Chapter 686: The Battle of Nation Founding

Chapter 686: The War of Founding

The capital troops, who had been disgruntled days earlier about "marching south to Langya in heavy snow," actually entered the Cui family's territory when they went south. After two days of fine wine and meat there, they comfortably circled westward.

As long as they weren't sent to die assaulting city walls in a snowstorm, and it was just field combat, the army still had basic discipline—they had fought winter battles before. And since it wasn't a desperate fight but an ambush, there were even fewer objections.

The mutiny that Lu Jianzhang and others had imagined never materialized.

Huangfu Shaozong led his men to the ambush site only half a day earlier. Everyone was still resting at night when Yeletu's vanguard light cavalry appeared on the mountain path below.

Huangfu Shaozong stopped his subordinates from moving and whispered, "That's not our target. Don't disturb the men. They can still sleep a few more hours to regain their strength."

The soldiers watched with strange expressions as Yeletu's light cavalry sped past.

Yeletu's night raid on the capital was, of course, not something he thought he could accomplish with just a single light cavalry unit. The main force of the Li family followed behind. But the main army marched slowly, so they arrived first as the vanguard. Why not wait for the main force to advance together? That brings us to Zhao Changhe's astonishing arrow earlier.

The main army moved too slowly and made too much noise to escape the capital's reaction. If the capital prepared, it could lead to a troublesome siege. Everyone knew attacking a city in snow was hard. Even if the capital had no troops, just conscripting civilians could hold out for a while. With Zhuque and Tang Wanzhuang overseeing the battle, even traitors inside would find it difficult to open the gates.

Zhao Changhe's arrow declared the Yellow River's natural barrier useless. The Cui family's canal fleet pointed at Langya, and Huangfu Shaozong's southern reinforcements might no longer be needed. Once the capital was besieged, Huangfu Shaozong would have to turn back, potentially breaking the siege and losing a golden opportunity.

This prompted Yeletu's light cavalry night raid, relying on Lu Jianzhang's private troops and hidden demons to work together and break into the capital with lightning speed. If the new dynasty was completely unprepared and fell into chaos, the outcome could be decided directly. At worst, it would plunge the capital into chaotic street fighting, preventing organized defense.

By then, the Li family's army would arrive, and the matter would be settled. Huangfu Shaozong's troops would be too late to return.

It was a gamble on timing. Though dangerous, great risks meant great rewards—like the Ziwu Valley strategy or Deng Ai's crossing of Yinping. It all depended on the commander's choice.

Not until long after Yeletu had passed, when the sky had brightened, Zhao Changhe's sea battle with Feng Yin had ended and been announced to the whole server, and Huangfu Shaozong's soldiers had woken up and eaten flatbreads, did the distant Li family army, having marched all night, finally appear, seemingly looking for a place to cook nearby.

Huangfu Shaozong grinned, his white teeth gleaming: "They're still looking for stones to build stoves. Tough in this heavy snow... Let's send them some rolling stones first. Archers, ready!"

"Boom!" Countless rolling stones fell from left and right.

This was not war; it was a naked massacre.

As Huangfu Shaozong charged down the mountain with his spear, he even briefly entertained the thought of directly attacking Guanzhong. But he quickly suppressed that overly ambitious idea.

In truth, the new dynasty's strength was very fragile, utterly incapable of fighting on multiple fronts.

This battle should never have been so simple. It was just that the timing was perfect, and the enemy's choices were just right, as if they were offering themselves up.

Tang Wanzhuang's Demon Suppression Bureau's powerful intelligence network was the foundation—all enemy movements were like open cards to them. And every step Zhao Changhe took seemed to lead to this outcome. Using the World Chronicle's announcements to guide everyone's decisions was something Huangfu Shaozong, who had studied military strategy since childhood, found utterly brilliant.

This method of playing chess using the World Chronicle's broadcasts was something no one in this world had ever thought of. It was like stepping outside the world's perspective, looking down from high above the clouds.

"This guy is younger than me, yet he became my brother-in-law. I thought my sister was just finding a strong young toy, but she found a true god. It's really bizarre—when they got together, he was only at the Xuan Pass. How did she see he was this formidable?"

...

"Let's go back." By the Yellow River, Cui Wenjing was strolling with Yang Jingxiu: "You can't fight this battle anymore."

Yang Jingxiu walked in silence beside him, then said after a long while: "Are you sure, when you attack the Wang family, the Hu come south, the Li come east, my Yang goes north—the whole world rebels, surrounded on all sides, demons appear—such a tottering new dynasty... and in the end, we can't fight this battle?"

Cui Wenjing looked up, pondered for a moment, and his expression was also strange.

Why had he himself hesitated before, preparing for war with the capital?

Because from a strength comparison, this new dynasty seemed surrounded by enemies on all sides, tottering, with almost no hope. The mess Xia Longyuan left behind—no place was willing to obey orders anymore. Even the capital's officials were rebels. Truly the whole world was in revolt.

Even if Xia Longyuan were alive, he couldn't change this shattered state. He would have to conquer the realm all over again. This wasn't something personal martial power alone could achieve.

But when Xia Longyuan was replaced by Zhao Changhe, the situation suddenly changed, as if a dead end had been revived.

Not just the canal gang, Jiangnan, and the Cui family—even the current Yang family was not so resolute, becoming a party that could be negotiated with.

Especially after Zhao Changhe defeated Huangyang and drove off Feng Yin, announced by the World Chronicle, Yang Jingxiu was visibly shaken. It wasn't entirely about Zhao Changhe's strength, but Yang Jingxiu also keenly sensed a change in "the tide." When two ancient demon gods were driven away by Zhao Changhe in successive battles, Yang Jingxiu could almost foresee Langya's fall.

