Chapter 105: Imminent

"Colonel Li, this is the residence of the Commandery Governor; are you trying to rebel?"

Zhang Family Mansion.

Zhang Yue put on a fierce-looking but cowardly front, yet Colonel Li before him remained unmoved.

"Those who surrender will not be killed; all others are to be executed without exception." The commander, whom Zhang Kang called Colonel Li, had a cold expression.

Before setting out, Chang Wei had instructed him to leave witnesses if possible, as it would make it easier to convict the Zhang Family.

But if they resisted, he could act at his own discretion.

Zhang Yue's palms were covered in cold sweat as he continued to quibble, "What imperial law has our Zhang Family broken? Are you not afraid of this matter reaching the Imperial Court? Do not forget, our Commandery Governor is an official appointed by the Imperial Court and is also the son-in-law of the Yuan Family."

The corners of Colonel Li's mouth curled up, his eyes filled with contempt.

Like many of the soldiers in the Personal Army, he came from an ordinary family of commoners in Yan Commandery.

What he hated most were these Rich Clans like the Zhang Family.

If not for the orders from their general, Chang Wei, he would not have wasted a single word on him.

"One last chance: surrender, or die!" Colonel Li pressed his hand onto the hilt of his sword.

Zhang Yue narrowed his eyes; it seemed the Yan Prince Mansion had already discovered something.

As his thoughts raced, he suddenly pulled a Dagger from behind his back and stabbed fiercely at Colonel Li's abdomen.

Colonel Li only leaned back slightly, then revealed a smile that was not quite a smile.

He glanced at the tip of the Dagger; his Armor had been dented by a small depression.

"You have made my Armor imperfect." Colonel Li's voice was like the ice of winter.

Then he clenched his fist, the Armor covering his palm curving into an iron fist, and struck out with a fierce punch.

"Ah..."

Zhang Yue let out a miserable cry; he felt as if he had been struck by a hammer.

His face was in excruciating pain, and the taste of blood filled his mouth; he spat, and immediately seven or eight teeth fell to the ground.

Before he could react, Colonel Li's second punch arrived.

Zhang Yue was instantly knocked to the ground, and after struggling a few times, he ultimately did not climb back up.

The death soldiers of the Zhang Family standing behind were stunned; they did not know whether to step forward or retreat.

"Kill, kill them for me!" Zhang Yue shouted, "You have no way out; think of your wives and children."

Hearing Zhang Kang's words, the death soldiers were silent for a moment, then suddenly charged toward the Wangfu Army.

Colonel Li sighed in his heart.

This was the reason why he hated these Rich Clans.

How many wives and children of the commoners in Yan Commandery had been used by them as leverage.

"Kill!" he shouted loudly.

He knew it was not worth it for these death soldiers to die for the Zhang Family.

But now he could only kill them, because only by protecting the Yan Wang could the darkness of Yan Commandery be prevented from returning.

The one-sided battle ended in the span of a quarter of an hour.

All the resisting death soldiers in the courtyard lay in pools of blood.

At this moment, Colonel Li squatted down in front of Zhang Yue; he was not yet dead.

Then, he took the hilt of his sword and smashed it fiercely into his mouth.

"Ah, ah..." Zhang Yue let out one miserable cry after another.

His teeth were smashed out one by one.

Confirming that all of Zhang Yue's teeth had fallen out, Colonel Li said, "Tie him up and take him away."

He did this to prevent Zhang Yue from biting his tongue to commit suicide.

After all, he was an extremely important piece of evidence.

While actions were being taken at these two locations, the encirclement and suppression were completed at all other points as well.

Before the people of Yancheng, who had slept soundly all night, had even stepped outside, the soldiers had cleared away their corpses.

Everything was as if nothing had ever happened.

When the sun rose from the horizon to the tips of the willow trees.

Chang Wei arrived at the Yan Prince Mansion.

"Your Highness, everything has been cleaned up."

Zhao Xu nodded, a weight lifted from his heart.

"Now we just wait for the North Territory people to come." He looked toward the North Territory.

Yan Commandery is not large,

and the North Territory people are marching with fast horses; the main army of the North Territory should be able to reach the walls of Yancheng today.

