The Road to Glory

Chapter 205: "What Have I Done Wrong?" (Continuation...)

Zhang Huai scrutinized Wang Wanzhen for a moment, as if pondering the veracity of her words, then said: "The Second Young Master Wei has passed away. How can I verify the truth of what the princess says?"

Wang Wanzhen pressed her lips tightly together, as if having made some decision, and declared with desperate resolve: "The biological father of this child... is a criminal, currently in the Xiao Army camp. Sir, you may interrogate him at will."

To appease Xiao Li, the Wei camp had long since bound Yu Zhiyuan and sent him over.

But Xiao Li was preoccupied with the southern campaign against Pei Song and paid no heed to the Wei camp's apology. Thus, Yu Zhiyuan was detained in prison on Zhang Huai's orders.

Zhang Huai narrowed his eyes: "I don't quite understand what the princess means."

Wang Wanzhen naturally knew this move of hers was extremely risky, but since she had confirmed the other party wouldn't take her life, the worst outcome would merely be as initially planned—losing this child.

Yet if she could preserve this child, she would hold another card in her hand.

Since there was a chance to gamble, why not take it?

Wang Wanzhen put on a pitiful expression: "Wanzhen was once forced by that scoundrel Yu Zhiyuan... This child is his."

Zhang Huai didn't respond immediately. After a pause, his face thoughtful, he asked: "Did Yu Zhiyuan kill the Second Young Master Wei because the young master discovered this matter?"

Wang Wanzhen nodded tearfully: "Exactly."

She hurriedly added: "My false accusation against the marquis was also forced by him. He threatened me, saying if I didn't follow his orders, he would spread news of our affair, claiming... claiming I had seduced him. Wanzhen truly had no choice..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head to wipe her tears.

Zhang Huai remained unmoved, only asking: "The sudden death of the Virtuous and quick-witted county lord, falsely blamed by Yu Zhiyuan on the marquis—could her death also be related to Yu Zhiyuan?"

Wang Wanzhen's mind flashed to the night she tricked Wei Jiamin to the lakeside and ultimately pushed her into the lake. Her hand clutching the handkerchief tightened slightly, but her expression showed no flaw as she sorrowfully nodded: "Yes..."

Zhang Huai appeared puzzled: "Why would he kill the Virtuous and quick-witted county lord?"

Wang Wanzhen said with reddened eyes: "After the marquis passed, the Marquis Wei's household declined. My mother and husband discussed arranging for the county lord to marry the marquis, to strengthen the Wei clan's ties with him. Fearing the marquis would gain more support from the Wei factions, he cruelly killed the county lord... It's hateful how well he concealed his spy identity, appearing as my husband's trusted aide while the marquis had conflicts with my husband over armor matters during the funeral. For a time, no one in the Wei clan suspected him, and all my maids were his spies—I didn't dare act recklessly..."

A handsome yet icy smile touched Zhang Huai's lips: "Since it's that traitor's child, why does the princess wish to keep it?"

Wang Wanzhen caressed her abdomen mournfully: "I hate that scoundrel, but this child... has grown inside me for months, and I've watched it gradually grow in my womb. I... I cannot bear to harm it..."After speaking, she seemed to realize this reason alone would hardly persuade Zhang Huai, so she added: "Keeping this child would greatly benefit Your Lordship as well. It could be used to win over the old followers of the Wei clan, while also earning you a reputation for virtue. Moreover, the child's origins are unusual—his father was the treacherous villain who brought ruin upon the Wei clan. Your Lordship need not worry about this child becoming a future threat."

These words, emphasizing benefits without drawbacks, were what Wang Wanzhen truly intended to say.

But with her earlier plea and tears still glistening in her eyes, anyone hearing her would assume she was merely a compassionate mother, listing these advantages out of desperation to save her child.

Zhang Huai frowned slightly, as if deep in thought, and remained silent for a long while.

Wang Wanzhen continued to wipe her tears with a handkerchief.

To her, tears were also a weapon.

