Book 4 Chapter 20 (1/2)
B4C20: Disappear
After Qin Yu returned, Qin De has sent this news to Qin Zheng in the town of Wuxue. All the members of the Qin clan in the town of Xiyang have also gathered together, creating a very warm atmosphere.
However, at the moment in Eternal House of the Imperial Palace in Ba Chu County,
“Transmit this order. 200,000 armored cavalry troops of the Xiang clan are to come out and to either rout, or kill, or capture any Qin clan troops wandering outside the cities. Don’t worry about anything.” Xiang Yang’s voice comes out from behind the beaded curtain.
Mister Lan however says doubtfully: “Master, you want us to bring out the trump card army and attack the Qin clan troops with it?”
“Yes.” Xiang Yang says indifferently.
Mister Lan immediately bows and says: “Master, but the Qin clan armies are surrounding our Ba Chu County on 3 sides. At the moment we don’t have enough men for defense, why do we still dispatch the all-important 200,000 armored cavalry troops? This …”
“Xuemou, how long have you been following me?” Xiang Yang asks in reply.
Lan Xuemou says respectfully: “Master, I’ve been following you for nearly 100 years.”
“For nearly 100 years I’ve thought that you’re the brightest among several disciples. But now it looks like … You’ve really disappointed me.” Xiang Yang says with a sigh. Hearing the sigh behind the beaded curtain, Lan Xuemou is immediately struck by a thought.
Suddenly, he remembers one thing -- his master’s might.
“Could it be you have reached some agreement with Qin De, Master?” Lan Xuemou enquires carefully.
Xiang Yang laughs out loud cheerfully: “Looks like you’re still not too stupid. Qin De has already made an agreement with me. As long as I don’t personally get into action, his armies on 3 sides won’t be allowed to attack. We’re going to keep things status quo.”
Lan Xuemou becomes doubtful: “Status quo? So this means we’ll keep getting stuck in this deadlock?”
“Of course not!” Xiang Yang’s voice becomes fierce. “No matter what happens, this is the country that my father and I founded through battles. For the last nearly 1000 years, I’ve been watching this country of the Xiang clan. No one can take it from my hands.”
Lan Xuemou says again: “Then do you have any way to handle the current situation, Master?”
Xiang Yang calms himself down then says with an indifferent smile: “Now I only need some time, some transitional time. I’ve ordered your 4th martial younger brother to take several tens gifted descendants of the Xiang royal clan to a secret place.”
Lan Xuemou frowns. Now that the Xiang clan’s lineage has been safeguarded, he knows perhaps his master is about to get ruthless.
“Within one year, I’ll force all the leaders of the Qin clan’s armies to surrender by threatening to take their lives. This little trick is child’s play to me. Of course, before the counterattack, I want to boost the morale of the Xiang clan’s army!” Xiang Yang says indifferently.
Lan Xuemou secretly nods as well.
Right, it is morale.
An army’s morale is extremely important. This period of time, the Qin clan armies have taken 3 of the Xiang clan’s 4 counties with almost unstoppable momentum. Due to this, now the morale of the Xiang clan’s troops is nearly exhausted, and so restoring it is the first priority.
“Even though the highest echelons of the Mu clan and the Shangguan clan have yielded to the Qin clan, I don’t think those generals and vice generals are totally loyal to it. As long as I threaten them with deadly force, humph, I believe they’ll easily surrender to the Xiang clan too.”
Xiang Yang’s voice becomes ice-cold: “During this extraordinary period of time, I can only use extraordinary tricks. Since the Qin clan is very strong at the moment, we have to undermine its armies’ fighting spirit and morale first. Then, in addition to me threatening the enemy’s leaders, the Xiang clan’s army will spring into action at the right time, so, there’s no doubt that we’ll win.”
Now Lan Xuemou totally understands.
“So he sends the armored cavalry out to attack the enemy’s wandering troops at this point to increase the Xiang clan’s morale. The Qin clan won’t dare to attack and will only defend. Ha-ha, you’re really brilliant, Master.” Lan Xuemou has understood completely.
The talk with Qin De apparently put Xiang Yang at a disadvantage but he is definitely no ordinary person so almost immediately afterwards he already thought of a series of follow-up plans.
After all, he is virtually the 1st emperor of the Chu dynasty.
Moreover, he has prepared a way out. Even if the 1st wave of attack fails, members of the Xiang clan will have already been brought to a secret place. With its wealth and secret forces and with the existence of Xiang Yang, it will not be difficult for the Xiang clan to rise again.
“Alright, just do as I said, Xuemou. Sending the Xiang clan’s armored cavalry to handle these small matters is like killing a chicken with a battle knife.” Xiang Yang says with an indifferent smile. The armored cavalry is absolutely the finest army of the Xiang clan. All of its troops are qualified ones who have experienced real fighting and bloody battles.
The Xiang clan’s armored cavalry was very famous during the time of the West Chu Conqueror. For so many years it has been maintained from behind the scenes by Xiang Yang so it has never loosened its training in the slightest.
******
In Lei Xue County, following the large-scale attack by the Xiang clan’s armored cavalry, almost all of the Qin clan troops in the cities no longer dare to wander outside because anyone who goes outside will be destroyed at one stroke by the Xiang clan’s armored cavalry. All of the Qin clan’s armies thus withdraw into passive defense in the cities.
In a short time, the Xiang clan’s morale has increased greatly. The Xiang clan’s soldiers often go from city to city to issue challenges to the Qin clan’s troops from outside the cities. The Qin clan’s troops however have no choice but to refuse to fight. Due to this, the Xiang clan’s troops unavoidably become more and more arrogant.
Even though the Qin clan’s troops are angry, none of them dares to disobey strict military orders.
However, there is still a corps that dares to go from city to city, namely the Fierce Tiger Corps. It is made up of only 50,000 Fierce Tiger troops but these troops are the finest in the Qin clan’s army.
In terms of quality, the Fierce Tiger Corps is even a tier better than the Xiang clan’s armored cavalry. Also, the fierce tigers’ offense is far superior to that of the steeds. It is a combination of 2 powerful forces when a Fierce Tiger soldier rides a fierce tiger. Moreover, if the 50,000 fierce tigers of the corps give a roar in unison, they will scare the life out of the armored cavalry’s steeds.
Therefore, not even the 200,000 armored cavalry troops of the Xiang clan dare to attack the 50,000 Fierce Tiger troops.
However, only the 50,000 Fierce Tiger troops dare to go around outside the cities. The other troops of the Qin clan in Lei Xue County can only defend passively according to military orders. None of them knows when this situation will stop.
******
In the town of Xiyang,
“Big brother, 2nd brother, bottoms up.”
The 3 brothers, Qin Yu, Qin Feng and Qin Zheng, are sitting around the stone table under a willow in the courtyard, drinking wine with each other to their hearts’ content. After receiving the news about Qin Yu’s return, Qin Zheng immediately rushed extremely fast from the town of Wuxue to the town of Xiyang in ecstasy.
During this reunion, the 3 brothers talk emotionally about their respective experiences unceasingly.
When they remember how they larked about with each other in the hot spring of Misty Villa in Qin Yu’s childhood, that scene seems to appear before their eyes. However, it has been 10-odd years since then, and each of them has made achievements of his own.
Qin Feng has become a marshal and his army was the 1st to break through the defense of Lei Xue County. He is currently just 28 years old but has reached the late phase of the Xiantian level.