Bloodline of God Part Twelve

After Shang Qiufeng led his men out of the valley, Drogba welcomed Mu Zhaoyun, Naji Wuyan, and others into the camp. He then summoned the remaining leaders and introduced them to Mu Zhaoyun and the others. These leaders knew that Drogba had gone to Wangye to pay respects to the Sixth Prince, and they were all very excited to see that the Sixth Prince had finally sent someone. However, they publicly claimed that Mu Zhaoyun's group was mercenaries hired from another prefecture.
Ming Shiyu was eighteen years old at the time. His father and Drogba were originally hunters in the Yujia Mountains. They joined a mountain stronghold together as bandits, and later broke away to establish their own independent stronghold. Ming Shiyu's father died in a battle between the strongholds, and Drogba, having no children of his own, treated Ming Shiyu as his own son.
The hunters' sons in the Yujia Mountains were all skilled archers, with Ming Shiyu being particularly adept. Drogba had few men worthy of praise, and introducing Ming Shiyu, he said, "...when he was eighteen, he once shot an arrow into a rock..."
Mu Zhaoyun was slightly moved upon hearing this. Ming Shiyu said somewhat shyly, "That was just an accident. I was with my companions in the Rixi Ridge when a feathered snake, hiding in the vines, suddenly attacked. In a moment of panic, I shot an arrow, hitting the snake and the arrow together in the rock. I haven't been able to shoot an arrow into a rock since..."
Mu Zhao Yun felt a pang of regret, lamenting that this unpolished gem hadn't been properly nurtured by a master. He pulled a scroll of parchment from his robes and handed it to Ming Shiyu, saying, "This archery manual was bestowed upon me by the Sixth Prince. I cannot give it to you. Take it out, copy it, and practice diligently. One day you will surely become a master archer." He then untied a longbow from its quiver. "This horn-shaped black gold bow isn't a famous one, but you should be able to use it..."
Ming Shiyu had never received such a generous gift before and stood there somewhat flustered.
Drogba said, "How can we allow General Mu to give his bow to Shiyu..."
"I'm not skilled in archery; a black-tipped bow will suffice." Mu Zhao Yun's journey across the desolate wilderness, coupled with the hurried pace, meant he couldn't carry too many supplies. He only selected two hundred black-tipped bows and two hundred light, sharp swords. Many of Drogba's men were hunters; with these two hundred black-tipped bows and two hundred swords, their strength would be significantly enhanced.
Drogba and Mu Zhaoyun had already witnessed Ming Shiyu's archery skills on their journey. His claim of being unskilled in archery was just talk. Seeing Ming Shiyu's eager gaze at the longbow, Drogba couldn't bear to refuse him. While the horn bow wasn't a famous one, it was at least worth fifty black-tipped bows, though it couldn't compare to the precious archery manual.
The hunters' sons of the Yujia Mountains were generally physically excellent, and many possessed extraordinary talent, but without a master's guidance, they couldn't cultivate advanced martial arts. Those who could rise above their station were as rare as phoenix feathers.
Drogba had originally intended to ask Mu Zhaoyun to instruct Ming Shiyu in martial arts, but unexpectedly, he brought out the incomparably precious archery manual for Ming Shiyu to copy. Didn't this imply that all the young men in the camp could learn the archery techniques in this manual?
The Sixth Prince, outwardly aloof, was actually quite generous.
Drogba was lost in thought, and finally had Ming Shiyu accept the archery manual and the horn bow.
Mu Zhaoyun asked Drogba, "You just said Shang Qiufeng would return the rations by noon tomorrow, was that just talk?"
Drogba swallowed hard, seeing the expectant looks on Ming Shiyu and his men's faces, as if they would spit on his face if he said no, he resolutely said, "Of course it wasn't just talk. If they withheld it the first time, they'll think about withholding it again..."
Volume 5: Chapter 5 (Part 2)
It was agreed that they would go to Shang Qiufeng's camp by noon tomorrow to retrieve the withheld rations, but before that, they needed enough power to deter Shang Qiufeng. Drogba publicly claimed that Mu Zhaoyun and his group were mercenaries he had hired from another prefecture, so they had no legitimate reason to intervene in the internal struggles of the bandit camp.
Drogba had more than 13,000 men, but very few could truly be called elite. Having managed his mountain stronghold for so many years, Drogba was naturally adept at military strategy, deeply understanding the benefits of organizing a limited elite force. The two thousand-strong central army battalion led by Ming Shiyu was the elite force within the main camp, and their loyalty was guaranteed. However, they were generally equipped with inferior weapons, and less than a third of them could wear leather armor, making their combat strength incomparable to the other three main camps.
Accompanied by Fang Jingchuan, Drogba visited the elite troops stationed in Wangye City, which greatly dampened his confidence. In terms of individual combat strength, his two thousand elite troops were only at the level of ragtag soldiers. Drawing a black-tipped bow required ninety jin of strength, and fewer than five hundred men could draw it ten times consecutively with the remaining strength. Those with even a rudimentary understanding of martial arts were even fewer.
Based on the criteria of being able to draw a black bow, having some martial arts skills, and having been on the battlefield, Drogba and Mu Zhaoyun barely selected five hundred men, two hundred of whom were archers and three hundred were swordsmen. Since the leather armor they collected was of various kinds, Drogba also had the five hundred men tie red silk or red cloth around their left arms as identification, making their military appearance quite impressive.
Drogba remarked with considerable emotion, "The Sixth Prince only seems to have eyes for these five hundred men."
Mu Zhaoyun smiled and said, "When I came here, the Sixth Prince instructed me not to let anyone in the main camp suffer any harm." He paused slightly before continuing, "You have mentioned the matter of streamlining the bandit camp to His Highness many times, and His Highness also intends to do so. However, it is inconvenient for him to directly interfere in the affairs within Su Gaiwen's jurisdiction. His Highness will also pay attention to the streamlined bandit camp, but he will pay even more attention to those who are dismissed. In Shangtang and Wangye cities, there were more than ten thousand people serving as laborers at the peak, but those who were first pardoned were the mountain people and hunters who were forced to join the mountain strongholds..."
"Oh..." The Sixth Prince led his people to take up his fief in Yujia, beginning the prelude to a vigorous campaign to wipe out the bandits in Yujia. A large number of bandits were captured by the Sixth Prince's private army and sent to Shangtang and Wangye cities to serve as forced laborers. The Sixth Prince had twice granted large-scale amnesties to those serving in these labor camps, granting them civilian status. However, there are still thousands of prisoners of war in the Wangye city labor camp. Drogba hadn't expected such a distinction.
"His Highness once told me that Yujia cannot always be a deserted county, and Yanyun cannot always be a deserted Yanyun. I think His Highness truly values those abandoned by the other three major camps, and His Highness values the general largely because of this."
"Ah," Drogba had an epiphany as if Mu Zhaoyun had pointed out the key to his understanding. He smiled. "I see. Drogba is slow-witted. I hope General Mu will remind Drogba from time to time."
Mu Zhaoyun smiled and said, "As long as you serve His Highness loyally, you won't make any big mistakes."
After half a day of reorganization, the five hundred-man team looked more like an elite force, and Ming Shiyu was still the commander of this elite force. The following day at noon, when Shang Qiufeng failed to return the withheld provisions, Drogba and Ming Shiyu led a force of five hundred men to blockade the entrance to Shang Qiufeng's main camp. Mu Zhaoyun and Naji Wuyan led Naji family warriors to patrol the nearby wilderness, ready to quickly reinforce Drogba if a conflict arose with Shang Qiufeng. The leaders remaining at the main camp were also prepared for a large-scale conflict.
The arrival of Mu Zhaoyun and a hundred Naji warriors made Shang Qiufeng wary. Drogba and his men had returned from the depths of the Yan Yun wilderness, not from the direction of Yu Jia City. The claim that they were mercenaries hired from another prefecture was merely an excuse; as long as there was even the slightest connection with that person, Shang Qiufeng dared not act rashly.
Shang Qiufeng invited the leaders of the other two factions, intending to use Drogba's involvement in bringing outsiders into the bandit camp as leverage. Drogba then publicly announced his plan to leave the area, indicating his lack of intention to intervene in the conflict between the Shang Qiufeng family and the border defense forces. He even offered to hand over the seal of the garrison general to the three families for joint control.
The border defense forces provided the bandit camp with supplies, which was their Achilles' heel. Unless the bandit camp could seize control of Yujia City, a successful mutiny was impossible. Of course, external factors could complicate matters. Drogba's northward migration was intended to avoid potential future unrest.
Seeing that Drogba intended to lead his troops north, Shang Qiufeng knew that the north lay the desolate Yan-Yun wilderness. The only way to contact the outside world was through the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chu-Bu River. In this way, Drogba's force, which should be considered an uncertain factor, would not become an obstacle. Moreover, controlling Drogba's supply lines was equivalent to controlling their life and death, which was exactly what Shang Qiufeng wanted. He immediately agreed to return the rations that had been withheld from Drogba's troops and also made an agreement with two other forces to increase the rations for Drogba's troops by 20%.
The iron mine was over two hundred li away. Even with intact roads, the losses along the way would exceed twenty percent. However, Drogba had no expectations; this outcome was naturally the best.
Next, Drogba, Mu Zhaoyun, and others began the northward migration. The Yan Yun wilderness was perpetually short of water and received very little rainfall. Although the abandoned roads were almost impassable, they were easy to clear. Drogba's force numbered 30,000, including children and family. They had no shortage of manpower, but many had been in a state of semi-starvation for months, their bodies weakened. Their energy expenditure increased dramatically with movement, further exacerbating the shortage of provisions in the camp.
Drogba and Mu Zhaoyun divided the 30,000 men into three groups: one hundred Naji family warriors, five hundred elite soldiers from the central army, and two hundred elite soldiers who had entered the iron mine earlier. These eight hundred men would serve as the main force for defense and hunting, consuming several times more energy than ordinary people each day. All the limited amount of refined grains would be given to them, supplemented with meat.
Three thousand strong and healthy men were selected to serve as laborers for repairing roads and building new camps. They had to be guaranteed sufficient energy each day, and although the diet consisted of coarse grains, they were to be well-fed at every meal, with a small amount of meat.
The others were only guaranteed their daily necessities.
In addition, Mu Zhaoyun selected nearly a thousand youths from the main camp to serve as reserve forces for garrisoning the main camp. Several Naji family warriors were assigned to them to teach them martial arts and archery.
Naji Wuyan led the Naji family warriors to escort one thousand laborers to the iron mine to build a new camp. They would also repair the abandoned road from the other end simultaneously. Naji Wuyan and the Naji family warriors remained at the iron mine to hunt as many wild animals as possible with the two hundred elite troops who had arrived earlier under Drogba's command, preparing ample food for the large-scale migration. While Mu Zhaoyun remained at the main camp, he worked with Drogba to prepare for the large-scale migration and also closely monitored the movements of the other three forces within the bandit camp.
By this time, other forces had already intervened in the bandit camp. Shang Qiufeng's troops were quite well-equipped. Mu Zhaoyun was surprised to see that Shang Qiufeng's men were wearing rhinoceros-hide armor and possessed excellent weapons such as swords, bows, and arrows. Only Su Gaiwen's direct subordinates in the Yujia Border Defense Command had such sophisticated equipment. According to Drogba's understanding, Shang Qiufeng had resumed his bandit business on the northern slope of Yujia Mountain in the past two months, which was why he suddenly changed to such advanced equipment.
It seemed that he had made his fortune on the northern slope of Yujia Mountain, but it appeared that someone was secretly supplying Shang Qiufeng with supplies through this incident, as no one would transport weapons and equipment to the Black Gravel Plain.
Mu Zhaoyun quickly and secretly reported what he had witnessed in the bandit camp and his various speculations to the Prince's Mansion, hoping to use this method to have the Wu family's caravan transport a batch of supplies to the bandit camp. Su Mingyan read Mu Zhaoyun's secret report, smiled slightly, and muttered to himself, "That's how it should be."
When he returned to Wangye City, he spread the word that he would not concern himself with affairs west of Yujia City. The bandit forces, which had disappeared from Yujia for several months, quickly resurfaced on the northern slope of Yujia Mountain. Several forces belonging to the bandit camp openly intercepted goods destined for Black Gravel Plain.
Past experience showed that when bandit forces began to rise in a region, trade routes would be disrupted. Perhaps only after the prefectural government dispatched troops to suppress them, or perhaps large merchant caravans secretly negotiated terms with the bandits, could trade routes be restored. Often, large forces colluded with bandits, and some even acted as bandits themselves, simply to monopolize a trade route and reap huge profits.
It seemed that several merchant guilds were ignoring the fact that the route on the northern slope of Yujia Mountain was blocked by bandits and continued to send caravans along this route. Su Mingyan was having his men investigate the backgrounds of these merchant guilds. Although there were no results yet, it was certain that someone who didn't want Yujia to be too quiet was behind it all.
Su Mingyan smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "Su Gaiwen thinks he has control over all the supplies of the bandit camp. Once the bandit camp is ready, he'll be in for a big surprise."
"What surprise?" Qingling had just stepped into the inner room when she heard Su Mingyan staring at a secret document and talking to himself.
"Oh," Su Mingyan looked up at Qingling's charming face and said, "Nothing. Your second uncle brought your clan's wedding gifts this time. Did you go see them?"
"The wedding gifts for His Highness and Miss Ruolan's wedding? Why would I bother looking at them?"
Lu Hu not only brought wedding gifts for Su Mingyan's wedding but also Lu Xiaozhe's exciting decision: the Lu clan decided to lead the blasphemous people out of the Black Gravel Plain.
However, the Lu clan had already lost its leadership position in the Black Gravel Plain. But Su Mingyan believed that with the road on the north slope of Yujia Mountain blocked and the road at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge open, the Lu clan, with its own strength, would quickly regain its leadership position in the Black Gravel Plain.
Volume 5: Chapter 6 (Part 1)
Since the Lu clan had decided to lead their blasphemous people out of the Black Gravel Plains, the Tiandu Mountain Gorge was their first step. The initial plan of a transit point for trade, capable of holding only a hundred or so people, was far from sufficient. The Lu clan decided to build
a city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. Before building the city, they needed to solve the water problem. Drawing water from the main peak of the eastern foothills of Tiandu Mountain would require as much effort as building a city.
After losing their leadership position in the Black Gravel Plains, the Lu clan had fewer than two thousand adult men and women left. They had many tasks to complete. Simply organizing large-scale cargo transport into the Black Gravel Plains and acquiring high-grade foundry ore for Su Mingyan required a significant manpower. Furthermore, they needed to rebuild their prestige and regain leadership in the Black Gravel Plains, leaving them with insufficient manpower to build a city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge.
At this time, the Tiandu Mountain Gorge only had five hundred laborers escorted by Zang Jin. Drogba's northward migration conveniently solved the Lu clan's manpower shortage problem. The first four thousand men of Drogba's army to reach the iron mine did not linger, continuing their journey across the desolate Yan Yun Wilderness to the Tian Du Mountain Gorge.
The blasphemous people of the Black Gravel Plains were likely the most formidable hunting tribe in the Central Plains, managing to survive even in the harsh environment of the Black Gravel Plains. The Tielu Clan sent an additional two hundred elite warriors to the Tian Du Mountain Gorge for hunting and garrisoning.
This solved the manpower shortage for building the city at the Tian Du Mountain Gorge and alleviated the food pressure on the iron mine.
Now, they controlled both routes in and out of the Yan Yun Wilderness. Su Mingyan believed that it was difficult for outsiders to obtain accurate information; even the generals of the bandit camps, such as Shang Qiufeng, only believed that Drogba's troops were at the abandoned iron mine more than two hundred miles away. The
Black Gravel Plains were rich in high-grade foundry ore, with mithril production accounting for almost a third of the Central Plains, but lacked the most common iron ore. In the Black Gravel Plains, ironware was as precious as medicine. Tea, tobacco, salt, and cotton cloth were also essential supplies that the Black Gravel Plains had to purchase from outside.
Compared to grain, the demand for ironware, medicine, tea, and salt was less than 10%. Although there were no roads through the Yan Yun Wilderness, several shipments of urgently needed supplies for the Black Gravel Plains and the construction of the city at the Tian Du Mountain Gorge could still be forcibly transported before spring arrived and the soil softened. In
the early spring of 423 AD, the Emperor's personal envoy, carrying the marriage certificate, had already embarked on his journey to Yu Jia. Taking advantage of the free time before the envoy's arrival, Su Mingyan once again entered the heart of the Yan Yun Wilderness.
To maintain secrecy to the greatest extent possible, Su Mingyan appointed Cang Jin and Mu Zhaoyun to be in charge of the affairs of the Tian Du Mountain Gorge and the iron mine. He also required them to report directly to him, utilizing the wide hunting grounds of the warriors. At the same time, he also blocked outside infiltration into these two regions. The iron mine was one thing, but the Lu family's construction of a city at the Tian Du Mountain Gorge was a shocking event.
The personnel from these two locations will not be transferred back to Wangye City in the near future. Su Mingyan will use Lu Clan warriors to maintain communication between Tiandu Mountain Gorge and Wangye City; Lu Hu accompanied Su Mingyan into the heart of Yanyun this time.
Jiang Caili, You Xi, Bai Shu, and others were quite puzzled by the Lu Clan's sudden and unreserved cooperation, but Su Mingyan, to mislead Wu Misheng and Mo Jiebocen, prevented them from directly interfering in the affairs of the Yanyun heartland. Of course, after Su Mingyan transferred a large number of personnel into the Yanyun heartland, the affairs of Wangye and Shangtang cities would keep them busy enough, with the wedding imminent. They also needed to secretly acquire large quantities of high-grade casting materials from various countries in the Central Plains.
Led by Mu Zhaoyun, Naji Wuyan, and Ming Shiyu, Drogba's troops and Naji's warriors nearly wiped out all the wild beasts near the iron mine. The more than 25,000 people were no longer crammed into the small iron mine; instead, simple dwellings began to appear scattered across the mountains near the mine.
Due to water scarcity, Drogba and Mu Zhaoyun planned to repair the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River and then send a portion of the people to continue migrating north. Before sufficient water for farming, they would survive solely through nomadic herding and hunting. A typical settlement could only sustain around a thousand people, but first, they needed to ensure the absence of powerful wild beasts threatening the tribe's survival. This
contrasted with the bandits of Yujia County. The wild beasts of the Yan Yun Wasteland are the real headache. From Wangye City to the Tiandu Mountain Gorge, and from the Tiandu Mountain Pass to the scrap iron mine, Su Mingyan deployed almost all the forces of the Imperial Guard and the Qianhe Warriors, and also mobilized a portion of the Yitian Guard, in addition to 250 elite warriors from the Lu Clan.
Su Mingyan will not use the Wangye Garrison at this time, not only to prevent the Wu Clan and the Mojie Clan from infiltrating the heart of Yan Yun too early, but also because he does not want the Wangye Garrison to use this opportunity to improve its strength.
Even though it cannot be compared with the Black Gravel Plains, the environment of the Yan Yun Wasteland is quite harsh, with ferocious beasts and birds of prey everywhere. Ordinary people simply cannot survive in the wasteland, but for warriors of the third rank and above, it is an excellent training ground for honing their martial arts skills.
Lu Xiaozhe's decision was quite thorough. Perhaps because of Qingling, Lu Xiaozhe had considerable confidence in the relationship between the Lu Clan and the Yujia Prince's Mansion. Lu Xiaozhe revealed some of the unique advanced martial arts techniques of the Black Gravel Plains to Su Mingyan.
For ordinary people, breaking through to the Earth Rank is a rare and unattainable event, but the large number of elite warriors of the Lu Clan was something Su Mingyan greatly envied. Although the Lu Clan was small, with fewer than 500 adult warriors, the vast majority were experts of the fourth rank or above, with as many as 100 elite fifth-rank warriors, and 16 or 17 sixth-rank warriors, including Lu Qingye and Lu Shuangcheng. However, the smelting, forging, and weapon-making levels in the Black Gravel Plains were quite backward. Even the arrows in Lu Qingye's quiver were made from ground animal bones. Although the Black Gravel Plains were rich in high-grade casting ores, they lacked ordinary iron ore, and a considerable number of Lu Clan warriors still used bone spears.
If the Lu Clan warriors were equipped with the superior equipment of the Imperial Guard and the Thousand He Warriors, what terrifying combat power they would possess!
Even Bo Xun could not ignore the existence of the Lu Clan.
Su Mingyan once again entered the heart of Yanyun, also to meet with Bo Xun.
Bo Xun, seeing that the high-ranking warriors beside Lu Hu were equipped with extremely advanced gear, drew attention and said to Su Mingyan with a smile, "Isn't Minghe afraid that the Lu family will turn the tables?"
Lu Hu was quite displeased with Bo Xun's blatant provocation, his face darkening as he remained silent. Su Mingyan smiled slightly and said, "I consider the Lu family my friend. Who in the world is afraid of a friend being stronger than themselves?"
The Lu family's martial prowess was indeed strong, but Su Mingyan hoped that the Lu family would become his vanguard in counterbalancing the Mojie and Wu families, thus requiring the Lu family to become even stronger. Does Su Mingyan truly trust the Lu family? That's debatable. He knows the Lu family is currently unable to leave him. As for the future… if his true identity is revealed, those around him might rush to leave. Why would he need to worry about the Lu family?
Su Mingyan's words, however, delighted Lu Hu. Su Mingyan's support for the Lu family was unwavering; he had given them almost all the finest equipment from the Prince's treasury, fully supporting their construction of a city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. Once the castle at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge was completed, the Lu family would have a foothold in the Yan Yun Wilderness. How could such trust not move the Lu family
? Although Bo Xun was unaware of the deceit and treachery in ordinary society, Su Mingyan's magnanimity impressed him greatly. This led him to decide to rely more on Su Mingyan's secular influence in the Xi people's succession war.
Mu Zhaoyun watched the conversation between His Highness and the two guests from Black Gravel Plain on the high ground. Only Mu Zhaoyun, Naji Wuyan, Drogba, and Ming Shiyu knew Lu Hu's identity here. As for Bo Xun's identity, within Su Mingyan's faction, only Su Mingyan himself and Qing Ling knew it.
When Mu Zhaoyun first arrived at the bandit camp, he selected nearly a thousand youths from Drogba's troops and sent them to be taught martial arts. Su Mingyan regarded them as a reserve force and naturally attached great importance to them. This trip to the iron mine was to see how to settle these youths.
Drogba knew that the martial prowess of his own troops was far from what His Highness valued; only these thousand youths possessed unlimited potential. The prime time for ordinary people to cultivate martial arts and build a foundation is only a few years, and Drogba hoped that those with talent could enter the Miro Temple in Wangye City to cultivate martial arts as soon as possible.
