The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 523- 525

Chapter 523: Rest and Reorganization

Having grappled with enemies for a day and night, many soldiers directly lay down on the ground as the great battle ended, utterly unable to summon the energy to raise their sabers again. Exhausted, sleepy and desensitized, some of them even closed their eyes and fell asleep shortly after lying down. Not only the soldiers, even Ling Zhang felt somewhat numb. The smell of blood lingering on the tip of his nose seemed as though it would never disappear, as though he were breathing strong scent of blood instead of air. He was radiating an almost palpable aura of bloodthirstiness as if he and this battlefield had become one.

Yuwen Tong detailed some soldiers who still had enough strength to walk to patrol the area between the mountain pass and Jifang City lest their fatigued, sleeping comrades-in-arms fell victim to possible surviving enemies. At the same time, He Xiao and Yuwen Jin, each leading some men, went up to the heights flanking the valley to make regular patrols in case there were any sneak attacks.

The army badly needed regroupment, with which Yuwen Tong was so occupied he couldn’t find any time to talk with Ling Zhang in private.

Ling Zhang did not disturb them. He and Mr. Mu led some men into the city, took over it and forbade the soldiers from disturbing local residents.

Local residents had been fleeing hurry scurry since the soldiers had gained entry into the city, but gradually, finding that the soldiers of the Great Wen were not slaughtering civilians, they calmed down, and the confusion and chaos that had been reigning the city from the very beginning abated. Ling Zhang washed, took off his armor, changed into light clothes and went up to a high platform to pacify the residents.

He stated his identity as the empress of the Great Wen. And, since he was not wearing armor, and there was no blood on his clothes, he looked courtly and dignified. In addition, he was emanating a progressively detectable, inexplicable air of something similar to sacredness, so his efforts to placate the residents were quite fruitful. Though it was impossible for the residents to immediately accept the fact that they had turned from subjects of the Wan Kingdom into those of the Great Wen, or to let go of their hate, as long as these residents stopped panicking and regained their composure, the army did not have to spare time and energy to deal with these residents.

A lot of people, mostly newly appointed officers, and some others in the army too, were greatly surprised to see that Ling Zhang was doing such a good job pacifying local residents.

Previously they had merely heard some rumors about Ling Zhang, but recently they had fought shoulder to shoulder with him, and they had come to know that he was capable of deploying miraculous Formations and placating residents. Their knowledge of what kind of person Ling Zhang was no longer limited to the information they had got from hearsay. They now had a more vivid image of him.

Ling Zhang, after cooling the residents off, temporarily took charge of important civic affairs. Of course, there were still many things he was unable to handle at the moment. Currently, the first priority was to restore order and prevent soldiers from disturbing residents with strict bans. Meanwhile, he organized some army patrols and had them patrol the streets lest any local ruffians take advantage of the situation and loot civilians’ houses.

After doing these, he did not get involved in any other matters and just waited for Yuwen Tong to assign his men to take over the city.

The areas south of the Wan River had gradually been taken over by a team of civil officials brought by Chu Liangyan. Some of those officials were experienced, and some others were newly promoted ones. All of them had been screened by Yuwen Tong and some courtiers before being selected. Every time a city was taken, some officials, along with their respective assistants, were assigned to stay in it until all the local residents came to heel; the soldiers and military officers staying in the cities mostly played an auxiliary role, and it was the civil officials who were doing most of the placatory work. Everything was being dealt with according to the rules of the Great Wen. The decrees issued were the ones that Yuwen Tong had long since finalized after consulting with his courtiers, and some adjustments had been made before their promulgation. Presently the situation in areas south of the Wan River was fairly stable.

Zhaoyang City, which was located to the north of the Wan River, was of great strategic importance. Right now Chu Liangyan was in Zhaoyang City, and it would be some time before he and the rest of his men arrived at Jifang City.

Naturally, Yuwen Tong and his men also had to stay in Jifang City for a few days before they moved north, for the army had just been through an intense fight and needed some time to rest and regroup to get ready for the battle outside the Wan capital.

