The reason Zhang Shen had come out to assemble the fourth rank experts, along with a number of high-ranking generals, was that the order to retreat was too important. In terms of official position, he was only Yang Gong’s aide, not someone who could make the decision.
Yang Gong, who could make that decision, lay unconscious, with his life and death still uncertain. The other person who could decide had been slaughtered by Xu Erlang.
From Qingzhou to Xunzhou, through all the fighting and killing along the way, this delicate-looking scholar with peerless features had built up an incalculable amount of vicious fury in his heart.
In the past, even if you gave Xu Erlang ten times the courage, he would never have dared kill a Provincial Administration Commissioner of lower second rank.
In troubled times, when people said human life was as worthless as grass, they did not mean only the common people. Officials and soldiers were the same.
Very soon, apart from the generals stationed at their posts, all the senior figures were summoned to the commander’s compound in the barracks.
Among them were several sect masters and gang leaders from the Wulin Alliance, rebel leaders such as Chu Yuanzhen, Hengyuan, and Yang Qianhuan, court generals such as Yang Yan and Chen Ying, and also former Qingzhou garrison commanders whose cultivation was not high, but who had rich experience in leading troops into battle.
It was worth mentioning that Zhou Mi, the former Qingzhou Provincial Commander, the highest-ranking figure apart from Yang Gong, had already died at Xunzhou.
In the inner hall, the middle-aged eunuch in a python robe looked around after everyone had gathered, then said in a deep voice:
“How are Duke Yang’s injuries?”
Li Mubai, seated first on the left, replied blandly:
“He won’t die, but he’s still unconscious. As for when he will wake, that remains unknown.”
The eunuch in charge of the seal frowned and looked to one side, at the white-robed figure with his back to the crowd.
“Even you, Yang Qianhuan, couldn’t save him?”
The white-robed figure, standing with his back to all living beings, raised his chin proudly.
“If not for Yang, plucking the moon with stars in hand, Yang Gong would already have died with the city…”
The eunuch’s lips twitched. He abandoned the idea of speaking further with Yang Qianhuan, withdrew his gaze, and continued:
“Where is Yao Hong?”
Everyone looked towards Xu Xinnian.
To be honest, Yang Yan and the others had spent many years struggling in officialdom. Unless driven to the last extremity, they truly would not have dared kill a lower second rank Provincial Administration Commissioner.
As for the sect masters and gang leaders of the Wulin Alliance, they would be even less likely to do such a thing. A provincial administration commissioner, a dignified official of lower second rank, was not someone outsiders like them could simply decide to kill.
The Wulin Alliance had formed such a valuable bond of goodwill with the court of the Great Feng. If, because of a moment of hot-blooded anger, that relationship broke down or bitterness arose, the loss would far outweigh the gain.
Probably only Xu Xinnian had the nerve and decisiveness for it. The moment he saw something was wrong, he snuffed it out at once. He even knew everyone had misgivings, and had stepped forward of his own accord to shoulder the burden.
Although he was not as dazzling and eye-catching as his elder cousin Xu Qi’an, this Hanlin bachelor’s ability, courage, and sense of responsibility had won the unanimous approval of Yang Yan and the others.
Xu Xinnian replied in an even tone:
“Commissioner Yao had overworked himself to soothe the officials and local gentry, and fell ill from exhaustion. He is recuperating at his residence.”
Later, all they needed to do was give Yao Hong some convenient chance to “die for the nation”.
Xu Xinnian was not afraid that, once the matter came to light, the Emperor would hold him to account. Not to mention whether Huaiqing would even pursue the matter, even if she did, he could just shove his elder brother to the front. What worm would dare make a sound then?
“Sir Yao has worked hard!”
The eunuch in charge of the seal coughed and went straight to the point.
“Today, this servant came under Her Majesty’s decree, ordering you all to withdraw from Yongzhou overnight, preserve your strength, and fall back to defend the capital.”
No one spoke. The crowd exchanged looks in silence. There was no surprise, only anger and unwillingness.
First, Yongzhou was the last line of defence. If Yongzhou was lost, the Yunzhou army would reach the capital.
With the insight of people like Xu Erlang and the others, they could actually understand that fighting the Yunzhou army to the death in the capital would give them a better chance of victory.
