Chapter 263 (1/2)
Chapter 263
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Taken aback, Jiang Wu replied, ”Yes, Sir!”, before excusing himself quietly, as if nothing had happened.
With the letter sealed firmly, there was no way he dared peek at its contents. As he walked down the corridor, he wondered if there was any truth towards rumors that the royal family had intentions to form a union with Yan Bei through marriage. If it was true, would the future lineage of Song have the surname of Nalan or Yan? Was the assassination of the king of Taiping a success after all?
There was no point in guessing the thoughts of the upper brass. It wasn't long before Jiang Wu was tempted by the fragrance coming out from the kitchen, deciding to skive off.
In the study, Xuan Mo leaned against a chair with dragon patterns engraved on it, shutting his eyes slowly. News of the agreement between Yan Bei and Song soon spread around West Meng. It was no surprise that in such troubled times, the two countries would form an alliance. It was not long before the Song navy occupied the Huangfu Sea, lurking over Xia, ready to commence military action alongside Yan Bei.
That night, a deafening silence enshrouded Baizhi Pass. Since its occupation by Yan Bei's forces, the place had long lost its luster.
In the early hours of the night, a formation of troops wearing black with oil markings on their faces as camouflage approached the gate in the darkness. Chu Qiao stood in the middle of the formation, where she reiterated the rules of engagement for the upcoming operation.
”Firstly, do not hesitate to kill anyone that presents themselves as a potential threat or could warn the others about our presence.
”Secondly, team one shall cause as much chaos as possible inside the city. Team two will head northeast and rile up the pack of horses there, creating the illusion of an impending massive Xia attack to cause panic among the guards in the city.
”Thirdly, the others are to standby outside the city, ready to receive their comrades for a quick response, for everyone to pass through safely.”
The seconds ticked by. As soon as the drums to signal the 11th hour of the night were struck, the first group led by He Qi raced towards Baizhi Pass. Simultaneously, the second group began their journey towards the northeast where the pack of horses had already been prepared.
Leading some of his most elite troops, it did not take long for He Qi and his group to disappear into the darkness. Accompanied by a few of her personal guards, Chu Qiao stepped into the dense forest and sat quietly, going through her elaborate plans repeatedly in her head, looking for any possible shortfalls and weaknesses.
Once, twice, thrice.
”Alright, it should be fine.” She took a deep breath as she waited for the next signal silently.
It was an hour later when the deafening, thunderous sounds of horse steps, mixed with the cries of soldiers, reverberated through the air. The enormous amounts of dust, kicked up by the horses tied against the trees attempting to flee, soon blocked out the moonlight, giving the illusion that a massive army riding on horseback was approaching. The city of Baizhi Pass came to a standstill, their attention all focused towards the northeast.
It wasn't long before the northeastern gates of the city opened. Two groups of scouts rushed out, only to be swiftly taken out by the elite soldiers of the Xiuli army that were waiting for them outside.
It only took another hour before flames engulfed the city. Chu Qiao stood up and ordered, ”It's time! Let's go!”
Pre-positioned pontoons were pushed to the banks of the Chishui River, where Chu Qiao and her troops took off towards the direction of Tang.
The Yan Bei army was made up entirely of light cavalry troops and heavy armored units, with no naval or amphibious forces. As they had hastily taken over Baizhi Pass, it was impossible to fully control such a vast expanse of water. With enemies attacking from both inside and outside, the Chishui River represented the ideal passage towards Tang at this moment.
They had wandered for less than half an hour before they heard some noises ahead in the river. Picking up an arrow and unleashing it from her bow at maximum tension, a curdling scream in the darkness ensued. Almost immediately, the night sky was lit up by several hundred torches, revealing over 500 warships that were concealed in the darkness, from which dozens of long spears were aimed straight at them.
Standing on board the bow of the flagship, an official from Yan Bei raised his knife as he ordered, ”Death to the traitors!” With their arrows locked onto the chambers of their crossbows, as the officer swung his sword, his soldiers pressed their triggers, unleashing a swarm of arrows towards Chu Qiao and her soldiers.
”Jump!” He Xiao suddenly exclaimed. In an instant, the soldiers of the Xiuli army jumped into the river, as thousands of arrows struck their pontoon without leaving a trace of blood in their wake.
”Commander, all of them jumped into the river!” a voice shouted out.
Almost immediately, another soldier frantically exclaimed, ”General! Our ship is leaking!”
It was not long before many ships had their hull smashed, as the water poured in. In an instant, three warships had been sunk as their crew capsized into the river. The Yan Bei soldiers who were unable to swim frantically grabbed the floating debris; their curdling pleas for help echoed across the river, which further added to the chaos.
”They're beneath us!”
The general, seething with rage, ordered at the top of his lungs, ”Use the stone catapults! Use the spears! Crush them! Stab them to their deaths!”
”General! There are some of our soldiers in the river! We can't do that!”
”Scram!”
Furious, the soldier thought of shouting back, only to pulled aside by his comrade. The soldier stated angrily, ”But our orders from His Majesty were to capture the enemy alive!”