Half a Spoiler Chapter 120

With Song Nanlou’s troops stationed outside, signs of unrest had already emerged within Hengping County.

Dian Wue, after all, was not Xuanyangzi himself. Had Tian Dongyang been here in person, the Jianping army would have faced a difficult choice: either storm the city by force or lay siege to it until he died of illness. Only then could this stronghold be uprooted. But Dian Wue merely wielded authority in his master’s name – things went smoothly when fortune favored him, yet now, trapped and isolated in the city, it was inevitable that doubt and division spread among his men.

If Hengping County was in turmoil, the situation at the earthen fort was even worse. When Sun Wuji led his troops back, he had nearly ten thousand cavalry under his command. By the time they encamped, fewer than five thousand remained, at least a third of them wounded. As he inspected the defenses, he was met with nothing but wailing and cries of pain from within the city. In a fit of ruthlessness, he had several men executed and issued a stern order forbidding any loud clamor among the troops, lest morale be further shaken.

An advisor knelt before Dian Wue, earnestly pleading with him to send reinforcements to rescue Sun Wuji and merge their forces. Perhaps, he argued, there might still be a chance to turn the tide of defeat.

Dian Wue responded halfheartedly, “How many troops remain in the city?”

The advisor replied, “There are still thirty thousand cavalry, and the infantry–”

Before the number of infantry could even be reported, Dian Wue waved a hand to cut him off. “The Jianping army is this formidable – what use are foot soldiers?” After a brief pause, he said, “Send out the cavalry. Bring my junior fellow apprentice back.”

Having given the order, he lay down once more, dismissing the trivialities beyond.

The advisor, knowing full well that his lord had sunk into despair, could only carry out the orders himself. Yet his commands met with repeated setbacks – time and again, his forces were repelled by Song Nanlou’s men. Compared to those trapped within Hengping County, the enemy fought with the ease of a cat toying with a mouse.

Word of defeat came in unrelentingly. A suffocating silence settled over the official residence. Yu Gao, already gravely ill, managed a brief moment of consciousness, only to vomit blood and faint again upon hearing the battle reports. As for Dian Wue, his despondency had reached its nadir. In the end, he simply called for wine, resolved to drink himself into oblivion.

In stark contrast to those trapped in Hengping County stood Song Nanlou. Throughout the siege, he personally oversaw the campaigns, offering encouragement and reassurance to his officers and men. Every prize taken in battle he kept not a single coin for himself, distributing all to his subordinates.

In truth, as Song Nanlou saw it, Hengping County still held a certain chance to turn the tables. However formidable his own momentum, he was still fighting far from home. If Sun Wuji could suddenly rally and harass him from the rear, and if Dian Wue, wielding what remained of his authority, could summon reinforcements from other parts of Cheng Province, then Song Nanlou might well find himself surrounded and embattled.

Yet Dian Wue had lost all standing, and he himself lacked the courage to start anew. Day after day, he did nothing but drink in his official residence. Meanwhile, small bands of troops kept slipping out of the city on their own, defecting to Song Nanlou.

The standoff persisted for over half a month, until Chen Ming arrived with her main force and joined Song Nanlou. At that, the stalemate came to an end.

Song Nanlou’s men, seeing reinforcements at last, were overjoyed. For Dian Wue’s side, however, another layer of gloom had been cast upon their already hopeless plight.

At the military camp.

Chen Ming, having just made contact with her colleague, exclaimed in surprise. “Sun Wuji is dead?”

Song Nanlou offered an explanation, “He is indeed dead, but his death was not by my hand.”

On his journey here, Sun Wuji had repeatedly abandoned his wounded soldiers, keeping only the elite by his side. After they garrisoned the earthen fort, as Song Nanlou’s offensive eased, the unity within the fort began to crumble. The injured, fearing they would be cast aside – or even butchered for provisions – grew restless and terrified. Compounding this, Sun Wuji knew nothing of pacification; his sole recourse was brute force. In the end, it sparked a mutiny in the night.

Though orders were given to restore order, these were men who had once fought side by side. Who among them would raise a hand against their own comrades? No matter how Sun Wuji roared and commanded, he could no longer control the situation. Once chaos takes hold, no human effort can stem it. A fierce warrior he had been – yet in the end, he met his end obscurely, amidst the very turmoil of his own ranks.

The reason Song Nanlou had not seized the opportunity to crush Sun Wuji and his forces in one fell swoop was that he had initially intended to use the earthen fort as bait to lure Dian Wue out. Yet in the end, one man perished at the hands of his own soldiers, while the other, utterly dispirited, drowned himself in wine day after day – leaving Song Nanlou’s plan stalled and unfulfilled.

