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“So you think you can just waltz in here and take over, huh?”
Gongsun Du’s expression went from cocky to as stiff as a board. He couldn’t even come up with a comeback against Lu Lingju.
If his mishap in the East China Sea was an embarrassing slip-up, what did it mean that he was getting hit again?
It was like he was trying to stage a perfect comeback but kept slamming his face into the opponent’s solid fist.
Even the retreat route he chose towards Xiangping was predicted ahead of time by Qiao Yan’s side, leading to yet another ambush.
Is that what you call unfair play? Well, maybe not.
He could only blame himself for not figuring out who they were in the first place, and for being smug about his growing influence in Liaodong, thinking those folks were just outsiders who’d easily bow to him.
Turns out, he might have to cough up some ransom now.
But obviously, this time, the treatment he’d receive wasn’t going to be as cushy as before.
Lu Lingju slammed her long spear into the ground and said, “So, Gongsun Taishou, you still haven’t settled your debts and you’re already thinking about a comeback? Can’t blame us for not giving you face. You better figure out how much you’re really worth before we discuss letting you go.”
Gongsun Du frowned, not addressing the worth issue, and instead asked, “What do you all really want?”
This was no life-or-death question.
He genuinely couldn’t understand why these youngsters were putting in all this effort to stir the pot.
Once he grasped their identities, the question became even more puzzling.
If Liaodong had the agricultural bounty of Shu, the trade access of Liangzhou, or the talents like Yingchuan’s, it might make sense for them to test him and hit him up for ransom.
But it clearly didn’t have any of that.
So their choice to poke around in Liaodong during this disaster felt particularly intriguing.
If Qiao Yan wanted land and people, there were plenty of better options than Liaodong.
They couldn’t seriously be treating this borderland as their practice playground, right?
If that was the case, that was just outright insulting!
While Lu Lingju dished out sarcasm, she knew if she kept at it, Gongsun Du would never agree to their plan to attack Liaodong.
She replied, “Lord Jun has an interest in bringing you on board, Gongsun Taishou, but sadly, your pride is a bit too much and you seem a little too independent, so we had to bring out the heavy artillery.”
“That’s right,” Zhuge Liang chimed in, “Lord Jun appreciates your talents, but is worried you might not commit sincerely, which is why we’re here to test the waters.”
“Talents?” Gongsun Du shot back, “What talents? The kind you can easily toy with?”
“You’re mistaken, Gongsun Taishou,” Zhuge Liang countered. “It’s well known that the people of Liaodong are fierce, and with the threat from Goguryeo and Wuhuan, ever since you took office, despite your tough measures, local discontent has risen. Yet Liaodong has become a refuge for people from Qingzhou. While you may not be a sage, you can certainly be called an able official. In these troubled times, someone like you is beneficial to the Grand Marshal.”
Gongsun Du found himself somewhat captured by Zhuge Liang’s words—those words of flattery, spoken in such a genuine manner, were way more effective coming from him than anyone else.
He then heard Zhuge Liang say, “Moreover, just because you see us as young, how would you know the Grand Marshal is not fully prepared for taking you down? This young General Lu here is the only daughter of the famed Middle General Lü Bu, trained in martial arts from her father and educated at the Leping Academy established by the Grand Marshal. It’s said that Lord Jun hopes she surpasses him. Years ago, General Lü followed Lord Jun to challenge Dong Zhuo, killing him with his own hands in Chang’an. If this young General Lu manages to defeat you, that’ll be quite a feather in her cap.”
Gongsun Du: “…No need to drag in my worth.”
Comparing him to Dong Zhuo was a bit much.
As much as he felt the Han Dynasty was crumbling, he never thought himself capable of competing with someone like Dong Zhuo who usurped power.
Zhuge Liang didn’t react to that, instead smiling, “Let’s not forget this young General Guo. His father is the Yanmen Prefect in Bingzhou, battling against the Xianbei for years. As for this young lad Lu, I believe you know his family lineage—he is the descendant of the Lujiang Prefect, who faced off against Yuan Gonglu in Yang Province.”
Gongsun Du’s mouth twitched, realizing that these young foes were all privileged kids under Qiao Yan, each from a background a bit too remarkable, clearly not just riding on their parents’ coattails but possessing real skills too.
Zhuge Liang didn’t mention himself, but turned to Gan Ning and Tai Shici accompanying them, “If Gongsun Taishou thinks it’s just us youngsters matching up against you, that would truly be an underestimation of the Grand Marshal.”
“The warships we’re using for our operations in Liaodong were expertly crafted in Yang Province, with tactical gear and the Divine Bow all coming from Master Ma Deheng. The maritime navigation gear is courtesy of the Leping Academy. Moreover, General Gan used to serve under Liu Yizhou, and the Lord Jun specifically invited him due to his sailing expertise. As for General Tai Shici, I believe Gongsun Taishou knows a thing or two about him; he originally served as an official in Qingzhou before joining our Chang’an court.”
“So, when we cross the sea for battle, we’d be utilizing the combined might of various regions to defeat you alone. Who can claim that’s humiliating to you?”