…

“Seeing as Jifang City has now fallen into our hands, Shan Congli must be panic-stricken. I’m sure he’ll dispatch the northern garrisons south to help defend the capital.”

“The Wan cavalry in the north is a big threat to us.”

After a day’s rest, all the troops had found a second wind. Yuwen Tong and the generals were having a meeting, analyzing what the configuration of the enemy they were going to fight next might be like.

“The Wan capital is different from any of the other cities we’ve taken. It’s going to be a real tough fight. First we need to make sure the troops have enough time to recharge,” said Yuwen Tong.

Having made such great progress, he was not inclined to rush into anything. Letting the troops get the rest they needed was the top priority.

As for food, fodder and other supplies, Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been transporting them from the rear to the front all the time, and the supply routes had never been cut off, so Yuwen Tong did not have to worry about it at all.

Xiao Jiangyue and the others agreed with Yuwen Tong’s decision. Eventually, they decided to send some men to check out the lay of the land in the Wan capital, while they themselves would have the troops rest well, finish the regroupment of the forces as soon as possible and then depart for the Wan capital.

…

When Yuwen Tong was talking with the generals, Ling Zhang went to the infirmary.

The infirmary had been expanded. Tents of the infirmary covered a large area. The main reason for it was that there were too many injured soldiers.

Almost all soldiers, to a greater or lesser degree, had been wounded during this battle.

Those whose injuries were minor, after having their wounds dressed, returned to their respective tents to rest; those with relatively severe injuries were resting in tents of the infirmary, and there were designated personnel decocting medicinal herbs and changing their dressings for them; grievously wounded ones had been settled in tents around the infirmary, some physicians tending them.

There was such a clear division of responsibilities in the encampment because in Yuwen Tong’s army, this had been how things were supposed to be dealt with for many years. Both the soldiers and the army physicians were experienced in it and able to guarantee orderly handling of these matters.

However, the great wealth of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was the main reason why the injured were living in comfortable tents, getting the medical care they needed, taking medicine and eating balanced meals on time.

The medicinal herbs were provided by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, and so were food supplies for the injured. Even the health workers had been sent to the encampment by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, all of whom had been strictly screened beforehand.

Such comfortable conditions for the injured would never have existed were it not for assistance from Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.

The limited few, who knew some inside information about it, were all greatly surprised at the full support of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. There were even fewer people aware that the actual owner of the organization was Ling Zhang.

During the past two days, physicians in the infirmary had still been quite busy. There were too many injured soldiers. Those with less severe injuries had to wait until the grievously wounded ones were treated to receive the medical treatment they needed. Because of this, Mr. Mu voluntarily went there to share the physicians’ burden. Ling Zhang, who had some medical skills as well, also went to the infirmary to offer help after the caretaker municipal government was in temporary working order.

The soldiers who recognized him were all excited. None of them had bargained on the empress coming to treat their wounds in person.

Ling Zhang had been composed all along. He was also intentionally radiating that aura of his, which gradually calmed the soldiers down, but every time Ling Zhang was bandaging their wounds or changing their dressings, they still couldn’t help but feel excited and deeply touched.

The soldiers’ excitement and gratitude was of pure simplicity. Ling Zhang gave it some thought and decided to stay in the infirmary for another two days. Owing to his presence, the injured were in a much more stable mood, especially those severely wounded ones, who basically were unable to fight another battle, and who could only take a state pension and return to their hometowns and thus were somewhat disoriented.

Ling Zhang’s presence distracted their attention. Also, as they saw Ling Zhang dressing their wounds without any condescension or air of superiority, they had a stronger sense of belonging to the Great Wen and the imperial couple, lofty sentiments sweeping over them, dissolving their disorientation.

“For those of you who can still walk and carry things, no matter what you’ve lost is an arm or a leg, the imperial court will find you suitable jobs. Just stay here until you fully recover from your wounds, and then arrangements will be made for you to return to your hometowns. The pension you’ve received is your guarantee of future life, so keep it safe and do not give it to anybody else. Set your minds at ease and nurse yourselves back to health. When His Majesty and I return to the capital city, a decree will be promulgated and you’ll be assigned to new positions,” Ling Zhang said to the injured.

