【The Divine Eagle Empire】(Volume 5, Chapter 101)

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Chapter 101 Scoundrel

Wang Yi strode out, and Lu Chong calmed himself, suddenly realizing that things might not be so bad after all. He still held onto

a last hope. This Cheng Youcheng, as a general of the empire, surely wouldn't betray the country and its people?

If he colluded with the Asura invaders for personal revenge, how could Cheng Youcheng stand in the world? And his

Cheng family would become enemies of the Celestial Empire, despised by the world for generations to come. He figured Cheng Youcheng wouldn't

dare to defy the world like that.

"Yes! That prisoner, what he said must not be true. If Cheng Youcheng really plotted a rebellion, this would definitely be

a highly confidential matter. How could a low-ranking general of the Asura clan know about it? Yes, it can't be true,

it can't be true, it can't be true..."

Lu Chong muttered to himself, completely unaware of the ridiculousness of his actions.

A short while later, Zhang Chao, the Chief Supervisor of the Ministry of Justice, entered the command hall and asked, "Vice Commander, I heard you have something

to discuss with me?"

"Lord Zhang, I'm truly sorry to have woken you so early."

Gathering his thoughts, Lu Chong stood up and bowed to Zhang Chao, saying, "Lord Zhang, do you know

Cheng Youcheng, the garrison commander of Saicheng City?"

Zhang Chao nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I know. He was originally the deputy garrison commander of Beitian City, but because he

was at odds with Wu Xiongfeng, the garrison commander of Beitian City, and was constantly restricted by Wu Xiongfeng, he voluntarily requested a transfer from Beitian City. Prince Wu had no choice but to transfer

him and his son, Cheng Jingang, to Saicheng City. The Vice Commander is asking about him now…"

"I've just received some urgent intelligence!"

Lu Chong frowned. "There's news that Cheng Youcheng in Saicheng is unstable. It's said he's been in private

contact . Do you have any intelligence from your military police department?"

Surprisingly, Zhang Chao didn't seem surprised. He replied, "Vice Commander, the military police

stationed reported to me that the newly appointed garrison commander Cheng Youcheng and his son Cheng Jingang are indeed acting improperly.

Since taking office, they've been practicing nepotism in the garrison, placing their cronies in large numbers. Many upright officers have been marginalized and

have no place to stand. The garrison in Saicheng has practically become their private army."

"After the war started, some of the Cheng family's statements were quite shocking. At the war preparation meeting in Saicheng, he said: '

The Shura number no more than ten thousand; if they exceed ten thousand, they are invincible. Our only hope for salvation is to negotiate peace with the Shura.' Fighting means being

killed by the Shura, and fleeing means being punished by military law. We need to find another way out for ourselves." "Why should we

risk our lives for the noble lords of Tianjing?" As a general of a city's army,

it's highly inappropriate for him to utter such demoralizing words in a formal military meeting. The military police of Saicheng City reported that recently,

unidentified strangers have been frequently entering and leaving Cheng Youcheng's residence. The whereabouts of Cheng Youcheng and his son are also very mysterious; they disappeared twice,

only to reappear several days later, and the military police cannot ascertain their whereabouts. In short,

we wouldn't be surprised if the Cheng family were secretly colluding with the Shura people.

Lu Chong was surprised: "You knew about all this? Why didn't you tell me?"

Zhang Chao smiled bitterly: "Vice Commander, you're so busy, you barely get an hour or two of rest each day.

How could I bother you with these baseless accusations? A general of Cheng Youcheng's rank

has hundreds of subordinates under your command, each with their own flaws. If you had to report on each one, you wouldn't be able to fight."

Lu Chong felt as if he had a bitter pill in his mouth. After a moment's thought, he asked, "We haven't yet

obtained concrete evidence against him. What does the military police think we should do in this situation?"

Zhang Chao bluntly replied, "Vice Commander, the best course of action is to arrest Cheng and his son immediately.

People like them are simply unfit to be generals!"

Lu Chong still had reservations, saying, "But we haven't obtained conclusive evidence yet. Cheng Youcheng is, after all,

the garrison commander of a city, a high-ranking official appointed by the imperial court..."

"Vice Commander, during wartime, we can't be so concerned with evidence. You are the Vice Commander of an army, and I am the Imperial

Chief Inspector. As long as we both agree to arrest him, it's completely legal in procedure."

"What if we arrest the wrong person?" "If

we arrest the wrong person, we'll release them!"

