Fish Meat – Chapter 211
by Little PandaThe Fifth Year of Zhao Wu
Jointly Chasing The Lost Deer (7)
The aftermath of several waves of attacks outside the city was still palpable, yet inside the city, the scene was entirely different—orderly to the point of defying its battlefield status. Archers ascended the city walls, and carts transporting oil and stones moved in an orderly fashion. Their movements were swift, yet they did not collide with the injured being evacuated. Every soldier within the city knew their destination, running along their designated paths. The crisscrossing teams resembled roaring dragons ceaselessly coiling around this small county.
Such a sight made Zhen Wenjun feel her hair stand on end. How well-trained they were! Though not a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, she had read military texts extensively and fought in many campaigns across the south and north. She had witnessed armies and generals of all sizes. No matter how rigorous the training in peacetime, once actual battle commenced—with people in a flurry and lives at stake—mistakes due to impatience were extremely likely, especially in urgent situations where everyone wished they had a hundred voices to shout across the world.
Yet, this army advanced silently, with each person wearing a determined expression devoid of panic. Zhen Wenjun was very curious about what kind of person could train an army to such a state.
Zhen Wenjun slipped out of the line of wounded soldiers intending to go to the city wall to assess the situation, but was grabbed by a baifu zhang [百夫長 | bǎifū zhǎng | centurion or leader of 100 men]. She remained calm, confident in her hastily applied disguise—a skill she had honed over years without slack. More importantly, the tenser the situation, the less one should panic and disrupt their own plans.
The baifu zhang stared at her face, and Zhen Wenjun stared back.
“Your face is so pale, you are unfit to fight. The junshi [軍師 | jūnshī | military advisor] said any injury should be treated, and lives should not be wasted in vain. Our fight against that Wei bandit is not just for today! Don’t push yourself, go to the rear to rest and heal.”
Zhen Wenjun nodded in agreement with his words. Unable to reach the city wall, she could only pray that the Wei Family Army would retreat in time and not fall victim to the oil bombs.
From the baifu zhang’s words, it was clear to Zhen Wenjun that someone had long set their sights on the new Emperor Li Feng, and even more so on Wei Tingxu. With a junshi overseeing the situation and preparations made for a protracted battle, the hastily arriving Wei Family Army was likely to suffer greatly.
However, unable to reach the city wall, Zhen Wenjun did not come away empty-handed. The baifu zhang himself was her greatest gain.
Zhen Wenjun kept her head slightly lowered, blending in with the wounded, while glancing back at the baifu zhang.
The baifu zhang was short and round-eyed, a common appearance among many men from Yunan. Another giveaway of his identity was his accent.
Compared to Yubei, the Yunan dialect is more distinctive, with dialects completely changing every few dozen li from county to county. Many from Yunan who served in Runing for decades still found it hard to shed their hometown accent. This baifu zhang spoke with the authentic Nanya Fengxi accent.
Fengxi was precisely the stronghold of the Yao Family in Nanya.
Years ago, when Li Yanyi recruited in Nanya, the Yao family distanced themselves from the Xie family by having their daughter and Xie Taihang divorce, thereby saving their lives. In hindsight, the Yao family showed considerable foresight. Even if they could have temporarily allied with the Xie family, after Li Yanyi ascended the throne and exterminated the nine clans of the Xie family, the Yao family, had they not divorced, might have perished entirely. They understood the situation clearly and chose the right path; while other forces fought fiercely, the Yao family of Nanya chose to consolidate their power quietly.
Before coming, Zhu Maosan gathered several tens of thousands of troops from the Yao family, a fact known to Zhen Wenjun. If Yanxing were a critical point, the main forces of the Yao family must have already left Nanya. Even without their main forces, the Yao family still had tens of thousands of troops guarding Nanya, suggesting their strength was much greater than what Zhen Wenjun’s reconnaissance reports had indicated.
As Zhen Wenjun pondered this, she quickly reached the medical area.
Wearing a human skin mask was not necessarily foolproof; encountering someone familiar with the mask’s original owner could cause trouble. Observing that there were many female soldiers around, she decided to remove the mask and walked through rows of simple straw mats and wounded soldiers, heading deeper into Yanxing.