For most of the soldiers, being allowed to return to their hometowns after nursing themselves back to health was very good news, and Ling Zhang also cautioned him to keep their pension safe and not to give it to anybody else, which moved them even further. They felt an instant upsurge of closeness to Ling Zhang. On hearing that the imperial court would find them jobs, they were both excited and curious. A relatively bold soldier asked aloud, “Your Highness, may I ask what kind of jobs you and His Majesty will have us do?”

“If His Majesty and Your Highness still need our service, we will fight for you and His Majesty to the last breath!” promised someone who had more militant pride.

Ling Zhang replied truthfully, “Our country is still encouraging residents to farm. After you return, local governments in your hometowns will start building state-owned farms. Those of you who still have your arms may go to those farms and help carry water and weed the paddies; those who have lost your arms but still have your legs may help patrol the farms; those who can read may teach the children how to write and read … There’s a whole load of jobs like these. As long as there’s still something you can do, the imperial court will do everything they could to help you get a job to make a living. And it’s okay if you’re indeed too disabled to handle any jobs – the imperial court will make sure you have everything you need. You’ve sacrificed everything for the Great Wen, and it’s only fair that the Great Wen should take care of you for the rest of your lives. Of course, these policies are for those of you who have no families left in your hometowns. If you still have wives or children or siblings who could look after you, or you have your own way to make a living, the imperial court will respect your wishes. You have plenty of time to think it through, and you may make a decision after returning home and conferring with your family about it. The pension in your hands should be enough to last you a very long time.”

The severely wounded soldiers were all astounded at these words of Ling Zhang’s. Many of them were members of the North-Western Army. Soldiers of the North-Western Army were always the most valiant and fearless on the battlefield, which was why the majority of grievously wounded soldiers were from this army. Back then when Yuwen Tong had been the marshal of the North-Western Army, he had also been very considerate in the placement of the injured, but now Ling Zhang outshined him in this regard, so the soldiers were truly shocked.

Chapter 524: I’m Dead Beat. Give Me a Hug

But this was because at that time it was the emperor surnamed Zhou who had been in power, and Yuwen Tong, though capable of guaranteeing comfortable life for soldiers willing to stay in north-western prefectures like Shengzhou, Youzhou, had been unable to guarantee that the soldiers would enjoy all the rights they deserved after leaving the north-west. After all, at that time he had been merely a marshal, not the emperor, and his reach had not been that wide.

Now, however, things were different. Yuwen Tong had the power to make any decision he wanted when it came to the placement of the injured.

Ling Zhang’s words shocked the grievously wounded soldiers and at the same time gave them hope. Many of them had families who would take care of them, and some had their own way to make a living, but they were still touched. They not only were moved but also saw hope.

These words soon spread through the whole army. The severely injured soldiers, who had been rather dejected, all dismissed their negative emotions and began to actively do as the physicians said, and no longer saw the future as dim.

Ling Zhang was not making empty promises. He and Yuwen Tong had long since conferred with each other about it, and it had also been discussed in court meetings. They had even finalized a specific action plan, which would be carried out right after Yuwen Tong took the Wan capital.

The reason why they would wait until that time to execute the plan was mainly because the bunch of courtiers believed that the people would be more deeply impressed by the emperor’s wisdom that way.

Ling Zhang, in order to avert suspicion, had not participated in the handling of those state affairs, so he had never stated his stand on this matter before.

But after seeing the disoriented and depressed looks on the faces of the severely injured soldiers, Ling Zhang had felt it unnecessary to wait that long to tell them. If he did not give these soldiers some hope at this point in time, they probably wouldn’t be able to live long enough to return to their hometowns, so he had directly disclosed it to them, and he didn’t care whether or not the news would spread. All he wanted was for these injured soldiers to have more hope which would help them survive.

Yuwen Tong also felt that it would be better if the message spread. On this day all soldiers had extra dishes on their tables, and at the same time Yuwen Tong, as the emperor, officially confirmed what Ling Zhang had said to the injured.

The whole army was thrown into excitement. Those who still felt somewhat drained due to a day and night’s fierce fighting swelled with great enthusiasm at the news, and the despondency was instantly swept away. All the troops became thrilled once again as though given stimulation treatment.

