binnovel Chapter 1322 Men are like iron, forged in blood.
Chapter 1322 Men are like iron, forged in blood.
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiang clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "Excellent! Excellent! This is the true spirit of the men of Youyan!" With that, he leaned over the crenellations on the city wall and shouted loudly, "General Zhang He, Mr. Chen Lin! We are willing to submit to the King of Liang and fight against the foreign tribes together! But we wonder which other general has come this time?"
Chen Lin bowed and replied from below the city walls, "We have only brought our personal guards and attendants; no other generals have come with us. If you are truly willing to surrender, please open the city gates."
Yan Xiang's expression changed drastically, his brows furrowing: "We have been fighting the Xiliang troops outside the city for nearly two years, and many of our soldiers have been killed or wounded. Now you want to open the city gates just because of a word from the two of you? How can the soldiers feel at ease with such an arrangement? Are you kidding us?"
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from not far away. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young general lightly nudging his horse's flanks and slowly approaching. He was wearing silver armor and a white robe, and his figure was upright. It was Ma Yue. He said loudly, "Mr. Yan, there is no need to doubt. I am Ma Yue, the heir apparent of Xiliang."
The people on the city wall were all shocked to hear this. In the past two years, a group of young soldiers had been fighting bravely and with strict discipline outside Jixian City. At first, they thought that the Xiliang Army had no successors and sent some greenhorns to make up the numbers. Later, seeing their repeated meritorious deeds, they guessed that they were the sons of some generals who had come to the battlefield for training. But they never expected that it was the young master of Xiliang who had personally gone to the front line!
"Ma Chao is really willing to put his son in danger?" Yan Liang muttered to himself, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. If Ma Yue were to suffer even the slightest mishap in the city, it would surely cause a huge uproar in Xiliang. This kind of audacity is truly astonishing.
Seeing the changing expressions on the faces of the people on the city wall, Ma Yue continued, "Since you are all willing to submit, I, Ma Yue, am willing to enter the city alone and take over the defense in place of my father. Do you all trust this arrangement?"
Even the usually upright Shen Pei was moved and cupped his hands, saying, "Now that it is the young master of Xiliang in person, we have no more doubts and are willing to open the city gates and submit!"
"Alright!" Ma Yue nodded, turned his horse around, and headed towards the city gate. "Then I'll go into the city."
Seeing this, Lü Bu, Lü Lingqi, and the Right Forest Army generals below the city walls were all on tenterhooks. Lü Lingqi gripped her halberd tightly and said urgently, "Father, the young master has entered the city alone, what if..."
Lu Bu frowned, his hand resting on his halberd, his gaze fixed on the city gate. He said in a deep voice, "Don't be impatient. This kid has grown up in the military camp since he was a child. He's brave and resourceful, he won't cause any trouble." Despite his words, his aura grew even more chilling.
The city gate slowly opened, creaking heavily, like a boulder weighing on everyone's hearts. Ma Yue's figure gradually disappeared behind the city gate, and the Xiliang soldiers outside the city held their breath, hoping for good news from inside.
Inside the city gate, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Shen Pei, and Yan Xiang were already waiting with their personal guards below. As Ma Yue rode alone through the gate, the drawbridge behind him clanged shut, and the gate slammed shut. The surrounding soldiers all drew their bows and swords, exuding a murderous aura. Wen Chou gripped his sword tightly, his gaze sharply fixed on Ma Yue: "Your Highness is indeed extraordinary. But aren't you afraid? If we back out, and you, the heir to Xiliang, die here, wouldn't the great cause of Xiliang be shaken? Then there would be utter destruction. Is it worth it?"
Yan Liang, Shen Pei, and Yan Xiang stared intently at the young man before them. Even the soldiers around them unconsciously gripped their swords and spears tightly, creating an atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable.
Ma Yue remained unfazed, spurring his horse straight to the four men. Still seated on his horse, he spoke from above, his voice clear and resonant: "General Wen, you may try. Although I, Ma Yue, am the heir of Xiliang, I am ultimately just a mortal. If you truly have such a heart, draw your swords now, and I will have no complaints whatsoever."