Having struggled for years in the opera troupe, the most useful tactic she had learned was to feign weakness when in a low position.

By appearing fragile and harmless, she could buy time to bide her strength and wait for the right moment.

After all, wolves and tigers were the ones to be guarded against—who would pay attention to a pitiful, whimpering kitten or puppy?

Ever since she was selected by Wei Qishan of Northern Wei to marry Wei Pingjin as the former Jin princess, she had been concealing her ambitions and quietly making plans.

Back then, she thought her path forward was to endure until she bore a child for Wei Pingjin. After Wei Qishan's passing, she could use the child to sideline Wei Pingjin and become the true master of the Wei clan.

After Wei Qishan entrusted Northern Wei to Xiao Li upon his death, she realized with shock that Wei Pingjin was meant to be a puppet. She immediately shifted her target to Xiao Li.

When her advances toward Xiao Li were rebuffed and witnessed by Yu Zhiyuan, she did not hesitate to strike a deal with that wolf.

Now that Yu Zhiyuan had fallen from power, she sensed a new opportunity. Her goal was no longer mere survival but a more secure future!

For now, Xiao Li would not take her life, as he needed her for his future contention with Southern Liang for the throne. But once Xiao Li secured the empire and decided to have her "die of illness," how could she protect herself?

Only by preserving the child in her womb and using this child to rally the old followers of the Wei clan, turning them to her own use, could she fight for a way out.

After all, if Xiao Li still intended to use this child to win over the Wei clan's old followers, he would not publicize the matter. Instead, he would need her—the former Jin princess and current matriarch of the Wei clan—to act as an intermediary. This would give her ample room to maneuver.

If it ever came to armed conflict and Xiao Li tried to use Yu Zhiyuan against her, she could firmly insist it was a false accusation fabricated by Xiao Li.

Thinking this, Wang Wanzhen grew increasingly convinced that her risky move was the right one.

After a long silence, Zhang Huai finally spoke: "This matter is of great importance. I must report it to His Lordship for a decision."

Wang Wanzhen hurriedly expressed her gratitude. Remembering the excuse she had used to deceive Madam Wei into coming to the Xiao Army camp, she tentatively asked: "What about the reinforcements for Northern Wei…"

Zhang Huai cast her a fleeting glance, causing the rest of her words to die in her throat.

Zhang Huai said: "I met with the princess and the others today precisely to discuss sending reinforcements to Northern Wei. However, Madam Wei’s words were truly disheartening."

His long eyelashes lowered slightly: "But His Lordship has always remembered the hardships of his humble beginnings and pities the people suffering from the ravages of war. Otherwise, he would not have repeatedly aided Wei. I will discuss the dispatch of reinforcements with General Wei Ang later."

"As for the princess’s claim that the child’s father is Yu Zhiyuan…" He shifted his tone, looking at Wang Wanzhen with a cold, faint smile curling on his lips: "I will also interrogate him about this."Wang Wanzhen considered herself an intelligent person, yet when locking eyes with Zhang Huai, she inexplicably grew rigid with the sensation of being utterly exposed, as if stripped bare before him. She could no longer recall whether she had said "yes" or "very well" before leaving the hall.

Once in the courtyard, she felt as though rescued from drowning, the weight in her chest instantly lightening.

However, only Wei Ang awaited in the courtyard, with no sign of Madam Wei. Wang Wanzhen's thoughts were still in disarray, failing to notice the slight peculiarity in Wei Ang's expression as she asked directly, "Where is Mother?"

Wei Ang lowered his head, concealing most of his emotions, and replied after a brief hesitation, "The elder lady... is feeling dispirited and said she was stifled here, so she has returned ahead of us."

Wang Wanzhen assumed Madam Wei was still seething over Zhang Huai's sarcastic remarks. She knew that the old Wei faction didn't truly respect Madam Wei; it was only because the Wei family lacked other figures that Madam Wei had been pushed to the forefront.

