“Please rise, both of you.” Suo Lun personally helped City Lord Tu Liwen to his feet.
Tu Liyang said, “Lord Suo Lun, from this day forth I shall exert my utmost to help you defeat Zhili. If one day we achieve victory, I beg you to hand Tu Lingduo over to me for disposal.”
“Very well,” Suo Lun said.
Tu Liyang said, “Now, Zhili and that bitch Tu Lingduo will certainly pin the crime of assassinating me upon your head, Lord Suo Lun, and use it as pretext to campaign against you.”
Suo Lun smiled and said, “It is far more than that. I have just received news. Tu Lingduo wore mourning for you, leading over two hundred Tu Li family warriors, all in mourning garments, carrying two hundred coffins to the royal palace to petition, demanding to campaign against me to avenge you. Hundreds of thousands of royal capital commoners followed voluntarily, the sound of weeping shaking the heavens. Tu Lingduo’s chastity and deep affection for you moved heaven and earth. Now, all great houses, nobles, high-ranking officers, and the civil official clique of the realm have signed the anti-rebel proclamation. They shall assemble eight hundred thousand troops to besiege Tianshui City. Truly, the entire world is besieging me, Suo Lun.”
“That bitch, that bitch, that bitch…” Tu Liyang trembled with rage, nearly vomiting blood.
Then Tu Liyang said, “I shall go to the royal capital immediately to reveal the truth to the world.”
Suo Lun said, “No. If I lose this battle against Yan Mo, then even if you expose the truth it will be useless. And if I win this battle against Yan Mo, your appearance shall deliver a fatal blow to Zhili. He shall face a situation of mass desertion and isolation. Therefore, the key lies in this battle against Yan Mo.”
Tu Liyang said, “May I ask what we can do in this battle?”
Suo Lun thought for a while and said, “Nothing. Continue hiding, and follow me to witness this decisive battle against Yan Mo with your own eyes.”
Tu Liwen suddenly asked, “Lord Suo Lun, in this battle against Yan Mo, what are your odds of victory?”
Suo Lun said, “I would very much like to say I have seventy percent certainty, but in truth I do not even have thirty percent. In previous great battles, even in the terrifying situation of Gui Xingfu and Zhi Wei and several other armies besieging Tianshui City from multiple directions, I had sixty to seventy percent certainty of victory in my heart. But in this battle against Yan Mo, I can only say, let fate decide!”
Tu Liwen said, “Losing is losing, winning is winning. Why say let fate decide?”
Suo Lun said, “Because what is coming is an unprecedented naval battle. My navy is a brand new navy, representing the direction of future advancement. But unfortunately, it is merely a navy in its infancy. According to my plans, this navy would not truly enter combat for at least another six or seven years. Yet now, I must pull this navy from its swaddling clothes to fight a decisive battle against this beast Yan Mo. What the result shall be, I can only let fate decide!”
And just at this moment!
A griffin landed on the deck. A Shadow Pavilion warrior leapt down and said to Zhuang Zhixuan, “There is important military intelligence to report to Lord Marquis Suo Lun.”
Suo Lun left the cabin and came to the deck.
That Shadow Pavilion warrior knelt and said, “My lord, Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand navy has completed its final assembly and is now advancing south in mighty force. It is three thousand two hundred li from Tianshui City waters.”
Three thousand two hundred li. If nothing unexpected occurred, they would arrive at Tianshui City waters in four days.
The coming great battle would be a completely hard-fought decisive battle. It would be difficult to employ any more traps, stratagems, or the like.
Suo Lun ordered, “The entire army shall cease exercises, proceed to port to complete final resupply, then assemble in our most familiar waters to await the arrival of Yan Mo’s army, to await the arrival of the great decisive battle!”
“Yes!”
A little over half an hour later, Suo Lun’s fleet concluded its month-long practical exercises and headed towards Tianshui City’s two large ports.
The decisive battle was about to erupt!
…
Near Pirate Harbour!
Yan Mo stood upon his flagship, gazing at this incomparably vast navy. One hundred thousand troops, plus supply vessels, totalled over a thousand ships.
The entire fleet formed a spearhead formation upon the sea’s surface, stretching across several dozen li. Truly boundless and limitless.
A fleet that blotted out the sky and covered the sun advanced south in mighty force, rushing towards Tianshui City waters.
Yan Mo delivered no war speech. He merely said one sentence.
“South to Tianshui City waters. Go kill to your heart’s content, plunder to your heart’s content, rape to your heart’s content!”
With merely this one sentence, he completely ignited the one hundred thousand navy.
All the rock pirates and sea pirates boiled with hot blood, descending into frenzy in advance. They were filled with infinite longing for the slaughter and plundering to come.
Yan Mo blew in the sea breeze. His heart held little heroism, but rather faint mockery and sorrow.
Suo Lun was his half-brother, yet it was this elder brother who sought to place him in a fatal position.
