Reborn Lady - Chapter 229

Ignoring Xu Yao’s persuasion to surrender, the King of Yan took the initiative and led his army to capture the surrounding cities of Pingcheng. Given that most of the guards in that area were his former troops, they willingly surrendered upon seeing King Yan’s advancing army.

King Yan had raised his troops in the twelfth lunar month of the twelfth year of Xianning. In just over three months, he marched south to Zhending City in the late spring of the following year.

Simultaneously, the imperial court dispatched Geng Ying, a veteran of the Xiandi Dynasty, to lead an army of three hundred thousands to confront the Yan army in Zhending.

Before the battle, Geng Ying ventured out alone and requested King Yan to come out for a conversation. When the king obliged, Geng Ying, relying on their shared history, began by scolding him and spoke of the former Emperor giving birth to the son of a rebel.

King Yan, with a sneer, opted not to engage in a war of words and instead raised his hands. Despite Geng Ying being an experienced general with twice as many soldiers and horses as the Yan army, after three months of intense fighting, Feng Su shot Geng Ying in the chest, and he died on the spot.

With the commander’s demise, chaos ensued in the Imperial Court, allowing King Yan to seize Zhending City. However, Geng Ying’s effective leadership had taken a toll on the Yan army, resulting in the loss of fifty thousand soldiers and horses in the first battle.

Before the Yan army could catch their breath, in July, the Imperial Court dispatched Lu Long to reorganize the army and horses, aiming to prevent the Yan army from advancing further south. Another formidable force of three hundred thousand soldiers awaited them.

King Yan felt not worried but rather pleased. Despite Geng Ying’s harsh words, he was an effective general. If the imperial court continued to send commanders of Geng Ying’s caliber, King Yan believed he would have the advantage in terms of soldiers and horses.

However, the situation changed with the arrival of Lu Long. Unlike Geng Ying, Lu Long had a significant lineage; his father, the old Duke, was one of the founding fathers of the country. After the old Duke’s passing, Lu Long inherited the title through his father and was recommended by Huang Ren, who was his in-law.

From the outset, Huang Ren had underestimated King Yan’s capabilities, perhaps assuming that the Yan army could be subdued by sheer numerical superiority. Consequently, he entrusted the significant and cost-effective matter to Lu Long, allowing his own people to claim credit.

Despite employing tactical prowess, the Yan army consistently achieved victories with fewer resources, while Lu Long experienced consecutive defeats, sustained only by the sheer size of his forces. Furthermore, Huang Ren defended Lu Long in court, enabling him to retain his command position.

King Yan faced the challenge of a shortage of manpower. Although he could hold his own against Lu Long, navigating past Lu Long’s army to continue southward proved challenging.

This deadlock endured until the close of September when an urgent report arrived from Pingcheng. The Emperor had instructed Wu Jian to lead a 200,000-strong army in Liaodong to besiege Pingcheng.

Summoning all the generals, King Yan initiated a discussion on potential countermeasures.

Feng Su asserted, “We need to rescue Pingcheng, and we cannot afford to retreat. Otherwise, we risk attacks from both Lu Long’s army in the north and the Liaodong army in the south, putting our forces in danger.”

Typically reticent, Wei Luo had always followed King Yan’s orders without much input. However, on this occasion, he volunteered to take charge, a rare occurrence that garnered the attention of King Yan and the generals.

Wei Xuan supported him, expressing the desire to return and aid Pingcheng.

King Yan smiled, recognizing the concern of his two young sons for their families in the palace.

At that moment, Cui Yu interjected, “Our army lacks strength. Whether we unite against a single front or divide our forces, sustaining the effort for an extended period will be challenging. The most pressing issue is finding a way to increase our troops.”

In response, King Yan snorted, remarking, “I understand the need to increase our troop numbers, but tell me, where do we acquire them? Don’t merely state the obvious; present a solution to your own proposal!”

Sure enough, as soon as he finished staring, Cui Yu smiled, looked at King Yan and said, “Duke Li Chao of the State of Jin and the prince are old friends. I was ordered to go see Li Chao earlier. He refused to surrender, but he also promised he would report on us, which shows that Li Chao values loyalty and righteousness. Now that Pingcheng is in danger, if the prince personally goes to Jin to show his affection for Li Chao, he may be able to win over Li Chao, and the three guards he is in charge of will be at the prince’s disposal.”

Yang Jingzhong exclaimed, “It’s too risky; what if he takes the opportunity to capture the prince? No, we must not let the prince put himself in danger; let me go!” Wei Luo and Wei Xuan also rushed to volunteer.

King Yan said with a smile, “Only I can do this. No one knows Li Chao better than me.”

“Fourth Son, you take a team to the Kingdom of Jin and ask your father-in-law to pretend to attack Liaobei. After Wu Jian receives the battle report, he will definitely lead his troops back to defend Liaobei.”

“Third Son, you, Feng Su, Yang Jingzhong, Gao Zhen, continue to deal with Lu Long’s army. The emphasis is on procrastination, and if there is any disagreement, let Cui Yu decide.”

“Guo Xiao, Zhang Xi, command 10,000 cavalry each and follow me!”

“Yes!”

Wu Jian’s two hundred thousand troops surrounded Pingcheng like an iron barrel, and not even a bird could fly in. 

However, after King Yan took control of Pingcheng, he repaired the city walls of Pingcheng several times. The walls of Pingcheng were taller and thicker than that of Jinling, the capital city. 

The delay persisted for half a month. The army aimed to resume the attack that day, but an abrupt north wind picked up, and heavy snow, akin to goose feathers, descended incessantly. The snowfall was so intense that it made it challenging for people to keep their eyes open.

Inside the Palace of King Yan, panic engulfed the residents. While the Liaodong army was unable to attack the city for the time being, they took turns shouting, alternately urging the officials and inhabitants to surrender and bellowing threats.

Ji Xianxian felt disconcerted. Since Wei Yan was outside, she sought out Yin Hui in Chengxin Hall.

“Given the circumstances, why aren’t you afraid?” Ji Xianxian couldn’t fathom Yin Hui’s composure. Even surrounded by a 200,000-strong army, Yin Hui remained calm, continuing to craft clothes. Was she exceptionally courageous, or was she doing so out of fear?

Yin Hui glanced at her and resumed sewing a middle coat for Wei Luo. His usual attire on the battlefield consisted of battle armor, and sewing a coat was a rare occurrence.