[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 9

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Chapter Thirty-One – Cao Hua Captures Yu Fengjiao with the Black Dragon Formation, Shi Wenlong Seizes Lin Fengwu with the White Dragon Formation

. It is said that Xu Youliang led his army to the Azure Dragon Formation and summoned Duan Lingfeng to answer questions.
Duan Lingfeng knew things were going badly, but she had no choice but to come out.
After the two generals exchanged greetings, Youliang said, “Marshal Duan, I have come as promised to fight. You must be careful.”
Lingfeng also said, “This time is different from the last. It will be a real fight. If anyone is captured, their life or death will be left to fate.”
“Alright, Marshal, please enter the formation. I need to send troops.”
“Good. Once the white flag is raised at the center of my formation, the cave master can begin the battle.”
“Please!”
Duan Lingfeng returned to the central command tent, finished assigning tasks, and went up to the mountaintop at the center of the formation, ordering the soldiers on the watchtowers to raise the white flag.
When the light came out, they saw a woman hanging naked from a flagpole in the distance, her legs spread wide apart. They recognized her as Fengyi and were filled with resentment. Seeing the white flag raised above the watchtower, they shouted, "Fire the cannon!"
A cannon boomed, and the soldiers roared, rushing into the enemy lines.
Cao Hua led his main force westward, followed by a clearing team led by six cave chiefs, specifically tasked with uncovering ambushes and digging out enemy intelligence.
Entering through the westernmost main road, a clapper sounded from the hills on either side, followed by a hail of arrows that killed over a dozen soldiers. One of the cave chiefs immediately led dozens of shield bearers up the hill, but Cao Hua ignored them, continuing his advance.
Soon, the archers on the hill were scattered by the shield bearers, and the traps were breached. The light, which had been there, was now useless.
Along the way, the Six Cave Masters' clearing teams cleared obstacles on both sides, allowing Cao Hua to advance swiftly. Before long, he reached the Black Dragon Formation.
The Black Dragon Formation was a water formation, entirely composed of ponds. Only a few winding paths, like a spiderweb, crisscrossed the formation. The water was dark and slightly foul-smelling; Cao Hua knew it was poisonous. The paths were also riddled with trapdoors; if one were to fall through one, the poison would instantly cause severe skin damage.
However, Cao Hua had the formation map and wasn't worried. He mounted his horse and followed the paths without trapdoors towards the core of the formation.
Suddenly, a female general emerged from the core—his fifth junior sister, Yu Fengjiao, followed by several lieutenants. Yu Fengjiao raised her command flag, unleashing a barrage of feathered arrows from all directions. Cao Hua wielded his great axe, deflecting the arrows, and was almost at the core when suddenly the path blocked out.
It turned out that Duan Lingfeng knew the battle formation diagram was lost and hurriedly arranged a change of formation, but in her haste, there was no time to spare. Left with no other option, she dug up the road to prevent Cao Hua
from crossing. Cao Hua, however, was prepared. He quickly ordered his soldiers to build a bridge with pre-prepared planks. Yu Fengjiao saw this and ordered a hail of arrows to be fired. The soldiers fell into the water and died instantly from poisoning, the planks also falling into the water.
Seeing his soldiers being hit by arrows and unable to cross, Cao Hua roared in anger and ordered his men to quickly return to the outer perimeter to cut down trees and build a bridge, but it was too late.
Just as they were locked in a stalemate, a loud bang was heard from the west. Turning around, they saw a thick plume of smoke rising from the foot of the western mountain, and in an instant, the water in the pond slowly receded. Yu
Fengjiao, seeing this, was terrified and spurred her horse westward.
Cao Hua was overjoyed. Seeing the water receding so quickly, soon they reached the bottom of the pond, realizing that Liang had been prepared, he quickly ordered his soldiers to throw bags of lime into the water. The water was actually stagnant water from years ago, mixed with some poison, making it extremely potent. However, it was neutralized upon contact with lime. In modern terms, the poison was acidic, so it was neutralized by the alkaline lime.
The soldiers bravely charged forward, braving a hail of arrows, and soon the lime bags formed a path leading to the opposite cliff.
Cao Hua and his three lieutenants rode onto the lime path, deflecting feathered arrows to protect their soldiers. Archers exchanged fire with those on the opposite bank, but men were still frequently hit.
Hundreds of lime bags were thrown down, and in no time, the path reached a point about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) from the opposite bank. The arrows from the opposite bank intensified, scattering wildly at the soldiers filling the path.
Upon seeing this, Cao Hua ordered his soldiers to retreat. He circled his horse back, retreating several zhang, then spurred his horse forward, letting out a loud shout. The horse leaped into the air and flew straight across to the opposite bank.
Cao Hua swung his great axe, using the momentum of his horse, and with a single sweep, seven or eight heads flew into the air. The remaining archers, seeing this, were terrified, dropped their bows and arrows, and fled. Cao Hua's lieutenant, seeing this, hurriedly urged his soldiers to pave the way to the other side and rush over to provide support.
Cao Hua scattered the government army's archers, and the four or five government army lieutenants on the opposite side quickly surrounded him to block his advance. Cao Hua wielded his great axe, striking fiercely from above and below, left and right, gaining a slight advantage. When his lieutenants arrived behind him, he swept away the enemy generals like autumn leaves in a whirlwind, cutting them down with ease. Hearing the shouts of battle from the west, he rushed towards that direction.
Upon reaching them, he saw Yu Fengjiao fiercely fighting two government army lieutenants. Although the two lieutenants were brave, they could only parry and had no chance to retaliate. Cao Hua didn't recognize the two men, only knowing that the one fighting Yu Fengjiao was a friend, not an enemy. He shouted, "Generals, please step back! Let me capture her!" With that, he charged towards Yu Fengjiao.
Hearing that someone was coming to her rescue, the two lieutenants immediately jumped out of the encirclement.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Yu Fengjiao gritted her teeth in anger and rode over to fight Cao Hua.
Yu Fengjiao was the youngest of the five sisters and the weakest in martial arts, but still far superior to most generals. Cao Hua, on the other hand, had been captured in a trap while scouting the Xu camp, so he hadn't had a chance to demonstrate his skills. He was also captured by Zhao Fengzhu during his second scouting trip, but that was a deliberate act of leniency.
In truth, Yu Fengjiao and he were only evenly matched, but now Yu Fengjiao was fighting like a cornered beast, and upon seeing her, his pent-up anger from his previous humiliation erupted, instantly giving him a significant advantage. The outcome was clear.
Feng Jiao wielded double hooks, which required considerable strength. However, Cao Hua was far stronger, so when the hooks clashed with the axe, she was nearly knocked away several times. She had to dodge the axe's attacks, which put her at a disadvantage, as her techniques weren't as refined and agile as the weaker female warrior's. After
only a dozen or so exchanges, the hooks and axe clashed again. This time, Feng Jiao could no longer hold onto the hooks, and both fell to the ground.
"You wretch, you belong to me now!" Cao Hua spurred his horse forward to seize her.
Feng Jiao tried to escape, but it was too late. Cao Hua grabbed her by the front of her clothes, feeling the soft flesh against her skin, which she found quite pleasant.
Feng Jiao, her chest gripped, was both ashamed and frightened. She struggled desperately to break free, but Cao Hua was too strong. He kicked off Feng Jiao's horse, thrusting backward and dragging her off the saddle, forcing her onto his own horse.
Feng Jiao deeply regretted humiliating Cao Hua earlier. Knowing that being captured by him would bring her no good, she reached for her sword from her side, intending to end her life. Cao Hua, however, wouldn't let her, snatching the sword away and throwing it to the ground.
He grabbed both her hands, twisting them behind her back, and pulled her slender body into his arms.
Feng Jiao tried to struggle again, but Cao Hua reached between her legs, tearing a hole in her trousers, his middle finger pressing against the painful opening. Feng Jiao screamed in shame, her body trembling violently, all strength gone.
Cao Hua held Feng Jiao's hands behind her back with one hand and gripped her buttocks with the other, lifting her up above his head, shouting, "Listen up, soldiers of the imperial court! Your commander has been captured! Surrender now if you don't want to die!"
Upon seeing this, the soldiers dared not fight any longer and dropped their weapons to surrender.
Cao Hua threw Yu Fengjiao into the hands of his personal guards and ordered them to be tied up. Only then did he ask the two deputy generals their names. The two replied, "We are Hu Sheng and Feng Ying. We are both spies left by the cave master in the government army. Knowing that the cave master was breaking the formation, we specially blew open the drainage outlet to help the general break the formation."
