Chapter 724
Chapter 724
The King of Chu couldn't resist the urge to throw down the jade scroll in his hand.
‘Aren't you just trying to open up markets in our State of Chu under the pretext of rebuilding the royal palace, and even bring in a large amount of funding from the Heavenly Path Society to suppress the Hidden Yuan Society? Shen Lang, haven't you calculated this a little too precisely? On the surface, you claim to be offering unconditional support for the construction of our palace, but in reality, isn't your true intention to make a huge profit?’
How much face would Ning Qi lose if the King of Chu signed a new armistice with Ning Zheng? Unlike the humiliating treaty Ning Qi had signed, ceding two hundred *li* of territory and tarnishing the nation's prestige, the armistice with Ning Zheng would not surrender a single inch of land, preserving the State of Yue's territorial integrity. Furthermore, the two million gold coins in compensation would be given in the name of the Heavenly Path Society, having nothing to do with Yue.
Now, the King of Chu was faced with two choices: take two million gold coins or take two hundred *li* of land. In the long run, the two hundred *li* of territory was more useful, even though the land Yue was to cede this time consisted entirely of military fortresses, which would only grant military initiative without producing food or yielding much tax revenue. But hadn't the Tsar sold the seemingly useless Alaska, a vast expanse of 1.52 million square kilometers, for a mere 7.2 million dollars?
The King of Chu looked at Shen Lang and said.
“You have explained many things logically, but the people of Chu and my two hundred thousand-strong army are watching me. This battle is like a nocked arrow on a drawn bowstring; it cannot be avoided. So, no matter what, let us fight this battle first and talk again afterward.”
“Very well!”
“Shen Lang, one more thing. Even if I can think about the distant future, my generals are only thinking about avenging our nation's current humiliation and killing every last one of you. So, do not entertain for a moment the thought that we will go easy on you in this battle. Do not blame us if you are annihilated.”
“Understood! Did I not say from the beginning that I came to negotiate with Your Majesty not for the present, but for the future? I never expected Your Majesty to show us mercy, and we are not the least bit afraid of your two hundred thousand-strong army!”
The King of Chu was about to become slightly enraged.
‘Shen Lang, you truly are shameless with your boasts. You have only nine thousand troops under your command. The perimeter of the Chu capital's walls is over fifty *li*. That means fewer than two hundred soldiers must defend each *li* of the wall. With so few soldiers, how can you possibly defend the city? With such a sparse defensive formation, even a volley of arrows will have no effect. And that's not to mention that once our army begins its assault on the capital, the hundreds of thousands of citizens within the city may rise up and attack you from behind. At that point, your paltry nine thousand men will be caught in a pincer attack from both inside and out, facing certain annihilation!’
“Whether we form a secret alliance or sign a new armistice, let us fight this battle first and talk later. The bow has been drawn; the arrow must be loosed.”
“I know. Only the strong have the right to negotiate and form alliances! Your Majesty, the King of Chu, I shall take my leave then! I must go and prepare for battle, to welcome the assault of your two hundred thousand-strong army.”
With that, Shen Lang and Li Qianqiu departed, returning to the Chu capital as swift as an arrow, while the King of Chu slipped back to his military camp unnoticed. Li Xuanji asked him.
“Your Majesty, are you truly intending to negotiate with Shen Lang?”
“This battle must be fought. The officers and soldiers will surely fight with their lives on the line, as if possessed. If we do not fight this battle, not only will I be unworthy of being king, but I will also earn the hatred of my men. Shen Lang wants me to negotiate and sign an armistice with Ning Zheng instead, but first, they must survive this battle to earn the right to speak with me again!”
***
The next day.
The King of Chu's two hundred thousand-strong army advanced majestically toward the capital of Chu. Their marching speed was astonishing, their blood boiling with the desire for revenge and to wash away their shame.
“Avenge our wrongs, wash away our shame!”
“Avenge our wrongs, wash away our shame!”
The eyes of the entire State of Chu, and indeed the whole world, were once again fixed on Shen Lang and Ning Zheng. This pair of madmen had still not withdrawn their forces and were attempting to resist the King of Chu's two hundred thousand-strong army with only nine thousand troops. How absurd and astonishing was that?
***
Inside the Chu capital.
The King of Chu's two hundred thousand-strong army was now only three hundred *li* away from the capital.
“Under normal circumstances, we would surely be unable to defend the capital. The King of Chu's two hundred thousand men are an elite force, seasoned in frontline combat. Moreover, their morale is high, and they do not fear death. The biggest problem is that the capital's walls are too long, over fifty *li*. We would have to station one hundred and eighty soldiers per *li* of the wall, which would completely nullify the advantage we gain from raining down arrows from above. Furthermore, behind us are hundreds of thousands of Chu citizens. Though they have been docile so far, they will surely rise to attack our rear when the King of Chu comes to assault the city. Just as a swarm of ants can bring down an elephant, under normal circumstances, we will not only lose this battle but will be overwhelmed by countless enemies, and our army will be annihilated.”
Shen Lang nodded at Gao Duhuan’s words and said.
“Therefore, I will announce two decisions! First, we will completely abandon the outer walls of the Chu capital and retreat to the inner city. The inner city walls have a perimeter of only ten *li*, so we can defend it with eight to nine hundred men per *li*, which will be more than enough, and our arrow volleys will be incredibly potent. More importantly, the area below the inner city walls is inhabited by commoners, so the King of Chu's two hundred thousand-strong army will be unable to deploy in formation, weakening the advantage of their superior numbers.
