Chapter 35
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In Gu Yuanbai’s eyes, no matter how beautiful a person was, they could never compare to the beauty of his empire.
What was beautiful about his empire? The beauty lay in the fact that it was his empire.
Watching his decrees being implemented one by one, seeing the country move forward under his hand, politics, power—everything revolved around Gu Yuanbai.
It was so captivating, so irresistible. How could the allure of one or two beauties compare to this feeling?
The two of them walked all the way to the teahouse and then quietly returned to the palace. As soon as they entered, they saw the Ministry of War’s Shangshu coming to report to the Emperor. Upon seeing Gu Yuanbai, the Minister announced that more than two thousand people had become bandits on the Xiguang Mountain, over 200 kilometers from the capital. These bandits were oppressing the local populace and stealing grain from villages, making life unbearable for the people. The local officials had petitioned, and the Ministry of War had discussed with the Grand Council and decided to send troops to suppress the bandits.
Gu Yuanbai nodded and asked, “Who will lead the troops?”
“The Grand Council and I are still discussing,” said the Ministry of War’s Shangshu, “I came to ask for Your Majesty’s opinion.”
Upon hearing about the bandit suppression, Xue Yuan couldn’t help but look over.
Gu Yuanbai noticed his gaze and, after a moment of thought, said, “Xue Yuan.”
Xue Yuan grinned and walked over to salute, “At your service.”
“Have you led troops before?” Gu Yuanbai asked.
“I have led five thousand men in battle before,” Xue Yuan said calmly, “and taken down over ten thousand enemies.”
Leading troops is no simple matter. Some people are strong and brave on the battlefield, but that doesn’t mean they are suitable for commanding troops. A general’s ability to lead is honed from leading hundreds of men in battle, gradually rising to command five hundred, a thousand, two thousand… until they can command tens of thousands.
When the number of soldiers reaches tens of thousands, the number of generals capable of effectively leading them becomes very few.
Some people can only command a few hundred men; more troops would lead to improper allocation, inefficient use, and a lack of authority, resulting in disarray and unnecessary casualties.
Xue Yuan had been tempered under General Xue for many years. Even before returning to the capital, he had already shown the capability to lead tens of thousands in battle. But General Xue, ever cautious, had not yet entrusted more lives to him.
The Empire of Great Heng had no shortage of talented generals, and the martial examination held every five years produced many promising candidates. However, among these candidates, those who could command over five thousand troops were rare, and those capable of leading tens of thousands were even rarer. Historically, those who could command such large forces often became legendary figures.
Gu Yuanbai wanted to see Xue Yuan’s abilities and said directly, “In that case, you will lead the troops and eradicate the bandits on Xiguang Mountain.”
Xue Yuan, having long been hungry for action, couldn’t help but smile, “I obey your command.”
***
A thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry set out for Xiguang Mountain, 200 kilometers away.
Xue Yuan was accompanied by a man named Qin Sheng, who had never been to the battlefield, unlike Xue Yuan. Even on the road, Xue Yuan remained vigilant, guarding against ambushes. Scouts were sent out in all directions to monitor the surroundings closely.
Upon reaching the foot of Xiguang Mountain, Xue Yuan ordered his men to wait and took a team of light cavalry forward to scout.
Xiguang Mountain had high terrain, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. If it were flat ground, five hundred cavalry could easily make the bandits weep. The challenge of this battle laid in the terrain.
After circling the mountain, Xue Yuan ambushed a mountain path. Soon, a group of about a hundred bandits descended from the mountain. Xue Yuan and his men charged, quickly killing most and capturing the rest.
With most of the bandits dead and the rest captured, Xue Yuan interrogated them, “What’s the situation on Xiguang Mountain?”
Holding a blood-dripping broadsword and wearing dark armor that made him appear even more formidable, Xue Yuan slapped the prisoners’ faces with the flat of his blade, “Speak up.”
The prisoners, crying and wailing, revealed that Xiguang Mountain wasn’t home to just one group of bandits.
