Chapter 439
Chapter 439
Three days had passed since Shen Lang and Zheng Tu began their battle, yet the fighting had progressed in a manner that was maddeningly frustrating. That bastard Shen Lang wasn't even attacking the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate; instead, he had blocked the pass before it. With a mere two thousand soldiers, he held a position a *li* away from the fortress walls, provoking Zheng Tu's army day after day. They behaved like courtesans on the street, beckoning to passing men.
"Come, my lord. Come inside and play..."
Whenever Zheng Tu sent his troops to attack, the terrain before the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate proved too treacherous for a large army to advance in proper formation. Whether he sent a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand men, the result was the same. At most, a hundred or so could engage in combat in the pass, while the rest could only watch from behind. And that bastard Shen Lang's army was blocking that very pass.
Furthermore, the Qiang cavalry were exceptional horse archers, and the bows Shen Lang had commissioned from the Jin Clan's workshops were incredibly powerful, inflicting heavy casualties on Zheng Tu's army from a distance. The cavalry would first let loose a devastating volley of arrows before closing in for melee, cutting down their enemies. Dozens of warrior women under Wu Lie's command, clad in heavy plate—sturdy steel armor forged in the Jin Clan's workshops—and wielding steel blades, held the pass with truly formidable might.
Zheng Tu commanded a massive army of twenty thousand, but in such a confined area, it was impossible to launch an all-out assault. After three days and nights of fierce skirmishes, Shen Lang's side had suffered minimal casualties, while Zheng Tu's losses were already in the triple digits. Although Zheng Tu still held an absolute and overwhelming numerical advantage, the battle itself was unfolding in a truly infuriating manner.
***
Inside the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate, hundreds of craftsmen were dismantling trebuchets. Su Nan had impressively fortified the castle, making it as impenetrable as an iron bastion, and had placed dozens of trebuchets atop its walls. These were large siege engines, capable of launching projectiles over six hundred *chi* (more than two hundred meters). Nauseated by Shen Lang's tactics, Zheng Tu had decided to dismantle ten of these large trebuchets, transport them to the base of the fortress, and mercilessly crush Shen Lang's army with a barrage of stones.
Trebuchets were typically used for sieging castles or eliminating large military formations. Zheng Tu intended to use ten of them merely to kill Shen Lang's two thousand men. Would a trebuchet assault be effective against Shen Lang's army? It certainly would be. The terrain before the Marquis's estate was extremely hazardous, with only a single road leading to the fortress, which Shen Lang's two thousand men were blocking, packed tightly together. A single hit from a massive boulder would inflict devastating damage. However, dismantling the trebuchets was taking far too long, and after being moved, they would have to be reassembled.
Zheng Long asked loudly.
"How much longer will it take?"
A craftsman replied, "Soon, very soon. In five or six days, they will be completely dismantled."
Zheng Tu's son, Zheng Long, roared in anger.
"Still five or six days? What exactly are you doing with all the food you eat?"
Zheng Long was furious at the sight of that trash Shen Lang, flaunting his power every day with his two thousand cavalry blocking the pass. He wanted nothing more than to kill and flay Shen Lang at a moment's notice. Once the trebuchets were ready, they could aim at the pass and unleash a mad barrage of stones. Even if it didn't kill all of Shen Lang's men, they could easily retake the pass. Once the pass was theirs, Zheng Tu's grand army could advance, drive Shen Lang's forces from the estate, and pursue them until they reached open ground. There, their twenty-thousand-strong army would annihilate that scoundrel Shen Lang's two thousand soldiers. With trebuchets, even that trash Shen Lang's heavily armored warriors would be utterly powerless.
The head craftsman said, "Lord Zheng Long, these trebuchets are not only massive but also intricately designed. They must be dismantled with extreme care, ensuring no part is damaged. Otherwise, their combat effectiveness will be greatly diminished."
Zheng Long said, "Fine, fine. Five days it is, then."
If it meant he could kill that bastard Shen Lang and peel his skin off, he could wait not just five or six days, but ten or even fifteen. He was slightly worried that the Queen of the Qiang Kingdom might send reinforcements, but seeing how that scum Shen Lang was acting so smug and gloating, it seemed he had no intention of calling for more troops.
***
On the eighth day of Shen Lang's battle with Zheng Tu, a secret edict from the King arrived, delivered by the ever-unyielding princess. Though she was now in awe of Shen Lang, they still regarded each other with complete indifference. To Shen Lang, she was like a piece of meat that had been in a freezer for years—he felt absolutely no desire to consume it. And whenever Ning Jie saw Shen Lang, she felt that the aura of scum surrounding him had grown even more intense, making her feel more repulsed than ever.
"An edict from His Majesty for you."
The Unyielding Princess did not read the King's edict aloud, but tossed it directly at Shen Lang. He opened it to find only three words written on the paper, bristling with murderous intent.
Princess Ning Jie shot Shen Lang a sidelong glance before heading into the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate to deliver an edict to Zheng Tu.
***
Zheng Tu received Princess Ning Jie with an unprecedented level of courtesy. He was more deferential than any court official.
"Your Highness, what time does His Majesty retire for the night? No, I mean, is my Master eating two bowls of rice at every meal? Does my Master still enjoy reading at night? He must be careful not to strain his eyes."
