[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 27

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Chapter 139 – Cao Yunlong Launches a Fierce Attack on Guoting Prefecture, Hua Rong's Female Scheme Saves Liu

Heiling In the previous chapter, Cao Yunlong used the traitor Hu Wei to assassinate Ge Delong, capture Ge Xiancao, and take Yu County. He then led his army to the walls of Guoting Prefecture.
He first sent surrendered soldiers to persuade Ge Xiancao to surrender, but when that failed, he ordered Hu Wei to execute her by slow slicing beneath the city walls.
Hu Wei, being a loyal subject of two sides, dared not disobey. He had Ge Xiancao carried from the central army camp to the moat, untied her feet, and then had four surrendered soldiers lay her face up in a "人" (human) shape. He himself took a sharp knife and sliced off Ge Xiancao's breast, which was as large as a jade cup.
Ge Xiancao screamed in agony, cursing the traitors. Her breast was cut off, then her labia were parted, revealing her beautiful vulva. A single knife pierced her to the hilt, tearing open her abdomen and pulling out her intestines. She was then cut off from her body with two more cuts. Ge Xiancao was placed in a large bamboo basket, which was then carried to the city walls. A rope was lowered from the walls, the basket secured, and Ge Xiancao was pulled up.
Poor Ge Xiancao, though her intestines were gone, was not dead, but unable to speak. She could only stare at Liu Heiling with tearful eyes until midnight before finally breathing her last. Liu Heiling,
filled with rage, vowed to capture Hu Wei and tear him to pieces.
The following night, Cao Yunlong ordered Hu Wei to lead the surrendered soldiers to attack the city.
Yu County originally had 10,000 rebels. Over 1,000 were killed, over 2,000 were hidden and either killed or maimed, and over 1,000 escaped. Only 4,700 or 4,800 surrendered. Cao Yunlong, unwilling to see his troops suffer further losses, entrusted the assault on the city to the surrendered rebels.
These rebels not only betrayed their brothers but also turned against their former comrades—a true tragedy. But now they were in Cao Yunlong's hands; if they didn't fight bravely, they would be slaughtered. Therefore, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and fight to the death.
This put immense pressure on the city. Liu Heiling and his sister, along with Wang Dapeng, went to the city walls to supervise the battle. All sorts of defensive equipment were thrown down. In just one day, more than half of the surrendered rebels were killed or wounded, and the defending rebels lost nearly 300 men. Yet Cao Yunlong still forced the surrendered soldiers to lead the charge, wave after wave of attacks on the city. The defense of Guoting Prefecture began to crumble.
The two sides were locked in fierce combat when an urgent report arrived from Fangting County, stating that Hua Rong had emerged from the mountains and occupied Beiling Prefecture. Countless local people had surrendered to Hua Rong, and the Xu sisters had suffered heavy losses and were now unable to continue.
Cao Yunlong feared Hua Rong most of all. This woman, with her lone army, had made a long-distance raid, not only establishing a foothold in his territory but also beginning to encroach upon it. If she were to find a foothold outside the mountains, the situation would likely become uncontrollable. Thinking of this, Cao Yunlong had no choice but to leave 25,000 troops each for Wu De and Huang Qi to besiege Guoting and Shitou counties respectively, while he personally led the remaining 100,000 troops westward along the Zhuting Mountain Range, heading straight for Fangting County. They
arrived in Fangting County in less than a day. Xu Xiaoyang bound his arms and knelt before Cao Yunlong's horse to beg for forgiveness.
Cao Yunlong said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Hua Rong is cunning and treacherous; your defeat at her hands is not shameful. Rise and come with me to annihilate Hua Rong and atone for your crime through meritorious service." " This
humble general thanks Your
Majesty for sparing my life." "Very well! I hereby appoint you as the Left Route Commander, leading 25,000 troops to cross the Hengxi River west of Fangting City and march directly towards Beiling Prefecture. Xu Xiaoyao will be the Right Route Commander, leading 25,000 troops to head north along the main road at the foot of Zhuting Mountain towards Beiling Prefecture. Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing will continue to lead the original troops from Fangting to guard the Zhuting Mountain pass and prevent Hua Rong from entering the mountains from there."
"This humble general obeys the order."
Xu Xiaoyang and the others received their orders and led their troops away.
Cao Yunlong then led the remaining 70,000 to 80,000 troops, crossing the Hengxi River east of Fangting City and marching towards Beiling Prefecture.
Reports from scouts along the way indicated that Hua Rong had consolidated his newly acquired 40,000 to 50,000 troops, along with his original 10,000 cavalry, into the city of Beiling. Cao Yunlong led his troops in a rapid advance, arriving at Beiling in just two or three days. It was evening when he saw flags fluttering on the city walls and lanterns and torches illuminating the area like daytime, indicating that the enemy was already prepared. He ordered his army to set up camp ten miles from the city, awaiting the arrival of the commanders of the left and right flanks. However, since these two flanks had to detour through neighboring counties, they would arrive a day later.
The next day, Xu Xiaoyang of the left flank arrived, reporting that he had suffered harassment along the way by the local militia left behind by Hua Rong, resulting in the loss of about a hundred men. However, he dared not risk a greater loss for a lesser cause and ordered his troops to ignore the militia, thus arriving on time. Cao Yunlong was very pleased to hear this, praising Xu Xiaoyang for understanding priorities and proving himself a capable general.
However, in the afternoon, Xu Xiaoyao, who should have arrived before Xu Xiaoyang, sent a messenger to report that he was besieged by Hua Rong's 50,000 troops at Huajialing, below Zhuting Mountain, and was unable to advance.
Cao Yunlong was greatly puzzled. Could Hua Rong really conjure up an army?
Just as he was wondering, a soldier reported that someone had surrendered the pass in Beiling City. Cao Yunlong was overjoyed and hurriedly inquired, only to learn that Beiling was an empty city. The flags on the city walls were the work of local militia, who had slipped out of the city in the middle of the night and disappeared without a trace.
Cao Yunlong understood that this was a feint, luring his army to Beiling while the enemy concentrated their forces to attack Xu Xiaoyao.
Now that Xu Xiaoyao's forces were insufficient, he feared he would suffer losses. Cao Yunlong sent messengers on horseback to Xu Xiaoyue and her sister, asking them to go north to their aid, while he and Xu Xiaoyang led a large force straight to Huajialing.
When Cao Yunlong arrived at Huajialing, Hua Rong's army had already vanished. Only Xu Xiaoyao's camp was set up north of Huajialing. Upon hearing of Cao Yunlong's arrival, Xu Xiaoyao hurriedly came out to greet him.
Entering the main tent, he inquired about Hua Rong's situation, still shaken by the experience.
It turned out that Huajialing was Xu Xiaoyao's only route from south to north. It was bordered by mountains on one side and the Hengxi River on the other, stretching for about five li (approximately 2.5 kilometers) and averaging only half a li (approximately 2.5 kilometers) wide, with the narrowest point less than ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). Xu Xiaoyao had to cross the Hengxi River here, so although it appeared to be an open area, the road was actually narrow, and with the Hengxi River blocking the way, over 20,000 men crammed onto this section of the road were practically unable to move.
Hua Rong divided his forces into three groups. The first group, consisting of over ten thousand newly recruited militiamen, ambushed Xu Xiaoyao's army on Huajialing, preparing to hurl stones of various sizes down the ridge. The second group, composed of over two thousand newly recruited fishermen from the Hengxi River, attacked from the river with arrows in small boats and rafts, and blocked the crossing. The third group, Hua Rong's ten thousand cavalry, blocked the northern exit of Huajialing, ready to ambush and kill any who attempted to break through.