But the problem was that this was a dangerous move. The Great Feng would be left with no room to retreat at all.
Second, if they handed Yongzhou over on a silver platter, Xu Pingfeng’s strength would rise another step, and the Yunzhou army would naturally seize Yongzhou’s resources as well, recruiting troops and horses. They had finally crippled the Yunzhou army with great difficulty, so were they to let all that effort go to waste?
Lastly, what about the common people in Yongzhou?
Though in troubled times human life was as worthless as grass, people still had compassion. If the Yunzhou army massacred the city, then these hundred thousand plus civilians…
Seeing that no one spoke, Li Mubai coughed and said:
“Forgive us, but we cannot comply!
“If we abandon Yongzhou, we will only boost the Yunzhou army’s momentum and help them recover. The tribulation crossing battle in the northern frontier has yet to yield a result, but if we act according to Her Majesty’s instructions, then even if Silver Gong Xu wins that battle, we may still not have any chance of victory.”
One must not forget that even if Luo Yuheng successfully transcended her tribulation, that would only barely level the balance of power. It did not mean the Great Feng could begin pressing Yunzhou in turn.
Zhang Shen said flatly:
“Her Majesty’s talent and learning are peerless, but she is not skilled in leading armies and waging war. Misjudgements are only to be expected.
“As the saying goes, when a general is in the field, there are imperial commands he need not obey. We too have our own view. If Her Majesty wishes to blame someone afterwards, she may come to me, Zhang Shen.”
Yang Yan and the others were Wei Yuan’s trusted men, and also the Emperor’s trusted men, but on this matter they supported the great scholar of Cloud Deer Academy.
Her Majesty Huaiqing’s learning was no less than any man’s, indeed far beyond that of ordinary talented scholars, but she was still a woman. What did she know about war?
Of course, though they were the Emperor’s people, they would only think such things in their hearts, never show them.
Fu Jingmen snorted.
“If you want to retreat, then retreat yourselves. The Wulin Alliance will not retreat.”
Yang Cuixue stroked his sword and said in a low voice:
“This old man’s disciples all died in Yongzhou. I too should die here. Only then would I not fail the bond between master and disciple.
“The Wulin Alliance is not under court control. If you want to leave, then leave.”
The Qingzhou officers were slightly stirred, their blood running hot.
Her Majesty judged correctly. These people really did refuse the order… the eunuch in charge of the seal thought, recalling what the Emperor had told him before he set out for Yongzhou.
The Emperor had said that if the Yongzhou defenders collectively refused the order, then he was to tell them that Duke Wei had come back to life.
Her Majesty truly was godlike in her foresight. The eunuch drew a deep breath and said:
“This is Duke Wei’s order!”
The moment he said this, he found the hall suddenly fall silent. It became so quiet that the drop of a pin could be heard. Everyone stared at him without saying a word.
Those looks were extremely strange, strange beyond description.
After a few seconds, veins bulged on Yang Yan’s forehead as he said, word by word:
“Are you amusing yourself at our expense?”
He swore that if this damned eunuch dared admit it, then he would dare drive a spear straight through his chest in front of everyone.
The eunuch in charge of the seal had come out of Huaiqing Manor and had seen great storms. He was not the least intimidated, and said unhurriedly:
“Duke Wei was resurrected today. Her Majesty personally summoned back his soul. If you do not believe it, then once you return to the capital, you may verify it yourselves.”
The hall erupted.
Everyone’s expressions were different, wild joy, bewilderment, shock, suspicion, excitement…
Zhang Shen pondered, then said:
“If Wei Yuan has truly returned to life, then I agree to withdraw and defend the capital.”
Because if Wei Yuan were commanding the army, then retreating to the capital would not be a desperate gamble, but a way to survive by embracing a fatal ground.
Yet the others still did not believe it.
Wei Yuan had long since died in battle at Mount Jing City, so how could there be any talk of revival?
At that moment, those in the hall heard Yang Qianhuan say slowly:
“He isn’t lying!”
At once, pairs of eyes focused on the back of the white-robed Arcanist’s head.
Yang Yan quickly sought confirmation.
“You used the Qi-watching technique?”
You do not seem to have turned round at all… Xu Erlang and the others silently added in their hearts.