Zhang Chao said nonchalantly, "If they are truly innocent, I will personally

apologize !"

Lu Chong remained silent, tacitly agreeing, and then asked, "Can the local military police in Saicheng City accomplish this

task?"

"I'm afraid it will be difficult. The Military Police Bureau doesn't have a strong military police force stationed in Saicheng City, and the city's garrison is completely controlled by the Cheng family

from top to bottom . If the military police arrest the Cheng family, they

might fight back desperately, which would be troublesome. I suggest taking a more prudent approach, such as

arresting Cheng Youcheng when he's summoned to a meeting at headquarters?"

"That's a method we can consider,"

Lu Chong nodded. "But I've never dealt with Cheng Youcheng before, and summoning him suddenly would arouse his suspicion. How about changing

Cheng Youcheng 's position and transferring him to the rear?"

Zhang Chao asked doubtfully. "Would he accept the order to leave? In my experience, people with a guilty conscience are particularly

suspicious ."

The two discussed for a long time and finally decided to take a two-pronged approach. On one hand, Lu Chong, as deputy commander,

would Youcheng and his son to lead their troops to Mianyang to participate in the battle. On the other hand, Lu Chong secretly wrote to Song Minghui, the city lord of Saicheng,

urging him to be vigilant against Cheng Youcheng and his son, and to be prepared to take over the army at any time. Zhang Chao, meanwhile, authorized the local

military police supervisor to preemptively kill Cheng Youcheng and his son if they made any unusual moves.

The two discussed the matter repeatedly, even considering the most minute details.

Zhang Chao drafted the order in Lu Chong's voice, making it sound like a normal troop deployment document: "To eliminate the Shura enemy,

the garrison commanders of Saicheng, Cheng Youcheng and Cheng Jingang, are hereby ordered to lead their troops to Mianyang City to assemble and await further orders before February 5th.

No delays are permitted!"

Lu Chong agreed, saying, "This is a good way to write it; it looks very formal, and the Cheng family shouldn't suspect anything."

Zhang Chao accepted the order and left.

The guards opened the window; it was already broad daylight.

Only then did Lu Chong realize that he had unknowingly spent a full hour discussing Cheng Youcheng's matter.

With the matter settled, he put the matter aside and resumed his normal military duties. But less than a moment later,

a rapid clatter of hooves broke the morning tranquility as it approached. A guard shouted, "Who's there?" "I am the Chief Inspector..."

"Zhang Chao, make way!"

Caught off guard, the guards charged into the commander's mansion on horseback, right up to the entrance of the main hall.

Zhang Chao, who had just left, jumped off his horse and strode towards Lu Chong, his expression grim: "Vice Commander Lu, I

just returned when I received a message by carrier pigeon—we're too late! Cheng Youcheng, the garrison commander of Saicheng City, and his son Cheng Jingang

launched a mutiny last night, murdering the city lord Song Minghui and the local military police officers. Vice Commander, these

two have indeed sided with the Shura people, and the Shura army has already appeared on the streets of Saicheng City!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone in the main hall paled.

All eyes turned to Lu Chong, the young vice commander of the empire, who stood silently by the window. The rising

sun shone on his face, revealing a deep sorrow, weariness, and haggardness.

After a long silence, he turned to his assistant and said, "Report to the capital immediately. There are new developments at the front, and

the situation may be unfavorable to us. The enemy may bypass us and advance straight in. Tianjing should prepare its defenses. I

was not vigilant enough and failed to guard against the conspiracy of the Cheng family. I request His Majesty to punish me and I am willing to accept the punishment!"

Zhang Chao said urgently, "Sir, Cheng Youcheng and Cheng Jingang were not appointed by you. You are busy with countless affairs of state and

military . How could you have foreseen their betrayal? I bear the greatest responsibility for this matter, and I should be the one punished

. You, Deputy Commander, are responsible for the overall situation and cannot be easily dealt with."

Lu Chong smiled bitterly, "Sir Zhang, regardless of whose responsibility it is, I am the commander-in-chief of the Mianyang region, and I am the one who bears the responsibility for

the war zone . The court doesn't care about the reasons. Anyway, the Shura Army has broken through the Mianyang war zone,

and they will definitely hold me accountable."

The officers remained silent. Thinking of Lu Chong's tireless efforts day and night, and the fact that he ended

up , everyone felt heartbroken and indignant.

When the incident actually occurred, Lu Chong calmed down. He said calmly, "It is indeed unfortunate.

