Chapter 1192 – The Defeat of Xu Pei, First Kill of the Lords (Part 62)
Xu Pei was in a truly terrible mood.
Months ago, he had pushed Xu Fei to the brink, forcing him into despair and leading to his suicide by hanging. Now it was his turn, and Xu Pei felt the depth of that despair. He felt like an old, cornered beast, wounded, clawless, and toothless, fearing for his future and, even more so, fearing death.
Since birth, Xu Pei had been a favored child of heaven, the legitimate heir of the Xu family, the envy of everyone.
Though there had been occasional troubles, he had ultimately become the rightful head of the Xu clan after outlasting his biased old man.
He was supposed to be the model for life’s winners, but now he had fallen to the state of a homeless dog.
People often spoke of fate—Xu Pei never believed in it, but now he couldn’t help but feel otherwise.
He had driven his cousin Xu Fei to death, so was he now being compelled to enter Shanweng City, walking the same path as Xu Fei?
Xu Pei became obsessed with the notion, feeling more and more like this was his destiny.
However, instead of falling into despair, he grew increasingly irritable, leading to several of his attending servants getting a beating.
Looking at Xu Pei now, Han Yu could hardly reconcile this frustrated “madman” with the previously gentle and ambitious young man he once was, as if that young man had only existed in Han Yu’s imagination. This left Han Yu deeply disappointed.
Han Yu and Cheng Xun tried to dissuade Xu Pei, and Xie Ze, as a relative by marriage, also attempted to persuade him, but all efforts ended in failure.
Xu Pei had become stuck in a rut, and only he could break free—others couldn’t help him at all.
Han Yu sighed lightly, a hint of sorrow brushing his gentle brows, but he quickly composed himself, revealing his habitual expression.
“Xie Wei, have the troops inside the city been accounted for?”
Xu Pei had given up, but Han Yu could not afford to slack; he had to take responsibility for the soldiers within the city.
Xie Ze replied, “They’ve been accounted for… but overall morale is low, and there’s a strong fear of battle. Even after executing a few deserters, it hasn’t made much of a difference. The enemy commander outside continues to provoke us loudly, trying to incite our soldiers, and now more and more are deserting.”
If only they could swiftly attack the city, Xie Ze wouldn’t be so troubled.
Unfortunately, the enemy was deliberately toying with them, neither attacking nor retreating, merely shouting angrily at the city gate with a strangely-shaped horn.
Who knew what those people had eaten to grow so loud; Xie Ze found it impossible to ignore their shouts.
In truth, while those soldiers responsible for the taunts had loud voices, they weren’t as overwhelming as this.
Jiang Pengji had long before devised a large horn—made of thin copper, shaped like a cone, with a round opening at the tip. Though its design was simple, its ability to amplify sound was remarkable. When used for battle calls, it was incredibly effective—now it was paying dividends!
The strong should attack strategy first, then alliances, and finally troops, with city sieges the last resort.
Attacking the heart of the enemy held the highest priority, while besieging the city came last; psychological warfare was paramount, while physical warfare was secondary.
Jiang Pengji had considered attacking the city, but it was said that a legless insect wouldn’t die easily, and Xu Pei’s remaining forces weren’t just play dough that could be molded as others wished. If she forcefully attacked with adequate defenses in the city, both Jiang Pengji and Yang Tao would have to suffer losses to take Shanweng City. After much contemplation, Yang Si, that cunning guy, came up with this idea.
Three shifts a day, taking turns every twelve hours to shout and beat drums, inciting the enemy’s morale.
Xu Pei repeatedly suffered defeats, the morale within his forces crumbling, the soldiers lacked resolve, and even a slight provocation could easily sway them—it proved effective immediately. The number of deserters continued to rise, and even though Xie Ze executed them openly to steady the troops, the soldiers remained panicked.
Xie Ze was too busy to groom his appearance, a stubble already sprouting on his chin, making him look far more haggard than usual.
Han Yu grimaced, saying, “While executing a few deserters can have immediate effects, in the long run, it will backfire.”
Everything required balance. Executing one or two deserters could serve as a warning, but if a hundred or so were killed, the remaining soldiers wouldn’t see their leaders as tough; instead, they would think of them as ruthlessly cruel, further solidifying their desire to flee.
Xie Ze understood this principle well.
But if they let the desertions proliferate, sooner or later there would be no troops to defend Shanweng City.
“If only the Lord could…”
Xie Ze opened his mouth, but after a moment, swallowed the rest of his words.
If Xu Pei, as the Lord, could rise and inspire morale, not only could he stabilize his troops but also ignite their determination to fight to the death.
Unfortunately—
Han Yu’s gaze flickered, remaining silent.
“How is the situation with Huang Song?”
Huang Song was their ally. Though their relationship wasn’t particularly close, without his assistance, Xu Pei would have long since fallen.
Just as Han Yu asked, Xie Ze’s face turned grim as if he had received a great insult, clenching his fists in indignation.
“Him? Though Huang Song left some men, what use are they?”
Self-preservation is everyone’s instinct, but as one of the abandoned, it was impossible for Xie Ze not to feel angry and resentful.
Han Yu’s furrowed brows tightened further.
“… Lastly, is there any news from Zhejun?”
The army’s morale had hit rock bottom, and the fall of Zhejun, along with the safety of loved ones, was one of the main reasons.
Han Yu worried about his family, about his children, but he couldn’t outright express it.
If it weren’t for his trust in Xie Ze, he wouldn’t have dared to ask.
Xie Ze sighed, a bitter smile spreading on his face as he shook his head, “No news yet, unclear if they’re alive or dead.”
Han Yu said, “As for me, I have met Liu Xi a few times. Though I cannot guarantee, based on her personality, she wouldn’t target the women and elderly.”
True strength is never built on oppression and humiliation of the weak.
Xie Ze wore a troubled expression, “I hope so…”
His own family was also in Zhejun; it was impossible not to worry.
Han Yu gazed in the direction of the city walls, his gaze reflective.
“Don’t worry, she definitely wouldn’t do that,” Han Yu said reassuringly.
Recently, the situation had reached a stalemate, and Han Yu had limited options; thus, he had more time to reminisce about the past— in his memories, Liu Xi was a spirited youth with some rebellious spirit. If she truly had ambitions for the world, she wouldn’t dig her own grave at a time like this.
Xie Ze asked in surprise, “Why is that?”
Han Yu replied, “If she slaughters the enemy’s families and women, taking on such a notorious reputation, she will completely lose her chances at dominating the nine provinces. Not even to mention the myriad of noble families within this little Shanweng City. How vast are the networks of relations among them? Even if she employs many humble-born individuals, her troops still have connections with other factions, just like Cheng Yuan, who is under her command. If she does this, she not only cuts off her own path but also damages the foundational network she has built over the years and buries a deadly hidden danger for herself.”
Competing for dominance over the world has never been a solo game, nor is it a one-hit kill.
If Jiang Pengji wanted to absorb Xu Pei’s territory to grow stronger, she could not afford to completely offend everyone.
Xie Ze gasped sharply.
He looked around and suddenly asked a highly dangerous question.
“Military Advisor, if Shanweng City falls and the Lord unluckily…”
To die, yield, or fade away?
Han Yu’s shallow gaze swept over, causing Xie Ze’s heart to skip a beat.
