Chapter 377
Chapter 377
Before Su Wushang, who was weighing his options between the State of Yue and Su Nan, stood an envoy from the Su Clan, Su Lu, making his final plea.
“The State of Chu’s grand army of one hundred and thirty thousand is on the move. Zhong Yao will be on high alert, using all his strength to block them. Count of Pingxi, Zheng Ta, will completely lock down White Night Pass. We were concerned that the Zhong Clan's army would march south, but they are actually more worried that we will march north and launch a pincer attack with Chu. Therefore, the Zhong Clan’s army will absolutely not move south.
King Qiang, Aruotai, has already dispatched his fifty thousand soldiers, and they are scheduled to rendezvous with our Su Clan's army soon. The vanguard of five thousand monk soldiers from the Great Tribulation Temple is not far from here. When they all gather, how many troops will we have? Seventy thousand? Eighty thousand? Perhaps even more. In the State of Qiang, every citizen becomes a soldier when needed, so we might even muster a hundred thousand. If that happens, who in Tianxi Province can stop us? Can Zhang Chong do it with his three thousand men?”
Su Wushang, the Adjutant of the White Night Army, instinctively shook his head. Seeing this, Su Lu smiled and said,
“The King of Wu has led his army south, approaching Shangye City. What was originally an army of thirty thousand has grown to sixty thousand along the way. King Ning Yuanxian is also marching north, constantly bolstering his forces. The decisive battle between the two kings is about to begin. Zhu Lin's sixty thousand troops are tied up in a standoff with the State of Nan'ou and cannot leave. Adjutant Su, now you tell me, is the State of Yue powerful enough to fight a war on three fronts?”
Su Wushang shook his head. The State of Yue was not that strong; it couldn't even handle two large-scale battles simultaneously, let alone a war on three fronts. Among the eastern nations, perhaps only the incredibly wealthy State of Jin could fight two wars at once. The Great Yan Empire, of course, was an exception. As the current hegemon of the world, it could easily take on three nations at the same time.
Su Lu continued,
“Why did Ning Yuanxian send Zhang Chong and Shen Lang to the White Night Army? It was nothing more than a desperate gamble.”
Adjutant Su Wushang nodded in agreement. It was indeed a massive gamble, and one that seemed destined to fail.
“Who in all of Tianxi Province can stop our army of seventy or eighty thousand? No one! It is a foregone conclusion that the State of Yue will collapse after this war. What is there for you to fear, Adjutant Su? Once we seize the southern part of Tianxi Province and the Su and Qiang unite, our territory will be no smaller than Yue’s. When that time comes, you, Adjutant Su, will be a founding contributor to a new nation. You will be granted a title of at least a Count, will you not?”
Hearing Su Lu’s words, Su Wushang’s heart began to pound wildly.
‘Bestowed the title of Count?’
It was an irresistible temptation. A civil official of his rank had virtually no chance of being ennobled. Adjutant Su Wushang suddenly asked,
“May I be so bold as to ask a question?”
“Please, speak.”
“When the Su and Qiang unite, who will be king?”
“Naturally, Aruotai will be king, and our lord will become the prime minister.”
Su Wushang was inwardly impressed. Su Nan was indeed ruthless enough to readily concede the throne. On the surface, it appeared as though Su Nan was pledging allegiance to King Qiang. The union of Su and Qiang seemed to be the Su Clan submitting to the State of Qiang, but King Qiang’s sons had already been killed, leaving only Aruotai and his two young children. Moreover, those two children were born to a woman of the Su Clan. The current King Qiang, Aruotai, was a formidable martial artist and an excellent fighter, but his ability to manage domestic affairs was utter garbage.
Were there any officials in the State of Qiang capable of handling internal administration? Not a single one. On the surface, the union would look like the State of Qiang absorbing the Su Clan, but in reality, it was the Su Clan swallowing the State of Qiang whole. In a few years, Aruotai might just drop dead like Aruojiang. No, he most certainly would. When that happened, the State of Qiang would completely fall under the Su Clan’s control. The barbarians, being as foolish as they were, would think they had profited greatly from this union. But when all was said and done, the Su Clan's grand ambition had the right timing, the right place, and the right people—all three conditions for success were met.
Adjutant Su Wushang said, “I still have one concern.”
“Please, speak.”
“That scoundrel Shen Lang has been leading tens of thousands on a rampage of plunder. Countless merchants have had their entire fortunes stolen, and there have been numerous casualties. The Su Clan has over twenty thousand troops at its disposal and could have stopped them, so why…?”
Su Wushang's words were a roundabout way of saying that Su Nan was being disgracefully greedy. The merchants had served the Su Clan loyally for years, yet the clan was now ruthlessly sacrificing them.
“If we had stopped them, how could Zhang Chong have entered the White Night Army Fortress so easily?”
Su Lu asked calmly.
“Besides, Adjutant Su, what does that have to do with you?”
Adjutant Su Wushang was taken aback and quickly bowed.
“I have spoken out of turn. It was not my place to interfere.”
Su Lu smiled and said, “Adjutant Su, think of it this way. You are also a subject of the Su Clan. Why would you not do what is advantageous to us?”
Su Wushang bowed.
“You are right. I was foolish. Please, convey my apologies to our lord on my behalf.”
“Not at all! But tell me, aren’t the officials and wealthy merchants in White Night City currently welcoming Zhang Chong?”
“That is indeed the case.”
“Then that’s perfect. It will lower Zhang Chong’s guard. Tonight, you will take the lead, gather the other officials, and invite Zhang Chong to a banquet. Tell him it’s a welcome feast in his honor.”
“And then?”
“Naturally, you will kill him.”
Su Wushang was shocked. “Kill him now?”