The bandit chief had invited the chiefs of two other mountains to discuss major matters. According to these lackeys, the bandit chief had learned that the court was sending troops to suppress them and wanted to ally with the other two groups.
Xue Yuan laughed directly, and one of the lackeys, trembling, said, “Officer, there are a lot of bandits on those three mountains.”
If the three groups gathered, they could easily number seven or eight thousand.
“Then I must thank your chief,” Xue Yuan said with satisfaction, “for giving me a chance to achieve great merit.”
After finishing the interrogation, Xue Yuan killed the lackeys swiftly, leaving only two to guide them.
He then left five hundred men to guard the original position, instructing them to raise flags and beat drums to create the illusion of a large army.
After giving these instructions, Xue Yuan split his forces, assigning one part to the elite Qin Sheng, who seemed to be favored by the Emperor, and led the other part himself, heading straight for the other two bandit chiefs’ strongholds.
The bandit chief of their mountain had taken most of his men to Xiguang Mountain, leaving few behind. These ragtag bandits, raised on good food and drink, were like lambs to the slaughter in the eyes of well-trained soldiers.
Xue Yuan led his men directly up Wangtu Mountain, killing all the sentries they encountered. Perhaps they never expected the court’s soldiers to come for them; the gates of Wangtu Mountain’s stronghold were wide open, making it easy to storm.
This suited the soldiers eager for glory, who rushed into the bandit’s den like wolves into a sheepfold.
Slaughter and bloodshed ensued.
Xue Yuan knew many of his soldiers were experiencing battle for the first time and killing for the first time. In this situation, Xue Yuan led from the front like a sharp blade, driving his soldiers into a frenzy of combat.
The rebellious bandits fought back with large knives, raising any weapon they could find. The more they resisted, the more it became clear to the soldiers that this was their opportunity for military merit: killing the bandits would earn them rewards.
They couldn’t be afraid or stop; their hands had to swing their blades quickly and forcefully. Blood, corpses, and people trying to resist and flee surrounded them, but they couldn’t retreat. They had to follow Xue Yuan closely and charge forward.
Blood was already sliding off the bottom of Xue Yuan’s black armor as he charged fiercely, his blade taking life after life. The strong smell of blood and his pounding heart gave him and his followers courage. The soldiers behind him were spurred into a bloodthirsty frenzy, their eyes fixed only on their targets, their legs stiffly propelling them forward, their gazes moving from one enemy to the next. They felt no fatigue, their movements mechanical.
Shields held forward, large blades and spears thrust out from the gaps in the shields. After some initial coordination, the soldiers were familiar with this method of attack.
This was the easiest way to protect themselves and their comrades.
Xue Yuan decapitated another person with one stroke. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone protecting another person hurriedly fleeing not far away. His eyes focused—this person must be someone important.
Xue Yuan charged straight at them, shouting, “Charge with me!”
The soldiers guarding him roared and followed Xue Yuan toward the group. Their shields pushed aside one person after another. Whatever Xue Yuan said, they obeyed. Soon, they carved a path through the crowd, protecting Xue Yuan as they charged forward.
Anyone trying to stop them was killed with one strike, their heads fixed in expressions of terror. The second-in-command, who was fleeing, felt a chill as a scream sounded behind him. He turned to see a cold, blood-stained knife coming straight for him.
His head fell to the ground.
The bandit protecting the second-in-command cried out in grief, “Second-in-command!”
Upon learning the identity of the person he had just killed, Xue Yuan immediately shouted, “Your second-in-command is dead!”
Hearing his words, the soldiers’ momentum surged, and they immediately shouted, “Wangtu Mountain’s second-in-command is dead! Surrender now!”
In an instant, soldiers everywhere echoed the cry. “The second-in-command is dead!” Their voices grew louder and louder, and the bandits on Wangtu Mountain stared in disbelief at the increasingly formidable soldiers. They were terrified. With their backbone dead, the entire bandit force began to collapse. People started fleeing down the mountain, and as more fled, the greater the collapse.
They threw down their weapons, abandoning their leaders of various ranks, and ran as fast as they could to escape from the Great Heng soldiers.