The attack began with the navy; Xu Xiaoyao's troops had barely crossed the river when they were attacked.
The ferry was burned eight or nine-tenths of its length by rockets, making retreat to Henan impossible. Forced to advance, they were met with a hail of rocks from the mountains on either side, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. The entire force was forced to flee towards the riverbank, only to be met with a barrage of arrows from Hua Rong's navy, losing several hundred more. With no other option, the soldiers were forced to march north through a narrow alley less than two zhang wide, amidst the combined fire from both sides, making their progress extremely slow. Finally reaching the northern exit, they encountered Hua Rong's cavalry, highly skilled and elite troops personally led by Hua Rong. A fierce charge ensued, killing several hundred, forcing the rest to retreat.
Although the disparity in troop strength was not significant, and Hua Rong's men were mostly militia with little fighting ability, the terrain advantage allowed Xu Xiaoyao to remain helpless.
Xu Xiaoyao dispatched over a dozen groups of men before finally managing to break through the encirclement to send a message to Cao Yunlong for help. After a full day of fighting, with seven or eight thousand casualties, they still could not break through.
By midnight, Hua Rong's forces ceased their attack, allowing Xu Xiaoyao to finally catch his breath. He led his troops out of the perilous area, but dared not advance under cover of darkness, so he set up camp in an open area and sent out scouts to gather intelligence.
Early the next morning, the scouts reported that Hua Rong had vanished. Just as Xu Xiaoyao was about to prepare his troops, he heard that Cao Yunlong's army had arrived.
Cao Yunlong said, "Hua Rong has forty or fifty thousand men; where could he have gone? Send out more scouts; we must find out the truth."
At dusk, a scout who had crossed the river reported that Xu Xiaoyue's reinforcements had set up camp five li from the river. Cao Yunlong suddenly realized, "We've fallen into a trap."
Xu Xiaoyang hurriedly asked, "What trap did we fall for?"
"Hua Rong must have used the siege of Xu Xiaoyao to lure me to send reinforcements from Zhuting, while she herself crossed the river to the main road to Zhuting."
"Hua Rong has tens of thousands of troops, how can she cross the river?"
"Don't forget, Hua Rong has more than two thousand naval troops, and she was prepared in advance, she must have already prepared boats to cross the river."
"Your Excellency's prediction is correct, but the boats at the ferry crossing have all been burned, and our army cannot cross the river in time. Should we send someone to order the Xiaoyue sisters to lead a cavalry force back to Zhuting Pass tonight? Hua Rong has tens of thousands of infantrymen, they cannot move quickly."
"Exactly, you all quickly lead the soldiers to cut down trees and make rafts, we must cross the river by noon tomorrow."
Early the next morning, Cao Yunlong led his army across the river, more than 100,000 troops, and it took them all morning.
Knowing that speed was of the essence in warfare, Cao Yunlong entrusted the infantry to a deputy general, while he led the Xu sisters and 20,000 cavalry across the river first, rushing towards Zhuting Pass.
Despite their haste, they were too late.
Xu Xiaoyue and Xu Xiaojing arrived half a day earlier than Cao Yunlong, only to find the main camp outside the mountain in ruins. A passage four or five zhang wide had been carved out in the middle; the 5,000 soldiers left there couldn't withstand Hua Rong's ferocious army, and had been swept away into the mountains.
Cao Yunlong hurriedly asked how many had gone in. The reply was 10,000 cavalry.
Cao Yunlong asked in surprise, "Where are the rest? Did Hua Rong abandon them?"
Cao Yunlong personally guarded the pass while sending men to inquire. Two days later, he learned that Hua Rong had only sent the cavalry across the Hengxi River, briefly diverting Cao Yunlong's attention to buy time to withdraw the remaining tens of thousands of militia back into the mountains via mountain paths.
Cao Yunlong was so angry that he remained silent for days.
After calming his anger slightly, he sent men into the mountains to gather intelligence and ordered surrounding prefectures and counties to collect provisions, intending to personally lead an expedition into the mountains to quell the rebellion.
Seven or eight days passed before a batch of provisions arrived, when suddenly an urgent report arrived that Mei Ziliang's ten thousand cavalry had left Shenqiao Pass and were fighting Wu De and Huang Qi at the foot of Guoting City to rescue Liu Heiling.
Cao Yunlong was startled again. He left fifty thousand troops to guard the Zhuting Pass and led the rest of his army south.
Two days' journey from Guoting, he heard that the siege of the two cities of Guoting Prefecture had been lifted, and Liu Heiling and his men had joined Mei Ziliang and headed towards Shenqiao Pass.
Knowing the danger of Shenqiao Pass, Cao Yunlong knew that if Liu Heiling escaped into Shenqiao, his forces, no matter how large, would be useless. Therefore, he ordered Xu Xiaoyang and Xu Xiaoyao to lead twenty thousand cavalry to intercept Liu Heiling on the main road from Guoting to Shenqiao Pass, while he himself led the main force to follow.
After a day's journey, they arrived at a riverbank called Golden Beach. The terrain here was strikingly similar to Huajialing. There, they saw the Xu Xiaoyang sisters engaged in fierce combat.
Cao Yunlong hurried to catch up, but Xu Xiaoyang's forces were all crammed into a narrow passage between the mountain and the river, unable to advance to reinforce them. Cao Yunlong finally managed to squeeze to the front and saw the Xu Xiaoyang sisters fighting a female general. Cao Yunlong recognized her as Hua Rong. "
Look at her, fighting two against one, yet still holding her own,"
he thought, "truly a capable general." Cao Yunlong admired her for a long time before remembering something. He quickly grabbed his three-pronged steel fork, shouted, "Hua Rong, don't run! I'm coming!" and charged out on horseback.
Hua Rong, seeing Cao Yunlong, shouted, "Well done!" without fear. Just as
Cao Yunlong was about to charge into the fray, a young officer appeared on the opposite side. Cao Yunlong didn't recognize him, but from the soldiers' discussions, he learned it was Mei Ziliang.
Cao Yunlong wanted to test Mei Ziliang's skills, so he engaged him in combat.
The two fought fiercely for half a day, each pair exchanging over fifty rounds without a clear victor. Just as Cao Yunlong was about to unleash his army for a mass attack, Hua Rong suddenly winked at Mei Ziliang, saying, "General Mei, we are outnumbered. It's not wise to fight for long. Retreat!" Mei Ziliang understood, and the two of them feinted an attack, then seized the opportunity to flee.
Cao Yunlong and his two companions pursued closely, chasing for several miles until the road became increasingly narrow.
Xu Xiaoyao, having learned his lesson, hurriedly cried out, "Your Highness, don't fall for it!"
How Cao Yunlong will overcome this obstacle remains to be seen; we'll find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 140 – Cao Yunlong Deploys Troops to Besiege

Zhuting; Xiao Huarong Sends Generals Out of Four Passes. Just as Cao Yunlong was about to pursue Huarong, Xu Xiaoyao warned him not to fall into a trap. Cao Yunlong reined in his horse, seeing that the road was indeed clear of evil. He knew that if there was an ambush, he would suffer heavy losses, so he dared not pursue further. He called over the guide and asked if there was another way.
The guide said there was an easy road, but it was a longer route, requiring an extra half hour.
Cao Yunlong said, “Let’s take the longer route!”
With that order, the troops retreated five li and then took the main road.
Only when they reached Shenqiao Pass did they realize they had been tricked again. Huarong had not set up an ambush at all; he had calculated that Cao Yunlong would not dare to pursue on the shortcut. Therefore, he easily escaped the pursuit and led his cavalry back to Shenqiao Pass.