“What else? The time, the place, the people—all conditions are met. Our lord will declare his great cause within a few days. Why keep a thorn in our side like Zhang Chong alive? Killing a prefect would make a fine banner to signal the start of our uprising, would it not?”
Su Wushang felt his mouth go dry. Although he had schemed to usurp the power of the former prefect, openly killing one was an act of true rebellion. But since he had already pledged allegiance to Su Nan, wasn't he a rebel anyway?
“Count of White Night, what else are you worried about?”
Su Lu said with a smile. Hearing himself addressed as the Count of White Night for the first time in his life, Su Wushang was thrilled and moved, but he quickly shook his head.
“No. There is nothing to worry about! Tonight, I will lead the officials of the White Night Army, invite Zhang Chong to a banquet, and kill him! But do I need to inform the other officials of the truth of this matter?”
Su Lu shook his head.
“There is no need. After Zhang Chong is dead, they will have no choice but to side with our Su Clan.”
That was no lie. If they killed the prefect in front of everyone, they would be considered conspirators in the rebellion, even if they hadn't actively participated. The Su Clan, vicious as they were, had seen through it all. That was why they had ordered him to kill Zhang Chong in their presence.
Su Wushang asked, “Then what about that scoundrel Shen Lang?”
“We are tightening an inescapable net around him. By tomorrow, Shen Lang will surely be dead! And so will the commoners who participated in the looting!”
“Excellent, excellent.”
“Therefore, you must kill Zhang Chong tonight. If you fail and he manages to ally with Shen Lang, things will become troublesome.”
Adjutant Su Wushang gave his assurance.
“Do not worry. Zhang Chong will die!”
***
Zhang Chong entered the prefect's residence and began to bathe in cold water. As expected of a place at the foot of a snow-capped mountain, the temperature was quite low despite it being summer. But Zhang Chong was a man who bathed only in cold water, even in the dead of winter when snow fell heavily. His exposed body was gaunt, looking as if his bones were merely wrapped in skin. On his abdomen was a large, recently healed scar—a remnant of the surgery Shen Lang had performed on him.
As Zhang Chong poured bucket after bucket of cold water over himself, he thought of Shen Lang. At that very moment, Shen Lang was in Xueling City, less than a hundred *li* away.
‘Shen Lang must feel like he's sitting on a pyre, about to be engulfed in flames.’
Zhang Chong didn't know the term ‘powder keg.’ Had he known, he would have used a more fitting metaphor.
Shen Lang was indeed sitting on a powder keg that could explode at any moment. With only two hundred men, it was impossible to control over twenty thousand brutes—no, men—who had become accustomed to plunder. The situation could blow up in his face at any time. Plunder was like a demonic flame; easy to ignite, but impossible to extinguish. The only way to keep those who had tasted it in line was to constantly let them pillage, endlessly feeding their insatiable greed. Otherwise, the group would instantly collapse from internal strife.
Though Shen Lang had sent no messenger, Zhang Chong knew what he would do, and he knew what he himself had to do. He didn't have much time. The Su Clan’s army was beginning to close the net they had cast, drawing nearer to Shen Lang in Xueling City. Moreover, Su Nan was aiming to kill three birds with one stone: eliminate Shen Lang, eliminate Zhang Chong, and eliminate all the plunderers, then reclaim the stolen gold and jewels. He was incredibly greedy. Truly, a man of insatiable avarice.
Therefore, Zhang Chong had to deal with all the enemies in the White Night Army Fortress tonight and secure complete control of its walls before dawn. Only then could he welcome Shen Lang tomorrow, join forces, and strike so swiftly that Su Nan would have no time to react, causing him to lose everything. The two had no time to confer; they had to rely entirely on their own strategic intuition to choose the right moment to strike. They had to coordinate their attack from a distance to strike without revealing any weaknesses to the enemy.
After his cold bath, Zhang Chong’s mind felt crystal clear.
“Bring me the soft armor.”
At Zhang Chong’s command, an old servant brought the armor, and he donned the form-fitting mail.
“The flexible sword!”
The old servant brought the flexible sword and wrapped it around Zhang Chong’s arm. Then, he put on his inner robes over it, followed by his official robes on the outside. Zhang Chong was so thin that even with the soft armor on, it was completely unnoticeable.
‘I, Zhang Chong, have not had a chance to use my martial arts for over a decade, but today, I finally will. To think that a civil official like myself would have to kill the enemy with my own hands. Young Master Shen was always curious about my martial prowess, wasn't he? I will not disappoint you today.’
***
Just as Zhang Chong finished dressing in his official robes, someone came in to report.
“Your Excellency, Adjutant Su Wushang has sent an invitation. He is hosting a welcome banquet for you at the Snow Mountain Pavilion tonight.”
Zhang Chong smiled and asked, “Who will be attending the banquet?”
“All civil and military officials of the eighth rank and above in the entire White Night Army will be there. The eligible wealthy merchants will also attend, so there will likely be over forty people.”
“I see. Since my colleagues are so considerate, I must attend.”
“Yes. I will return and inform the Adjutant of your attendance.”
After the man left, Zhang Chong entered a secret chamber. Inside sat a middle-aged man with a very plain appearance. Zhang Chong approached him and bowed.
“Your Highness, Grand Princess, would you care to accompany this old servant to the banquet tonight?”
This plain-faced, middle-aged man was Grand Princess Ning Jue? That Grand Princess who never gets stiff? Surprisingly, her art of disguise was so superb that she looked exactly like an unattractive, middle-aged man. Grand Princess Ning Jue nodded.
“Very well. Tonight, I shall be Lord Zhang Chong’s attendant.”
A short while later, Zhang Chong’s carriage departed from the prefect's residence, heading towards the Snow Mountain Pavilion where the banquet was to be held.