…

Ling Zhang, who had just returned from the infirmary, exhaled deeply and sprawled in an armchair, heedless of his undignified sitting position. Wang Dashan and some others were standing guard outside the tent, so he did not have to worry about any uninvited visitors seeing him.

The past few days had indeed been quite rough. Given that even he, the empress, was dead beat, it was safe to say that each and every member of the army was dead beat. Because of Yuwen Tong’s verbal confirmation of the placement policy, the encampment was uproarious on this day. Hearing the excited voices from outside, Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief. If truth be told, he had never served in the army and thus was unsure whether or not the soldiers’ reaction was normal, but he still couldn’t help but worry that it might affect the combat readiness of the army if the situation continued.

Ling Zhang exhaled deeply once again, sprawling in his armchair with no consideration whatsoever of his personal image, clearing his mind, thinking about nothing.

Though he had merely acted as an auxiliary worker in the infirmary, the heavy workload there was beyond his expectation.

Yuwen Tong, on entering the tent, saw Ling Zhang sprawling in an armchair in an undignified manner. Knowing that Ling Zhang was exhausted, his heart aching for Ling Zhang, he walked over and scooped Ling Zhang up from the armchair.

“Go and lie down on the bed. I’m sure you’ll feel much more comfortable lying in a bed than sprawling in an armchair.”

Ling Zhang wriggled out of Yuwen Tong’s embrace and said, “I reek of sweat and need to take a bath first, or else the bed would stink of my sweat as well. You’ve got everything handled?”

Yuwen Tong said, “Sort of. Tonight there’s going to be a bonfire to help the troops relax, and we’ll have to put in an appearance. You may go and have some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.”

Ling Zhang shook his head, feeling it unacceptable to go to bed all sweaty and dirty. Having lived in a palace for years, he had developed certain habits and some of the things he used to be accustomed to now struck him as unbearable.

Yuwen Tong felt an urge to laugh at the sight of Ling Zhang’s bearing. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just the two of us. I don’t mind,” he said amusedly.

Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. “But I do. Okay?”

Yuwen Tong sighed, “All right. Let’s have a bath together. Then we go to bed.”

Um? Together?

“You want to have a bath as well?” Ling Zhang asked him.

Yuwen Tong said, “I want you to massage my shoulders. I’ve been having some tough days lately.”

After hearing this, Ling Zhang said, “Okay, then. Let’s bathe.”

Yuwen Tong had some hot water delivered inside. A large bathing barrel was right in the tent, and all bathroom ware was also available.

The encampment was in the vicinity of Jifang City. All supplies could be transported to the encampment in a timely manner, and it was also very convenient to get water, so soldiers had no difficulty getting what they needed to bathe.

After the two of them stripped and entered the bathing barrel, Ling Zhang offered to massage Yuwen Tong’s shoulder. Yuwen Tong had Ling Zhang turn around and started kneading his shoulders first.

“Didn’t you say that you want me to massage your shoulders? Why are you massaging mine?” asked Ling Zhang, feeling so comfortable he could barely keep from groaning.

Yuwen Tong pecked Ling Zhang’s ear and said, “Your wrist is in no fit state to perform any exertion of great strength.”

Ling Zhang looked at his wrist. The bandages had been removed, and the scab on the cut had come off, but his wrist still ached when he exerted great strength, so he tried to avoid using that hand whenever he could. On that day, when attacking the mountain pass, he had felt thankful that it was his left hand he had had cut, because otherwise he would’ve been unable to use a sword, which would be a disgrace.

“It won’t ache if I use only a moderate amount of strength,” said Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong didn’t let him. For him, having a bath with Ling Zhang was itself a relaxing thing. Now the cut in Ling Zhang’s chest had also healed, so …

He held Ling Zhang in his arms and had sex with him in the bathing barrel. When Ling Zhang, gripping the edge of the bathing barrel with his hands, started letting out muffled groans, the auditory stimuli were so intense that Yuwen Tong almost ejaculated prematurely. Fortunately he managed to hold it. It was mainly because they hadn’t done it for quite a while, and Yuwen Tong felt it difficult to restrain himself.