Second, we must drive out everyone in the inner city, and if anyone refuses, they must be killed without mercy. That way, we will have no enemies at our backs. Of course, the King of Chu's army is currently three hundred *li* away, so it is not too late for us to withdraw from here. But this place is thousands of *li* from the State of Yue. If we do not fight and subdue the King of Chu, our journey home will not be peaceful, and we will be relentlessly attacked by Chu forces.
If we can subdue the King of Chu in this battle, we can pressure him into signing an armistice with Your Highness, Prince Ning Zheng, thereby invalidating Ning Qi's treaty. The treaty he signed, ceding two hundred *li* of territory, is a national disgrace. It would deal a massive blow to Ning Qi's reputation, and the miraculous victory he achieved in Tianxi Province would be completely erased. Your Highness, Prince Ning Zheng, will you fight this battle? The decision to take this risk is yours.”
Ning Zheng said resolutely.
“We fight!”
***
With Ning Zheng's order, a tragic scene unfolded in the capital of Chu. Shen Lang's nine thousand or so troops abandoned the outer walls, retreated into the inner city, and began to drive out the residents. The total population of the inner city was no more than fifty thousand, but they were all either wealthy or noble. They cherished their lives dearly but were also unwilling to abandon their magnificent mansions and businesses, so conflict inevitably broke out.
Shen Lang's army had been remarkably restrained since entering the Chu capital, never once harming the local populace, but now they were about to unleash a great slaughter. Everyone in the inner city, whether they were high-ranking royalty, nobility, or wealthy merchants, had to leave. The entire inner city had to be thoroughly cleansed. They were, however, told to leave their food behind. An ultimatum was issued: anyone who did not leave by the appointed time would be killed.
Then, Shen Lang gave the order to execute two dukes and three marquises, all members of the Chu royal family. The heads of a thousand people rolled, staining the ground crimson. Everyone in the inner city fled, wailing and crying. In just one day, Shen Lang had completed the cleansing of the inner city. His army no longer had to worry about being attacked from behind, but they were also cornered. By abandoning the outer walls, they had effectively cut off their own path of retreat.
***
The King of Chu's two hundred thousand-strong army drew ever closer, arriving at a point just thirty *li* away. Five days later, his army reached the foot of the capital's walls. But even though he had heard the news in advance, the King of Chu was stunned to see the empty outer walls.
‘Shen Lang and Ning Zheng are truly madmen. Retreating to the inner city is advantageous for defense, but it completely cuts off their escape route. Ning Qi created a miracle when he was cornered, so are Ning Zheng and Shen Lang determined to create an even more insane miracle?’
The King of Chu was shocked, but at the same time, he admired them. If one were to form an alliance, these were the kind of allies who would truly put one's mind at ease. They possessed an iron will and would not easily change their stance.
‘Ning Zheng, Shen Lang. I am greatly impressed by you. However, I have no other choice; I must give my all in this war. If you are defeated, there will be nothing more to discuss. But if you truly create a miracle and crush our army… then we can discuss what comes next. My admiration is my admiration, but do not think I will go easy on you.’
“Army, enter the city!”
At the King of Chu's command, the two hundred thousand-strong army marched majestically into the outer city. It took them three full days to establish their attack positions in the outer city, completely surrounding Shen Lang's army in the inner city.
***
Three days later.
The King of Chu gave the order.
“Army, attack the city!”
Eighty thousand troops instantly launched a frenzied assault on the inner city from all four directions—east, west, south, and north. A battle with overwhelming numerical disparity had finally begun. With Ning Zheng and Shen Lang's nine thousand men facing the King of Chu's two hundred thousand elite troops, the world would tremble at this battle, regardless of the outcome.
***
“Kill! Kill! Avenge our wrongs, wash away our shame!”
The sky-shattering sound of war drums echoed. Viewed from above, the eighty thousand attacking Chu soldiers surged toward the inner city walls like a tidal wave. Every man's face was fervent, but their hearts were filled with rage. For some time, they had been suppressing their frustration. The battle in Tianxi Province had been theirs to win, yet they had failed to secure victory and were forced to retreat. Their former king had been assassinated, and it was revealed that the seventh prince, Chu Lin, was the murderer. The vast majority of the soldiers did not know the full truth, but they instinctively knew that what was announced to the world was not the whole story.
‘Humiliation.’
Deep down, they all felt a great sense of humiliation. But could they blame their new king? No, they could not. These two hundred thousand or so officers and soldiers held a deep affection for their new King of Chu. His actions had been flawless from beginning to end; he was brave and fearless in the face of death, wise and filial. But they felt they would go mad if they did not vent this frustration.
‘Then let us unleash this anger upon Ning Zheng and Shen Lang's army.’
They did not use trebuchets. Assembling them took a long time, and besides, this was their city. All the houses in the inner city were exquisitely and magnificently built. Using trebuchets would not kill many enemies but would instead risk reducing their own city to rubble. They charged forward, carrying siege ladders, intending to scale the walls directly.
‘There are two hundred thousand of us; how can we fail to destroy your nine thousand? Is it not said that an army filled with righteous indignation is destined for victory?’