Chapter 161

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Chapter 161: The Death of Han Sui

Han Sui’s hand trembled slightly as he grasped the war decree.

In the heat of his anger, he couldn’t forget one thing.

Qiao Yan’s heart-stabbing ability to write proclamations was perfectly proportional to the attacking capability of her troops.

She definitely wouldn’t just occupy the moral high ground with her declarations of war.

Peeking cautiously over the city walls again, he saw part of Bingzhou’s troops rapidly crossing the river.

Crossing the river?

You don’t need to cross a river to attack a city!

They only need to cross when attacking towards Yuzhong by bypassing Jincheng.

With the number of troops under her command, she could indeed intercept them below Jincheng, trapping the defending soldiers inside first, while another group could directly sweep through Kuiyuan Gorge, catching all the troops Han Sui had guarding there.

His relaxation regarding Huanzhong and Longxi made him deploy his most elite troops at that “entrance,” and he’d even dispatched another four thousand troops today, increasing his vulnerability to losses in that one position!

In Han Sui’s line of sight, boats were already flowing down the Tao River into the Yellow River, transporting soldiers to the opposite shore.

The back-and-forth of these boats didn’t take long, as the Yellow River here was not only smooth but had less than half a mile width.

This section from where the Tao River meets the Yellow River to Jincheng had a northern bank that directly connected to cliffs, unsuitable for marching. But in this gorge, the situation was quite different.

It wasn’t just a gradually widening and easy-to-travel road; the soldiers guarding the walls of Jincheng couldn’t even shoot arrows at the troops at the foot of the mountains on the other side.

Thus, as they moved close to the mountains, they could treat Jincheng as if it were nonexistent.

They didn’t need to worry about the soldiers inside Jincheng suddenly cutting off their retreat—

Han Sui had no capability to send out an extra troop!

If he really did that, he couldn’t guarantee his own safety.

He had no idea how Ma Teng had been dragged down to the city by Qiao Yan, and how he had become a source of reinforcements for her after his defeat, providing evidence for her proclamations and those boats for crossing the river.

All he knew was that Qiao’s Bingzhou had used a long crossbow to shatter his confidence as he commanded from the wall!

Han Sui forced himself to calm his expression, ordering his soldiers to hold their shields in front of him before daring to look westward again.

The crossing boats were spaced apart, merely appearing as larger black dots.

However, the boats moved quickly, and in what felt like an instant, Ma Chao and others he’d recognized earlier had already reached the opposite shore with their horses.

These people seemed to have no intention of stopping as they headed straight east.

Among them, Ma Chao was the fastest!

This made Han Sui absolutely certain that the messenger he had just sent to Kuiyuan Gorge would undoubtedly be intercepted on the way.

The subsequent boats crossing back and forth further added to the numbers assembling on the opposite shore for their eastward march.

Once fully gathered, they would head towards Kuiyuan Gorge.

Where was his escape route?

Perhaps he could only hope that Cheng Gongying and Yan Xing in Kuiyuan Gorge could repel the enemy and then come to his rescue at Jincheng.

But such a possibility, under Qiao Yan’s boastful war decree, seemed minuscule.

They were capable generals and fierce soldiers, but they didn’t seem capable of turning the tide.

Under this double pressure of wording and reality, Han Sui, though only in his forties, felt a tightness in his chest that nearly made him spit blood, with a metallic taste already lingering in his throat.

Qiao Yan, holding a telescope, observed his expression and couldn’t help but regretfully say, “Not crying, huh?”

She sent a tear-wiping proclamation, and yet this guy couldn’t give her a break.

But come to think of it, it made sense; when Gai Xun had ridiculed Han Sui earlier, they had just shifted from hostages to rebels, so a bit of tenderness was understandable.

This crying fit of he and Bian Zhang could also serve as a way to give themselves an “unavoidable” label.

In the realm of Liangzhou, where there were still some moral expectations for leaders, Han Sui’s reputation wasn’t all that bad.

Having controlled Jincheng County for nearly five years now, however, he had little left in terms of appearances.

Perhaps the only thing left was his lack of quarrelsomeness.

Before Qiao Yan’s infuriating proclamation, he couldn’t even think of a rebuttal.

Xun You almost burst out laughing at Qiao Yan’s remark about him not crying, then heard her continue, “This is where the real benefits of writing proclamations show, isn’t it, Gong Da?”

