This time, Zhi Li did not intend to give Suo Lun any chance. Thus, his nine hundred thousand troops launched simultaneous attacks from three directions!
In the northern direction, Count Chu Ye, commander of the Northern Legion, led two hundred and fifty thousand troops to effortlessly capture Linhai City, conveniently beheading over ten thousand civilians to falsely claim military merit. Before he could enjoy himself acting like a tyrant in Linhai’s main city for a few days, Zhi Li’s military order arrived, commanding the army to immediately march south!
Thus, Count Chu Ye led his two hundred and fifty thousand troops south in grand formation. In truth, he was also eager, wanting to become the first commander to storm into Tianshui City.
Of Tianshui City’s three directions, the north was the easiest to break through.
Because there was no city wall or defensive line in the north. One merely needed to cross the Furious River to directly enter Tianshui City’s heartland. At that point, all of Tianshui City would be like a defenceless beauty, at his mercy.
Blocking the two hundred and fifty thousand troops was merely the Furious River alone.
At the section where Tianshui City and Linhai City met, the Furious River had relatively calm waters where boats could pass.
This place was called Nanlin Ferry. The calm water section was roughly four or five li long. Originally there were three suspension bridges and three ferry crossings.
At that time, Suo Lun’s army of over twenty thousand had crossed north through this Nanlin Ferry to attack Linhai City.
Now, Count Chu Ye was leading his two hundred and fifty thousand troops south through Nanlin Ferry to attack Tianshui City. Truly, what goes around comes around!
Seventy li north of Nanlin Ferry was Nanlin Fortress, considered the gateway castle of Linhai City.
Count Chu Ye led his vanguard army into Nanlin Fortress!
This castle had once been captured by Suo Lun. It had suffered severe damage at that time, and later Suo Lun had spent money to fully repair it.
However, Count Chu Ye had a full two hundred and fifty thousand troops. This castle could hold twenty thousand at most; the rest would have to camp in the wilderness.
Count Chu Ye sent people to meticulously inspect the castle inside and out before settling in with peace of mind.
At midnight, a scout reported, “All suspension bridges at Nanlin Ferry have been destroyed. All ferry boats have been destroyed.”
Regarding this point, Chu Ye had long anticipated it.
“What defences are there on the southern bank of the Furious River?” Chu Ye asked.
“There are several dozen small blockhouses, plus some hidden fortifications. Trenches crisscross, extending nearly ten li.” the scout reported.
Chu Ye said, “Understood!”
Then he waved his hand, and the scout withdrew.
Destroyed suspension bridges and ferry boats were nothing. This mere one hundred plus metres of river surface could be crossed with bamboo rafts and wooden floats.
Almost from the moment they occupied Linhai City, the army had begun constructing bamboo rafts. Now they had as many bamboo rafts and wooden floats as they desired.
“Come, come, time for bed service.” Chu Ye laughed wildly. “Tonight this old man shall hit three birds with one arrow. Tomorrow I shall enter Tianshui City and sleep with Suo Lun’s women!”
Immediately, several graceful women entered. Among them, one was already thirty or forty years old, yet still plump and beautiful, her charm undiminished.
The other three were young and youthful, beautiful and alluring.
All four women had tears upon their faces, clearly not there willingly.
These were the wife and daughters of a high-ranking lord of Linhai City. After Suo Lun occupied Linhai City, his position and fief were stripped completely clean, so he hated Suo Lun to the bone.
This time when Chu Ye led his army into Linhai City, he was overjoyed, presenting serving maids, gold, and silver to fawn upon Chu Ye, respectfully welcoming the royal army.
Who knew Count Chu Ye had rather unique tastes, taking a fancy to his wife and daughters. Under the ** might of the Northern Legion commander, this high-ranking warrior lord could only swallow his tears, grit his teeth, and send his wife and daughters forth, cuckolding himself.
That night, the over fifty-year-old Chu Ye displayed tremendous prowess, **ing this Linhai City high-ranking warrior lord’s wife and daughters until they were half alive and half dead, carried out the next day.
After all, when a person highly skilled in martial arts used dragon power on women, it was truly terrifying.
…
The next morning at dawn, Count Chu Ye felt refreshed in body and spirit, leading his army south to reach the northern bank of the Furious River!
At this moment, the entire northern bank of the Furious River had been built into a massive military camp!
Crossing this two hundred metre wide Furious River would enter Tianshui City territory.
Prince Zhi Li had said that once they entered Tianshui City territory, burning, killing, looting, and ** plundering were all permitted!
In short, no sheathing of blades, no fastening of trousers.
Thus, the Northern Legion and the Southeast Pacification Army led by Chu Ye were already hungering with anticipation.
Standing at a high vantage point, Chu Ye gazed towards the southern bank of the Furious River.
Indeed, there were countless trenches, innumerable blockhouses and hidden fortifications.
However, there were no city walls, no castles. Wanting to rely on these mere trenches to block his two hundred and fifty thousand troops, Suo Lun was purely dreaming.