Eventually, Yuwen Tong carried Ling Zhang back to the bed and did it a second time. When the second round was over, Ling Zhang directly fell asleep for exhaustion. Yuwen Tong wet a towel with hot water, wiped Ling Zhang clean and then cleaned himself. After that, he went to the inner compartment and had his bodyguards get the bathwater out of the tent.

Yao Yi had a faint flush on his face when leading a couple of men into the tent to carry the bathing barrel. Looking at the patches of water on the ground, he felt quite sympathetic towards Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang. How sexually repressed must they have been to make out so wildly?

…

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had slept for two hours when Yao Yi woke them up. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, the banquet’s starting.”

As he was awoken, Ling Zhang burrowed his face into Yuwen Tong’s chest, having no intention to get up or go to any banquets.

Yuwen Tong instructed Yao Yi to tell the soldiers that the two of them would be there later. Yao Yi sensibly took his leave.

As Yuwen Tong looked down at Ling Zhang who was burrowing his face into his chest, and whose whole body was in his embrace, he felt so warm, aroused and satiated as though he were soaking in hot water again. He lowered his head, kissed Ling Zhang’s hair and said, “You may sleep for a little while longer.”

But after an hour, the “little while” still hadn’t come to an end. Knowing that they really needed to go, Yuwen Tong had no choice but to wake Ling Zhang.

When Ling Zhang was awoken, his face wore a hurt expression and he looked on the verge of tears. Yuwen Tong’s heart ached at the sight of it. He gave it some thought and then said, “How about you continue to sleep and I go without you?”

On hearing Yuwen Tong offer to go without him, Ling Zhang shook his head and said, “I’ll go with you.”

After saying that, he reluctantly got out of bed and waddled to the wardrobe to get his clothes.

Yuwen Tong hastened out of bed and went to help him.

It took them some time to make themselves presentable. The whole encampment had turned into an ocean of uproar when they walked out of the tent. Their arrival at the banquet gave rise to another surge of excitement among the troops. Because of their lateness, Yuwen Jin, who was always bold, suggested the two of them each drink a cup of wine as punishment. The soldiers took up the chant and the two of them had no alternative but to receive their punishment.

In the knowledge that he could easily get drunk by drinking on an empty stomach, Ling Zhang, after sitting down, immediately started eating, intending to get some food into his belly first. He also conveniently put some meat and vegetable into Yuwen Tong’s bowl. “Eat,” he said.

Naturally, Yuwen Tong ate the meat and vegetable given to him by Ling Zhang. As he saw that there was some gravy at the corner of Ling Zhang’s mouth, he reached out a hand and wiped it off.

There was some kind of tacit behavioral agreement between the two, which had been developing in a natural fashion for years, but this scene struck people in the vicinity as a public display of affection, one that flooded them with self-pity.

“I find it incredible the marital bonding between His Majesty and His Highness is still so strong, given that they have been married for over five years,” said a soldier in a muted, envious voice.

“Tell me about it. The exemplary marriage between the imperial couple is known to everybody in the world,” said a second soldier proudly. Why he said this with pride was a mystery to the others, for all those who knew him were aware that he was still a bachelor.

“Alas. If only I could also get a wife with whom I’ll have a lifelong happy marriage,” sighed a third soldier, manifest envy in his voice.

“When this war is over, we’ll return home war heroes, and when we do, I don’t think it’ll be too difficult for either of us to find a good wife, will it?” said a fourth soldier.

“That’s hard to say. It’s not easy to find the right person. Why else do you think I’ve been single for so many years? Because of this, my mother once beat me so hard I was almost crippled. I think she would really cripple me if I still refuse to get married the next time I return home. The very thought of it makes me feel tired. I don’t even want to go back any more,” said the third soldier.

Yuwen Jin, having great empathy with the one who said these words, raised his wine cup at that soldier, who raised his in response. The two of them exchanged a glance and then gulped down their wine at the same time, silently expressing their common vexation and their sympathy for each other.