Because of Huarong’s obstruction, the pursuers failed to arrive in time, so Liu Heiling and his five companions, along with more than 20,000 rebel soldiers, took the opportunity to escape into Zhuting Mountain.
The main reason Hua Rong was able to so easily control Cao Yunlong lay in the series of policies she implemented in Zhuting.
Cao Yunlong practiced nepotism and failed to curb the greed of his subordinates, causing widespread resentment.
Upon arriving in Zhuting, Hua Rong immediately executed corrupt officials, eliminated local bullies, and implemented a series of policies benefiting agriculture and commerce, allowing the people to live and work in peace.
News of this spread beyond the mountains, and the people eagerly awaited Hua Rong's army to bring these beneficial policies to them. Therefore, wherever Hua Rong went, she received unanimous support from the people. Those who joined the army readily agreed, and even the timid and cowardly who dared not serve helped Hua Rong in their own ways—by tipping her off and keeping her secrets. Thus, Hua Rong knew exactly where Cao Yunlong was and what he was doing, while Cao Yunlong only learned of Hua Rong's whereabouts much later.
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Cao Yunlong only knew himself, not his enemy; how could he possibly win?
Unfortunately, even after Cao Yunlong was driven out of Qinglong Pass, he still didn't understand the root cause of his defeat.
Frustrated by his repeated losses, Cao Yunlong vowed to personally lead a large army to suppress Zhuting Mountain.
This time, Cao Yunlong went all out, mobilizing a total of 400,000 troops from various parts of Qinglong, along with 15 deputy generals, 70 garrison commanders, and countless provisions, all continuously heading towards the assembly points around Zhuting.
It would be a lie to say that Hua Rong wasn't afraid. Although Hua Rong was a seasoned general, his territory consisted of only a few prefectures in Zhuting, and even with the local militia, his forces numbered only a few hundred thousand. How could he possibly withstand Cao Yunlong's massive army?
As the saying goes, foresight is key. Hua Rong had already anticipated Cao Yunlong's mobilization of Qinglong's forces when he captured Zhuting and its surrounding prefectures, and he had been devising a plan. With the help of the talented strategist Xu Zhi, a plan was quickly devised, but they lacked capable leaders to implement it.
One day, Hua Rong invited his generals to a secret room in the government office to discuss military matters.
Hua Rong said, “If we occupy Zhuting Mountain, Cao Yunlong will surely see us as a thorn in his side, and I fear he will attack us soon. In terms of manpower, we are outnumbered, and in terms of provisions, the barren land of Zhuting Mountain cannot support an army of 100,000. I have discussed with the military advisors and others that we must send troops beyond the pass. There are thousands of acres of fertile land there, and several passes that can be defended. If we gain control of the pass, we will gain control of the Azure Dragon. However, taking it by force alone is not enough to compete with Cao Yunlong for the land beyond the pass. We think that corrupt officials are rampant outside the pass, and the people are suffering. If we encourage the starving people to rebel, we will have hundreds of thousands of troops at our disposal, which can also alleviate the plight of Zhuting Mountain. What do you generals think?”
The pass that Hua Rong mentioned is not the Shanhaiguan Pass of today. You should know that all the names of people and places used in this article by Shi Yan are fictional and should not be taken as fact.
The area referred to as "outside the pass" here actually refers to the area outside Bailong Pass, which is the eastern coastal region. This area is all plains, fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles, crisscrossed by rivers, and rich in resources, enough to support a million-strong army.
Mei Ziliang said, "The Marshal is absolutely right, but we have come from afar and are all unfamiliar faces. How can we proceed?"
Liu Heiling said, "That's not difficult. We brothers have lived here for a long time and know best the suffering of the people. If we go, we can surely gather tens of millions of troops."
Hua Rong said, "I have also thought of you all, but tens of millions of troops, without a leader, will be difficult to accomplish. What should we do?"
Wang Dapeng stood up and said, "Marshal, I have an uncle named Shan Qi, who is the chief of the Salt Gang. We can go..." He was the leader of the salt workers' rebellion, but was later captured and executed by slow slicing by Grand Tutor Hu and Tao Long. The salt workers, oppressed by the government, had long harbored thoughts of rebellion, but lacked a leader. My uncle has a son named Dan Biao,
who is highly skilled in martial arts. If we could ask him to lead, he could surely rally tens of thousands of salt workers.” Liu Heiling said, “Dapeng’s words remind me of someone, my cousin Liu Wuyang, an elder of the Canal Gang. His men have confronted the government several times. Now we could ask him to lead tens of thousands of Canal Gang members in an uprising.”
“Excellent, excellent! Is there anything else?” Hua Rong asked.
“Yes,” Zheng Yili replied, “I also know several heroes: Huang Yukun, Meng Qinghai, Zou Bin, and Wang Fangyu. They are all skilled in martial arts and have great prestige, each capable of rallying over ten thousand men.”
“That’s excellent. Soon Cao Yunlong will mobilize his army from beyond the Great Wall to attack Zhuting. At that time, the area beyond the Great Wall will be vulnerable, making it the perfect time to start an uprising. But who should go to make contact? This person must be courageous, well-connected, renowned, and eloquent to persuade so many heroes to unite in this uprising.”
“Marshal, I recommend someone who is capable of this task,” Xu Zhi said.
“Who?”
“It is my worthy brother Zheng Yili. He lived beyond the Great Wall in his early years and is already familiar with the heroes there, making it easier for him to carry out his mission.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yili quickly stood up and said, “I will gladly die for him.”
Hua Rong said, “It would be best if Mr. Zheng went, but the journey is difficult, and it might be inconvenient for a scholar like Mr. Zheng.”
“Marshal, this humble general is willing to escort Mr. Zheng along the way,” Liu Heiling quickly stood up.
“General Liu, with your martial arts skills, you are certainly capable of going. However, Cao Yunlong will soon attack Zhuting. There are many mountains and forests here, making it difficult for cavalry to move. We need a foot soldier to lead the troops. You are the leader of the Guoting rebels, and we cannot do without you.”
“Then I will recommend two more,” Xu Zhi said.
“Which two?”
“General Wang Dapeng and General Liu Yue’e. General Wang is not only skilled in martial arts but also a good debater. He is also a cousin of Shan Biao, which makes things easier for him. General Yue’e can also go and persuade Liu Wuyang on behalf of her brother.”
“If General Wang goes, that would be perfect,” Hua Rong said.
“Dapeng is willing to go.” Wang Dapeng was very excited when he heard that he had been chosen.
“This humble general would gladly die for his cause.” Liu Yue’e also stood up.
Hua Rong said, “Cao Yunlong is currently drawing portraits to capture the leaders of the Guoting rebels. General Wang and General Liu are both on the list. I’m afraid they will be recognized.”
“That’s alright. This humble general can disguise herself as a man,” Liu Yue’e said quickly.
“Excellent, excellent. I can disguise myself as a traveling scholar, General Liu as a page, and General Wang as a porter.”
“General Liu is a woman, so it’s easy for her to disguise herself, but General Wang might have a harder time.”
“This humble general has a plan,” Da Peng said after thinking for a while.
“There is still one inconvenience. General Liu is a woman, so it’s not convenient for her to find lodging along the way,” Hua Rong added.
“That’s alright,” Xu Zhi said. “I heard that General Liu and General Wang are already engaged. Why not take this opportunity to get married? During the journey, Mr. Zheng can stay in one place, and the two of them can stay in another. With separate rooms for master and servant, it will certainly not arouse suspicion.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yue’e blushed as red as a rooster and turned to run out of the house.