As the new matriarch of the Wei family, with the title of former Jin princess, Wang Wanzhen believed it was only a matter of time before she completely monopolized the Wei family's authority, rendering Madam Wei voiceless in household affairs.

Seizing this opportunity, she wouldn't miss the chance to reinforce the impression among Wei generals that Madam Wei was shortsighted and unfit for serious matters. Feigning surprise, she then spoke as if making excuses for Madam Wei: "This... Mother probably couldn't bear to see the foundation the Marquis built over his lifetime destroyed in an instant, which is why she spoke so harshly to Master Zhang Huai."

"I have already apologized to Master Zhang Huai on Mother's behalf, and Master Zhang Huai said he is willing to discuss troop reinforcements for Wei with the General."

Wang Wanzhen's words were impeccably crafted.

Outwardly defending Madam Wei, she actually reiterated Madam Wei's earlier rudeness in the hall and credited herself with Zhang Huai's willingness to discuss reinforcements.

However, Wei Ang showed no particular delight upon hearing this, maintaining his bowed posture as he clasped his hands and said, "You've worked hard, Princess. This general will have someone escort you back first."

Slightly puzzled, Wang Wanzhen then thought Wei Ang might be reluctant to comment on Madam Wei. Nodding, she allowed her maid to support her as she departed.

Only after Wang Wanzhen had gone far did Wei Ang reenter the main hall.

Inside, Zhang Huai was reviewing a scroll, barely lifting his eyes at the sound of footsteps. His lips, seemingly perpetually tinged with a faint smile, parted: "Will the General join Huai in interrogating the prisoner at the prison?"

Earlier, the attendant had reported that after Madam Wei was taken away, fearing her daughter-in-law would be bullied inside, she had gathered a group of accompanying Wei officials to cause a commotion outside the courtyard. They threatened that if not allowed to accompany her, they would spread word far and wide about the Xiao Army bullying widows and orphans.

Wei Ang, as a subordinate general, had been unable to dissuade them, prompting the attendant to report to Zhang Huai.

Zhang Huai's instruction to the attendant was to first take Madam Wei and her party to wait in the side chamber.

From the moment Wang Wanzhen desperately tried to protect the child in her womb, Zhang Huai had discerned her intentions.

The core Wei generals all knew her identity as the former Jin princess was fabricated. Her only bargaining chip to maintain her position in the Wei family was that child.

According to her claims, preserving the child would benefit Xiao Li, but the greater advantage would undeniably be her own.Moving against the child in her womb was Zhang Huai’s own idea, intended to eliminate a potential threat. Since the other party had exposed their own weakness, he could spare the child’s life, but he also needed the core generals of the Wei family to know that the child was not of Wei blood, to prevent Wang Wanzhen from ambitiously cultivating her own faction.

Thus, the words Wang Wanzhen spoke afterward were overheard by Madam Wei and the old retainers of the Wei family, separated only by a single wall.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Madam Wei fainted on the spot and was urgently escorted back to the carriage to be examined by the accompanying military physician.

Hearing Zhang Huai’s question, Wei Ang closed his eyes in shame, clasped his fists, and said, “It is my Wei family who has wronged the Marquis. From now on, the entire Wei family is at your disposal.”

—

After returning, Wang Wanzhen also heard that Madam Wei had summoned the military physician upon returning to the carriage.

She initially intended to put on a show of filial piety in front of Madam Wei, but the elderly servant attending to Madam Wei said that Madam Wei was currently unwell and did not wish to see anyone, advising her to come back later.

This delay lasted until nightfall, when the young officer escorting them found a mountain temple for them to rest temporarily.

After finishing her evening meal and preparing to retire for the night, Wang Wanzhen was finally summoned by Madam Wei’s servant.

Wang Wanzhen was inwardly displeased, but since her involvement in helping Yu Zhiyuan frame Xiao Li had been exposed, although she had managed to absolve herself of blame, she had no choice but to relinquish her authority over the Wei family’s affairs.

