Chapter 25: Slaying the Dragon (1)

Cui Boyuan was filled with rage and hatred after being humiliated by Zhang Xun. How could he bear it? While cursing and threatening Zhang Xun’s family, he shouted at his troops, “What are you standing around for? Attack the city at once!”
As a fierce general under Yin Ziqi, he had been struck by a arrow from Zhang Xun. If he couldn’t retaliate with blood for blood, how could he continue to serve in the army or command his soldiers?
“General, Zhang Xun is clearly trying to provoke us to take advantage of the chaos. You must think carefully!”
One of his aides warned him, fearing Cui Boyuan might be manipulated by Zhang Xun into doing something harmful to the army. The Tang people were known for their cunning, and Zhang Xun’s actions surely hid some ulterior motive.
Cui Boyuan glared at the general and said, “If that’s indeed his intention, then I’ll play along! I previously spoke to him kindly because I saw some talent in him. But who would have thought he’d repay kindness with betrayal and even hurt me! No need for more words—attack the city fiercely. Once it falls, leave no one alive inside!”
He stared viciously at Zhang Xun on the city walls, his fists clenched tightly.
Anyone who dared offend him would die, all of them!…
“Hurry up, faster! Everyone, keep up!”
Nan Jiyun frowned and urged his soldiers in a tense voice. Right now, Lord Zhang was holding off the rebels on the city walls, and he needed to get out of the city as quickly as possible to strike at the rebels.
“Done, General! It’s tied up!”
One of the soldiers pulled on the hemp rope binding the bamboo basket and reported cheerfully to Nan Jiyun.
“Shut up! Do you want the rebels to hear you?”
Nan Jiyun glared at the soldier and stepped closer to the basket. “Are you sure this will work?”
The soldier patted his chest and assured him, “General Nan, rest assured. I can’t guarantee everything else, but this rope is strong enough. Even if two people ride at once, it should hold.”
Nan Jiyun nodded. “Lower us down like this later. If I don’t give the signal in an hour, cut the rope!”
The soldier murmured, “But, but… you…”
Nan Jiyun slapped him hard on the head. “Stop talking! The rebels are already surrounding the city. Everyone must put the greater good first. Losing a few people isn’t a big deal. If the rebels get in, that’s when we’ll truly be guilty.”

Seeing the soldiers lower their heads, Nan Jiyun sighed deeply and said, “Don’t be too pessimistic. After all, the rebels are currently unprepared and may not be able to withstand my full force. But if anything happens to me, remember well… you must live on and guard Suiyang City for me!” With that, without waiting for the soldiers to respond, Nan Jiyun leaped into the specially made bamboo basket as tall as a man. “Let it go!” A faint smile appeared on Nan Jiyun’s lips, shining brightly in the dim night… Below Suiyang City was a moat, but it was dry at that moment. Nan Jiyun and two hundred armored soldiers armed with halberds, grappling hooks, and crossbows descended from the city wall via the bamboo basket, landing right in the moat. “Be quiet and follow me!” As soon as Nan Jiyun climbed out of the moat, he drew his sword and crouched low, peering forward. Thanks to the bright torches in front of the rebel ranks, he could clearly see their deployment. Yin Ziqi had divided the 30,000 rebel soldiers into four groups, with each group led by a general to attack one of the city gates. The general leading the eastern gate was the famous Yang Chaozong among the rebels. Yang Chaozong had 5,000 soldiers, the fewest among the forces attacking the four gates, but in reality, this group was the main force for the siege, as they had mountains of sandbags and burlap sacks behind them. Undoubtedly, Yang Chaozong planned to fill the moat and then use scaling ladders to force their way in. This method was clearly more practical than building fish ladder bridges or using battering rams. Although it would result in greater losses during the siege, it could save a lot of time. And right now, time was what the rebels lacked the most. Nan Jiyun took a deep breath and signaled his soldiers to lie flat on the ground and stay silent. Yang Chaozong seemed to be arguing with a Hu general and hadn’t reached a decision yet. After a while, Yang Chaozong angrily waved his arm and turned to leave. Immediately, the soldiers waiting there started carrying burlap sacks and sandbags toward the moat. Nan Jiyun clenched his fists, waiting quietly for that moment to arrive. One hundred steps, eighty steps, fifty steps… Gradually, the rebels were only thirty steps away. At that point, the soldiers in the front seemed to sense something and stopped cautiously. Nan Jiyun knew he couldn’t wait any longer. With a loud shout, he stood up and said, “Brothers, charge! Fight them to the death!”