As the saying goes, time waits for no one, and there’s no time like the present. The generals finished their discussion and prepared a bridal chamber for Wang Da Peng at the former Yaoting County government office. After the ceremony
of bowing to heaven and earth, they were led to the bridal chamber.
Although Liu Yue'e and Wang Dapeng were already engaged and deeply in love, sitting in the bridal chamber, Liu Yue'e blushed with shyness, closing her eyes and daring not to look at Wang Dapeng.
Wang Dapeng, in the prime of his life, was naturally overjoyed at his first time in the bridal chamber. Sitting on the bed, he embraced his beautiful wife, speaking softly and tenderly, kissing her lips passionately, causing Liu Yue'e to tremble and pant. He then gently removed her wedding robes, reaching inside to hold her alabaster breasts in his hands, gently kneading them.
Liu Yue'e became even more shy, burying her head in his chest like a frightened rabbit.
Seeing Liu Yue'e's reaction, Wang Dapeng's desire intensified. He removed her upper garment, embraced her shoulders, then gently loosened her skirt, letting her lower garment slide down. He cupped her snow-white buttocks, gently kneading them, then lifted her horizontally and laid her flat on the bed.
Liu Yue'e lay sprawled on the couch, her almond-shaped eyes lightly closed, a blush rising on her chest, and a lush carpet of dark hair beneath her abdomen. Wang Dapeng parted her pink legs to look, seeing her slightly damp peach-like vulva and smooth
, jade-like buttocks. Overwhelmed with desire, he loosened his clothes, knelt before her, and slowly slid his massive member into her. Yue'e let out a soft moan; her tender hymen had been broken, but she felt little pain, only a sense of pleasure, her body glistening with fragrant sweat.
Wang Dapeng thrust left and right, wildly pounding into Yue'e's most intimate places until midnight, finally ejaculating. Yue'e moaned softly with pleasure, her fragrant sweat pouring down like rain, having released her essence several times, as if she had recovered from a serious illness.
This only fueled her love for her husband. Wang Dapeng had planned this all along. On the third night, after their encounter, he revealed his intentions. Although Yue'e was extremely unwilling, she knew a man's ambitions were high, and seeing his resolve, she had no choice but to comply.
Early on the fourth day, Hua Rong and others came to offer their congratulations, only to find Wang Dapeng's face covered with a cloth, seemingly bleeding. They hurriedly asked what had happened. Yue'e, with tears in her eyes, told them everything. It turned out that Wang Dapeng knew he had been targeted by a portrait, and with numerous checkpoints along the way, he feared for his life. Therefore, he had cut himself with a knife, creating two wounds on his face, and then burned them with fire, making him unrecognizable even to those who knew him well.
Upon hearing this, everyone sighed with sorrow and quickly brought him the best medicine for wounds, allowing Wang Dapeng to rest at home for several days. When the cloth was removed, his face was indeed unrecognizable, and Yue'e wept again.
A few days later, Feng Qing sent a secret envoy, bestowing upon Hua Rong the title of Marquis of Zhuting and the title of General of Qinglong, the Grand Marshal of all the armies of Qinglong Prefecture, along with official seals and the authority to appoint all officials of Qinglong. All the generals offered their congratulations.
Just then, Wang Dapeng's scabs had almost completely fallen off, and he was ready to depart. Hua Rong then issued appointment letters, appointing Zheng Yiming as plenipotentiary envoy and Wang Dapeng and his wife as generals. He also appointed Shan Biao as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Route Infantry, Liu Wuyang as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Route Navy, Huang Yukun as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Route Cavalry, and Meng Qinghai, Zou Bin, and Wang Fangyu as commanders. The appointment letters were given to Zheng Yiming to take with him, along with several blank appointment letters bearing the official seal. Zheng Yiming was permitted to appoint officials below the rank of general.
After the instructions were given, Zheng Yili, still dressed as a scholar, Yue'e disguised herself as a handsome page, and Dapeng disguised himself as a porter, carrying the trunks and protecting Zheng Yili as they set off.
A sword was tucked diagonally behind Yue'e's back; in those days, it was common for scholars to wield swords while writing, so no one would suspect anything. Dapeng's carrying pole was made of hardwood, with an iron rod hidden inside.
The three bid farewell to Hua Rong and the generals, and together headed towards the border.
The success or failure of Zheng Yili and his men's journey remains to be seen; please read on for the next installment, Part 2 of the Empire, Chapters 141 and 142.

Chapter 141—Zheng Yili's Salt Gang Plans Uprising, Wang Ruoyu's Ambush Along the Way.

As mentioned above, Zheng Yili, Wang Dapeng, and Liu Yue'e left Yaoting Prefecture, traveling by day and resting by night. After two days, they took a side road out of Zhuting Mountain and then followed the main road towards the pass. Wang Dapeng had disfigured himself, so although the government troops had a portrait, they couldn't recognize him, and thus they passed through the pass without incident.
Once outside the pass, they first traveled by water to find Liu Wuyang.
The canal gang was mainly composed of boatmen working on the river, while the salt gang consisted mainly of salt farmers and smugglers from the coast. These men were seasoned travelers, each possessing unique skills, and were known for their fierce and ruthless nature. Both the salt and canal gangs had long suffered under government oppression and harbored rebellious intentions. Liu Wuyang, upon meeting his sister and brother-in-law and learning they were rebellious heroes, greatly admired them. Without much persuasion, he accepted the letter of appointment brought by Zheng Yili and secretly made arrangements.
The three were overjoyed, and Liu Wuyang arranged for someone to invite Shan Biao.
Dan Biao met Zheng Yili and his cousin Wang Dapeng, and they hit it off immediately. He agreed to lead the Salt Gang in an uprising.
With these two matters settled, Zheng Yili went to find Huang Yukun, Meng Qinghai, Zou Bin, and Wang Fangyu. These four were also heroes, and they agreed to secretly contact heroes outside the Great Wall and seek an opportunity to start an uprising.
At this time, the government was recruiting soldiers everywhere. Originally, Cao Yunlong in Qinglong only had a standing army of about 300,000. Whenever there was a battle, they would temporarily conscript men from various households to fill the ranks.
Previously, when besieging Guoting and Zhutingshan, they mobilized 100,000 standing troops. There were still 200,000 men stationed inside and outside the Great Wall guarding various key locations, leaving few truly usable soldiers. This time, Cao Yunlong wanted to personally attack Zhutingshan, so he transferred 120,000 to 130,000 of the 200,000 elite troops from inside and outside the Great Wall. Still not enough, he conscripted men from the common people to make up the difference and to be responsible for defense in various places.
Seeing this as an opportunity, Zheng Yili summoned Huang Yukun and Meng Qinghai, instructing them to join the army and, depending on the circumstances, lead their troops in a mutiny.
Cao Yunlong, focused solely on suppressing the rebellion at Zhuting Mountain, had no idea his own backyard was on fire.
The government was forcibly conscripting men from various places, forcing large numbers of laborers away from their land. Coupled with the imposed military rations and taxes, the people were suffering greatly. Furthermore, local officials were using the "bandit suppression tax" as an opportunity to enrich themselves, further fueling public resentment. A single spark could ignite a massive fire.
Meanwhile, Cao Yunlong had only managed to gather 400,000 troops in three months, deploying half around the exits of Zhuting, while he personally led 200,000 troops and the four Xu sisters into Zhuting via the western main road.