If it weren't for the betrayal of the Cheng family, the situation would never have deteriorated to this extent. But since it has happened

, regret is useless. Of course, the war will become more difficult and protracted, but I still firmly believe that

the invaders' defeat is inevitable, and there will be no other outcome!"

On February 1, 1677, the Battle of Mianyang took a dramatic turn. Cheng Youcheng, the garrison commander of Saicheng City, mutinied and defected to the enemy. The 50,000 garrison troops immediately mutinied, creating a large gap

on the left flank of the solid Mianyang defense line . 　　The Shura Army surged in through the gap, appearing on the flank and rear of the Divine Eagle Army's encirclement. 　　The Central Imperial Guard, facing enemies on both sides, was caught off guard and nearly 130,000 men were routed. The Second Army Shura Legion, which relieved the siege, joined forces with the besieged Seventh Army Yaksha Legion. In this way, the Shura Army became a unified force, forming a strategic encirclement of more than 200,000 men on the right flank and in the central part of the Divine Eagle Central Army. The situation changed drastically . 　　The damage caused by Cheng Youcheng's defection didn't stop there. As a high-ranking officer of the Divine Eagle Empire, Cheng Youcheng was intimately familiar with its overall strategic deployment and troop arrangement. With his guidance, the Divine Eagle army's troop deployment was clearly laid bare before the Shura people. Under Cheng Youcheng's direction, the Shura army systematically eliminated the Divine Eagle troops on the front lines. 　　On February 4th, the Celestial Clan army, which had been observing from the sidelines, also joined the battle. This was a fresh force; they charged through Saicheng City, controlled by Cheng Youcheng, and outflanked Mianyang City from the rear, posing a threat to Mianyang City from the rear. More than 500,000 Divine Eagle troops were cut off from their retreat and faced the threat of encirclement. 　　On February 7th, seeing that they could not withstand the Shura army's attack, Li Hui, the garrison commander of Bailong City, defected to the enemy under the instigation of Cheng and his son . 　　On February 7th, Lü Yun, the garrison commander of Bazhou City, was defeated and defected to the enemy; his more than 30,000 Divine Eagle troops laid down their weapons and were captured. 　　On February 8th, reinforcements from the Shura Empire continued to arrive at the front lines. These reinforcements numbered as many as three legions , totaling 250,000 men. They included the Shura Empire's Third Army, known as the Fierce Tiger Legion , and the Empire's Fourth Army, known as the Dragon God Legion, commanded by Long Tengfei. In addition, there were over 40,000 heavy wolf cavalry and air force eagle beast knights. At this time, the total number of Shura troops fighting the Divine Eagle Army on the front lines had reached seven legions, totaling over 700,000 men, exceeding one-third of the Shura Empire's entire military strength. 　　The battle situation had shifted in Shura Empire's favor, but under Lu Zhong's leadership, the encircled Divine Eagle Army continued to put up a desperate resistance. They held strong fortifications and coordinated their attacks effectively, making it extremely difficult for the Shura army to advance. 　　At this moment, Cheng Youcheng offered a strategy to the legion commanders: "The main force of the Divine Eagle Army is currently encircled, and their rear defenses are weak. If we capture Tianjing, the morale and fighting spirit of the Divine Eagle Army will completely collapse, and we will win without a fight !" 　　The Shura legion commanders were invigorated; why hadn't they thought of this brilliant idea? However, some legion commanders still harbored doubts. Meng Taiying asked, "What if, during the attack on Tianjing, the Divine Eagle Army in the encirclement rushes out to attack our rear? Wouldn't our army be caught in a pincer movement?" 　　Cheng Youcheng laughed, "Your Grace, the reason the enemy in the encirclement is difficult to deal with is simply because they occupy fortifications to resist. If we leave our positions and fight in the open, do you think the Shura Clan would be afraid of them?" 　　Meng Taiying stroked his beard and nodded, "That's true. In terms of field combat ability, our Shura Iron Cavalry is invincible. You Eagle People are too weak; you're simply no match for us." 　　The legion commanders cheered, saying, "Only the Eagle People could come up with such a cunning idea!" 　　"To deal with the Eagle People, we still have to rely on the Eagle People themselves! Our Shura tribe can fight, but we're not as good as them when it comes to thinking." 　　To reward Cheng Youcheng, with the consent of the Azure Dragon Prince and the legion commanders, the surrendered Divine Eagle Army was reorganized into the 20th Army of the Shura Empire, the Shuntian Legion, meaning to follow the will of Heaven. Cheng Youcheng was appointed commander of the Shuntian Legion, and Cheng Jingang was appointed deputy commander, responsible for leading all Eagleman rebel forces. The Cheng family father and son were in high spirits for this. 　　On February 11, 1677, the Shura Second Legion, Fourth Legion, Twelfth Legion, Thirteenth Legion and other legions, totaling 350,000 Shura troops, marched towards Tianjing. Before them lay Wanglong City, the last city in the vicinity of Tianjing. 　　This was Tianjing's last gateway, and the Shura Azure Dragon relentlessly transferred troops, attempting to use their numerical superiority to swallow the entire city whole. 　　Defending Wanglong City were 30,000 newly transferred Imperial Guards from the capital, led .