Yuwen Tong and Ling Zhang, sitting in the high seats, naturally heard those men’s whispers and saw Yuwen Jin’s actions.

Ling Zhang said in an undertone, “I think this guy’s going to be beaten up by his mother as well when he returns home if he refuses to get married.”

Yuwen Tong observed, “This is not something we can rush him into.”

Ling Zhang looked sidelong at him. “Who was the one that threatened him with it a couple of days ago?”

Yuwen Tong chuckled, “You said it yourself it’s just a threat. You can’t take it seriously. I’m not going to interfere in Yuwen Jin’s marriage or that of any other Yuwen. They have the right to make decisions for themselves about whether they want to get married or not. The Yuwen family has enough money to keep them fed for the rest of their lives anyway.”

On hearing these words, Ling Zhang almost burst into laughter. If Yuwen Jin came to know these opinions about him of his second cousin, he would probably jump up in annoyance and yell “I don’t need anybody to keep me fed!” or something like that. Still, Ling Zhang found Yuwen Tong’s broad-mindedness truly admirable. It was really not easy for an emperor to give his relatives such freedom, braving social pressure, but Yuwen Tong was doing it in such a natural fashion as though it were as easy as drinking water from a cup.

Chapter 525: The Cavalry of the Great Wen

The banquet around the bonfire lasted until very late. It was after midnight, and the whole army was asleep, except for soldiers on guard duty or on patrol. The encampment was very quiet.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who had had some hectic days lately, went to sleep shortly after returning to their tent.

It was not until the next morning that the encampment came to life again.

As the troops had stayed up too late the night before, the officers reasonably exempted the soldiers from morning drill so that the troops could have enough sleep and be refreshed and recharged when they woke up.

…

Three days later, when the army were fully prepared, they broke camp and resumed their northward advance, pushing on towards the Wan capital.

Shan Congli panicked and, having no room in his head to worry about possible invasions from those northern tribes, finally gave the order for the garrisons stationed in the north to move south. After arriving at the capital just before Yuwen Tong’s army did, they started deploying defenses hurry scurry, intending to keep at bay the army of the Great Wen.

However, before the battle started, an envoy arrived at the new encampment, bringing with him a diplomatic note from Shan Congli who wanted to sue for peace.

“Shan Congli is suing for peace? And he offers to cede the areas south of the Wan River to us and pay tribute to us on an annual basis?”

Ling Zhang was confused after reading the terms of peace on the diplomatic note from Shan Congli. What made Shan Congli think they would accept his terms? Not only areas south of the Wan River but also almost half of the areas north of the river had now fallen into their hands. Did Shan Congli seriously believe they would be so foolish as to give him back the land they had occupied in exchange for the so-called yearly tribute? It would be an action more stupid than letting the tiger escape to the mountain again.

“Shan Congli is indeed soft in the head,” Ling Zhang directly concluded.

Yuwen Tong also sneered, “He thinks because he’s still a monarch, his words mean something, which is a reverie blinding him to the reality and keeping him from getting off his high horse.”

Even if Shan Congli offered to unconditionally cede all the land they had occupied and pay annual tribute to the Great Wen, he would still turn Shan Congli down, not to mention the terms Shan Congli had offered showed such a lack of sincerity. Why would he blow everything when he was so close to the final victory?

How was he supposed to unify the three countries without subjugating the Wan Kingdom?

Naturally, Shan Congli’s attempt to sue for peace was not at all fruitful and met with taunt.

The envoy of the Wan Kingdom had been tremulous since he had entered the encampment. After being told to leave, he immediately ran out of the tent, slipping and staggering, not daring to cast a backward glance.

…

“That arrogant bastard Yuwen Tong!”

The Wan envoy, after returning to the capital, gave Shan Congli a blow-by-blow account of the derision he had been subjected to in the encampment of the Great Wen. Livid with rage, Shan Congli cursed Yuwen Tong loudly in the audience hall, but there was nothing he could do to Yuwen Tong.