Now that the authority to manage the Wei household was in Madam Wei’s hands, she still had to appease Madam Wei to quickly regain control.

After changing her clothes, Wang Wanzhen went to Madam Wei’s meditation room. Upon entering, she saw Madam Wei kneeling with her back to her before a statue of the Bodhisattva, seemingly deep in prayer.

Inappropriately placed in the room was a large vat, the kind used in courtyards to grow water lilies, filled to the brim with water.

Feeling uneasy, Wang Wanzhen asked, “Mother, why is there a large vat in the room?”

Madam Wei, her fingers aged with time, clenched her prayer beads so tightly they turned white. Gazing at the Bodhisattva statue enshrined in the niche, her sorrow tinged with boundless resentment, she said, “It is to demand your life, you viper, on behalf of my Minmin and Jin’er!”

Two sturdy maids standing by the door immediately seized Wang Wanzhen’s arms, one on each side.

Wang Wanzhen was shocked but reasoned that Zhang Huai could not have revealed that the child in her womb was Yu Zhiyuan’s. Moreover, when she confessed to Zhang Huai, she had framed Yu Zhiyuan for the deaths of Wei Pingjin and Wei Jiamin, and her submission to Yu Zhiyuan was portrayed as forced. Why then would Madam Wei speak of demanding her life for Wei Jiamin and Wei Pingjin?

Her arms twisted painfully, Wang Wanzhen cried out half-feigned tears, “What is Mother saying? I don’t understand a word of it…”

“Silence!” Madam Wei stopped turning her prayer beads and turned to glare at Wang Wanzhen, her eyes filled with pure disgust, fury, and a hatred so deep she wished to devour her flesh. “How dare you call me Mother?”

From behind a curtain in the inner part of the meditation room, Madam Wei’s wet nurse lifted the curtain, and a bound maid was brought out—Wang Wanzhen’s trusted confidante, whom she had personally promoted. The maid had clearly been tortured, her clothes stained with whip marks, her hair soaked as if she had been forced underwater.

As soon as the maid’s gag was removed, she looked at Wang Wanzhen with eyes swollen from crying and shrank back in fear.Wang Wanzhen knew something was terribly wrong the moment she saw the maid. The prenatal medicine she drank before bed had always been prepared exclusively by this maid, never entrusted to anyone else. So when Madam Wei’s servant came to summon her and the maid hadn’t returned from brewing the medicine, she hadn’t thought much of it. Little did she expect the maid had already been detained by Madam Wei.

Madam Wei’s wet nurse barked at the maid, “Tell your mistress how you discovered she murdered the County Princess and the Young Master!”

The maid wept, “Shortly after the County Princess passed, the Princess often suffered from nightmares, waking up crying ‘Don’t blame me!’ She even sneaked out late at night to burn spirit money by the lake where the County Princess drowned. After the Young Master’s death, Yu Zhiyuan used political discussions as an excuse to visit the Princess’s chambers. While I guarded the door, I overheard him comforting her, saying he had already framed the Marquis for both the County Princess and Young Master’s deaths…”

Wang Wanzhen’s face turned deathly pale, but she stubbornly insisted, “Mother, don’t listen to this maid’s nonsense! She’s always been dishonest – she nearly got beaten to death earlier for displeasing the County Princess. I saved her life out of kindness, keeping her by my side to reform her. I thought she’d improve, but she kept stealing my jewelry. After I disciplined her multiple times, she must have held a grudge…”

Madam Wei, having endured too many blows today, found the last thread of willpower sustained by her son’s posthumous child completely gone. Seeing Wang Wanzhen still arguing despite the ironclad evidence, she trembled with rage, unable to speak. Her wet nurse shouted instead, “What a sharp tongue! Daring to pass off that bastard in your womb as a Wei heir? Then we’ll beat that bastard to death first! Let’s see how long your glib tongue lasts!”

Several stout maidservants pinned Wang Wanzhen down. When the club struck, the pain radiating through her nerves felt like splitting her skull open – she thought she might as well be dead.