Upon entering Zhuting Pass, they learned the reason for the Xu sisters' defeat: the once-good road had been dug up by the local people, riddled with potholes and ruts. While infantry and cavalry could still pass, vehicles were practically immobile. If the army were allowed to advance unchecked, they would soon lose contact with the supply depot and be vulnerable to attack. Without supplies, even a large army would be useless, forcing a retreat.
Cao Yunlong, seeing this, was glad he hadn't punished the Xu sisters; otherwise, he would have lost four capable generals.
Cao Yunlong was indeed cunning. He ordered his army to advance no more than ten li per day, and at each location, to search the surrounding mountains, capturing the local people to build fortified walls to block Hua Rong. In this way, Cao Yunlong employed a layered, step-by-step strategy to prevent Hua Rong from taking advantage of the situation.
This presented Hua Rong with a very difficult situation. His forces were outnumbered, and to win, he needed to force Cao Yunlong to divide his troops to gain a local advantage. However, Cao Yunlong was not greedy for merit, making it difficult to find an opportunity to strike.
Hua Rong sent several infantry generals, including Liu Heiling, with small groups of infantry to probe Cao Yunlong and lure him into pursuit. But Cao Yunlong remained unmoved and continued his course. Hua Rong, having no other choice, withdrew his troops and sought another strategy to defeat the enemy.
Seeing Cao Yunlong enter Zhuting Mountain, Hua Rong ordered all officials and troops to withdraw and hide in the mountains, waiting for an opportunity to defeat him.
Cao Yunlong captured the empty city of Yaoting and massacred the civilians as punishment for their loyalty to Hua Rong. He also sent out scouts to search for Hua Rong and the large army's supplies that she had hidden.
Within a month, Cao Yunlong had recaptured most of the cities in Zhuting and decided to launch a fatal attack on Hua Rong, who had hidden in the mountains. However, he couldn't find any trace of Hua Rong. Had his 100,000-strong army vanished into thin air?
Cao Yunlong, being a seasoned general, knew that Hua Rong couldn't possibly escape the mountains. Therefore, he wasn't in a hurry. He dispatched men to conduct a sweeping campaign, driving the scattered civilians into specially built stone enclosures on the outskirts of the prefectures and counties, hoping to trap Hua Rong in the mountains. He also widely distributed notices, offering a large reward to anyone who would inform the government troops.
This worked perfectly. Hua Rong's only support was the local people. With the people gone, Hua Rong lost a crucial layer of protection. Moreover, some people couldn't resist the temptation of the reward and informed Cao Yunlong of Hua Rong's hiding place. If Cao Yunlong hadn't been suspicious and missed the opportunity, Hua Rong would likely have been captured long ago.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Hua Rong had no choice but to order his entire army to break into smaller units, blend in with the civilians, and hide in the stone enclosures, hoping to stage a comeback. He led only his generals and a few elite soldiers, roaming the mountains, playing hide-and-seek with Cao Yunlong, secretly hoping that Zheng Yili would act soon outside the pass.
So, what was Zheng Yili doing?
Outside the pass, Zheng Yili had almost finished planning his major undertaking. He had contacted the salt and grain transport gangs, as well as the leaders of farmers and fishermen in various prefectures and counties, secretly gathering seventy to eighty thousand people to prepare for the uprising.
At this time, Cao Yunlong's army had already entered Zhuting Mountain, and the area outside the pass was sparsely populated, with fewer than a hundred soldiers in county-level towns and no more than three hundred in prefecture-level towns. Zheng Yili saw this as the perfect opportunity, so he secretly summoned the leaders from various places to Tongze Township, where the salt gang's headquarters was located, and agreed to launch the uprising on the night of the full moon on the fifteenth of that month.
The leaders were overjoyed and went back to prepare.
Zheng Yili, along with Wang Dapeng and Liu Yue'e, stayed at the Salt Gang's headquarters, making daily trips to the surrounding villages to arrange important matters.
Consider this: with tens of thousands of people moving around, even the most incompetent government officials couldn't completely ignore the slightest movement. Moreover, with so many people, it's inevitable that some are of questionable character.
Among them was a man named Zhou Lun, originally a fisherman from Tongze Township and also the leader of the local fishing households. He had initially intended to profit from the uprising, but as the details of the uprising were finalized, he suddenly felt uneasy. After much deliberation, he concluded that the rebel army was ultimately a disorganized rabble and unlikely to succeed.
So, he rushed to the county seat that very night to report to the magistrate, Wang Ruoyu. Upon hearing this news, Wang Ruoyu was greatly alarmed. He immediately sent someone to inform the prefectural government while simultaneously leading over a hundred constables and garrison troops from the county. Guided by Zhou Lun, they headed straight for Shilibao, five li from the Salt Gang's headquarters, to ambush and kill Zheng Yili, who was on his way to inspect the uprising preparations in the surrounding villages. He knew that with their current forces, they were insufficient to suppress the riot; only by capturing the ringleader—Zheng Yili—could they deter anyone from making a rash move.
Zheng Yili and his men were completely unaware of this. They were returning from Dongzhengze Township, passing through Shilibao, when suddenly a gong sounded, and countless feathered arrows shot out from the nearby forest.
Wang Dapeng and Liu Yue'e, always cautious, quickly drew their weapons to protect Zheng Yili despite the surprise attack. As
soon as the arrows passed, over a hundred men rushed out of the forest, led by Wang Ruoyu. Wang Ruoyu pointed his knife and said, "Three traitors, quickly lay down your weapons and surrender, or you will be killed on the spot!"
Wang Dapeng shouted, "Who are you? In broad daylight, you falsely accuse someone of being innocent!"
"I am Wang Ruoyu, the magistrate of this county. Zheng Yili, you have colluded with the salt and grain transport officials to rebel, plotting an uprising. How can we tolerate this? Do you think you can leave today?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yili realized his plot had been exposed. He didn't know how much the government knew or how they knew, so he said, "We are honest and kind people. Who said we are rebelling? As the local official, how can you falsely accuse us of rebellion?"
Zhou Lun stepped forward and said, "Mr. Zheng, there's no need to pretend to be innocent anymore. I have now repented and surrendered to the government. You should accept your fate!" Zheng Yili was furious and started cursing.
Upon seeing this, Wang Ruoyu hurriedly ordered his men to arrest the traitors.
Wang Dapeng and Liu Yue'e busily brandished their weapons, protecting Zheng Yili, and engaged in combat with the constables and government troops who rushed forward.
Although Wang Dapeng and his companion were skilled in martial arts, the constables were also trained fighters. Furthermore, they outnumbered the constables, and Wang Dapeng and his companion had to care for Zheng Yili, who was unskilled in martial arts. Therefore, although they broke through the encirclement, they couldn't shake off the pursuers.
Seeing this, Liu Yue'e hurriedly shouted, "Dapeng, you protect Mr. Zheng to the Salt Gang's headquarters. I'll hold them off here."
Wang Dapeng replied, "You protect Mr. Zheng; I'll cover the rear."
"You're a man; this is important. Besides, Mr. Zheng needs protection too. Stop arguing, let's go!"
After a while, the couple argued, but Wang Dapeng ultimately couldn't resist Liu Yue'e's insistence. He had no choice but to carry the frail Zheng Yili on his back and run towards Tongze.
Seeing Zheng Yili and Wang Dapeng leave, Liu Yue'e felt relieved, and her martial arts skills seemed to have increased dramatically. She wielded her sword with incredible speed, cutting down the constables and making them tumble and crawl. The fight lasted for nearly half an hour, during which she killed and wounded dozens of soldiers and constables, but she herself was tightly entangled and unable to escape.
