novelSusiti Chapter 8: A Perilous Situation, Hidden Deadly Moves
Chapter 8: A Perilous Situation, Hidden Deadly Moves
The shadowy figure's urgent report was like a bucket of ice water poured over the hall, instantly extinguishing all life and leaving a deathly silence where the crackling of the flickering candlelight could be heard.
Liu Shan clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. His previously timid face flushed crimson, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed grief and panic. His body trembled slightly: "Yong Kai! What a Yong Kai!"
"I initially thought he still had a shred of conscience, but I never imagined he would be so cruel, slaughtering tribes and treating human life like dirt!" He staggered back two steps, leaning heavily against the dragon throne, his hands clutching his chest, gasping for breath, his expression so anxious he was almost in tears. "Meng Huo's people are in imminent danger, Li Hui is trapped in the valley, Gao Ding is launching a fierce attack on Yuexi, and Cao Wei is eyeing us covetously on the border... I... I really can't hold on much longer!"
The eunuchs were so frightened that they all knelt down, their heads bowed low, not daring to breathe. Only Liu Shan's heavy breathing could be heard in the hall, accompanied by the flickering candlelight, which made the scene seem even more desolate and helpless.
No one saw that the moment he lowered his eyes, all the panic in them vanished, replaced by a cold smile—that fool Yong Kai, by slaughtering Meng Huo's people, had actually done him a great favor.
He thought he could intimidate Meng Huo, but he didn't realize that this move would only force Meng Huo to side with Shu Han, cutting off his own escape route. The real hidden danger was never the internal strife in the south, but the Cao Wei army that was eyeing the border with predatory intent.
Once Shu Han is bogged down in the chaos in the south and unable to extricate itself, Cao Wei will seize the opportunity to invade, and that would be a truly catastrophic end. Li Yan delayed the march and secretly plotted; Qiao Zhou colluded with the gentry and waited for an opportunity to seize power; Yong Kai was arrogant and Gao Ding was greedy, and Meng Huo was trapped between the safety of his people and the rebellion.
All the contradictions erupted at this moment, becoming a butcher's knife held to the neck of Shu Han.
Liu Shan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. His face remained expressionless and sorrowful, but his voice suddenly lowered, carrying an undeniable authority, as he spoke in a deep voice to the shadowy corner: "Issue my secret order!"
"When Zhang Yi leads his army to aid Dianchi, he shall divide his forces into five thousand and rush to Meng Huo's tribe overnight. They must repel Yong Kai's pursuers and save the lives of Meng Huo's people. If anything goes wrong, bring your head upon yourself!"
"I also order Ma Zhong to march at full speed and arrive at Yuexi County before it falls, to defeat Gao Ding's army and stabilize the situation in Yuexi! Tell Ma Zhong that Yuexi is the gateway to Nanzhong; if Yuexi is lost, he won't need to come back!"
The dark figure knelt on one knee, head bowed, and replied in a deep voice, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
"And another thing!" Liu Shan paused, his fingertips tracing the fragments of the tiger tally at his waist, his tone as cold as ice. "Order Wei Yan to immediately strengthen the defenses along the Hanzhong border, and deploy 10,000 elite troops to garrison Yangping Pass, closely monitoring the movements of Cao Wei's army. If any signs of Cao Wei advancing south are discovered, report immediately, without the slightest delay!"
"Furthermore, have those monitoring Li Yan expedite the process of gathering all the evidence against him for delaying the march and contacting Yong Kai. The evidence must be irrefutable, leaving him no room for denial!"
"Your subject will not fail in his mission!" The dark figure bowed again, then vanished into the shadows as if he had never been there, leaving only the candlelight in the hall still flickering in the wind.
Silence returned to the palace. Liu Shan slowly straightened up, walked to the palace window, and glanced at the southern and northern horizons. His expression was solemn and resolute.
This is a high-stakes gamble. It's a gamble that Meng Huo can be completely won over, that Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi can arrive in time to provide assistance, that Wei Yan can hold the border, and even more so, that I can use this crisis to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in the court and the south, nipping all threats in the bud.
At this time in Nanzhong, outside the camp of Meng Huo's tribe, flames were already raging and the shouts of battle were deafening, staining half of the night sky red.
Yong Kai's army swarmed in, raining arrows upon the camp. The tribesmen, armed with rudimentary weapons, fought desperately, but were ultimately outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. The camp's defenses were on the verge of collapse.
Meng Huo, wielding a long sword and covered in blood, stood firmly in front of the tribe's elders and weak, his eyes filled with grief, anger, and regret. His hoarse roar was piercing: "Yong Kai, you traitor! I will never forgive you!"
He swung his sword, slaying a charging rebel soldier. Blood splattered onto his face, making him look even more ferocious: "If my people suffer even the slightest harm, I will grind you to dust to appease the souls of my fallen kin!"
