Chapter 257: Chapter 256: Troops Descend Upon the City
Lightning flashed, and thunder roared as torrential rain poured down.
Fierce winds swept through the rain and mist, devouring the clashes and carnage of the dark night. The flames were drowned by the downpour, the lanterns on Kyoto Capital Street were lifted into the air by the gale, and fell onto the cobblestone roads. The soaked lantern papers were stained with blood, and soon crushed into mud under the iron hooves. Over thirty thousand members of the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard surrounded two thousand Northern Iron Cavalry in a brutal encirclement.
The overwhelming ten-to-one disparity rendered this battle exceptionally grueling. Xie Zhang and Xie Xun, soaked in blood and rain, fought shoulder to shoulder as they broke their way out of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, the sound of combat spreading from the mansion to the long streets.
The ten-mile-long street had turned into a battlefield!
The Northern Iron Cavalry circled around Xie Zhang and Xie Xun, attempting to break toward the North City Gate. However, the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard’s human wall tactics inflicted heavy losses on the cavalry, with riders falling one after another.
"Eldest Young Master, Master, don’t worry about us—break through!" Feiying said in a low, urgent voice, tightly shielding Xie Xun. Not far from Xie Zhang, General Cui Lansong formed a protective angle with him.
"Go!" Xie Zhang’s longsword swept across, urging Xie Xun forward. His blood, splattered across his face, cooled quickly. As Xie Zhang fought his way forward, he couldn’t help but glance back toward the Marquis Mansion!
Shu’er!
His Shu’er was still in the mansion!
With the way forward blocked and their retreat cut off, returning to the mansion was almost an impossibility for Xie Zhang. The Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard surged after them in a dark wave, cutting off all avenues of retreat. They were forced to fight their way outward. Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao had already gone to search for Feng Shu. Chen Mo, Lin Cheng, and Zhang Bolan had kept their enemies entangled. His father-in-law would surely find Shu’er!
For now, he had to protect Xie Xun and help him escape the city!
The sounds of battle drew closer. Xie Xun had sent out three units of a thousand cavalry each, led by Generals like Xu Zhou, to attack the encirclement from the flanks.
The three thousand cavalry formed a relentless force, creating a blood-soaked path in the southeastern corner. Xu Zhou shouted, "Eldest Young Master, Young Marquis, hurry! We’ll cover your retreat!"
Xie Xun pulled Xie Zhang onto a horse, and they galloped forward, the cavalry close behind. Xu Zhou and General Cui Lansong held the rear. Suddenly, on both sides of the ten-mile-long street, a wave of black-clad archers appeared. The Crown Prince had long set his ambush, with a thousand elite Jinyi Guard archers stationed on rooftops, ready to unleash arrows.
A storm of arrows rained down upon the cavalry.
"Watch out!" Xie Xun shouted fiercely, slicing a shot arrow in half with his longsword. The heavy cavalry quickly raised their shields to block the projectiles in front of Xie Xun and Xie Zhang.
But no one anticipated that these arrows were crafted from red sandstone, their sharp tips forged from red sand ore capable of cutting through iron as if it were mud. The red sandstone arrows pierced through shields effortlessly, slaughtering countless heavily-armored riders on the blood-drenched ten-mile street.
Lightning tore through the thick clouds, thunder resounded incessantly, and the rain failed to wash away the blood. The entire street ran red, and bodies formed mountains. The heavily-armored riders used their own bodies, armor, and horses to form a barricade, blocking the pursuit of the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard.
Lin Cheng swung his curved blade, cutting down a warhorse in the storm, and roared in fury, "By the Emperor’s decree, kill Xie Zhang and Xie Xun, and you’ll be rewarded with promotions and ten thousand taels of gold!"
"Kill!"
The shouts of the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard rose higher with each wave, their curved blades slashing apart the riders guarding the rear. They stepped over the mangled corpses, chasing after Xie Zhang and Xie Xun!
Arrows fell thick and fast as both Xie Xun and Xie Zhang were struck—Xie Xun in the shoulder and Xie Zhang in the arm. Fortunately, the wounds weren’t fatal. They yanked the arrows out and continued fighting.
"Big Brother, the North City Gate will be heavily guarded. Let’s move to the South City Gate!" Xie Xun shouted as he deflected arrows aimed at Xie Zhang.
Xie Zhang shook his head. "No, we go to the North City Gate. Ting Feng is outside the North City Gate, likely delayed by the stationed forces from Gaoping. Everyone, listen to my command—break through to the North City Gate!"