Cao Hua said, "Breaking the Black Dragon Formation, you two deserve the greatest credit."
The soldiers caught Yu Fengjiao, twisted her arms, and tied her tightly.
Cao Hua, seeing the great victory, fired a signal arrow and then led his army to attack the central Wuji Earth.
Meanwhile, Shi Wenlong, the second troop, charged into the White Dragon Formation.
This formation was of the metal element, filled with traps and ambushes. There were twenty-four golden men, thirty-six silver elephants, seventy-two bronze horses, and one hundred and eight iron oxen. The traps contained countless hidden crossbows and arrows, and the ground was covered with caltrops. Once they broke through and triggered the traps, they could defeat thousands of troops without a single soldier.
Shi Wenlong had been explained to him by Zhang Gui beforehand that he could not force his way through this formation. He had to find the master mechanism and destroy it first, so that the formation would be unable to operate. However, the master mechanism was at the back of the formation, accessible only by a small path in the center. Lin Fengwu stood at the end of the path, holding a large spear, directing her soldiers to guard it with bows and arrows.
Shi Wenlong raised his giant scythe and commanded, "Charge!" His soldiers surged forward along the path like a tidal wave.
At the sound of gongs, arrows rained down like locusts, felling the soldiers in front and forcing those behind to retreat. Some, trying to escape the hail of arrows, charged into the Jin ranks, only to be struck by arrows and die from poison.
Seeing this, Shi Wenlong roared and charged ahead himself. However, the arrows were too dense and powerful; even with his superior martial skills, he could not withstand them and was forced to retreat. His own horse, however, was struck by an arrow and reared up violently, nearly throwing Shi Wenlong off. When he dismounted outside the lines, he saw his horse trembling and lying dead on the ground; the enemy had used poisoned arrows.
Shi Wenlong changed horses and was about to fight again when a general opposite him, wielding a Xuanhua broadsword, suddenly rushed to the main mechanism's control point. With one blow, he felled the deputy general guarding the mechanism, then struck the control point itself. A chorus of bowstrings rang out, and arrows flew wildly through the Jin ranks for over a quarter of an hour before finally stopping, leaving the ground littered with feathered arrows.
The general shouted, "General, the mechanism is destroyed! Advance quickly!" Hearing
this, Shi Wenlong knew they were coming to his aid. He quickly raised his sword, and his soldiers, having placed planks on the caltrops, charged through the Jin ranks.
The Jin men, silver elephants, bronze horses, and iron oxen were rendered useless, lined up in rows and rows, almost as if they were welcoming him.
Lin Fengwu, enraged by the broken mechanism, roared and charged at the deputy general like a tigress, with nearby government troops also joining in the attack.
Knowing he was outmatched, the lieutenant of the dilapidated army, while fighting back, shouted to Shi Wenlong, "Tell Master Xu that my name is Xi Chenglong, and ask him to take care of my family!"
Shi Wenlong spurred his horse to the rescue, but it was too late. Xi Chenglong's great axe was entangled by several lieutenants, and Lin Fengwu rushed in, thrusting her spear into his chest, then forcefully lifting him more than ten feet into the air before he fell to the ground, clearly dead.
Enraged, Wenlong spurred his horse straight at Lin Fengwu, while his three lieutenants behind him also held off several of the government army's lieutenants.
In no time, all of the government army's lieutenants were annihilated, and Shi Wenlong's lieutenants were also killed or seriously wounded, leaving only him and Lin Fengwu still fighting.
Lin Fengwu's martial arts were also extraordinary, and she fought Shi Wenlong for more than thirty rounds without a clear victor.
Hearing the commotion in the other formations, Lin Fengwu knew the situation was dire and dared not linger, so she quickly turned her horse and fled, with Shi Wenlong in hot pursuit.
Lin Fengwu, in hot pursuit, hung her large spear on the victory hook, pulled three willow-leaf steel darts from her shoe, and turned to fire.
According to custom, when using a hidden weapon, one must first say a warning: "Watch out for the dart!" or "Here comes the magic weapon!" Lin Fengwu, driven by the urgency of the pursuit and filled with murderous intent, deliberately remained silent, launching the darts in a hushed motion, expecting a sure hit. Little did she know she had encountered the master of hidden weapons.
This Shi Wenlong, while perhaps not the most skilled dancer, had a nickname: "Thousand-Handed Buddha." He was an expert in hidden weapons; seeing Lin Fengwu's shoulder twitch, he knew there were hidden weapons. Then, he saw three streaks of white light flying towards him from above, middle, and below. He chuckled coldly, deliberately shouted, and used a skillful concealment technique, hiding under his horse's belly to dodge the three darts.
Hearing a shout behind her, Lin Fengwu turned around but the person was gone, leaving only an empty horse. Secretly pleased, she quickly circled back, intending to fight off Shi Wenlong's deputy. However, Shi Wenlong suddenly sat back on his horse and laughed, "You wretched woman! I didn't want to use hidden weapons to win against you, yet you disregard the rules. Now I'll show you my hidden weapons."
As he spoke, he raised his hand. Lin Fengwu, hearing the mention of hidden weapons and seeing his raised hand, assumed the weapon was coming from his hand and quickly raised her spear to deflect it. But there was nothing there. The two horses drew closer, and Shi Wenlong raised his hand again. Lin Fengwu raised her spear again, deflecting nothing. Something struck her left wrist, causing it to ache and go numb. Her hand went limp, and she could no longer hold the spear, leaving only her right hand holding the butt. This stance was called the "defeat stance," a move that signified utter defeat and was impossible to counter.
Shi Wenlong rushed over, reached out and embraced her, pulling her onto his horse. Like a husband holding his wife, she blushed and struggled a couple of times, but Shi Wenlong pressed several acupoints with his fingers, causing her to feel weak all over, collapsing like mud into his arms. He held her, his heart filled with lust.
Wenlong then handed her to his soldiers to tie her up. Seeing that her horse was fine, he dismounted and replaced her, then also headed towards the Endless Land.
How the other routes would break the formation remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Two—Liang Da Breaks the Azure Dragon Formation, Yunlong Arrow Shoots the Beautiful Phoenix

. The third route was led by General Hua Feng, who charged into the Fire Dragon Formation.
The Fire Dragon Formation resembled a chessboard, divided into small squares by trenches filled with oil. Narrow paths connected the squares, but these were no ordinary paths. Except for a few pre-arranged spots, the bottom was made of trapdoors; stepping on one would send one falling into the trench.
As soon as Hua Feng entered the formation, the pretty Daoist nun Jingxiu, stationed at the heart of the opposing formation, saw her and immediately ordered the trenches to be
set ablaze. Instantly, the trenches were ignited, flames engulfing the ground and thick smoke billowing, obscuring the sky and blocking out the view of the opposite side. The formation gate behind Hua Feng was also sealed off by the fire, preventing her from retreating. Hua Feng knew that although she wasn't directly affected by the flames yet, the ground would eventually heat up, scalding her and her men to death. Therefore, her only solution was to charge straight to the formation's core. She quickly retrieved the formation map and ordered two junior officers to lead the way, searching for areas without trapdoors. Like navigating a maze, although Jingxiu had dug several sections, Hua Feng had prepared beforehand, filling the gaps with yellow earth. Finally, she emerged from the fire formation, but many of her men had perished in the heat.
Seeing Hua Feng break through the fire formation, Jingxiu had no choice but to fight her, engaging her in battle. The two sides' lieutenants also clashed in combat.
The government army's deputy generals were all trained in martial arts, and their skills were generally superior to those of the Nanling army's deputy generals. However, their morale was low, which affected their fighting ability. Meanwhile, the Nanling soldiers, with their retreat blocked by fire, knew that retreat meant certain death, so they fought desperately and gained the upper hand.
Jingxiu was in a similar situation. His martial arts were not much worse than Duan Lingfeng's, but his morale was low, and he had no will to fight for long. After a dozen or so rounds, he turned his horse and fled. The other deputy generals, seeing this, also tried to run, but were cut down from behind by the Nanling soldiers, leaving only Jingxiu alone.
Hua Feng chased after him for a while, wielding a chicken-claw wood staff. Seeing that her horse was not as fast as Jingxiu's, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow.
As the bowstring twanged, Jingxiu quickly dodged, but no arrow came.
She heard the bowstring twang again, and when she dodged again, no arrow came.
Silently chuckling at Hua Feng's lack of archery skills, Jingxiu hesitated for a moment before the third bowshot rang out. The arrow arrived just as she heard the whoosh behind her and hastily dodged, only to be struck squarely in the back and lodged in her shoulder blade.
