Half a Spoiler Chapter 155

Wen Yanran pressed a hand to her forehead.

The system probably wouldn’t fool her, so somewhere out of her sight, the forward camp really had engaged in battle – and succeeded in winning.

After all, everyone was striving to become a tyrant. Couldn’t the system have given her a heads-up when the fighting started? Now that it was over, what was the point of telling her?

Wen Yanran suspected that the system had been designed from the start just to annoy the player.

The real reason the system had suddenly notified her was that Shi Zhuhe’s battle report had finally reached the capital.

The report stated that a contingent of the Wuliu tribe had suddenly appeared near the front camp and had been annihilated on the spot.

In the Great Zhou, messages were still delivered by manpower and animal power, so there was inevitably a time gap between an event occurring and the Emperor herself learning of it.

The main reason the game did not display information too promptly was, of course, insufficient energy. Yet as the system of Guide to Becoming a Tyrant, it was indeed necessary to prevent players who had clearly strayed onto a different path from accessing crucial intelligence in real time.

The report mentioned the Wuliu tribe, yet what the system notification described was the front camp’s engagement with the Yan clan.

In the system’s assessment, the current player was now capable of making basic judgments about the situation in the north. Although by the time it delivered this reminder, it was already too late to save the Yan clan’s vanguard, timely intervention could still somewhat delay the defeat of their main force.

Wen Yanran’s gaze swept across the message.

Apart from the Five Great Camps, the Great Zhou also maintained border camps to defend against foreign tribes. Now that the Wuliu tribe had arrived at the city gates, it meant the border camps had failed to fulfill their intended role.

There might be something wrong with the Yan clan.

Wen Yanran had seen the spoilers. In the final days of the Great Zhou, the Yan clan had smoothly chosen to carve out their own territory rather than seek to rescue the dynasty, showing not a trace of hesitation when switching sides.

Moreover, the fact that the Wuliu tribe had made it all the way to the front camp suggested that the border camps were indeed somewhat problematic. Given that the Yan clan was reasonably capable, the issue likely stemmed from a lack of proper loyalty.

At this moment, a thought flashed through Wen Yanran’s mind: the Yan clan had already rebelled.

If that were the case, after the front camp finished off the Wuliu tribe, a conflict might well break out with the Yan clan’s border troops.

With this in mind, Wen Yanran immediately spread open a memorial and began drafting her endorsement.

Unlike the Yan clan, who remained in the dark, she already knew about Shi Zhuhe’s arrival at the front camp. Now that the east, west, and south had all been pacified, there was no need for Wen Yanran to push for a swift resolution. Keeping a battlefield in the north that could consume vast amounts of money and manpower was actually a good thing. Under the circumstances, she could not allow the Yan clan to gain too much of an advantage.

Shi Zhuhe was no strategist. Wen Yanran intended to grant him the authority of the imperial  staff, empowering him to take full charge of the northern campaign. The more she relied on this man, she reasoned, the worse the situation in the north would become.

When it came to handling the northern campaign, the player of Guide to Becoming a Tyrant and the system had, for once, arrived at the same conclusion – yet their specific intentions still failed to align.

In the front camp area, the fighting was intensifying.

By now, the Yan clan general naturally understood that he and his men had been outmaneuvered by Shi Zhuhe and Song Nanlou.

The commander of the front camp had long since arrived. The reason it had been kept secret was precisely to lure those with divided loyalties into walking right into the trap.

The enemy could rely on the advantage of a fortified city; as long as they remained united, breaking through would be difficult. But the Yan clan was not without recourse – they had long prepared siege engines that they had been developing for some time.

On the city wall, Shi Zhuhe gave a slight nod. “The Yan clan has harbored rebellious intentions for a long time – this did not happen overnight.”

Trebuchets were cumbersome and difficult to move. If they had been brought all the way from the border camps, it would have been far too troublesome and would have slowed the army’s march. The only way they could have been produced so swiftly was if they had been hidden around the front camp long ago.

In fact, had it not been for Song Nanlou fully displaying a temperament that was anything but “gentle and amiable,” leading to a notable decrease in the number of fortified manors around the front camp, the siege engines Shi Zhuhe saw today might not have been the only ones.

The reason the Yan clan had only now deployed the siege engines was mainly their concern that even if they breached the city wall and seized the front camp, the imperial court could easily retake it. But at this point, failing to break through the city would mean total defeat – so they could no longer afford to worry about such things.

Trebuchets were indeed formidable siege weapons, especially this batch built by the Yan clan. Each stone projectile weighed fifty kilograms and had a range of three hundred paces. If they were attacking any other city in the north rather than the front camp, they could have taken it by sheer force, no matter how sturdy its walls or deep its moats.

Three days later, at the Yan clan’s military camp.

“…How could this be?”

The Yan clan general, awaiting news from the front, stood dumbfounded, scarcely able to believe what he had just heard. According to the report from his personal attendant, the front camp had indeed sustained some damage from the trebuchet bombardment. Yet contrary to all expectations, the city wall before them appeared only superficially battered – its core remained unshakably solid.

If the system of Guide to Becoming a Tyrant were to assess the situation, the front camp’s impregnability would be entirely expected. After all, in this era, no matter how brilliant a commander, none had any experience contending with concrete.

The Yan clan general slumped helplessly into a seated position. His family had schemed for years, only to find themselves powerless against this very place?

A younger clansman stepped forward to offer counsel. “Uncle, since the front camp is so difficult to take, perhaps we should avoid their strong position.”

