Chapter 1297 – The Fall of Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (39)
Huang Song’s choice was an open secret to all.
Cheng Jing, lost in thought, left the main tent and discreetly called for a Messenger to inquire further.
He was uneasy about the events in Chenzhou; Yuan Xin’s foul temper had caused trouble for quite some time, but now he had been killed at such a crucial moment.
The Messenger trembled, too frightened to meet Cheng Jing’s eyes, answering whatever was asked of him.
“Have you investigated Hua Yuan’s background?” Cheng Jing whispered, “Is it possible he was sent from Wanzhou?”
With Huang Song and Jiang Pengji engaged in a fierce battle, it seemed too coincidental for Hua Yuan to appear out of nowhere and swipe millions of stones of grain.
The Messenger said, “General Yuan Xin had sent people to pursue the stolen grain. Although they didn’t catch anyone, the intel suggested that Hua Yuan is from Nan Sheng, and that grain was transported south by waterway. Military Adviser Nie Xun investigated thoroughly, and it’s unlikely that it came from Wanzhou.”
Cheng Jing frowned deeply and sighed lightly, “True, if it were Wanzhou’s doing, it would have spread far and wide by now.”
Sent south via waterway?
Could it be the Nan Sheng forces?
Yang Tao’s alliance with Jiang Pengji could have certainly been advantageous to her.
Little did Cheng Jing know, Hua Yuan was not one of Yang Tao’s subordinates but rather An Huan’s.
An Huan had a low profile in Dongqing; Cheng Jing never expected him to be involved.
He asked again, “How is Military Adviser Nie’s health? Can he still manage?”
Nie Xun was a perceptive individual; he must know the dire consequences of this news reaching the front lines.
Huang Song would undoubtedly abandon Chenzhou!
The Messenger candidly replied that Nie Xun had barely been able to walk after a month of recovering from his injuries; by rights, he still needed rest. However, Yuan Xin’s death at this critical juncture made it impossible for Nie Xun to avoid stepping up to take charge, or Chenzhou’s soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance against the fierce enemies.
Hearing this, Cheng Jing’s frown deepened, creating several deep crimson lines on his forehead.
“Nie Xun’s injuries are that severe?”
Without witnessing it firsthand, Cheng Jing couldn’t imagine how dire the situation was.
The Messenger continued, “The military adviser fought through numerous nights to escape danger; during that time, he even awakened long enough to write a farewell letter to his wife and daughters…”
If he weren’t near death, who would write a farewell letter, cursing their own fate?
Cheng Jing said, “A farewell letter? Do you know what it contained?”
The Messenger shook his head; he was just a lowly soldier, lacking the qualifications to know the contents of a letter.
However—
“General Yuan Xin had read the letter before; it wasn’t long after it reached Nie Xun’s wife and daughters that they headed north.”
Northbound?
Cheng Jing suddenly realized, guessing the letter’s content probably included instructions for his family to seek refuge with the Yue family, right?
He asked, “Why didn’t you inform our Lord of this news?”
The Messenger was taken aback, stammering, “Th-this matter wasn’t instructed by Military Adviser Nie.”
Cheng Jing lowered his gaze, concealing the complex emotions that flickered beneath.
Did Nie Xun send word, yet intentionally omitted the detail about writing a farewell letter to his wife and daughters, fearing it might raise suspicion from the Lord?
Upon this realization, Cheng Jing probed further into the details surrounding Yuan Xin’s death, and the more he inquired, the more alarmed he felt.
Yuan Xin’s demise—
Surely, it was not simple!
Common People had suffered; even with their resentment, they rarely had the courage to confront those more powerful, merely swallowing their bitter fate.
That old man didn’t just bring his granddaughter’s corpse to the military camp but managed to remain composed while confronting them, articulating his words clearly.
He didn’t seem like an ordinary commoner; he felt more like someone behind the scenes pulling the strings.
Cheng Jing pressed his hand to his aching forehead and said in a low voice, “You may leave now. Be careful on your way out; don’t let anyone see that we spoke.”