Jingxiu cried out, tumbling from her horse. Hua Feng caught up, jumped down, and mounted her, carrying her away. She then changed horses and led her troops towards Wuji Land.
The fourth group consisted of the Hong sisters. Hong Sanniang wielded a pair of meteor hammers, while Hong Siniang used a pair of short spears. The two sisters always rode together, their weapons, one soft and one hard, working in perfect harmony.
Upon entering the formation, they saw a flat, clearing in the mountains. At the foot of the opposite mountain, Jingyue led the government troops in formation.
The Hong sisters knew that the open space, though seemingly flat, was actually riddled with trapdoors and pitfalls, some containing sharp stakes, others poisoned arrows; falling in meant certain death.
Now, with the battle plan, it was no longer a threat. The Hong sisters divided their men into groups of five, each consisting of a shield bearer and an archer. These groups formed a long, serpentine formation and followed the sisters into the trap.
The leading group also included grapplers who used grappling hooks to break through the trapdoors and pitfalls, then set up springboards for the soldiers behind to cross. As they drew closer, arrows rained down from the opposite side. The shield bearers shielded their comrades, while the archers returned fire. The Hong sisters themselves deftly deflected the arrows with their weapons, and soon they had passed through the trap array.
Seeing their formation broken, Jingyue hurriedly brandished her sword to fight. Hong Sanniang and Hong Siniang stepped forward to intercept her, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle, the blood flowing like a river, a sight that terrified even the gods and spirits. Both sides suffered thousands of casualties, and their lieutenants were also injured.
Jingyue, the eldest sister, possessed martial arts skills passed down from her master, surpassing even Duan Lingfeng's. However, she couldn't use them against the Hong sisters, as their excellent teamwork made their martial arts more than twice as powerful as an individual's. After more than forty rounds, Jingyue, seeing she couldn't win, tried to escape, but the two sisters held her tightly, preventing her from breaking free.
After another four or five rounds, Jingyue's twin swords were entangled by Hong Sanniang's meteor hammer. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hong Siniang struck Jingyue in the back with her spear shaft, knocking her off her horse.
With their commander fallen, the government troops panicked. Several lieutenants were killed, and soldiers either fled or surrendered. The Yellow Dragon Formation was thus broken.
Jingyue sat on the ground, looking at the Hong sisters, silent.
Third Sister asked, "Are you willing to surrender?"
Jingyue turned her head away, refusing to look at her.
Third Sister then looked at Fourth Sister and said, "Sister, if we capture her and take her back, she will inevitably be humiliated. She refuses to surrender, and we are all women, what should we do?"
Fourth Sister said, "Why not kill her?"
"What glory is there in killing a prisoner of war?" She shook her meteor hammer, releasing the entangled sword from the ground, and said to Jingyue, "If you don't surrender, you will inevitably die. If we capture you and take you back, you will be humiliated alive. It's better to end it yourself." Jingyue was
extremely grateful. She thanked them, uttered a prayer of Amitabha, reached for the sword, and strangled her neck. Blood gushed out, and she collapsed to the ground, her body curled up, a gurgling sound coming from her neck. Her legs kicked wildly on the ground, and she struggled for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before finally dying.
Hong Sanniang dismounted, cut off Jingyue's head, and hung it on the victory hook. Then she mounted her horse and went to Wuji Tu to join the battle. Her soldiers, however, were unwilling to abandon Jingyue's beautiful corpse. Two of them grabbed her feet and dragged her behind them.
Meanwhile, Xu Youliang, leading three female generals—Feng Ling, Zhao Fengzhu, and He Xiuying—along with the rest of his lieutenants, led his army straight into the Azure Dragon Formation.
The commander of the Azure Dragon Formation was Cao Yunlong, who hurriedly spurred his horse to meet them. Feng Ling, seeing Cao Yunlong, gritted her teeth in hatred and charged into battle. They fought for more than twenty rounds without a clear victor. Zhao Fengzhu
then rode up, and Cao Yunlong, unable to withstand her, retreated into the formation. Feng Ling pursued him, but Cao Yunlong vanished into the formation. When Feng Ling reached the front of the formation, the opposing soldiers retreated in unison. A thunderous roar was heard, and more than twenty iron chariots charged into the formation.
Although Feng Ling was prepared, she was still a step too late and was trapped inside the iron siege towers. Zhao Fengzhu heard the noise and hurriedly retreated, managing to escape just before the iron siege towers closed in. She tried to rescue Feng Ling, but then heard a loud bang, and another row of iron siege towers surrounded her. Zhao Fengzhu, unable to care about Feng Ling, was also trapped when she tried to run.
He Xiuying saw this and came to her rescue, but a third group of iron siege towers arrived, trapping her inside as well.
Why did Xu Youliang lead three female generals to attack the Azure Dragon Formation? It was because they had the formation diagram and understood the enemy's troop deployment. First, the Azure Dragon Formation was the main formation, personally guarded by Cao Yunlong and Duan Lingfeng. Second, the iron siege towers and iron siege towers here were powerful and couldn't be broken without sufficient strength.
Meanwhile, the three female generals were trapped in the siege tower formation. Their soldiers died instantly, and arrows rained down like locusts. The three could only wield their weapons to parry the falling arrows. Upon seeing this, Xu Youliang immediately ordered his lieutenants to rush out and destroy the iron fortifications.
These fortifications were easy to attack from the outside, as the archers had no cover behind them and were completely exposed.
Seeing Xu Youliang's lieutenants go out, Cao Yunlong also sent his lieutenants to intercept them, and the two sides' lieutenants became entangled in a fierce battle.
Only then did Xu Youliang charge out with his spear. Compared to the government army's lieutenants, Xu Youliang's martial arts were far superior; like a tiger wading through a pack of wolves, he instantly sent two flying.
Seeing the situation was dire, Cao Yunlong quickly sent his own troops into battle. Several lieutenants had already broken free and rushed to the iron fortifications, hacking and slashing wildly, scattering the archers and opening the fortifications to release three female generals.
Feng Ling and the others emerged and charged towards Cao Yunlong. Duan Lingfeng, who had seen everything from the mountain, rushed down to help, and the two sides became entangled.
Duan Lingfeng was also fighting desperately, so even against four opponents, she was not at a disadvantage.
After a brief struggle, they were ultimately outnumbered. Lingfeng said, "Cao Xianfeng, retreat!" and they all retreated in defeat.
Youliang brandished his spear and shouted, "Pursue!"
The men gave chase.
Just as Duan Lingfeng and Cao Yunlong were retreating to the mountain, a signal cannon suddenly fired, and a row of Iron Pagodas appeared at the foot of the opposite mountain.
Knowing the power of the Iron Pagodas, Youliang dared not approach, halting his troops and waiting for the other four groups to arrive before making further decisions.
Lingfeng watched from the hilltop as the other four formations crumbled one by one. Her four senior and junior sisters were either captured or committed suicide. Signal arrows flew through the air, and she knew that even the Iron Pagoda formation couldn't stop the enemy; it was merely buying time. She sighed deeply, "I, Duan Lingfeng, have practiced martial arts since childhood, hoping only to ride into battle and serve my country. Now, thanks to the Emperor's grace, I've been appointed Marshal, yet I've suffered such a crushing defeat. How can I live up to His Majesty's trust? Alas, death is preferable."
She drew her sword to commit suicide, but Cao Yunlong grabbed her wrist, saying, "An army cannot be without a commander for a day, and a marshal cannot take his own life lightly. Victory and defeat are common in war. As the saying goes, 'Where there's life, there's hope.' Although we've lost this battle, it doesn't affect the overall situation. Let's retreat to Nanling Pass and seek another opportunity."
Duan Lingfeng nodded and ordered a deputy general to lead a hundred or so soldiers to guard the Iron Pagoda formation. In reality, all her troops retreated with her from Tiger Wolf Valley.
Cao Yunlong, covering the rear, immediately positioned himself at the edge of the formation. Looking up, he saw Fengyi still hanging there from the watchtower, her legs spread wide, revealing her small anus and two tender white labia.
Yunlong stared for a long time, then glanced at Xu Youliang, who was preparing to attack the mountain in the distance. He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and fired at Fengyi. Fengyi let out a scream, and without caring where the arrow had landed, he spurred
his horse and rode away. Xu Youliang, hearing Fengyi's scream, was frantic with worry.
He quickly raised his spear and led his troops to charge. The deputy general guarding the Iron Pagoda, seeing Duan Lingfeng gone, did not want to be the one to die with her. He ordered his soldiers to raise a white flag and surrender. Without firing a single cannon, Youliang had not lost a single man.
