Chapter 183: Chapter 102 Tiger, Tiger, Tiger! (Please Subscribe!)_3
The most surprising thing was that he, a eunuch, perhaps because the castration hadn’t been complete, had grown a magnificent beard that many scholars admired.
Grand Commandant Yang turned, faced forward, and said, "It’s easy to kill them; they are already surrounded by my large army. Could these three hundred-odd people truly fly into the sky? What This Commandant wants to know is who sent them and what the Yan bastard is plotting."
As he said that, Grand Commandant Yang turned to look at Wu Yingwu, who was standing behind him, and continued, "These people deserve to die for their sins, their crimes are beyond redemption! But there have been too many incidents in the Yan country lately. It is said that the Yan Emperor has already had a falling out with the Earl of North Border, and both sides have even deployed their armies against each other. This sudden incursion of Yan cavalry into our Qian must have other intentions behind it. If This Commandant cannot ascertain the truth, how can I explain this to the various ministers at court and how can I answer to His Majesty? Moreover, according to previous reports, there are even Barbarians among these Yan cavalry! Have we unraveled the mystery within this? As Jiedushi of Qian, you command the military power of a region. How can you disregard matters of national importance for personal reasons?"
Wu Yingwu and Meng Changqi exchanged a glance. Along with the third person present, Chen Town’s Governor Qian Shuwen, they bowed to Grand Commandant Yang and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Grand Commandant. We are ashamed."
Seeing this, Grand Commandant Yang stroked his magnificent beard with satisfaction.
Just then, a civil official in court attire rode up on horseback, and the soldiers at the front immediately parted to let him pass.
The newcomer was Zheng Hongze, who had just finished negotiating with Liang Cheng.
Zheng Hongze did not dismount. He rode up to the command platform, cupped his fists, and said, "I have official duties to attend to, so please forgive this subordinate for not performing the full salutation."
Grand Commandant Yang nodded and said, "No matter, Minister Zheng. You’ve worked hard."
Zheng Hongze was inwardly delighted. In truth, the excuse of ’official duties preventing full salutation’ was just a pretext. The task itself had been assigned by Grand Commandant Yang. Previously, Grand Commandant Yang had asked his aides who among them could go and persuade that troop of Yan people to surrender. While everyone else remained silent, only Minister Zheng had stepped forward to volunteer.
What Zheng Hongze wanted now was to deepen his impression in Grand Commandant Yang’s mind. For middle-to-lower-ranking officials aspiring to climb the ladder, gaining the appreciation of a powerful figure was truly essential.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant," Zheng Hongze began, "the Yan bastards are willing to surrender. However, they’ve presented many conditions. Please allow this subordinate to report them one by one..."
Grand Commandant Yang chuckled and said, "No need to list them. Agree to all their conditions."
"But..."
"Agree to them."
In any case, these promises won’t be honored later. What he truly wants to know is the objective behind this Yan army’s southern incursion!
"This subordinate understands. By the way, the Yan bastards say that Governor Meng’s esteemed daughter is still in their hands."
Meng Changqi’s face immediately lit up with joy upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "What about my wife?"
"The Yan bastards say that Governor Meng’s wife succumbed to a sudden, severe illness yesterday and passed away."
"..." Meng Changqi.
"Yan bastards! This official swears to not live under the same sky as you!!!"
Meng Changqi let out a roar of rage, but inwardly, he breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
That woman has finally died in a very convenient way. It truly wasn’t easy.
"Governor Meng, please accept my condolences," Grand Commandant Yang comforted him.
"This subordinate understands. Grand Commandant, matters of state should not be delayed due to my personal affairs. National interests take precedence."
"Governor Meng is of noble character. Minister Zheng, go and deliver the reply."
"As you command!"
Zheng Hongze cupped his fists in salute once more, then turned his horse around. He rode from the rear guard back to the vanguard, passed through the vanguard, and arrived before the Yan Army cavalry formation.
At this moment, Chen Town’s Governor Qian Shuwen, standing behind Grand Commandant Yang, spoke up, "The Grand Commandant is wise. The Yan and Barbarians are unacquainted with etiquette and do not respect moral teachings. How can people from such a state possess any loyalty or righteousness? If these Barbarian scoundrels hear that the Grand Commandant is willing to accede to their conditions, they will naturally kneel and surrender."