Several months ago, after refusing his mother Yan Chuo’er’s plea for aid, Yan Mo knew that the conflict between him and Suo Lun had reached a point of no return.
Since they were enemies, they must be destroyed, and destroyed while he was at his weakest.
And just at this time, the generous Zhili offered conditions completely impossible to refuse, yielding tremendous benefits.
Thus, Yan Mo’s destruction of Suo Lun became inevitable.
He had just received news that Suo Lun assassinated Tu Liyang, provoking public fury, and thus the world was besieging Suo Lun.
Eight hundred thousand troops were beginning to assemble, delivering the final fatal blow to Suo Lun.
This half-brother of his was already fated for destruction.
“To be ruthless is to be a true man. My poor younger brother,” Yan Mo thought. “Perhaps my Yan clan is destined to rise upon your corpse. To die with a magnificent flourish is better than to perish in obscurity, is it not?”
…
Atop the castle on Yingzhou Island!
The lord of the Hai clan personally received a flying goshawk message. The cipher contained but a single line.
“Yan Mo’s army advances south. The decisive battle is imminent!”
Madam Bai Ye leaned forward and said, “Husband, shall we not dispatch troops?”
Hai Gang closed his eyes and said, “How could we dispatch troops? Neither Suo Lun nor I sent the signed treaty to the Divine Dragon Temple. Both sides understood perfectly well in their hearts that the treaty does not count.”
Bai Ye said, “When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Though Suo Lun killed our daughter, if Suo Lun truly perishes, next it shall be our turn.”
Hai Gang said, “Suo Lun openly assassinated Tu Liyang, a great house of the kingdom, provoking public fury. The entire world is besieging Suo Lun alone. This man is too foolish, certainly doomed. How could we possibly stand with a dead man?”
Madam Bai Ye said, “Then perhaps we could join Yan Mo’s army and claim a share in the great battle to destroy Suo Lun.”
Hai Gang closed his eyes and said, “Let me think!”
A few minutes later, Hai Gang opened his eyes and said, “I have decided.”
Madam Bai Ye said, “What is your decision?”
Hai Gang said, “Our fleet shall join the war to destroy Suo Lun, claiming a share in this plundering. We cannot let all the benefits fall to Yan Mo alone. Of course, our position is to loot a burning house. While Yan Mo and Suo Lun are locked in battle, we shall seize the Magic Mirror base, seize the Rocky Salt Fields, and so forth. And after Suo Lun is defeated, our fleet shall also surge forward, capturing as many warships as possible.”
Madam Bai Ye said, “Husband, you are too despicable.”
Hai Gang said, “It is not that I am despicable. It is merely that Suo Lun is already certain to die. Why should we not take the opportunity to bite off a piece of meat?”
“Yes, bite off a piece of meat fiercely, making Suo Lun suffer unbearable pain,” Madam Bai Ye said. “That kick he gave me, I shall never forget. I must return it tenfold, a hundredfold. Whom shall you send to lead the expedition?”
Hai Gang said, “I shall personally lead the main fleet south. Suo Lun spoke one truth. Hai Wuyan is a fool, and Haina’er is also a fool. If I let them command the fleet, they would certainly be used by Yan Mo as cannon fodder. What I want is to loot a burning house, biting off as much meat and seizing as much from Suo Lun as possible.”
Half a day later!
Hai Gang, lord of the Hai clan, personally led fifty thousand main fleet troops south to loot Suo Lun’s burning house.
Outwardly, it appeared he had just decided to lead his fleet into battle.
However, several days prior he had already sent a secret letter to Zhili.
In the letter, he declared that he heeded Zhili’s call, and thus mobilised the full main fleet of Yingzhou Island to campaign against Suo Lun.
In Hai Gang’s heart, from the moment he heard that the world was besieging Suo Lun, he had already decided to dispatch troops and participate in destroying Suo Lun.
However, this man was deeply calculating. Even before his wife, he would not reveal his true intentions.
This world was truly absurd. Yesterday’s enemy became yesterday’s ally, and today’s ally became today’s enemy.
Suo Lun’s mere twenty-five thousand navy would face not only Yan Mo’s army, but also Hai Gang’s fifty thousand fleet.
…
Royal Capital Zhidu!
Zhili received a flying goshawk message, seemingly still carrying the scent of sea breeze upon it.
“Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand navy has advanced south!”
After reading the secret letter, Zhili said, “I seem already to hear the footsteps of Suo Lun’s defeat.”
Half a day later, he received another flying goshawk message, sent from Yingzhou Island’s Hai Gang.
In the letter, Hai Gang spoke with righteous indignation and passionate fervour, expressing his shock and anger at Suo Lun. Though he was a person beyond the pale of civilisation, he admired the culture of the central plains, and had decided to respond to Lord Zhili’s call, leading fifty thousand navy to participate in the war to destroy Suo Lun, vowing to carry this just war through to the end.
Moreover, Hai Gang also said he would personally come ashore to sign the anti-rebel proclamation.
