Chapter 1335 – Defeating Huang Song, the Unification of Dongqing (Seventy-six)
They thought they could finally relax, but little did they know, their Lord was anything but easygoing.
Han Yu said, “Isn’t five thousand cavalry a bit lacking? How about… bringing a few more?”
If it weren’t against the rules, Han Yu would have pulled all their forces up to ensure the safety of their Lord.
Jiang Pengji replied, “What do we need that many for? If five thousand cavalry can’t take down Bo Gao, am I just keeping them around to waste rations?”
Five thousand light and heavy cavalry cannot defeat a morale-less group of defeated soldiers, Jiang Pengji almost wanted to shout “useless snacks.”
Her words were harsh, but who could argue with Jiang Pengji? She had the clout to say it.
“Nong Qin, let’s go!”
With a flick of her whip, Xiao Bai surged forward, followed closely by Nong Qin. The five thousand cavalry followed in a rush. Watching her Lord galloping ahead, Yang Si displayed an almost suffocating expression, repeatedly rubbing his left chest.
With a Lord like this, he really would shorten his life!
Han Yu’s face darkened as he caught Yang Si’s movement and asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you had a heart condition?”
Yang Si replied, “Ever since I’ve followed a Lord like this, I’m worried I might develop one even if I didn’t have it!”
Han Yu fell silent for a few seconds in a strange understanding; he could empathize with Yang Si’s feelings.
No comparison, no hurt. Thinking of his old Lord, Xu Pei, even if he wasn’t as talented as their current Lord, at least he was worry-free!
The two didn’t have time to chat; although Huang Song had retreated, the enemy attacking from the rear was still a problem.
Although Xie Ze didn’t have a strong desire for fame and fortune, as a military general, who would turn down more honors?
Naturally, Xie Ze was no exception.
If they could completely crush the ambushing enemy and capture their leader, it would be a monumental achievement!
Seeing the tide turning, Feng Jue began an orderly retreat, but alas, the soldiers were dispirited, fleeing like headless chickens, losing their armor and escaping mindlessly. This negative emotion was contagious; it started with a few and quickly spread to thousands upon thousands!
Feng Jue watched this with a pale face, almost falling off his horse.
Fortunately, someone helped him; otherwise, being tossed from such a height in the chaos would likely mean injury or death.
“Military Adviser, I’ll escort you to safety!”
Feng Jue shook off the dizziness, his lips dry and peeling, looking particularly haggard.
“You don’t need to worry about me; it’s more crucial to rally the troops for retreat—”
With the mountains still standing, there’s no worry about firewood; if the best opportunity is missed, it could mean complete annihilation!
Just then, a thunderous cry of battle rang out behind them; despite having fought for hours, the soldiers were exhausted, but the sight of the enemies was motivation for their achievements; with war accomplishments, they could reap significant rewards. No matter how tired they were physically, their spirits were energized and exhilarated.
“Oh no, Military Adviser, the enemy is pursuing us!”
As they fled, the soldiers around them grew fewer, with those left behind either slain by the chaos or captured like poultry.
The General, along with nearly a thousand confidants and Feng Jue, retreated from the battlefield, but Xie Ze seemed hell-bent on the chase, refusing to give up. After a relentless pursuit, only one or two hundred soldiers remained, most of them injured, nearing their breaking point, while the enemy continued their fast approach.
The night grew darker and darker.
A cold wind swept through, carrying a pungent smell of blood, thick enough to make one nauseous.
The cries of battle echoed distantly like they were floating down from the heavens.
Feng Jue’s gaze was fierce as he looked at the encircling enemy forces; Xie Ze was riding a tall horse, with a distance of over ten zhang between them.
The soldiers surrounded them, binding their hands behind their backs, swords pressed against their necks.
Xie Ze surveyed the scene, satisfied with what he saw.
He waved his hand, saying, “Take everyone back; let the Lord decide their fate.”
Feng Jue tried to struggle, but the soldiers holding him were immensely strong, leaving him unable to even twitch.
Captives come in different tiers; those only expend their physical strength are naturally at the bottom of the pyramid, not even generating enough value for a meal, while Feng Jue belonged to the top echelon. A rare talent, regardless of whether he could submit to the Lord, Xie Ze had to present him in front of her.
To prevent Feng Jue from having thoughts of suicide, he assigned someone to keep watch.
Feng Jue let out a scornful hum.
Meanwhile—
Jiang Pengji was leading five thousand troops to hunt down Huang Song; “chasing” was merely a euphemism for slaughtering their way through.
Many enemy soldiers attempted to block their path, but all they met was death beneath the hooves, their bodies ground into mush.
Wherever the cavalry went, corpses stacked high.
The darkness of the night was a splendid cover, but for Jiang Pengji, it posed no obstacle.
Hence, she caught up to Huang Song far sooner than he had anticipated.
Facing five thousand organized light and heavy cavalry, Huang Song’s only remaining emotion was calm, almost feeling like “finally, they’re here.”
Originally, there were thirty to fifty thousand scattered soldiers to cover his escape, but those soldiers had lost their resolve in the face of the enemy. Who could still muster the will to fight?
Under the onslaught of pursuing enemies, they scattered—those who fled ran, those lost wandered off, fracturing into chaos.
By the time Huang Song was encircled, the troops around him had dwindled to fewer than three thousand.
Three thousand broken troops against five thousand elite cavalry—it didn’t take a genius to know the outcome.
This was a one-sided massacre.
When Huang Song and his men were captured, the victor was finally evident.
Jiang Pengji flicked her blood-stained God-Slaying Blade, sending blood splattering across the ground in a long streak.
She called out loudly, “Is Bo Gao up ahead?”
Hearing Jiang Pengji call his title, the disheveled Huang Song bitterly smiled.
“Lan Ting, can you still call me that today?”
“In turbulent times, we’re all at the mercy of circumstance, but public matters are public, and private matters are private,” Jiang Pengji replied. “Haven’t you still called me Lan Ting?”
“Yeah… at the mercy of circumstance…” Huang Song said, his spirit fading. “But with public and private so clear, Lan Ting, have you thought about how to deal with me?”
Jiang Pengji didn’t say anything explicitly; this wasn’t the right place for such a discussion.
She answered calmly, “I’m not a heartless killer. I didn’t walk this path out of sheer ambition; it was forced upon me by the situation.”
Not everyone starts with ambition, and Huang Song was no different.
Before Dongqing’s downfall, his only desire was to be a loyal and capable minister, turning around the biases of others to benefit the region.
But this chaotic world planted unprecedented aspirations within him.
Now reduced from the peak to the abyss, and having to bow to his former adversary, the worst part is that even in submission, he would be suspected for a lifetime. Who would want to live like that? Huang Song had contemplated the worst outcome, to end his own life, thereby protecting his wife and children.
But—
Every time he thought of his wife Qi Chaolan’s words that day, the courage for self-destruction ebbed away like a receding tide.
He said, “Lan Ting, you’ve truly given me a dilemma.”
Jiang Pengji stated, “How can you know if it’s a dilemma or an easy question without trying?”