But with her mouth gagged, she couldn’t even scream. In the excruciating pain, she soon felt warm fluid gushing between her legs.

Cold sweat drenched her temples. When the maidservants stopped the beating, Wang Wanzhen couldn’t stand. Dragged by her arms, she was forced to kneel before Madam Wei, the gag removed from her mouth.

Madam Wei clutched her prayer beads tightly, staring at her: “This is vengeance for my children!”

Agony consumed Wang Wanzhen. She looked down at her skirt gradually soaking with blood and suddenly laughed hysterically. The laughter strained her abdominal muscles, intensifying the pain, yet she kept laughing until her face twisted with resentment and bitterness. She glared venomously at Madam Wei: “Why shouldn’t your children have died?!”

“You’re lucky – born with the same face as Marquis Wei’s first wife. You’ve lived comfortably most of your life because of it, and your two pig-brained children were born into privilege. You three looked down on my opera background, but without Wei Qishan, what are you worth?”

Never in her life since marrying into the Wei household had Madam Wei been so directly insulted. Trembling with fury, her wet nurse immediately scowled and shouted: “Slap her face!”The maidservant restraining Wang Wanzhen slapped her hard across the face. Wang Wanzhen’s head snapped to the side, yet she continued to sneer, venting her grievances as she demanded, "Your daughter stood in my way. I killed her to seize this realm—what crime is that? And your son is nothing but a worthless fool! He brought his death upon himself!"

Wang Wanzhen glared fiercely at Madam Wei. "Did you truly believe that if your cowardly son lived, Northern Wei would be his? He was begging to be Xiao Li’s dog! If Northern Wei had fallen into my hands, it would at least have kept the Wei name! Tell me, what crime have I committed?"

Slap!

Another harsh blow landed on Wang Wanzhen’s face. Madam Wei trembled as she shouted, "You vile woman!"

Blood trickled from the corner of Wang Wanzhen’s split lip. Tasting the metallic tang in her mouth, she turned back to Madam Wei with a mocking smile. "Madam, you seem utterly consumed by hatred, but I believe you should direct that hatred toward your own children’s incompetence. Marquis Wei left them such a grand legacy—who else is to blame if they couldn’t protect it? In this ruthless world that devours people without spitting out their bones, when has fairness ever existed? Otherwise, what of all those servants your children had beaten or killed on a whim?"

Tears streamed from Madam Wei’s eyes as she stared blankly at Wang Wanzhen.

Enduring the sharp pain in her abdomen, Wang Wanzhen continued with venomous malice, "Or perhaps, Madam, you should hate yourself. After all, weren’t you the one who failed to raise your children properly?"

Madam Wei’s wet nurse swiftly supported her, spitting viciously at Wang Wanzhen. "Such a sharp tongue! Keep slapping her—don’t stop until her mouth is shattered!"

The two maidservants holding Wang Wanzhen took turns striking her cheeks repeatedly.

Though the wet nurse helped Madam Wei back onto the prayer cushion, she remained dazed, murmuring unconsciously, "Was it my fault for not raising Minmin and Jin’er properly…"

The wet nurse said, "Madam, that little harlot has a silver tongue, skilled at twisting the truth. Don’t believe her distorted reasoning! Once we drown her in the vat, it will be as if we’ve avenged the County Princess!"

Wang Wanzhen’s drowning in the vat unfolded like a shadow play.

From outside the courtyard, one could only see the tightly shut doors of the meditation room. Against the warm yellow candlelight cast on the windows and doors, the shadows of two sturdy maidservants pressed a slender shadow repeatedly into a water vat. The slender shadow struggled fiercely at first, buoyed by the instinct to survive, but with each subsequent submersion, its struggles weakened until it finally fell still.

The wet nurse said, "Throw this wretch’s corpse to the wild wolves in the back hills. To the outside world, announce that she died of illness."

Kneeling before the statue of Bodhisattva, Madam Wei’s eyes were hollow and distant. She merely replied, "Very well."

