Chapter 416: Another New Year Passes, and Others Will Follow!

You united your forces into one army, totaling four hundred thousand troops, marching north in grand array.

Upon reaching Yunshan, you formed your battle lines.

Tuoba Shuyi commanded five hundred thousand troops, aided by twelve thousand elite soldiers from Qianyuan.

Leveraging terrain advantage and numerical superiority, Tuoba Shuyi clashed with you for half a month across two battles, the two sides locked in a stalemate like entwined dragons.

In the same month, three thousand reinforcements from Daqing and twenty thousand cavalry from northern tribes—Shache, Dazhi, and Shuangyue—arrived in succession.

You then used your available forces: personally leading fifty thousand elite cavalry, leaving the remaining four hundred thousand under Feng Haiping to hold Yunshan and pin down Tuoba Shuyi.

On your map, you drew circles as traps: first seize Beifeng, then encircle Yunzhou.

In the same year, Qianyuan and Han also engaged in decisive battle at Longnan.

By year's end, Princess Yuchen Liqian of Han, bearing a critical mission, set out for Yan.

The next day, Yan dispatched ten thousand troops to aid Han.

Suddenly, the global situation grew even more volatile.

If the north drains Yan's strength, Qianyuan will surely march northward.

If the Han-Qian alliance holds its borders, Yan will advance south.

Thus, two distant battlefields quietly took shape.

Smoke blazed across the heavens, war drums thundered, and fumes filled the air.

At the heart of the world's map, Daqing remained untouched by war—but its people trembled, for the situation on the northern and southern fronts was one where a single hair's pull could shake the entire world, filling hearts with dread and leaving no peace.

The wheel of history rolled forward with crushing force!

These past months!

In Daqing, taverns and rural inns hosted endless banquets, bustling with noise and clamor.

Storytellers spoke with endless eloquence, fanning gently, calmly painting the intricate maneuvers of the northern and southern fronts with vivid precision.

Renowned scholars from every region flocked to the stages, delivering lectures, citing classics, and dissecting the grand trends of the world.

In your camp at the northern foot of Taicang, you penned the words "June: Storm the Yellow Dragon Citadel," and the date beneath them began spreading across the land.

In the same year, the Empress of Qianyuan, on the Longnan battlefield, personally wrote: "June: Break the South, Station Horses on Han and Qian."

Daqing's scholars and generals gathered around maps, brows furrowed in deep thought.

They carefully analyzed the northern situation: Lu Chen's strategy was plain to see—he would reinforce every point.

And Lu Chen's written dates—"on such-and-such day, attack such-and-such place"—were laid bare in full.

It was an open strategy.

Capturing cities is immensely difficult! Beifeng is at its Shengsicunwang; its soldiers will fight with fierce morale, fearless of death.

Lu Chen, with only fifty thousand troops, seeks to sweep across the north—this is an almost impossible task.

Every major city is garrisoned with heavy forces; their commanders are no fools—they will be heavily prepared, waiting for the enemy's arrival.

All eyes across the land fix on Beifeng; the outcome of this battle will determine the fate of the world.

In November, you appeared in Hezhou—ironically, your old foe "Zhou Tiancheng" awaited you again.

Zhou Tiancheng, after fleeing from Chongcheng, swiftly rallied his former troops, totaling forty thousand, and personally came before Tuoba Shuyi to beg forgiveness with thorns on his back.

Tuoba Shuyi, moved by his sincerity, ordered him to redeem himself by defending Hezhou.

Unfortunately, Hezhou offered no natural defenses; after Chongcheng, Beifeng had no true fortress left to hold—it was now a battle of offense and defense.

He Sheng and Zhou Yong had been defeated by you at Taicang, and they bore the shame.

They believed you had merely used grain as bait to win by luck.

Tuoba Shuyi reinforced Zhou Tiancheng with three thousand troops and personally dispatched several senior generals to assist; this time, they regrouped, determined to erase their past humiliation.

Zhou Tiancheng stationed his troops at Dongyang in Hezhou, accompanied by an old Beifeng general as his deputy.

He Sheng and Zhou Yong stationed themselves at Jianxian in Hezhou, forming a pincer formation.

You led fifty thousand troops and failed to take it after three days of siege.

You split your forces: sent Jia Fu to attack Dongyang.

You personally led twenty thousand troops to attack Jianxian.

You attacked Jianxian three times—all failed.

After clashing with you, He Sheng rejoiced—he thought Lu Chen was no great threat.

Zhou Tiancheng wrote him a letter warning caution: remember the lesson of Taicang, act with care, never leave Jianxian, lest you fall into your enemy's trap.

One day!

That night, you assembled your troops and loudly announced to the soldiers: "Tonight, rest well—tomorrow we strike Dongyang from the west."