Yang Qianhuan let out a “heh”, then said in an infuriatingly slow drawl:
“No, I didn’t look. But…”
He deliberately paused, using it to draw everyone’s attention.
I really want to hit him… veins stood out on the backs of Yang Yan and the others’ hands as they could not help tightening their grip on their weapons.
No matter what outsiders thought, Yang Qianhuan himself remained as steady as an old dog, speaking at an unhurried pace.
“But I saw Wei Yuan’s body in Song Qing’s secret chamber, and I also knew that Xu Qi’an had always been trying to resurrect Wei Yuan.”
Oh, so it was Silver Gong Xu who resurrected Wei Yuan… everyone suddenly understood.
The little bit of doubt in the hearts of people like Yang Yan and the Gold Gongs immediately dispersed.
If it was Xu Qi’an reviving Wei Yuan, then that was indeed far more believable than the eunuch’s explanation that “Her Majesty personally summoned Wei Yuan’s soul back and resurrected him”.
Li Mubai let out a long breath of relief and looked around at everyone.
“Then, what do you all think?”
“Withdraw,” Fu Jingmen said at once.
On the spot, everyone chose to evacuate Yongzhou. Yang Yan and the others were even a little impatient, wanting to return to the capital at once to see Wei Yuan.
“Yang Yan, Chen Ying, Yang Qianhuan…”
The eunuch in charge of the seal called them one by one. They were all trusted confidants of Wei Yuan and the Emperor, plus one Posturing King, and said:
“You have another mission. You need not return to the capital with the army.”
Yang Yan and the others exchanged glances and said:
“What instructions does Duke Wei have?”
The eunuch smoothly took out a brocade pouch and said with a smile:
“It is all inside.”
The eunuch could leave whenever he wished, but the army’s withdrawal was a tedious and complicated task, including, but not limited to, mustering the troops, transferring weapons, provisions, and funds, as well as destroying the bed crossbows and wall-top cannons that could not be taken away.
Since the Yunzhou army was only fifty li away, and they did not want to alert the other side, they could not take the common people with them in a large-scale evacuation.
So the defenders did not alarm the common people, but Xu Erlang had Miao Youfang lead a team to take along all the wealthy gentry and officials with money and grain.
If anyone refused to leave, they would be persuaded with reason.
In addition, Li Mubai had men make straw dummies and place them densely along the city wall to confuse the Yunzhou army’s scouts.
…
Dawn, the darkest hour before daybreak.
The Yunzhou army, long since assembled, quietly approached Yongzhou City under cover of the main force.
A scout of decent cultivation, relying on his powerful eyesight and aided by a monocular telescope, gazed towards the top of Yongzhou’s walls and saw, in the darkness, dense ranks of figures standing there.
“Hiss, something’s wrong…”
The scout drew a sharp breath and muttered:
“How has their number suddenly increased severalfold? Could it be that they expected us to attack the city?”
Under normal circumstances, there would not be too many defenders standing watch on the city wall. Only a fixed number would be kept there, while most soldiers rested in the barracks below the wall to ensure they remained in peak condition.
Keeping watch was the scouts’ job.
The scout turned to his companion and said:
“Go back and report this. Say the situation on the wall is wrong. A large number of men are on night watch. There may be a trap.”
He was worried that their movements had been predicted in advance, and that the defenders had made full preparations, perhaps even drawn up a raid plan.
The scout quickly returned to report to the Yunzhou army. To be cautious, the army halted and sent scouts roaming the surrounding area to gather intelligence.
Time passed second by second. In the east, the pale light of dawn began to show, and the pitch-black sky turned dim azure.
Only then did the Yunzhou army realise something was wrong. Those standing on the city wall were in fact straw dummies.
Straw dummies?
In the command tent, after hearing the report, Qi Guangbo’s heart sank, and he said:
“Send a flying rider to investigate the situation.”
One rider from the Vermilion Bird Army mounted a flying steed and rushed towards Yongzhou City. After circling in the air above the city for quite some time, he returned to the Yunzhou host and reported:
The Great Feng defenders had withdrawn from Yongzhou. The barracks are completely empty.
Qi Guangbo hesitated no longer and sent the army up to the city. They took Yongzhou with ease.
