Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Army at the Gates

Shouchun, the study of the Yuan residence.

Chu Feng held the letter in his hand, his anger flaring as he flung it aside and shouted, “That mere Liu Xun dares to provoke our borders rather than submit? Does he truly believe I cannot destroy him?”

“My lord, Liu Xun once served Lord Yuan and holds great renown throughout Jianghuai. Now he has reached north of Hefei, and many counties have risen in response—he is not to be underestimated,” Lu Su said anxiously.

“Hmph!” Chu Feng’s voice was cold. “Have there been any movements among our generals within and outside the city?”

“All are uneasy. Some were once close to Liu Xun, and I fear they may rebel and join him,” Lu Su replied, his brow furrowed.

“Set your mind at ease. Go and give the order—assemble the infantry and cavalry. I shall lead them myself and crush Liu Xun. It is time to rattle the mountains and shake the tigers!” Chu Feng said, his fingers clenched in anger.

“You mustn’t, my lord! Absolutely not!”

“Shouchun is newly pacified; without you, it cannot be stabilized. You must not leave,” Lu Su pleaded urgently.

Chu Feng drew in a deep breath, calming himself at last. “Just now, I let Liu Xun’s insolence muddle my judgment. Someone, summon Zhao Fan to me.”

The guards withdrew, and Lu Su, ever shrewd, asked, “Does my lord intend for General Zhao to strike directly at Liu Xun’s stronghold, cutting him off at the root so he becomes as grass without soil?”

“Precisely. Three hundred cavalry riding day and night will arrive within three days. The garrison at Wan City will be thrown into chaos, making it easy to seize. Besides, Zi Yang is in Wan City and can aid us from within,” Chu Feng replied, his tone grave.

“To win without a battle is a general’s greatest strategy. But Zhao must not ride openly on the main road—the cavalry must move along official routes, and since Liu Xun has already marched on our borders, he will surely be vigilant.”

“Moreover, the road to Wan City is full of hills and valleys, making it likely Liu Xun’s scouts will detect them—success would be difficult,” Lu Su quickly pointed out.

“Then what strategy would you propose?”

“My lord, Shouchun lies by the Huai River. You could have General Zhao disguise his men as merchants, sail up the river, turn onto the Bi River, and then circle north of Qianshan, descending the mountains straight to Wan City.”

Lu Su walked to the map and traced the route with his finger, speaking with conviction.

“With you by my side, how can I fear Liu Xun’s petty villainy?” Chu Feng laughed heartily, deeply gratified.

“My lord flatters me,” Lu Su replied with a modest smile. “You should marshal your forces and stand ready for battle. Once Liu Xun learns Wan City has fallen, he’ll surely retreat in haste. Then we can pursue and destroy him at our leisure.”

“Excellent!”

At that moment, Zhao Fan strode in, bold and vigorous, and saluted. “My lord, what would you have of me?”

“Liu Xun marches with his army, shaking Jianghuai. I want you to lead your troops, travel light, disguise yourselves as merchants, sail up the Bi River, and cross north of Qianshan by mountain paths.”

“Strike directly at his base in Wan City. Within seven days, I want to hear news of your victory. Can you do it?” Chu Feng’s words rang out with force.

“Rest assured, my lord. Victory will be ours! If I fail, I’ll return with my head in my hands!” Zhao Fan answered solemnly and loudly.

“There is no time to lose—marshal your men and depart at once!”

“Yes, my lord!” Zhao Fan gripped his sword and left. If he could take Wan City, the chief merit would surely be his.

As for Chu Feng, he toured the camps. But all the old soldiers were fearful, anxiously discussing Liu Xun’s army. No wonder Yuan Shu had struggled to win.

With a force of soldiers ready to flee at any moment, how could one hope for victory?

This only strengthened Chu Feng’s resolve to reform the army and streamline his forces. Sometimes, having numbers was not an advantage at all.

—

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

In Jiujiang, more than a dozen counties—except for Huaibei, which had yet to surrender—rose in response to Liu Xun’s arrival.

At this time, outside Shouchun city.

An army of tens of thousands pressed in.

