Chapter 30: Slaying the Dragon (6)

There were only three bridges across the Bianhuan River. The one closest to Li Kuo’s army was the Qingliang Bridge. Since the Qingliang Bridge could only accommodate two riders side by side, it took the entire army half an hour to cross the river starting from afternoon. By then, the army was less than a hundred miles away from Suiyang City, and the tense atmosphere of battle could be clearly felt.

Along the way, Li Kuo’s army encountered many rebel scouts. In such cases, he would order Xianyu Yucheng to shoot them all. He wouldn’t hesitate at all on this matter. If even one of these scouts escaped, the army’s whereabouts would be exposed.

Although he knew he would eventually face the main rebel forces, Li Kuo still hoped the battle would happen as late as possible. After all, Suiyang City was in urgent need of support, and even a glimmer of hope might keep its defenders going.

With this mindset firmly in place, the army traveled safely along the way. It wasn’t until they reached eighty miles from Suiyang that Li Kuo encountered his first major problem.

Tian Chengsi seemed to have detected their movements and sent a cavalry force of over ten thousand men to pursue them. However, they maintained a delicate distance—two miles, neither too close nor too far. This distance allowed both sides’ commanders to adapt and make decisions on the spot, and it also represented a psychological safety threshold.

Although being closely followed by such a large cavalry force was unpleasant, as long as they didn’t provoke trouble, Li Kuo wasn’t willing to engage in a direct fight. On the battlefield, knowing where to go and what to do was the most important thing; blind impulsiveness would only lead to costly mistakes.

Li Kuo had long passed that stage of blind impulsiveness. Every decision he made was discussed with his generals, minimizing the risks of poor judgment.

The two sides maintained this delicate balance, neither willing to be the first to break it. Of course, as Li Kuo neared Suiyang City, this balance would eventually be shattered, and a battle would inevitably ensue.

Gazing at the gray-hued hills in the distance, Li Kuo thought to himself, “I’m coming for Suiyang!”

Inside the government office of Suiyang City, Zhang Xun stood with his hands behind his back.

Since July, the supply of food and supplies in the city had become increasingly strained. Each soldier could only be given a spoonful of rice per day. Starving, the soldiers resorted to eating tea leaves, tree bark, and even the leather from their armor and arrows.

If this was the case for the army, the situation of the civilians in the city was even worse. Many frail women died of illness one after another, and some men were so emaciated from hunger that they resembled skeletons. The city was filled with a somber and mournful atmosphere; the once-prosperous Suiyang had turned into a place of darkness and despair.

At this point, the soldiers in the city had only a sliver of strength left. But as long as that strength remained, they would persevere.

Because Zhang Xun was here, because the beliefs of the Tang Dynasty were here!

Nan Jiyun’s trip to Linhuai brought no good news. Helan Jinming had no intention of sending reinforcements to Suiyang; he even said that even if troops were sent, Suiyang would have already fallen by the time they arrived. On the other hand, Ningling sent three thousand cavalry and infantry to aid Suiyang. Although fewer than a thousand of these soldiers reached Suiyang, they still brought a glimmer of hope to those in desperate straits.

Well, it’s fine. Everyone has their own aspirations. Since Helan Jinming had no desire to help, let Zhang Xun be the one to sacrifice himself for the country.

If Zhang Xun’s death could preserve the Tang Dynasty, then even if he died nine times, he would have no regrets.

“Sir, they’ve all arrived!”
Lei Wanchun, with tears in his eyes, rushed in, bowed to Zhang Xun, and spoke through sobs.

Zhang Xun glanced at the generals in the hall, cleared his throat, and said, “In times of chaos in the country, everyone wishes to assist the emperor in quelling the rebellion and restoring peace to the Tang Dynasty. But I, Zhang, am unworthy—not only unable to lead you all to achieve glory or provide for your families, but now I can’t even protect your lives. I apologize to all of you here!”

Zhang Xun bowed deeply to the generals, his attitude extremely respectful.

The generals were all veterans who had fought alongside Zhang Xun from Yongqiu and Ningling. Seeing this, they covered their faces and wept. They knew full well that Zhang Xun was a heroic man who would sacrifice himself for justice and relieve the nation’s suffering. From the moment they followed him, they had anticipated such an outcome—so how could they blame him now?

Achieving glory? It was nothing but a mockery!

As the saying goes, if the skin is gone, where can the hair attach? Providing for one’s family was a privilege only available in peaceful times. Now that the Tang Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, what use was glory even if they achieved it?

Xu Yuan sighed deeply and said, “Sir Zhang, don’t say such things. You are a hero loyal to the Tang Dynasty. We are all deeply proud to have fought alongside you to this point. Please stop speaking. At this stage, anyone who steps back is an enemy of Suiyang and an enemy of the Tang Dynasty!”

“A while ago, some military officers suggested that we retreat eastward based on my advice. But Suiyang is the barrier protecting Jianghuai; if it falls, the rebels can advance unchecked and seize the region. Moreover, our troops are dying from hunger, exhaustion, and illness—retreating now won’t save us anyway. It’s better to hold our ground in Suiyang and fight to the last moment!” Zhang Xun clenched his fists and shouted loudly. Silence ensued in the hall. After a long while, Zhang Xun sighed deeply, “I know you’re all hungry now and naturally lack the strength to defend the city. Therefore, I’ve decided—ahem—to offer my beloved concubine for everyone to eat! In such desperate times, you may also kill women and the weak to eat. I only hope you’ll unite in hatred against the enemy!” These words immediately caused a storm among the crowd. Eating people? Lord Zhang actually wanted them to eat people? And he said it so calmly? All the generals present were stunned by Zhang Xun’s words. If there were no side dishes, they could eat tea leaves; if no tea leaves, they could eat war horses; if no war horses, they could even catch rats to eat—but after all that, were they supposed to turn to eating people? The biggest difference between humans and beasts is that humans have moral principles and codes of conduct, while beasts do not. But were they now supposed to abandon those principles? Even during the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, there were only reports of rebels killing civilians and drying their flesh as food for the army. Yet now, they were willing to kill the city’s own people to defend it! They were supposed to be the protectors of the city’s people! If they did this, what difference was there between them and the brutal rebels? Could the Great Tang still be considered pure and clean? Seeing the generals showing signs of reluctance, Xu Yuan sighed, “Lord Zhang is acting out of necessity. Please don’t blame him.” After a pause, Xu Yuan continued, “I will also offer my servants for you to eat. Remember, we’re doing this all for the Emperor, for the Great Tang!” After saying this, Xu Yuan looked deeply saddened, and all the generals present wept bitterly.