When Xu Youliang reached the mountaintop, he personally lowered Fengyi. He was barely breathing. A feathered arrow had pierced her vulva, with only a little over an inch of its fletching protruding.
Youliang removed his battle robe, wrapped it around Fengyi, sat down on the ground, and held her in his arms, calling out her name repeatedly. Several female generals also surrounded him. Fengyi slightly opened her beautiful eyes, saw herself lying in Youliang's arms, knew the formation had broken, smiled, and breathed her last.
Youliang wept bitterly, moving the entire army.
The female generals helped to bury Fengyi. Youliang wiped away his tears, ordered his troops to set up camp under the Wuji Earth, then raised his tent and reviewed the battle results.
The count was over 30,000 enemy soldiers killed, 20,000 surrendered soldiers, 16 deputy generals, dozens of detached generals and guards captured, one general, Jingyue, killed, and generals Jingxiu, Lin Fengwu, and Yu Fengjiao captured. Youliang also lost over 20,000 soldiers and several deputy generals, and five spies he had previously sent into the government army returned to his ranks. Youliang ordered everyone's merits to be recorded.
Then the entire army mourned and buried Fengyi. Xu Youliang
, heartbroken at the loss of Fengyi, was unwilling to let the three female prisoners off lightly.
What became of the three female prisoners? To be continued in the next chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Three—Xu Youliang Kills Prisoners at the Gate, Duan Lingfeng Trapped in Zhuojun.

It was said that the commanders of the fourth squad presented the captured and killed female generals. Xu Youliang, preoccupied with Fengyi's death, disregarded them, only ordering that Jingyue be given orders first, while the other three generals be temporarily guarded by their captors.
Hong Sanniang and Hong Siniang hurriedly handed Jingyue's head to a junior officer in the central army for orders. When they went out of the tent, they saw Jingyue's headless corpse hanging from a flagpole, legs spread apart. It turned out that her soldiers had already dragged Jingyue's body back, stripped her naked, and hung it up for orders.
The two Hong women were helpless, forced to watch as the beautiful Daoist nun, legs spread, exposed, was left to be seen by onlookers.
After Fengyi was buried, Youliang ordered the three female captives to be brought to the main tent.
Knowing their innocence was now in danger, the three women bound their hands behind their backs and remained silent with their eyes closed.
Youliang, filled with rage over Fengyi's death, saw the female generals but didn't even try to persuade them to surrender. He glared at them and shouted, "Give them all their orders!"
Cao Hua, standing behind Yu Fengjiao and holding her in his hands, hurriedly said upon hearing Youliang's words, "Master, you promised me earlier..."
Youliang said, "I said I would give them orders, but I didn't say how. You only need to make them ashamed to face their ancestors. Don't ask me."
"Understood!" Cao Hua responded, grabbing Yu Fengjiao and dragging her outside.
Yu Fengjiao struggled and refused to leave, but she was no match for Cao Hua and was eventually dragged away.
Shi Wenlong and Hua Feng also dragged Lin Fengwu out of the tent and caught up with Cao Hua, saying, "General Cao, what do you intend to do with her?"
Cao Hua replied, "When I was captured by them, it was this little slut's idea to humiliate me. She even touched my manhood herself. I swore then that if I captured her, I would make her lick my treasure."
"This time, General Cao has finally avenged himself, but be careful."
Cao Hua knew what they meant by "be careful," so he said, "I know." He grabbed Yu Fengjiao and returned to his own camp.
Upon arriving at his tent, Cao Hua ordered his junior officers to invite the deputy generals of his camp, as well as the cave chiefs who had helped break through the formation that day, to the tent. There were more than ten people in total, all coming to join in the fun.
Cao Hua sat on his general's seat and placed Yu Fengjiao face up on the table. Yu Fengjiao knew she was doomed and lay there stiffly, without struggling.
Cao Hua placed one hand on her chest and the other on her lower abdomen, saying, "You slut, you've finally met your match?"
A man's humiliation is only temporary, but when he retaliates against a woman, it becomes her lifelong shame—this is completely asymmetrical.
Yu Fengjiao closed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, deeply regretting her past humiliation of Cao Hua. She hadn't considered that even if she hadn't humiliated Cao Hua, would she have preserved her chastity?
Cao Hua, being a man, feared nothing but tears. Seeing Yu Fengjiao cry, his heart softened. However, glancing at the surrounding cave masters, he abandoned his plan to spare her: "Yu Fengjiao, if only you had known this would happen. Seeing your remorse, I'll give you a chance. If you surrender, I'll plead with Cave Master Xu to spare you this time. Otherwise, tears won't save you."
Yu Fengjiao feared humiliation, but she was even more unwilling to surrender. So, although the thought crossed her mind, she ultimately didn't take that step, only crying and cursing, "Cao Hua, you scoundrel! You're a treacherous man! I will never surrender!"
“Then you can’t blame me.”
Before Cao Hua finished speaking, his hand, already reaching under her lower abdomen, gently dug at her, causing her to scream in fright. The surrounding cave leaders burst into laughter, silencing Yu Fengjiao’s scream. She thought to herself, “I can’t let them laugh at me.”
Despite this thought, she couldn’t overcome her fear of Cao Hua’s hands. Her whole body trembled, her eyes timidly fixed on Cao Hua’s large hand resting on her small breast.
She watched as his hand moved to her neck, pinched the buttons, and with a gentle twist, undid them. He then twisted them a few more times, and her undergarment was undone, revealing a bright red bodice underneath.
Cao Hua then removed his hand from her crotch, and both hands simultaneously caressed her neck, sliding towards the edge of the bodice. No matter how hard Yu Fengjiao tried to control herself, she couldn’t stop her terrified screams, which drew more mocking laughter from the cave leaders!
Yu Fengjiao's bodice was slowly untied, revealing a pair of small, teacup-sized breasts. Cao Hua gently flicked the pink nipples with his fingers, causing them to tremble and quiver alluringly. Cao Hua then grasped the breasts with both hands, gently shaking and caressing them, before lightly pinching the two red nipples with his fingers. Yu Fengjiao felt a tingling sensation travel from her breasts to the back of her head, and couldn't help but let out a soft "Oh."
"This little slut seems so chaste, but who knew that just touching her breasts would make her so aroused? She's probably no better than Duan Lingfeng,"
Cao Hua said, pinching the nipples even more vigorously. Yu Fengjiao knew in her heart that her behavior was inappropriate, but her body wouldn't obey her commands, trembling and struggling uncontrollably, and she couldn't control the sounds in her throat, bursting into tears again.
Cao Hua teased her for a while before removing her lower garments and shoes, revealing her dark pubic hair. He then slipped his hand between her legs. Yu Fengjiao tried to squeeze her legs together, but Cao Hua was much stronger and easily broke through her defenses, reaching her most sensitive spot.
Fengjiao struggled with all her might, but eventually, she was exhausted and her mental support collapsed. She lay there limply, her legs splayed out.
Seeing her submission, Cao Hua lifted one of her legs and hoisted it onto his shoulder. He noticed a row of short, fine pubic hair standing upright on her labia, extending all the way to the end. The pubic hair on both sides slanted towards each other, like a line of swords and spears, perfectly positioned above the vulva. It was quite peculiar, and the cave masters gasped in amazement.
Overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of the beautiful female general's body before him, Cao Hua parted her labia, revealing her exquisite vulva. He then removed his clothes and prepared to proceed. At this moment, a cave master said, "General, have you forgotten your earlier vow?"
Cao Hua, upon hearing this, suddenly realized, "Thank you for reminding me, I almost forgot, lest I be ridiculed." With that, he thrust his large, dark member towards Yu Fengjiao's face.
Yu Fengjiao now remembered that when she had touched his manhood, he had sworn that she would lick it. At that time, touching it out of curiosity and to humiliate him, she had only found it large and ugly. Now, however, she was terrified, her lips tightly pressed together, her head shaking wildly.
Another cave master warned, "Even a cornered beast will fight, General, be careful."
Cao Hua replied, "I understand." He then grabbed her head and gently twisted it, dislocating her jaw. Her mouth gaped open, screaming incoherently, unable to close.
Only then did Yu Fengjiao realize how terrible the retribution could be in someone else's hands. The thing was thrust forward, thick and hard. In ancient times, people didn't bathe often, and soldiers rarely had the chance. The thing was covered in black mud and had a pungent stench. Before it even touched her, it made her gag.
"Be careful, don't let her choke to death."
Cao Hua quickly grabbed Yu Fengjiao's long hair, lifted her to the table, turned her head, and made her vomit all over the ground. After she had vomited until only bile remained, he straightened up and shoved the thing into her mouth.