Although Yang Zecheng's forces were small, the Divine Eagle Empire's fierce spirit of establishing a nation through military might was

fully

. Their loyalty to the empire, their hatred for the invaders, and the soldiers' tragic and moving spirit of facing death without fear seemed to give the defending army several times the strength.

There was no need for mobilization; the soldiers all knew one fact: Wanglong was the gateway to Tianjing!

"The empire's territory is vast and boundless, but we have nowhere to retreat! Tianjing is behind us!"

As long as the human spirit does not wither, flesh and blood can be stronger than steel. The defending officers and soldiers faced death without fear,

advancing wave after wave, refusing to yield an inch.

As long as there was breath in their bodies, no one would stop fighting. Wounded soldiers poured oil on themselves, set themselves on fire

, and charged into the enemy ranks, embracing Shura officers to die together. The Divine Eagle soldiers, running out of food, cut off the flesh of Shura soldiers to eat. Facing

the rumbling Shura war machines, Wanglong City had become a towering, rock-solid threshold.

Despite being outnumbered, the battalions of the army fought valiantly, exhausting themselves but still

managing to annihilate the Shura soldiers who had stormed the city four times.

Such tenacious resistance, such fearlessness, such savagery, such cruelty—the Shenying soldiers

were more like Shura than the Shura themselves.

Such brutal and savage tactics had only been seen in the Shenying army during the early years of the dynasty under Yuwen Ying.

Now, in this life-or-death situation, like wolves cornered, the Shenying army

roared : "Come on, you want my skin, I want your flesh! Let's see who eats whom!"

The battle raged day and night. Wanglong City was considered a death trap, a

place filled with death, pain, hatred, despair, and hope.

The battlefield was littered with corpses; tens of thousands had died, including warriors defending their homeland and greedy

foreign invaders.

The defenders faced death without fear, and for the first time, the Shura soldiers were utterly demoralized.

Despite beheading three frontline commanders, the

Azure Dragon Prince failed to capture Wanglong City. Finally, he deployed the Air Force's Gryphon Knights, issuing a death order: any attacking force failing to take the city would be executed!

Under this overwhelming pressure, leveraging their air superiority, the Shura Army finally broke into Wanglong City,

engaging the defenders in street-to-street warfare.

The defenders fought desperately, but the laws of war are cruel and merciless: the strong prevail. After suffering 40,000

casualties, the Shura Army finally annihilated the defenders of Wanglong City, with Yang Zecheng and his 10,000 guards dying heroically.

In Wanglong City, littered with corpses, rivers of blood, and crumbling walls, the exhausted Shura soldiers swayed as if in

a dream .

So many enemies and comrades had died before their eyes; they couldn't believe they had

survived this hellish carnage.

After a long while, cheers slowly rose, weak and feeble, mingled with the groans of wounded Shura soldiers, echoing

over the ruins of the city.

Standing atop the crumbling walls of Wanglong City, one could see the vast outline of Tianjing City in the distance.

There lay the heart of a powerful empire, the enemy's most stubborn stronghold.

Behind Tianjing lay the enemy's vast territory and hinterland, and further behind, another powerful empire:

the Peacock Dynasty.

The Azure Dragon Prince felt a lingering fear: how many more bloody battles like Wanglong would he have to endure to conquer the world and dominate the continent

?

The tide of war turned suddenly, smoke filled the air, and the Asuras marched eastward, advancing on Tianjing. The capital of the Divine Eagle

Empire , faced an unprecedented catastrophe. At this critical moment for the empire's survival, in the distant northern

city of Fengcheng, the people also felt the intense atmosphere of war…

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