After several days of careful selection by Lu Hu, Naji Wuyan, and others, a total of one hundred boys under the age of eighteen were chosen. The Miro Temple in Wangye City would teach them martial arts, and the Maha Academy would teach them the five elements of magic. However, the temple and academy were established entirely by Wu Misheng, and the elders, ascetics, instructors, and even servants within were all from the Wu clan or even the Mojie clan. How could Su Mingyan agree to send these boys to the temple and academy, allowing the Wu and Mojie clans to exert influence over them?
Su Mingyan's purpose in having Lu Hu accompany him to the iron mine wasn't merely to have him select qualified boys, but to have Lu Hu teach these boys on his behalf.
When Su Mingyan explained his intentions, Lu Hu was somewhat incredulous at his trust and generosity.
Lu Hu had also learned of Su Mingyan's plan to expand into the heart of Yan Yun these past few days. Drogba's 30,000 troops would be the initial inhabitants of the Yan Yun wilderness, and the hundred youths selected from among them would undoubtedly become their elite. With the Lu family teaching these youths martial arts, the Lu family would wield absolute influence among them.
Bo Xun glanced sideways; balancing the strength of one's followers was a highly skilled art. The Lu family's strength was too great; it would be difficult for them not to turn against their master later. There was never any one-sided loyalty in the world.
Naji Wuyan, however, was extremely envious. He was the chief warrior of the Naji family, and all the Naji family's warriors had been trained by him. He knew the aptitude of these youths; with a few years of training, they would be of great use. However, he had witnessed the strength of Lu Hu and his warriors. The Black Gravel Plains indeed had its unique methods for training high-level warriors, and the Naji family lacked the strength to compete for this important task.
Su Mingyan instructed Naji Wuyan to select those with better aptitude from the remaining youths for focused training. This was an unexpected boon for the Naji family, demonstrating that His Highness had not neglected them because of the Princess.
Volume 5: Chapter 6 (Part 2)
Su Mingyan stared at the divine talisman stone between his fingers. The extremely thin stone was only the size of a normal person's little fingertip, with a character engraved in the center that was even more ancient than the ancient shell inscriptions. It resembled a blazing flame, and the stone was filled with energy from another world. Su Mingyan felt the flames burning his fingers.
"This is an Ice Talisman..." Bo Xun picked out another talisman from the pile and handed it to Su Mingyan. "Only weak mortals don't trust their own power. Based on my understanding of the mortal world, this pile of talisman stones should be quite valuable."
Su Mingyan smiled slightly and said, "It's truly a fine item. The ancients' understanding of otherworldly energy is indeed astonishing. But the fire power that this Flame Talisman can unleash..." Su Mingyan slightly raised his left palm, and a dark purple flame appeared. "It's still better than the most basic fire talisman technique. Brother Bo, keep it for yourself."
The Mind Flame Arrow that Su Mingyan had comprehended actually used the power of the Adonai Divine Realm to temper elemental fire, which was already considered a Heaven-Rank secret technique. Even the flame condensed using fire talisman techniques was close to pure chaotic fire.
Bo Xun hadn't actually taken out any high-level talisman stones, and upon hearing Su Mingyan's words, his old face couldn't help but blush slightly.
The pure ice and fire power unleashed by high-grade divine rune stones would inevitably harm even a Xiren warrior. Avoiding Su Mingyan's gaze, Bo Xun said guiltily, "Even higher-grade divine rune stones are not easy to obtain..."
"Indeed, Chief Naga wouldn't care whether these little things are missing or not," the Xi people considered them trash. However, in the ordinary world, these items held considerable value. The Flame Divine Talisman in Su Mingyan's hand, when embedded into a weapon in a specific way, unleashed fire damage equivalent to a second-tier fireball spell. Xi people warriors with awakened talents and Heavenly Rank experts naturally wouldn't fear this fire damage; it might only burn a corner of their clothing. But for ordinary third or fourth-tier martial artists, being caught off guard and directly hit by a fireball spell would be enough to lose half their lives. A sword inlaid with a divine rune of fire would be a coveted weapon in the Central Continent. Su Mingyan casually tossed the rune stones piled on the rocks, saying indifferently, "After all, it's something that violates the Church's prohibitions, so it's difficult to sell. If it were truly a good thing, there would probably be many more people daring to defy the Church's prohibitions. It's alright, the progress in acquiring high-grade forging ores is slow, no rush. Besides, when the Holy See confiscated the Twelve Temples, they probably wouldn't have been willing to destroy all these evil things, the power of another world. Speaking of evil, it's all good stuff."
“Evil,” Bo Xun sneered. “The five great gods, including Adona, transformed their divine bodies into divine domains. The energy of these domains comes from the pure souls of the gods. This is comparable to the power of the Star God. The otherworldly power that high-level divine rune stones can unleash can even harm our warriors. The elemental power that the later descended god Maha used to create the five-elemental magic is merely a small portion of the energy that overflowed from the divine domain into the material world…”
Su Mingyan was unaware of this. The Bright Star Temple of Benlei Plains was unaffected by the prohibition and had been passed down through generations. Bo Xun naturally knew more about the so-called heretical doctrines than he did.
“So that’s how it is. This Slowing Talisman, this Aging Talisman, activates the power of the Adonai Divine Realm.”
Bo Xun nodded and said, “Minghe is quite knowledgeable about so-called cults. Adonai is a great god who can control the order of time. Natural sects worship Adonai. These talisman stones are left behind by the followers of Adonai. Even Xiren warriors cannot escape the punishment of the order of time. These talismans are the best I can offer.”
Su Mingyan naturally did not believe Bo Xun’s words. Even if Bo Xun had something that posed a great threat to Xiren warriors, he probably wouldn’t offer it. He could cast more than a dozen Slowing spells in the blink of an eye. He just didn’t know how many Slowing spells a Xiren warrior would need to cast for it to take effect.
Su Mingyan put hundreds of talisman stones into his leather pouch that held grass seeds, tied it around his waist like a pouch holding gold coins, and stood up. He looked at the empty fields. Lu Qingye led more than a dozen Luren warriors to guard the outer perimeter. Su Mingyan stood there lost in thought for a while before turning to Bo Xun and saying, "It's best not to air our dirty laundry in public, so I won't invite you to the wedding ceremony, Brother Bo. If you have a gift, feel free to give it to me here."
Bo Xun shook his head and smiled bitterly. Perhaps others would have shown some respect for his status as a Xi Ren, but this man before him was also a king among mortals, possessing immense power in the secular world, and occasionally displaying a rogue-like demeanor. Seeing that Su Mingyan directly asked for a gift, Bo Xun reluctantly took off a ring from his left hand and handed it to Su Mingyan, saying, "This Guardian Ring is also the evil object that Minghe mentioned. I don't know if it's suitable as a gift."
"Brother Bo, you don't possess any mortal items," Su Mingyan eagerly accepted the Guardian Ring. The ring emitted a gentle power, but Su Mingyan didn't know how to use it, his eyes still looking expectantly at Bo Xun.
Bo Xun smiled without speaking, then suddenly thrust his left hand out like a spear. Su Mingyan was startled and was about to raise his arms to block when the Guardian Ring emitted a soft yet substantial light barrier, enveloping Su Mingyan's entire body. "
Truly a good thing," Su Mingyan instantly assessed the barrier's protective power; it could definitely withstand a full-force attack from a fifth-tier warrior. He was reluctant to sell it, but since it was a wedding gift, he decided to keep it as compensation for marrying a wicked woman. However, it wasn't very useful to him, and Su Mingyan hesitated between giving the Guardian Ring to Cai'er or Qingling. While hesitating, his eyes kept lingering on Bo Xun, making Bo Xun feel uneasy.
Lu Qingye, leading a dozen Lu Clan warriors guarding the distance, was drawn to this small incident. Seeing Bo Xun's pained expression, she shook her head slightly, wondering what trouble the Sixth Prince had given this Xi Clan heir.
"The Mahayana Orthodox Church expelled the Twelve Temples, the Naturalist Sect, and other heretics, but only the Temple of Light and Stars and the Temple of Miluo were pardoned. I imagine the Temple of Light and Stars still has many valuable items that the Xi people don't need..."
Bo Xun said with a wry smile, "After the Xi people awaken their innate talents, they can transform into human form, but their strength decreases, inevitably requiring them to rely on external things. Minghe wouldn't strip me naked and take me back to Benlei Plain, would she?" Seeing the undiminished greed in Su Mingyan's eyes, he panicked and hurriedly said, "I saw something interesting in the area north of Jinwei Mountain. I wonder if Minghe would be interested in knowing about it?"
Su Mingyan knew Bo Xun was beating around the bush, but the area north of Jinwei Mountain was the territory of the Bega Empire. Bo Xun's serious mention of it at this moment probably meant it wasn't trivial news. Su Mingyan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Bo, what interesting thing did you see?"
"Minghe, do you know there's also a route of expulsion in Jinwei Mountain?"
Su Mingyan nodded and said, "The Bega people used that route to cross the steep mountains on the eastern slope of Jinwei Mountain to reach the ice plains, which were then considered the far north. The Bega Empire and Qinglan have several passages in the eastern region. This route of expulsion has long been abandoned. Brother Bo, why did you suddenly mention something..." "
Minghe, you should have guessed what I'm going to say. Don't you have so many Lougara warriors under your command? Why don't you go and scout this area? You might discover something interesting."
Su Mingyan's expression changed slightly, and he asked almost incredulously, "The Bega people want to rebuild the route of expulsion?"
Bo Xun smiled without answering. Su Mingyan wanted to strangle him. The eastern slope of Jinwei Mountain was a vast desert, stretching from the ice plains in the north all the way to the north bank of the Yiyun River. Crossing the Yiyun River led to the northeastern pass of the Yanyun Wasteland. The Bega people rebuilding the route of expulsion, whether they were invading Qinglan along the Xinyun River to the east or crossing the Yiyun River to enter Yanyun and gain a foothold, was not good news for Su Mingyan.
Su Mingyan couldn't understand why the Bega people were taking action on the road to expulsion. Did the Bega people believe the time was ripe to invade Qinglan? Of course, the Bega had always claimed to want to return to their eastern homeland, while the Qinglan Imperial Family had always been a traitor who had usurped that land.
The Qinglan Empire was initially just a small country in the upper reaches of the Yiyun River, but by expanding downstream along the river, during the reign of Emperor Tan Naliu, Qinglan's power had become quite strong. They accelerated their expansion, occupying the entire Yiyun River region in just over a decade, and then sweeping across the central plains.
The Qinglan Imperial Family's support for the Papacy's expulsion of heretics was primarily a political necessity. At that time, the Twelve Temples and most other religious sects were opposed to Qinglan's aggression. To strengthen its imperial control, the Qinglan Empire supported the Papacy's expulsion of the Twelve Temples and other religious sects that had the power to overthrow it, thus creating the Maha Orthodox Church as the sole dominant religion.
Bo Xun did not reveal the specific actions of the Bega people on the route of expulsion. Su Mingyan, unable to sit still at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge, quickly dealt with his affairs and, escorted by Lu Qingye and Lu clan warriors, returned to Wangye City.
In truth, it was unlikely that any activity by the Bega people on the route of expulsion would escape Qinglan's notice. At the source of the route, the Yiyun River makes a bend, forming the Hequ Plain, the most fertile land in the western part of the empire. Although Hequ County was small, and the route of expulsion had been abandoned for many years, the empire had deployed a large army there, both to guard against the Bega incursions from there and to prevent the Xi people from leaving the Yanyun Wilderness.
Since Bo Xun had mentioned it so seriously, Su Mingyan dared not be careless. The western part of the empire had been peaceful for many years, and although a large army had been deployed, the extent of its remaining fighting strength was still questionable. In particular, the empire's generals almost universally held positions without actual personnel, making the situation in Hequ County far more severe than imagined.
Volume 5: Chapter 6 (Part 2)
The day after Su Mingyan returned to Wangye City, Ye Mingchen accompanied the marriage envoy Zhong Lanhui to Wangye City. Zhong Lanhui was from a prominent family in Hedong, and had risen through the ranks to become the Assistant Minister of the Mirror Observation Bureau. He was tall and thin, with a fair complexion and no beard. The Mirror Observation Bureau's remonstrance officials restrained the conduct of all officials; though their positions were low, they wielded great power. Su Mingyan couldn't understand why Tan Na Xiling had chosen a remonstrance official as the marriage envoy. Could it be that his behavior in Yujia had aroused the capital's suspicion?
The people of the Prince's Mansion were somewhat uneasy. Su Mingyan transferred the Imperial Guard, the Yitian Guard, and the Qianhe Warriors away from Zhong Lanhui's spies to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion. He also suspended the delivery of supplies to the heart of the Yan Yun Wilderness.
The Qinglan Imperial System prohibited private relations between royalty and ministers. The convoy that accompanied Zhong Lanhui westward carried almost nothing but the items bestowed by the Emperor, thwarting Su Mingyan's desire to profit from the wedding. However, officials and nobles from Yu Jia and the southern prefectures of Xiutu County, knowing of Prince Yu Jia's reputation, had already sent congratulatory gifts.
Due to various concerns, the acquisition of high-grade casting ore progressed slowly. After a month and a half, the Prince's Mansion's treasury only had enough materials to forge a single spear used by the Xi people.
Su Mingyan selected a dozen or so high-grade divine talisman stones and gave the remaining nearly one hundred to Jiang Caili to handle. The Divine Stones were items from before the collapse of the Twelve Temples system. The Mahayana Orthodox Church expelled other sects, and the technique for creating Divine Stones was lost. Extremely rare and precious, these stones are also forbidden by the Church and are known as Secret Stones. At most, a dozen or so Secret Stones are traded through merchants in the Central Continent each year, and their quality is generally mediocre. Su Mingyan's sudden appearance of nearly a hundred perfect-quality Secret Stones startled Jiang Caili.
Besides the Holy See, only the Starry Light Temple on the Thunderclap Plains would possess so many Secret Stones.
The Xi people have never lacked divine weapons; why would they acquire such a large quantity of high-grade forging ores? With this question in mind, Jiang Caili couldn't help but directly question Su Mingyan about this matter. Reaching the courtyard where Su Mingyan and his concubine resided, Jiang Caili suddenly thought of the Xi people's succession war. Standing outside the gate, a gust of wind made her realize that a cold sweat had broken out on her back.
Jiang Caili stared at the low stone steps, unsure whether to step inside or turn away—a truth that made it difficult to relax. If possible, Jiang Caili would rather have never guessed. Just then, Su Mingyan came out of the courtyard and saw Jiang Caili pacing outside the gate. He came over, took Jiang Caili's hand, and asked, "Why are you pacing back and forth at the gate? Is there something you need to see me about?"
"His Highness entrusted me with the disposal of nearly a hundred secret stones. I've thought long and hard, but I haven't found a proper solution. I came to discuss it with His Highness," Jiang Caili said, as Su Mingyan pulled him inside. The entire Prince's mansion was an independent castle, with official residences, buildings, military camps, workshops, and a square. Su Mingyan's residence, however, was quite simple, not even on the scale of a palace. The grand wedding was being prepared intensively. People were moving around in the garden, and Jiang Caili hadn't found an opportunity to speak.
“The Bo Xun who accompanied the Lu family to Wangye City last time was actually the son of Naga, the chieftain of the Xi Clan…” Su Mingyan stood with his hands in his sleeves, his eyes fixed on a clump of green bamboo outside the courtyard. He knew that Jiang Caili should be able to tell who was asking him to acquire a large quantity of high-grade casting ore.
“Your Highness intends to participate in the Xi Clan’s war for succession.”
“Oh,” Su Mingyan turned around, “People turn pale at the mention of the Xi people, thinking they are invincible demons and monsters. When the Qinglan Ancestral Emperor swept across the Central Plains, two hundred Xi Clan warriors served as the vanguard. If the Ancestral Emperor could use Xi people in his army, why should you be so panicked now?”
“When Emperor Liu established his empire, the country was at its peak, and there was a balance of power between the Holy See and the Xi Clan. If Your Highness wishes to use the Xi people, you must have a foolproof plan.”
“Not yet,” Su Mingyan readily admitted. “The Xi Clan at this time is not the same as the Xi Clan before Qinglan was founded. There are only a little over two hundred Xi Clan warriors on Benlei Plain. The succession war will definitely weaken them. Even if Bo Xun is defeated in the succession war, Naga will not be able to conquer us. He will have to face the next challenger. Moreover, the Lu Clan has also decided to participate. I have already allowed the Lu Clan to build a city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge…” Supplies transported to the heart of Yanyun all have to go through Jiang Caili’s hands. Su Mingyan said that the Lu Clan was building a city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. He was not too surprised. Some things were hard to keep to himself. He swallowed and said, “Your Highness, this time when you enter Yanyun, will you use the Lu Clan…” "Was the warrior guard too trusting of the Lu family…?"
Su Mingyan had kept the matters concerning the Xi Clan and the Lu family a secret from Jiang Caili, You Xi, and the others, which ultimately made them feel alienated. Su Mingyan also felt a little guilty, saying, "I was always worried that before our power was fully established, the people in the capital would become suspicious, which is why I entrusted the task of contacting the Tian Du Mountain Gorge to the Lu family. Besides, the news of their participation in the Xi Clan's succession war was too shocking. The Lu family wanted to leave the Black Gravel Plain, and they had no choice but to take this risk. But what about the Wu Clan and the Naji Clan? I'm afraid they would back down if they knew the truth. So I wanted to keep it from them for the time being, not from you."
Hearing this, Jiang Caili felt somewhat relieved.
"Drogba's forces will eventually relocate from the bandit camp and form dozens of tribes of a thousand people each, hunting and herding in the area around the scrap iron mine and the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. The manpower needed to build the city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge will be conscripted from among them. In addition, I also allow the Lu and Naji clans to cultivate their own power among them. Of course, these matters should not be known to the Wu clan for the time being."
Jiang Caili nodded. The Wu clan is a large clan of lower rank, with thousands of members bearing the surname Wu alone, in addition to a large number of collateral branches. The Wu clan's influence has been allowed to infiltrate every corner of Wangye City, and there is no family within the territory that can counterbalance the Wu clan. His Highness may eventually become a puppet of the Wu clan.
This was the first time Su Mingyan had revealed his wariness of the Wu clan to someone else, partly to test Jiang Caili. His eyes were fixed on Jiang Caili, and seeing no unusual expression, he continued, “You and Youxi have been by my side for several years. Since you can only temporarily settle in Yanyun, you should establish your clan there. Although you are all only of the lowest rank, I will not restrict the size of your fiefdoms or clans. Twenty warriors will be selected from the Imperial Guard and the Yitian Guard to join your families, and an additional two hundred thousand silver coins will be allocated.”
“This subordinate dares not be distracted by personal matters, and besides, Wangye’s manpower and financial resources are quite limited. Having everyone establish their own clans now might only divert Your Highness’s attention. Let’s wait a little longer…”
“No,” Su Mingyan said firmly, “My power comes from my followers. If they haven’t established a foothold in Yanyun, how can I stand firm in Yanyun?” Although he didn’t reveal Bo Xun’s identity to everyone, Su Mingyan thought that Wu Misheng should also have some doubts. Participating in the Xi Clan’s succession war would not be extremely risky, but it would also make the Wu Clan and Mojie Clan more cautious, so that they would not rush to expand their power outside Wangye City.
Jiang Caili, You Xi, Bai Shu, Fang Jingchuan, Neruda, Sheng Huaicheng, Luo Simian and others were the first to establish their clans. They also allowed Drogba to secretly establish a clan in the heart of Yanyun. Each of them was given 200,000 silver coins, 20 warriors, 100 clan leaders, and 100 laborers. They were allowed to find water sources along the line from Wangye City to Tiandu Pass as their fiefdoms.
At this time, Su Mingyan was only a Prince, without the power to enfeoff his followers. Jiang Caili, You Xi, and others, however, took it for granted. Ye Mingchen was both apprehensive and envious. He knew that His Highness's decision to establish a separatist regime was unshakeable, but he envied the rewards Jiang Caili and You Xi had received. Two hundred thousand silver coins were nothing, but twenty warriors of the third rank or above, one hundred households of tribes separated from Drogba, and one hundred laborers were truly enviable.
Fang Jingchuan, Bai Shu, and others believed that His Highness was using the wedding as an opportunity to reward those who had followed him and made contributions. Wu Misheng, however, knew that Su Mingyan truly wanted to develop a force that could rival the Wu clan, which gave him a reason for Su Mingyan's large-scale supply shipments to the heart of Yanyun.
With only the financial support of the Prince's Mansion, it would take Jiang Caili, You Xi, Bai Shu, and others at least a hundred years to develop into a powerful family capable of rivaling the Wu clan in the desolate Yanyun region. Moreover, the establishment of clans by Jiang Caili, Youxi, Baishu, and others would only disperse the power under Su Mingyan's control. After several transfers, the size of the Imperial Guard Camp had decreased to three hundred men, and the size of the Yitian Guard Camp had decreased to five hundred men, further exacerbating the financial crisis of the Prince's Mansion.
Wu Misheng was even more worried about Su Mingyan's cooperation with Benlei Plain. Wu Misheng wrote a report to Mojie Bocen about Su Mingyan's unusual behavior during this period, and his guess was confirmed by Mojie Bocen. The source of such a huge amount of high-grade casting ore was most likely Benlei Plain. Only the weaker side in the War of Succession would need such a huge amount of high-grade casting ore to forge the weapons used by the Xiren warriors.
Bo Xun, who came to Wangye last time, is the challenger of the Xi Clan this time, right? Bo Xun was defeated in the succession war, and Su Mingyan will inevitably suffer retaliation from the Naga. Wu Misheng smiled coldly, thinking: You have gone to great lengths to develop your power in the heart of Yanyun, but once you are attacked by the Xi Clan, you will be wiped out in an instant. Even if Bo Xun is lucky enough to win, you will not get the benefits you deserve. Without enough power to counterbalance the Xi Clan, cooperating with the Xi people is no different from seeking help from a tiger!
Whether it was Su Mingyan's deliberate obstruction or the Wu Clan's intention to avoid the possible devastating retaliation from the Xi Clan in the future, before the outbreak of the Xi Clan's succession war, the Wu Clan's power did not penetrate west of Wangye City. Meanwhile, the power of the Naji Clan and the Lu Clan expanded rapidly along the blasphemous path. Although the power of Jiang Caili, Youxi, Baishu, Fang Jingchuan and others was as small as a mustard seed, they also grew rapidly by holding the various privileges and generous rewards given by Su Mingyan.
