“We’ll withdraw from inner Yizhou City by dawn the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

Sheng Fengze sat in the main hall of the Military Commissioner’s mansion, calmly instructing his generals.

The vanguard had disguised themselves as cart drivers at dusk to trick their way through the city gates, swiftly taking control of the South Gate. By dawn, the main army began their assault. It was a war without suspense. Decades of peace had left Yizhou’s doors unlocked at night and valuables safe on the streets, but it had also left the mighty city walls weathered and crumbling. Previously marked weak points in the walls became easy passage points for the Nanzhao army. In less than half a day, Nanzhao had captured the East, West, and South gates.

Chi Hu had once asked Sheng Fengze in confusion, “Why not take the North Gate?”

“If all four gates fall, the Xichuan army will fight like cornered beasts. Given the Military Commissioner’s character, if we leave one way out, he won’t resist but instead gather his forces to escort him north,” Sheng Fengze had explained confidently.

Nanzhao had come for wealth. Yizhou was the Great Tang’s southwestern shield. If Nanzhao occupied Yizhou, the Tang army would spare no expense to recapture it. What was the point of occupying just one city?

The Military Commissioner’s mansion was vast, blocking out the crying from outside. The quiet environment made Sheng Fengze feel somewhat dazed, as if he were still the Nanzhao Prince Bai visiting Yizhou, rather than the commander leading three armies to plunder it.

“Where has the Xichuan army withdrawn to?” He looked at the map spread on the table.

A commander stepped forward, pointing to a location: “Thirty li north of Yizhou. However… there’s still a force stubbornly defending near the North Gate, covering the civilians’ escape.”

“Oh?” A Xichuan commander staying behind against the Military Commissioner’s orders? Sheng Fengze was somewhat surprised.

“Report!” A scout called loudly from outside the hall.

All the commanders in the hall turned.

“General Chi Shan was ordered to block the streets. The Xichuan army suddenly attacked, and General Chi Shan was cut down from his horse. The Xichuan army has retaken the northern street intersection.”

Nanzhao wanted skilled craftsmen in their prime. After letting the Xichuan army and some people escape through the North Gate, all streets leading to it were to be sealed off. Teams were going house by house, capturing people according to lists prepared by Secretary Jin’s scouts. Now with Chi Shan’s death, who knew how many people had escaped through the gap?

“Ready the horses! Order Generals Bai and Yi to provide immediate support!” Sheng Fengze quickly left the mansion with his personal guards and lieutenant commanders, rushing north.

Crowds of civilians fled toward the North Gate in panic, carrying children and supporting the elderly.

“Hurry!” Vice Commander Niu, wielding a broad-backed sword, his bright armor splattered with blood, personally guarded the intersection with his guards. Nearby, Chi Shan’s body had been hung from the eaves of a two-story tavern by his men.

Sang Thirteen, Sang Fourteen, and their servants escorted a horse carriage hurriedly forward. With so many people protecting it, the carriage moved slowly, fortunate to be surrounded by servants or it would have been overturned by the panicked civilians.

“Commander Niu!”

“Father-in-law!”

The Sang brothers called out simultaneously.

As the carriage laboriously reached the intersection, Vice Commander Niu saw the brothers but had no time for pleasantries. He pointed toward the North Gate: “Quickly escort Madam Sang away!”

The carriage curtain lifted, and Madam Sang, face pale, said, “My in-law, my husband…”

“Madam, hurry and leave! As long as one lives, there will be a day to meet again.” Vice Commander Niu couldn’t bear to look at her. Niu Qinian had escaped with her lady. He couldn’t bring himself to move. Standing on the gate tower, he saw Nanzhao soldiers casually blocking the intersections in the distance. They had drawn a line in human blood five zhang away – any civilian who crossed it was shot dead. They even turned to mock the Xichuan soldiers on the North Gate with loud laughter. Vice Commander Niu’s heart felt as if it had been plunged into boiling oil, burning his very core.

He glanced at Chi Shan hanging from the eaves, and his former valor surged forth: “Fourteen! I entrust my Qinian to you!” He patted Sang Fourteen’s shoulder, showing a simple smile.

“Father-in-law!” Sang Fourteen’s eyes reddened as he bowed solemnly, “Your son-in-law once doubted you, to my endless shame. Rest assured, I will treat Qinian well.”

Sang Fourteen’s guilty and reverent gaze warmed Vice Commander Niu’s heart. How had he ever been bewitched by Wuniang’s words? At worst, it was just death, and now he didn’t fear dying! He would use his life to atone for his sins.

Vice Commander Niu couldn’t help but think of the Yang family. The city had fallen in just half a day – with Yang Shishi over fifty and Yang Jingshan’s legs impaired, such a large family likely hadn’t managed to leave yet.

His expression darkened as he said hoarsely, “Go quickly, Fourteen. Don’t block the way here.”

The Nanzhao army would arrive soon.

Cries came from behind: “The Nanzhao army is coming!”

“Go!” Vice Commander Niu struck Sang Fourteen’s horse with the flat of his blade, hearing Sang Fourteen call out, “Father-in-law, take care…”

“Loose arrows!” Vice Commander Niu raised his sword and gave the order.

Guards hidden on the rooftops on both sides released their arrows. They left enough close-range space for more civilians to escape.

After several volleys, there were no more civilians able to run past the Xichuan soldiers. Between the two armies lay the dead.

The Nanzhao soldiers, humming what seemed like an ancient work song, raised their black, oil-gleaming shields, advancing like giant beetles toward the Xichuan army.

Arrows slid off the shields to the ground. The Nanzhao soldiers behind the shields were unharmed. Vice Commander Niu’s eyes narrowed: “Rattan armor!”

When Shu Kingdom’s Prime Minister Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times, Meng Huo’s tribe had been most famous for their rattan-armored soldiers, said to be impervious to blades and spears.

“Use fire arrows!” Vice Commander Niu shouted.

The Nanzhao formation suddenly changed, the rattan shields withdrawn to reveal archers who released their bowstrings. Arrows fell like locusts, whistling through the air.

Vice Commander Niu spun his broad-backed sword to deflect the arrows.

“Charge!” With no reinforcements while Nanzhao forces kept coming, Vice Commander Niu raised his sword and spurred his horse forward.

He could almost feel the arrows that would pierce his body the next moment, turning him into a porcupine. A surge of lonely courage made him charge forward fearlessly. Over a hundred personal guards followed him without hesitation.

Watching Vice Commander Niu approach, Sheng Fengze sighed softly: “Loose arrows, but spare his life!”

Arrows mercilessly pierced the guards’ bodies. The sounds of horses neighing and bodies falling came one after another.

The Nanzhao people lived in mountains and forests; every one of Sheng Fengze’s guards was an expert archer who could thread a needle at a hundred paces. The arrows deliberately missed Vice Commander Niu and several men around him, letting them break through.

As they charged into the Nanzhao ranks, the tough rattan shields rose again, trapping Vice Commander Niu and his five remaining guards in the middle.

His broad-backed sword struck but failed to break the rattan shield, though the impact made the Nanzhao soldier’s hands bleed. Only the support from behind kept him from falling.

Another strike split a shield in two, but a new shield immediately filled the gap.

The remaining five guards died one by one under spears thrust through the rattan shields. Red-eyed, Vice Commander Niu used all his strength to keep striking, one blow after another.

“Vice Commander Niu. Your men are all dead. Why continue fighting like a trapped beast?”

Sheng Fengze’s voice came from above. Vice Commander Niu looked up. On the rooftops on both sides, archers had arrows nocked. Sheng Fengze, wearing golden armor, looked down at him expressionlessly.