If Langya couldn't hold, what was the point of his stalemate with Cui Wenjing here?

As long as they could still block the Hu and Li family's sneak attacks, the new dynasty, which had only one capital left, would once again secure half the realm. Only the problem of cleaning up one by one would remain.

"This is the war of founding. A new dynasty's establishment isn't just about sitting on the dragon throne and declaring a coronation. It must undergo the tempering of blood and fire. If it withstands, the realm is secure. If not, it becomes a short-lived dynasty laughed at for millennia—not uncommon." Cui Wenjing said slowly: "I'm not sure how the northern war will go... I won't interfere. You don't move either. Let's wait and see the result? As long as I'm here, even with few troops, you can't cross the river anytime soon."

Yang Jingxiu sighed: "What good does waiting for the result do?"

Cui Wenjing said: "Xia Chi... uh, the Emperor won't pursue the battle against the late emperor. After all, her own master was a main force in that battle, and she herself was a rebel. There's nothing to say."

Yang Jingxiu said: "I believe that won't be pursued, but you know what I care about."

Cui Wenjing was silent for a moment, then said slowly: "According to that brat's words: surrender, or be exterminated. The loser has no choice, unless you've aligned with some powerful demon god... But even if another Huangyang or Feng Yin comes, it won't help much. Do you have a second-tier Imperial Realm to turn to?"

Yang Jingxiu shook his head and didn't answer.

"There aren't that many powerful demon gods. Even if there were, few are interested in the mortal world." Cui Wenjing turned to look at him: "If there's no choice, deciding early has benefits. The closer the army gets to the city, the less say you have."

Yang Jingxiu chuckled: "Feels like you're trying to coax me?"

Cui Wenjing also laughed: "I'm just acting as a persuader for my son-in-law. Don't overthink it."

Yang Jingxiu gazed at the rolling Yellow River and sighed softly: "Your weight as a persuader is too heavy... If we talk about where Zhao Changhe's momentum lies, your relationship probably accounts for three-tenths of it."

Cui Wenjing said: "Your relationship with him isn't bad either."

Yang Jingxiu fell silent, as if thinking.

Golden light flashed across the sky. Langya had fallen.

Yang Jingxiu smiled bitterly: "Faster than I imagined... Langya's interior must be like a sieve, or else how could it be so easy to take?"

Cui Wenjing asked: "The Wang family is finished. Are you going to bet on the Li family, or on the Hu?"

Yang Jingxiu sighed: "I don't want any involvement with the Hu. I don't approve of the Li family's actions, but what can I do?"

"Of course, cut ties quickly. You shouldn't be so indecisive. If you stop now, for the sake of our past alliance against Maitreya, you can still have a hereditary title and remain a local noble family. If you wait until they break the Li family and turn on you, you won't even be able to be a wealthy recluse."

Yang Jingxiu was silent for a moment, then said softly: "After this battle, I will resign from office and retire, devoting myself to scholarship. The Hongnong Yang will no longer participate in the world's affairs. If my children want to be officials or soldiers, they must rely on their own merits, unrelated to the family."

Cui Wenjing looked at his old friend, feeling melancholy. Yang Jingxiu had a sense of giving up, which he could understand, because he had felt the same.

Times had changed. The future was uncertain. Looking across the world, he couldn't find his direction. Retreating into seclusion might not be a bad choice.

He sighed and replied softly: "Alright. Perhaps you'll gain something in the end. A hundred years from now, the literary tradition of the world may originate from Hongnong. Who knows?"

Yang Jingxiu suddenly smiled in relief: "How about a drink?"

Cui Wenjing made a "please" gesture, and the two set out wine flasks by the Yellow River, between the two armies.

Yang Jingxiu said: "Shall I have someone send some snacks?"

Cui Wenjing laughed: "News of victory as a drink accompaniment—could there be anything better?"

Yang Jingxiu chuckled: "You're too confident in your son-in-law..."

Before he finished, golden light flashed in the sky again.

"Zhao Changhe, having attacked Langya, devised a plan with Emperor Xia to feign weakness. Huangfu Shaozong led troops out of the capital, ostensibly heading south. Prime Minister Lu Jianzhang and over twenty other high-ranking officials and noble families took the opportunity to rebel, colluding with the northern Hu in Guanzhong to plot against the capital."

"Yetletu, protector of the Eternal Heaven Temple and ranked 19th on the Earth List, led light cavalry from Guanzhong on a snowy night raid. Jianzhang and others opened the city gates as traitors to welcome the enemy, walking straight into Emperor Xia's trap. Xia Chichi personally led the imperial guards to block Yetletu at the palace city. Zhuque defeated the ancient demon god Anmie atop the imperial city... Tang Wanzhuang personally killed Lu Jianzhang, Lu Shouyi, Pei Yushi, and fourteen others from the Earth and Human Lists, slaughtering their followers, blood filling the capital."

"Huangfu Shaozong ambushed at Taihang, crushing the Li family's 100,000 troops, beheading several thousand, corpses and bones strewn across the mountains, Taihang itself changing color."

"In this battle, the Heaven, Earth, and Human Lists were decimated by sixty to seventy percent. Great houses collapsed, elites were wiped out. Truly a tragedy for martial arts, and the founding of a new dynasty."

Blind Girl couldn't muster a poem, her pretty face flushed red where Zhao Changhe couldn't see.

But Yang Jingxiu, after reading the battle report for a long time, suddenly said to Cui Wenjing: "I recall the World Chronicle's early commentary on Zhao Changhe."

"Which line?"

"The long river surges onward, unstoppable."