Yu Qi’s arrogant words struck Lin Xu Gui like a slap across the face as he stood at the base of the mountain cliff. His face flushed red, and he couldn’t utter a word for a long while.
Yu Qi gave a cruel laugh and stepped forward. “Minister Lin, this is your only chance. Your brothers-in-arms are also Zhou people. According to our Lord’s wishes, we shouldn’t raise weapons against our kind. But if you force us to leave no survivors, we’ll have to respectfully comply!”
Lin Xu Gui’s hands trembled nervously, so much that he could barely hold his sword. Around him, hesitant and eager gazes fell upon him. Lin Xu Gui felt lost, looking around until his eyes fell on Lin Xie beside him. After these brief moments, Lin Xie had already been broken by fear, rendered speechless. Seeing Lin Xu Gui’s gaze, he could only show a pleading look…
Seeing the plea in Lin Xie’s eyes, Lin Xu Gui suddenly gritted his teeth and spat, “You… you’re all rebels! If we surrender to Yan Chi, how can we protect our families in the capital? Surrender?! Dream on!” He then turned to the surrounding soldiers, “Have you all thought it through? If you surrender, you’ll become rebels too, and your entire clan will be executed! Do you still want to surrender?!”
The soldiers, who were already terrified, felt even greater panic upon hearing these words. Among them were garrison troops transferred from Ding Province and those who had come from the capital with Lin Xie. All those from the Imperial Guard were from the Luo Province capital region. Lin Xu Gui’s words had struck their most vulnerable point!
“My… my family isn’t in the capital. I surrender! I surrender!”
Just as Lin Xu Gui’s words were having some effect, a soldier from further away threw down his sword and knelt first.
As this soldier knelt, surrounding soldiers followed one after another, falling to their knees in waves. Lin Xu Gui’s eyes turned blood-red as he gritted his teeth, “No, won’t surrender… I won’t surrender… absolutely won’t surrender…”
The garrison troops from Ding Province, who were mostly from the surrounding areas, had always been close to Shuo Xi. At this moment, they didn’t hesitate much, and almost everyone chose to surrender. Even some of the wounded crawled to their feet!
“Long live Prince Rui! We wish to serve under Prince Rui!”
“Long live Prince Rui! We wish to serve under Prince Rui!”
Someone shouted first, and instantly, waves of shouts arose. One after another, they knelt and kowtowed to show their loyalty. Finally, less than a thousand people remained standing in the entire valley. Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie watched this scene with immense despair in their hearts!
Lin Xie couldn’t help but grab Lin Xu Gui, “Minister Lin, my General Lin! Make a decision quickly! Keep your life, and make plans later! Do you want to die here…”
Minister Lin’s lips trembled, but he still couldn’t speak words of surrender. Seeing this, Lin Xie didn’t dare speak further. He was Lin Zhang’s nephew and the next heir of the Lin family. If he surrendered to Yan Chi here, he would surely have no place to stand in the clan afterward!
Seeing the valley full of kneeling people, Yu Qi laughed loudly, “Good! Very good! The wise adapt to circumstances! Most of you here are from Ding Province. Since you’re from Ding Province, you should know the style of our Shuo Xi army, and surely know our Lord’s reputation and benevolence. Today, all who surrender may live! But if you refuse to surrender, or attempt to deceive us by false surrender—there’s only death!”
Yu Qi’s words carried inherent intimidation. The Ding Province garrison troops thought of Yan Chi’s reputation and the chaos between Shuo Xi and the south, suddenly feeling that serving under Yan Chi might not be so bad. However, the capital garrison troops and Lin Xie couldn’t surrender so easily. The two stood rigid at the base of the cliff, partly resigned to death, cowering and afraid to show their faces. Seeing this, Yu Qi smiled slightly and waved his hand. The Shuo Xi army troops on both ridges immediately poured down!
With both entrance and exit blocked by the Shuo Xi army, hardly anyone dared to resist. This battle ended as swiftly as lightning!
Yu Qi came down to the mid-slope, smiling as he commanded, “Be careful, everyone! Minister Lin and our Deputy Commander Lin are important figures from the capital. Don’t hurt or bruise them. Capture them well and take them back. Our main camp’s water prison hasn’t held such distinguished guests in a long time!”
Yu Qi roared with laughter, and the surrounding Shuo Xi soldiers joined in the laughter. All who had surrendered abandoned their weapons and followed orders. Only Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie, along with over a hundred soldiers, huddled against the cliff wall. After Yu Qi’s words, Lin Xu Gui’s group was surrounded. In this situation, with the tide turned against him, Lin Xu Gui seemed to have no choice but death or captivity!