Volume 5: Chapter 7 (Part 1)
The rootless flames rising from the bronze pillar of the palace slave flickered weakly. Su Mingyan looked at the slender figure reflected in the stained glass window, wondering if he would be stabbed if he barged in. This
was the only magnificent building in the Prince's mansion; even Su Mingyan's own bedchamber couldn't compare to the Princess's palace.
These grand halls were the most recently completed and magnificent buildings in the Prince's mansion, comprising more than ten buildings including the main hall, bedchamber, Princess's palace, and side halls. It was divided into the inner and outer mansions, with the main hall serving as the connecting link. After nearly a year of construction, the entire Prince's mansion could now be considered a magnificent city.
Ruan Aman wore dark blue rhinoceros-hide armor, her wings folded behind her shoulders. A hawk-headed helmet concealed her exquisite and flawless face, only her eyes gleaming with a cold, crystalline light under the scorching flames.
Su Mingyan walked up to her and said softly, "All these years have passed, yet your eyes still cannot warm."
Ruan Aman lowered her head, avoiding Su Mingyan's gaze.
A maid with her hair in twin buns came out from the inner room. Seeing Su Mingyan standing hesitantly in the hall, she showed a look of surprise and shyness, curtsied, and softly exclaimed, "Your Highness..."
This soft exclamation startled the person in the inner room as if pricked by needles; even the shadows on the glass windows trembled. Su Mingyan watched the maid leave the hall in haste, pushed open the door, and entered the inner room. Naji Ruolan was standing in the shadow of the magic flame lamp, staring at him, her beautiful eyes revealing coldness.
"From tonight onwards, you will be my queen." Su Mingyan walked over, staring into Naji Ruolan's eyes, thinking: If these eyes weren't so cold, how captivating they would be.
Su Mingyan approached step by step. Only when terror replaced the coldness in those beautiful eyes did Su Mingyan stop, satisfied, and say, "The Naji family has already shown signs of backing down, so why did you agree to marry me?"
"Isn't it as you wished, that the entire capital looked down on you? Why did you so ruthlessly kill someone who wasn't worthy of being your opponent?"
"He coveted my woman and tried to humiliate me in public, wasn't that enough?" Su Mingyan suddenly felt that these words lacked persuasiveness, and sighed softly, "No one can escape the hand of fate..."
"The hand of fate?" Naji Ruolan looked at Su Mingyan with a puzzled expression, then asked with a mocking and contemptuous tone. “With ambitions as deep as a bottomless abyss, when will you ever feel reverence for the hand of fate?”
Su Mingyan smiled faintly, taking out a sealed scroll from his robes and handing it to Naji Ruolan, saying, “Just as promised, this document and the marriage certificate bestowed by the Emperor will grant you sufficient privileges. Perhaps you believe that enough power will allow you to escape the control of fate.”
“This document was signed by you personally, and perhaps you will have to discard it yourself in the future,” Naji Ruolan unfolded the scroll. Many seals were affixed to the lower right corner, including the signatures of Tan Naminghe, Jiang Caili, You Xidi, and his father, Naji Tianshi. “According to this document, I am granted the full power to utilize the Naji family members. However, I don’t know when to utilize the Naji family members without conflicting with your orders.”
“I want the Naji family’s foundation to be firmly established in Yan Yun!” Su Mingyan stared intently at Naji Ruolan, his eyes burning with rage. “Sometimes power must be concentrated and used. I hope you won’t argue with me about these things for now.”
“Do you think I can just argue with you?” Najiruolan looked at Su Mingyan with disdain. The three rules they had agreed upon back then now seemed utterly pale and powerless. The foundation of power in this world is never built on thin pieces of paper.
Su Mingyan glanced sideways at the cloud-like brocade quilt on the bronze bed, hesitated for a moment, and then retreated somewhat dejectedly. Ruan Aman had already left the Princess’s palace. Su Mingyan secretly mocked himself: I wouldn’t be so shameless. He looked up at the empty hall, there was no warmth to be found anywhere. The guards stood with their backs to the door of the bedchamber. Su Mingyan
walked out of the bedchamber and went to Cai’er’s residence. Just as he was about to go in, a maid stopped him: “Yuan Jingyi has already retired for the night. She said that His Highness should retire for the night in the Princess’s palace.”
Cai’er was to be made a concubine, and her maternal clan name, Hunshi, could be used to bestow the title of Hunyi along with A’de.
Su Mingyan glanced at the scorching firelight filtering through the glass window, thinking that going to Ade would be the same – he'd be met
with closed doors. He paced around the courtyard a few times before finally remembering to look for Qingling. "You're getting married today, with three beautiful women around, isn't one of them willing to take you in?" Qingling now lived alone in the courtyard. According to Qinglan's official system, she was a secret female official in charge of the royal household's finances and valuables. Qingling smiled contemptuously, but she nestled into Su Mingyan's arms. The spring night was cold.
Su Mingyan reached into Qingling's arms and held her as they fell asleep, drifting off to sleep until dawn. Qingling woke him, saying, "You still have to get up to receive everyone's congratulations."
"Congratulations?" Su Mingyan mumbled, then hugged Qingling's soft body again. After a while, he suddenly woke up, sat on the bed for a moment, and then smiled helplessly. "Yes, yesterday was my wedding day. I had to get up early to receive everyone's congratulations." Qingling helped him get dressed, and as he stepped out of the inner room, he saw Ade enter from outside.
"I've been looking for him for ages. Everyone says His Highness is missing. I never imagined that His Highness would abandon his wife on his wedding night and come here to fool around," Ade said sharply, though she was angry that His Highness hadn't looked for her last night.
Qingling sensed the odd tone in her words but couldn't refute them. She reached out and pinched Su Mingyan's waist, saying, "I'm an innocent person, yet you've slandered me."
Su Mingyan had no time to deal with the jealousy between women. He hurriedly pulled A'dai out. Fortunately, everyone understood His Highness's predicament. The court ceremony was merely a formality, a show of force for the marriage envoy Zhong Lanhui. Everyone took their leave, and Su Mingyan returned to his chambers. However, the marriage envoy Zhong Lanhui returned, requesting a private audience.
Su Mingyan was puzzled. Zhong Lanhui was an assistant minister of the Mirror of Revelation. His official rank might not be very high, but he was an important figure in the capital, possessing the power to remonstrate with officials. Therefore, Su Mingyan had been much more restrained when he arrived to avoid unnecessary trouble. Logically speaking, after the wedding, the marriage envoy could return to the capital and there was no need for a private audience. Moreover, court officials and members of the royal family could be subject to remonstrance by the Mirror of Revelation for having secret meetings. Zhong Lanhui was breaking the law.
Su Mingyan, without informing Jiang Caili, You Xi, and others, and without speculating on Zhong Lanhui's intentions, summoned him directly to his bedchamber.
Zhong Lanhui was tall and thin, with a fair complexion and no beard. He always carried a thin dagger at his waist. According to You Xi, his swordsmanship was superb, and he held a certain position among swordsmen in the capital. As an official in charge of remonstrance, he privately maintained relationships with the princes, but it was unclear which faction he belonged to.
Before entering the bedchamber, Zhong Lanhui unfastened his sword to the prince and looked at the maidservant beside Su Mingyan, seemingly wanting to speak but remaining silent.
Su Mingyan waved for the maid to leave. Zhong Lanhui took out a wooden box from his robes and said, "The Emperor asked me to bring this congratulatory gift. I almost forgot to give it to Your Highness."
How could he forget something so important? Su Mingyan took the wooden box but didn't rush to open it. He stroked the exquisite carvings on the box and stared intently at Zhong Lanhui, asking, "Is my third brother still living a carefree life in the capital?" He hadn't expected Zhong Lanhui to be from Tan Nalong City.
"The Emperor is doing well in the capital, but he misses his brotherhood with His Highness and often thinks of the time when they joined forces to repel the enemy at Qinshan. Unfortunately, His Highness has been in Yanyun for over a year without a word, so the Emperor only learned of His Highness's situation through a secret report sent from Yujia County."
"My second brother is the Emperor's son of the empire, while I am merely a lord of a city. I fear that if I sent a letter, my second brother wouldn't even have the leisure to open it."
"The stubborn bandits within Yujia were numerous, but they were wiped out in a few months. Others attribute it to the Yujia border defense, but the Emperor knows the truth, though he cannot yet petition for His Highness's credit. Before I came to Yujia, I heard that His Highness had many generals under his command, and that many foreign tribes had submitted..."
At this point, Su Mingyan, convinced he was indeed from Tannalong City, opened the wooden box, revealing a stack of gold notes. Tannalong City was now the Inner Palace Supervisor, and Su Gaiwen's secret report would likely reach him first, suggesting he was quite familiar with the situation in Yujia County. Su Mingyan glanced at the stack of gold notes; they were worth about 70,000 to 80,000 gold coins. In Qinglan, gold was cheap while silver was expensive; 10,000 gold coins were worth 920,000 silver coins. 700 silver coins were enough for Wangye City's expenses for two months.
Su Mingyan had used a large amount of money to acquire high-grade casting ore. The treasury only had 10 million silver coins left, enough for Wangye City and Shangtang City for half a year. However, after deducting the costs of constructing the Path of Blasphemy and building the city at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge, this 10 million silver coins was nearly depleted in just two months.
Although the divine rune stones sent by Bo Xun were extremely rare and valuable, almost enough to offset the cost of acquiring the high-grade casting ore, selling nearly a hundred of them at once made them seem less precious. Converting these divine rune stones into silver coins would take a long time and require carefully selecting buyers, making it impossible to immediately replenish the treasury's deficit.
The seven million silver coins sent by Zhong Lanhui from Tan Nalong City were indeed a timely relief. If they could weather this period, the Naji family would be able to raise funds. Once all the Divine Stones were sold, the funds used to acquire high-grade casting ores could be freed up. By then, the Path of Blasphemy would be nearly complete, and money would be generated continuously.
Su Mingyan closed the wooden box, looked at Zhong Lanhui, and smiled, "My second brother is very generous now, but I'm in a remote place and I'm afraid I can't accept such a heavy gift." "
This is merely a token of brotherly affection between the Emperor and Your Highness; Your Highness doesn't need to value it too much." Seeing Su Mingyan politely decline but secretly tucking the wooden box into his robes, Zhong Lanhui chuckled inwardly: The Sixth Prince is indeed too greedy; a few gold notes are enough to sway his mind.
Volume 5: Chapter 7 (Part 2)
Su Mingyan noticed the disdain on Zhong Lanhui's lips, smiled slightly, and said, "Since Lord Zuozheng says so, then I won't stand on ceremony. The spring night is long, and I'm getting sleepy, so I won't keep Lord Zuozheng company any longer." Before Zhong Lanhui could even take his leave, he stood up to leave.
"Your Highness..." Zhong Lanhui, seeing Su Mingyan about to leave, almost grabbed his sleeve in a hurry, "The Emperor has something for me to pass on to Your Highness."
Su Mingyan pursed his lips, sat down again, and said, "I knew it wouldn't be as simple as reminiscing about brotherhood."
Zhong Lanhui smiled helplessly and said, "Your Highness is enjoying yourself in Yujia, but you haven't considered the ruthlessness of the capital. If the Emperor hadn't repeatedly rejected Su Gaiwen's secret memorials, Your Highness would likely have been reprimanded by the Emperor. Others might be fine, but Su Yanshiji is keeping a close eye on Your Highness." Su Mingyan frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "
I know that I can live a carefree life in Yujia entirely thanks to my second brother's protection. I'm not ungrateful, but Yujia is thousands of miles away. Even if I wanted to help my second brother, I couldn't reach him."
Zhong Lanhui took out a letter from his robes and said, "The Emperor has also sent a personal letter to Your Highness."
Su Mingyan glared at Zhong Lanhui, feigning anger, and retorted, "If we didn't see each other, would I not have seen this letter?"
"It's confidential, please forgive me, Your Highness," Zhong Lanhui hurriedly apologized, but his expression didn't seem to take it seriously.
Su Mingyan knew when to stop, and wasn't really angry. Su Mingyan had seen Tan Nalongcheng's handwriting when he was in Qinshan. He opened the letter and confirmed that it was indeed written by Tan Nalongcheng himself, but the letter was unsigned and unpublished. The letter read: "...Although you and I are not brothers born of the same mother, we are the closest among all brothers, and you are also someone with whom I can share wealth and honor. If my affairs go smoothly, then our brotherly bond will endure, and your wealth and honor will not be ruined by others..."
Su Mingyan carefully folded the letter and hid it in his bosom. Looking at Zhong Lanhui, he asked, "Does Zuozheng know the contents of the letter?"
"The Emperor mentioned it before he left," Zhong Lanhui said, "Only if the Emperor ascends the throne smoothly can Your Highness continue to live a carefree life."
"It seems Zuozheng is a man capable of handling important matters," Su Mingyan said, "I too have suffered several calamities. In Yujia, I almost didn't survive; my carriage passed through Suyab, and a huge rock covered my head; then I was sent as a hostage in Canaan, and to save my life, I blasphemed and defiled myself, cutting myself off from the throne. Only then could I come to Yujia to live as a carefree prince. Apart from my second brother, I don't trust anyone. Naturally, I also hope that my second brother can ascend the throne so that I can continue to live a carefree life in Yujia. We're family, so let's not be so formal. What is my second brother's situation in the capital?"
"The Emperor, as the Director of the Inner Palace, wanted to appoint Ming Antu to take charge of the Imperial Guard. However, he was repeatedly thwarted..."
The military forces protecting the capital can be divided into one division and three guards. One division is the Imperial Capital Garrison Division. Responsible for the defense of the outer city, the hundred camps of soldiers were divided into six armies, of which at least four were under the control of the Grand Chancellor Su Yanshiji. The Three Guards were the Court Guard, the Imperial Guard, and the Forbidden Guard, a crucial force protecting the imperial palace. Although consisting of only ten camps, they were the empire's most elite troops, directly under the Emperor's command. Generally, after the establishment of the imperial heir, the heir would assume the position of Director of the Inner Palace, and a general appointed by the heir would command the Court Guard within the Inner Palace system, ensuring a smooth transfer of imperial power.
Tan Nalongcheng's attempt to appoint Ming Antu to command the Court Guard had been repeatedly thwarted, meaning that Tan Nalongcheng had yet to gain any real military power.
Su Mingyan shrugged and said, "I can't help with the Court Guard's affairs either. Youxi and Baishu both came from the Court Guard, and they have a few cronies there. Zuo Zheng, perhaps you can say something about who's sabotaging Second Brother's plans behind his back."
Zhong Lanhui shook his head, no longer concerned with finding a few generals to talk to, and said, "The Three Guards are in charge of the Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace. Although they are directly managed by the Emperor, he has rarely been involved in state affairs in the past ten years. The other princes have extensively placed their own people in the Three Guards, making them a force that the princes can trust. This will undoubtedly give others leverage when they succeed to the throne, which is worrying."
Su Mingyan echoed with a sigh of lament, saying, "Indeed. Now Fourth Brother is staying in the capital and not going to the provinces, extensively making connections with the generals of the Three Guards. I've heard about this from other places as well. I imagine Eldest and Third Brother are doing the same. Alas, why doesn't Father Emperor know how to restrain them?"
“The forces within the Forbidden City won’t easily betray us. The key issue is that the fiefdoms of the First and Third Princes are very close to the capital. It would only take a day and a night for their garrison troops to be secretly transferred to the capital. The variables involved are worrying.”
Su Mingyan frowned. The Capital Garrison Command’s Hundred Battalions are all fully staffed, each with a thousand soldiers. The Su Yan family holds the most military power near the capital. Whoever gains the Su Yan family’s support will undoubtedly have a significant advantage in the struggle for the throne. Of course, the Su Yan family’s direct intervention in the deposition and enthronement of the emperor will certainly provoke the other two major families, potentially making the situation even worse.
Su Mingyan asked, "I wonder what I can do to help my second brother?"
"With the new emperor's ascension, all the princes will return to the capital to offer their congratulations. I hope that at that time, the Sixth Prince can lead a trustworthy force to assist the prince in controlling the situation."
Su Mingyan was slightly surprised, not understanding the meaning behind Zhong Lanhui's words. He pondered his words carefully: "A trustworthy force? Lord Zuozheng is joking. Even if all 30,000 troops from the Yujia Border Defense Command were transferred to the capital, the situation there would still be uncontrollable."
"Your Highness misunderstands me. The prince is of the greater good. Even if someone harbors treacherous intentions, they will not be able to mobilize all the troops in the capital. Even if some soldiers are manipulated, they will quickly realize their mistake. We only need to control the situation in the Forbidden City at the crucial moment."
Judging from Zhong Lanhui's words, Tan Nalongcheng had absolutely no trust in the Three Guards, and it seemed that the Three Guards were not entirely under Tan Naxilong's control either. Su Mingyan pretended to be confused, saying, "Controlling the Forbidden City is not easy. Those with ulterior motives only need to control one of the Three Guards to forge an imperial edict and seize the throne. The Three Guards have always been the most elite military force in the empire; ten battalions of them are equivalent to a hundred battalions of local garrison troops. Second Brother trusts me so much; I'm afraid I will let him down..."
"According to Mr. Anmu, the people around His Highness are also capable of taking on ten men each..."
"Mr. Anmu is well aware of the small number of men in the Imperial Guard. After arriving in Yujia, it shrank to five hundred, far from the elite force it had in Qinshan. When the new emperor ascended the throne, we could secretly transfer a maximum of a thousand troops to the capital. To control the situation within the Forbidden City, these thousand men would need to be at least elite swordsmen. Even if we were to draw all the elite troops from the Yujia border defense forces, we still wouldn't have a thousand elite swordsmen."
The Three Guards of the Forbidden City were all elite swordsman battalions, but in Su Mingyan's view, the soldiers of the Three Guards who hadn't experienced combat were roughly equivalent in strength to the Imperial Guard. Although the Imperial Guard consisted of half third-tier swordsmen and half elite swordsmen, their overall strength was extremely high, and their equipment was no weaker than that of the Three Guards. However, the Three Guards of the Forbidden City totaled ten thousand men. Even if someone with ulterior motives could only control a portion of the troops, to control the situation within the Forbidden City, they would still need at least one battalion of elite soldiers.
Tan Nalongcheng was able to smoothly take over the Imperial Guard, so naturally he didn't have this worry, and of course, he didn't need to ask Su Mingyan for help.
Zhong Lanhui also understood Su Mingyan's implied meaning and said, "If Your Highness were to take over the military power of the Yujia County border defense command, how long would it take to build such an elite force?"
Su Mingyan narrowed his eyes and said, "Could it be that Su Gaiwen is Second Brother's man?"
Zhong Lanhui shook his head and said, "Your Highness should not forget my duties. The chief of the Mirror Platform has the power to remonstrate with all officials. Su Gaiwen has served as the governor of Yujia for more than ten years. How could he not have some incriminating evidence? If Your Highness can seize the opportunity, perhaps you can also take control of Yujia's military and political affairs."
Su Mingyan was slightly moved upon hearing this. He was already a prince, and to also take control of the military and political affairs of a county meant that before Tan Naxilong died, he had already created the illusion of controlling a county. It seemed that Tan Naxilong had really gone to great lengths, which also showed that Tan Naxilong had no confidence in successfully ascending the throne.
Su Mingyan said, "Training a battalion of elite swordsmen will take at least ten years and require an investment of tens of millions of silver coins. By drawing upon the elite troops of the border defense forces, and as long as we can win their hearts, we can quickly assemble an elite force. Even if it falls short, we can compensate with better equipment..." Su Mingyan paused, letting Zhong Lanhui understand the significant financial burden they would have to bear. Seeing Zhong Lanhui remain silent, he knew Su Mingyan was prepared. "However, I still need Lord Zuozheng's guidance on how to create opportunities."
"Does Your Highness know of Shi Jingdu?" Zhong Lanhui asked.
"The Vice-General of Su Gaiwen's Governor's Office. Su Gaiwen has always considered him a confidant. Could it be..." Su Mingyan made no attempt to hide his surprise, not expecting that Su Gaiwen only had people from Tan Nalong City by his side.
Zhong Lan smiled knowingly and said, "Shi Jingxi was once a retainer of the Emperor's son. Later, he entered officialdom and rose through the ranks to become a border commander. He was highly trusted by Su Gaiwen, but Su Gaiwen was ungrateful. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble."
Fortunately, Su Gaiwen was ungrateful. If he had sided with Tan Nalong City, Su Mingyan really wouldn't know what to do. Shi Jingdu had no foundation in Yujia, so even if he was from Tan Nalong City, there was nothing to worry about.
Su Mingyan pretended to suddenly understand and said, "Since my second brother has a personal connection in Yujia, I think we should entrust him with the command of the soon-to-be-established elite swordsman battalion." Su Mingyan was just making empty promises and pretending to be generous. Even if Su Mingyan controlled all the troops in the border defense command, he wouldn't transfer all the elite troops back to the capital, and naturally, he wouldn't entrust this fictitious elite swordsman battalion to Shi Jingdu.
Volume 5: Chapter 7 (Part 2)
Tan Nalongcheng sent Zhong Lanhui with this message: to leverage the Sixth Prince's influence to create an elite force in Yujia that could control the situation within the Forbidden City. However, this elite force would also need to be controlled by his men, as brotherly affection couldn't completely reassure Tan Nalongcheng.
Seeing that the Sixth Prince had brought it up, Zhong Lanhui naturally went along with it and agreed.
Tan Nalongcheng would help Su Mingyan seize military and political power in Yujia County, while Su Mingyan would select the elite troops from the Yujia border defense forces and hand them over to Tan Nalongcheng's men to form an elite army.
Having settled the details of the spoils, the next step was to discuss how to frame Su Gaiwen. With Shi Jingdu as an inside agent, things would be much simpler. The existence of the bandit camp must have attracted Tan Nalongcheng's attention. At this moment, Jiang Caili, You Xi, and Wu Misheng returned, presumably having heard of Zhong Lanhui's private audience and coming to sound him out. Su Mingyan then revealed Zhong Lanhui's true identity to everyone. Wu Misheng didn't want Zhong Lanhui to think that the Wu family was close to the Sixth Prince, lest Tan Nalong City become unnecessarily wary, so he didn't linger and took his leave.
After Zhong Lanhui left the palace, Su Mingyan summoned Wu Misheng alone and asked him, "Was today's situation arranged by Mr. Mojie?"
Wu Misheng frankly admitted it, also with a hint of caution towards Su Mingyan, saying, "Shi Jingdu's appointment to the Yujia Border Defense Command was indeed due to your recommendation, so Su Gaiwen wouldn't have suspected that he was from Tan Nalong City."
Su Mingyan narrowed his eyes, concealing a sharp, cold glint. If it came to scheming, few in the world could rival Mojie Bocen, but human calculations are no match for fate, and it's impossible to foresee all unexpected events.