Yuwen Tong’s army was laying siege to the Wan capital, and the city was hanging by a thread. None of the letters he had written to the Luohai monarch to request reinforcements had been replied. It was said that Nian Feng was still besieging the Luohai capital, standing in a standoff with the Yuexi garrison in support of Mu Rongfeng, both sides unwilling to budge an inch. Currently Mu Rongfeng was so busy trying to extricate himself from the predicament that it was impossible for him to offer the Wan Kingdom any help.

Xue Chi, the General-in-chief, was dead, and Chen Jing had also died in Jifang City. His two most experienced generals gone, Shan Congli, inevitably, was panic-stricken, but he was still not inclined to surrender himself to Yuwen Tong.

“Your Majesty, the defense of this city is very strong, and so is our Iron North Cavalry. As long as we hold this city long enough for the Luohai Kingdom to handle its civil strife and send reinforcements here, our crisis will be resolved,” said a courtier.

Many other courtiers had the same idea. They didn’t seem to have a clear enough understanding of the current situation and had great confidence in the Iron North Cavalry.

Even part of Shan Congli himself was willing to take his chances, which was why the terms he had offered to Yuwen Tong in exchange for peace had been that impractical.

What they should have seen by now was that it would take nothing short of a miracle for the Luohai Kingdom to spare a thought for them. In addition, how long could the so-called Iron North Cavalry last during a fight against enemies outnumbering them so heavily?

…

As usual, the first round of attacks was mainly aimed at taking the defenders’ measure. Unlike the capital of the Great Wen, the Wan capital had higher ramparts, and the buildings in it were of a bolder style, but there was no moat around it, and neither were there any natural barriers in the vicinity of it. It just stood there in the open field, looking unperturbed. Yuwen Tong didn’t even have to give much thought to strategies, for the city could only be taken by sheer force.

Ling Zhang looked at the towering ramparts of the Wan capital. It had been several centuries since the Wan Kingdom had been founded. The defenses of the city had been strengthened by generations of Wan people before they became what they were on this day. However, high as the ramparts were, they could no longer shield the people inside from attacks.

Centuries ago, this land had been the territory of a unified country, the Xia. Afterward, uprisings had been mounted, the emperor of the Xia overthrown, the empire divided up into three smaller states. Now it was time for reunification.

…

The first offensive lasted a whole day. Shortly after the start of the attack, a Wan cavalry unit charged out of the city gates to fight back. Jiang Xi and He Xiao, leading their own cavalry battalion, engaged the enemies. The two of them were also adept in riding and famous for their skill at fighting on horseback, so their attacks were just as effective as those of the commander of the enemies.

In order to deal with the cavalry of the Wan Kingdom, Yuwen Tong had knocked into shape a special team of cavalrymen by giving them specialized training in the past few years. Not only had those cavalrymen received special training, but every one of them had excellent horsemanship, and they were equipped with state-of-the-art armor and weapons. Made of special material, their mail was not only sturdy but also lighter than common armor, making it easier for their wearers to attack and defend.

Though it was called a cavalry battalion, it actually compared with a cavalry regiment, considering the total number of its members, each of whom could fight ten common cavalrymen.

This was the first fight, and the Wan Kingdom attempted to use its cavalrymen to face Yuwen Tong’s army down and demoralize adversaries, but the moment they engaged the cavalry led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao, they were astounded.

The Wan cavalry were the strongest force of the Wan Kingdom, and they always despised the cavalry of the other two countries, so when galloping out of the city gates, they had taken the opposing cavalry lightly, believing that they would be able to break the enemy’s ranks in only a few moments, but unexpectedly, the opponents turned out to be much tougher than they had expected.

They not only were held back but also, what with their underestimation of the enemy, took a sharp blow the moment they engaged the opposing side.

A warning bell in the mind of the Wan commander rang madly. He hastily adjusted the formation of his troops and managed to save face when under attack from Jiang Xi and He Xiao.

However, though he managed to save face, it did not change the fact that they had suffered an embarrassing setback during the first engagement, that they, instead of bringing the enemy down a peg, had boosted the enemy’s morale and at the same time badly bruised their own.

All those people in the Wan capital, including Shan Congli, were confident that their cavalrymen were unstoppable, that they would be able to keep Yuwen Tong’s men at bay and hold the city, but the fact was that they had been held back immediately after engaging the enemies and taken a sharp blow, so naturally their morale plunged.

