Chapter 419
Chapter 419
‘Why did our Su Clan ever provoke Shen Lang? If not for him, I would have already achieved my grand ambition. Our great army would have swept through Tianxi Province, uniting the Su and Jiang. Yes, it was because of that secret letter the previous Marquis Su Jian gave to the Jin Clan. Someone informed me, claiming it was confidential, that the Jin Clan hadn't destroyed the letter urging them to join forces and pledge allegiance to Ning Yuanwu.’
Jin Zhuo had insisted repeatedly that he had destroyed it. Su Nan, who originally trusted Jin Zhuo's character, didn't believe the informant. However, when the other party recited the contents of the secret letter perfectly before him, Su Nan felt a chill down his spine and had no choice but to believe it. If that letter were to be revealed before Su Nan's plans were complete, it wouldn't lead to the annihilation of his clan, but it would certainly bring about a great disaster. That was why, at the time, Su Nan concluded that the Jin Clan intended to bring harm to the Su Clan.
‘In that case, I must strike first.’
For this reason, the Su Clan repeatedly harmed the Jin Clan. Who on earth told Su Nan that the Jin Clan had not destroyed the secret letter? It was the Hidden Yuan Society. Although Count Jin Zhuo had clearly destroyed the letter, it was unknown how the Hidden Yuan Society knew its contents. But from that moment on, the two clans developed a feud that could only end with the destruction of one, and Shen Lang began to run rampant in his mad quest for revenge against the Su Clan.
A few months ago, when Shen Lang came to the capital and brazenly declared he would annihilate the Su Clan, everyone who heard it laughed, thinking it was the barking of a mad dog, the antics of a clown. At the time, Su Nan had thought the same. But he never imagined that in just a few short months, Shen Lang could truly bring the Su Clan to such a state.
But now, none of that mattered. What was done was done, and the most critical moment for the Su Clan had arrived. From now on, a single misstep could cause the centuries-old Su Clan to vanish like smoke. What should he do now? How could they overcome this fatal crisis? The situation before them seemed, by all accounts, irrecoverable for the Su Clan. Su Nan's mind raced.
Su Yong spoke up.
“My lord, our clan's fortress was built over hundreds of years. It is an impregnable bastion perched atop a high mountain. Moreover, there is only one path to the fortress, and it is surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs, making it impossible to besiege and attack.”
Su Zhan said.
“That's right. Inside our fortress, we have no shortage of water or food. If we lock the gates, we can hold out for several years. Five thousand defenders may be a small number, but it's more than enough to defend the fortress for years. It was built on such treacherous terrain that one man could hold off ten thousand, a place that even a mighty army could not conquer. Even if tens of thousands of enemy soldiers attack, they will not be able to take our fortress.”
That was true. The Su Clan's fortress was built in an extremely treacherous location, making it even easier to defend and harder to conquer than the fortress of Raging Tide City. Assaulting such a fortress was nothing short of a nightmare. Su Nan said calmly.
“What if the enemy simply blockades the area around the fortress without attacking? What if Ning Yuanxian sends a large army to sweep through all of our Su Clan's territories and occupies Baiye Commandery? With no food and no way to collect taxes, our Su Clan would be like a plant cut off from its roots, left to wither and die. What use would defending this fortress be then?”
Hearing this, everyone fell silent. The State of Yue could indeed refrain from attacking the fortress and simply blockade them, starving them out mercilessly.
“When the momentum is with us, defending the fortress is like giving a tiger wings. But when we've lost the momentum, defending this fortress is useless. There is no such thing as an impregnable fortress in this world. Wasn't Qiu Tianwei's sturdy fortress of Raging Tide City ultimately conquered?”
Su Nan finished speaking and closed his eyes. The Marquis Zhenyuan's fortress was like an iron bastion, but it was also a kind of trap that seemed safe, like a slowly heating cauldron. The Su Clan thought they could turtle up and defend the fortress from within, like a tortoise hiding its head in its shell, but doing so would be like being a frog in a slowly boiling pot—they would inevitably perish. Su Nan repeated the same words again.
“When we've lost the momentum, defending this fortress is useless.”
Su Nan paced back and forth in his study, his breathing growing more and more rapid. He finally made a decision—one so unprecedented it would shock the world. It was a decision as difficult as a strong man cutting off his own arm, but it had to be done. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
‘Have I made up my mind? Am I certain about this? My mind is made up! Then let's do it.’
Su Nan said.
“We will abandon the fortress and retreat from here as quickly as possible. The entire clan will leave the State of Yue, pass through the State of Jiang, and go to the Western Regions.”
Hearing Su Nan's words, everyone was stunned in disbelief.
‘What? Abandon the fortress? Has the patriarch gone mad? This fortress is incredibly strong; the enemy can't possibly breach it. We could hold out for years without a problem. And he wants to voluntarily give it up? Isn't that surrendering the Su Clan's century-long ambition to the enemy? They say a man is not respected once he leaves his homeland, yet the Su Clan is to leave this well-built fortress and go to the distant Western Regions? What an incredibly arduous path that would be!’
Su Nan said boldly and decisively.
“If we abandon the fortress and the Su Clan flees far away, we'll at least have a chance to survive. If we try to hold the fortress, the only path left is death.”