Wu Misheng, now finding it difficult to meet Su Mingyan alone, seized the opportunity to voice her doubts: "Is Bo Xun a challenger in the Xi Clan's succession war?"
Su Mingyan knew Wu Misheng and Mo Jiebochen would have doubts, but he hadn't expected them to guess Bo Xun's identity so directly. After a moment of silence, he said, "That's right. To enter Benlei Plain, one must make contact with the Xi people."
"That's true, but it's a bit too hasty..."
Su Mingyan intentionally established his authority in Wu Misheng's mind, offering no further explanation, and gave Wu Misheng a cold look. He said, "Do you mean to watch the opportunity slip away before your eyes?"
"That's not how it works. My Wu Clan has also been diligently acquiring ore..." Wu Misheng's imposing aura unconsciously weakened.
Su Mingyan had previously been puzzled as to how the bandit camp was able to obtain a large amount of supplies and equipment from the outside world without Su Gaiwen's knowledge, until he learned that Shi Jingdu was from Tan Nalong City, and then he suddenly understood. Shi Jingdu had always been the governor's mantle for handling matters related to the bandit camp. If he wanted to conceal seemingly insignificant information, Su Gaiwen would naturally be kept in the dark.
It seemed that Tan Nalong City shared his thoughts on this matter, intending to use the bandit camp as a crucial strategic move. In that case, Drogba's defection to this side probably wouldn't be kept from Tan Nalong City either.
With Shi Jingdu as an inside man, Su Mingyan was fully aware of Su Gaiwen's actions and the movements of the bandit camp. To better seize the opportunity, Su Mingyan had no time to stay in Wangye City to enjoy his "newlywed" life and once again entered the heart of Yanyun.
The Yanyun wasteland was covered in a fresh layer of green, and the blasphemous road had extended more than 300 li into the wasteland. Roads near the Tiandu Mountain Gorge were also under construction. However, due to limited resources, progress was much slower than in Wangye City.
The city site was chosen on the outer side of the gorge. Dozens of tents housed four hundred warriors drawn from the Yitian Guard and Imperial Guard camps, along with two hundred warriors from the Lu clan. These tents contained a large stockpile of supplies and a significant amount of animal meat preserved using Lu clan secret methods. Inside was a labor camp housing five hundred laborers.
Four thousand able-bodied men drawn from Drogba's forces, along with their families—nearly ten thousand in total—were divided into more than ten tribes, living by hunting and residing near the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. This provided ample labor for the construction of the city.
The city was newly built and small in scale, only about two thousand paces in circumference. Unlike when Su Mingyan last visited, a stream now flowed from the low hills on the eastern foothills of Tiandu Mountain, reaching a width of seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters) at the flatlands outside the gorge. The river was swift, splashing water like snow. Compared to the rivers in eastern Qinglan, this river was merely a stream, but for the water-scarce Yan Yun wilderness, it was a rare and precious resource. Much manpower and resources had been spent, and great effort had been put into bringing water from the main peak on the eastern
foothills of Tiandu Mountain. About ten li (approximately 5 kilometers) from the gorge, there was a small fork in the valley. The Lu family had set up a secret camp on the ruins of the academy, teaching one hundred boys selected from the Drogba camp. A clear spring flowed down from the crevices of the cliff, forming a clear pool, beside which stood the Adonai Divine Flower, which had been revitalized.
Most of the personnel from the Imperial Guard, the Thousand He Warriors, and the Yi Tian Guard were scattered throughout the Ding and the Wasteland, providing effective protection for road construction, city building, and the transport of supplies. They also provided most of the food needed for the Feng Xu Hunting expedition. However, in order to seize any opportunities that might arise, a portion of the men needed to be transferred to the vicinity of the iron mine to await the right moment. Su Mingyan also wanted to take this opportunity to transfer some Lu Clan warriors into the Imperial Guard to further deepen the relationship between the two sides. Lu Qingye officially became Su Mingyan's attendant, serving as a Zuo Ling (a military rank) in the Imperial Guard, alongside Zang Jin and Mu Zhaoyun.
Youxi, entering the heart of Yanyun for the first time, gazed at the revitalized Adonai Divine Flower and remarked with emotion, "The spiritual energy here is remarkably abundant, perhaps due to the Adonai Divine Flower. The Lu Clan's decision to establish their secret camp here is truly wise."
Lu Hu pointed to the clear spring water cascading from the crevices of the cliff and said, "This spring water flows into this clear pool, neither overflowing nor shallow. While 'not shallow' is understandable, considering the flow rate, the pool should have overflowed long ago. This demonstrates the miraculous power of the Adonai Divine Flower. A month after His Highness left, three more horizontal branches sprouted. I've heard Qingye mention the Adonai Divine Flower and the Guanlan Palace in Qianhe Lake Valley, and I'm also considering building a Guanlan Palace here."
Su Mingyan thought to himself: Very few people remember that there was once a Guanlan Palace here. He remained noncommittal to Lu Hu's words. Currently, the road was not yet completed, and resources were scarce at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge, leaving no resources to build a stone palace here.
Su Mingyan spent the night in a secret camp in the ruins of the academy. The next day, he led his men to infiltrate the camp set up by Drogba's troops at the iron mine. Only three hundred guards were gathered there, along with one hundred Lu tribe warriors, all elite warriors of at least the fourth rank. In addition, there were three hundred elite Qianhe warriors: You Xi, Qianhe Changqin, Qi Bo, and Lu Hu. Including Su Mingyan himself, there were five Heaven-rank experts. These six hundred elite warriors, with their superior equipment, were nearly sufficient to meet the requirements of Tan Nalong City.
Mu Zhaoyun, Naji Wuyan, and Drogba led their warriors to drive away all the wild beasts near the iron mine. Fewer than ten thousand people remained in the iron mine camp. The rest were divided into more than a dozen tribes and scattered around the iron mine. Once their survival skills improved, they could find new water sources, and their living space would expand further.
The branched-out tribes needed a sufficient number of warriors to protect their safety and to hunt enough prey for survival. Of the more than ten thousand men left at the iron mine camp under Drogba's command, only the five hundred elites initially selected were truly capable of fighting.
Due to the needs of hunting, and because these men were mostly skilled archers from mountain tribes, Mu Zhaoyun later transferred a batch of black-tipped bows from Wangye City to form a pure archer battalion, temporarily led by Ming Shiyu. While
Su Mingyan, Xu Jiangcai, You Xi, Bai Shu, Fang Jingchuan, Neruda, Drogba, and others could establish their own tribes in Yan Yun, the others had not yet made a move. With nothing else to do at the iron mine camp, Drogba began the process of establishing his own tribe. About twenty miles from the iron ore camp, there was a water source. This was originally the habitat of one of the first tribes to be separated from the area. Drogba designated it as his own territory, selecting one hundred households from the initial settlers to serve as his people. However, the twenty warriors, one hundred laborers, and two hundred thousand silver coins promised by Su Mingyan were still unfulfilled.
When Su Mingyan came to visit, Drogba specifically led him to see his territory. The small, grassy lake, only a few dozen acres in size, was surrounded by a wooden fence, with hundreds of tents scattered around it. To the west was a mountain valley, where dozens of gentle wild beasts such as deer and stags were kept in a simple enclosure. If the surrounding mountains had not been cleared several times, the twenty or thirty warriors in the territory alone would have had a hard time guarding this water source.
Su Mingyan looked at the deer grazing on the grass inside the enclosure and said, "If this land could be covered with lakes and meadows like these, I would do it even at the risk of being struck by lightning."
Drogba was slightly taken aback, not understanding the Sixth Prince's meaning, and smiled, saying, "No miracles have appeared in the world for a thousand years. The gods probably wouldn't know what good deeds mortals do."
Offending the Xi Clan is no less serious than offending the gods. Su Mingyan smiled slightly and spoke of the Red-Skinned Demon calamity in Qin Mountain: "We encountered one in Qin Mountain..." A low-ranking deity named Ganro descended upon the Crimson-skinned Demon, and only after a tremendous effort was he able to severely injure it. The Rugalans of Fusang Island also sensed the call of Amaterasu. After a thousand years of silence, the gods were beginning to stir again.
Drogba blinked, unable to imagine how close the gods were to him. Thinking of the elite force gathered at the iron mine camp, even the true form of a low-ranking deity would be enough to annihilate them. He figured that gods weren't all that awe-inspiring. Little did he know that gods were also divided into different ranks.
"Let's not worry about things so far in the future," Su Mingyan said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Tell me about the current situation of the bandit camp."
Volume 5: Chapter 8 (Part 1)
Less than a month had passed since Su Mingyan last left this place. Mu Zhaoyun said, "In this past month, Shang Qiufeng and others have tightened their blockade of the bandit camp. To avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion from Shang Qiufeng, I dared not let the Qianhe warriors approach the bandit camp. I only used ordinary scouts to scout the situation around the bandit camp. The bandit camp has stockpiled enough supplies, and there are signs of a secret alliance between the three forces. There are also a large number of people who do not belong to the bandit camp coming and going..."
Su Mingyan nodded, thinking: Those bandits have been preparing for so long, they probably can't sit still anymore.
Qianhe Changqin said, "Should we send Qibo to lead some people in to investigate?"
Scouts are usually good at stealth, but they are far less magical than the shadow-遁术 (shadow-遁术 is a type of magic used by the Loujia people).
Su Mingyan said, "No matter how much the bandit camp prepares, they still need others to create opportunities for them. They should first scout out the movements in the direction of Qingye County."
Drogba knew very little and asked doubtfully, "Isn't the Yi family afraid of causing animosity between the two countries?"
"The Yi family is a local power. As long as they can successfully seize Yujia City, what does it matter to the Yi family if the two countries are at odds?" Su Mingyan said contemptuously.
Drogba flattered, "Shang Qiufeng thought it was a mantis stalking a cicada, but the Yi family is the oriole behind. They never imagined that Your Highness was the bird catcher."
Su Mingyan smiled slightly and said, "The Yi family may be wary of me. Even so, this risk is worth taking. Failure would only result in the loss of the bandit camp, while victory would mean capturing Yujia City and opening the gateway to the Yan Yun Wilderness."
Drogba's words made Su Mingyan think of another possibility. The bandit camp and Su Gaiwen had many irreconcilable conflicts, so it was natural for the Yi family to win them over. Su Mingyan had long considered this possibility. The Yi family's attempt to win over the bandit camp to seize Yujia City was like a mantis stalking a cicada, and he had included the Yi family, the bandit camp, and Su Gaiwen in his calculations. Was there nothing he had overlooked?
Su Mingyan recalled Bo Xun's warning. The Bega people were also restless. Weakening the empire's control over the Yan Yun Wilderness was in the common interest of the Bega and Canaanites. He just didn't know if the Yi family had thought of this.
Remembering the Bega people's ability to control beasts, Su Mingyan had a terrible headache. Although he had sealed off the passage north of the iron mine while hunting, preventing others from infiltrating the area, high-level beast-taming techniques allowed for some communication with wild beasts. Mu Zhaoyun and Naji Wuyan couldn't guarantee that their blockade wouldn't even let a bird fly through.
Su Mingyan didn't agree to let Qi Bo scout the bandit camp. Instead, with Mu Zhaoyun as a guide, he personally went with You Xi, Jun Bo, Qian He Changqin, and others to infiltrate the vicinity of the bandit camp to investigate their enemy situation.
The bandit camp had extended its vigilance to a radius of twenty miles from the main camp. Drogba had led his troops away from this area; the eight thousand or so men there could be considered the elite of the Yu Jia bandits, many of them ruthless and bloodthirsty. Equipped with superior gear and after several months of reorganization, their combat strength had been significantly enhanced, no longer the chaotic, poorly equipped, and poorly supplied bandit group they once were.
Judging from the current situation, the three forces within the bandit camp had indeed united. It was unclear what promise the Yi family had made, but they had managed to reorganize eight thousand men in such a short time. Half of the eight battalions were elite halberdiers, three battalions of archers, one battalion of swordsmen, and a small number of cavalry. Infiltrating deep into the camp, one could even see dozens of blue-feathered vultures reaching shoulder height, and a dozen or so dragon-elephants. The supply battalion contained a large amount of siege equipment. In just a few months, the bandit camp had been completely transformed, demonstrating the significant investment the Yi family had made.
Su Gaiwen had only deployed two thousand elite troops north of Yujia City to defend against the bandit camp, a situation that was already extremely dangerous.
Su Mingyan and the others, hidden in the bushes of a high cliff, looked at the undulating camps below and asked, "With our forces, are we confident we can defeat the bandits in one fell swoop?"
You Xi frowned and remained silent. From his expression, it was clear he thought a decisive victory was unlikely. If they couldn't defeat them in one fell swoop and the stalemate continued, they would suffer heavy casualties before achieving final victory.
Qi Bo said, "The Yi clan recruited fewer than two hundred Feathered Vulture Knights in Qingye County, yet they've transferred half of them here. Eight thousand bandits are organized into three thousand archers, and the camp is also equipped with a large number of powerful crossbows. It's clear the Yi clan is truly wary of us. Unless we can successfully launch a surprise attack, it will be difficult to defeat them in one fell swoop."
“Su Gaiwen has deployed two thousand elite troops north of Yujia City. Seeing the strength of the enemy forces, these two thousand elite troops can hide in the fortifications to resist, thus eliminating the enemy's numerical advantage. If the enemy forces launch a strong attack on the fortifications, then we will have an opportunity.”
You Xi shook her head and said, “I’m afraid the enemy forces also want to seize Yujia City in one fell swoop. Otherwise, with the strong defenses of Yujia City, as long as Su Gaiwen becomes alert and withdraws the two thousand elite troops into Yujia City, the enemy forces will find it difficult to succeed. The Yi Clan will also send troops from Qingye County to contain the border defense forces stationed in the southern fortress.”
Unfolding the Yujia topographical map she carried with her, she analyzed, “It seems that the only connection between the bandit camp and Yujia City is the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River. The main role of Su Gaiwen’s two thousand elite troops at present is to control the abandoned road, but the enemy forces can lightly equipped themselves and go up the Yanyun Highlands, bypassing the northern slope of Yujia Mountain to achieve the purpose of a surprise attack.” "
So all those siege weapons prepared in the bandit camp are useless?" Su Mingyan asked.
"Preparations are necessary before the battle, but not all of them need to be used during the battle,"
Su Mingyan sighed. "We can't intervene too early, lest we make things worse."
The best time to seize the military and political power of the governor's mansion is when the situation in Yujia City is out of control. Whether the troops we have can turn the tide at the crucial moment will determine the success or failure of this move; otherwise, we will truly be doing the Yi family a favor.
Everyone remained silent; no one could interfere with the decision at this moment.
The marriage envoy, Zhong Lanhui, did not return directly to the capital after leaving Wangye City, but arrived in Yujia City the day after Su Mingyan arrived at the iron mine camp. Zhong Lanhui was an assistant administrator of the Mirror Platform, whose rank was not as high as Su Gaiwen, the governor of the border prefecture, but he held the power to investigate all officials, making him a very important figure in the empire, forcing Su Gaiwen to lower his stance and curry favor.
Zhong Lanhui secretly met with Shi Jingdu. He was told that the Sixth Prince had assembled a mobile force near the iron mine and was to secretly leave the city to meet him. Supervising the bandit camp was Shi Jingdu's responsibility. He first inspected the camp north of the city in place of Su Gaiwen, then secretly left the camp with several trusted guards under the pretext of spying on the bandit camp.
After passing through multiple layers of blockade, Shi Jingdu was received by Su Mingyan at the innermost camp of the iron mine. Su Mingyan had met Shi Jingdu a few times before and knew he was an extremely capable person. Initially, he only thought of him as Su Gaiwen's confidant, but now that he knew he was an inside man in Tan Nalong City, perhaps even bribed by Mo Jiebochen, a subtle sense of disgust arose in his heart.
"The blockade here is very tight, yet Your Highness is so cautious; I admire you greatly." Su
Mingyan knew he was referring to his decision to set up camp at the innermost part of the iron mine, having Drogba's forces encircle it. Su Mingyan smiled and said, "No amount of caution is excessive. There are many people in the world who can relay messages. Shang Qiufeng has completely sealed off the bandit camp. Have you found out anything?"
"Your Highness has countless capable people around you. I've come specifically to seek your advice."
Su Mingyan didn't waste time arguing with him, and had Mu Zhaoyun tell Shi Jingdu about the bandit camp's strength. Even though Shi Jingdu had intentionally allowed supplies to flow into the bandit camp these past few months, upon hearing Mu Zhaoyun's explanation, he couldn't help but worry, saying, "If Yujia City falls from our hands, we'll become traitors to the empire."
Su Mingyan sneered and said, "Then you should report the true situation of the bandit camp to Su Gavin."
Shi Jingdu smiled awkwardly and said, "How can I do that? Su Gavin would take my head first." "It's better to become a sinner of the empire than to lose your head! "
Su Mingyan stared coldly at Shi Jingdu and said, "Don't forget that as a member of the Qinglan Imperial Family, I will never allow Yujia City to fall. Tell me what power you possess, and let's plan together without holding anything back. You should know that if there is no chance of success, I would rather have Su Gavin cut off your head." Shi
Jingdu's forehead was dripping with cold sweat. He couldn't tell whether Su Mingyan's words were true or false. If they really abandoned the plan of the bandit camp, he would definitely be the first to be sacrificed. However, Zhong Lanhui had specifically instructed him that the Sixth Prince would not always stand on the same side as the Emperor. After all,
Shi Jingdu was not the governor of Yujia County. Even if he secretly developed his power, it would be quite limited. Seeing the hesitation on his face, Su Mingyan knew that it was far from the time to strain relations with the people of Tan Nalong City. He did not dwell on the matter and asked, "We expect Shang Qiufeng to take a flanking maneuver from the northern slope of Yujia Mountain to launch a surprise attack on Yujia City. This way, we can avoid the two thousand elite troops deployed in the north of Yujia City. Now I ask you, if chaos breaks out in Yujia, can we gain command of these two thousand elite troops first?"
You Xi said from the side, "First, we must prevent Su Gaiwen's military order from reaching the camp, and we must also make the camp commander believe in His Highness's goodwill." "
When chaos broke out in Yujia City, the Sixth Prince happened to arrive at the camp to seize military power. How could people not suspect ulterior motives? If the Sixth Prince himself had enough prestige, and the camp's commander was someone close to him, then it would be a different story.
Volume 5: Chapter 8 (Part 2)
Shi Jingdu looked around at the many experts around Su Mingyan, secretly alarmed. After pondering for a while, he said, "At the beginning of the chaos, it is not difficult to stop General Su Gaiwen's order from reaching the military camp in the north of the city. However, the commander of the northern camp, Mu Yihan, is Su Gaiwen's confidant. I'm afraid he will not obey orders."
Su Mingyan carefully observed the look in Shi Jingdu's eyes and said, "As long as Mu Yihan doesn't sit idly by, it will be fine. I originally intended to send the elite troops of the northern camp into Yujia City to quell the rebellion." He paused, then continued, "When the bandits attack the city, the Yi clan might send troops to tie down the forces in the southern fortress. We must ensure that the chaos in Yujia City doesn't shake the morale of the southern fortress, and we must also prevent Su Gaiwen from mobilizing his troops stationed there in a moment of panic. If the Yi clan's troops approach Yujia at the same time, the situation will be beyond our control."
A cold glint flashed in Shi Jingdu's eyes as he said, "Your Highness, why don't you send someone to assassinate Su Gaiwen in the chaos? That would eliminate any future trouble."
Su Mingyan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the vicious expression on Shi Jingdu's face. He thought to himself that Su Gaiwen greatly admired him, yet he showed no gratitude towards his former master. Su Mingyan said noncommittally, "I know what I'm doing. You must ensure that the two things I mentioned are done. I have already ordered the Shangtang forces to feign troop gathering, forcing the bandit camp to take action soon."
After Shi Jingdu left, You Xi asked, "Does Your Highness really intend to assassinate Su Gaiwen in the chaos?"
Su Mingyan shook his head and said, "Shi Jingdu's tricks can't fool me. To assassinate a master like Su Gaiwen in the middle of the army, both Mr. Qianhe and Junbo must act simultaneously to be sure of success, but even then, it's impossible to leave no trace. If the world knows that Su Gaiwen died at my hands, how can I take over the military and political power of Yujia County? I'd rather Su Gaiwen live and cause me trouble than send someone to assassinate him."
Youxi laughed, "Assassinating Su Gaiwen seems easy, but it will leave endless troubles. I'm really worried that Your Highness will be swayed by Shi Jingdu."
Su Mingyan waved his hand and said with a smile, "I think we should be wary of this retainer of the second prince. His scheming is undeniably vicious and his mind is deep."
On the north slope of Yanyu Heights, a cavalry troop moved in a long line. Judging from their black uniforms and armor, they were all bandits from a large bandit camp.
Shi Chuanhua took off his black iron helmet, revealing his disheveled hair. He and Yi Feitian, leading a few guards, first disguised themselves as merchants and infiltrated Yujia territory. Then, they proceeded along the northern slope of Yujia Mountain to the Yanyu Highlands, donned the armor of bandits, and prepared to enter the bandit camp. Before them, the Yi clan had already dispatched a large number of elite troops into the bandit camp.
The Yanyu Highlands, adjacent to the northern slope of Yujia Mountain, are crisscrossed by several major rivers flowing year-round between the peaks of Yujia and Gangdu Mountains. This highland nurtures lush grasslands and forests rarely seen in the Yanyun wilderness. This fertile land stretches for hundreds of miles. The iron ore mine camp is also located within the Yanyu Highlands, dotted with numerous grasslands and lakes.
Several rivers eventually flow into the Chubu River Valley, ensuring a plentiful flow of water in the lower reaches of the Chubu River, which only completely dries up after flowing for over three hundred miles into the desert.
Yujia County has five thousand households, totaling approximately thirty thousand people. The vast majority of this area consists of plains along the banks of the Chubu River. Standing atop the high ground of the bandit camp, one could see villages to the south.
Yi Feitian felt a pang of regret, pointing to the vast Yanyu Grassland, and said, "This place could accommodate at least 100,000 immigrants." At least half of the area within the three prefectures of northwestern Canaan, including Qingye County, is desert terrain. The Yi clan has been rooted in that barren land for centuries, and has long coveted the Yanyu Highlands on the northern slope of Yujia Mountain.
"Yanyun is still short of water. Further north, even shrubs are scarce. In the central part of Yanyun, there are also vast stretches of desert...
" "When Shi Chuanhua and Yi Feitian last accompanied the delegation to Yujia City, they entered the Yanyun Wasteland around the same time as Su Mingyan, but Su Mingyan quickly crossed Tiandu Mountain and entered the Black Gravel Plain, so the two did not have the opportunity to meet in the Yanyun Wasteland."
