Suo Lun rode a towering lion-tiger beast, with an excited A Shi Yuanba seated before him.
Originally, he was to be left in the city lord’s manor to study with Qin Qin under Ningbing’s tutelage. But Yuanba proposed coming to the battlefield instead.
Ningbing was certainly unwilling, but after some thought, both A Shi Li Ren and Suo Lun actually agreed to bring him along.
From this, one could see just how high their expectations were for A Shi Yuanba.
He wore white-gold armour, carried a small alloy crossbow on his back, and held a hand-cannon firearm.
The crossbow body was forged from a mixture of white gold and black gold, very light yet extremely powerful. It was a hand crossbow, operable with one hand, secretly forged several months ago by people from Suo Lun’s secret laboratory.
In terms of power, this alloy hand crossbow was considerably stronger. However, such weapons could not be mass-produced, costing over a thousand gold coins each. Only Suo Lun’s fondness for this little rascal Yuanba would prompt him to spend such a great price on this gift.
A Shi Yuanba was completely infatuated with this hand crossbow. He turned and said, “Teacher, in a moment I too shall personally shoot and kill an enemy.”
Suo Lun’s heart skipped a beat. He had brought Yuanba to the battlefield to let him experience the brutality of war. After all, he was destined to become a generation of heroic rulers, and would become Suo Lun’s right-hand man. But he was only ten years old. If he were to kill at such a young age, who knew what psychological shock and trauma it might cause.
As a ruler, one must first respect and cherish life, then be resolute in killing. This was a very complex process.
Suo Lun said, “Yuanba, do you know what is key in our attack on Linhai City this time?”
“Speed!” A Shi Yuanba said, “We must capture Linhai City before Zhili’s great army arrives.”
During the military council, though A Shi Yuanba was only ten, he had listened from the side.
Suo Lun said, “Killing is not the objective. We must use thunderous methods to carry out acts of mercy. This battle must capture Linhai City in the shortest time, with the fewest casualties, and preferably without causing excessive slaughter.”
“I understand.” A Shi Yuanba said, “But what if the two come into conflict? Should we prioritise speed, or prioritise mercy and less killing?”
“Speed.” Suo Lun said.
“I understand.” A Shi Yuanba said, “I am here this time only to observe the battle. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not take action to kill.”
“Correct.” Suo Lun rubbed his head.
“Screech…” At this moment, a cry came from the sky.
Suo Lun looked up. It was a massive griffin, upon which rode a Shadow Pavilion expert, scouting ahead in the air for the great army.
…
Over one hundred li from Tianshui Main City lay the Nu River, the boundary between Linhai City and Tianshui City.
This was almost the calmest stretch of the Nu River’s waters, with three suspension bridges and several ferry crossings.
Originally there had been only one suspension bridge, but Zhili and Gui Xingfu had long wished to attack Tianshui City, so they built two more. Now this conveniently benefited Suo Lun.
Several hours ago, the bridges and ferry crossings here had still been guarded by Linhai City troops, a full five hundred men, who worried that Tianshui City might come to destroy the bridges.
Princess Zhiyan, leading over a dozen Shadow Pavilion experts, had rushed here at the fastest speed and thoroughly scouted the enemy situation.
Capturing the ferry crossings and bridges was easy, but the difficulty lay in not letting a single person escape to report to Gui Qinqu’s great army at Nanlin Fortress.
After thoroughly scouting the enemy situation, over one hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors and Suo clan warriors from Tianshui City secretly arrived at the bridges and ferry crossings. They launched their attack in the middle of the night, completely resolving the battle in merely half an hour. The five hundred Linhai troops guarding the bridges and crossings were killed cleanly, with not a single one escaping.
Princess Zhiyan was sitting in meditation on the southern side of the bridge when she suddenly felt the ground tremble.
“They have come…”
Half a quarter hour later, densely packed cavalry surged like a tide to the southern bank of the Nu River.
A Shi Li Ren and Yan Yan reined in their horses and raised their right hands.
Instantly, the over twenty thousand cavalry began to slow and halt!
“All combat units, in groups of one hundred riders, cross via the bridges and ferries.”
With the two men’s command, the densely packed cavalry began crossing in an orderly manner.
On each suspension bridge, no more than fifteen cavalry at most. On each ferry, fifteen cavalry were transported. Once the war horses boarded, their eyes were immediately covered, and the riders embraced their necks to calm them.
At this moment, one could see the difference between the two cavalry forces.
The Rou Ran war horses, whether crossing suspension bridges or riding ferries, were extremely calm.
And though the Tianshui City cavalry were already very elite, they still showed some unease and restlessness when riding the ferries across the river.
After crossing the Nu River, the soldiers did not pause for a moment. They immediately began fortifying using the small castle on the northern bank of the Nu River, ready at any moment to defend against attacks from Gui Qinqu’s great army at Nanlin Fortress to the north.
