Chapter 488: Chapter 471: Besieged on All Sides by the Song of Chu
When Xie Xun returned to the military camp, his face was grim and his heart was ablaze with urgency. "Sannan has deployed troops across twelve states. Last night, Han Ziqi led ten thousand men in a surprise attack on West State. Sannan’s one hundred sixty thousand troops have already arrived in Lanzhou."
The tent fell into dead silence.
General Zhou nearly leapt up. "What’s wrong with those Sannan people? They think they can fight my twelve states with just one hundred sixty thousand shrimp soldiers and crab generals? Did they conspire with the Beiman or something?"
"Ningzhou is already engaged in battle, Salt City still needs to be garrisoned to keep Yuwen Jing in check. We don’t have the manpower to divert to Jiaozhou. Wait... Lanzhou? Isn’t Lanzhou a city in Jiangnan, west of us?"
"Second Young Master, how should we fight this?"
...
North and South attacking together—twelve states are like fish in a barrel. Luckily, Fang Chuning brought fifty thousand troops from Zhongzhou to Ningzhou, or else if Yuwen Jing had really sent Zhongzhou’s army to assault Jiaozhou bit by bit, they would have annihilated the twelve states entirely. Even now, the situation teeters on the brink of disaster.
"How are Ayu and Ruyi?" Xie Jue asked.
"Ayu won!" Xie Xun’s tone carried a trace of pride. During the farming season in the city, the five thousand Iron Cavalry in West State were insufficient in numbers, their forces scattered. It was entirely thanks to the ferocity of the local cutthroats in West State that they secured this victory and repelled Han Ziqi’s vanguard.
Fang Chuning’s face was as cold and ashen as water, his confusion evident. "Wasn’t Han Ziqi dead?"
"He’s still alive, meaning the one I killed was a decoy."
It was mentioned in Ying Yi’s correspondence that the King of Sannan had a habit of keeping doubles. It turns out Han Ziqi also had a double—a perfect replica. No wonder Fengyu and Xie Xun had remarked before that Han Ziqi’s temperament seemed somewhat altered compared to what they had seen a few years ago. Turns out it wasn’t the same person. Now, it doesn’t matter.
Sannan has dispatched troops, and they must devise a plan to counter them.
"Prince, how did you receive news of last night’s attack on West State so quickly? West State is four days’ distance from Ningzhou, even by forced march without rest," General Xiao Zhou inquired.
"Never mind, the information is accurate." When questioned by General Xiao Zhou, Xie Jue and Fang Chuning also turned to look at Xie Xun. Unable to explain the source of the information, he evaded, saying, "I want to send Xu Zhou with Salt City’s garrison to Jiaozhou. What do you all think?"
"Salt City doesn’t have many soldiers left now. What if Yuwen Jing dispatches troops?" The military generals in Ningzhou bore intense hatred toward Yuwen Jing; three years ago, Yuwen Jing had killed a great number of Ningzhou generals. If Salt City is left ungarrisoned, there is a concern the court might deploy troops.
Xie Jue remained silent for a long while before speaking. "It’s the lesser of two evils; we must protect the twelve states."
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry lacked sufficient forces to both resist Sannan and defend against the court, so the allocation of manpower had to prioritize main efforts and sacrifices.
If Yuwen Jing were to deploy troops, it would be the capital’s Imperial Guards, spreading proclamations across the land. Fang Chuning’s fifty thousand soldiers stationed in Ningzhou would mean Yuwen Jing, wary of backlash, would have to proceed cautiously. It’s all a matter of solving one issue at a time.
"If Sannan’s army crosses into Lanzhou, have Xu Zhou strike quickly, engaging them in direct encounters. Don’t rely on defensive strategies; Jiaozhou’s terrain isn’t suited for defense."
Cui Lansong was also stationed in Salt City. With him and Xu Zhou jointly commanding troops in Jiaozhou, Xie Xun felt marginally at ease. Xie Xun sent messengers to Salt City with the news of Sannan’s troop movement, which caused a commotion in the military camp. The generals were whispering among themselves; the initial battles between Sannan and Yanyang after the territory delineation had been extremely brutal.
Later, they reluctantly brokered peace through negotiations. No one had expected Sannan would dare launch an offensive again. Xie Jue sternly declared, "Once this news leaves the camp, no one should utter a word about it."
"Yes!"