After a round of searching and investigation, they discovered that the Great Feng defenders had taken away the grain, silver, military supplies, and equipment, and had destroyed the large war machines.
What remained were only the hundred thousand or so common people of Yongzhou.
…
Inside the gatehouse.
Dressed in snow-white robes, Xu Pingfeng was not surprised after hearing Qi Guangbo’s report. Exhaling softly, he said:
“Wei Yuan wants to compete with me in the capital.”
Qi Guangbo, clad in military armour, rested a hand on his sabre hilt and said slowly:
“As expected of Wei Yuan. Not many could be so decisive.”
Rather than stubbornly defending Yongzhou, preserving their high-end combat strength and troops and falling back to defend the capital was indeed the better course. But the corresponding cost was enough to leave a group of seasoned veteran generals and strategists in a painful dilemma.
Yet the first thing Wei Yuan did after returning to life was to redeploy Yongzhou’s forces back to the capital and strengthen the capital’s defences.
That was where the qualities of a competent grand strategist showed themselves, in details like these.
Qi Guangbo continued:
“They took away the money, grain, and military supplies, but the common people are still here. Every household has some reserves, and Yongzhou’s jianghu forces are still here as well. Excellent.”
Those who could live inside Yongzhou City were all from comparatively prosperous families. Even if they had to dig three feet into the ground, they could still scrape together a considerable sum to supplement the army’s expenses.
And as for Yongzhou’s jianghu forces, they could be won over and brought into service, filling their shortage in combat strength.
Xu Pingfeng said:
“Let the army rest briefly. Once I have begun refining Yongzhou, we will immediately march north. Wei Yuan wanted to use Yongzhou to feed us and buy time? How could we let him have his way?”
Qi Guangbo drew a deep breath, his fighting spirit high, and said:
“The National Teacher’s view is that before the tribulation-crossing battle in the northern frontier ends, we should mass troops outside the capital and force Xu Qi’an and the other beyond-mortals to use the capital as the battlefield, settling victory and defeat with the Great Feng once and for all.”
Xu Pingfeng gave a slight nod:
“Now that the war has reached this point, it ought to end. Are we meant to remain entangled with the Great Feng for several more months? I will not give Wei Yuan a chance to catch his breath. We will use speed against speed and finish this quickly.”
Qi Guangbo nodded. That was his view as well.
With the situation already at this stage, and the battlefield pushed to the capital, it was indeed time to draw a final conclusion to this struggle for supremacy.
“How goes the battle in the northern frontier?”
He found it somewhat unbelievable that Agaruka Bodhisattva and Baidi still had not killed the Great Feng side’s beyond-mortals.
Xu Pingfeng said:
“My avatar has already gone to the northern frontier.”
The avatar had little combat power. He simply did not feel at ease about the northern battlefield and wanted to see for himself what exactly was happening.
As a player of the board, he was used to keeping everything under control, so when the northern war fell into a stalemate, he felt instinctive anxiety and unease.
What could be confirmed was that something had certainly gone wrong in the tribulation-crossing battle.
Xu Pingfeng could more or less guess that the problem lay with Xu Qi’an, with that “Dao” of his that grew stronger the longer he fought. Even so, with all his intelligence, he still could not understand what kind of power could support a second rank martial artist in fighting a first rank for so long.
It was unheard of.
Of course, he did not know that in the present age, those who knew the answer could be counted on one hand, and all of them were ancient monsters who had lived for endless years.
That immortal tree was now living quite comfortably in the imperial palace.
…
“Aunt Mu, don’t you know?”
Xu Lingyue blinked and said in a soft, harmless tone:
“The spring sacrifice have already passed. My elder brother’s wedding to Her Highness Lin’an is in half a month. Has my mum really not told you?”
In the palace, in an elegant courtyard, beside a stone table, Mu Nanzhi said angrily:
“Your mother spends all day growing flowers and growing flowers. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the Flower Goddess herself!”
Xu Lingyue looked blank and said:
“What Flower Goddess?”
“Nothing. I’m going to Fengqi Palace to see that old woman!” Mu Nanzhi rose to her feet.
Xu Lingyue was startled and looked Mu Nanzhi up and down again and again. By “old woman”, she meant the Empress Dowager, did she not? What exactly was her identity, that she dared address the Empress Dowager like that.
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