Chapter 720 – The Diplomacy of Nonsense (Part Seven)
“Sir, your foresight is indeed remarkable; this chaotic rabble is truly inept.”
Changshou Wang initially felt quite apprehensive about the allied forces’ strength, a camp stretching over two hundred li that sent chills down his spine just looking at it.
He thought once the allied troops were gathered, they would launch an attack, but to his surprise, they were still loitering around, indulging in merriment and song for days on end without any hint of action. Days passed, and Changshou Wang felt like he was on cloud nine.
According to Meng Zhan’s plan, they were feigning inaction to confuse the allies, lulling them into a false sense of security while quietly dispatching a surprise force to ambush the heart of Chenzhou. Once they took out the Emperor and claimed the Dragon Throne, Changshou Wang could then bestow titles upon the various allied lords in the name of Dongqing, sowing discord to shatter their unity, and watch the allies crumble from within.
Now, everything was sailing smoothly according to plan—how could he not be amused?
Clad in a pure black scholar’s robe, Meng Zhan held a closed jade feather fan, its surface a bit worn with several frayed edges.
This jade fan was his son Meng Liang’s favorite treasure, now a poignant memento of their bond.
Meng Zhan smirked coldly, “Your Highness, don’t let your guard down just yet; this matter is far from over. Just this morning, scouts reported fresh developments among the allied forces. Because Yang Jian is causing a ruckus, berating them for their laziness and greed, the allies are losing face and have consolidated their forces, preparing to attack Jia Gate.”
Upon hearing this, Changshou Wang’s face turned pale, like a sheet of thick paper.
“W-what should we do? A mere Jia Gate cannot withstand these rebel scum!”
Jia Gate was the only route into Chenzhou from Huang County.
With the help of the Cangzhou Meng Clan, Changshou Wang had already seized about twenty percent of Chenzhou’s territory, now entangled at another checkpoint with the imperial court.
If Jia Gate fell, the allies could catch up with Changshou Wang’s troops in less than two days.
Then it would be a pincer attack, and that would be troublesome.
Meng Zhan’s lips curled into a cold smile. “What’s to fear? It’s precisely because they chose Jia Gate that we can confidently attack Chenzhou. If the allies had decided to split their forces, that would be far more troublesome. Jia Gate is situated in a mountainous choke point, quite precarious with its steep and undulating terrain. That place, with two opposing peaks rising sharply, resembles a giant door. It’s not easy to assault.”
Changshou Wang felt anxious; indeed, Jia Gate was easy to defend but hard to attack, yet the enemy boasted an army of four hundred thousand—they could simply pile bodies high.
“Sir, the allies outnumber us. This humble king fears a mere Jia Gate can’t withstand them… if they’re willing to sacrifice manpower…”
“Impossible.” Meng Zhan interrupted decisively, his eyes cold. “Your Highness, you’re overestimating their principles. A bunch driven by greed, who would willingly sacrifice their own troops to pave the way for others? No one would, so you can breathe easy. Jia Gate can hold out against the allies for at least half a month. Half a month is more than enough for us to turn the tide and see you ascend to the throne as Emperor.”
While the allied forces had their share of elites, their selfishness would be their undoing.
Who knew how many elites would be lost in front of Jia Gate? Heh.
Meng Zhan lightly tapped the jade fan against his palm, his eyebrows sharp, radiating an intense killing intent.
“Jia Gate is always easy to defend but difficult to assault; I wonder how long the allies will take to breach it.”
The allied forces finally set camp outside Jia Gate, with Jiang Pengji and Huang Song leading their people out for reconnaissance.
From their elevated vantage, they could make out the misty outline of Jia Gate.
Jiang Pengji had excellent eyesight and saw even more clearly. She noticed numerous fresh destruction marks near the gate.
Not long ago, Jia Gate belonged to the imperial court, defended by a seasoned veteran whose fierce hold kept Changshou Wang’s forces at bay. No matter how much Changshou Wang called for an attack, the defender remained entrenched, determined to hold tight.
Unfortunately, Jia Gate had still fallen.
Huang Song, understanding the strategic nature of Jia Gate, was curious about how Changshou Wang managed to break through. Was it sheer manpower?
Feng Zhen and others joined in to gather intel and find inspiration.
“Does the Lord know what happened?” he asked Jiang Pengji.
Cheng Jing and Feng Jue exchanged secret glances. Shouldn’t it be the Lord asking the strategist, not vice versa?
Jiang Pengji squinted. “It was probably set ablaze.”
Huang Song asked, “According to our scouts, there definitely were signs of fire outside Jia Gate. However, the weather hasn’t warmed up yet, there’s still snow, and the area near the gate has steep cliffs; the trees and grass have all been cleared, plus there’s still snow… how could they set Jia Gate on fire?”
In such conditions, they’d have nothing to burn.
Jiang Pengji smirked mockingly, and Yang Si and the others thought of a possibility in unison.
“It was the bodies…” she revealed the answer.
Yang Si couldn’t help but gasp, “Whoever came up with this plan is truly vicious!”
Bodies are highly flammable, full of fat beneath the skin; once ignited, the fire rages fiercely and is hard to extinguish.
To attack Jia Gate, the side that suffers the most losses will inevitably leave behind the most bodies.
Could Changshou Wang have gone mad, using the corpses of his own fallen soldiers as fuel to set fire to Jia Gate?
“How would I know?” Jiang Pengji chuckled. “Jingrong has served under Changshou Wang; were there any fitting individuals?”
In the past, Yang Si might have thought Jiang Pengji was digging up old grievances.
But now, he could hardly be bothered to think about it; that was just her temperament.
Yang Si pondered and said, “No, I have no recollection.”
When he worked for Changshou Wang, he was the most scheming one around.
“Perhaps they came later,” Feng Zhen suggested.
Jiang Pengji thought for a moment and smiled, “From the timing, that person likely wasn’t under Changshou Wang’s command. My analysis is that this vicious plan is likely tied to the Meng Clan. It could very well be Meng Zhan himself. After all, this one’s truly devious.”
Huang Song was bewildered. “Why would it be related to the Meng Clan?”
Jiang Pengji merely smiled and said nothing.
Cheng Jing remarked, “Just by looking at Changshou Wang’s achievements against Chenzhou, before the Meng Clan joined, his forces were already showing signs of decline, even hinting at retreat. But ever since the Meng Clan came on board, Changshou Wang has regained strength and rapidly turned the situation around. The strategies employed afterward were far more sophisticated than before; it’s clear he received guidance from someone extraordinary. Likely, the one who devised the strategy and breached Jia Gate was a singular mastermind.”
Huang Song then nodded in understanding.
The thought that the opponents might use corpses as fuel to set fire seriously gave him the creeps.
“Should that be true, then that person is truly malicious.”
Jiang Pengji replied flatly, “On the battlefield, there’s no good or evil, only winning or losing; any means are acceptable. What’s so terrible about using the corpses of fallen comrades? Winning the battle is the best consolation for the dead. History has plenty of accounts of using human flesh to make jerky for sustenance, hasn’t it?”