At this moment, on the northern bank of the Furious River, countless bamboo rafts and wooden floats were already prepared. The first wave of river-crossing troops was also already assembled.
“All giant crossbows, aim and prepare!”
Creak, creak! Immediately, several thousand giant crossbows snapped open, aiming at Suo Lun’s positions on the southern bank.
“All archers, aim and prepare!”
Nearly one hundred thousand soldiers drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at Suo Lun’s southern bank positions.
“All trebuchets, prepare…”
Over a hundred trebuchets, positioned high above, aimed at Suo Lun’s southern bank positions.
The two banks of the Furious River were separated by only roughly two hundred metres. To cover the army’s river crossing, countless giant crossbows, trebuchets, and archers on the northern bank were all arrayed in full battle readiness.
At a single command, countless showers of arrows and stone projectiles would rain down upon Suo Lun’s southern bank positions like a tempest.
The goal was not to inflict casualties, but to cover the army’s river crossing.
Such high-intensity attacks were sufficient to beat Suo Lun’s southern bank position soldiers until they couldn’t even raise their heads.
Although Count Chu Ye appeared coarse and uninhibited, cruel by nature, he was extremely cautious in military affairs.
…
The first wave of river-crossing troops numbered a full twenty thousand.
Every ten soldiers carried one bamboo raft.
Twenty thousand troops formed up on the riverbank, waiting only for Count Chu Ye’s command before they forcefully crossed the Furious River.
Standing at the high vantage point, Chu Ye looked upon the fanatical expressions on the river-crossing soldiers’ faces. Morale was incomparably high. Everyone was waiting to enter Tianshui City to burn, kill, and loot. Everyone knew of Tianshui City Suo Lun’s immense wealth.
Count Chu Ye suddenly drew his war blade, shrieking, “Once inside Tianshui City, no sheathing of blades, no fastening of trousers!”
“Long live, long live, long live!” Countless river-crossing soldiers burned with hot blood, shouting wildly.
“Cross the river this morning, and tomorrow morning, go to Tianshui City to ** Suo Lun’s women!” Chu Ye laughed wildly.
“Long live Prince Zhi Li, long live…” the army roared wildly.
“Cross the river!” Count Chu Ye suddenly roared.
“Boom boom boom boom…” Fierce war drums sounded.
Countless soldiers charged towards the river surface like beasts released from their cages, carrying bamboo rafts.
Across the entire four li northern bank of the Furious River, the soldiers charged towards the river waters like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
After entering the water, they flipped onto the bamboo rafts.
These bamboo rafts and wooden floats were all quite large, each carrying ten people. Two were responsible for holding shields in defence, eight responsible for rowing.
“Boom boom boom…”
Amidst the fierce war drums, countless soldiers rowed madly.
Even in the turbulent river waters, their speed was very fast. Several hundred bamboo rafts charged madly towards the southern bank of the Furious River.
The front bamboo rafts had only just rowed out twenty metres.
The ten soldiers behind were already impatiently carrying bamboo rafts, rushing madly towards the river surface, flipping onto the rafts, then also rowing desperately forward.
The entire army’s morale was incomparably high.
In a short time!
The first wave of twenty thousand river-crossing troops had all boarded bamboo rafts, entered the river, and begun forcing their way across.
Viewed from the air, one to two thousand bamboo rafts were distributed across a four to five li long, two hundred metre wide river surface.
Completely dense and innumerable!
Fortunately, all the bamboo rafts rowed desperately forward. Though crowded, they were not chaotic.
“Heh heh heh heh…”
Twenty thousand river-crossing soldiers shouted rowing chants with all their might.
Rowing madly to cross the river.
Immediately, the several hundred frontmost bamboo rafts drew closer and closer to the southern bank of the Furious River.
One hundred metres, eighty metres, fifty metres…
As long as they stepped onto the soil of the southern bank, it counted as entering Tianshui City territory, counted as victory!
Count Chu Ye standing at the high vantage point was quite puzzled. Why hadn’t Suo Lun’s army launched their attack yet?
At this distance, they should already be firing arrow showers to block the army’s river crossing.
Moreover, as soon as Suo Lun’s positions launched their attack, Count Chu Ye guaranteed to return it tenfold.
His over one hundred thousand troops on the northern bank were sufficient to beat Suo Lun’s positions into complete disarray.
“As long as the first batch of soldiers set foot on the southern bank of the Furious River, Suo Lun’s cause is lost.” A Southeast Province civil official fawned beside him. “At that time, the first to storm into Tianshui City shall be you, Count Chu Ye. I heard Prince Zhi Li privately promised that whoever first enters Tianshui City shall be the first to enjoy Suo Lun’s wives and concubines. You know, this villain Suo Lun’s wives and concubines are all unparalleled beauties. Which one has caught Count Chu Ye’s fancy?”
“Hahaha…” Count Chu Ye laughed wildly.
He had long had his eye on Gui Qinshao. At every noble banquet, Gui Qinshao dressed herself up flamboyantly, afraid she wasn’t attracting enough men’s attention. Chu Ye truly had been coveting her for ages.