Yi Feitian sighed softly and said, "Taking Yujia City was a last resort. Tanna Minghe has already begun to expand his influence into the heart of Yanyun. The path outside Wangye City is fifty paces wide, with sand and gravel as its foundation and paved with pebbles, and sewers on both sides. In less than ten years, the situation in Yujia will be greatly improved, and then our Canaan Northwest will not be able to withstand such great pressure."
Shi Chuanhua was somewhat unable to accept Yi Feitian's explanation of striking first, but the friendship of the past became extremely insignificant in the face of the interests of the country.
A cloud of dust rose in the distance, and a column of black-armored knights galloped swiftly, accompanied by billowing dust. Shang Qiufeng was at the head, with a young knight flanking him. As the group rode to the front of the cavalry, Shang Qiufeng and the others dismounted, saying, "Young Master, how can you risk your life?" In Canaan, the Shi and Yi families held equal status, but the three northwestern prefectures were all Yi's territory. The Yi family had promised Shang Qiufeng that he would lead Yujia Prefecture, so Shang Qiufeng naturally regarded the Yi family as his master and addressed Yi Feitian as "Young Master."
Yi Feitian said, "This matter has been planned for a long time and cannot afford to fail. Chuanhua and I have come to lend you a hand, Master Shang."
The young knight standing behind Shang Qiufeng was named Yi Xuanshi, the leader of the warriors sent by the Yi family to the bandit camp. He stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Yi Feitian.
"Any movement over at Wangye City?"
Yi Xuanshi asked. "Tan Naminghe is building a road outside Wangye City. Most of the warriors in Wangye City are scattered across the Yan Yun Wilderness. Whether they are gathering or not is extremely difficult for outsiders to detect. However, there are signs that the Yi Tian Guard Camp and the Dragon Cavalry Camp in Shang Tang City are gathering."
"What about Drogba and the Tian Du Mountain Gorge?"
Drogba led his men north. As far as Shang Qiufeng was concerned, there was no one in the bandit camp who could get in his way. However, it was clear that Tan Naminghe had officially intervened in the mess of the bandit camp. Almost at the same time, a large number of troops were found gathering near the Tian Du Mountain Gorge. Due to the tight blockade, Shang Qiufeng's scouts were unable to infiltrate and investigate the details.
Yi Xuanshi said, "We still can't penetrate the core areas of the iron mine camp and the Tiandu Mountain camp. According to intelligence from the outer perimeter, Tanna Minghe shows signs of building a city at the Tiandu Mountain gorge. Drogba has also mobilized a large number of people to repair the abandoned road north of the iron mine camp. In my opinion, Tanna Minghe intends to confront Su Gaiwen at the Yujia branch court, allowing us to blockade the northern slope of Yujia Mountain, with the aim of opening up the road at the Tiandu Mountain gorge and monopolizing the huge profits from the trade with Heiliyuan."
Shi Chuanhua chuckled. "Minghe is truly audacious," said one of the officials. "As a member of the Qinglan Imperial Family, he dares to openly trade with the Black Gravel Plain."
Yi Feitian solemnly replied, "Tan Na Minghe may seem audacious, but every step he takes is meticulously calculated. We must not be careless. Besides, we can't possibly keep our movements here completely hidden from him."
Shang Qiufeng felt that Yi Feitian was being overly cautious and disagreed, but he didn't say anything, after all, Yi Feitian was Yi Mingda's son and the most likely successor to Yi Mingda's position.
Under the guidance of Shang Qiufeng and Yi Xuanshi, the cavalry slowly entered the bandit camp.
Yi Feitian was constantly worried about Tan Naminghe's whereabouts. Logically, Tan Naminghe should be enjoying his newlywed life in Wangye City, but his informants there had lost track of him half a month ago. The scouts sent to the iron mine camp suffered heavy losses, yet they still couldn't infiltrate the camp. Although all indications suggested that Tan Naminghe was likely inside the iron mine camp, Yi Feitian had no other choice. The
Dragon Cavalry Battalion had completed its assembly in Shangtang and submitted its relocation documents to the Yu Jia Governor's Office, preparing to be stationed near Yu Jia in the coming days. The Dragon Cavalry Battalion had always been under the command of the Yu Jia Border Defense Military Command, but Yi Feitian, Shi Chuanhua, Shang Qiufeng, and others were unaware that the Dragon Cavalry Battalion was actually Su Mingyan's private army.
When Su Mingyan left Yu Jia, he rewarded Neruda with nearly five million silver coins and five hundred fine horses. Neruda, a man of great ambition, used the enormous sum of money and goods bestowed by Su Mingyan to build an elite cavalry battalion. After five years of painstaking effort, the Dragon Cavalry Battalion became one of the most elite cavalry battalions in the southwestern border region of Qinglan.
The Yi clan, having frequent clashes with the Yu Jia border defense forces, were well aware of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion's formidable strength.
When Su Mingyan built a city in Shangtang Gorge, the Dragon Cavalry Battalion moved there, expanding its strength to one thousand men. Since the troops were drawn from the Yi Tian Guard Battalion, its overall combat power did not decrease significantly.
If the Dragon Cavalry Battalion were to reinforce Yu Jia City, the bandit camp would lose its best opportunity, perhaps its last.
Having prepared for so long, they could no longer give up. As the green reeds in the Chu Bu River Valley sprouted tender green leaves from the river mud, Shang Qiufeng decided to coordinate with the Yi clan's military operations in the southern desert of Yu Jia and launch a surprise attack on Yu Jia City.
On a high rock outside the bandit camp, Su Mingyan, Qi Bo, Mu Zhaoyun, and others hid in the bushes, watching the black-armored army steadily marching southeast towards the Yan Yu Highlands. At the head of the column were twenty Dragon Elephant Knights, the most elite fighting force of the Yi Clan in the three northwestern prefectures. The combined number of Dragon Elephant Knights in the three northwestern prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Canaan Northwest Affairs Bureau was less than a hundred. The dragon elephants they rode were high-ranking wild beasts from the swampy region bordering Seleucia and Canaan. Dragon elephants possessed immense strength; even as cubs, they were known for their fierce bites, capable of fighting lions and tigers. Their hides were as tough as leather armor, impervious to even the strongest bows.
Canaan tamed dragon elephants as their highest-ranking mounts, reserved only for the most elite knights. These twenty Dragon Elephant Knights were at least fifth-rank experts, wielding sharp lances. Combined with their long-tamed dragon elephants, they could rival the Earth Dragon Knights of the Bega Empire on the battlefield.
Following the Dragon Elephant Knights came nearly a hundred Feathered Vulture Knights. The knights rode with their hands on their hands, longbows and large arrows on their backs. Their true mounts, the Azure Feathered Vultures, flew low overhead, like a blue cloud.
Volume 5: Chapter 8 (Part 2)
Forty-eight beacon towers, scattered among the peaks of Yujia Mountain and Junheng Mountain, were lit one after another, black smoke gradually filling the azure sky, sounding the alarm for the Canaanite army's invasion of Yujia City.
At this moment, Su Gavin had not yet noticed the abnormality of the bandit camp. The empire had established a complete military intelligence and warning system directly in front of Yujia City; the Canaanite army could not have approached Yujia City silently. Su Gavin did not anticipate that the real danger this time came from behind.
Qingye County had shown no signs of preparation for war before suddenly launching an invasion; Su Gavin initially thought the soldiers at the front had given a false report. When the news of Canaan's garrison in Qingye County being mobilized in full force was confirmed, Su Gaiwen was suddenly overcome with panic: war had broken out without warning.
The conflict between Qinglan and Canaan was gradually easing, and apart from occasional skirmishes, there seemed to be no possibility of a large-scale war breaking out on the southwestern border. For both Canaan and Qinglan, attacking the other from this route was a hundred times more difficult than from elsewhere. War always breaks out when everyone thinks it's safe, and Su Gaiwen realized that his limited forces were stretched thin.
While sending urgent military reports to Wangye City and Xiazi City, Su Gaiwen ordered the troops patrolling outside the city to return and regroup, causing him to miss the opportunity to detect the invading troops in time. Su Gaiwen also made another fatal mistake: he failed to order the closure of the four city gates in time. When Shang Qiufeng and Yi Feitian led eight thousand invading troops to the north gate of Yujia City, the defending generals still thought they were troops the governor's office was preparing to send to reinforce the southern fortress.
As fate would have it, Su Gaiwen was hesitating whether to send reinforcements from the bandit camp to the south when a captain from the governor's office came to report that eight thousand bandit soldiers were entering Yujia City.
"What!" Su Gaiwen's roar nearly ripped the roof off the governor's office. He grabbed the captain's collar, his eyes wide as saucers. He couldn't believe what the captain was saying. "How could the bandit camp be entering the city at this time?"
The captain was too shocked to speak. Su Gaiwen shoved him to the ground and shouted, "Guards! Guards! Quickly go to the north city to scout the enemy's situation!" Just then, the enemy's bugle call to breach the city came from the north. The mournful bugle call struck Su Gaiwen's heart like a heavy hammer.
Shi Jingdu strode in, shouting as he went, "The entire bandit camp has betrayed us and is seizing the north gate!" The bandits had already captured the north gate, but revealing the truth would only further demoralize the troops. Su Gaiwen grabbed Shi Jingdu by the collar and yelled, "Didn't you keep saying the bandit camp was fine? How could they suddenly betray us?"
Shi Jingdu said agitatedly, "This humble general failed in his duty. I am willing to die to atone for my sins. The most urgent task is to drive the bandits out of Yujia City as quickly as possible."
Su Gaiwen, flustered by the series of shocking events, stared intently at Shi Jingdu's face, unsure whether to trust him.
"Governor Su! The enemy troops are attacking the north gate. What are you hesitating for instead of organizing troops to drive them out!" Zhong Lanhui, sword in his left hand and wearing half-body chainmail, stood on the steps outside the hall and shouted. Su Gaiwen, intimidated by Zhong Lanhui's imposing presence, trembled upon hearing this, released his grip, and looked blankly at Shi Jingdu, Zhong Lanhui, and the numerous generals in the hall, who were in a state of chaos. They had been summoned and were preparing to discuss how to send reinforcements to the south.
"The enemy troops suddenly stormed the city, catching the defending soldiers off guard. The north gate is about to fall. Governor Su, please immediately organize troops to reinforce the north gate!" Zhong Lanhui shouted again.
Su Gaiwen was startled, suddenly snapping back to reality. Things had come to this point; there was no room for lingering fear. He glanced at Shi Jingdu, then at Zhong Lanhui striding in. Seeing the generals still in disarray, a wave of shame washed over him. He shouted, "The bandit camp is a rabble! Why are you all making a mess of things? Attendant, go quickly to the north city to scout the enemy's situation!" Standing on the terrazzo floor, he tried his best to calm his chaotic thoughts, issuing a series of orders: "...Except for the garrison in the south city, all other troops in the city must immediately assemble at the Governor's Mansion. Immediately notify the Yitian Trading Company and request its manager, Liu Jing'an, to come to the Governor's Mansion." "Discussing military matters, summoning warriors from various guilds and merchant houses, as well as mercenaries from the city, to the governor's mansion for orders, and sending someone out of the city to contact Mu Yihan, ordering him to lead his troops back to reinforce the city..."
A dozen or so Qianhe warriors took flight from the Yitian Merchant House, instantly taking in the situation in the north city. Nearly two thousand bandits had entered the city and suddenly launched an attack on the north city's defenders. The north city defenders numbered only five hundred and were caught off guard by the bandits. Many of them didn't even have time to draw their swords before becoming victims of the bandits' blades. The bandits quickly gained control of the north city gate, and more bandits were pouring in from the north city gate.
Dozens of blue-feathered vultures carrying blue-armored warriors skimmed low over the city wall. Before the blue-armored warriors could make a move, the vultures' sharp talons seized the last dozen or so Yujia City Guards who were still resisting on the city wall and tore them in half in mid-air, their blood raining down like rain.
The bandits swiftly advanced into the inner city, encountering almost no resistance along the way. Su Gaiwen ordered his troops to assemble at the Governor's Mansion, avoiding a hasty reinforcement of the northern city to prevent the risk of total annihilation in the chaos.
The Yitian Trading Company, representing the Prince's Mansion's status in Yujia City, was located adjacent to the left side of the Governor's Mansion. Originally a detached residence belonging to the Governor's Mansion, it had been separated from the mansion by Su Mingyan after his two visits to Yujia. Liu Jing'an watched the Qianhe warriors in the air, their rapid cries echoing far and wide. A Qianhe warrior stood beside him, explaining the meaning of the message from his clan. Liu Jing'an was the Prince's Mansion's overall manager in Yujia City. Su Mingyan, realizing the bandits would launch a surprise attack from the northern city of Yujia Mountain, had strengthened the trading company's armed forces in Yujia City as much as possible.
Seeing that the northern city had fallen, Liu Jing'an's fate hinged on whether he could utilize the advantageous terrain near the Governor's Mansion to repel the enemy's advance. Although the warriors of the Yitian Guard Battalion were unaware of the truth, they showed none of the panic found in the Governor's Mansion. Just as the messenger arrived, warriors guarded every high point on the walls and rooftops, and makeshift watchtowers were being assembled in the courtyard.
Liu Jing'an followed the messenger, circling around the main street to the Governor's Mansion. Su Gaiwen had calmed down from the series of shocks and was loudly reprimanding his officers, organizing his troops to hold off the rapidly advancing enemy forces in the northern city, buying time for the rest of the army to assemble at the Governor's Mansion and prevent them from being defeated one by one.
Upon seeing Liu Jing'an enter, Su Gaiwen immediately said, "The bandit camp has rebelled, and the northern city has fallen. How many warriors are available at the trading post?"
"Two hundred third-tier warriors, and twenty third-tier Thousand He warriors," Liu Jing'an replied.
Su Gaiwen said, "I want to recruit the warriors of Qianhe as scouts, and rely on the trading post to protect the northwest flank of the Governor's Mansion. Any objections?"
"With the nation in peril, the trading post, from Jing'an down, is at the Governor's command."
Su Gaiwen nodded and said, "The South City Armory is still in our hands. Quickly send someone to retrieve supplies. This battle will be somewhat difficult..."
The trading post already had sufficient supplies. After Su Gaiwen said this, Liu Jing'an had his attendant take Su Gaiwen's order back to the trading post and lead the servants to the armory to collect the war supplies.
Shi Jingdu and Zhong Lanhui stood aside as a civil official approached and said, “Last year, the bandit camp was in dire straits, and there wasn’t a single strong bow weighing ninety catties left in the entire camp. Today, the attacking bandits are incredibly fierce, a far cry from what they were six months ago. The bandits are powerful, and the city’s garrison alone cannot contend with them. The north city has already fallen, and the governor’s mansion and the south city cannot hold out for long either. Sir, you should take advantage of the fact that the bandits have not yet taken control of the entire city and lead your troops out of the city to meet up with General Mu and wait for reinforcements from Shangtang and Xiazi.”
“Damn it!” Su Gaiwen’s face turned ashen as he glared fiercely at the official, drawing his sword halfway and pressing it against the official’s neck, shouting, “Before we even engage in battle, you’ve already disrupted our morale! The Canaanite army is raiding our borders from the south, and Yujia City must not fall into their hands. We must use the terrain of the governor’s mansion and the south city to maneuver against the bandits until reinforcements arrive.”
"It will take at least five days for the Upper Tang Dragon Cavalry to arrive and provide reinforcements. Moreover, how can a mere thousand Dragon Cavalry soldiers possibly relieve Yu Jia's crisis?"
With a flash of sword light, a head fell to the ground, and hot blood gushed from the official's neck. Su Gaiwen did not flinch, letting the blood stain his armor, and said with a ferocious expression, "Anyone who speaks of retreat will be punished for treason and executed on the spot!"
The crowd was terrified and lowered their heads in silence.
Su Gaiwen said loudly, "The enemy troops number less than ten thousand, and there are still two thousand garrison troops in the city, plus warriors from various families, totaling a thousand. There are also two thousand elite troops in the northern camp. Can't they hold out for four or five days? Besides the Dragon Cavalry Camp, Shangtang also has the Yitian Guard Camp loyal to the Sixth Prince and the Loujia people. The Loujia warriors all have wings. A straight journey of five hundred li, can it really take five days?"
Liu Jing'an said, "His Highness is not in Wangye...
" After hesitating for a while, as if he had made up his mind to tell the Sixth Prince's shameful deeds, "His Highness is hunting and having fun in Yanyun. A caravan passing through Tiandu Mountain said that a winged beast has appeared north of Yanyu Highlands. His Highness suspects it is the Thundercloud Beast that offended the master years ago. He has led many guards and Qianhe warriors to capture the winged beast. If he finds anything unusual about the bandit camp, he will definitely rush to its aid in time."
Su Gaiwen had no doubts. Hearing Liu Jing'an's words, his solemn expression relaxed slightly. The Yanyu Highlands are only four or five hundred li north of Yujia City. Su Gaiwen knew that the Sixth Prince was not a coward and would definitely come to reinforce him upon receiving the news. Although he did not have a good impression of the Sixth Prince personally, he was envious and worried about the fighting strength of the Sixth Prince's private army. If the Sixth Prince could come to his aid in time, it might solve this problem.
Everyone seemed to see a possibility of victory, and Su Gaiwen's determination to resist was also infected. No one dared to talk about retreating.
Volume 5: Chapter 9 (Part 1)
Su Mingyan wiped the bloodstains off his long sword with a white cloth. In the camp of the bandit camp behind him, the flames gradually died down, and thick smoke continued to rise into the sky. Corpses were piled up, and the Thousand He warriors blocked the air. None of the six hundred bandit soldiers left to guard the bandit camp escaped, but that did not mean that Shang Qiufeng and Yi Feitian would not notice the situation here.
On the third day after the bandit raid on Yujia City, Su Mingyan led the eagerly awaiting Imperial Guards, Thousand He Warriors, and Archers to storm the bandit camp, annihilating the six hundred bandits left behind. The camp, along with the large amount of supplies Shang Qiufeng had left behind, were handed over to Drogba's warriors. He then led nearly twelve hundred elite troops from the Imperial Guards, Thousand He Warriors, and Archers south along the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River, arriving at the camp north of Yujia City, established by Sugavin, at noon the following day.
The ruins of the camp indicated a fierce battle had taken place; while Shang Qiufeng was raiding Yujia City, he had also sent troops to attack the camp there. The two thousand soldiers stationed there were the elite of the Yujia border defense forces; unless Shang Qiufeng and Yi Feiyao had initially made this a primary target, it would have been impossible to annihilate this elite force in just two days.
Zhi Bo and Qian He Changqin both reverted to their true forms as Lou Jia Luo people, their wings behind their shoulders resembling gold and iron, radiating a metallic luster.
Su Mingyan listened intently for a while, then laughed, "The sounds of battle in the city haven't subsided yet. Since Yi Feitian failed to capture Yu Jia City before our arrival, he can only leave Yu Jia with regret."
Yu Jia City, located on the west bank of the Chu Bu River Valley, is a formidable city in the southwest of the empire, bordering the Yu Jia Mountain range to the west. It only has three gates: north, east, and south. The north city fell first, followed by the east and south cities. Only the inner city, where the governor's mansion is located, has resisted to this day, but it is now on its last legs. The narrow streets and sturdy stone walls prevent the enemy troops from deploying their superior forces. Although Yi Feitian had twenty Dragon Elephant Knights, he didn't use them on the battlefield in the city. However, his nearly one hundred Feathered Vulture Knights inflicted heavy losses on the garrison near the Governor's Mansion, with as many as five hundred soldiers dying at their hands. The morale of the defenders was almost shattered by the gleaming claws of the Azure Feathered Vultures.
Su Gavin's armor was stained with dark brown blood, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion surged through him. He thought that if he was in such a state, then the remaining five hundred soldiers must be in even worse shape. Liu Jing'an, with his right arm missing, held a sword in his left hand, his expression resolute, showing no sign of weakness. Ai Chanhui and Shi Zidu were also in a sorry state, sitting against the wall to rest. At this moment, the sound of pheasants flapping their wings came from the sky, and Ai Chanhui's expression changed drastically. The enemy's attack had just been repelled, so why were they surging in like a tide?
A long, loud howl resounded through the sky, and Liu Jing'an looked up to see the Thousand He Warriors flying in all directions.
Mu Zhaoyun, Lu Hu, Lu Qingye, and Ming Shiyu led 300 elite guards and 500 elite archers to remain outside the city, not in a hurry to engage the enemy. Mu Yihan's 2,000 elite troops at their northern camp were also the first to be attacked by the enemy, suffering heavy casualties and unable to enter Yujia City to rendezvous with Su Gaiwen, nor receive instructions from him. For the past few days, they had been conducting guerrilla warfare outside the city, tying down a portion of the enemy forces.
After You Xi led the guards and archers to make contact with Mu Yihan, she relayed Su Mingyan's order, instructing Mu Yihan to lead the remaining troops south to reinforce the southern fortifications. Although Canaan had made little preparation for this invasion, their numbers were considerable. They might take advantage of the defenders' low morale to breach Yujia's southern fortifications.
Leaving Mu Yihan's remaining troops outside Yujia City was of little use; it would be better to strengthen the will to resist of the garrison at the southern fortress. If they could frighten away the Canaanite army, there was a possibility of annihilating the invaders.
The Feathered Vulture Knights, after four days of fierce fighting, suffered extremely heavy casualties. Facing hundreds of elite Thousand He warriors, they dared not engage. Yi Feiyao watched as the Thousand He warriors spread their enormous wings and flew overhead, landing in the inner city where the governor's mansion was located. Knowing he had missed the best opportunity to seize Yujia City, he managed to get Tan Naminghe to arrive in time.
Yi Feitian ordered the bandits in the city to gather at the south gate, and ordered the bandits outside the city to outflank the south gate from the outer city. Shang Qiufeng was most familiar with the fighting strength of Su Mingyan's private army. Seeing the Thousand He warriors flying about, he was already afraid. Seeing that Yi Feitian was only acting this way, why would he have any objections?
Su Mingyan jumped down from the shoulder of a Thousand He warrior. The Thousand He warriors took over the defense of the left flank of the governor's mansion. Almost none of the withdrawn soldiers were intact. The courtyard of the governor's mansion was full of wounded soldiers, with almost no place to stand. However, having escaped the fear of death, hundreds of people showed a trace of relief on their faces for the first time in days.
Liu Jing'an's right arm was severed below the elbow, and the armor sleeve was tied behind his back to prevent it from swaying from side to side during battle. Su Mingyan quickly helped Liu Jing'an up, preventing him from falling. Looking at his severed arm, he asked, "Aren't there light sorcerers in the city?"