The Yan clan general let out a cold laugh. “Are you here to speak on someone else’s behalf?”

The younger man realized his uncle had seen through him. Yet having already spoken, he steeled himself and pressed on, “Besieging a city has always been no easy task. If we persist, there is no telling how long the delay might be. By then, if the imperial court sends reinforcements, we will be worn out and may have no strength left to fight. Would it not be better to retreat to our home base, Dingyi? With grain in short supply this year, even if the Sovereign is strong-willed, she is unlikely to launch a major campaign. The Yan clan has long established roots in Dingyi. Once back, you can plan at a leisurely pace.”

Many campaigns, even when ultimately victorious, inflicted severe economic damage if prolonged. Given the current situation, their chances of victory were, after all, not great.

His words were vague, but everyone present understood that the so-called “planning at a leisurely pace” meant confessing their crimes and begging the young emperor for forgiveness – pleading that they had only acted out of momentary folly. Alternatively, they could submit a memorial offering excuses, claiming that their departure from their post had merely been in pursuit of elite Wuliu troops. As long as the court was willing to pardon them, they would accept any terms. If all else failed, they could simply exile the entire clan beyond the frontier to preserve their bloodline.

Seeing that even a younger member of the clan had come to advise him, the general naturally understood what the other military commanders were thinking.

In truth, allowing the Wuliu soldiers to cross the border had not been entirely intentional. It was merely that, seeing the northern region estranged from the imperial court, knowing that their own clan had committed a grave error, and coupled with the departure of Song Nanlou – who had tormented them for years – the Yan clan, weighing these various factors, had ultimately decided to go with the flow. Seizing upon an excuse, they had marched their troops toward the central plains.

Reflecting on the events of the past few months, the Yan clan general had to admit that their actions had been somewhat hasty.

“…Very well. Withdrawing the troops is not out of the question.”

Before the young man before him could express his delight, the Yan clan general added in a stern voice, “But our army may retreat – it must not rout. That young whelp Shi is well-versed in military matters. If we show any sudden sign of pulling back, he will surely seize the opportunity to strike.”

While the Yan clan’s camp was shrouded in gloom and despair, at the front camp, an imperial decree had just arrived from the capital.

The Sovereign had granted Shi Zhuhe the authority of the imperial staff, allowing him to act without constraint.

Xue Jingzhang remarked, “The Sovereign has long been displeased with the Yan clan. Instead of staying quietly in their place, they have marched their troops here – they are courting destruction.”

A subordinate said, “The Emperor has often acted with leniency and benevolence. If the Yan clan confesses their crimes, the court may still show them mercy.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Jingzhang merely gave a slight shake of her head.

When the Emperor first took over the forces left behind by the Marquis of Quanling, it was because she had just ascended the throne and had no one reliable to rely on. Though she had conscripted able-bodied men from the powerful families and scholar-official clans to dig canals, she also took the opportunity to bring a number of capable individuals into the central government. By the time she pacified the western tribes, her approach seemed somewhat gentler on the surface – she did not impose hard labor – yet neither did she promote anyone to a position equivalent to Jianping’s. By the time she suppressed the eastern rebellion, the emperor’s attitude had grown increasingly stern. The forces that had once followed Dian Wue suffered the harshest blow: not only were they conscripted to dig canals, but they were also given no compensation whatsoever in terms of official advancement.

This shift reflected the emperor’s growing consolidation of power. In fact, it had been evident since the Luonan affair. The Emperor’s current style had reached the point where even if one took the initiative to bow down to her, she would still have to consider whether or not to grant a chance.

Xue Jingzhang said, “General Shi is an astute man. He knows how to deal with the Yan clan.”

Her conclusion proved prescient – just as the Yan clan was contemplating a slow retreat, Shi Zhuhe launched an active attack.

The front camp’s assault force was divided into two main contingents – one at the front, one at the rear; one acting overtly, the other covertly. Each contingent was further broken down into small square formations. At the commander’s signal, they pierced into the enemy ranks like a storm of arrows.

Though he was personally directing the battle on the field, the Yan clan general still found himself unable to grasp the enemy’s movements – now seemingly before him, now suddenly behind, slipping beyond his control.

A formation that confounded the enemy would naturally also hinder one’s own judgment. The formation chosen by the forward camp was exceptionally complex and highly unfavorable for command and control. Yet Shi Zhuhe happened to be a commander exceptionally skilled in military discipline.

If the ability to command troops were listed as a separate attribute, he would likely rank highest among all generals in the Great Zhou.

Leading his troops personally, just as the Yan clan began to lose their bearings, the concealed contingent hidden behind the first thrust cut sharply into the heart of the Yan army like a blade.

The way he rode with his troops was like a great whale parting the sea – cleaving the vast waters asunder.

It was only at this moment – when their line was breached – that the Yan clan general realized one thing: from the moment they had marched their troops to the front camp, there had never been any chance of withdrawing unscathed.

Inside Western Yong Palace.

Wen Yanran unconsciously loosened her grip, and the brush slipped from her fingers, leaving several ink stains on the paper.

As she was approving memorials, a notification suddenly refreshed – its contents struck her with great astonishment.

[System:
[Battle] [Front Camp Battle] Great Victory.]

Wen Yanran silently picked up the brush she had just dropped, deeply perplexed.

Hadn’t she already taken measures? What kind of “great victory” had the front camp managed to achieve?