Liu Xun rode at the front, gazing at Shouchun with a cold sneer. “Chu Feng, you villain! You murdered Lord Yuan. There can be no peace between us—I will break your Shouchun!”

“If you wish to spare your people from devastation, open the gates at once. I’ll grant you a quick death. Otherwise, when I capture you, I’ll have you torn apart by five horses—”

Swish!

An arrow whistled past Liu Xun’s ear, burying itself in the sand. He started in terror, nearly falling from his horse.

“Damn! He can shoot this far?” Liu Xun muttered fearfully as he spurred his horse back.

“What a pity,” Chu Feng said, lowering his bow and muttering with a pout.

It was just a bit too far—if he were twenty paces closer, the arrow would have pierced Liu Xun’s chest and ended him on the spot.

“Chu Feng, you wretch! How dare you fire a sneaky arrow at me? When I take Shouchun, I’ll have you dismembered alive!” Liu Xun shouted from a greater distance.

“Heh, are you good for nothing but empty threats? Do you dare face me in battle? Let’s see whose head rolls,” Chu Feng replied with a laugh from atop the city wall.

“Hmph! Brute courage!” Liu Xun sneered. “Generals Zhang, Ji, Qiao, Chen Lan and Lei Bo were loyal and true, yet you had them killed. Aren’t you afraid? Why not join me in capturing this villain and offering his head in gratitude to your former lord?”

“Enough of your noise!” Chu Feng snapped. “Qiao Rui, take command of the defenses and repel Liu Xun’s assault. Ji Ling, patrol the camps within the city. If you see any sign of unrest, execute them on the spot!”

“Yes, my lord!” Qiao Rui and Ji Ling replied.

With nothing more to say to Liu Xun, Chu Feng turned and returned to his residence.

He had already gathered his cavalry—six hundred in all—waiting only for Wan City to fall, after which the enemy would be routed.

—

By midday,

Lu Su hurried in. “My lord, Liu Xun has set up camp and ordered the felling of ancient trees. He’s preparing to build siege engines.”

“No matter. Let him build them,” Chu Feng waved a hand, at that moment engrossed in The Art of War. He’d always enjoyed reading such works while writing novels, and now found new insights.

“My lord, the siege engines are not the main threat. I am more concerned that some of the great families within the city are displeased with your rule and may collaborate with Liu Xun,” Lu Su sighed, deeply troubled.

He’d been preoccupied with just this possibility these past days.

“Dissatisfied with me? What have I done?” Chu Feng set aside the book, bemused.

“My lord, you favor your own men and have distanced yourself from many noble families. You destroyed Da Cheng, costing them their interests—they’ve been harboring resentment for some time,” Lu Su explained, lamenting the perennial headache of dealing with the powerful clans.

With enough strength, they could be suppressed, but Chu Feng was newly arrived and weak, having seized power midway—many refused to accept him. He could only hope Zhang Fan would swiftly take Wan City and establish their authority.

“Oh? Is that so?” Chu Feng’s eyes narrowed, a cold smile curling his lips.

“Eh? Is that a good thing?” Lu Su was baffled, unable to grasp Chu Feng’s meaning. “My lord, what do you mean by that?”

“Zijing, how are such collaborations with the enemy usually signaled?” Chu Feng asked instead.

“My lord, most commonly by lighting fires as a signal and opening the gates to surrender,” Lu Su replied, still not understanding Chu Feng’s intent.

“Which families in the city have the most grain?”

“The Wang and Li families—they own thousands of acres and produce the most,” Lu Su said at once, beginning to sense Chu Feng’s plan.

“Go now. Bribe the retainers of the Wang and Li families. Have them, at the third watch tonight, light signal fires at the south and west gates, loudly shouting their masters’ names to invite the enemy in.”

“Remember, they must shout so all can hear,” Chu Feng instructed, a sly smile on his lips.

Lu Su swallowed hard.

“My lord, isn’t this a bit... much? Wouldn’t we be framing them?”

“Framing? This is irrefutable evidence! Go, and do it well. And as for those involved—make sure it can’t be traced back to us.”

“And remember—leave no witnesses.”