novelraw Chapter 382
Chapter 382
That very night, the rebel army launched an "attack."
Battle cries soared to the heavens from beneath the city gates. By the time Prince Yu and Xie Zhizhou hastily donned their armor and arrived, they discovered the enemy forces numbered no more than a hundred. Each held a brass gong, beating it loud enough to shake the sky.
The leader was Mei Hexuan. Seeing the fully armed men rushing to the city tower, he grinned and ordered, "Withdraw!"
Prince Yu froze for a moment before cursing, "What the hell are they doing?"
Xie Zhizhou, however, vaguely guessed their intent and did not rest upon returning to his room. Sure enough, in less than two hours, the rebels "attacked the city" again. By the time they hurried over once more, they only saw the retreating back of Mei Hexuan swaggering away.
Prince Yu was completely infuriated. "Are they going to let anyone rest? As this prince sees it, they just want to wear us down. Let's go, ignore them!"
Xie Zhizhou hurriedly said, "Your Highness, absolutely not! What if the rebels launch a real attack next time?"
Prince Yu glared at him. "Then what should we do? If they do this a few times a night, will anyone even be able to keep their eyes open?"
Xie Zhizhou really did not want to waste words on this pampered prince. He only said, "Everyone stay alert, keep your weapons at hand, and hold out until daybreak when we can change shifts and rest!"
As a result, just as the sun rose, the rebels attacked the city.
Mei Sheng led twenty thousand troops in a frontal assault, supported by dozens of catapults in the rear. By the time Xie Zhizhou and the others arrived, a breach had already been smashed into the western city wall, and the rebels were climbing up on scaling ladders.
Xie Zhizhou drew his sword, rushed forward to cut down a man, and shouted, "Pour the boiling oil! We cannot let them breach the walls!"
Prince Yu, terrified, hid behind his guards and yelled, "And the logs and rolling stones, release them all, release them all!"
The soldiers hurriedly carried the supplies up, but before they could drop them, the rebels sounded the gong to retreat!
The imperial soldiers looked at each other in dismay. Xie Zhizhou climbed up the wall to look and saw that Mei Sheng had truly led his men away. He was completely baffled.
What was this? Dipping their toes in and leaving? Was this a game?
Who knew that in the afternoon, Meng Yang would come to challenge them, and by nightfall, it was Mei Hexuan's shift again. After tossing and turning like this repeatedly for three or four days, the imperial army was tortured to the point of exhaustion. Prince Yu finally could not hold on any longer. He grabbed a pillow, covered his face, and wailed, "Even if Third Yan attacks the city today, there is no need to inform this prince. This prince is going to sleep!"
Xie Zhizhou complained bitterly in his heart, but there was nothing he could do about him. He forced himself to walk up the city wall to patrol.
He saw that his own men and horses were exhausted, their morale scattered, while the rebel army below the city was in perfect order.
A wave of sorrow inevitably washed over his heart.
He knew very well in his heart that let alone this uneven army of two hundred thousand, even if they had double the numbers, they could not possibly defeat Yan Zheng! But what else could be done? His entire family, young and old, was in the capital. If he did not fight to the death, his entire clan would be exterminated. He simply had no choice.
He only hoped that Ling'er would not be dragged into this. He wondered how she was doing now.
In a private residence in the capital.
Chan trembled as she brought over a bowl of medicine. "M-Miss, why don't we wait a little longer..."
"Wait for what? Wait for Liu Hui to give birth to the legitimate son, or wait for me to be divorced and sent back to my maiden home with a swollen belly, turning the Cao family into the laughingstock of the entire capital?" Xue Ling gave a mocking smile and lowered her head with immense bitterness. "Child, oh child, it is your mother who has wronged you. But as things stand, mother cannot bring you into this world only to harm you..."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Chan with a resolute expression. "Bring it."
Chan shook her head with tears in her eyes. "Miss! Have you forgotten that the old divine doctor said you suffer from a cold womb and blood deficiency, making it extremely difficult for you to conceive? If you abort this child, it will be even harder for you in the future..."
