Hanzhong, north of the Han River, was a typical city. It had a sizable population but very few soldiers. The local officials did nothing and colluded with local strongmen to oppress the people. They were tyrannical within their own ranks, but if they faced outside enemies, they couldn’t hold out for even three days.

In such a place, one couldn’t expect much in terms of city defenses. The city gates of Hanzhong were peeling, and the gate towers were already weathered. If one pinched the wood, it would crumble and fall.

Still, even if broken, the city gates formed a line of defense. They were better than ordinary houses, and even the residences of nobles could not withstand a small squad of well-trained soldiers.

 

…

 

Therefore, Qu Yunmie left eight thousand soldiers. Xiao Rong arranged one thousand to guard nearby, three hundred of them inside, surrounding Gao Xunzhi’s residence. The remaining seven thousand were stationed at several city gates. At the western gate closest to Zitong County, he stationed nine thousand soldiers.

Four thousand were Northern soldiers, five thousand were local guards.

If anyone actually tried to break through the city gates, these local guards would probably fall to their knees immediately and surrender without hesitation. Xiao Rong didn’t expect them to be particularly loyal, they only needed to form a sufficient number to deter outsiders.

Yuan Baifu wasn’t there to attack the city—he was there to abduct someone. He didn’t need to go through the city gate, someone would tell him where to enter.

Yuan Baifu brought two hundred men, including a seven-man squad assigned by Shen Yangrui. These men were the soldiers who had inspected houses individually and had stayed in Hanzhong longer, so they knew which routes could be used without alerting the guards.

After this point, their usefulness ended. What happened next depended entirely on Yuan Baifu.

In full view, Yuan Baifu waved and summoned two loyal guards. These men were extremely devoted to him but had only been promoted by him that year, so unless one had served in the Left Army, few would recognize them.

At that moment, they wore Northern armor and looked at Yuan Baifu with righteous resolve. He merely nodded to them.

In the next second, the two ran quickly, pretending to be out of breath. They deliberately did not speak, their footsteps echoing loudly in the alley. Soon, the nearby Northern soldiers became alert and shouted, “Who’s there?!”

When blades and spears reached them, they quickly shouted, “We are from Rear Army Deputy General Yu’s forces! Deputy General Yu sent us with urgent military intelligence for Mr. Xiao!”

As the nearby guards were distracted, Yuan Baifu climbed over a low wall, along with several of his subordinates. The two disguised Rear Army guards couldn’t hold out long. They had not even finished their lines before a Northern soldier at the gate recognized them.

He looked at them suspiciously. “How did you get in? Why only the two of you? How could the gate guards allow you to enter alone? If you are truly Rear Army, how would you know Mr. Xiao was here? Weren’t you locked up this whole time?”

“…”

The two men opened their mouths but didn’t know how to answer. The atmosphere became tense and heavy. Then someone realized what was happening and shouted, “No!”

 

…

 

Xiao Rong had already fallen asleep. He was awakened by distant shouting and heard someone say, “Protect Mr. Xiao.”

The moment he opened his eyes, a shadow leapt at him. The attacker struck him on the head with a measuring ruler from the table, the sharp corner dealing a heavy blow. Xiao Rong instantly fainted, blood trickling from the injury.

Yuan Baifu acted as if he had seen nothing. He dropped the ruler, lifted Xiao Rong himself, and quickly moved outside.

Several bodies lay at the gate—guards he had just killed. He didn’t immediately look for an exit but first went to the stables and seized a horse.

Strangely, though this was an unfamiliar place he had never visited, he knew the layout immediately because it was a Northern garrison. He knew where the good horses were kept.

Everyone was alerted, but Yuan Baifu ignored the commotion. He placed Xiao Rong on the horse, then mounted himself. Within the small compound, he spurred the horse to run. His subordinates followed if they could keep up; those who couldn’t were abandoned. Yuan Baifu didn’t care about their lives, but they cared about his. They were loyal, willing to risk their lives for him.

Instinct drove them to fight desperately after being abandoned, to buy Yuan Baifu time to escape. The roughly one hundred men outside were the same. Yuan Baifu had brought so many because a few could not cover his rear.

How many devoted soldiers could a general have? The exact number was unclear, but everyone knew these soldiers were a general’s most precious asset. Losing even one caused deep pain.