Cheng Jing wished to keep things under wraps; however, Huang Song was a suspicious man. News of Cheng Jing’s secret summons to the Messenger reached his ears.
This act piqued Huang Song’s interest, leading him to summon the Messenger for questioning.
“What did the Military Adviser ask?”
The Messenger recalled carefully and divulged everything.
After hearing this, Huang Song’s demeanor darkened. The Messenger knelt below, trembling, afraid even to breathe loudly.
After a moment, he waved his hand, “Don’t divulge anything you’ve said here.”
The Messenger left in a state of confusion.
The next day, Huang Song gathered everyone to discuss a full-scale assault on the Three Mountain Gorge, and Cheng Jing keenly noticed that Huang Song wasn’t as hesitant as the day before.
“Allow me to take command; we will surely capture the Three Mountain Gorge within three days.”
Many Military Generals served under Huang Song, but most hailed from the Yuan family, while the lesser-known generals made up only a small portion.
Among those asking for battle was Yuan Xin’s eldest son, who resembled his father and had a spirited but combative nature in his youth.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Chong and several other Military Generals stood up to join in the fight.
The Three Mountain Gorge was easy to attack but hard to defend; even if the enemy stationed heavy troops there, it remained challenging to maintain a defense. This was a golden opportunity to gain merit.
Yuan Xin had put Huang Song in a tough spot, and the latter wasn’t eager to see anyone connected to Yuan Xin.
He ignored the voice of Yuan Xin’s eldest son begging for battle and focused on Yuan Chong, “Does Heng Shu have confidence?”
Yuan Chong quietly tightened his grip, took a deep breath, and declared, “I’m willing to enter a military oath!”
He certainly appeared full of confidence!
Huang Song nodded approvingly, feeling satisfied.
Yuan Chong was his cousin and idol; they had played together since childhood, and he was much better than that useless Yuan Xin.
Yuan Xin’s eldest son expressed dissatisfaction, “Heng Shu is still young; this battle is of great importance. I urge our Lord to proceed carefully.”
Huang Song rebutted blandly, which left Yuan Xin’s eldest son embarrassed.
With Yuan Chong leading the charge, the assembly was under immense pressure as they headed toward the Three Mountain Gorge.
The war drums beat like thunder.
Luo Yue took a deep breath, his expression grim as he wiped his weapon, as if doing so would calm his nerves.
Meng Heng and Cheng Yuan wore serious expressions, gazing intently at the sand table.
This was not a good place for defense, but they had no other choice; the enemy had the upper hand in terrain.
“Fight to the death; we shall not retreat an inch!”
Luo Yue gripped his long knife tightly, the polished blade glinting with a cold white sheen.
Meng Heng said, “General Luo, to hold firm is not a wise strategy. Even if we expend all our troops and resources, holding out for five days would be a stretch.”
The enemy was arrayed with a determination to fight to the bitter end.
If they clashed head-on with the enemy, the outcome would be total annihilation!
Luo Yue said, “We’ve already lost to Zhonghe County; there’s nowhere else to retreat! If we lose the Three Mountain Gorge, all of Hujun will…”
“This is well known, Heng understands,” Meng Heng replied with an impassive gaze, calm and unwavering, “But this army of thousands has been painstakingly trained by our Lord. If you insist they hold the Three Mountain Gorge, fighting to the death here… the losses would far exceed losing an entire Hujun!”
Luo Yue suddenly stood, his square face showing signs of struggle.
“What do you mean by that, Military Adviser?”
Meng Heng said, “Retreat and abandon the gorge; that is our best plan!”
With a loud crash, Luo Yue angrily smashed the table next to him, sending wood shavings flying everywhere.
“Military Adviser!!!”
How could Meng Heng suggest retreating and abandoning the gorge?
Wasn’t that equivalent to willingly handing over all of Hujun to Huang Song?
“Better to keep the green hills than to worry about not having firewood! If General Luo sacrifices all the soldiers to hold firm for five days, five days later, Hujun will still fall into Huang Song’s hands.” Meng Heng spoke without changing his expression, “If we are not willing to retreat and abandon the gorge, I have another plan; Huang Song will surely give up his assault.”
