Chapter 171: Li Kuang of Rundu
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Rundu is a small city.
To the north is Jinling, a prosperous city with smoky moons, and to the south is Huayuan, rich in resources. Nestled between these two cities is Rundu, a place many people have never heard of in their entire lives, except for being known for grape cultivation.
After twenty days of non-stop travel—resting under trees or in caves when tired and hunting rabbits or birds with bows and arrows when hungry—the group, on the evening of the twentieth day, was finally approaching the city of Rundu.
“What should we do now?” After dismounting, the group led their horses to the river to drink water, taking the opportunity to sit down and eat. He Yan looked ahead at the vast wilderness; arriving at this location made her familiar with the route.
Without saying a word, He Yan found the tallest tree and climbed it. After a while, she descended.
Hong Shan handed her several bird eggs roasted in the ashes, asking, “What do you think? How do we enter?”
The bird eggs were hot, and He Yan juggled them in her hands before peeling the shells. The steaming food entered her stomach, and the accumulated fatigue seemed to lighten. She said, “We can’t enter directly from the front. The Wutuo people have set up camp outside the city gates, and even if we manage to avoid them, the guards at Rundu won’t dare to open the gates.”
“Then what do we do?” Jiang Jiao looked at her. “Brother He, do you have a plan?”
He Yan thought for a moment. “I asked a brother from Liangzhou Garrison before. There’s a hidden path outside the city gates, over a hill, and then along a water route. Horses can’t make it up, so we’ll have to abandon them and travel on foot. Taking a shortcut will get us inside Rundu.”
“Really?” Xiao Mai asked. “Let’s eat quickly and continue our journey after.”
He Yan nodded, gazing in the direction of Rundu with a hint of concern.
This shortcut was not disclosed by the guards of Liangzhou. It was a tunnel she dug many years ago during the battle against the Western Qiang people. The tunnel connected to the riverside, allowing entry from outside the city on the hill. Neither the Western Qiang nor the Wutuo people, with large numbers of troops, could possibly take this route.
He Yan wasn’t worried about an ambush by the Wutuo people, but rather if Li Kuang had sealed off that tunnel after all these years of peace in Rundu.
Regardless, they had to move forward for now.
The group quickly finished their provisions. After a short pause, He Yan removed the reins from several horses, gave them a pat on the rump, and watched as they ran into the woods.
“Let’s go,” she said.
…
Outside the city gates, guards scrutinized the distant wilderness, not overlooking any suspicious areas.
Inside a room, County Magistrate Zhao Shiming paced anxiously, looking at the man sitting silently in the center. Anxiously, he said, “Lord Zongbing, why hasn’t General He arrived yet? You need to think of a solution!”
Li Kuang, the Zongbing of Rundu, just passed the age of forty, tall and imposing. He had a circle of beard around his mouth, giving him a particularly stern appearance. He slammed the table, somewhat displeased, and said, “What’s all this noise for? I’ve already said General He will come to our aid in Rundu!”
Zhao Shiming was startled by his outburst, feeling discontented but not daring to voice it. The fate of holding onto Rundu now rested entirely on this man. However, over twenty days had passed, and it was only a four or five-day journey from Huayuan to Rundu. They couldn’t leave the city, unable to gather information about the situation in Huayuan. It was truly unsettling.
In the room, a group of people sat in silence, the atmosphere heavy. At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and the curtain was lifted as a young woman entered.
She was a true beauty, with an oval face, fair skin like jade, and a pair of eyes as bright and captivating as stars. Even in such tense times, she wore a light pink embroidered lotus chiffon dress, and a smile adorned her face as she placed a glass bowl in front of Zhao Shiming. “Don’t be angry, Lord Zhao. Have some grapes. It’s just this much, so please be frugal.”
Not wanting to offend a smiling face, especially one belonging to a beauty, Zhao Shiming, filled with discontent, reluctantly smiled and said, “Thank you, Miss Qiluo.”