His heart was filled with regret. He gripped his long sword tightly, inwardly blaming himself: it was all his fault for being so indecisive, for hesitating to surrender to Shu Han, which gave Yong Kai an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and implicate his clan. The secret envoy sent by His Majesty said he would send troops to aid them, but the army was nowhere to be seen. Had His Majesty deceived him?
Just as he was feeling disheartened and almost giving up, a rapid sound of hooves suddenly came from afar, accompanied by the clear sound of a horn, piercing the night sky.
"General! The Shu Han army is here! It's General Zhang Yi's troops!" A tribal youth pointed into the distance, his voice filled with ecstatic joy, forgetting even the pain from his wounds.
Meng Huo suddenly looked up and saw dust billowing in the distance as a troop of elite Shu Han cavalry galloped towards them, their banners bright and their armor dazzling. They were Zhang Yi's soldiers, like tigers descending the mountain, charging straight into the rebel camp.
Hope instantly ignited in his eyes, and he raised his arms and shouted, "Fellow tribesmen, do not panic! The Shu Han army is coming to our aid! Follow me, fight our way out, defeat the rebels, and defend our homeland!"
Meanwhile, outside the Dianchi Valley, Yong Kai watched with smug satisfaction as Li Hui, trapped and struggling within the valley, roared a mocking smile, "Li Hui, in another hour, the food supplies in this valley will run out. Then, even if you had wings, you wouldn't be able to escape!"
"If you know what's good for you, surrender now, and I might spare your life and give you the position of prefect, guaranteeing you wealth and a worry-free life!"
Li Yan stood at the front of the battle lines, his face pale and lips cracked, clearly having long been without food and water. Yet his expression remained resolute, his gaze piercing, and he sternly rebuked, "Yong Kai, do not be so arrogant! His Majesty will surely send a large army to aid you. You have colluded with Cao Wei and slaughtered tribes; you will face retribution sooner or later!"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping over his exhausted soldiers. He secretly calculated: His Majesty's secret order has been received; Meng Huo must have already made a move, and General Zhang Yi should be arriving soon. If we can hold out a little longer, we can launch a coordinated attack from within and without, defeating Yong Kai.
The soldiers were almost at their limit. Their food supplies were exhausted, and even drinking water had become a problem. This moment of perseverance felt like torture, with someone collapsing every second.
Yong Kai sneered and waved his hand, signaling, "Stubborn fools! Pass down the order to attack ahead of schedule. Today, we will flatten this valley and kill Li Hui, leaving no one alive!"
The rebels responded immediately, brandishing swords and spears, and charged towards the valley, their shouts of battle deafening. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar. Zhang Yi's deputy general led a cavalry force, galloping towards the rebels' rear and catching them completely off guard.
"Not good! Reinforcements have arrived!" the rebels cried out in alarm, their formation instantly thrown into chaos, their once fierce offensive crumbling into a complete rout.
Yong Kai's expression changed drastically. He turned his head and saw that the Shu Han cavalry was advancing like a hot knife through butter, instantly disrupting the rebel army's formation. He was shocked and thought to himself, "This is bad!" How could Zhang Yi have arrived so quickly? He had divided his troops to aid Meng Huo, yet he still had the spare strength to send troops to rescue Li Hui.
Meanwhile, outside Yuexi County, Ma Zhong led his army at breakneck speed. From afar, they could see the city teetering on the brink of collapse, with the rebels launching a fierce attack and the defending general on the verge of collapse.
"Soldiers, follow me! Save Yuexi, defeat Gao Ding, and protect the territory of Shu Han!" Ma Zhong, holding a long spear, charged out first, followed closely by his soldiers. With unstoppable momentum, they launched a fierce attack on the rebel army.
Upon seeing this, Gao Ding's expression changed drastically. He sensed something was wrong and hurriedly ordered a retreat, but it was too late. Ma Zhong's army, like tigers descending a mountain, instantly shattered the rebel army's formation. Gao Ding was forced to lead his troops in retreat, finding himself surrounded by the Shu Han army with no way to escape.
Meanwhile, in Li Yan's camp, Zhuge Liang sat upright in his tent, his face cold as he looked at Li Yan, his feather fan waving lightly, his tone carrying an undisguised sarcasm: "Lord Li, are supplies running low? Are the roads difficult to travel?"
"But I just received news that Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi's armies have successfully reached the aid of Nanzhong. Why is it that only Lord Li's army is slow to advance and remains stuck halfway?"
Li Yan's face paled, his eyes darted around, and he dared not meet Zhuge Liang's gaze. He quickly bowed and explained, "Prime Minister, you misunderstand. I was not delaying; it's just that the roads in the south are rugged, making the transport of supplies difficult, thus delaying our journey. I will immediately order the army to speed up its march and head to Dianchi to ambush Yong Kai!"