The commander of the Wan cavalry was secretly alarmed and apprehensive. The combat capabilities of the opposing cavalry were greater than he gave them credit for. He was afraid that this battle might not end the way he wanted it, and the worse part was – would they be able to hold the capital city after the morale of the army plummeted?

Jiang Xi and He Xiao did not become complacent about themselves. They had important responsibility on their shoulders. The Wan cavalry had merely suffered a small setback and had not been defeated yet. The two of them and the cavalrymen under their command must stop the enemy where they were.

A number of soldiers directed by a couple of old generals were assisting the cavalry, covering them and making sure they could fight the Wan cavalrymen without having to worry about sneak attacks.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong were both watching the fighting. As they saw that the cavalrymen led by Jiang Xi and He Xiao solidly blocked the path of the Wan cavalry, Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief.

The Wan cavalry was famous in all the three countries, but this time around they had finally met their match.

With the resources of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, he had recruited some of the best armor-makers in the three countries, and his efforts had now paid off. Transferring those artisans to the Great Wen covertly had cost Jiahe Chamber of Commerce quite a fortune. Apart from armor-makers, he had also recruited some saddlers. He had even secretly poached a stableman from the Wan Kingdom, who knew the Wan cavalry’s secret methods of raising warhorses. These had cost him a lot of silver and gold. Though his father had been an experienced and resourceful merchant in his last life, he had still, for a long time, had a hard job making progress.

Now his efforts had finally proved fruitful.

Of course, these things were secondary. Crook troops and competent commanders were the most important. The imperial court had been under great pressure during the process of selecting soldiers and training them, especially when helping the people restore their lives had been a pressing matter and the budget had been tight.

It could be said that every member of the cavalry was worth a thousand taels of gold, and the loss of any of them was painful to watch, but casualties were unavoidable on the battlefield. They had trained for years and this was the time to prove their value. Victory was all that mattered.

The cavalries of the two sides were in a stalemate for quite some time. The Wan cavalry never got the upper hand and, because they were outside the city, were frequently harassed by the infantry of the Great Wen and lost a lot of men. Eventually, they had no choice but to retreat back into the city.

This was the first day, and the Wan cavalry resignedly fell back without gaining any actual advantages over the opposing side, which came as a blow to the Wan Kingdom.

But troops of the Great Wen, however, were happy with the outcome.

Yuwen Tong did not have the troops pursue the enemies, knowing that it was impracticable to take the city in one day. Today they were here mainly to put out feelers, so he had the buglers sound retreat when he believed the attack had lasted long enough.

…

After the Wan cavalry returned to the city, they found the atmosphere quite subdued. Their fellow soldiers and the residents who had come to know about the result of the fighting were all silent when looking at them, and their silence was heavy with reproach.

Though none of them said anything, their discontentment was thinly disguised.

They were wondering in disgruntlement why the cavalry had not killed more enemies out there, why they had not won the victory during their first counter-offensive, and why they had not let them see the hope they were so desperate to see.

Under such great emotional stress, every Wan cavalryman had an ugly look on his face, their commander’s teeth clenched.

“We want to wipe the enemies out as much as they do, but now the cavalry of the Great Wen have not only great fighting skill and sturdy horses but also unbreakable armor and cunning tactics. We would have suffered heavy casualties were it not for our quick reactions. These people should have shown some understanding of the situation we’re faced with instead of pointing fingers!” someone huffed. The reproachful gaze from people in the vicinity of them made them feel terribly wronged.

“Since they think they can do better than us, maybe they should be the ones going out there to fight!” flared someone else.

“Shut up, all of you,” an officer admonished.

“General, His Majesty wants you to go to the palace immediately and state the reason for your failure to win the first battle!” Soon someone came and told the commander that he was requested to go to the palace to explain himself.

The verbal instruction from the monarch was laden with dissatisfaction and reproach, which made the Wan cavalrymen feel both aggrieved and indignant. They had risked life and limb fighting for the monarch for years, but the monarch was blaming them merely because they had failed to win the victory once. This was so disappointing!