The battles against Beiman were already unfavorable. If word spread that Sannan was now targeting the twelve states as well, the soldiers’ morale would utterly collapse.
Zhang Boxin scratched his head, perplexed. "Lanzhou is court’s territory. If Sannan’s troops are deployed, why isn’t Jiangnan’s stationed army blocking them? It’s so close."
The tent fell into stifling silence.
Lin Xiao discreetly pinched Zhang Boxin’s waist. What was the point of saying so much? Did anyone else bring it up? Take a look—did anyone touch that topic? Fang Chuning sat next to Xie Jue, silent and expressionless. The generals, though boorish, didn’t dare mention the subject. One reason was Marshal Fang’s overwhelming authority, and the other was Fang Chuning’s presence, making it obviously awkward.
"What did I say wrong?" Zhang Boxin mouthed to Lin Xiao. Why had everyone gone quiet?
"Shut up!"
Not daring to say another word, Zhang Boxin finally fell silent, as Xie Xun broke the tension. "Let’s discuss tomorrow’s tactical arrangements. I, Lin Xiao, and Zhang Boxin will lead troops to lure the enemy. General Zhou and General Li will coordinate as left and right flank support. We’ll test the new strategy."
In an instant, Xie Jue’s face clouded over, the other officers noticing his expression.
"Understood!"
The Prince was the supreme commander with final decision-making authority. Since the strategy was set, they would fully follow Xie Xun’s orders. The assigned generals gathered around the sand table to listen to Xie Xun’s strategic planning. This plan had originally been jointly devised by Xie Jue and Xie Xun, but in Xie Jue’s version, the main assault wasn’t supposed to be led by Xie Xun.
Now, Xie Xun was to wield the tip of the spear himself, and Xie Jue didn’t challenge the change.
With Sannan’s troops mobilized and the situation unclear, the battles in Ning State had to be completed swiftly. Xie Xun, consumed by urgency, was deeply worried. The protracted conflict with Beiman was taking its toll. Ideally, it should have been Dugu Jing fretting over this stalemate instead. However, the new war chariots’ devastating power had resulted in heavy casualties among the Iron Cavalry, leaving Xie Xun restless, unable to sleep at night, constantly calming himself. He couldn’t rush—problems only compounded when hurried. The more dire the circumstances, the more he needed to maintain his composure.
When the roof leaks, the rain pours. Sannan dispatched troops for a surprise attack on West State, leaving Fengyu severely injured. The fortunes of West State would have been bleak if not for the local cutthroats, and perhaps Ayu would have perished last night while he lay sleepless, agonizing over strategies for Ningzhou and the Beiman campaign. Fengyu and Ruyi might have died in that assault.
He couldn’t set Ningzhou aside and leave to rescue them alone. His only option was to defeat Beiman, pacify the North, and then free up forces to save the twelve states, save his Ayu and Ruyi.
He had to move faster, much faster!
The snow in Ningzhou had finally stopped, yet the ice hadn’t melted. Outside the city was an endless expanse of white. Beiman troops were camped near the battlefield, tempting Ningzhou forces with baited traps. Several ambushes had been set to lure them into contested zones, but Fang Chuning and Xie Xun, despite having previously coordinated flanking maneuvers against Dugu Jing, dared not recklessly pursue into those areas.
This battle in Ningzhou was one that everyone desperately wanted to end swiftly. Yet the sense of urgency differed from the days of Beiman King’s death. Back then, they had glimpsed the certainty of victory, which had bolstered their confidence, easing the panic. Now, with enemies surrounding them on all sides, hope seemed to dwindle.
Father Marshal, will you dispatch troops to aid Lanzhou?
You’ve defended Jiangnan for so many years—will you watch idly as Sannan’s army invades? The twelve states are also Yanyang’s land, its people.
Xie Xun was willing to set aside hatred and personally travel to Yangzhou to rescue the people. Could you defy royal orders and send reinforcements? When Zhang Boxin raised the question about Jiangnan’s stationed army not intercepting Sannan earlier, Fang Chuning had felt his face flush hot and his heart sink under the weight of frustration, fury, and shame.
The war was urgent, leaving barely a day to rest. Yet Fang Chuning clung to a sliver of hope, praying Jiangnan might send troops to block Sannan. If Yuwen Jing had already struck a deal with Sannan, Jiangnan wouldn’t obstruct them, deliberately allowing them to enter twelve states’ borders.
What should he do?