Fengjiao felt the thing fill her mouth all the way down to her throat, making her feel nauseous and her whole body convulsed. At that moment, a cave master was standing between her legs. Seeing how tempting her vagina and anus were, he couldn't resist and quickly took out his own thing and thrust it into her vagina, blocking both ends. Yu Fengjiao couldn't describe the feeling, only that she was extremely uncomfortable and wanted to escape but couldn't.
Cao Hua, with a surge of excitement, thrust into her mouth, letting out a long, loud cry. He continued his frenzied thrusting, ignoring her gagging and tearful state.
The other cave leaders were not to be outdone; one inserted his penis into her anus, while the others began groping Yu Fengjiao's tender body.
After more than an hour of this, Cao Hua and the others had finally finished. They pushed her chin up, then Cao Hua carried her out of the tent and handed her over to his personal guards.
The next morning, after Cao Hua had finished roll call at the central army camp and returned to his own tent, he ordered Yu Fengjiao to be brought before him.
Soldiers, these days are incredibly tough. They've been away from home for years, and there are no women in the camp. Now that they have an opportunity, they're not going to let it slip by. Besides, there are so many soldiers that there's no time for foreplay, and they don't care about the proper depth. They just pull out their guns and fire, going all the way in one go. Do you think you can expect anything good from handing over such a beautiful woman to them for just one night? When they brought Yu Fengjiao over, she was so limp she couldn't even lift her head.
Cao Hua didn't care, he picked her up and headed straight for the gate of the central army camp. When he arrived, he saw that Lin Fengwu and Jingxiu were in no better shape than Yu Fengjiao. Both female generals were also completely naked. Lin Fengwu's delicate body had been sucked purple by the soldiers' lips.
Jingxiu had been captured because she had been shot with an arrow; the arrowhead was still embedded in her bone and hadn't come out. Therefore, she was weak and couldn't withstand the soldiers' torture all night, so she was already dead.
Cao Hua said to Shi Wenlong and Hua Feng, "This little slut has cried a lot. I think she's repented. Considering her remorse, I'll give her a quick death."
Shi Wenlong nodded and said, "Brother Cao is absolutely right. Let's just execute her now."
Cao Hua grabbed Yu Fengjiao's hair, turned her head towards him, and said, "I'll give you a quick death. What do you say?"
Yu Fengjiao thought she would be stabbed a hundred or eighty times before dying. Hearing Cao Hua's words, she felt grateful but remained silent.
Cao Hua saw gratitude on her face, and the hatred he felt for the humiliation he had suffered was almost completely released, so he wasn't so ruthless. He quickly drew his sword from his waist, held the rope behind her back with his left hand, and placed the sword against her neck with his right. Fengjiao closed her eyes, and Cao Hua pulled hard, severing her beautiful head.
Shi Wenlong had also killed Lin Fengwu, leaving only Hua Fengjiao untouched.
He hung the corpses of the three female generals on a flagpole and gave orders for a day. The next day, You Liang ordered the entire army to break camp and set up camp. They emerged from Pingling and were already inside the pass, more than 300 li from Zhuque Pass.
Why didn't You Liang rest for a few more days? It turned out that scouts reported that Duan Lingfeng had left the mountains and joined forces with Pang Qi, who had abandoned Zhuque Pass, intending to retreat to the nearest Xiting Pass. Wang Bingzheng, knowing this, had already cut off her connection with Xiting Pass and was preparing to annihilate her.
Upon hearing this, You Liang saw this as a golden opportunity. Without delay, he quickly ordered his army to leave the mountains and flank Duan Lingfeng from the rear, blocking her path to Nanling Pass and joining Wang Bingzheng in encircling her.
After two days of rapid march, they finally arrived at the designated location, Tongzhen. Scouts reported, "Duan Lingfeng's army is encamped in Zhuojun. Hearing that the cave lord has launched an attack, he has personally led his army back to Tongzhen."
Tongzhen is a strategically important location, easily accessible from all directions. Duan Lingfeng had sent his general Xu Xing to occupy it as a means of retreat. Now, hearing that Xu Youliang is heading to Tongzhen, he is rushing back to reinforce it.
Knowing the importance of Tongzhen, Youliang sent Cao Hua to challenge him outside the town, ordering Shi Wenlong and Hua Feng to observe the enemy's formation.
Seeing Cao Hua's challenge, Xu Xing immediately went to meet him. The two exchanged words and fought.
Who will win? Find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Four—Duan Lingfeng and Cao Yunlong are trapped; Wang Bing is joining forces with Xu Youliang

when news arrives that Xu Youliang's army has arrived at Tongzhen. He has sent Cao Hua to challenge them.
A cannon blast is heard, and General Xu Xing leads three thousand men out of the town to engage Cao Hua in battle.
Although Xu Xing was a general, he was far inferior to Cao Hua. After fighting for more than ten rounds, he could not withstand the attack and was defeated. Hua Feng, seeing this, said to Shi Wenlong, "We must capture him here and not let this fellow enter the town."
Hua Feng nodded in agreement and quickly nocked an arrow, aiming one at the back of Xu Xing's head, one at his back, and one at his horse. Instantly, all three arrows arrived. Xu Xing heard the bowstring twang and hurriedly dodged. The arrow to the back of his head missed, but he could not dodge the next two. One arrow struck his shoulder, and the other struck his horse's leg.
The horse, wounded in its hind leg, could no longer run. It stumbled and threw Xu Xing off the horse. Cao Hua caught up, swung his axe, and chopped off half of Xu Xing's head. At Shi Wenlong's command, he charged ahead on horseback straight into the enemy ranks.
The soldiers who had followed Xu Xing out of the town turned and fled in terror. The deputy general guarding the town gate saw this from the wall and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to raise the drawbridge and close the gate tightly. However, he was no match for Shi Wenlong's horse, which followed the defeated soldiers, leaping across the moat and rushing into the town.
The deputy general, seeing this, dared not fight again and led his troops out through the north gate. Xu Youliang
was overjoyed upon hearing the news and quickly led his army across the north side of the town, establishing a large camp.
Just as the camp was set up, a scout reported that Duan Lingfeng was only five li away.
Xu Youliang hurriedly ordered the cannons to be fired and the troops to advance, forming ranks on the main road. Before long, Duan Lingfeng's army arrived. Duan Lingfeng was no longer the commander-in-chief she once was; although still beautiful and charming, she had lost her former imposing presence.
Most of Duan Lingfeng's generals had already been annihilated by Xu Youliang, leaving only a few survivors. A straightforward fight would be futile, so she ignored Cao Hua's challenge and led her army straight towards Xu Youliang's ranks, attempting to force a bloody path through Tongzhen to return to the capital via a detour eastward.
Xu Youliang, now outnumbered and powerful, wouldn't allow her to succeed. He ordered his soldiers to hold their formation, with rattan shields on the outermost edge, followed by archers, and then spearmen. A volley of arrows first killed countless government troops charging at the front, forcing the rest to retreat. Duan Lingfeng ordered another charge, resulting in hundreds more deaths. A few who managed to reach the front were then speared through the gaps in the rattan shields. Three consecutive charges failed to break Xu Youliang's formation, and the government troops suffered a major defeat.
Seeing this, You Liang saw the perfect opportunity. He brandished his spear and shouted, "Charge!" He charged after the retreating government troops who had just failed in their initial assault. Before Duan Lingfeng could even regroup, You Liang's army had already stormed in.
Realizing the situation was dire, Duan Lingfeng hastily led his army in a northward retreat.
You Liang pursued them for thirty li, halting his advance and ordering a change of camp.
The next day, You Liang continued his advance. The terrain was mostly flat, with few natural features except for the crisscrossing rivers, so there was no fear of falling into Duan Lingfeng's ambush. After three days of continuous advance, they reached Zhuo County. Duan Lingfeng led his army into Zhuo County, relying on the city walls for defense, while simultaneously stationing Pang Qi at the eastern gate of Yuecheng, forming a pincer movement.
He then reported to Wang Bingzheng that the main army had reached the north of Zhuo County, leaving Duan Lingfeng with no chance of escape.
Xu Youliang inquired about Wang Bingzheng's situation from the scouts, who reported that he had recently recruited several new generals, including Gu Feng, Ke Liang, Bi Fuxing, Ma Youdao, and female generals Qi Qiaoyun and Hua Mingyu. However, after capturing Baihu Pass, they remained inactive until Duan Lingfeng emerged from the mountains, at which point they seized Fengjun, Duan Lingfeng's only route north to Nanling Pass.