Zheng Tu wept as he spoke, kneeling on the floor. He did not address the King as His Majesty, but as Master. This was because he was a confidant handpicked by Ning Yuanxian. Over twenty years ago, when all the other military commanders in the State of Yue had sided with Ning Yuanwu, only Zheng Tu had remained loyal to Ning Yuanxian. Thus, Zheng Tu considered his relationship with Ning Yuanxian to be unique.
"It has been since the year before last that I last saw my Master. I wished to hurry to the capital for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration last year, but His Majesty commanded me not to leave my post. So from this distant place of Baiye Commandery, I could only pray for the Empress Dowager's longevity and peace, and for the eternal stability of my Master's domain. It will soon be three years since I have seen my Master, and I miss him dearly. I worry he may have grown thin. But I suppose my worries are unfounded. My Master seems to grow younger each year, always appearing majestic and imposing."
Zheng Tu rambled on endlessly, even beginning to wail. It was a strange sight, this mighty general, second-in-command of the military, a man of great martial prowess, now sobbing. The Unyielding Princess was instantly repulsed. The discomfort she felt around Shen Lang was because his scummy aura had grown so strong that just being within three *chi* of him felt as if her clothes were being stripped away, leaving her to be violated by him. The disgust she felt facing Zheng Tu, however, was of a different kind—a nausea that made her want to vomit. In Shen Lang's presence, Ning Jie never hid her displeasure, but before Zheng Tu, she had to conceal her revulsion.
Princess Ning Jie spoke.
"The Count of Pingsi is truly thoughtful. His Majesty asked me to inquire if the serious injuries you recently sustained have healed well."
Without a word, Zheng Tu immediately tore open his clothes, revealing a chest covered in densely packed wounds. Each one was not yet fully healed, a sight that would make anyone's heart tremble. The Count of Pingsi had been ruthless in inflicting these wounds upon himself. Seeing them, Princess Ning Jie clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to vomit.
She was an exceptionally cold woman. In her important role at the Blackwater Terrace, she had killed and castrated countless people and witnessed prisoners subjected to the most gruesome tortures. Their wounds were far more severe and horrifying than Zheng Tu's, yet back then, Ning Jie had never felt nauseous. Her current nausea was due to Zheng Tu's attitude. For a man to bare his body before a woman so readily...
Zheng Tu once again pressed his forehead to the ground and wailed.
"My Master, to think you would worry about this servant's well-being at a time like this! This servant will repay your grace with a thousand deaths."
Princess Ning Jie clenched her jaw for a long moment until the wave of nausea finally subsided, allowing her a moment of relief.
"The Count of Pingsi has endured much hardship."
Zheng Tu's voice trembled as he continued, "Everything this servant has was given by my Master. Every soldier, even my very life, was given by my Master. Even if my body were to be shattered into a thousand pieces, it would not be enough to repay even a ten-thousandth of the grace my Master has shown me."
Princess Ning Jie clenched her jaw again. Had she known Zheng Tu would react this way, she would never have brought it up. She yearned for her days at the Blackwater Terrace, where she could dismember criminals at will, with no need for such absurd theatrics. To think that there was someone in this world even more exasperating than Shen Lang. Fearing that any further pleasantries would elicit a response ten times more nauseating from Zheng Tu, Princess Ning Jie decided to cut to the chase.
"His Majesty has issued an edict. Zheng Tu, kneel and receive it!"
Zheng Tu was already on his knees, but upon hearing her words, he prostrated himself fully, his four limbs and head touching the ground.
"Zheng Tu has endured hardship and achieved great merit. He is hereby enfeoffed as the Count of Zhenyuan and shall temporarily guard the Marquis of Zhenyuan's estate. By Imperial Command!"
Hearing the edict, Zheng Tu's entire body trembled as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Half of him felt as cold as ice, the other half as hot as fire. The icy chill was because he saw through King Ning Yuanxian's intentions. He knew Ning Yuanxian all too well. If the King had sent an edict full of harsh rebukes and reprimands, it would have meant he still held some affection for the person and had no intention of killing them.
Zheng Tu knew better than anyone what he had done, and he knew the King was well aware of it too. His conscience was already pricking him, and he had been bracing himself for the King's angry curses. But instead of curses, he received praise. The edict sent a chill down his spine, freezing his entire body. It meant the King's desire to kill him was soaring to the heavens.
And not only was he praised, but he was also enfeoffed as the Count of Zhenyuan. Was this even possible? Zheng Tu had dreamed of obtaining a substantive title of count, one that came with its own fiefdom and private army. He had thought he would have to win countless battles and perform great deeds to earn such a title. Yet the King had bestowed it upon him just like that.
*Why? Is this for Shen Lang's sake? Is the King trying to appease me into letting Shen Lang go? Why? Why on earth?*
An incomparable jealousy surged within Zheng Tu.
*Ning Yuanxian is such a ruthless man. And now, for the sake of a single Shen Lang, he's making a huge compromise and giving me a way out? Is that brat Shen Lang truly worthy of such treatment from the King? The King has fathered several children, yet he has never truly cherished any of them. Why is he being so good to Shen Lang?*