After fighting for a while longer, she was ultimately outnumbered. After tearing through more than a dozen of the constables' nets, she was finally caught in a rope net and dragged to the ground. A group of constables pounced on her, pinning her to the ground, seizing her sword, and grabbing her hands before removing the net and using ropes to bind her.
Liu Yue'e, however, was unwilling to be captured. Seeing the net gone, she struggled, refusing to be bound.
Liu Yue'e was stronger than most women, and she almost broke free. It took four or five men to pin her back to the ground, but she curled her arms in front of her body, and the constables couldn't twist them off.
A cunning constable suddenly appeared, standing behind Liu Yue'e. He pressed the tip of a single-edged sword against her anus, saying, "Heroine, accept your fate. Otherwise, I'll cut open your crotch with this sword, and you'll die with your eyes wide open."
Yue'e, being a woman, feared humiliation most of all. Hearing this, she dared not struggle any longer and could only let them twist her hands behind her back.
The constable himself went over, knelt on her waist, tied her hands with rope, and then pulled her legs up, binding them in a four-legged, upside-down position.
Liu Yue'e, captured, showed no fear.
Wang Ruoyu, fearing the salt gang would come to seize her, hurriedly ordered the constables to use a staff that reached her eyebrows to pierce through Yue'e's legs and hands from both sides, lift her up, and run towards the county town.
What will become of Liu Yue'e's life? Let's find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 142 – Wang Yu Ruo Changes Route to the Prefecture City, Salt and Grain Gang Launches Uprising Ahead of Schedule.

It is said that Wang Dapeng, carrying Zheng Yili, ran as fast as the wind, straight to the Tongze Salt Gang headquarters. When Shan Biao saw him, he was taken aback, and after hearing Zheng Yili's account, he was even more shocked.
Zheng Yili said, "General Shan, the situation is urgent. We can't worry about anything else now. Quickly notify all the forces to start the uprising ahead of schedule. We must do it before the government takes action to avoid further losses."
"Don't worry about that," Shan Biao replied. "The government uses horses to send messages, but I have carrier pigeons. Besides, six or seven out of ten of my Salt Gang brothers are already around Tongze. The government troops number only two thousand; they can't do anything to me. The most important thing now is to quickly rescue my sister-in-law."
With that, Shan Biao first ordered his men to send carrier pigeons to each branch headquarters to start the uprising at midnight the next day. Secondly, he sent someone to deliver a message to the local Canal Gang branch headquarters. At this time, Liu Wuyang was still in Tongze. Thirdly, he ordered the more than one thousand gang members gathered near the main headquarters to gather together and, with Wang Dapeng leading the way, head straight for Shilibao to rescue her.
When they arrived at Shilibao, there were only the corpses of dozens of constables and soldiers on the ground. They knew that Liu Yue'e must have been captured. Dan Biao hurriedly ordered his men to summon all the gangs in the county to gather at the county seat, while he himself rushed to the county seat.
Upon arriving at the county seat, he found the city gates wide open and unguarded, so he went straight in and headed for the county government office.
The group surrounded the county government office, broke down the gates, and found only four or five yamen runners on night duty under the leadership of an old yamen chief. Dan Biao seized the old yamen chief and questioned him, who said that the county magistrate had not yet returned to the office.
Wang Dapeng thought that Wang Ruoyu must have sent Liu Yue'e to the county jail first, so he told Dan Biao to guard the county government office and borrowed about a hundred men from him to rush to the jail. When they arrived, they asked the jailers, but they had not seen Wang Ruoyu return, nor had they seen any female prisoners in the jail.
Dapeng did not believe it, so he ordered all the prisoners to be released and checked them one by one. Sure enough, Yue'e was not there. He then said to the prisoners, "Now we have rebelled. Any heroes who are willing to join us, come and sign up." He then recruited more than a dozen more heroes.
Back at the county office, they met Shan Biao and discussed Wang Ruoyu's absence. Both were speculating wildly.
Soon after, Zheng Yili arrived, also unable to discern the cause, and sent men to investigate.
About two quarters of an hour later, a group reported that Wang Ruoyu hadn't returned to the county seat but had gone directly to the prefectural capital. Zheng Yili calculated the time and knew he couldn't catch up, so he decided to use the county seat as a base, mobilizing forces from all over the prefecture to launch an uprising before dawn and jointly besiege the prefectural capital to rescue Wang Ruoyu.
It turned out that Wang Ruoyu, having captured Liu Yue'e, was returning to the county seat. Halfway there, Zhou Lun suddenly said, "Zheng Yili has gone to the salt gang; Shan Biao will likely make his move tonight. The salt gang has several thousand members here; if they besiege the county seat, we will be outnumbered." Wang
Ruoyu thought this made sense. Coincidentally, the salt tycoon Wu Pengju's estate was ahead, so he knocked on the gate, borrowed a horse from Wu Pengju, and went to the prefectural capital, even forgetting his family in the county seat.
Upon hearing of the salt workers' rebellion, Wu Pengju was terrified. He hastily gathered his entire family, prepared all the livestock, gave Wang Ruoyu a horse to ride, and ordered Liu Yue'e to be placed in the carriage carried by his own family. They fled all the way to the prefectural city.
This area was under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou. The prefect of Yanzhou, Liu Chengguang, had just received Wang Ruoyu's secret report and was sending men to the counties under his jurisdiction to order all the garrisons to be concentrated in the prefecture for defense. Seeing that Wang Ruoyu had captured Liu Yue'e, he was overjoyed and interrogated her that very night.
When Liu Yue'e came to the court, she only sneered and refused to say another word.
Liu Chengguang was furious and ordered torture.
Soon, the finger-crushing device was obtained, and Liu Yue'e's ten fingers were clamped and tightened. Liu Yue'e was in so much pain that her clothes were soaked with sweat, and she screamed incessantly, but she refused to utter a word. After being tightened several times, she fainted on the ground. Liu Chengguang ordered her to be revived with cold water and the torture continued. She fainted twice more, but still did not confess.
Liu Chengguang said, "What a shameless woman, truly stubborn. But in my hands, even if you're made of iron, I'll squeeze oil out of you."
Liu Yue'e smiled coldly and said, "Bring on whatever tricks you have, I'm waiting here!"
"Fine, fine, fine! Come on! Serve me with the punishment for women!"
Hearing that the punishment for women was about to begin, Liu Yue'e's face turned pale, because just thinking about this punishment specifically for women, she knew she would inevitably suffer humiliation.
Sure enough, the yamen runners brought a breast clamp made of two wooden boards, and a wooden donkey. On the wooden donkey was a large pestle, as thick as a teacup, wrapped in a coarse cloth, covered with coarse sand grains glued to it. Liu Yue'e had only been married for less than a month, and knowing the purpose of that thing, she was both ashamed and angry, and couldn't help but curse loudly.
Liu Chengguang said, "Traitor, you still won't talk?"
Liu Yue'e retorted, "You corrupt officials, you spout righteousness and morality, but your hearts are full of wolves and dogs. Let me tell you, since I've rebelled, I'm not afraid of being torn to pieces. This thing can't scare me!"
"Fine, fine, you win! Come on, strip her naked and tie her up!"
The constables on both sides were extremely excited and rushed forward to grab Liu Yue'e and tear at her clothes.
Liu Yue'e cursed and struggled desperately, but half of her front was still torn off, revealing a glimpse of her fragrant shoulder. Seeing that she was about to be humiliated, Liu Yue'e couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.
Just then, a shout came from outside, earth-shattering, startling everyone. Liu Chengguang hurriedly asked what had happened. A Qianzong (military commander) named Wang Guang had already sent someone to report that several thousand rioters had surrounded the city and demanded that Liu Chengguang and Wang Ruoyu answer questions.