Gongsun Du pondered if he had received a concussion when he got captured; as Zhuge Liang spoke, it increasingly sounded like the truth.
If that’s the case, Qiao Yan did place quite a bit of importance on Gongsun Du after all.
But just as he began to appreciate Qiao Yan, it dawned on him how insignificant that was.
Was he supposed to express thanks while being a prisoner?
He asked, “And then what after you defeat me and I pledge allegiance?”
“Naturally, we would ask Gongsun Taishou to assist us in dealing with the bandits,” Lu Yi added casually while throwing a knowing glance at Guo Huai.
Guo Huai was the youngest among them, but he’d been bold and clever since he was little. He joined the Leping Academy early and had partnered with Lu Yi and Lu Lingju to complete a project on Liaodong, so he caught on to the signal Lu Yi gave.
He continued, “You have keen eyes, Gongsun Taishou, you probably suspect who that bandit we mentioned is.”
Gongsun Du’s gaze flickered.
Considering the position of Liaodong, the only “bandit” could only be Gongsun Zan.
But it genuinely piqued his curiosity about why, two years ago, after Qiao Yan brought Liu Yu to Chang’an and crowned him, Zhang Liao, Prefect of Uggu County, had been in a stand-off against Gongsun Zan. If they were to mobilize troops, the opportunity last year was more fitting than now; why go for it now?
Undeniably, if Zhang Liao struck against Gongsun Zan, and he launched a rear assault simultaneously, the effectiveness would be much better than a single frontal strike.
Before he could piece everything together, he suddenly heard Guo Huai say, “I also understand why you hesitate to express your stance; you think if we convince you to fight with us over land, you shouldn’t just lose to us in naval combat.”
Gongsun Du looked at him, taken aback.
Technically, he was a captive now; how come this kid’s face looked so determined, like he was dead set on proving that naval combat was merely their weakest point?
But… was this potentially good news for him?
Just as he thought that, he heard Guo Huai say, “Well, we could always compete with you a third time. If we win this land battle again, you’d better obey the Grand Marshal’s command, alright?”
Gongsun Du asked, “How do you plan to compete with me in land battle? Don’t forget, you came here by sea—there are no conditions for you to fight on land.”
“Not a problem at all,” Guo Huai replied without a second thought, “We’ll send you back to Xiangping. You’ll defend the city, while we’ll attack from outside. No cavalry needed! If you can stop our siege, congrats, you win. Otherwise…”
“Baili!” Before Guo Huai could finish, Zhuge Liang interrupted with a curt nickname.
It seemed to hit Guo Huai that what he said was a bit too generous to Gongsun Du, and he quickly clamped his mouth shut, looking a tad remorseful.
But Gongsun Du, on the other hand, thought this kind of siege defending method had only one outcome for him—victory! It was the most favorable challenge imaginable, and he quickly replied, “Alright, it’s a deal. I’ll be waiting for you guys at the base of Xiangping City.”
Since it was their proposal first, he was merely going along with it; he didn’t see it as bullying the young ones.
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“He really tried to keep a straight face and not look too gleeful about it as Lu Lingju gave Guo Huai a mock tap on the head, looking all disapproving.”
But with the words already out, pulling back now would just make them seem a bit too petty, so they had to tough it out.
When Gongsun Du left to return to Xiangping, his mind was buzzing with the thought that these young folks needed a reality check; besieging a city wasn’t just a walk in the park like their usual playtime antics.
Sure, given their backgrounds, Gongsun Du couldn’t go too overboard while defending the city, but he wanted them to get a good thrashing to regain some dignity.
“Do you have any idea whether to accept the invitation from Chang’an?” asked Liu Yi, who had also been freed along with him.
Gongsun Du waved his hand, not planning to answer just yet, saying, “Let’s win this battle first.”
It couldn’t just be them getting bullied by the enemy; that wouldn’t be called an invite—instead, it would be more like submission.
Negotiating terms with Chang’an seemed nearly impossible.
While Gongsun Du knew that it was pretty clear-cut if he had to choose between making Qiao Yan an enemy and Gongsun Zan a friend, it didn’t change the fact that he was once fantasizing about being a ruler. Now being forced to bow his head instead? He just couldn’t cope with that.
First, he needed to deal with those cocky young kids!
However, Gongsun Du was caught off guard when Zhuge Liang, Lu Lingju, and the others arrived at the foot of Xiangping City, but none of them were within shooting range of the walls.
With nearly seven thousand troops surrounded by those they had plundered from Zhianghai and those recruited with the riches they’d raided from the government storehouse at Xi’an Ping, it was clear they had no intention of backing down.
Gongsun Du stared cluelessly at the scene below, completely baffled by what these newcomers were planning.
“Do they think this small group can actually besiege the city?” he scoffed, glancing towards the few visible junior generals, thinking these guys were just too green.
With such flimsy defenses, he could easily pull a squad from his forces to break through.
But Liu Yi wasn’t as optimistic as Gongsun Du.
He scrutinized the arrangement of those Divine Bow archers and realized they had completely surrounded every city gate.