At the mountaintop, Qin Wan watched this scene with both sympathy for the deceased Jiang clan and excitement for this victory. She turned to look at Yan Chi, who watched below unmoved as if merely observing a military exercise. Her feelings grew more complex. This was war, and war meant victory and defeat, and only the victor could be king!
Qin Wan withdrew her gaze, her back straighter than before, her eyes more determined. “What will happen to them?”
Yan Chi replied calmly, “They’ll become prisoners. Those who have lived long in the capital are unwilling to die.”
Just as Yan Chi finished speaking, they saw Lin Xie’s soldiers throw down their swords, and soon, Chu Fei Shen led his men to Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie. If they wanted to preserve their integrity, they could have committed suicide then, but they watched the approaching Shuo Xi army in fear, unable even to lift their swords. Chu Fei Shen shouted, and the Shuo Xi army swarmed forward, swiftly capturing Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie. Seeing this, Qin Wan’s eyes also showed a sharp glint.
Those who had enjoyed glory and wealth indeed feared death more!
After the battle ended, Qin Wan asked Yan Chi, “Shall we return to camp?”
Yan Chi shook his head, “Not to Sunset Ridge. We’ll go to the main camp.”
Qin Wan was slightly surprised. Just then, Bai Feng, standing behind Yan Chi, released a signal flare into the sky. A red light shot straight up, and the next moment, torches lit up all over the mountain ridge, including around Yan Chi and Qin Wan!
All the prisoners in the valley looked up toward the mountaintop, none having expected people to be standing there.
Yu Qi came down from the mid-slope and kicked both Lin Xie and Minister Lin, making them kneel, facing the mountain ridge.
Yu Qi laughed, “Won’t you kowtow to our Lord?!”
Hearing this, Lin Xie’s face changed dramatically. Yu Qi’s next kick came, making Lin Xie taste blood in his throat. He hurriedly kowtowed in Yan Chi’s direction. Beside him, Lin Xu Gui remained rigidly kneeling without moving. Yu Qi twirled his dagger, smiling, “Minister Lin, such backbone indeed—”
As he spoke, Yu Qi’s dagger flashed in a flourish. A streak of blood flew, and instantly Lin Xu Gui’s scream rang out. He clutched his ear and fell to the ground. On the muddy snow nearby lay his ear, cut off by Yu Qi. Yu Qi grabbed him up, smiling sinisterly, “This is the result of disrespecting our Lord. How many ears does Minister Lin have to cut?”
Yu Qi released Lin Xu Gui and ordered, “Tie these two behind horses, let them walk back to the main camp!”
The soldiers followed orders. On the mountain ridge, Yan Chi finally said, “Let’s go. We can reach the main camp by dawn.”
Qin Wan nodded and followed Yan Chi down the eastern side of the ridge. At the valley entrance, Chu Fei Shen and Yu Qi were already waiting. Yan Chi said, “Let Liao Jun bring up the rear and clean up the battlefield. We’ll return to the main camp first, taking Lin Xu Gui and the others with us.”
Chu Fei Shen and Yu Qi’s eyes brightened in response, clearly this victory had finally released their half-year of pent-up frustration. They had waited so long for Yan Chi to return to the main camp, and now, it was finally happening—
Liao Jun led over a thousand men to clean up the battlefield, while the remaining ten thousand troops headed first toward the main camp.
Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie were tied behind Yu Qi’s horse like stray dogs. Because of the difficult night journey, Yan Chi’s group didn’t move quickly, but even so, it took an entire night before they could faintly see the outline of the main camp. Qin Wan had been riding alongside Yan Chi the whole time. When she looked back at Lin Xie and the others, she strangely felt no pity. Yan Chi, seeing this, said softly, “Can you still endure? Why not ride with me?”
“I am your Princess Consort, of course I can endure!” Qin Wan smiled.
Yan Chi felt somewhat distressed for Qin Wan, but she felt fine. Though tired, it was much better than she had imagined!
In the entire procession, Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie suffered the most. The journey from the valley to the main camp took a full night. At first, the two could stumble along, but less than two hours into the journey, Lin Xu Gui collapsed from blood loss. Though Lin Xie could still endure, Lin Xu Gui was dragged for a while before Yu Qi threw him across a horse-like cargo. Seeing this, Lin Xie didn’t dare even pretend to faint—lying across the horse like that would likely break one’s back!
After traveling through the night, as dawn broke, Qin Wan saw a blurry shadow.