Upon hearing this, Fengling was furious, exclaiming, "This Wang Bingzheng! We risked our lives in Hulangyu, yet he remains inactive, preserving his strength! This is truly outrageous!"
The other generals were also indignant.
Zhang Gui quickly stopped them, saying, "Wang Bingzheng is so petty; he will surely achieve nothing great. We still need his help; it's not convenient to openly confront him."
Youliang nodded in agreement and sent Zhang Gui to Wang Bingzheng's camp to discuss capturing Zhuojun and encircling and annihilating Duan Lingfeng.
Zhang Gui returned, saying, "Wang Bingzheng requests a meeting with the cave master to discuss important matters."
Upon hearing this, Youliang gladly went.
After the two commanders met and exchanged pleasantries, they decided that Wang Bingzheng would send a force to defend Fengjun to block reinforcements from Xiting Pass, while Xu Youliang would send a force to seize Baihua City, east of Tongzhen, to block reinforcements from Nanling Pass. The two armies would then be positioned to the south and north respectively, trapping Duan Lingfeng and relentlessly attacking the city to force her surrender.
With the plan settled, each commander dispatched their generals. Wang Bingzheng had already left Wang Ke and his sister Wang Yinping with 50,000 troops to garrison Fengjun. He further reinforced the city by sending the newly recruited general Gu Feng with 10,000 troops to Xiangfeng City in the northwest of Fengjun, and General Ke Liang with 10,000 troops to Huizhou City in the northeast, forming a pincer movement with Fengjun to strengthen defenses against reinforcements from Xiting Pass and Grand Tutor Hu Da.
Xu Youliang, on the other hand, sent He Xiuying and the Hong sisters with 20,000 troops to capture Baihua City and block reinforcements from Nanling Pass.
The assignments were finalized, and within a few days, scouts reported that He Xiuying had killed Ma Ji, the garrison commander of Baihua City, and captured the city. She had also dispatched the Hong sisters to defend Yuhua Prefecture in the northeast of the city.
You Liang was overjoyed and quickly arranged a time with Wang Bingzheng to travel together to Zhuojun City.
Since fleeing to Zhuojun, Duan Lingfeng had been restless and unable to eat or sleep. Her original force of over 500,000 men, even with the troops Pang Qi brought back from Zhuque Pass, amounted to only a few hundred thousand trapped in the small city of Zhuojun. Moreover, her original generals and deputy generals had all been lost, and even her four senior and junior sisters had been captured or killed, leaving only herself.
She possessed extraordinary skills, but now she was like a dragon in shallow water, a tiger fallen into a trap, surrounded and unable to escape, like a fish caught in a net; it was only a matter of time before she was cooked. The plea for help had been sent disguised to Xiting Pass and Nanling Pass, but it was unknown whether it had reached them or whether they would send troops to rescue them. If no reinforcements arrived, he and his hundreds of thousands of men would be slaughtered.
That day, Duan Lingfeng was pondering a strategy in his headquarters when a signal cannon sounded outside. Soon after, a junior officer reported that Wang Bingzheng and Xu Youliang had joined forces and were challenging them outside the north gate.
Duan Lingfeng hurriedly donned his armor and led Cao Yunlong and other generals to the city wall to see what was happening. He saw an endless sea of soldiers outside the city, and Duan Lingfeng was alarmed, but he didn't show it. He said, "Vanguard Cao, you stay on the wall. I will personally lead the attack." Then he mounted his horse, spear in hand, and led five thousand men out of the north gate to meet Wang Bingzheng and Xu Youliang.
The two armies faced off. Wang Bingzheng and Xu Youliang rode side by side. Youliang said, "Marshal Duan, it's been a long time."
"Thank you for remembering me, Master Xu. It's good. This must be Lord Wang Bingzheng?"
"That's right, it is I."
"Gentlemen, what brings you here to challenge me?"
"Well... why does Marshal Duan ask such a question? The current emperor is tyrannical and incompetent, favoring treacherous officials and persecuting loyal ministers, causing widespread resentment. We are acting on behalf of Heaven to oversee the country in the capital, eliminate the treacherous officials, and depose the wicked empress."
"What do you mean by overseeing the country in the capital? It's clearly a rebellion, a plot to commit treason."
"Marshal Duan, don't say such things. Let me ask you: when the tyrannical emperor harmed Empress Xu, did my father and I ever send troops?" Youliang said.
"No."
"Since no troops were used, why did Pang Qi send troops to capture my whole family? And why did you, Duan Yumei, go out of the Three Passes to suppress Nanling? Your Duan Yumei suffered a crushing defeat at Nanling. Did I, Xu Youliang, take the opportunity to attack the Three Passes?"
"No."
"Since that's the case, how can you accuse me, Xu Youliang, of treason? This foolish emperor is committing unjust acts, mocking his subjects and concubines, and arbitrarily slaughtering loyal ministers' entire families. Such perverse actions—can't we advance our troops and oversee the country? Marshal Duan, I, Xu Youliang, am not one to drive people to extinction. Listen to my kind advice, quickly cease hostilities, surrender, and we will go together to oversee the country. Then the nation can be restored to peace, and the soldiers will be spared hardship, the people will be displaced, and lives will be lost."
Duan Lingfeng knew that Duan Qi's actions were utterly absurd, but at least he had treated her well, and she couldn't betray him. Therefore, she said, "Master Xu, we have fought for many years. There's no need for further words. I, Duan Lingfeng, am highly regarded by the Emperor. As a subject, I cannot be disloyal to the emperor; as a sister, I cannot be unjust to my brother. Enough talk, bring it on!"
Enraged, the female general Qi Qiaoyun spurred her chestnut horse, brandishing her steel spear, and charged straight at Duan Lingfeng.
Duan Lingfeng dodged the thrusting spear and swung her phoenix-winged gilded halberd down at Qi Qiaoyun.
The two fought for seven or eight rounds. Seeing that Qi Qiaoyun's martial arts were inferior to Lingfeng's, the female general Hua Mingyu spurred her horse and charged forward with her saber, joining Qi Qiaoyun in a two-on-one battle against Duan Lingfeng, but they only managed a draw.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiaojiao, seeing this, brandished her painted halberd, and the three female generals surrounded Duan Lingfeng, fighting in a chaotic, windmill-like frenzy,
yet still unable to subdue her. Wang Bingzheng, seeing Duan Lingfeng's bravery, was very pleased and wanted to recruit her. He quickly ordered Feng Meiyu to swing her trident to assist the three generals, but forbade her from taking Lingfeng's life.
Now facing a desperate situation, Duan Lingfeng, disregarding her own life, fought even more fiercely, and the four men still could not defeat her.
Cao Yunlong, watching from the city wall, understood the situation and, fearing for Lingfeng's safety, quickly ordered the retreat.
Duan Lingfeng returned to the city and, after much deliberation, realized she was outnumbered and decided it was best to remain inside and await reinforcements.
The next day, Wang Bingzheng and Xu Youliang again challenged them to battle, but a sign of truce was raised high on the city walls. For three consecutive days, they refused to engage. Wang Bingzheng, left with no other option, ordered an attack.
Wang Bingzheng and Xu Youliang divided the city into two sections, one in the northeast and one in the southwest, each responsible for one of the two gates. Wang Bingzheng attacked the north and west gates, while Xu Youliang attacked the south and east gates. Cao Yunlong was stationed in the north, and Duan Lingfeng in the south, each leading several deputy generals to command the defense.
The city of Zhuojun was fortified with high walls and the government troops were valiant. After more than ten days of attack, suffering over ten thousand casualties, they still could not breach the walls.
Suddenly, news arrived that reinforcements from the imperial court were arriving, led by Grand Tutor Hu Da with 300,000 troops and Eastern Garrison Commander Tao Long with 250,000 troops, advancing in two columns from the north and south to rescue Lingfeng. Upon hearing this, Wang Bingzheng was shocked and quickly consulted with Youliang.
Zhang Gui advised, "Although Duan Lingfeng is brave, she is now a fish in a net. There are only three truly skilled warriors left, including Pang Qi. The fall of the city is only a matter of time. However, the two reinforcements are formidable and must be closely monitored. Hu Da and Tao Long are among the best generals in the court, highly skilled in martial arts and warfare, far superior to Duan Lingfeng. In my opinion, we should each leave 100,000 troops to besiege Zhuo County. As long as she cannot break out, once her reinforcements are defeated, Duan Lingfeng will be without supplies and reinforcements, and Zhuo County will fall in no time."