Yuan Baifu clearly did not think that way. He discarded their lives as if their loyalty meant nothing. While escaping Hanzhong, something unexpected happened. Yuan Baifu, carrying an unconscious man, broke through the encirclement and cut through a red-tasseled spear aimed at him.

The Northern soldiers were shocked. They had never known Yuan Baifu was so formidable, almost like a king.

This was no illusion. Yuan Baifu was exceptionally fierce today, as if his newfound mindset had amplified his strength. He was doing what he most desired. This motivation made him invincible. Over the past few days, he laughed whenever something good happened. In the past twenty years, he had never laughed heartily.

By nature, he liked being praised and admired. Influenced by the times, he consciously made himself polite, steady, virtuous, and noble, never realizing he wanted to be respected by all.

A true gentleman did not laugh heartily. After so many years of influence, Yuan Baifu never did.

He acted this way because he felt he should. A general should be bold, speak plainly, and never tolerate an insult. If imitating a gentleman was due to his environment, believing he should become a bold hero after rebellion came from observing Qu Yunmie.

This was Yuan Baifu—a man in his twenties who had never truly been himself. Now he had awakened, but the intense rupture threw him completely off balance. He was no longer a gentleman, a hero, or himself.

He had become twisted.

The horse carried Yuan Baifu into the distance. He had started with two hundred men, now only a dozen remained, three of them from Southern Yong. These men didn’t trust or care about Yuan Baifu, so their chances of escape were greater.

Yuan Baifu had already planned the escape route. He was familiar with Yizhou and Ningzhou. Entering a small forest path, they quickly lost the pursuing Northern soldiers. Though the life-threatening danger was gone, the dozen men remained fearful, daring not to pause, their hearts still pounding.

At this moment, someone heard a broken laugh carried by the wind. Surprised, they looked toward it and saw Yuan Baifu.

He laughed lightly, nervously, staring forward. The laugh was not a joyous victory laugh, but like he had heard some joke.

The more he laughed, the harder it became for him to stop. Yuan Baifu held the reins in one hand, bent over, shoulders trembling. His face was wrinkled from laughter, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. After a while, he straightened, wiped his eyes, and smiled at the darkness ahead. From his face, people could even see a sense of calm.

Nearby observers were horrified. No one dared speak. They could only hope the night would pass quickly and they could return to Zitong.

 

*

 

Yuan Baifu unleashed strength comparable to Qu Yunmie, abducting Xiao Rong to somewhere unknown. Such an absurd event happened right under Gao Xunzhi’s eyes.

Gao Xunzhi couldn’t even feel self-blame or regret. In the middle of the night, he rode out to pursue, only to find that losing them didn’t make them return. He wandered the forest for an hour like a headless fly. By dawn, he had no idea where he was. Those with him tried to advise him to stop and return. Others had already been sent out, but Yuan Baifu and his men were already far away.

Gao Xunzhi sat on his horse as if he had heard nothing, repeating, “Abducted… abducted but still needs Rong. Yuan Baifu wants to use Little Rong. He won’t kill him, so there is still time.”

This sentence seemed like a lifeline. He repeated it frequently. People nearby frowned, but still advised him, “Mr. Gao, Mr. Xiao is protected by fate. He will be fine. Hanzhong still needs you. Return first!”

Gao Xunzhi suddenly shouted at the advisor, “You know nothing!”

“Little Rong is not favored by fate!”

“He has always been unlucky! That is why he repeatedly fell ill and into danger. Never say such words again!”

 

…

 

How unlucky must one be to have a family reduced to three?

How unlucky to have innate talent yet only serve the despised Northern Army?

How unlucky to be chosen by heaven, possessing everything yet always at risk of losing it all?

Gao Xunzhi couldn’t bear to hear such words. Luck had never favored Xiao Rong. It gave the Northern Army and Qu Yunmie good fortune but refused him even a little. If he had to rely on prayer and luck to protect Xiao Rong, Gao Xunzhi had no hope at all.

 

…

 

The Northern soldiers left behind all pursued Yuan Baifu. Two thousand charged toward Zitong County. If they failed, they would deliver news to Qu Yunmie.

Everyone gave their all, but Gao Xunzhi knew from the moment they lost sight of him, they could never catch up.

He felt more helpless than on the day he learned of Yuan Baifu’s rebellion. His mind raced with possibilities, including that Yuan Baifu had abducted Xiao Rong to threaten Qu Yunmie.