Calmly, she took out the Heavenly Army Divine Box to access the map of Yanxing County. If her guess was correct, the orchestrator of the layout was hiding in the county office. Wei Tingxu and Ah Mu might have already been captured. The planner intended to use their safety to lure the main forces of the Wei Family Army into a trap. Zhen Wenjun speculated that Wei Tingxu wouldn’t be in immediate danger.
This was the most common and logical approach, but tonight, here, it was not applicable.
The plotter wanted Wei Tingxu dead.
Long after, whenever Wei Tingxu saw the words “Yanxing” or even heard the character “Yan,” she would involuntarily break out in a cold sweat.
A decade of preparation, yet she never expected there was someone whose strategy and military tactics could become her nightmare.
Zhen Wenjun had reached the gate of the county office when she suddenly heard shouts and the roaring of war drums behind her. All the soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately turning around and running back.
Surprised, Zhen Wenjun looked back amidst the reverse flow. Could the city gate have been breached? But the city gate wasn’t in this direction. Where were they going?
She grabbed someone and asked, “What happened?”
The person, panting heavily, exclaimed, “Have you forgotten what the junshi said before departure? Where did this fool come from? The Wei bandits have broken through!”
“What?”
“Why are you standing there? Go and assist!”
Amidst the running crowd, Zhen Wenjun casually kicked down a person and seized their long sword, then sprinted forward.
The soldiers gathered in front of a mansion, completely surrounding its gates, making it impossible to see inside.
A voice shouted, “The junshi said not to let any Wei traitors escape,” and another voice echoed, “The Wei faction should be exterminated by everyone.” There were at least a thousand people present, with reinforcements continuously arriving. Unable to see the situation inside, Zhen Wenjun steeled herself and leapt into the air. She stepped on the shoulder of the person in front of her, then pushed off their head with force. Amidst cries of pain, Zhen Wenjun soared like an eagle above the crowd, immediately drawing the soldiers’ attention.
Every bit of the soldiers’ attention she diverted meant a little less danger for Wei Tingxu and Ah Mu!
While airborne, Zhen Wenjun could clearly observe the battlefield.
The besieged mansion had small gates, appearing to belong to a humble household. It was precisely because the gates were narrow that they could resist a large army’s immediate rush, making it ideal for a situation where the enemy outnumbered them.
Zhen Wenjun quickly spotted Wei Tingxu amidst the crowd.
Several formidable members of the Wei family closely protected her, risking their lives to carve a bloody path for her to escape. Ah Mu and Li Feng were behind, also guarded by a few protectors. Several of the Wei family members who had paved the way had already been killed, their bodies trampled to pulp by the enemy.
Wei Tingxu was covered in blood and struggled to stand. Without the support of a cart, she was forcibly dragged forward by the Wei family members holding her arms. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain and not blinking, knowing that closing her eyes even for a moment could mean death. Li Feng, lacking any imperial dignity, looked disheveled and pathetic, clutching tightly to a guard. After being slashed, he shouted:
“The Son of Heaven is here! Who dares to harm me!”
Naively believing that this command would halt the chaotic slaughter, to his dismay, it had no effect, only making the attacks more vicious. Ah Mu looked dazed, as if lost in a dream.
Zhen Wenjun’s leap had indeed diverted some attention. Seeing her attire aligned with their own, yet she swiftly slit several throats and flew over the crowd, she did not appear to be a benevolent figure.
“Ignore that person!” a deep male voice called from above, “Just kill the Wei traitors!”
His commanding shout quickly brought the gradually chaotic scene back under control, and all the blades were directed at Wei Tingxu.
The Wei family guards used their bodies as shields, blocking several blows. The mo dao [Chinese long-handled sword] thrust horizontally, piercing through the guards and into Wei Tingxu’s side. Simultaneously, Li Feng let out a scream as someone grabbed his collar and lifted him nearly off the ground. Kicking frantically, Li Feng was nearly dragged away when Ah Qiong suddenly went berserk, punching the person holding Li Feng and knocking them to the ground, shouting:
“No one is allowed to touch my daughter!”
The new Emperor was the most coveted prize, and everyone wanted to seize him. If not successful the first time, they would attempt to seize him again. The Wei family guards were busy protecting Wei Tingxu and had no time to protect anyone else.