Zhuge Liang understood immediately. He lightly tapped his feather fan against his palm, a cold glint flashing in his eyes—Li Yan's excuse was full of holes; he clearly intended to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, secretly plotting against him. His Majesty had already sensed his intentions and sent him here to supervise, presumably to gather evidence of his crimes.
Today, he would bide his time and see what other tricks Li Yan could pull. Zhuge Liang glanced at him indifferently, his tone calm yet authoritative: "I hope what Lord Li says is true. If Lord Li's delay leads to the failure of the southern rebellion and hinders the overall situation, don't blame me for punishing you according to military law!"
"Your subject dares not!" Li Yan bowed and replied, but a trace of resentment and unwillingness flashed in his eyes. He knew that Zhuge Liang had begun to suspect him, and if things continued like this, his scheme would be exposed sooner or later, and then he would die without a burial place.
Inside Chengdu, Qiao Zhou summoned officials from the Yizhou gentry to a villa in the west of the city. They discussed the matter with solemn expressions. The atmosphere inside the tent was tense, and everyone's face showed a hint of calculation.
"Gentlemen, the chaos in the south continues, and Cao Wei's army is gathering on the border. Shu Han is in imminent danger." Qiao Zhou sat in the main seat, his tone heavy, yet unable to conceal the ambition in his eyes. "His Majesty is young and timid, Zhuge Liang holds absolute power, and Li Yan has led his army south. There is no one in the court to take charge of the overall situation. This is the perfect opportunity for the gentry of Yizhou to rise!"
"Lord Qiao is absolutely right!" a gentry official quickly echoed, his tone urgent. "We can jointly submit a memorial requesting His Majesty to allow members of the Yizhou gentry to take command of the military power in the capital region, and then send trusted confidants to the south to assist Lord Li Yan in suppressing the rebellion, thus taking the opportunity to control the south and strengthen the power of our Yizhou gentry!"
Qiao Zhou nodded, a calculating glint in his eyes, and said firmly, "Alright! Tomorrow morning, we will submit a joint memorial. If His Majesty does not agree, we will threaten to resign. I don't believe he won't compromise!"
They thought their plan was flawless, but little did they know that every word and action inside the tent was being reported verbatim to Liu Shan in the Chengdu palace by his spies.
Inside the hall, after listening to the report from the spies, Liu Shan's lips curled into a cold smile. He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes full of disdain. These clowns, Qiao Zhou and his gang, dared to take advantage of the chaos, attempting to seize military power and covet the south. Today, they will learn what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot.
Just as he was figuring out how to deal with Qiao Zhou and the others, the dark figure rushed in again, looking even more panicked than before. He knelt on one knee, his voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Liu Shan's heart tightened, and he asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter? Is something wrong with Meng Huo's tribe? Or has Cao Wei's army marched south?"
The dark figure knelt and kowtowed, his voice tinged with despair: "Your Majesty, it's neither of them! It's Lord Li Yan. After realizing he was being watched, he secretly sent someone to contact Gao Ding, promising that if Gao Ding could hold off Ma Zhong's army, he would enfeoff Gao Ding as the King of Yuexi and share the land of Nanzhong with him after he pacified Nanzhong. He's plotting something sinister!"
Liu Shan's body trembled, and the coldness in his eyes surged instantly. His aura became increasingly fierce, and the tiger tally fragment clenched between his fingers was almost embedded in his palm—Li Yan dared to be so bold!
Not only has he delayed the march and colluded with Yong Kai, but now he is even secretly contacting Gao Ding, attempting to seize control of the southern region and betray Shu Han! Such a traitor must not be allowed to live!
Just then, another spy rushed in, knelt down, and reported, his voice trembling as well: "Your Majesty, urgent report from Hanzhong! Cao Wei's vanguard general Hao Zhao has led 10,000 elite troops in a surprise attack on Yangping Pass. General Wei Yan led his troops in a valiant resistance, but suffered heavy casualties. Yangping Pass is in imminent danger. We request Your Majesty to send reinforcements immediately!"
Two devastating blows struck Liu Shan like two heavy hammers. Li Yan's rebellion was imminent, and Cao Wei's army launched a surprise attack on Yangping Pass. Although the situation in the south had taken a turn for the better, it was still fraught with danger, and the fate of Shu Han seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
Liu Shan slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was no trace of fear in them, only a cold resolve. In this gamble, he had no way out; it was either a chance to break free and be reborn, or to be doomed forever.
What he didn't know was that after learning that Zhang Yi had divided his troops to aid Meng Huo, Yong Kai secretly contacted a secret envoy from Cao Wei, requesting Cao Wei to send troops to attack Zhang Yi's army from both sides, attempting to completely defeat the Shu Han reinforcements, seize Nanzhong for himself, and turn Nanzhong into a complete vassal of Cao Wei...