If their legs gave out and they couldn’t run, they rolled down the mountain. Many people slipped on the blood-soaked ground, but they didn’t have time to grieve over which familiar face the blood belonged to—they only knew they had to run to save their lives.
Xue Yuan watched them flee and raised his hand to stop the soldiers from pursuing.
All the soldiers stood amidst the bloodshed. When Xue Yuan ordered them to stop, they obeyed and ceased their pursuit. As soon as they stopped, overwhelming fatigue flooded in. Some had already collapsed to the ground, their hands so exhausted they felt useless.
Everyone was gasping for breath, their minds blank. Lying on the ground felt like floating.
Xue Yuan took a few deep breaths, wiped the blood from his face, picked up the second-in-command’s head, and kicked the soldiers lying on the ground, “Wake up!”
After such intense concentration and killing, everyone was in a daze, needing time to recover and feel grounded again.
This was called being dazed from killing.
Awakened by Xue Yuan’s shout, the soldiers staggered to their feet. After this bandit-clearing operation, they had developed a natural trust and submission to Xue Yuan.
Everyone exuded a murderous aura. Xue Yuan, holding the head, pointed to a cavalryman and said, “Ride quickly to see how the other team is doing.”
Amidst the heaps of corpses in the bandit camp, Xue Yuan sat on a chair with the collected heads piled beside him. He leaned on his blade, looking intently at the camp entrance, waiting for the bandit leaders of Wangtu Mountain to return and walk into the trap.
Why would they return? Because their wives and children were here.
***
Meanwhile, Qin Sheng’s operation to clear the bandits was also proceeding smoothly. He sent cavalry to inform Xue Yuan of their situation. Finally, Xue Yuan sent someone to notify the soldiers guarding the foot of Xiguang Mountain to start waving flags and beating drums.
Five hundred men, half hidden in the forest, half visible on the road, looked like an innumerable force from the heights, concealed by the dense foliage.
Before the flags and drums sounded, the three leaders of Xiguang Mountain sat in a triangular formation.
The leader of Xiguang Mountain, Liu Yun, was a failed scholar with some cleverness. He was trying his best to persuade the other two leaders to resist the imperial army with him. His mouth was dry, but seeing they were still unmoved, he half-threatened and half-reasoned, “You two must think carefully. If the imperial court really sends troops to clear the bandits, I will be the first to be hit. But after me, it will be you two.”
The leader of Wangtu Mountain hesitated, “Has the court really sent troops to clear the bandits? Where did you get this information?”
Liu Yun was about to speak when a wailing voice came from not far away, “—Leader!”
The three leaders turned immediately. Leader Zhang’s face changed. He frowned at his subordinate who should have been in the camp, “What’s going on?”
“The soldiers have attacked Wangtu Mountain!” The subordinate’s face was filled with panic and fear, his clothes stained with blood. As soon as he saw Leader Zhang, he burst into tears, “The second-in-command is dead too!”
“What!” The bandit leader Wang exclaimed as he stood up in shock.
He was in a panic and was about to say something when he saw a few more people being brought up from the mountain pass. These people also looked pitiful and miserable, among them were even people from Wangtu Mountain!
It was clear that the imperial soldiers were targeting Xiguang Mountain, but instead, it was the two bandit leaders invited by Liu Yun who had their strongholds attacked.
The two leaders glared at Liu Yun with ugly expressions.
Liu Yun’s face changed drastically, “This is impossible, the court was supposed to attack me, how did it turn out to be you?”
He suddenly felt a chill and said, “Could it be, could it be a feint?”
Zhang and Wang, the two leaders, didn’t know whether to believe him or not. They looked at their men, who were so scared they couldn’t stand, and felt a shiver down their spines. If their men were like this, what about the others in their strongholds?
What had happened to their wives and children!
Seeing their expressions, Liu Yun gritted his teeth and said, “Are you two thinking of going back down the mountain now?”
Leader Zhang was both shocked and angry, “How can we not go back!”