However, Prince Zhi Li also lusted after Gui Qinshao with greedy eyes. If he truly were the first to storm into Tianshui City, he really wouldn’t know whether Gui Qinshao should be enjoyed by himself, or presented to Zhi Li?
…
In Suo Lun’s positions on the southern bank of the Furious River!
The ones responsible for the northern defensive line were a rather unexpected combination.
Suo Lun’s wife Yan Naier, and former Linhai City Lord Gui Xingfu, were actually these two partners.
Behind the sturdy hidden fortifications, Yan Naier stared at Chu Ye’s river-crossing army on the river surface drawing closer and closer. She could even make out the ferocious, fanatical expressions on every soldier’s face.
“Lord Gui Xingfu, I have yet to congratulate you. Gui Qinshao is pregnant.” Yan Naier said.
As she spoke these words, she felt joy in her heart, yet also extreme envy.
After Gui Qinshao became pregnant, she had shamelessly begged for intimacy who knew how many times, especially on days when conception was likely, uncharacteristically monopolising Suo Lun.
In the end, there was still no news from her belly. This made her very sad, and she had secretly cried several times already.
“Same joy, same joy…” Gui Xingfu fawned, “Madam Yan is the legitimate wife of the Suo family, so my daughter’s child is naturally also Madam’s child.”
Although Gui Xingfu’s words contained fawning intent, the meaning was indeed correct.
Yan Naier was indeed the legitimate wife of the Suo family. The children she bore would inherit the Suo family estate.
And the children Princess Zhi Yan bore would bear the surname Zhi, and would inherit the Raging Waves Kingdom.
Gui Xingfu watched the enemy river-crossing army drawing closer and closer, and couldn’t help trembling as he said, “Madam, they are very close!”
Yan Naier nodded, then gently patted once.
“Screech…” The griffin beast beneath her let out a long cry, suddenly flapping its wings and soaring high.
At the same time, the griffin beast beneath Gui Xingfu also suddenly flew into the high sky.
Yan Naier and Gui Xingfu floated in the high sky, overlooking the entire battlefield.
Count Chu Ye on the northern bank saw this, his heart trembling.
Then, he clearly saw Yan Naier’s incomparably beautiful face, and her nearly exaggerated bodily curves.
Suo Lun, what tremendous good fortune!
This wife of his, her beauty was in no way inferior to Gui Qinshao, and her figure was even more so.
His mind swayed slightly, when suddenly Chu Ye sensed Yan Naier’s icy yet confident gaze. He couldn’t help his heart trembling, a bad premonition forming.
Yan Naier’s jade hand slowly rose!
Within the hidden fortifications, upon the positions, over a hundred cannons had already completed their aiming at the river surface.
Thirty percent chain shot, seventy percent canister shot!
Chu Ye’s twenty thousand river-crossing troops still rowed madly.
The frontmost bamboo rafts drew closer and closer to the southern bank.
Entering sixty metres, fifty metres, forty metres…
At this moment, the soldiers rowing with heads down looked up, seeing in the not distant sky ahead upon a griffin, an incomparably beautiful, cold as frost woman.
She, was she Suo Lun’s wife?
After storming into Tianshui City this time, was this the kind of woman they were going to seize?
Immediately, the hot blood in these soldiers’ entire bodies was about to burn completely.
“Charge charge charge…”
Storm into Tianshui City, burn all, kill all, loot all!
Yan Naier’s jade hand suddenly chopped down!
Then, first came a moment of silence.
Although the entire river surface was quite noisy, some people still sensed a strange silence, as if the silence before massive destructive clamour.
“Fire…”
Yan Naier’s crisp, icy, captivating and resolute voice rang out.
Then…
“Boom boom boom boom…”
A series of heaven-shaking, earth-moving thunderous roars!
Over a hundred tongues of flame suddenly erupted!
Countless canister shot pellets, like a violent storm, smashed towards the river surface several dozen metres away.
Several dozen chain shots, carrying the howl of hell, flew towards the soldiers on the river surface.
Then…
Like the sound of a rainstorm crashing into a sandy beach.
Countless blood mists suddenly sprayed up!
Astonishing miserable screams, countless severed limbs and remains…
The over one hundred frontmost bamboo rafts almost had no one left standing.
At a distance of thirty to forty metres, before a rainstorm of canister shot pellets, not getting hit was difficult.
Several thousand soldiers, like wheat, had their lives instantly reaped.
Actually, when the enemy first began crossing the river, they could have opened fire.
But Yan Naier did not do so, instead allowing the enemy to draw as close as possible.
The first volley, she wanted to claim as many lives as possible!
Behind her was Tianshui City, her home. Although she had no child yet, she loved her husband so dearly. Heaven would certainly give her a child.
And now someone wanted to break into her home to burn, kill, and loot.
Then Yan Naier would kill these people completely clean!
Yes, kill them completely clean, preferably leaving not a single one.