When the wet nurse returned after summoning trusted servants to remove the body, she found the meditation courtyard engulfed in towering flames.

Panic-stricken, the wet nurse screamed for help to put out the fire. Soldiers and monks who rushed over drew water from the well to douse the flames, but the meditation room had clearly been doused with oil. Each bucket of water thrown evaporated instantly into steam against the raging fire.

Outside the courtyard, the wet nurse called out desperately for Madam Wei, first addressing her as "Madam," then weeping mournfully as she cried out Madam Wei’s childhood name.

Inside the meditation room, the beams had already burned through and collapsed.

Amid the flames, Madam Wei remained transfixed, gazing at the compassionate face of the Bodhisattva in the niche. Finally, she pressed her palms together and murmured, "Greatly Merciful and Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva…"

-The news that Madam Wei and her daughter-in-law had taken shelter in a mountain temple, only for the meditation hall to catch fire and both women to perish in the flames, reached Zhang Huai's ears the following day.

He scanned the intelligence report twice, his brow slightly furrowed. "How could this happen..."

Even if the child in Wang Wanzhen's womb didn't belong to Wei Pingjin, given Madam Wei's temperament, she wouldn't have directly resorted to killing Wang Wanzhen.

Unless... Madam Wei had uncovered something else while investigating the clues that the child wasn't Wei Pingjin's, and Wang Wanzhen had withheld information when mentioning the deaths of Wei Pingjin and his sister.

As for the fire, it was unclear whether it resulted from a deadly struggle between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

He pressed his temples and said, "This has become rather troublesome..."

Madam Wei and her daughter-in-law both perished in the fire, leaving the entire Wei clan completely leaderless. It was inevitable that outsiders would suspect Xiao Li, but fortunately, when Wang Wanzhen confessed yesterday, many Wei generals and officials were also listening in the side chamber. These core Wei retainers, aware of the irregularities regarding the child in Wang Wanzhen’s womb, would no longer suspect the Xiao Army.

A servant reported from outside: "Sir, General Zheng has returned."

Shortly after, Zheng Hu entered. Having already received the urgent letter sent by Zhang Huai on his way, he said immediately upon entering: "Military Advisor, has the first batch of troops sent to aid Northern Wei already departed?"

Zhang Huai set down the dispatch and replied: "General Zheng, you must be weary from your journey. Yesterday, General Wei Ang came in person, and I have already lent him three thousand troops to reinforce Yuzhou."

Zheng Hu sat down and gulped a mouthful of tea: "The five thousand men under my command can also march to Yuzhou once they receive their supplies."

Noticing Zhang Huai’s slightly furrowed brow, he asked: "Has the camp encountered any other troublesome matters recently?"

Zhang Huai said: "It’s not exactly troublesome."

He recounted how the child in Wang Wanzhen’s womb was actually Yu Zhiyuan’s, as well as the deaths of Madam Wei and her daughter-in-law in the fire. Then, with a slight narrowing of his eyes, he added: "I must send a letter to the Marquis as soon as possible."

He had acted on these two matters without Xiao Li’s knowledge, fearing that Xiao Li would not agree.

Yet, by a twist of fate, he discovered that the child in Wang Wanzhen’s womb was not of Wei bloodline, and the Wei mother and daughter-in-law ultimately perished in the fire.

Originally, he had planned to let the barbarians cross the border, allowing all the people of the Northern Border to witness the brutality of the barbarians’ blades before reclaiming the land. Only then would they truly be grateful to Xiao Li.

But Wei Tong abandoned his post and fled, while Yuan Fang, after the fall of Yanle Mountain, was still leading the remaining troops in an attempt to block the barbarians from advancing further into the territory. Although the people of the nearby prefectures and counties had evacuated in time, the panic of the foreign invasion had already spread.

The Wei clan would no longer pose any hidden threats.

Thus, there was no need for him to take such extreme measures.

After all, the original intent of this move was only to help Xiao Li become the undisputed ruler of the Northern Border.