By the time Chen Ming arrived, the weight of their presence bore down even more heavily. Morale within Hengping County wavered further. Another day passed, and then the city gates swung open – out poured roughly a thousand cavalry.

These horsemen bore mismatched gear, clutched a motley array of weapons, and rode horses of uneven quality. They scarcely resembled an army at all.

The cavalry that poured out from the city gates did not dodge or evade. At the shout of the man at the forefront, they charged head-on toward the main forces of the Jianping army. The latter did not even bother sending anyone to meet them – only a few volleys of arrows rained down, and over half of the riders were already fallen.

Harsh as Song Nanlou was in commanding his troops, even he could not help but feel a flicker of pity. He said to his subordinate, “Tell them this: Wen Jinming died long ago at the Northern Park. The man in the county is an impostor. To throw away their lives for a false princess – would that not invite the ridicule of the realm? If they lay down their arms and surrender, the imperial court is willing to accept them.”

His subordinate rode off to deliver the message. But no sooner had the words been shouted than a man in his forties spurred his horse forward from Hengping County’s side and replied with unwavering defiance:

“I was once but a woman working the fields. What difference does it make to us whether the Marquis of Quanling is real or false? Back then, the reason we placed our faith in the Great Master Xuanyang was simply this: our families were destitute, the officials bled us dry without mercy, and we had no ground left to stand on. Now that all is lost, I am willing to repay that faith with death.”

Song Nanlou noticed that the weapon in her hand appeared to be a modified iron-toothed harrow, originally used for tilling soil.

The young commander, clad in silver armor and mounted on a white horse, remained expressionless. He merely ordered the archers to loose another volley. Arrows whistled through the air, piercing bone and tearing flesh. Song Nanlou did not look away. He watched steadily as the riders fell from their horses one after another, until not a single one stirred.

“Clean the battlefield. Bury the dead.” Song Nanlou might have been expected to pile their bodies into a mound as a warning, but moved by their loyalty and devotion, he paused, then added, “See that they are properly interred.”

After the Jianping soldiers had buried them, a group of men dressed as scholars emerged timidly from the city gates. Kneeling, they held forth Dian Wue’s official seal and letter of authority, offering their surrender.

Song Nanlou refused to accept the seal himself. He merely had his men collect it. Then, together with Chen Ming, he led his troops into the city – by then, Dian Wue had already hanged himself. Song Nanlou severed his head, intending to use it to summon the surrender of other commanderies. Meanwhile, he attended to lingering matters within Hengping County and released Chu Sui, who had been held under house arrest.

Chu Sui considered herself quite fortunate. Dian Wue had initially intended to have her head removed, but due to Chu Fu’s “defection,” those plans were postponed indefinitely. Later, when it was revealed that Chu Fu was an agent, Sun Wuji – who had learned the truth – found himself trapped outside the city in the earthen fort, unable to communicate with Dian Wue. With Hengping County descending into chaos thereafter, no one had the time or mind to bother with her. Thus, Chu Sui had managed to hang on until now.

With Hengping County recovered, Song Nanlou immediately sent word to General of Charlots and Cavalry Tao Jia. Thus, the eastern rebellion that had lasted half a year was declared fully pacified.

While Tao Jia and his forces were reclaiming the eastern lands, Jianping was making preparations for the New Year.

Although Wen Yanran had little interest in banquets and festivities, receiving court congratulations was, after all, the duty of an emperor. During this time, powerful border tribes would also journey to the capital for an audience. Given that fighting was still underway beyond the borders, the imperial court had an obligation – through the grand assembly – to project the formidable spirit of the Great Zhou dynasty, intimidating those petty and treacherous elements lurking in the shadows.

Within the Qianyuan Hall, music filled the air.

The young sovereign, adorned with a beaded crown and draped in black ceremonial robes, sat high behind the imperial desk. The glow of candlelight shimmered upon the gently swaying strands of beads, casting an exceptionally brilliant radiance that obscured her features from view.

Court ministers, imperial clansmen, tribute envoys from various regions who had come to the capital for audience, and emissaries from border tribes – all, under the guidance of ritual officials, performed the grand ceremonial obeisance before the Sovereign.

Some envoys from the borderlands who had visited Jianping during the late emperor’s reign could not help but notice that this year’s banquet was less lavish than those of years past. Yet the solemn dignity within the hall surpassed even former days. As if subdued by some strange and potent force, they prostrated themselves cautiously at the feet of that young and proud sovereign.

The sounds of drums and music flowed through the air, and the entire hall seemed to hear nothing but the voice of the ritual official. When the courtiers in attendance had completed their ceremonial bows and were led to their seats, dishes of every kind were brought forth in an unending stream – and only then did the oppressive, almost trembling atmosphere begin to ease, if only slightly.