Outside the North City Gate.
Xie Jue had traveled day and night, rushing back from Ningzhou. His Hidden Guards, Six, Seven, and Eight, relayed messages to him from inside the city. Though carrier pigeons existed, there was always a time delay. Xie Jue had departed from Ningzhou with twenty thousand troops. Without the Marquis Zhenbei’s token or tiger talisman, even Xie Zhang could only command up to twenty thousand soldiers. The Marquis Zhenbei governed the Northern Iron Cavalry with an iron will, delegating military affairs to General Cui, who oversaw the border. After Xu Zhou was transferred to Kyoto by Xie Zhang, General Cui had been restless. When Xie Jue traveled thousands of miles back to Ningzhou, General Cui didn’t argue, handing over supplies and soldiers to ensure Xie Jue’s speedy return to Kyoto.
Xie Jue wasn’t entirely sure of the situation in Kyoto, as his Hidden Guards and carrier pigeons provided updates with gaps. Six days ago, the letters still reported no disturbances.
Eight nights after leaving the Capital City, the poison in Xie Jue’s body had been cleansed. When Zhang Lingzheng had concocted the antidote for Xie Xun, he had inadvertently created one for Xie Jue as well. However, at Xie Jue’s insistence, the matter was kept secret, and Zhang Lingzheng was instructed to disclose it to no one.
Leaving the Capital City three days prior, Xie Jue had detoured through Ningzhou without rest.
On the return journey, he pressed forward relentlessly, never daring to delay even a moment.
Fearing changes along the route, Xie Jue left between three to five hundred soldiers in each of the northern twelve cities, stationing over a thousand in Lian City. Ultimately, he returned to Kyoto with around fourteen thousand men.
The troops arrived at Ten Miles Pavilion near Kyoto on the night of Xie Zhang’s wedding. There, they encountered reinforcements from Guli and Gaoping heading toward Kyoto. Ten thousand men from Guli and Gaoping had already entered the city, setting ambushes inside the gates, while forty thousand more were lying in wait outside. Clashes erupted almost immediately between the reinforcements and Xie Jue’s forces.
When Xie Jue encountered the forces from Gaoping and Guli, he surmised that Kyoto was in turmoil. He decisively commanded the Iron Cavalry to treat the engagement as a siege.
The forces from Gaoping and Guli were undisciplined and weak, their combat strength vastly inferior. However, Xie Jue’s encounter with them didn’t allow time for strategic formations, forcing a brutal melee instead.
Although Xie Jue was a cold and stern individual, he wasn’t one to kill wantonly. Having spent years in Ningzhou, he deeply valued peace and merely hoped to deter the forces from Gaoping and Guli. However, the stubborn General Gao, leading these forces, refused to relent, citing imperial orders to block Xie Jue. The lack of imperial authorization for the Iron Cavalry’s return made it tantamount to rebellion.
Xie Jue initially intended to negotiate further, but upon seeing the death signal launched by the Northern Iron Cavalry inside the city, his eyes turned bloodshot.
"I’m going home tonight. Anyone who dares block my way—leave your life behind!" Xie Jue swept his icy gaze across the opposing forces. "Kill!"
The carnage outside the city was unprecedented, with mountains of corpses and rivers of blood far surpassing that of a war on the Ningzhou front. The undisciplined forces from Gaoping and Guli were no match. Driven to madness by the slaughter, the Northern Iron Cavalry soldiers shouted, "Idiots! Run! Staying here is a death sentence! Go back home to drink milk with your parents—this isn’t your battlefield!"
And indeed, over half of Gaoping and Guli’s forces, having never faced the horrors of the Northern Battlefield, turned tail and fled!
The Northern Iron Cavalry only saw the city gates ahead and refrained from unnecessary killing. Xie Jue soon reached the foot of the city walls.
His gaze lifted to the dark, towering walls of the Kyoto City. With its naturally defensible thick walls, the ancient city of Yanyang stood proud. However, its fortifications hadn’t been updated in decades. For a century, despite continuous internal strife within Yanyang, the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had kept danger outside the gates, shielding the Yuwen royal family.
Neither foreign invaders nor internal traitors had ever breached the Capital City.
And now, the one laying siege to it was Xie Jue, of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion.
White lightning streaked across the sky, thunder rolling alongside torrential rain. It reflected in Xie Jue’s determined eyes as he raised his sword to the heavens. "Tear down these city gates for me!"
"Yes, sir!"