Wang Bingzheng wholeheartedly agreed. He left his second son, Wang Jun, and his youngest daughter, Wang Xiaojiao, along with the siblings Feng Zijun and Feng Meiyu, to command the siege in Zhuo County, while he personally led the main army to fight Hu Da.
Xu Youliang also left Cao Hua and Hua Feng behind, leading his main force to retreat to Tongzhen and then heading towards Baihua Prefecture.
Just as Fang Litong Town was leaving, a scout reported that the Hong sisters had died in battle, and Tao Long was launching a fierce attack on Baihua City, with He Xiuying barely able to withstand the onslaught.
Upon hearing
this, You Liang was greatly alarmed and hurriedly led his army towards Baihua Prefecture. The outcome of the battle at Baihua Prefecture remains to be seen; we will find out in the next chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Five – Zhao Jian Blocks the Way at Qianqing Gate, Hu Da Storms the Inner Palace to Offer Advice

. Leaving aside Xu You Liang and Wang Bingzheng, let's focus on Hu Da and Tao Long.
Hu Da was a veteran of four reigns of the Great Zhen Dynasty, the teacher of the two emperors Duan Gui, and the Grand Marshal of the Army. He was highly skilled in martial arts and had achieved numerous military exploits. Unfortunately, Duan Qiao and Duan Qi were both incompetent, causing Hu Da to be constantly on the move, suppressing rebellions.
Duan Qi, on the other hand, indulged in debauchery, massacring loyal officials and their families, forcing Wang Bingzheng and Feng Qing into rebellion, and frightening Zhao Jian and other treacherous officials. They dared not tell Duan Qi the truth, so they ordered Zhao Chan to use all her charms to entangle him in order to conceal the truth.
Just then, Hu Da and Tao Long quelled the salt workers' rebellion and were returning to the capital. On the way, they heard about the events at court, and with Qiu Jiulong as their witness, Hu Da was furious.
The two traveled day and night back to the capital, and without rest, went straight to the Meridian Gate to request an audience with Duan Qi.
The palace official reported this to the palace, and Duan Qi, upon hearing it was Hu Da, felt ashamed and quickly feigned illness to refuse to see him.
Hu Da didn't care about such formalities and forced his way into the Meridian Gate. The guards, seeing it was Hu Da, dared not stop him and had no choice but to let him pass.
When Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian heard that Hu Da had returned, they were terrified and at a loss for what to do. Fearing he would go to the palace to find Duan Qi, they hurriedly entered through the inner palace gate. Reaching the Qianqing Gate, they saw Hu Da storming in from the front. He was about to barge in when a junior gatekeeper stopped him, saying, "His Majesty is unwell and will not see any ministers."
Hu Da said, "I have urgent business. Go tell His Majesty I must see him today!"
The yellow gatekeeper said, "His Majesty has already given his word; we dare not disturb him further, or our heads will be on our hands."
Hu Da said, "With me here, what are you afraid of? Go and inform him immediately, or I will kill you too!"
Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian, seeing this, rushed over and shouted, "Who dares to make a scene at the inner palace gate? Do you have a death wish?"
The yellow gatekeeper explained Hu Da's arrival at the palace. Zhao Jian said, "Grand Tutor Hu, His Majesty is unwell and has already decreed that he will not see any ministers."
"He won't see anyone else, he must see me. Go and inform him quickly."
Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian exchanged glances and said, "Since Master Hu insists on seeing you, we'll go and inform him. Don't make things difficult for these servants."
"Alright, go quickly!"
Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian entered the second gate, but instead of informing him, they hid inside, hoping that Hu Da would get annoyed and go home.
Hu Da and Tao Long waited outside the Qianqing Gate, but he didn't come. They waited and waited, but he didn't come. They were getting anxious and called to the eunuch, "Which palace is the Emperor in now?"
"He's in the Empress's palace."
"Why haven't Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian come out yet after so long? Go and inform him again."
"We dare not."
Hu Da couldn't wait any longer and said to Tao Long, "That tyrant must be afraid to see us and is deliberately delaying. We can't care about that now, let's just break into the palace." After saying that, they rushed in. The guards at the gate wanted to stop them but dared not, and the eunuchs didn't dare to stop them either. They could only follow behind and keep pleading.
Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian, who were inside, heard this and hurriedly came out to greet him, saying, "How dare Hu Da trespass into the palace?"
Hu Da replied, "You two have been gone for so long, I couldn't wait any longer. Tell me quickly, what did the Emperor say?"
Zhao Jian said, "The Emperor said: I am unwell, and told him to come back another day."
Hu Da said, "Nonsense! This is a matter of national survival, how can it wait? You two go and inform him again, that I, Hu Da, have barged in."
Zhao Jian said, "The Emperor has decreed that anyone who disturbs us again will have their head taken. I dare not go again."
"Very well, you may leave. I will go see him myself."
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Wang Feilian mustered his courage and shouted, "Hu Da, do you dare to disobey the imperial decree?"
Zhao Jian, upon hearing this, also mustered his courage and joined in the shouting. This enraged Hu Da, who cursed, "You two shameless traitors, how dare you talk back to me like that? Take this!" He pulled out a golden cudgel from his robes, aimed it at the two men, and struck. The two traitors, seeing this, were terrified and ran inside, clutching their heads and shouting, "Your Majesty, save us! Your Majesty, save us!"
This golden cudgel was actually just a piece of sandalwood from the Southern Kingdom, about a foot and a half long and as thick as a duck egg, with a dragon in relief and the four large characters "As if I were personally present" engraved on it. Below were four lines of smaller characters: "Manage the people outside, manage the concubines inside, strike the tyrannical emperor above, strike the treacherous ministers below." Because it was covered with gold foil and glittered, it was called the golden cudgel.
Why did Hu Da dare to strike Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian, and why were the two so terrified? It wasn't because they feared Hu Da's martial arts skills, but because the golden cudgel he wielded was of great importance—it was a gift from Emperor Gaozong, meant to prevent his descendants from becoming unruly. Whoever Hu Da struck with the golden cudgel was the same person the Emperor himself was striking; who wouldn't be afraid?
Meanwhile, the foolish Emperor Duan Qi was enjoying himself in the palace with the wicked Empress Zhao Chan when he heard cries for help outside. Going to the courtyard, he saw Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian running in, looking disheveled. He hurriedly asked, "My two beloved ministers, what has happened to you?" "
Your Majesty, we have been attacked! Your Majesty, you must avenge us!"
"Who dares to strike the Prime Minister? Speak out, and I will avenge you!"
"It is Grand Tutor Hu Da."
As he spoke, Hu Da and Tao Long stepped into the courtyard, and the two villains, terrified, quickly hid behind Duan Qi.
Upon seeing Duan Qi, Hu Da and Tao Long hurriedly knelt and kowtowed. Duan Qi ordered them to rise and then asked, "Why did you two ministers chase and beat the two prime ministers?"
Hu Da, seeing Duan Qi, became even angrier: "This old minister has important matters to discuss with Your Majesty, but these two scoundrels kept making excuses and refused to let us see Your Majesty, so I beat them."
Hearing this, Duan Qi said, "Please calm down, my two old ministers. This is not their fault. I told them that no officials were allowed to see Your Majesty, and they dared not disobey my decree."
"In that case, spare these two dogs. Your Majesty is in good health, so why do you claim illness, have not attended court for so long, and refuse to allow officials to see you?"
"Well… now the country is stable, the people live in peace and prosperity, and there are no major issues in court. The two prime ministers and the officials can handle everything. I am merely enjoying some leisure in the palace; I have nothing to worry about." "Your Majesty, you are mistaken .