If that were true, Gao Xunzhi would actually feel reassured. It would mean Yuan Baifu wouldn’t kill Xiao Rong, and Qu Yunmie would compromise for Xiao Rong’s sake. Even so, it didn’t matter—they could retreat and regroup. As long as the person lived, they could fight again.

He feared that Yuan Baifu might want more.

The thought that Yuan Baifu might suddenly change his mind and kill Xiao Rong like he killed Wang Xinyong, made his hands tremble.

He ordered that they return, but he wasn’t returning to continue overseeing Hanzhong. He was going to arrange matters there first, then personally hurry to Zitong.

If things really reached the worst possible situation, even though Gao Xunzhi knew his strength was small, he had to try. He couldn’t watch Qu Yunmie destroy the work he and Xiao Rong had built together.

Gao Xunzhi didn’t even remember how he returned to Hanzhong. Now he could only deal with the matters in front of him. Time seemed unable to enter his mind. Upon arriving in the city, he immediately dismounted and staggered forward in a way he did not even realize.

At that moment, trouble appeared again.

The Northern soldiers at the city gate hurriedly reported to him, “Chancellor, troops are attacking the north gate!”

 

*

 

When Xiao Rong woke up, he found himself locked in the Zitong County prison.

The prison was heavily guarded by Yuan Baifu’s loyal men. Yuan Baifu brought him back but didn’t allow Shen Yangrui’s men to interfere at all. Even when Shen Yangrui scolded him, Yuan Baifu didn’t react. He wouldn’t let outsiders approach Xiao Rong.

Shen Yangrui sensed something was wrong. This time Yuan Baifu’s stubbornness didn’t seem fake. His expression was different from before. Shen Yangrui had a gut feeling. If he insisted on confronting Yuan Baifu, Yuan Baifu might really tear up their relationship.

This was unacceptable. Now was the crucial moment to repel Qu Yunmie. If Yuan Baifu betrayed them, Shen Yangrui had no chance of success, so he backed down.

Yuan Baifu no longer displayed the look of a petty man reveling in success. He looked calm, only giving a short “hmm,” and then asked Shen Yangrui about the battle outside.

 

…

 

Qu Yunmie had already arrived outside Zitong. He didn’t know Xiao Rong was only a few miles away, and Xiao Rong didn’t know exactly where he was.

Clutching his aching head, Xiao Rong looked dazedly at the guards outside. He was still slowly processing when someone called out to him.

“Lord Xiao, are you alright?”

Xiao Rong’s promotion to Minister of Education was known only by a few. Since the official document hadn’t been issued, he hadn’t made Qu Yunmie widely aware. Only He Tingzhi, who had been boastfully shown, and his close associates knew.

He stared blankly toward the voice. Perhaps due to a concussion, he reacted slowly.

After a while, he recognized the bruised, homeless-looking man. “Yao… Yao Xian?”

Separated by a cell, Yao Xian exhaled in relief. “I’m glad you’re okay. When that bastard Yuan Baifu threw you in, I thought you were about to die.”

Xiao Rong then remembered what had happened the previous night. He had fainted without seeing who it was. Learning it was Yuan Baifu, and as the aftereffects of the concussion wore off, he quickly understood the situation.

His expression changed immediately.

Unlike Gao Xunzhi, he wasn’t afraid that Yuan Baifu would kill him, but he feared Yuan Baifu might use him to threaten Qu Yunmie. He opened his mouth to ask Yao Xian more, but a guard suddenly approached the cells and struck the prison bars with the hilt of his sword. “Shut up! If you’re not quiet, we’ll beat you again!”

 

*

Qu Yunmie hadn’t been there long. As his soldiers set up camp, he glared darkly at the city gates of Zitong. After a while, he called Dongfang Jin over to report something.

When Qu Yunmie led his troops to the front, he didn’t immediately charge. Instead, he ordered a loud-voiced soldier to shout toward Zitong.

“Surrendering soldiers will not be killed!”

“The King of North only punishes the principal traitors. Hand over the rebels, and receive official posts and a thousand gold pieces!”

“Everyone will benefit!”

 

…

 

After repeating it once, he repeated it again. The soldier’s voice echoed across the open field. The Southern Yong soldiers on the Zitong city walls couldn’t help but grip their spears.

“Everyone will benefit” meant the Southern Yong soldiers would benefit too.

Faced with such temptation, it was hard for anyone not to be tempted, but few had the courage to surrender immediately while still in the city. Once the King of the North broke in and their leaders could no longer watch, what they would do was uncertain.