Qiluo was the most favored concubine of Li Kuang, accompanying him wherever he went. She was young, beautiful, and intelligent—a delicate flower of eloquence that anyone would want to possess. However, in the current turmoil, the charm of a beauty was not as captivating as it once was.
After delivering the grapes, Qiluo stood behind Li Kuang, extending her slender jade fingers to massage his shoulders. Her strength was just right, relieving Li Kuang of some of the fatigue accumulated from days of labor. Li Kuang picked up the tea bowl on the table, took a sip, and said, “Before General He arrives, continue guarding the city gates!”
Zhao Shiming remained silent, and another man spoke up. He was the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Rundu City: “Lord Li, guarding also needs a timeframe. The food in the city is running low, and our most abundant crop… can only produce this small bowl now. Continuing like this, even before General He arrives, the people in the city might starve!”
One person voiced, and the rest followed suit.
“Yes, if we don’t die at the hands of the Wutuo people, we’ll starve to death in the city. What kind of situation is this?”
“How can Lord Li be sure that General He will definitely come? What if General He doesn’t come? What do we do then?”
“It’s been over twenty days. Flying Phoenix General might be in trouble himself. What if something happened to him?”
A cacophony of voices filled the room. Li Kuang’s fist slammed onto the table, causing tea to spill out of the bowl, gradually silencing the room.
“Shopkeeper Wang, you say it like you have a solution?” He stared at the president of the Chamber of Commerce, his gaze as intimidating as a leopard.
Shopkeeper Wang shivered and fell silent.
They knew that hiding in the city was not good, but they didn’t have a better solution. Were they going to charge out and fight the Wutuo people? With their limited forces, it was likely not enough. The Wutuo people outside numbered a hundred thousand, and those who were defeated earlier in Huayuan did not retreat but instead joined forces with the other Wutuo people, heading towards Rundu.
The total military forces in Rundu barely reached thirty thousand.
After all, Rundu was just a small city.
“But, Lord Li, continually guarding like this is not a solution. You’ve seen it yourself,” an elderly man with white hair spoke up, “In recent days, the Wutuo people have been probing at night, and it’s likely they will launch a full-scale attack on the city soon. We can defend against small skirmishes, but if a hundred thousand Wutuo soldiers break in, how can we possibly hold the city?”
Li Kuang gritted his teeth.
As the city Zongbing, he understood the situation better than anyone else. From the beginning, he knew that the only thing Rundu could do now was to delay the Wutuo people until reinforcements arrived. If He Rufei, who was not only an old acquaintance but also a brave hero with a broad heart, was not in trouble, he would definitely come when called upon. If there was no news after such a long time, it was highly likely that He Rufei had encountered trouble himself.
But Rundu had no other allies to seek assistance from. Jinling? Jinling had no generals leading troops stationed there; only the city’s own military forces were present. They couldn’t leave the city to go to Rundu without putting Jinling in jeopardy. The two great generals of Great Wei still had Xiao Huaijin, unfortunately, Xiao Huaijin was far away in Liangzhou, and distance couldn’t quench immediate thirst.
For a moment, Li Kuang harbored resentment towards the corrupt officials who had seized power. If not for this, Xiao Huaijin, leading the Nanfu soldiers, could definitely have driven these Wutuo people back to their homeland, never daring to set foot on Great Wei territory again.
While in silence, Zhao Shiming suddenly spoke, “Lord Li, do you still remember that Flying Phoenix General once dug a secret tunnel within the city that leads outside?”
Everyone looked at Zhao Shiming, and this matter was familiar to all. Back then, the Western Qiang people were massacring the citizens outside Rundu’s gates who couldn’t enter. Flying Phoenix General ordered the excavation of a tunnel, secretly gathering the citizens outside the city and bringing them into the city. It saved many lives at that time, and the people outside were grateful to He Rufei— they thought they had been abandoned.
“What do you mean?” Li Kuang asked.