Su Zhan asked.
“Brother, if we stay in this fortress, can't we hold out for at least a few years?”
Su Nan shook his head.
“We can't. If we're trapped inside this fortress, we will lose all our foundations. The people's hearts will turn away from us, and when that happens, we will collapse on our own, even without the enemy attacking. The strongest fortresses have always been conquered from within.”
Su Yong said.
“The soldiers of our Su Clan will surely remain loyal.”
“Nonsense. There is no such thing as an army with absolute loyalty. When there is no hope, hearts will change, and that will be the time of our Su Clan's demise. We won't be able to defend this fortress for a few years, not even for half a year. Even with two or three years' worth of food, the human heart is exceedingly fragile; we wouldn't last six months.”
Su Nan's words pierced through to the truth. The hearts of men are like water; they cannot be held. When you ride the tide, their hearts will turn to you. When you go against it, anyone might betray you, even step on you as they pass.
Su Zhan said.
“Brother, if you lead the army and defend the fortress, I will take some people and go to the Western Regions to scout for a place where we can settle.”
Su Nan said.
“That would be meaningless. At such a critical moment, our Su Clan must not be divided. How many times must I tell you? The Su Clan's century-long ambition is our foundation below the mountain, not this damn fortress. When we are winning, this fortress is an unassailable royal palace. But when we are losing, it becomes an inescapable prison. We must not trap ourselves in here! We must escape this prison to find a path to survival.”
Su Yong cried out.
“What my lord says is right, and wherever my lord commands us to go, this servant will obey. But... but can't we go to the State of Chu? To go to the barbaric Western Regions... if my lord goes there, you will be looked down upon. If we go to the State of Chu, wouldn't my lord still be able to receive the title of Marquis?”
Su Nan shook his head.
“The people of Chu are of the same race as us, so our Su Clan would assimilate into their society too easily. If I were to take our army and pledge allegiance to Chu, I would certainly be granted the title of Marquis, but our Su Clan's forces would be scattered and defeated one by one, and in the end, our clan would completely fall apart. Because the people of Chu are of the same race, our Su Clan's military officers would feel no hesitation in pledging allegiance to other powerful figures in Chu.
Such a situation would be inevitable. The moment our Su Clan pledges allegiance to Chu, the weapons and power we once possessed would become assets for the strong who already reside in Chu. Even those loyal to us would attach themselves to the powerful figures and nobles of Chu, becoming integrated into their order. With only our remaining forces, how could we possibly establish a new, solid foundation in a civilized nation like Chu? Gaining a foothold there would be an incredibly difficult and arduous task.
But the Western Regions are different. Its population is a complex mix, and it's still a chaotic place, which makes it suitable for our survival. Furthermore, it's a land inhabited by a different race, so our Su Clan will naturally be ostracized there. But it is precisely for that reason that the Su Clan's soldiers will stick closer to us and unite, and they will never be bought off by them. Because if you are not of the same kind, your hearts will surely be different!”
Su Nan's words once again preached a living truth. For example, people from the same country might have conflicts and fight tooth and nail with each other in their homeland. But once they go abroad, to a place where the people and land are unfamiliar, surrounded by nothing but other ethnic groups, they instinctively huddle together for warmth. Therefore, if they go there, Su Nan's position as a leader will not only not be weakened but will become even stronger.
“My lord, after we go to the Western Regions, will we return here in the future?”
Su Nan replied to someone's question.
“We will return. Of course, we must return! In ten years at the most, we will come back here. By then, the State of Yue will surely be in great turmoil. Ning Yuanxian is too fond of playing with fire, too fond of gambling; a day will surely come when things go wrong for him. Besides, the struggle for the throne between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince is an irresolvable situation. When great chaos erupts in the State of Yue, that will be our time to rise again.”
Su Zhan asked.
“My lord, but isn't the State of Yue already in great chaos? The kings of Wu and Yue have amassed over two hundred thousand troops at the border, and the State of Chu is fighting fiercely with the Zhong Clan in the west. Can't we take advantage of this chaos to survive?”
Su Nan shook his head.
“It's fake. It's all fake. Neither Chu nor Wu is ready for a decisive battle with Yue, so they won't truly go to war. Among all the battles that have broken out, only the battle of Raging Tide City is real; the others are just posturing. Now that our Su Clan has rebelled, they're just probing to see if they can take a slice of flesh from the State of Yue. Since our Su Clan has been defeated, Chu will quickly withdraw its troops, and the King of Wu will soon compromise as well.”
Su Nan was truly worthy of being called the soul of the Su Clan. Among the entire clan, he alone accurately grasped the overall strategic situation of the State of Yue. Su Nan continued.
“No matter how realistic the play, it's still just a fake. With the main actors having all exited the stage, how could the other characters possibly continue the play? However, it will take us less than ten years to return to this land and rise again. Because a peerless hero named Yingjun has appeared. Yingjun is using the war in the Nanguo Kingdom as a pretext to unite the Four Barbarian Tribes. When he successfully becomes king of the Four Barbarian Tribes, the heavens and earth will collapse in the south of the State of Yue. That will also be when the struggle for the throne between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince is at its most intense. Perhaps we can storm back here in three to five years, succeed in our resurgence, and reclaim our brilliant glory.”