“But your strongholds have already been wiped out by the court,” Liu Yun sighed, “Going back now would be a death sentence. It’s better to stay with me for now and discuss how to handle this.”
The atmosphere was tense, but suddenly the sound of drums came from the foot of the mountain. Cold sweat broke out on Liu Yun’s back as he hurried to the high platform and looked down the mountain. He was so frightened that he froze in place.
At the edge of the dense forest, countless armored soldiers were waving flags and beating drums, causing people to panic. The flags were densely packed, and shadows filled the forest. How could the court send so many troops!
“Quick,” Liu Yun shouted, “seal the mountain road, close the gates, the imperial soldiers are attacking!”
The people from the other two strongholds, who had just escaped here, stopped crying and looked blankly at Liu Yun.
Liu Yun felt an increasingly strong sense of dread. He roared, “Hurry up and seal the road!”
“Brother Liu,” Leader Zhang suddenly said, “your place isn’t safe either.”
Leader Zhang glanced down and was stunned. He murmured, “If so many soldiers are gathered here, then doesn’t that mean…”
Doesn’t that mean their two strongholds have already been massacred!
Leader Zhang could no longer wait. Ignoring Liu Yun’s attempts to stop him, he led his men down the mountain, heading back to Wangtu Mountain. Leader Wang saw that this place was no longer safe and fled in a panic.
Liu Yun sealed the mountain road, trembling as he awaited the attack. There was a water source in the mountain, and the stockpile of food could last a month, but if the court attacked directly—
Liu Yun shuddered violently.
***
Xue Yuan stepped on the second-in-command’s head that had rolled to his feet and smiled at the scout reporting back, “They’re here.”
The soldiers stood by, their weapons already worn out, so they had scavenged weapons from Wangtu Mountain. The bandits had collected a lot of good loot. After checking their inventory, the previously exhausted soldiers were now revitalized, eyeing the road ahead like hungry wolves.
The severed heads were piled beside Xue Yuan, enough to make anyone’s legs go weak—except these soldiers, whose bloodlust had infected one another. They looked at the heads as if they were gold.
When Leader Zhang led his men up the mountain, he saw this pack of wolf-like soldiers.
Xue Yuan, reeking of blood, stared at Leader Zhang, who was being protected in the center. His heart pounded with fierce excitement.
This head might not look good, but it should be worth a lot, a worthy offering for the young emperor.
Xue Yuan led the charge, his large blade glinting coldly on the ground. As he moved, all the soldiers surged forward.
Leader Zhang’s heart nearly stopped, but he quickly calmed down. Just as he was about to meet the attack, those who had escaped the stronghold and followed him back panicked and fled in all directions. This collapse quickly caused the entire group to scatter. Even if Leader Zhang killed someone to stop them, it was futile.
In battle, the most feared thing was a rout. One person’s flight could cause mass panic, especially among such a disorganized rabble.
Xue Yuan and his men fiercely plunged into the crowd. Xue Yuan lost count of how many he killed, his eyes fixed only on the man being protected, retreating continuously.
Kill him.
Take his valuable head.
The breathing around Xue Yuan grew heavier, his own breath labored, but he swung his blade again and again. When the blade broke, he picked up another one from the ground.
Finally, he faced the dazed man being protected in the center. Xue Yuan grinned, raised his arm, and with a powerful swing, the enemy leader’s head rolled to the ground.
Blood splattered Xue Yuan’s face. He wiped it off casually, glanced at the stunned men beside the leader, lifted the head with his blade’s tip, and caught it in his left hand.
Then he swung his long knife again, killing those who were frozen in shock.
Xue Yuan raised Zhang’s head high and shouted, “The enemy leader is dead!!!”
Many of those who had followed Zhang back were still alive, and Xue Yuan grinned at them.
The emperor might need laborers for building roads.
***
After capturing the people of Wangtu Mountain, Xue Yuan sent word for the court to come and take them away, then led his troops to Xiguang Mountain.
It was still early afternoon, the sun just beginning to move westward. Xue Yuan rode his horse, heading towards the fiery sunset. The horse, previously tethered at the foot of the mountain, was clean and terrified by the smell of blood on Xue Yuan, refusing to stop.
