!"

Xie Fengxian's expression instantly hardened; he whipped his horsewhip hard and shouted at Shi Dao and the others, "Stand straight, all of you! If anyone loses my men, I'll make them lose their heads, and their whole families!"