He cupped his hands in response, saying, “If one wants to leave no room for the opponent to refute, either they must present a majestic style that shames all responses or write realistically with solid reasoning. Your Highness excels in the latter, and today my eyes have truly been opened.”

The lively ending of this proclamation not only didn’t make her seem less generous as a governor, but instead made her personality shine with charm.

Xun You often felt that Qiao Yan’s arrangements in Bingzhou gave her a naturally aggressive demeanor, and as they neared the confluence of the Tao and Yellow Rivers, he heard her and Fu Gan betting after inquiring about the supplies from the Western Palace’s Xianchi to Liangzhou, claiming there was another salt marsh west of that place, with reserves just as rich, if not more, which she insisted on checking out.

At this moment, however, she exuded an air of composure in the offense.

After expressing such sentiments, she had people set up a seat and awning in front of the army, lounging there comfortably.

This choice was also quite correct.

Attacking Jincheng was not the pressing matter.

Han Sui well knew the lethal intention behind her arrival with an army—if she didn’t kill him, she couldn’t explain herself to Huangfu Song and Fu Gan, so an indiscriminate attack on the city would only lead to Han Sui’s desperate counter-offensive. But what if she first eliminated the forces at Kuiyuan Gorge, completely severing his reinforcements?

Liangzhou’s characteristics made it impossible for them to stockpile too much food in Jincheng. When this place was left as the only isolated fortress, Han Sui wouldn’t be able to stir up any waves.

Qiao Yan poured herself a glass of wine and said, “I wonder how General Huangfu is doing.”

As she issued orders to Jia Xu to capture Kuiyuan Gorge, another unit was also moving out from the eastern path of Birds and Mice Mountain in Longxi County, advancing northward and attacking Kuiyuan Gorge from the south.

This unit’s commander was none other than Huangfu Song.

Ma Teng requested to act as support for this route, which Qiao Yan also approved.

For the troops under Han Sui’s command in Kuiyuan Gorge, Ma Teng was an ally, and he definitely wouldn’t let them down.

But given that Ma Teng had just surrendered, in the repeated context of betrayals happening in Liangzhou, Qiao Yan didn’t dare to make any guarantees.

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Ma Teng couldn’t possibly think he could fight back just because he teamed up with Han Sui, especially not when he might stab her in the back again.

Plus, when toasting with Huangfu Song outside Hanyang City, she had already noticed that the old general was fired up for battle. Unfortunately, his unique method of attacking Ayang and Longxi left him with no room to maneuver.

So, Qiao Yan decided to stick with Huangfu Song as her main man.

With Huangfu Song by her side, Qiao Yan didn’t have to worry about Ma Teng having any funny ideas.

But even without Huangfu Song, Ma Teng probably wouldn’t dare to have any rebellious thoughts for now.

Weighing his skills and luck, he concluded that staying safe and switching sides to Qiao Yan was the best outcome he could hope for.

If Qiao Yan could silently show up at his door once, she could definitely do it again.

So instead of trying for a counterattack that might not even work, he might as well rack up some credit during this trip to Kuiyuan Gorge to avoid looking too awkward among the Bingzhou army.

He and Huangfu Song headed from Longxi to Daxing, making their way straight to Kuiyuan Gorge.

Perhaps due to perfect timing, when they arrived, they found not two armies facing off, but actual fighting.

Previously, Cheng Gongying had led 4,000 reinforcements from Jincheng toward Kuiyuan Gorge. Since not all of them were cavalry, he sent 500 elite riders ahead to join forces with Yan Xing at Kuiyuan Gorge.

With help on the way and unsure when Qiao Yan would send more troops, Yan Xing decided to strike first.

If he had a different opponent, especially one who wasn’t so decisive about attacking, his choice would have been sound. Unfortunately, he was up against Qiao Yan.

When facing Qu Yi and Chu Yan under Jia Xu’s command, his extra troops didn’t yield the desired results.

The two sides became locked in a stalemate.

Yan Xing was quite good at horseback archery, and his use of the spear was nothing short of magical. Among Han Sui’s officers, it was clear he stood out. But just because he wielded a spear well didn’t mean he could break through shields.

Qu Yi, knowing that his goal was to hold his ground rather than attack, was determined to use the battle at Kuiyuan Gorge to prove his strength. His defensive capabilities in the skirmish amazed Yan Xing.