Liu Jing'an replied, "The art of limb regeneration is too strenuous. Losing an arm can save several wounded. Jing'an is fine."
Liu Jing'an was shrewd and capable, but his aptitude for martial arts wasn't particularly high. Su Mingyan felt sorry for Liu Jing'an's crippled state and frowned, asking, "Is the severed arm still there?"
An elderly man in white robes approached and bowed to Su Mingyan: "No one has the strength to cast a healing spell at this time." The elderly man in white robes was Elder Sangji, the priest sent by the Holy See to Yujia County. He was a sixth-level light sorcerer, and it was he who saved Su Mingyan from his initial serious injuries in Yujia. He looked haggard and was nearing the end of his life. If he were forced to cast a fifth-level healing spell, it would be like sacrificing his life force.
Su Mingyan returned the greeting, saying, "It's good that High Priest Sangji is here." Seeing Su Gavin approaching, he didn't discuss other matters and said, "Prepare a quiet room. Please have the High Priest gather the Light Sorcerers."
The healing techniques of the Natural Sect only accelerated the healing process. Su Mingyan dared not use this technique indiscriminately on the wounded scattered on the ground; those seriously injured would most likely die from it. The Light Sorcerers were simply overexerted, and the best remedy for eliminating fatigue was time. Su Mingyan gathered the Light Sorcerers, formed hand seals, and emitted beams of green light unique to the divine realm, covering the entire quiet room, using the power of time to accelerate the Light Sorcerers' recovery process.
Those enveloped in the green light felt as if they had traversed the river of time for a long time. When the green light disappeared, High Priest Sangji opened his eyes, the exhaustion caused by the depletion of his mental energy vanishing. Looking at the pale-faced Su Mingyan, and after the other gray-robed sorcerers had left the meditation room, he clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Nature's Healing is actually comparable to the Great Restoration Spell; it's truly unexpected."
Nature's Healing is a single-target spell. Su Mingyan broke through the single-target limitation of Nature's Healing, extending the spell's effective range to the entire meditation room, but it still cannot be compared to the sixth-tier Light-element spell, Great Restoration Spell. High Priest Sangji's words were merely a compliment.
Su Mingyan smiled and said, "Minghe practices the naturalistic arts of the Church, which may be considered blasphemous. I hope the High Priest will not blame me."
"Ancient methods are not meant to be immutable. The prohibitions established three hundred years ago are outdated; they were simply too quiet for the Pope to hear. Besides, does Your Highness really think a life-saving technique is truly an evil art?"
High-ranking light sorcerers are usually treated as honored guests by royalty and nobility. A sixth-rank Grand Resurrection spell can save lives; even those who fear death would squander their fortunes to experience a life-extending spell. Sangji, as a sixth-rank light sorcerer, serving as a high priest in the dilapidated monastery of Yujia City is essentially an exile. He is, in fact, a dissident within the Church.
Su Mingyan had little contact with High Priest Sangji, but hearing his words, he felt a surge of goodwill. Since it was impossible to completely expel the Church's influence within Yujia, it was better to support dissidents within the Church.
Grey-robed sorcerers were extremely rare in Yujia City, and in wartime they were the primary targets of the Feathered Vulture Knights. At this moment, only the eight Light Sorcerers under High Priest Sangji had survived because they had remained in the main hall treating the wounded. These eight Light Sorcerers were all disciples personally trained by Sangji, possessing profound skills. Su Gavin and his men had been able to hold out in the Governor's Mansion for so long largely thanks to them. When
the eight Light Sorcerers emerged from the meditation room, their previously depleted mental energy had recovered to about 70-80%. When Su Mingyan and High Priest Sangji emerged from the meditation room, they had already begun treating the wounded.
A sorcerer brought over a sealed metal box. High Priest Sangji opened it, revealing a golden liquid inside, in which a severed arm was submerged. He muttered to himself, "The amount of golden liquid added was simply too little. Three days have passed; it seems only a Great Healing Spell can reattach Lord Liu's arm."
Liu Jing'an frowned slightly upon seeing his severed arm immersed in the golden liquid. He knew that after High Priest Sangji cast the Great Healing Spell, he would be unable to help the injured on the ground. He refused, saying, "Jing'an still has his left arm to use; the right arm is fine. If others are deprived of timely treatment because of me, I will feel uneasy."
Sangji turned to Su Mingyan and asked… As far as I know, the Natural Sect possesses the art of life-slowing. Your Highness still has the strength to use it. As long as the severed arm doesn't continue to deteriorate, I can use the Great Restoration Spell on Lord Liu after the battle. "
The division of spells into ranks is something the Maha Church does. Su Mingyan obtained the Natural Spells Scroll from the Lu family, and the last few pages record the art of life-slowing, which is actually a fairly high-ranking spell." Su Mingyan nodded. To avoid any negative impact, Su Mingyan would not use the spell in public. He took the long metal box and returned to the meditation room. The green light emanating from the hand seals dissolved into the box, and the golden liquid turned dark gold. The golden liquid is a holy healing product of the Light Sect. At this moment, the life aura that was generated was even more intense.
Volume 5: Chapter 9 (Part 2)
Su Mingyan summoned Su Gaiwen alone in the meditation room. Su Gaiwen was no longer as arrogant as before. He understood that even if he could repel the enemy soldiers, his glory and wealth in this life had come to an end. Whether he could minimize his punishment depended heavily on the Sixth Prince's attitude.
“The border defense command of Yujia has long suffered from corruption, and today’s events are not entirely Governor Su’s fault,” Su Mingyan comforted him. “Fortunately, Drogba did not betray us with Shang Qiufeng, otherwise he would have caught me off guard in the Yan Yun wilderness. After receiving Drogba’s message, I gathered all the troops I had in Yan Yun. Apart from the three hundred Thousand He warriors who entered the city, there are three hundred swordsmen and five hundred archers outside the city to fight the enemy. The reinforcements from Shangtang will not arrive until tomorrow afternoon. I have ordered Mu Yihan to lead the remaining troops to reinforce the southern fortress defense line. If the Canaan army breaks through the southern fortress defense line, the problem will be much bigger.”
All twenty Thousand He warriors of the merchant guild were killed in battle. Su Gavin was trapped in the governor’s mansion and could not know the news from the outside world. Logically speaking, the forces that Canaan mobilized this time would not exceed ten thousand. Judging from their speed of advance, they should be lightly armed and long-distance, without large siege equipment, and even lacking food supplies.
The Chubu River flows south for three hundred li from Yujia City before completely drying up. Near the river's extension lies four military fortifications outside Yujia City, forming a robust defensive system that blocks the Canaanite army's path into Yujia. The southern fortification line has five thousand troops, with strong fortifications to rely on and powerful defensive weapons. As long as morale remains high, holding the southern fortification line should not be a problem. Mu
Yihan led his troops outside the city to contend with the far superior enemy forces. The remaining remnants of his army are likely few in number. The Sixth Prince ordered Mu Yihan to lead the remaining troops to reinforce the southern fortification line, intending to inform the defenders there that the chaos in Yujia City has been brought under control.
Su Gaiwen stood with his hands at his sides, knowing he had lost the right to sit beside the Sixth Prince. He reported the heavy casualties in Yujia City: "...The city originally had 2,500 defenders. After the enemy entered the city, they gathered nearly 1,500 warriors from various families. Less than 1,000 survived. The merchant guild also suffered heavy casualties. When the guild was breached yesterday, less than 100 warriors remained, and all twenty Qianhe warriors were killed in action..."
Su Mingyan had not expected such heavy casualties. Upon further inquiry, he learned that the North City had been captured by the enemy without any defenses. By condoning the enemy's rebellion, they had almost brought disaster upon themselves. Su Mingyan sighed inwardly.
Shi Jingdu and Zhong Lanhui were also shaken, filled with lingering fear. If the Sixth Prince had arrived half a day late, they would have all become victims of the enemy's blades.
Thanks to the efforts of High Priest Sangji and eight Light Sorcerers, the lightly wounded recovered their fighting strength, and the seriously wounded survived, lying in safe corners. The Chiga samurai took over the defense of the entire left flank, and Youxi led a portion of the Chiga samurai to reinforce the right flank. The Feathered Eagle Knights, having lost three-quarters of their fighting strength, dared not engage in battle. The Chiga samurai, completely dominating the air and supported by sturdy defensive walls, repelled several relatively weak attacks from the enemy. For the first time in several days, Yujia was free of the sounds of battle at night.
At noon the next day, Neruda led the Dragon Cavalry to Yujia, along with five hundred Chiga samurai. After joining forces with the Guards and Archers led by Mu Zhaoyun, they cleared out the enemy troops remaining in the northern part of Yujia and prepared to counterattack the northern city.
Meanwhile, Yi Jingxuan led the Canaanite army to breach Dingliu Fort. The remnants of Dingliu Fort retreated to the other three forts. Yi Jingxuan left only two thousand troops to guard the retreat route, leading the rest of his forces to bypass Dingliu Fort and advance directly into Yujia City. They arrived at the southern city of Yujia late at night, joining forces with the enemy troops led by Yi Feitian.
At this time, Mu Zhaoyun, leading the Imperial Guard and Archer Battalions, and with the cooperation of a large number of Chiga Samurai, recaptured the North City, lifting the siege of the Governor's Mansion by the bandits.
The remaining six thousand bandits retreated to the South City, forming a pincer movement with the Canaanite army outside the city.
Neruda led the Dragon Cavalry Battalion, and Qi Bo led three hundred elite Chiga Samurai to set up camp outside the city. Using these two strongest and most mobile elite forces to set up camp outside the city threatened the Canaanite army, preventing them from committing all their strength to capture the city.
Mu Zhaoyun led the Imperial Guard, Ming Shiyu led the Archer Battalion, and Chiga Nagakoto led five hundred ordinary Chiga Samurai to cooperate with the remaining thousand or so troops of Yujia City to strengthen the defense of the North City and the Governor's Mansion.
Yi Feitian felt a profound sense of frustration at his near-defeat. Although he held far more resources than Tan Naminghe, the prolonged battle meant a steady stream of reinforcements from Qinglan Land, while he himself had none. If the balance of power shifted, he feared his entire army would be annihilated.
Yi Feitian carefully examined the crossbow bolts in his hand; these were bolts fired by the Lougara people who had come to Yujia with the Dragon Riders at noon. In terms of individual combat strength, a Feathered Vulture Knight was equivalent to a fourth-tier Lougara warrior. Drawing the bowstring and firing an arrow in mid-air was extremely difficult. Yi Feitian estimated that among the Lougara who had migrated to Yujia with Tan Naminghe, there were about a thousand skilled archers in the air, and about three hundred fourth-tier Lougara warriors. This matched the number of the Qianhe warriors who had initially arrived in Yujia with Tan Naminghe. However, by switching to lighter crossbows, the number of Lougara people that Tannaminghe could mobilize to fly into the air would double. Looking at the crossbow bolts in his hand, Yi Feitian felt increasingly disheartened and made a decision: "Since the chances of winning are slim, we must withdraw from the battlefield without hesitation."
Su Mingyan, You Xi, Mu Zhaoyun, Su Gaiwen, Zhong Lanhui, and others gathered in the main hall of the governor's mansion to discuss the next phase of defense. At dawn, flames suddenly erupted over the southern city wall. The enemy troops had completely withdrawn from the southern city and retreated south with the Canaanite army. At this time, the Yitian Guard Battalion and the cavalry battalion stationed in Xiazi were only eighty li away from Yujia City.
Su Mingyan, not yet convinced that the flames had been completely extinguished, climbed the southern city wall and, watching the dust billowing across the sky, thought that Yi Feitian was indeed a worthy adversary. The Canaanite army retreated in an orderly fashion, and Su Mingyan only ordered Qi Bo to lead three hundred elite Qianhe warriors to follow and harass them. The garrison stationed in the southern fortifications disobeyed Su Mingyan's orders issued by the Prince's Mansion and went out to pursue them, only to be routed by the Canaanite army's counterattack and suffer heavy losses. Yi Jingxuan, Yi Feiyao, and Shang Qiufeng had no intention of fighting in Yujia for long, and unable to shake off the harassment of the Qianhe warriors and defeat the land pursuers, they continued their southward retreat.
Zhi Bo waited until the Canaanite army had completely withdrawn back into Canaan territory before abandoning the harassment along the way and returning to Yujia.
Su Mingyan, in the name of the Prince's Mansion rather than the Governor's Mansion, ordered the remaining three thousand troops of the Yujia Border Defense Command to gather and rest in the other three forts, with Neruda leading the Dragon Cavalry Battalion to garrison the Dingliu Fortress.
Although the fortress garrison had disobeyed the Prince's Mansion's orders to leave the fortress and pursue the Canaanite army, resulting in heavy casualties, the former border defense commanders, led by Mu Yihan, dared not disobey the Prince's Mansion's orders again. Although it was against the rules, they knew to some extent the power of the Sixth Prince and that Su Gaiwen had lost power; none of the orders issued in the past few days had been issued by the Governor's Mansion.
Of the thousand remaining defenders of Yu Jia, half were warriors conscripted from various families. Su Mingyan ordered the disbandment of these conscripted warriors, and the Yi Yao Guard Battalion, Imperial Guard Battalion, and Archer Battalion took over the defense of Yu Jia City. As for the two battalions of guest troops who had come from Xia Zi, Su Mingyan unceremoniously ordered them to set up camp outside the city, forcing other reinforcements entering Yu Jia to turn back. The news of
the Yi clan's instigation of a rebellion by the bandit camp, leading an invasion of Yu Jia but failing to achieve its objective, quickly spread throughout the Central Plains. The war had temporarily subsided, but the aftershocks of the event were far-reaching, shocking not only Qing Lan but also the Canaan court. Relations between the two countries had gradually eased since the exchange of hostages, and the joint campaign against the Crimson Demons had elevated their relationship to a new level, only to be brought back to square one by the Yi clan in this battle. Qiao Yiliang and Chunjiang Minghu both petitioned the king to summon Yi Mingda back to the capital to defend himself, both harboring the intention of weakening the Yi clan.
Although Qinglan was said to be an empire in its twilight years, it still possessed imperial authority. The garrisons of the four southeastern prefectures began to converge on Qinshan, preparing for a retaliatory attack on the border cities of Canaan. Enraged, the Emperor ordered the Privy Council to dismiss Su Gaiwen from his positions as Governor-General of Yujia Prefecture and Commander-in-Chief of the Yujia Prefecture Border Defense Force. At this time, only Prince Tanna Minghe of Yujia Prefecture and Zhong Lanhui, the Assistant Minister of the Mirror Platform, were capable of overseeing important affairs in Yujia. Zhong Lanhui refused to assume the post of Governor-General of Yujia Prefecture, citing serious injuries. The capital was eager to plan a counterattack against Canaan and decided to temporarily exercise power, appointing Tanna Minghe to temporarily assume military and political authority in Yujia Prefecture.
Su Gaiwen was placed under house arrest in a secluded courtyard within the Governor-General's residence. He knew that his mistakes and crimes could be serious or minor, all in the hands of the scribes, and he was struggling to find a way to escape punishment when he heard footsteps in the courtyard. The person who entered whispered a few instructions, and the warriors guarding the courtyard gate left.
Su Gaiwen looked up and saw his former confidant Shi Jingdu push open the door and walk in. He asked with a puzzled look, "I am already a prisoner, so why are you still safe and sound?"
"You are already a prisoner, don't you understand?" Shi Jingdu smiled coldly and said, "The Emperor's son has repeatedly tried to curry favor with you, but you have ignored him..."
"What?" Su Gaiwen stared at Shi Jingdu with wide eyes.
"Today I'll make sure you die knowing the truth! Did you think the Yi family could secretly supply the bandits' camp without anyone noticing?"
Su Gaiwen seemed struck by lightning, his face pale, his eyes almost bursting, as he angrily rebuked, "For your own selfish reasons, you've actually put an entire city's soldiers and civilians to death..."
"Haha...
" Shi Jingdu laughed loudly, "We may have acted for our own selfish reasons, but are all the gold and silver in Su Gaiwen's mansion clean? Have you forgotten who organized the bandits, who raised them to become a threat?"
Ignoring Su Gaiwen's distorted face, Shi Jingdu pushed open the door and walked out, just in time to see Su Mingyan and You Xi, their faces grim, entering the courtyard. He suppressed his unrestrained laughter and said, "Your Highness is too merciful. Just because Su Gaiwen can't figure it out today doesn't mean he won't be able to figure it out in the capital. Su Gaiwen must die right under our noses to put our minds at ease."
Volume 5: Chapter 9 (Part 2)
"The enemy's successful capture of Beicheng is also thanks to you," Su Mingyan said, his cold eyes fixed on Shi Jingdu, barely suppressing his anger.
"Su Gaiwen's crime is not serious, how could Your Highness so quickly assume control of Yujia's military and political affairs?" Shi Jingdu retorted.
At this point, there was no need to fall out with Tan Nalongcheng, so naturally, he couldn't afford to argue with such a person. Su Mingyan looked at Shi Jingdu with disgust. It wasn't that his hands were untouched by blood, but being forced to kill by someone like Shi Jingdu left him with a bitter taste. He snorted coldly and said, "You all stay outside." He pushed open the door and went inside alone.
After entering, Su Mingyan set up a barrier inside the room, preventing Shi Jingdu and You Xi outside from hearing any sounds from within. After a long while, Su Mingyan finally pushed open the door and went in. As he walked, he took out a piece of white silk from his pocket, wiped the bloodstains from his hands, and said, "Su Gaiwen didn't seem to have any intention of dying, so I had to take care of it." He casually threw away the blood-stained white silk and instructed Youxi, "Publicly announce that Su Gaiwen died from battle wounds and request the capital to pardon his relatives; privately, say that Su Gaiwen committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Shi Jingdu said, "Your Highness's plan is excellent. Those who don't know the truth will think that Your Highness intends to pardon the Su family."
Su Mingyan saw the contempt in Shi Jingdu's eyes, and with a stern face, he said without a smile, "Su Gaiwen is ultimately your former master. You will handle his affairs after his death." After saying that, he and Youxi left.
Stepping out of the courtyard, Youxi, seeing no one around, asked Su Mingyan, "Why did Your Highness take action personally?" At this point, Su Gaiwen should have been prepared to commit suicide. Your Highness's personal action would allow Shi Jingdu to incite Su Gaiwen's former subordinates, which would be extremely disadvantageous for them.
Qi Bo suddenly emerged from behind the courtyard wall; he had been concealing himself using shadow magic. He told Su Mingyan, "After Your Highness left, Shi Jingdu picked up the white silk Your Highness had left behind."
Su Mingyan then explained Youxi's doubts: "I wanted to give Shi Jingdu a chance to bite me." He instructed Qi Bo, "Keep an eye on Shi Jingdu these next few days and see who he shows this white silk stained with Su Gaiwen's blood to."
Youxi suddenly realized, "So Your Highness had other intentions."
Su Mingyan said, "Jiang Caili is about to arrive in Yujia. Discuss with him the establishment of a shogunate."
The capital authorized Su Mingyan to concurrently manage the military and political affairs of Yujia County, but did not formally grant him the positions of Governor-General of Yujia County and Commander-in-Chief of the Yujia County Border Defense Force. Su Mingyan had no choice but to establish a separate government to exercise military and political power over Yujia County. Once a complete military and political system was established, even if the capital appointed another governor and general, they wouldn't be able to easily regain control of Yujia County.
Jiang Caili and Najinieqi arrived in Yujia City. At this time, Yujia City was in ruins; almost the entire southern part of the city had been burned down. However, they didn't notice any signs of decay in Yujia City. The mutiny of the enemy soldiers and the invasion of Canaan had caused tens of thousands of casualties among the Yujia people. Jiang Caili didn't find cleaning up the mess particularly troublesome.
Most of the townspeople were dressed in mourning, so Jiang Caili had to suppress her inner joy and feign a sorrowful expression. Upon arriving at the governor's mansion, she found no outsiders present. You Xi, Bai Shu, Qian He Changqin, Zhi Bo, Mu Zhaoyun, Neruda, Liu Jing'an, Lu Hu, Lu Qingye, Naji Nieqi, Naji Wuyan, Drogba, Ming Shiyu, and others were all His Highness's confidants. Jiang Caili then asked with a beaming smile, "How does Your Highness intend to arrange Yu Jia's military and political affairs?"
Su Mingyan officially took up his post at the Governor's Mansion. Although the Governor's Mansion was damaged in many places due to the war and was in dire need of repair, Su Mingyan sat in the seat that Su Gaiwen had previously occupied. He seemed indifferent, looking at the people around him. There was no longer any need to hide his ambition to seize control of Yujia. He said, "The capital has granted me temporary military and political power. I will establish a government in Yujia City, nominally with Wangye City as the main government and Yujia City as the secondary government. In reality, Yujia City will be the main government and Wangye City as the secondary government. Fang Jingchuan, Ye Mingchen, and Wu Misheng will remain in Wangye, and the three of them will be responsible for the civil administration, military administration, and the affairs of the Prince's Mansion in Wangye City, respectively. Everyone else will come to Yujia City. Cai Li will be in charge of civil administration and finance, and You Xi will be in charge of military administration and military orders. Based on the Yitian Guard Battalion, the Yujia Garrison Army will be reorganized, with Bai Shu as the commander." "He will be appointed as the General Commander; the border defense army will be reorganized based on the Dragon Cavalry Battalion, with Neruda as the General Commander."
Jiang Caili said, "We will provide compensation for the wounded and the injured. We will also wage a retaliatory war against Canaan. The capital will allocate a large sum of money to Yujia this time. The Yujia garrison and border defense army have a total strength of 30,000. How many troops does Your Highness plan to station in Yujia?"
Being able to control 30,000 elite troops would not be a problem for Yujia to be divided, but the strength of Yujia County itself is limited in terms of the number of
troops it can support. Once it is divided, it will be impossible to import food from other places on a large scale. The capital allocates about 10 million silver coins to Yujia every year. If the price of local resources is lower, it can indeed support 30,000 troops, but the cost of supporting troops in Yujia will double, unless Yujia County can produce enough food and living supplies.
Su Mingyan said, "Currently, Qingye County in Canaan is our real threat. To the south, the fortified group centered around Dingliu Fort has over four thousand troops, mainly the Dragon Cavalry. With some reinforcements, we can form a battalion of elite cavalry, a battalion of swordsmen, a battalion of archers, and two battalions of halberdiers. The capital demands that we have the strength to counterattack Canaan, and for now, we can only rely on them."
"How should we deal with the Second Prince?"
