Chapter 643
Chapter 643
Upon entering Tiannan Province, Ying Yi was met by his most powerful reinforcements. They were warriors from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion—only two hundred of them, but all were masters of the martial arts. Of course, they bore no markings to identify them as members of the Pavilion, but the man leading them was Li Nanfeng, another esteemed disciple of the Left Envoy Pavilion Master.
This alone showed how much importance Princess Yinghan placed on the war Ying Yi was about to wage. The sole purpose of these two hundred masters was to protect him. He was truly a favorite of the heavens, showered with affection from all sides.
The Crown Prince soon entered the Grand Marshal’s Office to meet Governor Zhu Rong.
It was true that Governor Zhu Rong was ill. He had poured his heart and soul into this endeavor for months, expending a tremendous amount of energy. However, the claim that his condition was critical was false. He had deliberately taken a special medicine to make it seem as though his life was hanging by a thread.
“Your Highness, this servant is unable to rise and offer you a proper greeting.”
Ying Yi said to Governor Zhu Rong.
“There is no need, Uncle. What you have done for me, I will remember in my heart.”
“Our State of Yue’s army of two hundred thousand has been besieging Lord Kuang’s thirty thousand or so remnants for a month now. But without Your Highness’s presence, we could not bring ourselves to begin the battle.”
Naturally, the Yue army could not fight. It would be awkward if they won the war and eliminated Lord Kuang before the Crown Prince arrived. How could he display his greatness if the enemy fell before he even thrust his spear?
“Your Highness, the battlefield in the State of Nangu is now fully prepared, waiting only for the east wind to blow. And you, Your Highness, are that east wind.”
“Are all the supplies also ready?”
“Everything has been prepared. We have more than enough; there will be no shortages.”
That was strange. In the previous battles, even when the Zhu Clan had thrown all its weight behind the effort, supplies had not been plentiful. Yet now, with two hundred thousand troops besieging Lord Kuang, supplies were suddenly abundant? In truth, it was not strange at all. Before, no one knew who would win or lose, so everyone feared their investments would go to waste. But now, with victory seemingly in sight, all the merchant guilds and noble families, including the Hidden Yuan Society, had confidently invested everything. Thanks to them, mountains of supplies flowed into the Nangu battlefield every day. No one hesitated to contribute to what seemed like a guaranteed success.
Zhu Rong said.
“For this war, our Zhu Clan has emptied out the entire family fortune, accumulated over decades.”
“I, Ying Yi, will never forget the grace of my grandfather and my uncle.”
“Your Highness, I do not say this to seek gratitude, but to urge you to be cautious, cautious, and ever more cautious in this war!”
“I understand, Uncle.”
“After you go to the State of Nangu, trust Zhu Lin and Nangong Ao in all matters concerning the war. They are both veterans who have long commanded on the battlefield.”
Crown Prince Ying Yi was slightly displeased by Zhu Rong's admonition.
‘Zhu Rong, what do you mean by that? That you don’t trust me? To be more blunt, are you telling me to just stand there like a statue while others spoon-feed me the victory?’
Of course, that was precisely what Zhu Rong meant.
‘Your Highness, your mere presence is enough. Your wisdom and talent can be used later. This time, please do nothing and simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of victory.’
‘Does he take me, Ying Yi, for a three-year-old?’
But Zhu Rong could not afford to be anything but cautious. A grand army of two hundred thousand had been mobilized. If they suffered a loss here, everything the Zhu Clan had built in the State of Yue for decades would turn to dust, and the Crown Prince’s position would become untenable.
“Rest assured, Uncle. When I go to the State of Nangu, I will bring only my eyes and ears, not my mouth to give orders.”
Noticing the Crown Prince’s underlying displeasure, Zhu Rong quickly softened his tone.
“Your Highness, you are too kind!”
The Crown Prince suddenly asked.
“Shen Lang said that Lord Kuang might be plotting something. What are your thoughts, Uncle?”
Governor Zhu Rong fell silent for a moment before answering slowly.
“A commander must consider all possibilities with utmost care. Of course, what Shen Lang said about Lord Kuang plotting to lure the snake out of its hole sounds absurd. Lord Kuang has already lost two-thirds of his army. However, we still cannot fail to guard against that possibility. Therefore, this servant has but one thing to say to Your Highness: if you press a cornered foe, our own army may suffer. If Lord Kuang flees into the territory of the Great Nan State, you must absolutely not pursue them. Do not enter the jungles or deep mountains.”
Crown Prince Ying Yi nodded.
“I understand.”
Governor Zhu Rong stressed again.
“The territory of the Great Nan State is all jungle and high mountains. Our army cannot form ranks there and will be drawn in and slaughtered. If Lord Kuang breaks through the encirclement and escapes, you must not give chase.”
“I understand!”
* * *
The next day.
Crown Prince Ying Yi, leading an army of ten thousand, entered the territory of the State of Nangu. With this, the State of Yue's forces on the battlefield finally reached twenty-one thousand. Five days later, Crown Prince Ying Yi arrived at the front.
“This servant, Zhu Lin, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“This servant, Nangong Ao, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
While these great generals were men of pride, the other high-ranking officials present were far more direct in their flattery of the Crown Prince.