…
Nanlin Fortress, seventy li from the Nu River and two hundred and thirty li from Linhai Main City, was the southernmost defensive fortress of Linhai City, and the only route for attacking Linhai Main City.
At this moment, Gui Xingfu’s second son, Gui Qinqu, leading fifteen thousand Linhai troops, was stationed within Nanlin Fortress awaiting orders.
Once Chaos Stone Island was captured and Zhili’s decree to suppress the rebellion was issued, Linhai City’s fifteen thousand troops would immediately head south.
Duke Zhiwei would attack from the western Wind Thunder Fortress defence line. Duke Tu Lingtuo would attack from the southern direction of Tian Wolf Pass. Gui Xingfu’s forty thousand naval troops would continue south after capturing the Chaos Stone Island salt fields, then land and attack Tianshui City from the east.
At that time, four hundred thousand troops would attack Tianshui City from four directions, southeast, northwest. It would be a true ambush from all sides.
Even an immortal could not save the Suo clan!
“Has Gui Qinqu’s great army made any movements?” Suo Lun asked.
Zhiyan said, “Still in Nanlin Fortress, no movements. However, they have sent out many waves of scouts, all of whom we have killed.”
Suo Lun gazed upon the devastatingly beautiful Princess Zhiyan and smiled, “Yan, you are a princess, my liege lord, the future queen. Yet I have used you as an assassin, now having you rescue Gui Qinshao, now having you seize bridges, and soon having you capture people.”
Princess Zhiyan smiled, “Who made my husband so capable? Even after I become queen, you may order me to be an assassin, a scout, anything at all.”
Then, Zhiyan looked towards A Shi Li Ren upon her war horse and said, “I had not expected City Lord Li Ren to be so noble and pure. At such a time of peril, she would disregard her family’s safety and come with all her strength to aid.”
“She is a foolish woman.” Suo Lun said.
Suddenly, Zhiyan’s beautiful eyes gleamed as she said, “Husband, it has been five days! Your waist doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”
“Cough…” Suo Lun nodded embarrassedly.
“Come…” Zhiyan said, then took Suo Lun’s hand and pulled him into the woods.
“Yan, this, this is not appropriate.” Suo Lun said tremulously.
“Rest assured, I shall keep my voice down, and we shall be quick.” Zhiyan said.
Deep into the woods, Zhiyan lifted her skirt, braced her hands against a tree trunk, bent her delicate body forward, and raised her snowy bottom, trembling as she said, “Husband, hurry, I truly am starving.”
Looking at her devastatingly beautiful face, incomparably alluring, her perfectly round full moon like snow kneaded with condensed fat, Suo Lun felt flames roaring within his body. Like a hungry tiger pouncing on a lamb, he devoured this fairy princess alive.
Half an hour later.
Princess Zhiyan emerged from the woods as if nothing had happened, while Suo Lun instead felt guilty as a thief.
“Yan, we should not do this in such settings in future. It is very easy to delay proper business.” Suo Lun said.
Princess Zhiyan said, “I have calculated that today is a day when I am easily fertile, if I can still bear children at all.”
In her words, there was some dejection.
She had received the Shenlong Temple’s saintess education, becoming devoid of emotion and desire. She worried that she had already lost the normal function of childbearing.
“You can definitely bear babies.” Suo Lun said, “You are now crazier than a normal woman.”
Zhiyan cast him a coquettish glance with alluring eyes, then said, “But even if I cannot, it does not matter. There is still Younger Sister Nai’er. In any case, as long as they are my husband’s children, they can be presented as born from me. We need not fear that the throne will have no heir in future.”
Suo Lun said, “You speak as if we are about to win the throne right now.”
Zhiyan gently nestled into Suo Lun’s embrace and said softly, “We have already won more than half. After Linhai City comes our attack like thunder and storm. Your pieces laid in Luan Yang City and the Tu Ling family are enough to deliver a fatal blow to Zhili. Zhili appears magnificent and powerful on all sides, but the signs of his defeat are already showing.”
Suo Lun was taken aback and said, “Yan, you are truly clever. In future, even without me, you would be able to govern the entire kingdom.”
“No.” Zhiyan shook her head and said, “After becoming queen, I shall only be responsible for two matters. I shall not concern myself with anything else.”
“Which two matters?” Suo Lun asked.
Zhiyan said, “First, bearing children. Second, being bedded by you.”
The last three words made Suo Lun’s heart and spirit tremble.
“Actually, that is one matter, is it not?” Suo Lun said.
Zhiyan suddenly had a flow of enchanting glances in her eyes, and said coquettishly, “It will still take several hours to completely cross the river. Shall we… go back into the woods and chat a while longer?”