Chang Wei did not yet know what method the Yan Wang intended to use to set a trap for the North Territory people, so he asked, "Your Highness, now that these death soldiers are killed, what should be done next?"

Zhao Xu smiled mysteriously and beckoned to Chang Wei, signaling him to come closer.

Chang Wei leaned over, and Zhao Xu said a few words; upon hearing them, Chang Wei's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and finally, he laughed out loud: "These North Territory people would never think of this,"

"Go back and prepare; once the North Territory people attack the city, implement it just like that." Zhao Xu said.

Chang Wei nodded and walked out happily.

Just as he reached the door, Zhao Xu remembered something, "Right, take a team of soldiers and surround Tianxiang Lou; do not withdraw until the war is over."

"Tianxiang Lou?" Chang Wei was surprised for a moment, his eyes rolling.

Thinking of the recent rumors that the Yan Wang was having an affair with the top courtesan of Tianxiang Lou, he assumed the Yan Wang was having him send troops to protect her.

With a lewd smile, he agreed.

Zhao Xu saw Chang Wei's expression and gave a bitter smile.

He was not doing this to protect Tianxiang Lou, but to ensure there were no slip-ups.

Although Tianxiang Lou was currently cooperating with the Prince's Mansion.

He still did not have a very clear understanding of Tianxiang Lou's background.

If they were to stab him in the back at such a critical moment, he would be finished.

……

"Miss, please rest for a while. Walking back and forth like this is making me dizzy," Xiao Huan said, looking at Xu E, who was pacing back and forth, feeling dejected.

Xu E stopped in her tracks, her face filled with deep worry. "How can there be such a foolish person? With the Northern Di army pressing on the border, he actually transferred the majority of his troops out of Yancheng to protect the counties. Are these Northern Di people so easy to deal with?"

Xiao Huan looked at Xu E and sighed, secretly thinking about how a single meal of kindness from years ago had made her mistress so unable to forget him.

Now, there was even a trend of her sinking deeper and deeper.

Before she could open her mouth, Xu E turned and smiled again. "But this is exactly who he is. Disregarding himself for the safety of the common people—this is what a great hero is."

As her voice fell, she suddenly heard a commotion downstairs.

Hearing this, Xiao Huan immediately went out to investigate.

Returning shortly after, Xiao Huan said angrily, "Miss, your great hero has had his troops surround Tianxiang Lou, saying that during wartime, no one is allowed to go out at will. You are only thinking of him, yet he is guarding against us."

Upon hearing this, Xu E sat down at the table, propped up her chin, and smiled foolishly. "That is not necessarily true. Perhaps he is protecting us. When Yuan Li came last time, didn't he also protect our Tianxiang Lou?"

Xiao Huan rolled her eyes; she really did not want to say another word.

……

Zhu County.

The Northern Di Cavalry bypassed the city from here.

A cavalryman came before Kutu and said, "Great King, Zhu County has at least five thousand armored elites defending it."

"Wuan County has eight thousand, and Yi River County has five thousand. That means Yancheng only has ten thousand or so men," Kutu said.

After arriving at Wuan County, he had ordered a feigned attack to probe the reality of the county seat.

If the county's military strength was weak, he would take it down to serve as a base camp.

But he had not expected Wuan County to have so many troops, so he had to give up and continue south.

Then he arrived at Yi River County, and after another feigned attack, he probed the troop deployment of Yi River County.

After several rounds, he had already determined the approximate military strength of Yancheng.

"I don't know if this Yan Wang is stupid or just arrogant," Muto sneered. "Great King, let's head straight for Yancheng. We can arrive before dark."

Kutu cast his gaze toward the south.

In the Great Song army, there had always been a rumor circulating about the Northern Di.

The Northern Di are not to be feared unless they number ten thousand; once they exceed ten thousand, they are invincible.

Moreover, the troops he brought exceeded the strength of the Yan Wang in Yancheng.

This time, Yancheng would be his.

"Advance toward Yan Commandery!" Kutu shouted.

The wailing sound of horns rang out once more, and the Northern Di Cavalry, covering the mountains and plains, began to gallop toward the south.