Grand Commandant Yang chuckled and said, "The Yan bastards’ peaceful days are numbered. Just wait. Before long, they’ll start fighting amongst themselves."
「 」
Zheng Fan pointed at Minister Zheng, who had gone and returned, and said to Liang Cheng beside him, "That dog official isn’t even willing to see the act through. The big shot leading the army behind him must have told him to agree to whatever conditions we propose."
At this moment, Zheng Hongze, having ridden to the front, announced loudly, "The Grand Commandant has ordered that all your conditions can be agreed to! We hope you will swiftly lay down your weapons, dismount, and surrender. Our Great Qian is a state of rites and propriety; we will definitely honor our commitments and keep our promises!"
"Heh."
Zheng Fan sneered. Just then, he suddenly spotted two goshawks circling in the northern sky.
A smile immediately touched Zheng Fan’s lips.
He spoke in the Barbarian tongue, "Shoot him dead for me! He’s unworthy of the surname Zheng!"
All the Barbarian soldiers immediately drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and aimed at Zheng Hongze.
Zheng Hongze, who had been inwardly rejoicing at the thought of successfully completing this assignment and currying favor with the Grand Commandant, felt his heart lurch at this sight.
He subconsciously cried out, "Don’t..."
WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ!
His answer was hundreds of arrows.
Minister Zheng, along with his horse, was riddled with arrows until he resembled a pincushion, thoroughly dead.
This action immediately caused an uproar among the nearby Qian State cavalry. The cavalry ranks, which had relaxed thinking the enemy was about to surrender, grew tense and vigilant once more.
「 」
"How dare he! How dare he!!!"
Grand Commandant Yang, standing on the command platform, was in disbelief.
The three governors standing behind him were also stupefied. Did these Yan bastards truly not fear death?
Qian Shuwen, in particular, who had earlier claimed that the Yan people lacked loyalty and righteousness, wore an especially ugly expression.
「 」
"Whether you understand or not, repeat after me, line by line! Shout with all the strength you’ve got!" (Spoken in the Barbarian tongue)
The surrounding Barbarian soldiers sat up straighter on their horses.
Zheng Fan cried out, "Soldiers of my Great Yan..."
"Soldiers of my Great Yan..." the men echoed.
"We swear to die before surrendering!"
"We swear to die before surrendering!"
"Long live His Majesty, the Yan Emperor!"
"Long live His Majesty, the Yan Emperor!"
"Ten thousand years to Lord Jingnan!"
"Ten thousand years to Lord Jingnan!"
These slogans were roared out by hundreds of Barbarian soldiers in less-than-standard Han language, a wave of tragic heroism sweeping forth!
This scene even caused Grand Commandant Yang on the command platform to be somewhat moved.
At the same time, he was even more alarmed inwardly.
These Yan people... they are this tenacious? Preferring death to surrender?
Simultaneously, he couldn’t help but feel a sliver of relief. Fortunately, the Yan people were about to descend into internal strife. Otherwise...
"Grand Commandant, the Yan bastards are obstinately resisting! Please give the order!" Wu Yingwu urged.
Meng Changqi hesitated for a moment; his daughter was still in the hands of the Yan people.
Grand Commandant Yang nodded and said to the standard-bearer before him, "Kill!"
The standard-bearer immediately relayed the order.
The next moment, the Qian State cavalry surrounding Zheng Fan and the others began to move. Their ranks reformed, preparing to charge.
But Zheng Fan showed no fear at all.
Instead, with Liang Cheng’s help, he raised the long saber in his hand. The Barbarian soldiers also raised their scimitars, preparing for a fight to the death.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Just then, to the north, at the very edge of their vision, a black shadow suddenly appeared, followed by the rhythmic tremors of the earth.
The Qian State cavalry, poised to charge, all pulled on their reins, looking towards the north with some bewilderment. Grand Commandant Yang and the three governors standing behind him on the command platform also gazed northwards in shock.
Column after column of black-armored cavalry began to appear. Their military discipline was impeccable, their formations neat. Large banners emblazoned with the character ’Yan’ and ’South’ fluttered in the wind amidst their ranks.
An immense, murderous aura surged forth with their appearance, as if a true behemoth of war was about to open its ferocious eyes!
WOOO...
A desolate bugle call sounded.
All the Yan Army knights raised their weapons in unison and roared:
"TIGER!"
"TIGER!"
"TIGER!"