That night, you summoned trusted men, relaxed guard over prisoners, and let them escape back to Dengxian.

Upon receiving the prisoners' report, Zhou Yong grew suspicious—he suspected a trick, and urged holding Jianxian, forbidding any rash action.

He Sheng held his ground.

The next morning, you indeed attacked Dongyang; Zhou Tiancheng was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses.

Today, you ordered early meals and told the troops: "Tonight, we launch a surprise strike on Dongyang." Again, you loosened prisoner guards, letting them flee to Dengxian.

Upon receiving the prisoners' report, Zhou Yong hesitated, and sent word to Dongyang to strengthen defenses.

That night, you attacked Dongyang as promised—but Zhou Tiancheng was already prepared.

You withdrew your forces.

Today, you told your troops: "Rest well tonight—tomorrow we march to Jingzhou." That night, more prisoners escaped to Jianxian.

Upon hearing the report, He Sheng and Zhou Yong were deeply suspicious: Jingzhou lies beyond Hezhou—could Lu Chen be retreating?

They debated long, but ultimately could not decide—choosing to hold Jianxian, fearing your trap.

The next day, you led your army out of Hezhou, heading straight for Jingzhou.

When He Sheng heard the news, he snapped his bamboo chopsticks in rage—regret came too late.

The Jingzhou garrison had anticipated your move; with Tuoba Shuyi's four thousand reinforcements, you attacked but failed to breach the city, and retreated to Hezhou.

After a day's rest, you told your troops that afternoon: "Rest well tonight—tonight we attack Dongyang again." You again loosened prisoner guards, letting them escape to Jianxian.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yong and He Sheng could no longer wait—they decided to ambush you on the road to Dongyang, hoping to crush you in one strike.

That night, He Sheng eagerly awaited the arrival of Yanbei forces—only to receive news that Lu Chen was attacking Jianxian.

He Sheng was stunned, immediately preparing to rush back to defend Jianxian.

But Zhou Yong calmly assessed the situation: the tide had turned; returning to Jianxian now would risk ambush and greater peril.

He proposed withdrawing to Dongyang, uniting with Zhou Tiancheng, and formulating a joint defense.

Though reluctant, He Sheng knew Zhou Yong spoke truth.

The two led twenty thousand troops hastily toward Dongyang.

Unexpectedly!

Yu Xu and Xie Ling had already laid ambush there; after fierce battle, the two were routed and fled in disarray, suffering heavy losses.

The next day, you easily captured the empty Jianxian.

Seeing Jianxian lost, Zhou Tiancheng could no longer hold Dongyang.

He had no choice but to retreat elsewhere.

Thus, you seized Jianxian and Dongyang—fully securing Hezhou.

It was November 17—the exact date you had written in your camp at the northern foot of Taicang.

Upon hearing the news, Tuoba Shuyi was furious but remained calm, dispatching Wu Long with three thousand Qianyuan troops to reinforce Hezhou, while he himself stayed stationed at Yunshan.

After uniting with Wu Long, Zhou Tiancheng's force reached over fifty thousand, a formidable army preparing to retake Hezhou.

You ordered Jia Fu to attack Jingzhou, leaving eight thousand men to defend Hezhou.

He Sheng sneered at your division of forces: "Foolish and arrogant! Eight thousand men—even with two cities as bases—cannot resist fifty thousand!"

They'll be starved to death under siege!

Yet within six days, reality shattered his assumptions.

Within six days, He Sheng, Zhou Yong, and others failed to take either city; instead, under your cunning command, they were constantly outmaneuvered, exhausted and frantic.

Leveraging the advantage of two cities—able to advance or retreat—you won multiple small battles decisively, leaving He Sheng and Zhou Yong utterly astonished.

How is this possible?

Those two cities they once held could only huddle in defense!

Yet under your command, they became flexible, defensible, effortlessly controlled.

Wu Long's campaign was frustrating—he fought with hands tied.

The enemy always anticipated his moves; he was always reacting, never acting.

Another half-month passed, and Lu Chen, even under such overwhelming siege, organized attacks outside the city walls.

Zhou Tiancheng's elite troops lost over half their strength—he wept, for they were his very foundation in Beifeng.

He bore a criminal status; in every battle, he led from the front.

When defending Chongcheng, they had only held ground—never truly grasped the horror of Lu Chen's tactics.

Now, facing Lu Chen directly, they understood: this man commanded like a god—both upright and cunning, leaving no defense against him.

He Sheng and Zhou Yong could no longer utter a single mocking word.

Their forty thousand brothers, from Chongcheng to now, had been methodically slaughtered by Lu Chen.