Upon hearing this, Liu Chengguang knew that the salt workers must have rebelled. There was no point in interrogating Liu Yue'e any longer, so he ordered Yue'e to be taken to prison and imprisoned in a cage to prevent her from escaping. He and Wang Ruoyu then hurriedly left the prefectural government office and headed towards the city wall.
Upon reaching the top of the city wall, they saw a vast, dark mass of people below, some wielding swords and spears, others carrying hoes and clubs—the number was countless, and more were constantly arriving from all directions.
At the head of these people stood a dozen or so leaders.
Liu Chengguang, clinging to the battlements, shouted down, "Which of you is the leader? Come out and speak!"
Zheng Yili stepped forward and said, "Are you Prefect Liu Chengguang?"
"Indeed, it is I. Who are you?"
"I am Zheng Yili, the plenipotentiary envoy under the command of Hua Rong, the Grand Marshal of Qinglong and Commander-in-Chief of the armies of Qinglong counties. I have been ordered by my Marshal to take over the various counties of Qinglong. Liu Chengguang, my Marshal has decreed that all officials of Qinglong, high and low, who are willing to cooperate with my Marshal, will retain their original positions as long as their crimes are minor. Those with serious crimes will be given lighter punishments. Those who resist will be killed without mercy. Liu Chengguang, do you want to live or die?"
Liu Chengguang said, "You audacious traitor! You are about to die, yet you still dare to spout nonsense. I am an official under your command; how can you order me around? I advise you to surrender now, lest you be captured and lose your life in vain!"
"What a reckless and ignorant official! How many men do you have to dare to speak so arrogantly? Look around! My Marshal only needs to raise his voice, and in Yanzhou alone, tens of thousands of people will respond. This is all because of your usual inhumane governance, which has incited public resentment. You'd better leave the city and join Marshal Hua, otherwise, when we storm the city, these people who have been oppressed all this time will probably devour you alive!"
"Zheng Yili, don't miscalculate. Although these rioters are numerous, they are nothing but a rabble. When the imperial army arrives, they will be crushed like dry leaves, utterly routed." "Mr. Zheng,
why waste time arguing with this corrupt official? Let's storm the city as soon as possible!" Shan Biao couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted, holding an iron ruler.
"Yes, yes, let's storm the city!" the righteous people shouted in unison.
Liu Chengguang, a civil official, was at a loss as to how to proceed. He hurriedly turned to the commander Wang Guang and asked, "Commander Wang, what should we do?"
Wang Guang, though not a high-ranking official, was arrogant and dismissive of everyone. Seeing that the men below were merely salt merchants and farmers, he said, "These are just common laborers; they cannot withstand a large army's attack.
My lord, there is no need to be afraid. Once I am out of the city, I will retrieve the bandit leader's head, and the rioters will disperse on their own." "Commander Wang,
please be careful." "I suppose so."
Wang Guang descended from the city wall, mounted his horse, mustered a hundred soldiers, and led them out to battle.
A hundred soldiers? Indeed, there were only a little over a thousand, less than two thousand, soldiers in the city. Pulling out a hundred was already quite a lot.
Wang Guang rode a dark blue horse, carrying a steel-tipped spear, and swaggered to the city gates, shouting, "Which rebel dares to fight your commander?"
Wang Guang was tall and strong, his armor gleaming, while the rebel army had no horses, so he didn't look like he could win at all. Dan Biao turned back and saw the doubts of the righteous people behind him. Knowing he had to win this first battle, and win it decisively, he stepped forward and said, "Boy, watch me take you on."
Wang Guang, seeing Dan Biao's short stature and the iron ruler he wielded, underestimated him, taking advantage of his lack of a horse. He dismounted, spurred his horse, and charged forward, intending to pierce Dan Biao's heart with his spear.
Dan Biao, however, neither dodged nor evaded. He waited until the spear was at his chest before gently deflecting it with his iron ruler. Wang Guang's horse was upon him, and Dan Biao leaped into the air, striking Wang Guang in the face with his iron ruler. Wang
Guang hadn't expected Dan Biao to be so fast. It was too late to dodge; the iron ruler struck him squarely on the head, shattering his helmet. His body fell from his horse, his brains splattering all over Dan Biao.
His horse galloped into the righteous army's ranks, where Wang Dapeng quickly grabbed it.
With a single move, Shan Biao killed Wang Guang, eliciting cheers from the rebel army and boosting their morale.
The government troops, demoralized, hurriedly retreated back into the city. The rebels tried to follow, but were too late; they were battered by arrows from the city walls, losing three or five men, while the rest retreated.
Liu Chengguang, terrified, frantically asked who dared to fight, but despite having several officers by his side, no one dared to step forward. Liu Chengguang had no choice but to defend the city and await reinforcements. Shan Biao and his men continued to challenge the rebels
, but no one from the city came out. Left with no other option, Shan Biao prepared to attack the city.
But it's uncertain whether the city can be captured. Stay tuned for the next installment,

Part 143 and 144. Chapter 143 – Shan Biao Captures Officials' Families to Exchange Generals, Liu Chengguang Forces Ruoyu to Humiliate Yue'e.

It is said that Shan Biao planned to lead his army to attack Yanzhou City. Just as he was about to give the order, he turned around and saw Wang Dapeng staring longingly at the city wall. Knowing that Wang Dapeng was thinking of Liu Yue'e, he shouted loudly, "Wang Ruoyu, are you on
the city wall? Come out and see me." Hearing him called, Wang Ruoyu also clung to the city wall and shouted, "Traitor, what are you calling me for?" "
Magistrate Wang, I'll make a deal with you. Look, your family is in my hands. I'll exchange generals with you on the battlefield. You release my General Liu from the city, and I'll return your two concubines. What do you say?"
Wang Ruoyu looked and indeed, they were his two concubines.
It turned out that Wang Ruoyu's family was from within the pass. When he left to take up his post as an official, he didn't bring his family with him, only a maid named Xiuhong and a servant boy. Upon arriving at his post, he took Xiuhong as his concubine and later married Qi, the youngest daughter of a local wealthy man. Xiuhong was twenty-four years old, and Qi was only nineteen. Both were quite beautiful, but they had no children.
When Wang Ruoyu fled to the prefectural city, he was in such a hurry that he didn't care about his family. Therefore, when Shan Biao arrived at the county office, he arrested the two women, intending to use them to exchange for Liu Yue'e, or at least as hostages, in case Wang Ruoyu acted desperately.
The two concubines were already terrified and cried out loudly when they saw Wang Ruoyu, "Master, save me!"
Wang Ruoyu was willing to exchange them, but since he was in the prefectural prison, he needed the prefect's approval, so he turned to look at Liu Chengguang.
Seeing this, Liu Chengguang had other plans in mind. Firstly, Liu Yue'e was a wanted criminal specifically requested by Cao Yunlong. Having her would allow him to curry favor with Cao Yunlong; if he released her, how would he explain it to Cao Yunlong? Secondly, Wang Ruoyu's two concubines were merely delicate women, while Liu Yue'e was a highly skilled and courageous woman. Capturing her was already difficult; releasing her would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. Therefore, he said to Wang Ruoyu, "Your Excellency, Liu Yue'e is a wanted criminal. If you release her, aren't you afraid the Emperor will find out and behead you?"
Wang Ruoyu wasn't stupid. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly replied, "I dare not, I dare not. But my two concubines are in their hands; their lives are in danger."