The Shuo Xi main camp was built in a depression backed by hills. From afar, Qin Wan felt she was looking at a city rather than a military camp. As they drew closer, she could make out wall battlements similar to city gates. The gates were square and broad, without doors but fitted with tall palisades. Above the gates stood magnificent towers, flanked by a succession of tall watchtowers. Now the gate towers were covered in snow, making them appear like a phantom city emerging from the snowy wilderness, eerily quiet and solemn, yet on closer inspection, one could see dragon-patterned banners flying!
Yan Chi also immediately noticed those dragon-patterned banners. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly took up the longbow hanging from his saddle.
Yan Chi nocked an arrow and shot at the dragon banner above the gate. With a whoosh, Qin Wan saw the arrow fly like a shooting star, and soon one great banner fell. Yan Chi continued shooting, firing six arrows in total. All six great banners on the gate tower suddenly fell. Behind them, Yu Qi and the others burst into waves of cheers. The night-long march hadn’t dampened anyone’s spirits; rather, returning to the main camp with Yan Chi was a matter of blood-stirring pride!
At the same time, on the gate towers of the Shuo Xi main camp, several Shuo Xi soldiers awakened from their slumber!
“Something’s wrong! Quick, report it! Someone’s attacking!”
“The banners are down! Who has such archery skills? All six great banners are down!”
The news spread rapidly, alarming half the camp. Shuo Xi soldiers gathered at the camp entrance, all looking outside!
“What should we do?! Minister Lin hasn’t returned, what’s happening?!”
“Hmph, those weren’t our Shuo Xi military banners! What’s there to worry about? Didn’t they say General Chu was coming with his forces?”
“General Chu only has a few thousand troops, how dare they come so close!”
The soldiers discussed among themselves. Most weren’t concerned about the dragon banners falling, more eager to see if Chu Fei Shen had arrived. However, some remained vigilant. Among the commanders still in the Shuo Xi main camp, one who had been persuaded by Lin Xu Gui stepped forward, “What nonsense are you all talking about?! Even if Chu Fei Shen comes, he’s now a rebel! Aren’t you all planning to rebel if you don’t raise those banners?”
Everyone knew this person had been bought off, and though they sneered, none dared openly defy him. Until their Young Commander returned, the camp had no master, so they could only temporarily endure. After his words, naturally, someone went to raise the banners when suddenly the watchman in the tower shouted!
“They’re coming! Coming! So many people! I see them!”
The watchman shouted, but those below couldn’t see so far.
“I see them! It’s the wolf-pattern military banner! Our battle flag! General Chu has returned!”
At these words, except for the few who had been bought, everyone looked up expectantly. Waves of discussion spread through the crowd, with many openly expressing support for Chu Fei Shen. Just then, another watchman shouted, “No! It’s not General Chu, it’s—”
The speaker hesitated to say more, while those below grew anxious. As the army drew closer, the wolf-pattern banners became visible to all on the snowy night. Soon, two stumbling, bedraggled figures came into view!
“Look! Who are they? Isn’t that Minister Lin—”
“Yes! It’s Minister Lin! And that Deputy Commander from the capital—”
“Hahaha! Look at Minister Lin’s state, clearly defeated! They’re prisoners!”
Lin Xu Gui and Lin Xie were bound, with long ropes trailing on the ground—intentionally. The soldiers couldn’t help cheering, ignoring even the higher-ranking bought-off commander! Lin Xu Gui had been in Shuo Xi for long, usurping power under the Emperor’s banner, nearly causing harm to Chu Fei Shen. The ordinary soldiers had been angry but dared not speak. Now, seeing Lin Xu Gui return so pathetically, those experienced in battle immediately understood what had happened.
“Minister Lin was defeated! Was it General Chu? Did General Chu capture them!”
“No! Not General Chu, look, the one in front, that person is clearly—”
Everyone held their breath, looking through the palisades at the approaching army. Among the wave of people approaching, Yan Chi’s figure was particularly eye-catching. Today he wore black armor, cutting an imposing and martial figure. Everyone watched him in disbelief, some murmuring, some rubbing their eyes thinking they were dreaming. As the procession drew closer, most finally recognized Yan Chi!
“It’s the Young Commander! The Young Commander has returned—”
“Our Young Commander is now our Young Prince! Our Prince Rui!”
“Yes, it’s him! His Highness has returned! His Highness has returned!”
The soldiers were overwhelmed with excitement. Those guarding the gate couldn’t help but push open the palisades. As they opened, the soldiers in front couldn’t resist rushing out. Seeing Yan Chi leading the army closer, the frontmost soldiers suddenly dropped to their knees!
Every person loyal to the Shuo Xi army shared the same feelings as Yu Qi and the others. They had been waiting, hoping—since Yan Lin’s death, Yan Chi had been their only hope. Now, their hope had returned!