With a sigh, Zhao Shiming stood up, bowed deeply to Li Kuang, “At this desperate moment, Zhao is already old, and as the magistrate of Rundu, I will naturally not leave and live or die with the people in the city. But… Zhao’s grandson is only three years old now.”
“Please allow me, Lord Li, to let my servants take my grandson out through the tunnel.”
Everyone was shocked.
Soon after, others followed Zhao Shiming’s words, “Requesting Lord Li’s permission to allow my mother to take my wife and children away.”
“Requesting Lord Li…”
People in here had already made up their minds for a desperate fight, and the only concern was the safety of their families. They all pleaded with Li Kuang to give their families a slim chance of survival.
Qiluo pursed her lips, sneaked a glance at Li Kuang.
Sure enough, the next moment, Li Kuang angrily said, “Absurd! If everyone wants to take their families out of the city, and the people follow suit, in the end, the Wutuo people won’t need to fight. I can see that the city will be empty!”
“You are shaking the military morale!” At the end of his speech, his tone suddenly turned stern, and a sense of killing intent emerged, silencing everyone in the room.
Qiluo retreated to the side, not daring to speak at this critical moment.
In the midst of the silence, suddenly, someone came in from outside and reported, “Lord, Lord—”
“What’s the rush?” Li Kuang frowned.
“Our tunnel… the tunnel… someone has entered!”
“What?” Li Kuang stood up suddenly, and the first thought that came to his mind was that He Rufei had arrived. After all, besides the citizens who crawled through the tunnel back then, He Rufei had personally walked through it. He asked, “Is it Flying Phoenix General?”
“No…” the guard said, “They said, they said…”
“Wuan Lang He Yan.” Before the words fell, the door curtain rose again, and a young man in red walked in.
This was a face Li Kuang didn’t recognize, and the young man was not too old, at most sixteen or seventeen. He was handsome and bright, with sparkling eyes, like bright gemstones. He smiled, and seeing a room full of people without any panic, he calmly arched his hand towards Li Kuang, “Greetings, Lord Li.”
Li Kuang frowned, “Who are you?”
He Yan pointed to his clothes and shook out a seal from his sleeve, throwing it to Li Kuang, “I am He Yan.”
The seal couldn’t be faked, and the official robe looked genuine. However, Li Kuang, despite being an official for a long time, heard the name He Yan for the first time. For a moment, he was somewhat skeptical. Qiluo, however, exclaimed softly, “Ah,” and whispered, “Wuan Lang? Is it the Wuan Lang who, together with Commander Xiao, burned the canal in Jiyang City, defeated the Wutuo people, and was personally conferred by His Majesty?”
Saying that no one knew Wuan Lang, but everyone knew about burning the canal in Jiyang City and defeating the Wutuo people. The crowd looked surprised at He Yan, remembering that there was a trusted aide of Xiao Jue who fought side by side with him in Jiyang City, but who would have thought it was such a young boy?
He seemed a bit too young.
Could it be a pretense?
The more people doubted, the more Li Kuang was reassured. If it were a Wutuo conspiracy, there was no need to send a half-grown child to arouse suspicion. However… he asked, “How do you know about the tunnel in Jiyang City?”
“I don’t know,” He Yan said, “The Commander told me.”
Xiao Huaijin? Li Kuang thought, with Xiao Huaijin’s ability, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out about this tunnel. However… a glimmer of hope emerged in his heart, “Did Commander Xiao send you? Is Commander Xiao planning to support Rundu? How many troops did you bring this time? Since troops can’t enter the tunnel, are your people outside the city?”
He Yan stared at Li Kuang, who had been tirelessly defending the city for days, his eyes showing signs of fatigue. After not seeing each other for a few years, he looked much older. Facing this expectant gaze, He Yan shook his head slowly, “I came on my own. I didn’t bring any troops, and there are no Nanfu soldiers guarding outside the city.”
The joy of everyone in the room was instantly diluted by He Yan’s words. Li Kuang asked, “Are you joking?”