Liu Chengguang thought to himself: The city is currently short-handed and lacking in soldiers. If I cut off your escape route, how can I protect Yanzhou? Then he said, "Women are nothing but clothes. With the character of your county, why worry about a lack of beautiful women? How can a man of your county ruin his future because of two women?"
"Exactly, exactly." "
Magistrate Wang, I've heard you're a very loyal minister, always prioritizing the overall interests of the court?" "
Of course, of course."
"Very well, I won't make things difficult for you. Now, I'll hand Liu Yue'e over to your county for disposal. When the bandits are wiped out by His Majesty, I can report the truth to him."
"Yes, yes, I will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty." Wang Ruoyu knew in his heart that Liu Chengguang was acting like a good person on the surface, giving Wang Ruoyu a chance to exchange people, but in reality, he was hiding a knife behind his smile. If he really released Liu Yue'e, Cao Yunlong would probably be beheaded in the future. So, although he didn't say it aloud, he cursed Liu Chengguang's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart. But as the saying goes, an official's position is not his own. Wang Ruoyu was now under someone else's jurisdiction, so how could he dare to say no? So he led the constables he had brought from the county to the prison to take the man away.
Upon arriving at the prison, Wang Ruoyu's eyes widened in astonishment. It turned out Liu Yue'e was highly skilled in martial arts, and Liu Chengguang, fearing her escape, had ordered her imprisoned in a stilt bed.
These stilt beds were specifically designed to subdue violent and unruly prisoners; female prisoners were usually not required to use them.
The stilt bed was essentially a rough wooden bed with iron rings and buckles. The prisoner's limbs were spread out and secured to the four corners with these rings and buckles, forming a large "fire" character. Sometimes, the waist was also secured with iron buckles. Once imprisoned in the stilt bed, one could not move an inch. After lying on it for three days, even after being released, one could not move independently for even half an hour. If imprisoned for half a month, one might even be crippled.
Liu Yue'e was locked on the bed, her body stretched stiffly, unable to move. Her upper clothes had been torn in the main hall, leaving her only in a red bodice, revealing her snow-white shoulders. Her shoes and socks were gone, exposing her two beautiful, jade-like feet. Looking at her lower body, her legs were spread apart, her trousers tightly taut against her body, her pubic bone pushing the trousers into a round mound, her curves exquisite and very alluring.
Wang Ruoyu couldn't help but think, "If those rioters outside the city knew I killed Liu Yue'e, they would surely tear my two concubines to pieces, and who knows if they wouldn't cuckold me a hundred times. If I kill her for nothing, wouldn't I be at a loss? I'd rather get my money's worth from this woman first."
Thinking of this, Wang Ruoyu's anger towards Liu Chengguang and his lust for Liu Yue'e intertwined, turning into a raging fire.
Liu Yue'e had long seen the lust in Wang Ruoyu's eyes, but unfortunately, her hands and feet were tied to the four corners of the bed, preventing her from moving.
Wang Ruoyu, having satisfied his lust, no longer cared about anything else. He dismissed the constables, jailers, and soldiers around him, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began to grope Yue'e's shoulders.
Liu Yue'e struggled but could not move, tears welling in her eyes, and began to curse.
Wang Ruoyu, also disregarding everything, tore off her bodice, revealing her two small, pointed breasts, which he grasped in both hands, gently playing with them. He then leaned over and sucked on the small nipples.
Liu Yue'e felt an unbearable tingling and itching, and felt utterly humiliated, so she cursed even more fiercely.
After rubbing for a while, Wang Ruoyu's lust grew stronger. He unbuckled Liu Yue'e's belt and pulled it down to her crotch. Liu Yue'e's legs were spread apart, but her pants were still in place, revealing only her snow-white belly and a few strands of black hair. Wang Ruoyu first reached inside her pants and rummaged around, causing Liu Yue'e to scream in shame. Then he found a knife, cut a slit in her waistband, and tore it apart with all his might. Although she was a scholar, he managed to pull her pants down to her ankles.
Liu Yue'e's private parts were exposed. Knowing that she could not escape, she cried out, "Dapeng, I have no face to see you anymore!" Tears streamed down her face.
Wang Ruoyu first touched her two fair and tender legs, then lay down on the bed and carefully examined her private parts. He saw that her labia were like those of a clam, her honeyed orifice was deep and dark, her buttocks were like powdery white beans, and her anus was like a daisy.
After staring for a while, his lower body swelled like a burning rod. He then mounted her, gently pressing down on her delicate body, pressing tightly against her jade gate. With a single thrust, he penetrated her to the root, and began to move wildly.
Poor Liu Yue'e, before even getting started, she suffered this ordeal.
After he had had his fill, Wang Ruoyu ejaculated, dressed, and went out. Soon after, the constables returned, all undressing and revealing a dozen or so dark penises. They took turns inserting them into Yue'e's vulva, continuing until nearly noon.
Wang Ruoyu then returned to the cell and ordered Liu Yue'e to be released from the bed and tied up with ropes. Having
lost her virginity, Liu Yue'e knew she had no chance of survival, so she allowed them to tie her up, no longer struggling.
With her hands bound, Wang Ruoyu ordered her to be placed on the ground, with two men holding her feet and lifting her into the air before separating them. He himself knelt on the ground and began to grope her beautiful buttocks with both hands.
Getting carried away, he grabbed her buttocks and pulled her up, then slipped her vulva over his penis. He did it again, but still felt he hadn't recouped his investment, so he ordered her to be pushed up the city wall on a wooden donkey.
A short while later, he carried Yue'e to the courtyard, where the wooden donkey was already parked, but the grit-covered sheath on the wooden shaft was gone. Two constables grabbed Yue'e by the armpits, and two more by the knees, lifted her up, and led her towards the wooden donkey.
Liu Yue'e, seeing the enormous wooden shaft, was both ashamed and frightened. She cried out, twisting and struggling, but the constables ignored her. They lifted her onto the wooden donkey, and Wang Ruoyu spread her labia, aligned the opening with the shaft, and then lowered it. The shaft, seven inches long, protruded from the donkey's back and was fully inserted into its abdomen. Then he bound her legs, preventing further struggle.
Wang Ruoyu fondled her buttocks for a while longer before reluctantly letting the constables push the wooden donkey up the city wall.
That wooden donkey was truly a cruel instrument of torture. When the wooden pestle was thrust into Liu Yue'e's anus, the sensation was both numb and itchy, an indescribable pain. She couldn't bear it any longer and cried out repeatedly. Fearing ridicule, she cursed incessantly, all the way to the city walls.
Meanwhile, after Shan Biao finished speaking to Wang Ruoyu, Wang Ruoyu disappeared. It was unclear whether he had responded or not. Without a definite answer, and not daring to attack the city for fear that Wang Ruoyu would act rashly and harm Yue'e, Shan Biao paced anxiously in circles.
Liu Yue'e, Wang Dapeng's newlywed wife, was deeply in love and naturally even more anxious.
Around noon, a commotion arose on the city wall. Looking up, they saw Wang Ruoyu standing atop the wall, shouting, "Traitors, listen up! Liu Yue'e is a wanted criminal, and I've captured her to make an example of her. I am an official of the court, and I must prioritize the nation. How could I easily release a wanted criminal for two women? You've miscalculated. Liu Yue'e is here now, come and see!"
With that, constables pushed a wooden donkey against the wall. The donkey was enormous, and Liu Yue'e rode on it, her entire body protruding from the battlements.
Upon seeing Liu Yue'e naked and humiliated on the donkey, the three men cried out and fell to the ground.
Who fell? We'll find out in the next chapter.

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