Just as they were locked in this tight stand-off, Yan Xing received news of southern troops approaching.

“From the south?” A hint of doubt flickered across Yan Xing’s face.

His subordinate replied, “They’re flying the Ma family’s Commander’s Banner.”

This news didn’t make Yan Xing feel relieved enough to let down his guard.

Ma Teng was technically their ally, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t competition between them.

Unless General Han explicitly asked for support, the sudden arrival of enemy troops was probably not a genuine assisting force.

Whether Ma Teng’s banner could fool the defenders didn’t really matter; it only aimed to bring them closer to the Kuiyuan Gorge defenders.

Before Yan Xing could order a halt to the advance or even send a messenger, Huangfu Song and Ma Teng had already charged toward them.

This force from the south didn’t even need to engage them on the floating bridge across the Yellow River; they just needed to make a sudden charge.

This left Han Sui’s already thinly defended troops in disarray.

Simultaneously, Qu Yi changed from defense to attack.

The heavy infantry, armed with shields and longswords, moved with an agility that belied their armor’s weight. Considering the Bingzhou army’s usual rations, such performances were quite normal.

This was a dual encirclement!

Even with the geography of Kuiyuan Gorge favoring Yan Xing’s local forces, it didn’t stop the unstoppable assault from both sides.

As he gazed at the relentless mass of soldiers before him, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly issued the order to retreat west.

Let’s go! Perhaps returning to Jincheng would give him another shot at regrouping.

Cheng Gongying was also on the way with another group of reinforcements toward Kuiyuan Gorge, and they could meet up to avoid being utterly annihilated during this retreat.

But just as he managed to shake off Qu Yi’s pursuit with his remaining troops, he spotted Cheng Gongying and his men approaching, only to also see another troop coming along the river from the direction of Jincheng—this one wasn’t Han Sui’s subordinates, but Ma Teng’s son, Ma Chao!

Yan Xing’s face changed.

The force bearing Ma Teng’s banner was clearly cutting down his men; how could Ma Chao be any exception? The way they charged in like that, weapons raised, wasn’t exactly a welcoming gesture!

Before Ma Chao could reach them, Huangfu Song was already in hot pursuit.

Among Han Sui’s forces, quite a few had seen Huangfu Song before.

Just a month ago, they were mocking this guy for lacking awareness. Now, he wasn’t just the Left General; they were stuck back on their old turf, trapped in Changcheng, with nothing left of their former reputation.

But thanks to Qiao Yan’s battle at Gaoping, she’d unified forces with Huangfu Song.

Now, this famous general from Liangzhou was charging at them like a tiger unleashed!

Who truly deserved the title of Left General was no longer a question!

On the second day while stationed beneath Jincheng, Han Sui was still on high alert, wondering when she would launch her siege, when he suddenly got bad news from the east.

He didn’t just see it; he actually witnessed it.

His trusted subordinate Cheng Gongying and the officer he had high hopes for, Yan Xing, were being brought back as prisoners by Huangfu Song’s troops, along with his own subordinates under their control, slowly approaching from the east.

Another group, having also returned from across the river on their way to Yuzhong, was being ferried to Qiao Yan’s side.

This new troop was far larger than the last one that had left, making Han Sui suspect the group previously seen at the siege of Aowei had also joined in.

As he glanced around to assess the situation, he suddenly found it hard to tell which side had fewer troops, making it impossible for him to plan an escape attempt.

The south was mountains, the north was the Yellow River, effectively cutting off all his other routes of retreat.

Did he have any way out?

Could he even survive?

Even though the troops below seemed to be hanging back to avoid unnecessary losses and not directly attacking the city, they still camped on both sides, leaving Han Sui tense and on edge.

The anxieties of the night and the sounds of blade sharpening merged into a heavy emotional burden that nearly crushed him.

Finally, after days of exhaustion overwhelmed all his worries, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

But on the following morning, the gates of Jincheng suddenly opened, and a cavalry member dashed out, racing straight for Qiao Yan’s location.

As he neared, the patrolling guards finally saw he carried a bloodied bundle in his hands.

He stopped about forty to fifty steps from Qiao Yan, dropped the bundle on the ground, opened it up, and revealed a severed head inside.

Then he shouted, “Han Sui is dead! I present Han Sui’s head to you, please take control of Jincheng, Qiao Hou!”