Zhou Yong, who abstained from alcohol, served as strategist, offering plans and tactics.

He had tried to turn the tables—sending spies, prisoners, and defectors to mirror your own tricks—but each time, they were exposed, even turned against him.

It was as if the enemy had seen through him completely.

Zhou Yong had begun to doubt himself, repeatedly struck down; within the camp, he had become deranged, muttering: "Is Lu Chen me, or am I Lu Chen?"

The twenty thousand veteran soldiers led by Zhou Tiancheng, who had survived the fall of Chongcheng, had finally lost their fighting spirit after half a month of relentless setbacks.

How can we possibly defeat Lu Chen!

You sensed the moment had arrived; a day earlier, you quietly moved four ten-thousand-strong forces under Jia Fu to launch a night raid on Zhou Tiancheng's camp, slaying over seven thousand enemies, forcing Wu Long and Zhou Tiancheng and others into chaotic retreat.

You once again assembled your army, turning your blades toward Jingzhou.

Half a month had passed; the Beifeng forces closely watched your next move, trying to decipher your strategic intent.

Yet, you unexpectedly halted your offensive, refusing to rush forward.

With the New Year approaching, you gathered the generals around you and shared a distant, foreign New Year's feast.

Within the camp, songs and laughter rang out, a scene of lively warmth, temporarily forgetting the fires of war.

You wrote letters home and left a message for your master on Mount Zhongnan.

In the deep stillness of night, you rose, draped in your robe, standing alone outside your tent, gazing at the vast heavens.

At that moment, Lu Yu quietly stepped beside you, silently keeping you company.

Your cultivation had long reached the peak of martial arts, impossible to advance further; even after moving north, as destiny converged, you still could not break through this celestial barrier.

You naturally sensed Lu Yu's arrival, but did not turn, only murmuring softly:

"You'an, I've already written two letters for you, signed with your name."

Hearing this, Lu Yu's lips curled into a warm smile, sighing: "Brother, you always understand me so well."

"As a true man, one ought to live freely, unrestrained, at ease and unbound!"

Lu Yu declared with great passion.

You listened, and merely smiled.

Every year, the letters sent home were written by you on Lu Yu's behalf, yet every reply from home was carefully preserved by Lu Yu.

At this moment, Lu Yu keenly sensed an unprecedented emotional turbulence within you, stirring his heart slightly.

As the battle on Beishan grew ever more urgent, your elder brother—once calm and composed since childhood—had, rare indeed, revealed a flicker of inner unrest.

You murmured: "I wish heaven would grant me another ten years, to see everything through to completion."

You sighed: "But it's too late."

Lu Yu then smiled: "Brother, through endless ages, there will always be those who come after."

You looked upon the boundless starry river and nodded slightly.

At the start of the year, you pressed forward with unstoppable force, continuing your campaign toward Taizhou; now, you have seized vast western territories in the north.

Yunshan is a single point; you have drawn a half-circle to the west of Beifeng.

Drawing a prison on the ground!

Wherever you went, Beifeng trembled, and hearts were filled with dread.

In early spring, Qianyuan also won three consecutive victories, its spearhead now pointing directly at the capital of Chu.

Chu, the nation with the longest history and the most venerable rites, was the oldest-established kingdom.

The current emperor is young; power has slipped from his hands. Gongsun Zhongshu, under the false title of emperor, performs imperial duties—technically not a usurper, yet merely a charlatan deceiving the world.

As Chu's frontline troops bled on the battlefield, the Confucian scholars in the capital, at the critical moment, opened the city gates themselves and welcomed the Qianyuan Empress's army into the city.

The front collapsed; blood floated shields!

The Qianyuan Empress gladly accepted Chu's surrender, absorbing its soldiers as vanguard forces to continue the assault on Han, aiming to expand her gains.

Now, in the southern theater, only Han remains, standing alone, perilously close to collapse.

…

…

The people of Daqing, upon hearing the news of Chu's surrender in the south,

could not help but fix their hearts on the northern battlefield, filled with anxious dread.

After all, the Prince of Yan and Daqing were bound by countless ties; many southern migrants had once received profound grace and favor from the Prince of Yan.

Naturally, they worried for Yan.

Between Qianyuan and Yan, whichever side could extricate itself first would seize the initiative and control the overall situation.

The northern frontier was remote; news often took half a month to reach Daqing.

Yet,

Whenever military reports arrived, the capital of Daqing would erupt in Feiteng, alive with excitement.

Though delayed by half a month, the news brought by Beifeng was always the most exhilarating.

Inside taverns, voices rose in a din.

Whenever the Beifeng military updates were announced, every seat was filled, guests packed the house, all listening intently, afraid to miss a single word.

(End of Chapter)