“We have all been looking to Your Highness as a child looks to a parent. Now that you are here, the outcome is already decided.”
“Indeed. With Your Highness here, we can all rest easy!”
Crown Prince Ying Yi returned their courtesies flawlessly before speaking.
“My elder sister, General Zhu Lin, and General Nangong are all renowned commanders of a generation. In this battle, I must rely on your help. I have come here to learn. I have brought only my eyes and ears, not my mouth!”
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The greatest fear of a general on the battlefield is a superior who issues commands recklessly without understanding the overall situation. For the Crown Prince to take such a stance from the outset was a welcome development, but of course, they had to respond with lavish praise. They spoke of how brilliant His Highness was, how they would only follow his orders, and that if His Highness commanded it, they would walk through boiling water or burning fire without hesitation.
Crown Prince Ying Yi asked.
“There are rumors in the capital that Lord Kuang’s food supplies are running low. Is this true?”
Princess Yingluo replied.
“It is true. Because they have already begun to eat their own kind.”
Upon hearing this, everyone present fought the urge to retch. Great General Zhu Lin said.
“All the wounded soldiers of the Shaman Tribe have been killed and made into jerky.”
“Then are the rumors of a plague breaking out in Lord Kuang’s army true?”
At Ying Yi’s question, Nangong Ao answered.
“It is true. We have clearly witnessed them arranging corpses in an orderly fashion and then burning them all. The number of bodies was too great to count; they would not do such a thing unless it was a plague!”
* * *
Was it true that Lord Kuang’s army had started practicing cannibalism? It was false. In the past, the Shaman Tribe had indeed done such things. But after Lord Kuang unified the tribes, the very first law he proclaimed was that anyone who practiced cannibalism would be put to death. Then why did the Yue scouts claim to have seen them eating human flesh?
What they saw were fake bodies made from flour dough. These dough figures were laid out, and pieces were sliced off with a knife, thrown into a pot to boil, and then distributed among the soldiers. Watched from a great distance, it truly looked like they were carving up corpses to eat. Therefore, the soldiers and commanders of Yue never doubted the veracity of such a shocking sight. The Shaman Tribe had a history of cannibalism, so they had no reason to question its authenticity.
Then was the plague real? It was relatively normal for plagues to break out in armies, especially one like the Shaman Tribe’s, where sanitation was quite poor. However, since Lord Kuang took command, all the troops under him boiled their water before drinking. In fact, he had learned this from Shen Lang. Of course, the warriors of the Shaman Tribe, having survived in harsh environments for so long, had developed stomachs of steel and likely would not have gotten sick from drinking unclean water. Thus, many thought boiling water was a pointless task.
But to enforce this, Lord Kuang had resorted to special measures. For instance, he deliberately poisoned a source of fresh water, causing a massive outbreak of illness among the Shaman Tribe warriors who drank from it. Although they eventually recovered, the memory of the terrifying pain lingered. The sight of everyone bedridden and suffering was too wretched to behold. After that, the entire Shaman Tribe army began to boil their water.
Furthermore, Lord Kuang had brought several hundred physician monks from the Great Tribulation Temple into his army, making a large-scale epidemic highly unlikely. So, what about the rumors of a plague? It was simple. He had a group of men completely covered up and ordered them to burn a large number of bodies. The Shaman Tribe army had suffered many casualties in this war. Traditionally, they practiced earth burial; cremation was not part of their funerary rites. But now, on Lord Kuang’s orders, they were burning bodies on a massive scale, with the number increasing daily. Moreover, the men who carried and burned the corpses were all wrapped in cloth from head to toe. At first, they burned dozens of bodies a day, then hundreds. The Yue scouts who witnessed this naturally concluded that a plague had broken out.
Humans are strange creatures. They are certain of what they witness with their own eyes and believe even more strongly in what they want to believe. Thus, the Yue army believed the Shaman Tribe was resorting to cannibalism due to a lack of food, and seeing men in full coverings burning corpses, they believed a plague was rampant.
This showed what a formidable man Lord Kuang truly was. He employed advanced psychological tactics, carrying out his false theatrics to the very limit.
* * *
Crown Prince Ying Yi was overjoyed to hear this.
‘The timing of the heavens, the advantages of the earth, and the hearts of the people are all on my side. At this rate, it will be harder to lose than to win.’
“Then, when would be a good time to commence the battle?”
The Crown Prince’s attitude remained exceedingly humble. Nangong Ao found it difficult to speak and glanced at Zhu Lin. Great General Zhu Lin said.
“We have long been prepared and can begin the war at any time. Three days from now, the ninth day of the twelfth month, is an auspicious day. What do you think of commencing the battle then?”
Nangong Ao nodded, and Princess Yingluo also nodded in agreement.
“Very well. On the ninth day of the twelfth month, the entire army will commence the attack and eliminate Lord Kuang!”
At Ying Yi’s words, Princess Yingluo spoke up.
“The battlefield is now teeming with fierce generals like clouds in the sky. There is no need for a woman like myself to remain. I will return to the capital of Nangu.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. The next day, Princess Yingluo, leading an army of ten thousand, returned to the capital of the State of Nangu.