As the saying goes, 'A country cannot be without a ruler for a day.' How can Your Majesty know that the country is at peace and the people are living in peace and prosperity if you do not attend court for so long?" "These are all things that the two prime ministers told me." "Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian, you two dogs, come out here!" The two hurriedly stepped forward, forcing smiles: "What summons does Grand Tutor Hu have for us?" "What did you two tell His Majesty?" "We only said that the country is at peace and the people are living in peace and prosperity, and asked Your Majesty to rest and recuperate." "Then, now that three military governors have rebelled, is Your Majesty aware of this?" "This… we dared not disturb Your Majesty's enjoyment." "Bullshit ! There are only four military governors in the country. Now that three have rebelled, what enjoyment do you expect from Your Majesty?" "This is my fault." " Your Majesty, I ask you again, what is the matter with Empress Xu and the two imperial concubines? And what is the matter with Xu Chengzhu?" "They poisoned my beloved concubine, killing my son, and colluded with his father, Xu Chengzhu, to rebel. Therefore, they were executed." "Is there any evidence?" "Their urine has been tested, and there is indeed poison on their bodies." "Hmph! What conspirator would put a packet of poison on all three of them? Just for fun? It's clearly a frame-up. I ask you again, do they have any confessions?" "No." "To sentence someone to death without a confession? Is there such a rule in the Great Zhen Code?" "We have both witnesses and physical evidence. What difference does it make whether they confess or not?" "Hmph! Who said that the substance that turns children's urine green is poison? It's just a common dye. How could it kill a prince? Qiu Jiulong is here as evidence, saying that Prince De, Zhao Jian, Wang Feilian, Zhao Chan, and the chief eunuch Hu Sheng deliberately framed them. Your Majesty, please issue an edict immediately to summon the imperial physician. This old minister will know the truth with a single question. Let's put this matter aside for now. And what makes you say that Xu Chengzhu plotted a rebellion?" "These were all said by the two imperial concubines." "A rebellion is such a confidential matter. How could you tell others? Does Xu Chengzhu have any confession about plotting a rebellion?" "No confession either." "Without a confession, how can someone be sentenced to death? Who presided over this case?" "It was presided over by the two prime ministers, Zhao and Wang, and Prince De." "These two traitors should be punished for false accusation. And what about the matter of the Qi family?"

"This matter has nothing to do with His Majesty. It was all because Lady Qi, for the sake of glory and wealth, tried to seduce His Majesty, but was rebuked by him. Lady Qi felt ashamed and had no face to see her husband, so she framed His Majesty." Zhao Jian knew that the Emperor could not answer this matter, so he hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. "I am speaking to His Majesty, how dare you, a dog, speak like this?!" Hu Da cursed. Then he asked, "Your Majesty, what do you intend to say?"
"Just as Elder Zhao said." Duan Qi dared not look at Hu Da.
"Since Lady Qi seduced His Majesty, did His Majesty ever sleep with her?"
"No."
"If you did not, then why did you tell Wang Keji in front of all the officials that you had already made Lady Qi a Noble Consort? And even asked Wang Keji to give Lady Qi to you?"
"How could that be?" "
Where is the eunuch in charge of recording the events?"
"This servant is here."
"Go and bring me His Majesty's daily records. " "
Soon, the daily log was brought over. Hu Da took it and turned to the night Qi entered the palace. It clearly stated: 'On a certain day, the Emperor favored Qi and bestowed upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort of the Eastern Palace.'
'How many imperial consorts are there now? Which one is surnamed Qi?'
'This…' Duan Qi remained silent this time.
'Your Majesty, you should know that a gentleman's lust is restrained by propriety. Aren't your three thousand beauties in the palace enough? Yet you went and raped the concubine of a minister, even forcing her to commit suicide in the palace. How is your behavior any different from that of King Zhou? This matter has already committed a grave mistake. You should apologize to Wang Keji and offer kind words of comfort, but instead, you show no remorse and have the entire families of two righteous and upright ministers executed. Can any ruler be so wicked?'" "Now that the three military governors have rebelled, your position as emperor is already precarious. Yet you show no remorse, still indulging in pleasure with your concubine. One day, when the empire falls to another, how will you face your ancestors in the afterlife?" The old man grew angrier with each word. Duan Qi stood there, his face flushing red and then turning pale, his head buried in his chest, trembling uncontrollably.
Hu Da berated Duan Qi from head to toe, and only then did his anger subside slightly. He continued, "Your Majesty, I was entrusted with the care of the late Emperor, who entrusted you to me. I have never failed to do my utmost in the affairs of the state. Although you have made a mistake, it is not too late to repent. I urge Your Majesty to strive diligently from this point forward, issue an edict of self-reproach, clear the name of the loyal ministers, punish Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian for their misrule, depose Empress Zhao, and demolish the Leopard Garden to eliminate any pretext for the three military governors to raise an army. Then the empire can be at peace. If not, even the gods cannot restore it." Hearing this
from inside, Zhao Chan, fearing Duan Qi would agree, rushed out in a fit of rage, shouting, "You audacious Hu Da! How dare you criticize the Emperor here? This is not the behavior of a subject! This empire belongs to the Duan family. The affairs of the Great Zhen Dynasty are decided by the Duan family. How dare you, a Hu Da, interfere? Get out of here immediately!"
Duan Qi, feeling guilty after being scolded and unsure what to do, was pleased to hear Zhao Chan speak up for him. Hu Da then shouted, "I'm arguing with the Emperor! Who dares to disturb me?"
Duan Qi quickly said, "Grand Tutor, she is the Empress."
"Whose Empress is she?"
"My Empress."
"Nonsense! You can fool others, but can you fool this old minister? Back then, she was a palace guard. I often saw her by the late Emperor's side. I also know that the late Emperor made her a concubine. I ask you, is she now the late Emperor's concubine, or your Empress?" "
This, naturally, is my Empress."
"Bah! If she were the late Emperor's concubine, I would respect her. But now she has betrayed her husband and gone to woodcutter's quarters, her mother married to a concubine's son—a grave violation of human ethics! How can she face living in this world? And you still want to make her Empress? You truly have no shame!"
"Hu Da, who do you think you are, daring to lecture the Emperor? Guards, throw this old thief and me out!"
Zhao Chan was oblivious to the danger, and Duan Qi was terrified, knowing something was wrong.
Sure enough, Hu Da stood up abruptly, pulled out the golden cudgel from his robes, and shouted, "Your Majesty's golden cudgel is here! Kneel down before me!"
Zhao Chan didn't know what it was and continued to make a scene, but Duan Qi forced her to kneel on the ground, and she too knelt straight down. Seeing the Emperor's expression, Zhao Chan realized her fear and quickly lowered her head, not daring to speak.
"Duan Qi, do you know what this is?"
"This unworthy descendant, Duan Qi, knows."
"Where is Wang Feilian?" "
Your humble servant is here."
"I ask you: marrying one's mother to another, committing adultery in the palace, what is the punishment according to the Great Zhen Law?"
"According to the law, she should be hanged." Wang Feilian dared not speak falsely at this moment.
"Since that's the case, Your Majesty, please punish Zhao Shi."
"Your Majesty, spare my life!" Upon hearing this, Zhao Chan turned even more frightened, her body went limp, and she burst into tears.
Duan Qi hurriedly said, "Grand Tutor, this matter is all my fault, it has nothing to do with the Empress, please show me mercy."
"Why are you protecting such a lewd woman?" "
Grand Tutor, you don't know, Duan Qi can go a day without food, but he cannot go a day without Zhao Shi, please show me mercy. " Hu
Da was so angry he didn't know what to say. Duan Qi pleaded repeatedly, but Hu Da, being a minister, couldn't be too insistent. Besides, whether she was the late emperor's concubine or not, she had already been with Duan Qi; saying anything more would be pointless. Finally, he could only say, "Fine, I'll spare your life today, but since you were once the late emperor's concubine, you can no longer have any status in this dynasty. Your Majesty, please issue an edict to demote Zhao to a palace maid, serving at the emperor's side."
Upon hearing this, Duan Qi hurriedly granted the request. Zhao Chan, only then realizing Hu Da's power, dared not say anything more and could only thank him for sparing her life.
"And Zhao Jian and Wang Feilian, who manipulated the court and deceived the emperor, should also be punished."
"Grand Tutor, although Prime Ministers Zhao and Wang have committed crimes, they were all ordered by me. Please forgive them as well."
"Hmph! I can spare their lives, but they can no longer serve as officials in the court." "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to demote them to commoners and banish them from all service."
"I grant your request. I grant your request." Hu
Da, finally venting his anger, took his leave of the palace and returned to his residence. A report arrived from the border, stating that the armies of the three military governors were intensifying their attack on the Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu passes, and that the defenses of these passes were strained. He requested the court to send troops immediately.
The military situation was urgent and could not be delayed. Hu Da hurriedly summoned Tao Long to discuss the matter. Xuanwu Pass had the weakest defenses and was also close to the capital. Baihu and Zhuque Passes, on the other hand, were strategically important and easy to defend, allowing them to hold out for a few more days. Therefore, it was decided to send troops to Xuanwu Pass early the next morning.
Hu Da went to the palace that night to bid farewell to Duan Qi. Duan Qi's sincerity was evident to Hu Da, who sensed the impending doom of the Great Zhen Dynasty. He sighed inwardly, resigning himself to his fate and doing his best.
Hu Da and Tao Long led 550,000 troops, ten generals, twenty deputy generals, and countless lieutenants and officers, straight towards Xuanwu Pass.
Whether Grand Tutor Hu could save Xuanwu Pass remains to be seen. To be continued...

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