"Bring it!" Xue Ling interrupted, her eyes as cold as ice.
Chan's tears rolled down, and she tremblingly handed the medicine bowl over...
Taizhou, on the city tower.
Xie Zhizhou was lost in thought when a general beside him suddenly said, "Vice Commander, look quickly!"
He subconsciously looked up, only to see arrows piercing down like rain filling the sky.
But the target was not them, but the city of Taizhou behind them.
"Vice Commander, there seems to be something tied to the tails of those arrows!" The general pointed. Xie Zhizhou frowned and immediately ordered the soldiers to pick them up.
A moment later, the soldiers presented the items. Xie Zhizhou unfolded one and took a look, his entire body shaking violently!
The general beside him leaned over, saw it, and could not help but read out loud: "Our heart is deeply worried. We hope Lord Mei will kill the traitor Yan and seize the tiger tally. If you are outmatched, you may borrow troops from the Southern Barbarians... Good heavens, is... is this an imperial decree from the Emperor?!?"
Among these men, who hadn't suffered bullying from the Southern Barbarians?
Even if they hadn't, the annual tributes given to the Southern Barbarians were all the lifeblood and sweat squeezed out of the common people!
And now, their Emperor was actually going to collude with the Southern Barbarians to slaughter his own soldiers!
Not to mention the deafening curses inside the city, even the soldiers on this very city tower lowered their weapons one after another.
Just at this moment, boom!
A battering ram smashed heavily into the city gates!
The rebel army had launched their final assault!
...
This massive battle ended in less than six hours. The imperial soldiers, having been tormented for several days, were already exhausted. Coupled with the Emperor's secret letter spreading throughout Taizhou, their morale was in utter chaos and their fighting spirit was completely gone. Many threw away their armor and weapons before even fighting.
Yan Zheng walked in, stepping over a ground covered with corpses and bones. His snow-white armor was like new, not stained with even a speck of blood.
Mei Hexuan escorted Xie Zhizhou over. "Commander, we caught the man. However, that old loach Prince Yu is cunning; he ran away the moment the siege began!"
Yan Zheng was not surprised by this at all. The members of the imperial family always cherished their own lives exceptionally well.
He nodded and looked at this top scholar who had once served under him and could be considered his cousin-in-law: "Release him."
The surrounding people were all shocked: "Commander!"
Xie Zhizhou was the enemy's vice commander. What logic was there in letting him go?
However, Yan Zheng ignored them.
Mei Hexuan hesitated for a moment before letting go.
Xie Zhizhou looked at him with a face full of exhaustion. "Everyone says the Yan family army is invincible. I used to think those were exaggerated words, but now I know it was my own ignorance. However, I have one question. In just these few short days, where did you find someone capable of imitating the Emperor's handwriting, and even replicating so many copies?"
There were at least several thousand copies of those letters shot into the city.
Yan Zheng thought of something, and a gentle smile touched the corners of his lips. "It is all my wife's doing."
"Your wife? County Princess Changle?"
Xie Zhizhou remembered that cousin of his who was as gentle as water. To think she was now staying in the military camp, surrounded by these rough and burly men. His heart was filled with mixed feelings.
After a long while, he took half a step back and bowed. "When the Chu family fell into misfortune, out of consideration for my own family, I did not lend a hand, and my conscience has never been at peace. Now that I know the County Princess and the others are all well, my remaining wishes are fulfilled. I ask the Chief Minister to grant me death."
Mei Hexuan's heroic eyebrows shot up. "Hey, how can your blockhead..."
Mei Sheng stopped him, shaking his head with compassion. "As the vice commander of the imperial army, if Lord Xie does not die in battle, returning will only mean a dead end, and he might even implicate his entire family."
Thinking of his grandmother and eldest sister, Mei Hexuan spat with hatred. "Dog emperor! All he knows is confiscating properties and exterminating clans!"
Yan Zheng looked at Xie Zhizhou calmly. "Have you thought it through?"
Xie Zhizhou bent his back even lower. "Please grant my request, Chief Minister."