EWRN - Chapter 62
Chapter 62: War (II)
Yinzhou City, in the northwestern part of the Great Yuan Kingdom.
The general of Yinzhou City stood atop the city wall as he did every day, gazing into the distance. He had heard that the border conflict had intensified recently. The people of the Northern Kingdom had gone mad for some reason, attacking the Great Yuan Kingdom regardless of the cost.
He didn't know what Prince Anping and General Hou were doing at the border, but they had failed to repel the enemy forces for a long time. He couldn't understand how Prince Anping, who had previously achieved numerous victories, big and small, was managing this.
The general of Yinzhou City felt something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
Not far outside Yinzhou City, Huo Jinye and Hou Yuwen were leading a large army toward the city. Yinzhou was the second, and most crucial, checkpoint on the northwestern border route to the imperial capital. Its terrain was treacherous; if the Northern Kingdom's forces, unfamiliar with the landscape, were to attack it alone, they might not succeed.
The fall of Xiacheng, the first checkpoint in Great Yuan's northwest, had also been orchestrated by Huo Jinye and Hou Yuwen. This time, they decided to use the same trick again.
As for General Hou, Hou Yuwen's father, he had long since been sent away by the pair on a pretext and had already reached the imperial capital. With the border situation so tense, General Hou traveled while wondering why His Majesty would summon him at such a critical juncture, completely unaware that he had been betrayed by his own son and Prince Anping.
Atop the Yinzhou city wall, the general watched as a large army galloped toward them from the distance, kicking up clouds of dust. His heart tightened, thinking the Northern Kingdom's forces were attacking. But in the next moment, he saw the banners of the Great Yuan Kingdom, and his tense heart relaxed, little knowing that death was already upon him.
The general was puzzled. Why was the border army retreating inland? They didn't look like a defeated remnant force. As he pondered this, a shout came from below the wall. "Commander of Yinzhou City! Prince Anping and Young General Hou are here! Open the gates at once and let us in!" The speaker was a young man who looked like a eunuch—it was Chief Steward Lu.
The general of Yinzhou City looked closely and saw two imposing young men standing before the army. They must be the legendary Prince Anping and Young General Hou.
"Open the gates!" the general ordered the soldiers behind him.
"Yes, my lord!" a soldier replied with a cupped-fist salute before hurrying down from the wall.
With a creak, the heavy city gates slowly swung open. The two imposing men entered first, followed by their soldiers, who poured into the city in formation. The general frowned from his position on the wall but felt he couldn't speak out to stop them. What was Prince Anping planning? Why were all the soldiers entering the city instead of defending it from the outside?
The soldiers marched in formation through the streets. Huo Jinye gave the order for them to enter through the north gate and exit through the south, causing the city to become congested for a time. The common people watched curiously as the soldiers hurried past, completely unaware of the fate that awaited them.
Huo Jinye and Hou Yuwen led some soldiers up to the city wall. When the defending general saw them, he quickly knelt in salute, and the surrounding soldiers knelt with him. "This subject pays his respects to Prince Anping!"
"Rise," Huo Jinye said coolly.
As the army finished pouring into the city, the gates began to close. The general of Yinzhou City was still unaware that the south gate had been opened and the soldiers who had just entered were now filing out. He simply could not understand what Prince Anping was trying to do.
The clatter of hooves echoed from the distance again. The general frowned. What was going on?
In the distance, another wave of troops surged forward. The lead soldier held a banner with the character for "North," riding behind a burly man at the head of the column as they galloped toward the city.
The general: (⊙o⊙)......
What kind of devilish formation was this!
The general dazedly tugged at his beard. The pain told him that the scene before him was real, not some daydream.
He turned back in a panic to look at Prince Anping and Young General Hou, only to see their faces were impassive, showing no reaction whatsoever.
"Reporting to Prince Anping, this... why are the Northern Kingdom's forces attacking?" The general was stammering. He thought, these northerners must have been chasing Prince Anping's army. How can Prince Anping and Young General Hou remain so indifferent when they've been pursued by such a massive invading force all the way back to their own territory? The general felt a surge of anger but dared not show it.
"Open the city gates for this prince," Prince Anping, Huo Jinye, said in a low voice.
"Wh-what?" The general couldn't comprehend. Was there something wrong with his ears? Or his mind? Prince Anping actually wanted to let the enemy army into the city!
"This prince said, go and open the city gates," Huo Jinye frowned. "If you don't want to die, do as this prince says! Go now!" He emphasized his final words.
"This subject does not understand! Our great Yinzhou City has treacherous terrain; one man can hold the pass against ten thousand. How can such a fine city be handed over to others?! I implore Your Highness to let this subject defend the city!" The defending general knelt and kowtowed heavily. "I beg Your Highness, do not treat the lives of the city's people as a game!"
The words were harsh, but Huo Jinye paid them no mind. To him, the defending general was a mere underling, an ant. Why would a person care what an ant said?
