Chapter 390
Chapter 390
“Then when will you feel the urgency, my lord?”
“When the great army of Chu stops this charade and truly attacks Zhong Yao's forces, when Zheng Ta has no way to retreat—that will be the time for me to act. It won't be too late then.”
He wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the rabbit. In this game, it was the State of Chu that stood to gain more than it had invested. They had amassed the largest army, making a thunderous show of force, yet their movements were the most restrained. Look at the King of Wu. His determination to seize the Raging Thunder Archipelago remains unshaken. Su Nan, too, was unwavering in his resolve to unite the Su and Jiang clans, rebel, and establish his own rule.
The envoy from Chu said,
“Soon. Very soon!”
Su Nan's expression turned serious.
“Envoy of Chu, this grand play may have started because of me, Su Nan, but among all of us, my resources are the scarcest. I cannot afford to exhaust them. I will not move until Chu moves. Besides, the great army of the State of Jiang has yet to arrive and join me!”
***
All eyes in the world were on Su Nan. He had started this affair, and there was no turning back. Everyone expected him to rebel immediately, waiting for a sudden, massive upheaval in the southwest of the State of Yue. But there was only silence. Of course, the Su Clan couldn't remain completely silent. The Su Clan's forces grew, one contingent after another. The same clan that once claimed to possess only five thousand private soldiers now numbered over ten thousand, not even counting the bandits of the Three-Eyed Wilds. Wandering warriors from the various western kingdoms flocked to the Su Clan's territory and were incorporated into their army. The warrior monks of the Great Calamity Temple also marched steadily eastward. The forces gathering in the Su Clan's domain continued to swell.
Xueliang City was the northernmost city, located near White Night Pass. One day, the lord of Xueliang City suddenly pleaded for help from Prefect Zhang Chong of the White Night Commandery and Marquis Zhenyuan, Su Nan. He claimed that a large band of robbers had appeared in the city, plundering merchants and the wealthy.
Damn it all, who did he think he was fooling? Shen Lang had already led a band of plunderers to raid Xueliang City, and at the time, its lord had fled at the mere rumor of their approach. Half a month had passed since then, and now he claimed robbers had appeared? Prefect Zhang Chong was besieged by Su Zhan's army and naturally couldn't send troops to help. However, Marquis Su Nan did not refuse on moral grounds and had his younger brother, Su Zhan, lead five thousand soldiers to station themselves in Xueliang City.
Xueliang City was less than a hundred *li* from White Night Pass. If Su Nan were to rebel and General Zheng Ta, Pacifier of the West, were to march his army south, Xueliang City would be the first place they would encounter. These five thousand soldiers dispatched by Su Nan would block the path of Zheng Ta's southward advance. Following this, three thousand mercenary warriors from the western kingdoms left the Su Clan's territory and headed for White Night Commandery City to join Su Zhan's army. By then, the Su Clan's army besieging White Night Commandery City had already been reinforced to about fifteen thousand men. The world's attention was focused on Su Nan.
‘This old thief has remarkable patience. Why hasn't he made his move yet? Isn't he worried that Zhang Chong will keep recruiting soldiers inside White Night City?’
Great figures like Zhang Chong, the King of Wu, the King of Yue, the King of Chu, and Bian Wu held their breath, watching Su Nan with unblinking eyes. The moment Su Nan declared his rebellion, the heavens and earth would tremble, and the entire political landscape would shift.
***
Upon receiving the secret report from Grand Princess Ning Jue, King Ning Yuanxian of Yue was so shocked he nearly leaped out of his skin. He read the secret message again and again, wondering if he had misread it. But no matter how many times he read it, Ning Jue had written it very clearly: Shen Lang had taken a few hundred men to annihilate the main army of the King of Jiang.
‘Annihilate an army of tens of thousands with just a few hundred men? Have I gone mad? Or has the world gone mad?’
Ning Yuanxian was now beginning to regret sending Shen Lang to the White Night Commandery.
‘The man is a complete wild dog. Once he's out the door, he's impossible to control. He was so obedient in the capital, but the moment he's out of sight, he commits one insane act after another.’
Shen Lang's recent act of leading tens of thousands of rioters to plunder the White Night Commandery until it was bare was audacious, but it was also a great achievement. Moreover, he had flawlessly allied with Zhang Chong to foil Su Nan's "three birds with one stone" scheme. The king had outwardly reprimanded Shen Lang, but while shocked and appalled, he had been secretly thrilled. But now, the king was even more stunned.
‘Didn't I specifically tell you, Shen Lang, along with Zhang Chong and Zheng Ta, to cooperate and hold off Su Nan's army for a month or two? Didn't I say that holding out until the situation in the north improved would be a success? Do you not understand the meaning of 'hold off'? I never ordered you to annihilate the Su Clan's army or the army of the State of Jiang. Even if I, Ning Yuanxian, were to go mad, I wouldn't order you to take a few thousand men to destroy Su Nan. And now you've taken a few hundred to wipe out the King of Jiang's army of tens of thousands? It doesn't matter if you fail on your own, but your audacious games could ruin the entire board!’
Ning Jue was a woman of few words; the secret messages she had sent to Ning Yuanxian in the past rarely exceeded ten characters. This time, however, her words flowed endlessly, filling several hundred characters, and she had clearly detailed every minor point. Why? Because she, too, was afraid.
Ning Yuanxian spoke in a trembling voice.
“Is this Shen Lang truly the son of a peasant? Could someone so brazen really have come from a peasant's womb?”
A headache began to throb in Ning Yuanxian's temples.
‘They say a man can be like a sword—if you don't know how to wield him, you'll end up hurting yourself. But is Shen Lang merely a sword? He's a complete...’