"The Yujia Army suffered such heavy casualties this time. If we draw elite troops from them, the original camps may collapse. Shi Jingdu and Zhong Lan have been secretly contacting Su Gaiwen's old subordinates without our knowledge. I have Qi Bo personally keeping an eye on them. Since that's the case, let's transfer these unreliable people to him, making a thousand men. This will also fulfill our promise to the Imperial Prince."
Jiang Caili nodded, knowing that His Highness had already made a plan. It was truly fortunate that there was such an agreement with the Second Prince, which allowed them to take this opportunity to eliminate unstable factors.
Su Mingyan further stated, "Withdraw all troops from the Yitian Guard Camp into Yujia City. If necessary, recruit from the iron mine camp in Drogba to form a battalion of swordsmen, a battalion of halberdiers, and a battalion of archers. Mu Zhaoyun will replace Zang Jin at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge camp. Zang Jin will be transferred to Shangtang as the garrison general. Transfer two hundred warriors from the Tiandu Mountain camp and two hundred warriors from the Naji family to reorganize the Shangtang Garrison Camp."
Before the New Year, Zang Jin transferred four hundred elite troops from the Imperial Guard Camp and the Yitian Guard Camp to the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. The Lu clan warriors have already entered the Tiandu Mountain Gorge, and some can be transferred out.
In addition, the Naji clan is migrating as a whole to Yujia County, and many of their warriors can be incorporated into the army.
The bandit camp no longer exists. Of the more than ten thousand bandit soldiers stationed at the iron mine camp, only two thousand elite troops were transferred to supplement various units. The rest, including those from their respective units, were to be relocated to the Yanyu Highlands in northwestern Yujia, one of the most water-rich areas within Yanyun. The
narrow Yanyu Highlands, located on the eastern foothills of the Gangdus Mountains, extend northward to the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. The bandit camp and the iron mine camp are situated on the edge of the Yanyu Highlands. Before entering Yujia City, Jiang Caili had already planned to build a city on the site of the former bandit camp and the iron mine camp. Using the blasphemous road and the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River, he outlined a route for expansion into the Kuibu region of Yanyun, more than doubling the actual controlled territory of Yujia County.
In fact, the most urgent problem facing Yujia at present is not a lack of water, but a lack of manpower. Speaking of this, everyone inevitably began to complain again.
The rebellion of the bandits resulted in the deaths of over ten thousand soldiers and civilians in Yujia, with many more defecting and leaving Yujia, causing a 20% loss of its 100,000 soldiers and civilians. Drogba's forces were streamlined, with only 5,000 households remaining, temporarily subsisting on hunting and herding. Once the iron mines, the bandit camp, and the three cities at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge were completed, agriculture could be supplemented. Shangtang and Wangye had only 3,000 households, and the Chubu River Valley north of Yujia had 4,000 households. Fortunately, the bandit rebellion was short-lived, and the war did not reach those areas, resulting in minimal losses. Currently, the entire Yujia prefecture has only about 12,000 households, plus 7,000-8,000 Loujia people residing in the Qianhe Lake Valley, yet it has to maintain an army of nearly 10,000. It's too early to talk about secession.
Su Mingyan holds military and political power in Yujia County, which can accelerate the pace of the blasphemous people leaving the Black Gravel Plain. However, the entire Black Gravel Plain only has seventy to eighty thousand blasphemous people, far from meeting the requirements for separatist independence. If a lean military policy is implemented in Yujia, Yujia will ultimately need to accommodate one hundred to one hundred thousand households to maintain such a large military.
To achieve this goal, one approach is to attract households from Xiutu County to migrate to Yujia, and another is to abduct people from Qingye County. Without war or natural disasters, few households are willing to leave their homes to settle elsewhere, especially since Yujia has always been considered a barbaric land by the Qinglan people. In fact, given Su Mingyan's personal preferences and his wariness of the Mojie and Wu clans, he would prefer to abduct people from Canaan. Since the Yi clan started the war, they must bear the corresponding consequences.
The Yujia Mountains and Junheng Mountains form a funnel-shaped valley plain in front of Yujia City. Yujia City is located at the bottom of the funnel, and the passage in and out of Yujia is completely sealed off by just one city and four fortresses. The other end of the funnel-shaped valley plain opens into a fan-shaped area four hundred miles wide. The southern half of the entire valley plain connects with the northwestern desert of Canaan, forming a vast desert landscape. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for either Yujia or Canaan to attack each other from here. If a large army enters enemy territory from here, it cannot rely on supplies from the rear.
The Chubu River extends three hundred miles south of Yujia City before completely drying up. It is not far from Qingye City. If an elite mobile force were to set off from there, it could easily break through the defensive line established by the Yi Clan on the fan-shaped front of the valley plain and enter the heart of Qingye County.
"Then let's build a stronghold at the end of the Chubu River!" Su Mingyan made the final decision, deciding to launch a retaliatory counterattack against the Yi Clan from there.
Volume 5: Chapter 10 (Part 1)
Although everything was agreed upon, implementation was fraught with difficulties.
By the end of spring, only half of the blasphemous road was completed, and the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River needed further repair and widening. Considering that Bo Xun might be defeated in the war of succession against the Xi clan, the city at the mouth of the Tiandu Mountain Gorge would be the front line against the Xi clan. The city named Tiandu City, although only two thousand paces high, required five thousand able-bodied men to quarry and build it from black basalt on the spot. Its scale was comparable to that of Shangtang Pass, but the difficulty of the project was ten times greater.
Yujia City was in dire need of repair, the army had suffered heavy casualties and desperately needed compensation, and the various armies desperately needed reorganization. When Su Mingyan took over the military and political power of Yujia County, it was the beginning of his hectic situation. He didn't know when the counterattack and retaliation against the Yi clan would be postponed. Fortunately, the capital allocated substantial military funds for the reconstruction of Yujia City and the reorganization of the border defense forces. It also provided full compensation for the casualties, three times the annual military expenditure of Yujia County, totaling thirty million silver coins. In addition, the Su family donated twenty million silver coins as atonement money.
For Su Mingyan, the reorganization of the border defense forces simply involved merging his private army into the border guards, at a very low cost. Su Mingyan allocated twenty million silver coins for the repairs of Yujia City and compensation for the wounded and injured; he diverted the remaining funds elsewhere, which alleviated the existing financial pressure to some extent.
Canaan and Qinglan mutually sealed off their borders, severing the trade route between Qingye County and Yujia County. The reopening date seemed far off. However, Yujia County's merchants did not decline. The county prince's monthly expenditure of nearly ten million silver coins, coupled with the import of large quantities of goods from elsewhere, sustained the apparent prosperity of Yujia County's trade. Before Su Mingyan took over Yujia's military and political affairs, Wangye City was a major distribution center for goods entering the Yanyun Wasteland. The Blasphemous Road was not yet completed, and goods transported into the Tiandu Mountain Gorge mainly passed through Yujia, traversing the abandoned road on the west bank of the Chubu River. The former bandit camp and iron mine camp were still far from being fortified, but small towns had already formed.
As the Blasphemous Road extended into the Yanyun Wasteland, Yujia gradually began to export its products, although the quantity was negligible compared to the imports. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging start.
The verdict was finalized after the coffin was closed. A month after Su Gaiwen's death, the capital finally determined his merits and demerits. The capital accepted the explanation that Su Gaiwen died from injuries sustained in battle and only demoted him by one rank. His eldest son inherited the title but was further demoted by one rank, and was permitted to be buried with the honors due to a governor of a border prefecture. However, the Su family dared not build a grand tomb for Su Gaiwen within Yujia County. Seven days after the imperial decree of his punishment reached Yujia, they buried Su Gaiwen's body in the Su family cemetery.
The Su family can be considered the only major clan in Yujia County. In the more than three hundred years since the founding of Qinglan Kingdom, the Su family produced a total of seven border governors. Each of their terms was exceptionally long, almost half the length of Yujia County's history.
Su Gaiwen's eldest son, Su He, inherited Su Gaiwen's title, but was demoted one rank, and became a First-Class Yunqiwei (a military rank).
Imperial titles were divided into five ranks: King, County King, Duke, Marquis, and Earl. Only members of the royal family, nobles, and high-ranking officials of border counties could be granted these titles. Below these were official titles, also known as military merit titles, divided into three ranks: Yunqiwei, Light Chariot Captain, and Cavalry Captain, each with three grades, totaling nine grades. All of the above were fiefdoms granted, but... Besides the five ranks of nobility granted to officials (military merit nobility), the fiefdoms of officials were actually calculated at one silver coin for every two households, with monthly stipends provided by the government treasury.
Below these were civilian nobility, divided into three tiers and nine grades: gold, silver, and bronze. For example, killing one enemy soldier on the battlefield could earn one third-grade bronze-rank "Zaoshi" nobility, exempting one person in their household from taxation. If the individual left the military camp, they would be exempt from taxation.
Jiang Caili, You Xi, Fang Jingchuan, Neruda, Drogba, and others, if calculated as a "hundred-household" nobility, would only be equivalent to a third-grade "Light Cavalry Captain," receiving fifty silver coins per month. However, Su Mingyan allowed them to establish clans in Yanyun, allocating them a hundred-household clan, one hundred laborers, two hundred thousand silver coins, and twenty... Elite warriors, such a reward is comparable to the earldom of the highest rank.
Suhe inherited the title of First-Class Cloud Cavalry Captain, a title of a thousand households, but he could not actually enjoy a fiefdom; he could only receive a monthly stipend of five hundred silver coins from the prefectural government. Of course, the Su family was large and powerful, and Su Gaiwen was buried with the honors due to a governor, thus preserving the Su family's wealth. Suhe naturally did not care about the monthly stipend of five hundred silver coins.
Su Mingyan looked at Suhe's long, pale profile. Although the Su family had not been convicted this time, they had suffered a great loss. A large number of family warriors had died in battle, two thousand households of the tribe had been incorporated into the civilian register, and a large amount of noble land and manor had been confiscated by the prefectural government. They could no longer... Maintain the status of the powerful clans in the border region.
Su Mingyan looked up and saw that dusk had fallen and the funeral rites were over. He then instructed Youxi to prepare to return to the city.
Su Gaiwen was buried with the rites due to a governor. All the major officials and generals of Yujia County, from Su Mingyan down, were supposed to attend his funeral, but very few actually came. Perhaps many did not expect the Sixth Prince to come.
Su Mingyan rode on his silver-horned wind-horse, gazing at the twilight clouds flowing over the distant mountain peaks. He felt no joy at defeating his opponent, and unknowingly arrived at the governor's mansion. Su Mingyan handed the reins to the guards behind him and asked Youxi, "When will Qingling and the others arrive?"
"Judging by the journey, they should have passed Shangtang by now. They might be delayed in Qianhe Lake Valley."
"The inner quarters are too empty," Su Mingyan said with a sigh as he walked. "It's good that they're delayed in Qianhe Lake Valley. The governor's mansion is too dilapidated." "
The inner quarters of the Governor's Mansion are the size of a palace. Su Mingyan felt exhausted and dismissed You Xi. He entered his bedchamber alone, but found no maidservants. His brow twitched slightly. He entered the inner room and smelled a faint scent of blood. Su Mingyan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the shadows of the trees outside the stained-glass window, and said, 'You've finally come.' As soon as he finished speaking, a bright bolt of lightning shot out from the shadows in the corner, heading straight for Su Mingyan's chest.
The moment the lightning struck, a soft light barrier suddenly emanated from the protective ring on his left hand, enveloping him. The lightning pierced through the light barrier and embedded itself in Su Mingyan's left arm. The lightning he was holding in his right hand was now actually a gleaming sword blade.
Su Mingyan stared at the cold, handsome young man standing in the shadows and asked, 'You are Mu Yihan? I have summoned you repeatedly, but you have refused to come. I did not expect you to come uninvited.'"
The commotion alerted the guards outside, and dozens of them rushed into the outer hall. Su Mingyan loudly ordered, "There is nothing wrong here. Everyone, leave the hall and await further orders. No one is allowed to come in. " The guards retreated from the outer hall like a receding tide.
Su Mingyan flicked his finger, shattering the sword into pieces, and said, "Lord Su has four sons alive, why must you alone avenge him?"
Mu Yihan retorted sharply, "You used wealth and power to coerce the Su family into submission. I, Mu Yihan, have received great kindness from Lord Su, how dare I begrudge my life?" Su Mingyan
chuckled softly, pointing to the protective ring on his left hand, and said, "This ring is called 'Guardian.' Without a sword, you can no longer harm me. What should you do?"
Mu Yihan was filled with grief and indignation. He knew all too well that even without the protective ring, his chances of assassinating the Sixth Prince were slim. But he was unwilling to let this man live! Losing his broken sword, he condensed his inner energy into a short, emerald-green spear in his right hand, ready to attack.
Su Mingyan said, "Did you really believe Shi Jingdu's one-sided story?"
Mu Yihan was slightly taken aback, took out a blood-stained white silk from his robes, and threw it ... Approaching Su Mingyan, he said, "You said that Lord Su died from his injuries. The chief priest Sangji is at the governor's mansion. How could Lord Su have died from his injuries? There are rumors in the city that Lord Su committed suicide out of fear of punishment, but Lord Su clearly died from a chest wound. How do you explain this white silk?"
Su Mingyan sighed slightly, "Lord Su did indeed die at my hands, but before he died, he told me a story about his love with a commoner woman. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing it?"
Upon hearing Su Mingyan's words, Mu Yihan's hands trembled slightly, and he asked sharply, "Where did you hear this?"
Su Mingyan ignored his question and continued, "When Lord Su was young, he fell in love with a female slave in his household. The two secretly fell in love. However, this female slave was not even qualified to be Lord Su's concubine. If the female slave did not get pregnant, no one would care about their affairs. It is perfectly normal for a master to favor a female slave." The female slave happened to be pregnant. You probably know how the Su family dealt with female slaves who were pregnant with their master's child—they were confined and died to prevent the noble bloodline of the Su family from being tainted by lowly commoners. Lord Su deeply loved that female slave. Upon learning of her pregnancy, he didn't want her to be executed. So he let her leave the Su family and marry a hunter. Later, he adopted the son she gave birth to as his godson, carefully teaching him martial arts and military strategy, treating him even better than his own son…”
“How could you possibly know?” Mu Yihan's right hand, which had conjured a short spear with his inner energy, gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint shadow spear. He stared wide-eyed at Su Mingyan in disbelief.
“I told you, Lord Su told me on his deathbed,” Su Mingyan calmly observed Mu Yihan.
“How could that be? Father clearly died at your hands!” “
Before Lord Su died, I shared my secret with him, so he also shared his secret, which he had kept hidden in his heart for over twenty years,” Su Mingyan bent down to pick up the white silk from the ground, completely disregarding the fact that Mu Yihan, caught in a dilemma, might kill him at any moment. “Lord Su doesn’t blame me for killing him; he only asked me for one thing. Do you know what it is?”
“What is it?” Mu Yihan couldn’t stand Su Mingyan’s composure and excitedly conjured a spear, slowly piercing Su Mingyan’s chest. The protective ring released a light barrier, shielding Su Mingyan.
“This thing is really troublesome; I haven’t had time to give it to anyone yet.” Su Mingyan removed the protective ring, letting Mu Yihan’s spear approach his chest. “Lord Su said that if his adopted son came to avenge him, he asked me to support him to become the head of the Su family. Lord Su was very astute; his four sons all wished he would die like this, to avoid offending them.” Volume 5
: Chapter 10 (Part 2)
Mu Yihan dispelled the crimson spear, standing on the ground with a deathly pale face. His will for revenge had collapsed, and his killing intent had been shattered by Su Mingyan's composure and mocking tone. His heart was filled with conflicting emotions, and he asked himself, "Father, you clearly died at the hands of the King of Thieves, so why did you still entrust him with your final affairs?"
Su Mingyan calmly sat down, spreading the white silk stained with Su Gaiwen's blood on his lap.
Blood continued to seep from the wound on his left arm, soaking through his sleeve. Su Mingyan frowned as he glanced at it, but did not stop the bleeding. He gently rebuked, "You still don't understand who the real murderer who forced Lord Su to his death is?"
"How could this be? How could this be?"
“Shi Jingdu and Zhong Lanhui are my second brother’s disciples…” Su Mingyan took out a piece of white silk from his bosom. There were several lines of blood-written words on the white silk. Su Mingyan handed the white silk to Mu Yihan, “These are the last words that Master Su left for you.”
"...In the struggle for the throne, only death can save the clan, so I sought death. As for my death, whose fault it was, I do not know; it was merely a power struggle. You must not resent the Sixth Prince. If possible, you should execute Shi Jingdu to atone for the unjust death of Yu Jia. As for other matters, they are beyond your control..." Mu Yihan, after reading the blood-written letter, was filled with indignation and grief. He stared intently at Su Mingyan and said, "Please tell me the truth about the bandit rebellion, Your Highness!"
Su Mingyan stood up with his hands in his sleeves, letting the white silk stained with Su Gaiwen's blood fall, and said calmly, "Lord Su's blood-written letter also says it was merely a power struggle. If you want to investigate further, I cannot escape blame either." He sighed softly and said, "I had long foreseen the possibility of a rebellion in the bandit camp, but I did not inform Lord Su, hoping that Lord Su would be punished for it. I never expected it to turn out like this. It even caused the unjust death of over ten thousand soldiers and civilians of Yu Jia."
"Why did Father order me to kill Shi Jingdu to atone for the unjustly killed heroes? Was the fall of Beicheng caused by Shi Jingdu?"
Su Mingyan remained noncommittal, tacitly acknowledging his guess, and said, "Regardless of what Lord Su's last words were, I forbid you from assassinating Shi Jingdu. Lord Su ordered me to appoint you as the head of the Su family; you will naturally have the opportunity to rightfully kill Shi Jingdu in the future."
Mu Yihan tightly gripped the blood-written letter and white silk in his hand. His father's death could be attributed to the man before him, in collusion with the Emperor's son and the Yi family. Although Shi Jingdu was vicious, he was merely a servant of the Emperor's son. How could his father entrust his affairs to this man? Mu Yihan's heart was filled with conflicting emotions. Standing there, he looked around blankly, feeling lost and helpless.
Su Mingyan looked at Mu Yihan's face, contorted with conflicting emotions, and sighed softly. He said, "We can't let Shi Jingdu see you leave here alive. There's a corpse under the bed; it's a substitute I prepared for you. Pull it out. Here's a mask. Wear it to Black Gravel Plain. When you've figured things out, come find me again. If you still want revenge then, I'll give you a fair fight."
Mu Yihan followed Su Mingyan's gaze and saw a bronze mask on the desk. He didn't know this was the Chaos Head that Mo Jiebochen had given Su Mingyan. His confused mind was drawn to the mask's exquisite carvings. As if hypnotized by Su Mingyan, he grabbed the mask, put it on, and looked down at the bronze bed. Sure enough, there was a corpse hidden under it. He pulled it out and discovered that the corpse's face was disfigured, but its build was similar to his own. Realizing that everything that had happened today was part of the Sixth Prince's scheme, and that he was merely a pawn in the Sixth Prince's calculations against Shi Jingdu, Mu Yihan felt even more confused about his actions.
Su Mingyan didn't want to press him any further, saying, "The Lu clan of Black Gravel Plain recognizes this mask. If you encounter any difficulties in Black Gravel Plain, you can ask the Lu clan for assistance."
Mu Yihan pushed open the window and leaped into the night. Su Mingyan sighed softly. He picked up the white silk and stuffed it into the corpse's chest, deliberately leaving a corner exposed, before pushing open the door and walking out of the outer hall. He said to everyone, "The assassin has been killed by me. Take the body out and bury it without making a sound." Besides the corpse, two female servants killed by Mu Yihan were also taken out of the city and buried overnight.
Although they were forbidden to make a sound, Shi Jingdu and Zhong Lanhui would definitely see the "assassin's" body being taken out of the palace, and they would definitely see the corner of the white silk peeking out from the corpse's chest. As a result, Zhong Lanhui, frightened by Su Mingyan's feigned retreat and bluff, dared not stay in Yujia City any longer and left Yujia the next day, returning to the capital.
Su Gaiwen's former subordinates were led by Mu Yihan. Su Mingyan wanted Mu Yihan to disappear temporarily, so it wasn't time for him to confront Tan Nalongcheng yet. This also gave Shi Jingdu an opportunity to gather Su Gaiwen's former generals. Based on Qi Bo's report, Su Mingyan transferred all the military generals that Shi Jingdu had secretly contacted to Shi Jingdu's command. He took this opportunity to eliminate Su Gaiwen's influence in the Yu Jia border defense army. It was impossible to transfer all the elite troops, so the old, weak, and disabled soldiers were naturally eliminated and handed over to Shi Jingdu to make up the required number of one thousand.
If Shi Jingdu's instigation of Mu Yihan to assassinate him was not at Tan Nalongcheng's behest, then Shi Jingdu wouldn't dare to report the truth to Tan Nalongcheng. If Tan Nalongcheng also intended to take his life, then he wouldn't have the face to ask him to keep his initial promise.
Shi Jingdu also dared not stay in Yu Jia City for long, fearing that the Sixth Prince would find an excuse to kill him, and demanded to be stationed at Gaochun Post Station. That was the first post station before entering Yujia, a full thousand miles away from Yujia City.
Many things awaited, a multitude of tasks to be done, but the biggest obstacle within Yujia City had been cleared. With summer approaching, Su Mingyan disregarded the hot, dry weather, and the Yujia Border Defense Command began its reorganization. The fortified complex centered on Dingliu Fort, along with the planned stronghold at the point where the Chubu River dried up, saw nearly five thousand former border guards, led by the Dragon Cavalry Battalion, stationed at five military fortifications. After transferring the elderly, weak, and wounded to Shi Jingdu, the manpower shortage was not significant. Su Mingyan then transferred a large number of soldiers from the Imperial Guard to fill the gaps, serving as mid- to low-ranking officers to strengthen control. This would be one of Su Mingyan's most important military forces, and the first to reach the size of an army. Neruda was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief, and Mu Zhaoyun as the First Garrison General, although Mu Zhaoyun would temporarily remain at the Tiandu Mountain Gorge.
After several reshuffles, the number of guards in the Imperial Guard was reduced to a minimum, even less than when Su Mingyan returned to Qinglan. Su Mingyan transferred a large number of warriors from the Lu and Naji clans to join the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard was one of Su Mingyan's most relied-upon combat forces, but its primary function was to train loyal and qualified officers of all ranks for his private army. The transfer of warriors from the Lu and Naji clans was naturally intended to truly integrate these two families into the system. Of course, Su Mingyan also selected a group of warriors from the former border defense command and from Yujia City to join the Imperial Guard.