"Did you not hear this prince? If you are loyal to this prince and serve me from now on, I can spare your life today and grant you rank and title in the future. If you are disloyal, then don't blame this prince for being discourteous!" Huo Jinye's tone was severe, his words revealing his wolfish ambition.
"Your Highness! You... you!" The defending general was no fool; he naturally understood the meaning behind Huo Jinye's words. This prince, a beast in human form, was willing to abandon the entire city of Yinzhou and its people for his own selfish gain! The general was so enraged he was momentarily speechless.
"It seems you have no intention of being loyal to this prince. Keeping such trash around is an eyesore. Men, drag him out for this prince, beat him to death with clubs, and throw him on the mountain to feed the wolves!" Huo Jinye ordered the soldiers on the wall. They exchanged glances, but within a few breaths, they understood the meaning in each other's eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Two soldiers stepped forward, kicked the general hard in the stomach, knocking him over, and then dragged him aside to begin the beating.
Before long, the general was only breathing out, not in.
Finding him an eyesore, Huo Jinye waved his hand, ordering the two soldiers to drag him out and dispose of him. The two soldiers accepted the order with trepidation. They dragged the unconscious general downstairs, opened the city gates as Huo Jinye had commanded, and rode toward the mountains with the general slung over a horse.
The moment they were outside the city, the general, who was supposed to be unconscious, opened his eyes. It turned out the two soldiers knew how to control their strength. They had struck him lightly; although it sounded like a series of loud thwacks, they hadn't injured his bones or endangered his life.
"Thank you, my two brothers, for your righteous aid! I, Lu, am eternally grateful!" General Lu lay motionless across the horse's back, afraid that the sharp-eyed Huo Jinye might discover he was still alive. He never imagined Huo Jinye could be so arrogant! Not only did he kill a defending border general like himself without reason, but he also treated the people of Great Yuan as worthless weeds! That such an unconscionable person would dare to covet the throne was truly laughable!
The two soldiers rode a great distance, then dismounted. They left one horse for General Lu, telling him to escape first and return only after the fighting had stabilized or Prince Anping had left. General Lu thanked them profusely, limped onto the horse, and rode away, enduring the pain in his backside.
The two soldiers shared a horse for the return trip. They couldn't let Huo Jinye know they had lost a horse on their outing, so they decided to wait until dark to go back. They completely forgot about the city gates that Huo Jinye had ordered them to open for the enemy.
Back in Yinzhou City, as the Northern Kingdom's forces, holding their banners high, charged toward them, Huo Jinye and Hou Yuwen exchanged a look. Ignoring the soldiers on the wall, they turned, hurried down, mounted their horses, and galloped toward the south gate. They had abandoned the city and fled in front of everyone.
The soldiers on the wall: (⊙x⊙;)...
Their general was gone, the prince had fled, the city gates were wide open, and the enemy was upon them. The soldiers panicked and quickly passed down the order to close the gates. If Yinzhou City fell, their own lives would likely be short. But reality was cruel. The entire city had been betrayed by Prince Anping. Before the heavy gates could be closed, the Wu Clan Chieftain charged into the city at the head of his men.
The slaughter had truly begun.
The clatter of hooves beat against the ground. After a two-day journey, Yan Xi and the fifty thousand soldiers of the Brocade Guard Army finally reached the northeastern border of the Great Yuan Kingdom. They had taken the eastern route because the Northern Kingdom was attacking directly from the northwest; this way, they could avoid a direct confrontation with the Wu Clan Chieftain and could also circle back to the Northern Kingdom from the east to launch a surprise attack.
As dusk fell, the army set up tents in a vast mountain forest to camp for the night.
Yan Xi had a tent to herself. General Yan Liang's tent was nearby, making it convenient to protect Huo Jinyu's woman.
A campfire burned in front of Yan Xi's tent. She sat by the fire, draped in the robe Huo Jinyu had given her before she left.
By the light of the fire, Yan Xi gently stroked the exquisite small box Huo Jinyu had left for her. Huo Jinyu had repeatedly instructed her not to open it until she had crossed the border of the Great Yuan Kingdom. Now, she was right at the border between Great Yuan and the Northern Kingdom. Opening it now wouldn't be breaking her promise, would it?
Yan Xi's hand rested on the latch, but she hesitated. For some reason, she had an ominous feeling. The sorrow and deep sense of parting in Huo Jinyu's eyes before she left made it seem as if, once she departed, she would never be able to return.
Huo Jinyu had always carried secrets that Yan Xi couldn't fathom. Yan Xi didn't know what Huo Jinyu was hiding. They were husband and wife—was there anything that couldn't be said between them?
With a soft click, Yan Xi opened the latch. The object that appeared before her eyes in the next instant left her stunned.
Lying quietly inside the box was an immaculately white cloth, adorned with a gold-threaded flying dragon and a painted phoenix.
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