He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the four men with an undeniable earnestness: "But have you all considered that I dared to come alone with a formidable enemy at hand? If you surrender, the people of Ji County can be spared the flames of war, and both sides' soldiers will suffer fewer casualties. Every soldier who lives means one more enemy to be killed. This is a worthwhile trade!"
"Secondly," Ma Yue's gaze fell on Yan Liang and Wen Chou, his tone filled with more respect, "I have always admired the bravery and integrity of the two generals. In the past two years of battles, although you served the Yuan family, you have never done anything dishonest. It is clear that you are men of integrity."
Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Shen Pei, and Yan Xiang exchanged glances, all deeply shocked. Having served the Yuan family for a long time, they were used to the arrogance and suspicion of the young master of the Yuan family. When had they ever seen a young master of such age with such courage and magnanimity? Ma Yue's words not only pointed out the advantages and disadvantages but also gave them enough face. His frankness and integrity were truly admirable.
Yan Liang waved his hand first, signaling his men to put away their swords. Wen Chou also loosened his grip on his sword, and the fierce look on his face gradually faded.
At that moment, Ma Yue suddenly raised his voice and asked, "Now that I'm here, shall I surrender or not?"
The question was crisp and decisive, carrying the youthful vigor yet exuding an undeniable authority. Yan Liang and Wen Chou were startled, completely overwhelmed by this aura. After exchanging a glance, they were the first to kneel on one knee: "We are willing to surrender!"
Shen Pei and Yan Xiang no longer hesitated and knelt down. Seeing this, the surrounding guards also put down their weapons and knelt down.
Ma Yue then dismounted, strode forward, and personally helped the four men to their feet. His tone was earnest: "Now that you have surrendered, you are brothers. Speed is of the essence in war. Open the city gates and follow me out. The barbarians are still rampaging in Youzhou; let them taste the power of the invaders first!"
When the four men rose, their eyes had lost their previous doubts, replaced only by a resolute determination to fight a common enemy. Wen Chou suddenly swung his arm: "Open the city gates! Follow the prince and fight your way out!"
The heavy city gates slowly opened once more. This time, instead of a tense standoff, they welcomed comrades-in-arms who were about to fight side by side. Seeing the city gates open and Ma Yue, Yan Liang, and the others appear, Lu Bu, outside the city, finally relaxed, laughing loudly, "Good lad, you've got your father's style!"
The moment the city gates swung open, a thunderous roar erupted from the Xiliang army outside the city. Shouts of "May the Crown Prince be mighty!" and "Long live the King of Liang!" echoed across the open field like rolling thunder. Even the Yuan family soldiers who had just surrendered couldn't help but join in the shouts, their voices filled with relief and excitement, even louder than those of the Xiliang army.
They have suffered for far too long.
For the past two years, they had been besieged in Jixian. Outside the city, there was a relentless siege day and night, while inside, food and supplies were dwindling. Comrades who were still defending the city today might fall in a hail of arrows tomorrow; brothers who were laughing yesterday, saying "After this battle, we'll go home and farm," were now cold corpses on the city walls. The days dragged on, and morale had been worn down like a tinderbox about to burn out; they barely had the strength to lift a sword.
But who could have imagined that the deadlock would be broken in this way?
There was no humiliation of surrender, no awkwardness of disarmament. The Crown Prince of Xiliang personally entered the city as a hostage, exchanging his magnanimity for the dignity of both sides. Now, swords have been turned into plowshares, and former enemies have become comrades-in-arms ready to fight alongside each other against the foreign tribes—such an ending is a luxury that many dare not even dream of when they toss and turn at night.
An old soldier from the Yuan clan, his face scarred, wiped his face, his expression a mix of laughter and tears, and shouted to the Xiliang soldiers beside him, "The Donghu barbarians are in Yuyang! Let's charge over there and show them the might of the Han people!"
The Xiliang soldier's eyes also turned red, and he patted him on the shoulder, laughing loudly: "Good! Let's go side by side, whoever chickens out is a coward!"