Although the outcomes of these two matters were relatively favorable, he still had to confess and seek punishment from Xiao Li.

Acting without the knowledge of one’s lord was already a major taboo for a strategist. Concealing it indefinitely would make it an even greater transgression.

The former could be justified as acting in the lord’s interest, while the latter would be seen as harboring ulterior motives.

Zheng Hu was straightforward and had never viewed Wang Wanzhen or the child in her womb as threats. Upon hearing of the deaths of the Wei mother and daughter-in-law, he immediately said: "If they were burned to death inside the temple, surrounded layer upon layer by Wei troops, then even the heavens themselves couldn’t pin this on our Xiao Army! If any pedant dares to slander Second Brother over this, I’ll cut out their tongues!"

Zhang Huai smiled faintly: "General Zheng speaks wisely."

Zheng Hu waved his hand: "I only know how to speak crudely. It’s only with you, Military Advisor, stationed in Yizhou, that we can handle these troublesome matters."

As the conversation reached this point, he seemed curious and casually asked: "With such great talent, why did you never serve as an advisor in a prestigious household before?"

Zhang Huai’s gaze grew profound: "I only assist a lord who can help me achieve my great ambition."

Zheng Hu laughed heartily: "Exactly! From the moment I decided to follow Second Brother, I knew he would one day lead us to make a name for ourselves!"He then asked, "What is the grand ambition in the strategist's heart? I'll relay it to Second Brother later—he will surely help you achieve it!"

Zhang Huai gazed at the vast horizon beyond the wide-open window: "It is something that Li Yao, the former Grand Secretary of the Former Liang, and Grand Tutor Yu Ziyan spent half their lives striving for but never accomplished."

Wucheng.

The bloodstained banner bearing the character "Xiao" flapped fiercely in the wind amid the dissipating smoke of gunpowder.

The city gates of Wucheng had been shattered, and the bricks on the walls bore marks from stones wrapped in oil and hurled by catapults. Defeated soldiers of the Pei Army, having discarded their armor and weapons, were being escorted away in batches by Xiao Army troops.

Xiao Li led his forces into the city on horseback, the scorching sun causing him to narrow his long eyes, his chiseled features appearing even colder and more profound.

Ahead lay the general's residence. The defending general of Wucheng, who had retreated into the city after his defeat and knew escape was impossible, stood before dozens of chests filled with gold, silver, and jewels upon spotting Xiao Li's troops from afar. Adopting a posture of welcome, he flattered Xiao Li, who sat high on his warhorse: "Your Lordship's divine prowess is well-known to this humble one. Witnessing it today atop the city walls has left me in utter awe. I wish only to serve under Your Lordship, offering my humble efforts. Hearing of Your Lordship's fondness for fine jade, I have specially gathered some exquisite pieces to present to you, along with gold and silver to support your military funds..."

As he spoke these words loudly, Xiao Li's warhorse had already reached him. A long blade swept down diagonally from the saddle, cleanly severing the general's head.

The servants who had stood outside the residence with the general collapsed to their knees, trembling with fear, but as if struck mute, not daring to utter even a gasp or plea for mercy.

Xiao Li sheathed his blade and simply said, "Open the granaries and distribute food to aid the refugees outside the city."

The deputy general nodded in acknowledgment and immediately summoned his trusted soldiers to relay the orders in detail.

The troops under Pei Song adhered to a strategy of sustaining war through war. When supplies ran short, the nearby commanderies and counties became their granaries. By falsely labeling towns or villages as bandit strongholds, they could plunder and massacre at will. When reporting military achievements, the heads of ordinary civilians were tallied as those of bandits.

The Pei Army garrisoned in Wucheng had committed such deeds frequently, annihilating several nearby villages—their atrocities deserving the label of heinous.

As Xiao Li dismounted to enter the general's residence, a messenger galloped urgently from the end of the long street: "Your Lordship, urgent news from Yongzhou—"

Author's Note: Yu Bao will appear in the next chapter~