He Yan took back his seal and put it away, saying, “I am the Wuan Lang conferred by His Majesty, and in urgent military matters, I can act independently without following the Commander’s orders.”
Li Kuang looked at him, finding the situation quite puzzling. Initially, he thought He Yan came under Xiao Jue’s command, but now he claimed to have come on his own initiative? He asked, “So, Wuan Lang, you came to Rundu alone. Are you here for leisure? I’m sorry, I can’t understand.”
He Yan smiled and said, “I came to help you.”
“Just you?”
“Just us.”
As soon as the words were spoken, voices from outside were heard again, “Yes, and us! Who do you think you are looking down on?”
The door curtain was lifted, and people entered from outside in twos and threes. There were tall, short, fat, skinny, six in total, excluding He Yan.
One person, with a bandit-like appearance and a scar on his face, stepped forward with a domineering tone, “We crossed mountains and rivers, traveled thousands of miles to get here, not to listen to your nonsense! Here, Liangzhou Garrison’s First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh. We don’t do anything else, just specialize in helping you fight the Wutuo people! Don’t take advantage and act clever; if you talk nonsense again, I’ll treat you the same as the Wutuo people!”
Li Kuang’s face turned iron-blue with anger. Where did these bandits come from, lacking military discipline and showing no respect!
There was a more elegant-looking person who smiled at everyone, bowed slightly, and said, “We’ve stayed in Liangzhou Garrison for too long; our speech has become a bit crude. I hope you gentlemen can forgive us. However, Lord Li, you don’t need to worry. Us seven brothers are here, and we won’t hinder Rundu. In fact, we’ve had two encounters with the Wutuo people in the past, and we have the most experience in defeating them.”
He Yan watched Jiang Jiao’s back and thought that the young master of the Shuojing Martial Arts School was indeed not soft when it came to showing off.
Li Kuang remained silent, but Zhao Shiming immediately stepped forward, shook Jiang Jiao’s hand, and tears flowed, “That’s wonderful! Rundu really needs heroes like you!”
What a joke, now with one more person fighting the Wutuo people, Rundu could endure a little longer. Maybe that extra moment could be the one when Flying Phoenix General’s reinforcements arrived. And what did they say just now? They’ve had two encounters with the Wutuo people in the past, and they won both times? Such military advisers were like a timely rain!
For a moment, Zhao Shiming didn’t care about Li Kuang’s expression. He warmly said, “Heroes willing to come to Rundu at such a critical moment regardless of life and death are truly righteous! Unfortunately, Rundu is besieged from all sides now, with no way to repay your kindness.” He turned his head and saw the grapes on the table, so he picked them up and handed them over, “These are local grapes from Rundu. Please have a taste!”
Jiang Jiao handed the grapes to Xiao Mai casually, and Xiao Mai happily held the bowl and enjoyed them.
Nowadays, not to mention grapes, even food is scarce. Watching Xiao Mai enjoying the grapes, everyone couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.
He Yan looked at Li Kuang and said, “I have a few words to say to Lord Li.”
Li Kuang stared at He Yan. He didn’t dare to completely trust this young man, but for now, he couldn’t find any faults. Hearing his words, Li Kuang thought that this guy was up to something again and said, “Follow me.”
He Yan followed Li Kuang into his study, leaving the others outside. Once inside the study, Li Kuang sat down, looked at He Yan, and said coldly, “There’s no one else here. Wuan Lang, speak freely.”
Having worked with Li Kuang before, He Yan knew that there was still suspicion in Li Kuang’s mind. This was understandable. If she were in his shoes and a group suddenly claimed to come to help, she would also be skeptical. He Yan took out a scroll from her bosom and said, “On the way from Liangzhou Garrison to Rundu, whenever there was time to rest, I carefully recalled the scenes of the previous battles with the Wutuo people and recorded their combat characteristics and habits. We fought the Wutuo people twice, once in Liangzhou Garrison and once in Jiyang, each with its own characteristics in land and water battles. This should be beneficial for Lord Li.”