No one expected the frail-looking, white-haired old woman to be a martial artist, and quite a skilled one. Multiple waves of attackers were repelled by Ah Qiong, who clung to Li Feng, repeatedly shouting, “Do not harm my daughter.” Seeing this, Zhen Wenjun felt a pang of emotion, suspecting Ah Mu had confused Li Feng with little Alai. Ah Mu had suffered countless hardships over the years, much more than those of the Ruan family who had long since perished.
Even though her legs and arms were crippled, and she was poisoned with an unknown toxin, she never forgot to protect Alai.
Zhen Wenjun pushed off the ground, flicking away the incoming long sword, and in two steps, she leapt behind Ah Qiong. She forcefully stomped on the shoulders of a soldier who was swinging a sword at Ah Qiong, crushing him to the ground. With a backward elbow, she broke another’s nose, then brandished her long sword to create a sharp barrier, enclosing Ah Qiong and Li Feng within. With another swift move, she pulled Wei Tingxu inside as well.
She regretted not bringing her horse halberd [a type of pole weapon] due to her disguise when entering the city; otherwise, with a swing of the long halberd, none of these small fry would survive.
Without her halberd, her swordsmanship was still formidable. Over the years, even in the most peaceful times, she never relaxed her discipline, practicing martial arts for at least two hours daily. This long-term persistence paid off on the battlefield.
Anyone who dared approach had to be ready to have their neck slashed.
Zhen Wenjun’s bravery was extraordinary. Those who perished under her long sword often didn’t even see the attack before losing their lives. For a moment, the enemy slowed their assault. The Wei family quickly formed a circle with Zhen Wenjun, enclosing Wei Tingxu, Li Feng, and Ah Qiong, with their blades facing outward.
The soldiers, bloodthirsty moments ago, calmed down upon encountering such fierce resistance. They refrained from reckless attacks, instead tightening their encirclement, cautiously considering the best angle of attack.
The person directing from above spoke again, first laughing heartily, then mockingly: “Both of you once tried to recruit me in Yanxing, yet I found we did not share the same path [道不同不相为谋 | dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu | Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together]. Now meeting again here, it’s truly a fated encounter. Watching you two fight side by side, I can’t tell if you’re rivals or lovers—what a complex relationship!”
Zhen Wenjun did not look up to avoid distraction and asked, “Who is that buzzing old coot?”
Wei Tingxu pressed against her wound to stop the bleeding, staying close behind Zhen Wenjun, trying not to show her discomfort: “Isn’t it true that this is exactly what you wanted—Yanxing’s famed scholar, Cao Fei? Back then, you didn’t even know what he looked like, you just wanted to compete with me.”
In such a perilous moment, Wei Tingxu’s words brought a slight smile to Zhen Wenjun’s face: “What you want is naturally the best, following your lead is never wrong, who cares if Cao Fei is round or flat! So, Cao Fei is the junshi [军师 | jūnshī | military advisor] who trapped you here? Where is Xiaohua!? Wasn’t she by your side?”
Her question went unanswered. Facing away from Wei Tingxu, she could not see her expression and did not know what she looked like at this moment, but the unusual silence gave Zhen Wenjun a foreboding feeling.
“What exactly happened? Why are you trapped in Yanxing?”
Wei Tingxu closed her reddened eyes, then opened them again. The encircling soldiers were still there; she was not dreaming.
“The details can wait until we leave here.”
“Do you already have an escape plan?”
“Yes!” Before Wei Tingxu could answer, Li Feng whispered in her ear, “I know a way to escape!”
Zhen Wenjun frowned in confusion.
“I… I lived in Yanxing for many years and know all the hidden passages in the city! We rushed out to escape through the well!”
Zhen Wenjun remembered, indeed, there was a well about fifty steps away; when she was leaping over people’s heads earlier, she used the high wellhead to soar again.
“Does that well lead outside the city?”
“It does! It’s a secret passage! Trust me, it definitely does! Believe in me!”
Zhen Wenjun asked, “Zizhuo, what do you think?”
Wei Tingxu: “Is there any other way? We can only try. Once the Wei Family Army retreats, we’d all be doomed to die in Yanxing. I can’t afford to delay any longer. Wenjun.”
Zhen Wenjun slightly turned her head, signaling she was listening.
Wei Tingxu held onto her waist, her voice carrying a noticeable tremor:
“My life is once again entrusted to your hands.”
0 Comments