Seeing Hai Gang’s letter, Zhili said, “Truly, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it. The death knell has sounded. Suo Lun, your doom has come!”
…
Inside the Tu Ling ducal mansion.
Tu Lingduo still wore white mourning garments, sitting in a chair with a beaming smile.
In her father Tu Lingtuo’s study, this was the first time she had a seat of her own.
Tu Lingtuo held two letters in his hand. After reading them, he sighed and said, “Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand navy advances south to destroy Suo Lun. Yingzhou Island’s Hai Gang has also announced he will lead fifty thousand main navy south to destroy Suo Lun. Suo Lun is finished. Not even gods can save him.”
“When a wall falls, everyone pushes it,” Tu Lingduo said. “Truly inconceivable. Two months ago, Suo Lun seized the Southeast Province and was still at the height of his power. Today he has already reached his dead end.”
“In this destruction of Suo Lun, you hold the foremost merit!” Tu Lingtuo said.
Tu Lingduo smiled charmingly and said, “I merely went with the flow. The key is that Suo Lun was too overbearing, too unyielding, offending too many people.”
Duke Tu Lingtuo said, “You have been saying you are pregnant. Are you truly pregnant?”
Tu Lingduo shook her head and said, “No.”
Tu Lingtuo said, “The arrow is on the bowstring, it must be released. You have already told the world you are with child. What do you intend to do?”
Tu Lingduo said, “One of Zhili’s other women is pregnant. If I am not pregnant, the child in that woman’s belly shall be mine.”
Tu Lingtuo said, “Operate carefully. Do not reveal the slightest flaw. Now you are at the height of your power in Luanyang City. Moreover, with Zhili’s ascension to the throne already determined, no one in Luanyang City can wrest your authority from you. After Suo Lun’s destruction, you shall begin eliminating dissent and completely seize control of Luanyang City.”
“Yes, Father,” Tu Lingduo smiled. “Your daughter shall not disappoint you.”
…
Three days later!
Suo Lun’s twenty-five thousand troops, over two hundred warships, had completed final resupply. In their most familiar waters, they deployed in battle formation, awaiting the arrival of Yan Mo’s army!
Had this been before, naval battles placed low demands on formation.
But now, Suo Lun was conducting an entirely new mode of warfare. He must ensure every artillery piece could be in optimal firing position, thus placing high demands on fleet formation.
Barely two months had passed since the end of the last great battle. The gunpowder produced had now reached an astonishing figure.
Though in the previous month’s exercises, massive quantities of gunpowder had been consumed, still more gunpowder remained to sustain this war.
And various types of cannonballs existed in astronomical numbers. Most were solid shot, with some chain shot, a small portion of experimental explosive shells, and a considerable portion of canister shot.
Suo Lun had reduced production of weapons and armour, suspended construction on three defensive lines, and devoted all financial resources to this naval battle.
Though his silver supply had already been largely cut off, and the Nulang Kingdom’s blockade against him was about to take effect.
In the time that had passed, he still seemed to have accumulated astronomical quantities of war materiel, all to be used in this naval decisive battle.
Succeed or perish!
If this naval battle were lost, then the subsequent assault on Tianshui City by eight hundred thousand troops would be without suspense. Suo Lun would certainly be defeated.
Because he had nearly exhausted all his supplies in this naval battle.
Originally he had thought that if this naval battle were to be lost, he would begin strategic contraction, temporarily entering a defensive posture.
But Tu Lingduo staged this performance, and together with Zhili directed the grand play of the world besieging Suo Lun. He had no room left to retreat.
In this naval battle against Zhili, if he won.
Then subsequently, Tu Liyang exposing the truth would deliver a nearly fatal blow to Zhili. He would collapse like a landslide.
And if Suo Lun lost this naval battle, then his struggle against Zhili would be completely defeated, with no burial place for his corpse. Even the Suo clan would be utterly destroyed.
“Master, the latest intelligence. Hai Gang leads fifty thousand main navy south, joining the war to destroy Suo Lun,” Zhuang Zhixuan came up and reported. “He has torn up the treaty, kicking a man when he is down, coming to attack us.”
Suo Lun said, “When a wall falls, everyone pushes it! However, his coming is good. Truly good.”
Then Suo Lun patted Zhuang Zhixuan’s firm, pert round bottom and said, “My head is about to explode. Shall we relax?”
“Very well,” Zhuang Zhixuan said.
Then, like peeling a lychee, she peeled off her tight python-skin outfit, revealing her fiery, seductive body, kneeling on all fours upon the bed.
Suo Lun stepped forward, fiercely entering the body of this fiery beauty before him.
And Zhuang Zhixuan, who had never made a sound before, this time sang out loud.
Amidst her song, Yan Mo’s one hundred thousand troops drew ever closer. Eight hundred li from Suo Lun’s naval formation.
Six hundred li!
Three hundred li.
Two hundred li.
One hundred li!