Amid cheers, Yan Liang and Wen Chou led their old troops to Ma Yue's side, bowing with clasped hands, their backs ramrod straight. Wen Chou said gruffly, "Young Master, give us a task! We've been wanting to chop off a few barbarian heads for ages!"
Ma Yue smiled and nodded, pointing towards Yuyang: "General Pang De's army should be arriving in Yuyang soon. Let's set off now and join them. Once we're on the battlefield, let's see who kills more of the alien race!"
"Good!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices soaring into the sky.
Lu Bu reined in his horse, glanced at the allied forces whose morale was high, then looked at Ma Yue, and a rare smile of approval appeared on his lips: "Kid, well done. Let's go, let those barbarians see that the backbone of us Han people is tough!"
The sound of horses' hooves rang out again, this time not with the despair of being trapped in a besieged city, but with the fervor of rushing to the battlefield. The surrendered soldiers of the Yuan clan were mixed together with the Xiliang army. Although the banners were old and new, their eyes were equally burning with passion—they knew that from this day forward, they would no longer fight for a particular lord, but for the rivers and mountains behind them, for the land beneath their feet, and for the word "Han people," they would fight with all their might.
On the open field, the sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the long army formation. The armor gleamed with golden light, like a giant dragon awakening, roaring towards Yuyang.
The wind blowing through the city walls of Youzhou finally dispelled the long-accumulated gloom.
The surrender of Yan Liang and Wen Chou acted like a key, completely breaking the deadlock. Inside the Youzhou military tent, candlelight illuminated the assembled heroes. Jia Xu stroked his beard, his gaze profound; Shen Pei held a scroll, his arguments clear and organized; Yan Xiang stood beside the map, his fingertips lightly pointing to key points. The three strategists, each displaying their strengths, dismantled Gongsun Yuan's and Donghu's defenses as if they were transparent. The generals were even more formidable: Lü Bu, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and Xu Rong were all seasoned warriors, each capable of commanding a region. They could easily lead a campaign or serve as commanders. Not to mention Gongsun Zan himself was a regional warlord. And then there were the young generals of the Youlin Army; though still somewhat immature, their eyes shone like tempered blades, radiating the sharpness of newborn calves.
With such a lineup, not to mention Gongsun Yuan and the Donghu, it would be enough to make any force in the world tremble.
A scout outside the tent urgently reported: "Gongsun Yuan has detected our army's movements and is planning to retreat in conjunction with the Donghu!"
Jia Xu smiled slightly: "Too late." He circled a canyon on the map with his fingertip, "Set up an ambush here to cut off their retreat."
Lu Bu suddenly stood up, his halberd slamming onto the ground with a clang: "I'll go! I'll bring you Gongsun Yuan's head!"
Unable to contain himself, Yan Liang stepped forward and said, "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard!" Wen Chou immediately echoed, and a chorus of voices urging to fight erupted in the tent.
The young soldiers of the Young Lin Army couldn't contain themselves any longer and gripped their spears tightly: "We can go too!"
Looking at the bustling scene before him, Ma Yue laughed loudly, "Good! Pass down the order: prepare food at midnight tonight and send out troops at dawn! General Lü Bu will lead his iron cavalry to attack their rear, while Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou will launch a frontal assault, and General Pang De will lead the Youlin Army on the flank. We must make sure that Gongsun Yuan and the Donghu know the might of the Han people!"
"Order!"
Outside the tent, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly intensified, and torches snaked into the depths of the night like a long dragon. Inside the tents of Gongsun Yuan and the Donghu, they were perhaps still plotting how to divide Youzhou, unaware that a net of heaven and earth had been quietly tightening. They thought they had merely provoked ordinary garrison troops, but they did not expect that they had kicked a scorching iron plate, an iron plate forged from the blood and valor of countless loyal and brave men.
The night wind howled, as if cheering on the impending battle. Gongsun Yuan and the Donghu's regrets were futile; what awaited them was a thunderous rage, the iron hooves that would sweep away all foreign invaders, and a doomed end. Under the night sky of Youzhou, the battle cries of the Han soldiers pierced the clouds, shaking the entire world.