The size of the Imperial Guard quickly rebounded, even exceeding its previous scale. By the second month of summer, the total number reached one thousand. At this time, the combat strength of the Imperial Guard was naturally not comparable to before, and the gap in strength between the warriors had widened. Among them were elite Lu clan warriors; one hundred Lu clan warriors included nearly twenty fifth-tier elite warriors, and the rest were fourth-tier warriors—arguably the most elite group in the Imperial Guard. The next force consisted of one hundred Naji family warriors, whose overall level was comparable to the previous Imperial Guard Battalion. However, most of them were selected from local Yujia and border defense forces, making them significantly weaker than the previous Imperial Guard Battalion, even inferior to the original Yitian Guard Battalion.
Naji Wuyan, Lu Qingye, and Ming Shiyu replaced Zang Jin and Mu Zhaoyun as Su Mingyan's new attendants, holding the position of Zuo Ling (assistant commander) in the Imperial Guard Battalion.
The Qianhe Warrior Battalion moved to Yujia City, constructing a mountain camp on Yujia Mountain, adjacent to the western city. Yujia Mountain, with its steep and high terrain, offered a commanding view of the entire city, making it a strategically important location comparable to the Governor's Mansion. The Qianhe Warrior Battalion was an indispensable force in the campaign against Canaan. With the addition of newly trained Qianhe warriors, the force expanded to eight hundred men, some stationed in the western city mountain camp, and others stationed in military strongholds such as Dingliu Fortress.
In addition, three military battalions were organized within Yujia City, with Bai Shu as the overall commander and Najineqi as the first garrison general.
The reorganization of the various armies concluded with the end of summer, and Yujia City finally possessed the strength to counterattack Canaan.
The Chubu River, at the end of summer, had a higher volume of water than in other seasons, only drying up completely deep into the desert. Behind him lay the strongholds hastily constructed throughout the summer. Su Mingyan gazed at the vast desert, with the light brown Qingye City situated at its edge. Su Mingyan glanced back; the newly formed guard battalion, along with five hundred Qianhe warriors, did not yet have the strength to directly attack Qingye City, but the scattered nomadic tribes outside Xiuye City were completely unable to withstand the invasion of this force.
After Yi successfully instigated a rebellion in the bandit camp and the failed surprise attack on Yu Yu Jia City, about 6,000 bandit soldiers withdrew into Canaan. Canaan's garrison in Xiuye increased to 20,000 men. However, the fan-shaped area of the valley and plain is nearly 400 miles wide. If Yu Jia launches an attack, it will be difficult for Canaan to hold this line of defense.
At this time, Qingye County only had a little over 120 Feathered Vulture Knights, completely unable to compete with the Qianhe Samurai Camp for the aerial battlefield. The Qingye garrison also lost the possibility of launching an offensive, retreating into its fortified castle. Perhaps Canaan hoped that Qinglan would calm down and asked the Yi clan to restrain themselves. Like Yujia County, the three northwestern counties of Canaan lacked their own resources and needed to supplement them from outside. When the Yi clan faced various pressures at home, they further lost the possibility of launching an offensive. Su Mingyan's intention was not to breach the city walls of Qingye County, but to abduct people from Qingye County to replenish Yujia County. The nomads living in the semi-desert region were naturally the first choice. These tribes lived in scattered settlements and had a large number of windhorses and domesticated livestock.
With the cooperation of the border defense command, the Imperial Guard and the Qianhe Samurai Camp launched frequent attacks, tearing apart Canaan's defenses in northern Qingye and abducting people from Qingye County on a large scale. Throughout the hot summer, more than 3,000 households were abducted.
Volume 5: Chapter 10 (Part 2)
Thick smoke rose slowly, gathering in the air without wind, lingering for a long time. The plundered village was a scene of utter devastation; houses were burned, and several corpses of resisters lay scattered on the dirt road.
Yi Feitian's wide eyes blazed with fury. This was a village plundered by the Yu Jia border guards. Not only were their wealth and grain stolen, but all the able-bodied men in the village were abducted, leaving only the elderly, weak, and disabled, deemed worthless, abandoned.
The former alliance had been torn apart. Qinglan demanded a reasonable explanation and compensation from Canaan while preparing for retaliation. Gaoqiu, the upper reaches of the Mugana River serving as a buffer zone between the two countries, had once been teeming with the filthy Crimson Demons. Now, it was home to an army of approximately 100,000 men from both Canaan and Qinglan. No one had expected that the first act of retaliation would come from Yu Jia County.
Although the bandit camp's surprise attack on Yujia City failed, forcing them to retreat into Xiuye County along with the invading Canaanite army, it still inflicted extremely heavy losses on Yujia County. The Yujia border defense forces suffered a devastating blow, with casualties reaching as high as 60%, and Yujia City and Dingliu Fort were captured and destroyed. Yi Feitian originally thought that Yujia County would need at least three to four years to recover, but unexpectedly, only three months after Tan Naminghe took over the military and political power of Yujia County, he launched a brutal retaliation against the northwestern border county of Canaan.
The Yujia County army bypassed the strong cities and fortifications, organizing elite cavalry and Lougara warriors to enter Canaan territory through the weak points of the Canaan border county, plundering the villages behind the fortifications. Due to the presence of the Lougara warriors, the small number of Canaanite troops could only huddle in the strong fortifications. By the time the main force of the county city came to the rescue, the invading Yujia County army had already succeeded in their attack and retreated, with only the Qianhe warriors covering the rear still within the sight of the Canaanite army.
Yi Feitian bit his lip in anger. Even with the Yi family's best efforts, it would take at least ten years to cultivate a elite force capable of rivaling the Loujia warriors. He recalled how a large number of Loujia people had entered Yujia territory from Qingye County. Yi Feitian regretted not acting decisively then, allowing this threat to fester.
Half a month ago, Qi Bo led over a hundred Loujia warriors circling above Xiuye County. The city's remaining Yujiu knights went into battle. That day, low clouds swirled, and although Yi Feitian sensed an anomaly in the elemental power... Unexpectedly, Tanna Minghe used dozens of sorcerers to create a large area of low-altitude clouds to conceal the presence of the large group of Chiga samurai. As soon as the Feathered Eagle Knights took to the high-altitude battlefield, beyond the range of bows and crossbows, they were surrounded and annihilated by the Chiga samurai. The fierce battle lasted only a short time; the remaining Feathered Eagle Knights within the city were decimated in that brief period. Less than a third of them managed to fly back to the protection of the crossbows and bows. The rest were bloodied corpses. The last aerial counterattack force of Qingye County thus collapsed.
Tactically creating a large area of low-altitude clouds to cover a large group of Chiga samurai infiltrating the skies above Qingye County requires at least ten high-level sorcerers. The vast majority of sorcerers within Qinglan territory are grey-robed sorcerers belonging to the Papacy's influence. These sorcerers, exceptionally devoted to the Maha doctrine, are almost impossible for Tanna Minghe, whom the Papacy considers blasphemous, to win over. However, Yi Feitian wouldn't forget that even within the Maha Orthodox Church, there are dissenting voices regarding doctrine. The grey-robed sorcerers gathered around Tanna Minghe likely consider themselves reformers.
These Maha followers, who sympathize with the blasphemers, are severely persecuted within the Papacy, almost all exiled to monasteries in border counties to serve as penitents, far from the Papacy's power center. Su Mingyan, through High Priest Sangji, connects with grey-robed sorcerers across the land who sympathize with the blasphemous and advocate for the abolition of the ban on religion. Although the power of these reformers is weak, their gathering in Yujia County forms a considerable force.
Yi Feitian frowned, deep in thought. He was the one who had caused the current predicament in the Northwest Border Region. Tan Naminghe's rampant abduction of people across the border revealed his ambition. However, his instigation of the bandit camp to launch a surprise attack on Yujia City had become the very wedge for Tan Naminghe to seize military and political power in Yujia. Yi Feitian was filled with regret for having worked for someone else's benefit.
How to get out of the current predicament was a question he asked himself. Turning to look behind him, he saw that the hundred Dragon Elephant Knights, hidden in their heavy armor, all wore undisguised fatigue. The kingdom's most elite force lost its edge without a target.
"Feitian, let's go back to the city..."
Shi Chuanhua rode alongside Yi Feitian. Without air power to contend with the Lou Jialuo warriors, the current situation was extremely difficult to reverse. Frequent deployments of the Dragon Elephant Knights had failed to regain the initiative. These hundred Dragon Elephant Knights behind them were the most elite and important fighting force in the Northwest Border Region, and they could not afford to lose even the slightest bit. Tan Naminghe was not without the military strength to deal with the Dragon Elephant Knights.
Yi Feitian nodded, turned his horse, and rode slowly. Although Yi Mingda had entrusted him with the command of the Dragon Elephant Knights concentrated in Qingye County, he did not have his own Dragon Elephant mount. Dragon Elephants were more like companions to the Dragon Elephant Knights than mounts; they had to live with the Knights from a young age. Although Yi Feitian envied them, he could not have his own Dragon Elephant mount.
"How can we change our current predicament?" Yi Feitian asked Shi Chuanhua.
"Take Yujia City!"
Yi Feitian shook his head and smiled bitterly. The forces gathered in Qingye County numbered as many as 20,000, but there was no longer a chance to capture Yujia City.
Shi Chuanhua smiled and said, "At least we must remove Dingjun Fort, this thorn in our side."
Su Mingyan built a fort at the point where the Chubu River had dried up, named Dingjun Fort, which was only 150 li from Qingye County. The elite troops that invaded the northwestern border counties of Canaan all set out from Dingjun Fort, and returned to Dingjun Fort after their success. Initially, Dingjun Fort was merely a rudimentary fortified stronghold. Taking advantage of the summer and autumn floods of the Chubu River, Su Mingyan transported supplies for rebuilding Yujia City to Dingjun Fort. Through continuous expansion, Dingjun Fort grew to the size of a fortified city, garrisoning four thousand troops.
Yi Feitian shook his head helplessly. The four thousand troops stationed at Dingjun Fort included not only the Dragon Cavalry Battalion under Neruda, but also the Imperial Guard Battalion under Youxi, and the majority of the Qianhe Warrior Battalion. Tanna Minghe clearly intended to use the northwestern border region of Canaan as a training ground for his forces. The Yi clan might be able to capture Dingjun Fort with all their might, but the casualties would inevitably be heavy—a price the Yi clan could not afford.
Seeing Yi Feitian shake his head repeatedly, Ishikawa Hua continued, "Borrowing troops from the River Harbor Alliance is an option, as only the River Harbor Alliance currently possesses a large number of Feathered Eagle Knights. Alternatively, we could borrow troops from Fusang Island. Chiga Nagakuni has betrayed Fusang Island, and Fusang Island likely wants to eliminate him as soon as possible."
"The River Harbor Alliance's Feathered Eagle Knights can only be used to defend against the Rugala pirates in Crescent Bay," Yi Feitian said. "Borrowing troops from Fusang Island is even more impossible. How could Canaan lose the support of the River Harbor Alliance at this time?" As he spoke, his eyebrows twitched slightly, a sign that he was thinking of something.
"What are you thinking of?" Ishikawa Hua asked.
"Why did Chiga Chokin betray Fusang Island back then, and why did he follow Tanna Meikawa afterwards?" Yi Feitian asked. "Several years have passed, yet it's still puzzling."
"Yes, Chiga Chokin stole the Star Scripture from the Grand Counselor's Office. For Fusang Island, that should have been a great achievement. There's no reason for him to betray Fusang Island. Did he want to keep the Star Scripture for himself?"
"Impossible," Yi Feitian said. "Chiga Chokin betrayed Fusang Island, and the Chiga lineage was almost wiped out. But why did he choose Tanna Meikawa? I've been thinking about this question these past few days."
Ishikawa Hana, knowing that Yi Feitian had been nearly driven mad by the Lougara warriors under Tanna Minghe these past few months, comforted him, saying, "Didn't Qibo and Ruan Aman swear a blood oath with Tanna Minghe before Qianhe Changqin? Qianhe Changqin betrayed Fusang Island, had nowhere to go, and choosing Tanna Minghe was a last resort."
"What do you mean by a last resort? Haven't you seen how Qianhe Changqin has become Tanna Minghe's fiercest and most loyal beast?" Yi Feitian asked. "We angered the Lougara together at the Xiaojin Pavilion, and then plotted to ambush them. Why was only Tanna Minghe retaliated against, even being chased to Qiupu by the Lougara? I think it was probably in Qiupu that Qibo and Ruan Aman swore a blood oath with him. Over the years, I've suspected that the secret manual Qianhe Changqin stole from the Dainagon Mansion fell into Tanna Minghe's hands; otherwise, many things can't be explained."
"How did the Star Manual fall into Tanna Minghe's hands?"
“I can’t figure this out either,” Yi Feitian said in a low voice. “I have already sent people to Fusang Island in secret. If the Star Scripture is not on Fusang Island, the missing Star Scripture can be pinned on Tanna Minghe. It is impossible to borrow troops directly from Fusang Island, but we can recruit a group of Lougara Ronin warriors…”
Lougara pirates mainly plunder the cargo ships of the River Port Alliance. Qinglan, Canaan and Fusang Island have maintained an ambiguous attitude. Lougara Ronin warriors even openly enter and leave the borders of Qinglan and Canaan. There are also quite a few Lougara people in the eastern coastal areas of the two countries.
The Lougara Ronin Samurai are loyal only to Fusang Island and join mercenary groups, but they will not join the armies of other countries. It is impossible for the Yi family to recruit Lougara Ronin Samurai, but it is another matter if they can secretly obtain the approval of Fusang Island. However, for the Yi family, taking this step is extremely risky, since the recruited Lougara Ronin Samurai are actually controlled by Fusang Island, and the Yi family cannot obtain real control.
Ishikawa Hana sighed softly. With his optimistic attitude, he has sighed too many times now. Even if he secretly obtains the approval of Fusang Island, Ishikawa Hana still does not have enough confidence in whether he can build an elite air force that can compete with the Senga Samurai Camp.
Volume 6: Chapter 01 (Part 1)
In the early spring of the 224th year of the Mahayana Era, the biting cold wind swept through the dark brown land of the Yan Yun Wasteland. The blasphemous road, which was finally built in winter, runs through the southern part of the Yan Yun Wasteland, connecting the only two cities in the Yan Yun Wasteland: Wangye City and Tiandu City.
South of Tiandu City lies the Yanyu Highlands, where the climate is warmer. Even throughout the winter, the vast shrublands and grasslands retain their vibrant green. The first humans to migrate here—former blasphemers, raiders, captured nomadic tribes, Canaanite civilians, laborers, and commoners—formed new tribes on this land.
Su Mingyan waded through the shallow water among the rocks, parting the tall grass before him. Just then, a large herd of windhorses galloped past in the distance, their thunderous roar shaking the earth. Above the herd were three large and one small silver-winged winged horses, their golden horns gleaming in the sunlight. Slightly smaller than ordinary windhorses, they possessed enormous silver wings spread beneath their armpits. They were the kings of the windhorse race: the Golden-Horned Silver-Winged Horses.
"These are the so-called mounts of the gods, the Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses! They're truly beautiful!" Su Mingyan exclaimed. "Ah," Ming Shiyu also sighed, "The Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses originate from the deep belly of Gangdu Mountain. Even on the edge of the Yanyu Highlands, they are rarely seen. It's strange that these three Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses have been part of this Wind Horse Beast herd for quite some time now."
Lu Qingye said solemnly, "Since summer and autumn, a large number of people have migrated to the Yanyu Highlands, threatening the survival of the wild Wind Horse Beast herds in this land. The Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses are the king beasts of the Wind Horse Beast herds, so their appearance in the Yanyu Highlands at this time is not surprising."
The large-scale migration of people inevitably caused conflict with the wild beasts living in this area. Beyond this shallow stream, the entire grassland on the eastern slope of Gangdu Mountain is the habitat of Wind Horse Beasts, inhabited by a large number of wild Wind Horse Beasts. Wild Wind Horse Beasts roam among wild beasts, and their young are skilled at biting and are excellent riding animals. The first few ranches established in the Swallow Whisper Highlands used young beasts hunted from here for breeding. After winter arrived, the Wind Horse Beast herds began to be spotted with Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses, thwarting these poaching efforts. Several groups of hunters have been lost so far, yet they remain helpless against these few Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses.
The winter grasses grow tall, and the Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses, soaring through the sky, are unaware of the danger hidden in the undergrowth. Qi Bo's wings shimmer with an eerie light; awaiting Su Mingyan's command, he and the dozen or so Thousand He warriors behind him will leap into the sky and capture these Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses alive.
Su Mingyan seemed to have thought of the above. After a long pause, he waved his hand and said, "The Golden Horned Silver Winged Beasts sensed the crisis for the survival of the entire Wind Horse Beast species, which is why they flew out of Mount Gangdus. Forget it, let's go back."
Ming Shiyu asked in surprise, "Why does Your Highness want to let them go?"
Su Mingyan smiled, "What good would capturing them do? Could we possibly tame these three Golden Horned Silver Winged Horses? "
Ming Shiyu was slightly taken aback. He was a hunter's son who grew up in the mountains and was naturally very familiar with the habits of the Yan Yun Wild Beasts. The Silver Winged Horses were extremely intelligent... With the combined strength of the group, capturing the three Silverwing Horses—two large and one small—would not be a problem. However, once captured, the three Silverwing Horses would likely starve themselves, and Qi Bo remained silent. Although the Lougara people considered themselves a branch of humanity, they felt a certain affinity for the spiritual beasts that could fly in the sky. Lu Qingye licked his lower lip, glancing longingly at the Silverwing Beasts soaring freely in the sky, and said, "With these three Silverwing Horses, the ranch will no longer be able to hunt young beasts from the wild Wind Horse Beast herds."
Su Mingyan said, "Now, most of the wild beasts in the Yanyu Highlands have been forced into the eastern slopes of the Gangdu Mountains. The survival of wild beast populations has already become extremely difficult. If we are not restrained, we may cause the extinction of wild beast populations. I think we should use this shallow stream as a boundary, and the nearby ranches should not excessively disturb the Wind Horse Beast settlements." Hearing Su
Mingyan's words, everyone quietly retreated back to the ranch.
This was the Naji family's ranch, only built six months ago. Most of the people in the camp were Naji family members who had migrated from the eastern prefecture. To the left of the simple camp was a wide fence containing a large herd of windhorse beasts. Yanyu Highlands had vast sheepfolds, making it a natural pasture. However, Yujia County was mostly inhabited by mountain people and hunters, and the blasphemous people also made their living by hunting. They were not familiar with ranching, which gave the Naji family an advantage. They had fenced off a large area of lush land near the windhorse beasts' habitat.
Ruan Aman saw the Sixth Prince and his entourage riding back to camp from afar. She turned and glanced at Naji Ruolan. Naji Ruolan's flawless face was as if covered with frost. She stood quietly in the warm glow of the setting sun, watching Qingling gracefully approach.
"Your Highness gained nothing from this trip," said Naji Wuyan, standing beside Ruolan. He was the chief warrior of the Naji family, and both Ruolan and Naji Nieqi had grown up under his watchful eye. Ruolan's marriage to the Sixth Prince was entirely for the sake of the family's interests, which evoked a sense of sadness.
"Perhaps we didn't encounter anything," Naji Ruolan said casually. At that moment, Ming Shiyu, who had just passed through the camp gate, was praising the Silver Winged Horses he had seen that day to those remaining at the camp. Naji Ruolan looked at the returning group in disbelief, unable to understand why they had returned empty-handed.
Lu Qingye walked over and bowed to Naji Ruolan, saying, "Your Highness said that the pasture should be divided by the stream to the west, and that it should be the habitat of the Wind Horse Beasts."
The pasture manager, standing behind Naji Ruolan, carefully returned the bow and said, "The pasture is too close to the stream to the west. If we divide it by that stream, there might not be enough fodder after the pasture expands." "
Lu Qingye said, "His Highness said the Silverwing Horses appeared probably because they sensed a survival crisis for the entire Wind Horse Beast population, and that they should exercise restraint."
Naji Ruolan looked at Lu Qingye, her radiant beauty making Lu Qingye stand with her head bowed. She hadn't expected Tan Naminghe to say such things. Was that why he returned empty-handed?
Naji Ruolan said calmly, "I understand. The ranch will be more restrained."
Lu Qingye said to Naji Wuyan, "His Highness is about to depart north. General Naji can set off with the Queen tomorrow."
Naji Wuyan looked up at the sky. The group had been delayed at the ranch for half a day, and to reach Tiandu City as quickly as possible, they had to travel through the night. Naji Wuyan was about to nod in agreement when Naji Ruolan said, "Let's go together. I don't want to wait until tomorrow to set off."
Lu Qingye returned the greeting and withdrew. Su Mingyan didn't send anyone to dissuade them, and they set off north that very night.
The Yi family, using Yi Feitian's strategy, massively recruited Loujialuo ronin warriors. A Loujialuo mercenary group quickly appeared in Qingye County. Although it couldn't compare to the Qianhe samurai camp, the Yi family was no longer at a loss. Last winter, the Bega people's invasion of the northern empire was much fiercer than in previous years. The cities in the northern part of Jiuyuan County were almost completely breached by the Bega Empire. The Bega Empire's offensive did not end with the arrival of spring as usual. According to news from the north, the Bega Empire's troops gathered in Jiuyuan were increasing in number. At this point, the empire had to temporarily abandon its desire for justice from Canaan, and even secretly ordered Yu Jia to abandon its invasion of the northwestern border region of Canaan. It seems the Bega Empire's offensive was truly formidable.
For nearly a year, Su Mingyan ignited the flames of war throughout the entire northern region of the northwestern border region of Canaan, plundering people, weakening the Yi clan's strength and rule as much as possible, and instigating nomadic tribes in the desert regions to betray Canaan. Whether through plundering or instigation, Yu Jia County absorbed nearly 50,000 people from Qingye County of Canaan in a year. Of course, several times that number were displaced and became victims of the war.
Regardless, Su Mingyan also wanted to use this opportunity to ease relations with the Yi clan. The Bega invasion was still somewhat distant for him; so far, there was no indication that Bega would open a new battlefield on the eastern slopes of Jinwei Mountain. Of course, even if the Bega invaded Hequ County from the eastern cliffs of Jinwei Mountain, it would still be separated from Yu Jia County by towering mountains three thousand miles away. His greatest worry at this moment was still the succession war of the Xi clan. He walked on thin ice, constantly fearing that Mara would challenge Naga before he was ready.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he reorganized and transferred the guard battalion to Tiandu City, preparing to enter the Black Gravel Plains for retraining through the Tiandu Mountain Gorge. The three hundred youths who had been taught by the Lu and Naji clans at the beginning of last year would also enter the Black Gravel Plains for even more arduous training.

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Bloodline of God Part Twelve

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