Li Kuang, still skeptical, took the scroll. As soon as he unfolded it, his expression changed slightly, and he became somewhat excited. He could naturally tell whether the contents of this scroll were fabricated or real. At least some of the things written here were similar to the experiences he gained from his encounters with the Wutuo people.
He had written about it himself, but not as clearly and meticulously as this scroll. This was partly because his encounters with the Wutuo people were not as close as He Yan’s two encounters, and partly because his abilities were not as outstanding as He Yan’s. For a moment, he looked at the scroll, and the image of another person came to his mind—He Rufei.
He Rufei was also skilled at summarizing military affairs with precision.
He knew the value of this scroll. Therefore, the way he looked at He Yan softened slightly. He asked, “Did you write all of this?”
“I wrote it together with my brothers.” He Yan didn’t take all the credit for herself. “Each of us has our own expertise, and by sharing our observations, we can avoid overlooking any details.”
Li Kuang nodded, “Thank you.”
He Yan looked at him and said, “Lord Li, forgive me for being blunt. What are your plans after this? Will you keep guarding the city gate, waiting for Flying Phoenix General to bring reinforcements? If Flying Phoenix General doesn’t come, then what?”
He Yan was not the first person to ask this question, and she wouldn’t be the last. Li Kuang sighed, “What other options do we have? The city’s forces are not abundant. A decisive battle is gratifying, but once the city is breached, tens of thousands of civilians will fall under the Wutuo people’s swords. Rundu is just the first danger; once Rundu falls, it’s followed by Jinling, and then all the way north…” He paused and continued, “His Majesty wants us to defend Rundu to the death, so we cannot leave Rundu for a moment.”
Suddenly, he remembered something and looked at He Yan, “Brother He, did you come in from outside the city? In fact, there is another way now.”
He Yan had already guessed what he wanted to say and smiled, “Does Lord Li want me to leave the city and go to Huayuan to seek help from Flying Phoenix General?”
“Our people have been sent out in three waves, and there’s been no news. Since Brother He followed Commander Xiao and emerged unscathed from the battle in Jiyang, your skills are extraordinary. If you can leave the city and find Flying Phoenix General, perhaps there is still hope for Rundu.”
“Do you think, Lord Li, that the people you sent out before were intercepted and met with accidents on their way to find Flying Phoenix General?”
Li Kuang was stunned, “What do you mean?”
“My point is, the possibility of all three waves of people being annihilated before reaching Huayuan is extremely low. Until now, with no news at all, it’s feared that Flying Phoenix General himself may have encountered trouble. Everyone is now trapped in Rundu, completely unaware of the situation outside. If we wait rashly, it might harm the people of the city.”
He Yan didn’t make her words very clear because she knew very well in her heart. Perhaps the people sent out by Li Kuang, upon meeting He Rufei, were silenced by He Rufei. Li Kuang had worked with “Flying Phoenix General” before, and to avoid exposing his identity, He Rufei would prefer Li Kuang dead without a burial ground. How could he extend a helping hand, even if he was nearby?
Considering Li Kuang’s past knowledge of “Flying Phoenix General,” he might keep waiting for He Rufei to come to the rescue.
“On your way here, have you heard any news about Flying Phoenix General?” Li Kuang still couldn’t accept it.
He Yan shook her head. Li Kuang sighed deeply, “The current situation is such that we can only delay for a while.”
He Yan asked, “Does Lord Li only intend to write to Flying Phoenix General for help?”
“We have written to others as well, but they are too far from Rundu. They probably won’t hold out for long.”
He Yan thought for a moment, “Actually, Lord Li, have you ever thought that instead of waiting passively, it’s better to take the initiative and attack.”
“Daydreaming!”
The young man looked at him with firm eyes, “It’s not daydreaming, but waiting for the right moment, turning defense into offense.”
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I’m afraid xiao Mai….. will die