“No, no…” Suo Lun hurriedly fled, saying, “I shall go oversee the army crossing the river!”
Zhiyan covered her mouth and laughed, incomparably alluring and charming.
Then, she sat cross-legged upon the ground, closed her eyes, and her devastatingly beautiful face once again became transcendent and otherworldly, as if beyond the dust.
Two hours later!
All twenty-five thousand troops had crossed the river.
They assembled their forces once more and swept towards Nanlin Fortress to the north.
…
Within Nanlin Fortress, Gui Qinqu felt somewhat uneasy.
Because the scouts he had sent to patrol the ferry crossings and suspension bridges had not returned.
For a moment, he did not know whether to continue holding his position, or to send troops south.
After weighing his options, he dispatched a cavalry force of over a thousand men to the ferry crossings and suspension bridges to reinforce the troops protecting the bridge castle.
At this time, the entire fifteen thousand ground troops of Linhai City were temporarily under his command. Currently, his main task was to protect the suspension bridges.
When the true attack on Tianshui City began, it would still be his elder brother Gui Qinbi who would command these fifteen thousand troops.
However, even in attacking Tianshui City, his Linhai troops would merely be playing a supporting role. The true great battles would be fought by Zhiwei and Tu Lingtuo.
But the post-war benefits, his Linhai Gui clan would claim the largest share. The three hundred li north of Tianshui City would all be ceded to the Gui clan.
After all, this war was nominally launched by Linhai City.
But the thousand cavalry he had dispatched three hours ago had also sent back no news whatsoever. This was truly somewhat unsettling.
However, he was not overly worried in his heart. He absolutely did not believe that Tianshui City would attack proactively.
Because Suo Lun was already dead, and Tianshui City was without a leader. Moreover, facing the siege of four hundred thousand troops, they would be too busy fleeing to even think of counterattacking. Where would they find the audacity to strike back?
And just at this moment!
He suddenly felt the ground shake, the chandelier above his head begin to sway, and the wine cups on the table start to tremble.
“An earthquake?” Gui Qinqu wondered.
And just then, a Linhai City soldier’s scream filled with terror rang out from outside.
“Enemy attack, enemy attack…”
Gui Qinqu’s heart trembled. Where had the enemy come from? He quickly rushed out of the room, ascended the battlements, and looked out.
Instantly, he saw a black line appear upon the southern horizon.
Then, densely packed, boundless cavalry surged forth like a tide.
Gui Qinqu felt ice cold all over, trembling uncontrollably.
Where, where had these cavalry come from? How could Tianshui City have so many cavalry?
Half an hour later, twenty-five thousand cavalry arrived beneath the city walls.
Gui Qinqu shouted loudly from atop the walls, “Cavalry are useless in siege warfare. We have fifteen thousand troops, and they only have over twenty thousand. Everyone knows that siege warfare requires at least double the troops. The enemy has no siege equipment, no siege ladders. This battle is ours to win.”
“Within our castle, we have sufficient food, sufficient weapons, sufficient boiling oil, sufficient arrows.”
“However many enemies come, we shall kill them all!”
“No matter who they are, behind us stands Prince Zhili. Duke Tu Lingtuo’s several hundred thousand strong army is already marching. Duke Zhiwei’s over one hundred thousand strong army is merely two or three hundred li away. If we hold for just three days, the enemy is certain to die!”
“All archers, draw your bows and nock your arrows. Once the enemy enters range, send them to hell!”
Instantly, over ten thousand soldiers all drew their bows and nocked their arrows in unison.
Countless giant crossbows were drawn, and elastic trebuchets were readied.
Even in haste, the entirety of Nanlin Fortress was armed to the teeth.
Several hundred metres from the castle, Suo Lun looked up.
Though the castle was not large, its defence was airtight. To storm it by force, who knew how many lives would need to be piled up.
Suo Lun narrowed his eyes slightly and shouted loudly, “Attack the city. Resolve the battle within three hours!”
“Yes!”
Instantly, five griffins soared high into the air. Upon each griffin were transported several hundred jin of gunpowder packs.
Flying several hundred metres above Nanlin Fortress, the warriors atop lit the gunpowder packs and hurled them down towards the castle.
Looking at the black dots falling from the sky, Gui Qinqu was taken aback. What were these things?
A mere dozen or so of these things, could they kill anyone?
Soon, the dozen or so packs fell to the ground. They were actually cloth bundles. How laughable.
But in the next second…
“Boom boom boom boom…”
The cloth bundles that fell down exploded with earth-shaking force.
Terrifying flames, massive fireballs, surged upwards.
At each explosion point, all people within several dozen metres were torn to pieces, bodies flying through the air.
Instantly, Gui Qinqu was completely struck as if by lightning, unable to believe the scene before his eyes.