Only a select few were granted the privilege of attending the New Year’s banquet in the Qianyuan Hall, and among them, only a handful were permitted to offer a personal toast to the Emperor. Upon receiving their congratulations, the Sovereign did little more than nod slightly.

The envoy of the Wuliu tribe withdrew, and the envoy of the Qingyi tribe stepped forward. In terms of tribal strength, Qingyi was not as powerful as Wuliu – but they were far more Sinicized. Perhaps for this reason, the Emperor upon the throne deigned to speak, and in a gracious tone, asked, “How has General Xiao fared of late?”

The Qingyi tribal envoy bowed once more, bending so low that his forehead touched the floor. With utmost reverence, he replied, “By the blessing of Your Majesty’s divine grace, the General is in excellent health. The Qingyi tribe prays daily for Your Majesty, hoping that Your benevolence may spread throughout the world.”

The Sovereign on the dais gave a soft laugh. “Good. Then I too wish General Xiao fair winds on all her journeys ahead.”

Upon hearing the Emperor’s words, the Qingyi tribal envoy was overcome with delight. Barely able to contain his excitement, he prostrated himself once more in a deep bow. Border tribes had always valued material wealth, and according to protocol, the Qingyi tribe would not receive as lavish rewards as the Wuliu. Yet the words of the Great Zhou’s Sovereign- to them, these were blessings more precious than gold itself.

It was at that moment that the sound of drums suddenly echoed from beyond the hall. The urgent beats drew nearer and nearer, as if bearing tidings in swift transit.

Under ordinary circumstances, the emperor’s New Year’s banquet was not to be disturbed – no matter what occurred. Yet certain reports, it seemed, were clear exceptions.

The young sovereign summoned the man into the hall before all the courtiers and envoys, as if seeing nothing in need of concealment. The messenger, simply clad and travel-worn from days on the road, knelt at once upon entering, his excitement plain. He brought to Jianping the glad tidings that the rebellion in the eastern lands had been pacified.

Huang Xu, ordinarily given to idling, at this critical moment displayed the keen acumen befitting a minister who had served three reigns. He rose promptly from his seat, stepped forward, and bowed before the Emperor. “We rejoice with Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor.”

At his lead, the high ministers of the court and envoys from every region once again rose and bowed deeply before the Sovereign. “We rejoice with Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!”

Snowflakes, delicate as grains of salt, swirled down from the sky, mingling with plum petals as they drifted into the resplendent hall of the Great Zhou sovereign, only to melt silently upon the warm floors heated by the hypocaust.

On New Year’s Eve, the lanterns of Jianping blazed without rest through the night. The curfew, imposed due to the ongoing campaign, was temporarily lifted. People poured forth from their wards and joined the festivities that would last until dawn. Those dwelling near the palace grounds could even hear the strains of music drifting from Taiqi Palace.

And now, the banquet – briefly paused – had resumed once more. The Sovereign, greatly cheered by the news, granted the messenger an additional seat at the feast. When receiving his toast, the Emperor even raised her own golden goblet filled with tusu wine – though, as the State Preceptor could clearly see, Her Majesty adhered to her usual regimen of self-care and barely let the wine touch her lips. Attendants carried braziers of scented incense into the Qianyuan Hall, one after another, until the entire chamber was steeped in warmth and fragrant air.

The new sovereign had always favored dignified and stately music and dance. Yet on this night, the solemn melodies swelled into something fierce and exultant. The powerful rhythm of drums soared into the night sky, as if singing in praise of the might of warriors.

Censor-in-Chief Song had not drunk much wine, yet he felt an inexplicable, gentle intoxication. A man of his years had witnessed countless scenes of far greater opulence, yet none had moved him as this one did. Each time he looked upon the Emperor, he perceived more clearly that the strength and majesty of Great Zhou were slowly being restored – in this young sovereign upon the throne.

Wen Yanran set down her chopsticks and glanced at the newly refreshed messages –

[System:
[War] [Eastern Rebellion] Victory.

City recovery progress: 95%;
Post-war reconstruction progress: 37%;
Player has achieved [Terrifying Reputation], [████].]

…Though the second achievement was blocked and unreadable, judging by the literal meaning of the first, Wen Yanran felt that she did carry something of a tyrant’s air. While she had not yet wandered far down the path of dissipation, the system seemed to have already formed certain predictions about her future.

As for the blocked achievement, it was in fact [Guardian of the Realm]. Wen Yanran’s attainment of it was tied to the post-war reconstruction efforts in the eastern lands. Throughout the campaign, she had consistently attended to the development of the territories already under her control – whether through examinations for selecting officials or through the establishment of state-run military colonies – all of which helped preserve the people’s stability and trust.