After shouting ten times to ensure every defender heard, Qu Yunmie raised his Snow-Drink Vengeance Spear high.

All the Northern soldiers saw the signal. Even those who could not hear his words roared in response.

“Charge! Kill all these traitors!”

The King of the North personally led the attack. Morale soared. Within half an hour, the battle was decided. Shen Yangrui had sent five thousand men: three thousand died, fifteen hundred surrendered, and only five hundred fled in panic.

Shen Yangrui: “…”

Though he hadn’t sent his elite troops, losing so thoroughly was humiliating. These five thousand were only partly his soldiers, most were the original Zitong defenders. He had sent them as a show and to gauge the Northern Army’s strength. Now, the last hope was gone.

With a stern expression, he immediately summoned Yuan Baifu and ordered him to bring Xiao Rong as well.

He approved of Yuan Baifu abducting Xiao Rong. The plan was not to force Qu Yunmie to retreat but to buy time for negotiations. He didn’t intend to completely anger Qu Yunmie. He also wanted to impress on Xiao Rong that this was done out of necessity and that the plan came from Yuan Baifu—the Northern traitor—not from them.

This was the real reason Shen Yangrui wanted to keep Xiao Rong with him: To retain multiple contingencies.

He felt that previously Yuan Baifu had refused because time wasn’t urgent, but now the situation was critical. Last night, Yuan Baifu had taken a shortcut back. Even if his pursuers were slow, they should’ve arrived by this afternoon. Yuan Baifu still held Xiao Rong, which was excessive.

He thought Yuan Baifu would be sensible, but he was proven wrong again. Yuan Baifu neither handed over Xiao Rong nor went to meet Shen Yangrui.

 

…

 

After closing the door, Qu Jin looked at Yuan Baifu’s calm demeanor and grew increasingly uneasy.

He couldn’t help saying, “If you don’t hand over Xiao Rong, they might think you have ulterior motives.”

Yuan Baifu sipped tea and calmly replied, “Then they are right. I do have ulterior motives.”

Qu Jin froze, then quickly asked, “Have you changed your mind? You will not be the King of Jiangyang?”

Yuan Baifu smiled faintly. “I will not. What’s good about being the King of Jiangyang? I want to be King of the North.”

Qu Jin: “…”

He stared at him in shock, but Yuan Baifu didn’t notice. He continued, “When Qu Yunmie finds out Xiao Rong is in Zitong, he will charge, but he won’t dare attack the city gates for fear that Xiao Rong will be harmed. When that happens, I will take Xiao Rong onto the walls. I will make Qu Yunmie watch me kill his precious strategist. When he goes mad, you open the gates below. Even if we use lives as stakes, I will stop Qu Yunmie’s life here.”

He smiled again. “After Qu Yunmie dies, his twenty thousand men won’t be a threat. Once they are killed, next is Shen Yangrui. The Southern Yong people are useless, their men have no backbone. Many will surrender, and then Ningzhou will be mine.”

“Without Qu Yunmie, the Northern Army is gone. Without Shen Yangrui, Southern Yong is gone. Then I can be any king I want, right?”

He looked at Qu Jin. Seeing no approval, Yuan Baifu asked calmly, “Do you think this plan is bad?”

Qu Jin tried to smile to reassure him. Yuan Baifu’s expression was terrifying and frozen. Qu Jin shouted, “Good! Excellent! Then Qu Yunmie must die!”

Yuan Baifu’s expression did not change. He looked at him, then turned away.

Qu Jin had no idea what Yuan Baifu was thinking or if he believed him. Meanwhile, Shen Yangrui’s men came to urge Yuan Baifu. Yuan Baifu frowned, but set down his tea and left.

Qu Jin stayed put until Yuan Baifu had been gone a long while, then he suddenly stood up.

He thought, Crazy! Yuan Baifu had gone mad. Could that be called a plan? That was his delusion!

The Rear Army wouldn’t follow them. Shen Yangrui wasn’t helpless. Also, with a furious Qu Yunmie, even a few thousand soldiers might not stop him. The Xianbei succeeded in the past because they had divine archers. Zitong had nothing!

Qu Jin didn’t want to die here, much less be dragged down by a madman. Clenching his fists, he made up his mind.

Qu Jin quickly walked toward the prison, repeating in his mind: I must stay alive. Yes, I must survive!!

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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