It was fortunate that Ning Yuanxian didn't know the word 'grenade,' or he would have certainly used it to describe Shen Lang. It could blow the enemy to smithereens, but if you weren't careful, you could be blown to pieces yourself. The only silver lining was that this madman had only taken his own people, not Zhang Chong's army.
“It doesn't matter if this madman fails. I still have Zhang Chong and Zheng Ta!”
Ning Yuanxian muttered to himself. No matter how enraged he was now, it was useless; he couldn't stop Shen Lang. Just then, a secret envoy from the Blackwater Terrace rushed into the barracks like an arrow.
“Your Majesty, urgent military intelligence! A matter of extreme urgency!”
The envoy knelt before Ning Yuanxian, presenting a confidential report from the Blackwater Terrace with both hands. Three crow feathers were stuck to it. The hair on Ning Yuanxian's head stood on end, and his spine straightened.
‘What now? What else has happened? Has Su Nan raised his army? No, that can't be it. Reports on the western front come every two *shichen*. Did something happen elsewhere? Could it be from the Southern Vulture Kingdom?’
That wasn't it either. The State of Yue lacked the national strength to fight two wars simultaneously, so Zhu Lin's army had long since tightened its defensive lines, concentrating its forces in Southern Vulture City. They wouldn't be attacking, so no major battles were expected. King Ning Yuanxian opened the secret message, and as he read, a thunderbolt struck his mind. The message stated that Qiu Hu, the Lord of Heavenly Wind City in the Raging Thunder Archipelago, had betrayed them and pledged allegiance to the State of Wu. An army of twenty to thirty thousand from Wu was marching south toward Raging Tide City, and Marquis Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, was presumed to have been assassinated.
Ning Yuanxian closed his eyes, absorbing the shock of the news. He had never imagined it. Just as Ning Yuanxian was fond of the "feint in the east, attack in the west" strategy, the young King of Wu had used the very same tactic. The King of Wu's target was the Raging Thunder Archipelago.
‘Jin Zhuo was assassinated? Qiu Hu betrayed us? If so, how can the Raging Thunder Archipelago possibly defend against the great army of Wu?’
Ning Yuanxian felt a pang of distress at the news of Jin Zhuo's assassination.
‘Jin Zhuo was a man of noble character... and wasn't he Shen Lang's father-in-law?’
But his feeling was merely one of passing regret. The King of Wu was determined to take the Raging Thunder Archipelago, but Ning Yuanxian did not place much importance on it. He valued land more than the sea. The Raging Thunder Archipelago was nominally territory of the State of Yue, but in reality, it was the fiefdom of the Jin Clan.
“The Hidden Yuan Society must have poured a fortune into this!”
Ning Yuanxian sneered. Merchants had no concept of loyalty to a nation, especially an organization like the Hidden Yuan Society that operated across the world.
“They truly spent a fortune. Lending money to me with their left hand and to the King of Wu with their right. Does the Hidden Yuan Society fancy itself the secret hand that controls the world?”
Ning Yuanxian felt a surge of anger, but that was all.
‘Raging Tide City is the great enterprise of your Jin Clan, so it is up to the Jin Clan to defend it. I do not have the ability to help. Whether you can hold it or not is up to fate!’
If the Raging Thunder Archipelago fell into the hands of the State of Wu, Ning Yuanxian would naturally be furious and utterly displeased. However, losing it would only affect his political reputation, not his tangible interests. This was because, at least for Ning Yuanxian, he derived no benefit from the Raging Thunder Archipelago. In fact, the King of Wu's move to take the archipelago would be a great boon to Bian Wu's surprise attack. To Ning Yuanxian, winning the battle in the north and the success of Bian Wu's raid were more important than the Raging Thunder Archipelago.
This was truly a godsent opportunity. The King of Wu had poured all his energy into the Raging Thunder Archipelago and Raging Tide City, and most of his remaining strength was focused on confronting Ning Yuanxian's hundred-thousand-strong army at Shangye City. He was likely neglecting his western defensive lines. At that moment, Ning Yuanxian suddenly thought that the King of Wu was quite like him. Both enjoyed making strategic threats, taking risks, and focusing all their efforts on a single front. For instance, Ning Yuanxian was focused solely on Bian Wu's surprise attack, frantically laying the groundwork and desperately trying to create the perfect opportunity. But he had neglected the Raging Thunder Archipelago. Could this not be called tunnel vision?
So, what about Shen Lang? Was he also the type to focus on one goal to the neglect of all else? Right now, a fire had started in Shen Lang's own backyard, and he was on the verge of losing Raging Tide City. Yet, he was still focused on taking a few hundred men to annihilate the main army of the King of Jiang. Was he not looking ahead while failing to see what was behind him?
***
On the eastern seas, hundreds of warships from the State of Wu sailed south with imposing might. Viewed from the sky, their fleet could be seen stretching for dozens of *li*. While one couldn't say their fleet blackened the sea, it stretched endlessly across the water. It was an army of nearly thirty thousand. This was the maximum force the King of Wu could muster to attack Raging Tide City, and an army of this size would be more than enough. Jin Zhuo was assassinated, and the defenders of Raging Tide City numbered no more than five thousand. Moreover, without a leader to command them, the defenders would be trembling in fear. This battle was undoubtedly destined for victory.
The commander of the State of Wu's southern expeditionary force, Wu Mu, stood ramrod straight at the prow of his ship. As the fierce sea wind whipped against him, a heroic spirit swelled within him.
“Your Majesty, await the day I return with news of victory. The heavens have ordained that I, Wu Mu, shall achieve a peerless accomplishment!”