Whether or not these folks could actually stop them from breaking out, they could definitely inflict some serious damage.
Then, he saw a heavy crossbow being dragged from their ranks, and without so much as a heads-up, it launched a heavy arrow straight at the city wall!
Gongsun Du’s smug expression instantly froze as that arrow flew in like a bolt from the blue, striking dead center on the city tower!
If they had that kind of precision from afar, who knew what kind of damage they’d do if aimed at him?
He trembled, pointing at the arrow, “Go get that message on it for me!”
The white cloth hanging from the arrow vaguely sparked a memory in his mind, but he couldn’t ponder it long before realizing that these young brigands had learned their noble lord’s tricks quite well.
After Liu Yi handed him the scroll, Gongsun Du quickly unfolded it before him, and the first line read: “Prefect Gongsun, you are now a prisoner.”
“Prisoner…?” Gongsun Du murmured, his brow furrowing.
What kind of prisoner?
The subsequent lines simply explained that Gongsun Du’s choice to take on this so-called final showdown to save face was an incredibly foolish decision.
Being besieged for a day or two wasn’t really a big deal.
But after three days of being cornered, things could start getting hairy.
Since Xiangping was situated near the northern border of Liaodong Commandery, close to the Xuan Province, Liaodong’s subject states, Goguryeo, and Fuyu, how could he ensure none of them would come a-knockin’ now that word got out he was stuck here?
Goguryeo had once been frightened by him, needing to be managed while he handled the rebels; now, they were free from his leash.
Though the Fuyu sovereign Wei Qiutai married his cousin, nobody could tell if they were truly working together.
These foreign powers required Gongsun Du to maintain enough swagger to keep them in line.
As for the local forces in Liaodong, didn’t he have enemies like Gongsun Zhao and Tian Shao whose friends or family were still lurking around?
If Gongsun Du lost his grip on his own turf, he’d be facing huge pressure.
Not to mention the threats from across the western borders of Liaodong’s subjects and Liaoxi.
Gongsun Zan and Tadeh were too busy handling Zhang Liao’s threats to care about what went on in Liaodong.
Even Zhuge Liang and his band of misfits were free to retreat if things got dicey, secure in their plan for a long voyage to Youzhou without worrying about Gongsun Du’s backup.
But not Gongsun Du; if he showed even the slightest weakness, he’d be facing a world of hurt.
And here he was, locking himself inside Xiangping City—wasn’t that like inviting capture?
“Damn it, can’t I just rally the townsfolk and burst out of here?” Gongsun Du gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to slice someone open now that he read the whole damning letter.
But just as his troops prepared to comply with his order to charge out, what he saw was something he’d never forget.
As the bowmen positioned at the corners of the gates set to unleash their arrows, they suddenly swapped their long-range Divine Bows for crossbows hanging from their waists, rapidly drawing them back.
As the gate flung open, the cocking of the crossbows synchronized perfectly alongside!
Gongsun Du had been ready to mock how these idiots were using such cumbersome crossbows, thinking that with enough people joining him outside, they’d turn fancy bows into useless gadgets.
But as his cavalry rushed into range, the elite archers unleashed a storm of armor-piercing bolts.
The whistling of the bolts filled the area as a volley of arrows burst forth, painting the landscape with chaos.
It wasn’t until a dozen arrows had been fired that the troops finally paused to reload.
Over a dozen!
Gongsun Du couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.
He had no doubt now—those weren’t just ordinary crossbows; they were repeating crossbows!
Sure, repeating crossbows had been around for ages, but he had never seen anything that could fire multiple bolts like this!
Now… now he was witnessing this groundbreaking weapon in action, and unfortunately, he was its intended target!
After a brutal barrage, Gongsun Du’s cavalry that attempted to charge through fell in heaps just a hundred paces from the city.
Those who were lucky enough to survive the hail of arrows were immediately cut off by Lu Lingju and Guo Huai’s cavalry lurking outside.
As the last rider fell, Gongsun Du caught sight of the young General Lu raising his blood-stained spear towards him.
It seemed to silently declare one thing—
Do you still think this isn’t called “captured”?
Gongsun Du stepped back in defeat.
In this self-imposed prison, he suddenly realized that the difference between him and these outsider rascals was not just a crossbow, a tactical rod, or even some Divine Bows.
The real difference was that he had fixated on the territory of Liaodong, while these young guns were thinking outside the box!
Even if this battle hadn’t gone down here, but somewhere else, they could still trap him with their wits.
Right now, while he was still safe within the city, he remained a respected leader among his subordinates.
But after facing this defeat, he knew he didn’t need to struggle anymore.
A message had quietly traveled via ordinary ships to Donglai and was quickly relayed by local intelligence agents to Qiao Yan in Qingzhou, who sent it flying to Chang’an.
Unfortunately, Qiao Yan wasn’t in Chang’an but instead in Luoyang, so after some twists and turns, the message finally landed in her hands.
Qiao Yan unfolded the translated letter and read the eight words on it—
Liaodong success, no disgrace suffered.