At Nan Jiyun’s command, the Tang soldiers who had been crouched on the grass stood up and charged with their halberds and long spears at the rebels carrying sandbags a few dozen steps away. Those rebels, burdened with heavy loads, had no fighting strength at all. Seeing hundreds of Tang soldiers suddenly emerging from the darkness, they thought they were facing ghosts and dropped their sandbags, turning to flee. But the soldiers under Nan Jiyun were elite troops from Suiyang City—how could they let these rebels escape? After just a few steps, they caught up with the clumsy rebels and slashed down with their blades. The long knives pierced their flesh, creating deep wounds in their backs. The Tang soldiers then stopped fighting these severely injured rebels and moved on to find more targets. The main cause of death on the battlefield was often not immediate death but dying from severe injuries and excessive blood loss. They were all experienced veterans and saw no need to waste effort on a group already doomed. After a round of fighting, over 200 rebel soldiers had died at the hands of these elite Tang troops, and their agonized cries drew Yang Chaozong’s attention. The commander at the east gate had already noticed the chaos. Out of the darkness, hundreds of Tang soldiers armed with sophisticated weapons had suddenly appeared! This was completely beyond Yang Chaozong’s expectations. Initially, when he discussed it with Yin Ziqi, the latter told him there was no need to worry about a Tang counterattack; he only needed to prepare for the siege, with Yin Ziqi handling all other matters to distract the enemy. But what was happening now? Hundreds of Tang soldiers had appeared in the darkness, and they were facing his own troops, who were focused solely on filling trenches and unprepared for an ambush! The sudden appearance of the Tang soldiers was like a meteor strike, leaving no time to react. Yang Chaozong glared at the nearby Hu general Gulu Ze, sneered disdainfully, then drew his sword and shouted, “Don’t panic! Draw your swords and face the enemy!”… Although the Tang soldiers had excellent armor and weapons, they numbered only a few hundred. His own troops numbered at least 5,000—nearly a ten-to-one ratio. If he failed to win now, Yang Chaozong would have no choice but to commit suicide. To take control of the situation as quickly as possible, Yang Chaozong charged ahead first. His leadership inspired his troops to some extent, and within half a candlestick’s time, the originally panicked soldiers gathered around him and reformed into battle lines.

An excellent general can have an incredible impact in battle, and one of the most important aspects is to unite the troops’ morale. Yang Chaozong was clearly such a general. “Draw your swords and face the enemy! Ten against one—if you can’t even win now, how dare you call yourselves men?” Without saying more, Yang Chaozong swung his sword and charged forward. No matter how much is said or discussed on the battlefield, it all comes down to swords in the end. Whoever has the sharper sword rules; whoever has the sharper sword embodies justice… After a battle, the plain outside the east gate of Suiyang City was covered with hundreds of corpses. The dead soldiers included rebels and Tang people, yet all of them lay silently on the grass, motionless. At this moment, they were no longer enemies, nor did they need to fight for some so-called morality of which they themselves didn’t even know the truth. Though their bodies were dead, their souls had gained freedom… On the battlements of Suiyang City, Zhang Xun frowned as he looked at Nan Jiyun, who was wounded by several swords, hesitating to speak. He had indeed guessed correctly—the rebels had deployed forces heavily on the other three sides to draw his attention, with their real aim being to capture the east gate. Fortunately, Nan Jiyun led over two hundred loyal soldiers to leap down from the battlements and fight desperately against the rebels, blocking their efforts to fill the moat. Although they took advantage of the rebels by appearing suddenly and gained an initial edge, the rebels had a decisive numerical advantage. Once they regained their composure, the battle turned into a stalemate, and more and more soldiers fell, never to rise again. Finally, with several wounds, Nan Jiyun, along with over a dozen of his men, managed to return to the city under the desperate efforts of his loyal guards, crying out in pain. Having spent so much time with Nan Jiyun, Zhang Xun naturally understood why he was crying. Those were all brothers he had trained himself—gone in an instant…