A soldier beside him asked loudly, “Sir, can we take Xiguang Mountain today?”
Xue Yuan lifted his eyes and said, “It’s difficult.”
Xiguang Mountain was high, with its stronghold on top, making it truly difficult to attack and easy to defend.
The reason they managed to capture Wangtu Mountain and Songzi Mountain was that their gates were wide open. Now, the soldiers blocking the way at the foot of Xiguang Mountain had prevented the bandits from escaping, but also scared them from coming down the mountain.
Historically, camps and strongholds were always built near water sources, and Xiguang Mountain had a water source. They also had food supplies. If it came to a prolonged siege, the bandits would surely outlast the imperial forces, but such an approach was too inefficient for Xue Yuan, who found it shameful.
He appeared unhurried as he led his troops to the foot of Xiguang Mountain. The five hundred infantrymen stationed there looked at them, covered in blood and carrying several heads, with expressions of both envy and excitement.
Xue Yuan dismounted and ordered the horses to be taken to the water’s edge to drink. He asked, “Have the people sent to Songzi Mountain returned?”
The junior officer on duty replied, “They haven’t returned yet.”
Xue Yuan raised an eyebrow and glanced in the direction of Songzi Mountain. He took the water pouch handed to him by a nearby soldier and took a long gulp before saying, “They’d better be okay.”
Half an hour later, Qin Sheng and his team arrived, also covered in blood and carrying heads in their hands and on their horses. Xue Yuan had given Qin Sheng the largest number of troops when he divided the forces, but when counting the wounded, Qin Sheng’s team had more injuries than Xue Yuan’s.
Qin Sheng, with his cautious personality, reported the events in a low voice to Xue Yuan. He was a meticulous executor of orders, following Xue Yuan’s instructions to the letter without showing a single flaw.
Unlike Xue Yuan, Qin Sheng was neither wild nor as confident from numerous battles. After clearing the remnants in the stronghold, he and his men hid in the mountain forest, planning an ambush. However, the forest was full of poisonous insects and snakes, and the terrain was unclear. When attacking Leader Wang’s group, many of Qin Sheng’s men were injured.
Xue Yuan listened without changing his expression and said, “Don’t let it happen again.”
Qin Sheng looked at him in surprise, not understanding how he could remain so calm. Given Xue Yuan’s temperament, neither his demeanor nor personality suggested he was easy to please.
Noticing Qin Sheng’s expression, Xue Yuan sneered, “What, you want me to praise you?”
“No, sir,” Qin Sheng quickly stepped back.
Xue Yuan sat down on a rock, thinking that Qin Sheng was quite capable.
Xue Yuan himself was a naturally gifted military leader, and he admired others with similar talent. People like Qin Sheng, who learned from mistakes, were preferable to those who needed constant correction.
Xue Yuan didn’t like being lectured, not even by his father.
His father wasn’t as talented as he was and didn’t have his daring in warfare. General Xue might have felt the sorrow of aging, but being outdone by his son was a fact Xue Yuan wouldn’t change.
As the sunset turned the sky yellow and red, Xue Yuan tossed aside his water pouch, stood up, and said, “Pile the enemy heads in the most visible place.”
“Sir,” another officer asked, “should we attack before dawn?”
“Attack my ass,” Xue Yuan replied. “The terrain is treacherous and full of traps. How do you propose we attack?”
The officer, embarrassed, pressed on, “Then what should we do?”
“Set up camp,” Xue Yuan said, glancing up at Xiguang Mountain and finding a spot visible from the stronghold. “Pile the heads here, light the fires, there are fish in the river, and wild chickens and rabbits at the foot of the mountain. Send men to catch some, and let’s have a feast around the pile of heads.”
Without questioning, Qin Sheng ordered the soldiers to move the mountain of heads to the spot Xue Yuan had specified. The other officers exchanged strange looks.
Having a feast around the pile of heads?
Lord Xue truly was… unconventional.
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