Chapter 11: The Brink of War
While chaos brewed outside the city, inside, it was a scene of song and dance. On the Lotus Terrace in the palace, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments and laughter were endless. Lanterns hung all around, their light reflecting beautifully on the lotus pond that encircled the terrace.
The Emperor of Langxuan, Rong Feijun, sat in the seat of honor, with the envoys from various nations who had come for the state sacrifice seated below him.
The dancers performing were from the Guchi Kingdom, a nation known for its passion. Their performance was less a dance and more a seductive display of postures. Their attire was extremely revealing, with their chests and thighs exposed. The King of Guchi had intentions of offering the dancers to Rong Feijun, so the lead dancer moved closer and closer to him, constantly throwing him flirtatious glances.
Rong Feijun: …
He averted his gaze and picked up his wine cup, addressing Damu. “Yunzhi and Xiao have already told me about the matter at the inn. You have been wronged, General Damu. I offer you this cup as an apology. I hope you will not take offense.”
Rong Feijun was tall with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. As the Emperor, his handsome, scholarly face carried an extraordinary air. His casual apology, his every word and gesture, was as pleasing to the eye as a beautiful painting.
Damu stood up and returned the toast. “Your Majesty is too kind.”
Rong Feijun waved his hand. “As compensation, I will certainly reward you handsomely, General Damu.”
With that, a eunuch brought forth pearls and silks and placed them beside Damu.
Damu cupped his fist and bowed. “Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. Since you have shown such grace, Shahan also has a gift in return…”
Damu walked to Rong Feijun’s side and knelt, taking out a small, clearly valuable wooden box from his robes. The box exuded a refreshing fragrance.
Rong Feijun reached out to open the box.
Hiss—
The moment he opened it, a huge spider leaped out, lunging for his face! At the same instant, the lanterns on the Lotus Terrace flickered, and a group of assassins descended from above, all targeting Rong Feijun on the throne.
The hall instantly plunged into chaos. The dancers screamed and scattered, and the other envoys scrambled to flee. Tables and lamps were overturned.
Rong Feijun had practiced martial arts for years and was not weak. The moment the spider leaped out, he had swung his hand back to knock it away. He wasn’t bitten, but his hand was scraped by the spider, leaving a red mark.
Seeing that Rong Feijun had dodged the spider, Damu immediately drew his sword and attacked him.
DONG—
A bell tolled throughout the city—the warning signal for an enemy attack!
Rong Feijun frowned, roughly guessing what was happening. With this, most of the imperial guards would likely rush to the city gates to help, leaving him to rely on himself and the elite palace Shadow Guards.
The assassins were numerous; they were clearly determined to take his life. Fortunately, the palace Shadow Guards were also highly skilled and could hold them off.
Although Rong Feijun was an enthusiastic martial artist, he was ultimately an emperor bogged down by state affairs, with little time to refine his skills. And while Damu was a general, he was also aging. Thus, the two were evenly matched, and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
With a clang, another sword joined the fray, helping Rong Feijun knock Damu’s sword away.
“Your Majesty!”
The newcomer was the commander of the imperial guards, Mo Yan. His arrival instantly changed the tide. Under the combined attack of two men, Damu gradually fell into a disadvantage.
“Don’t get bogged down in fighting!” Rong Feijun said in a low voice.
“Yes, sir!”
After forcing Damu back again, Mo Yan pulled Rong Feijun away from the Lotus Terrace.
Taking the opportunity, Rong Feijun asked, “What’s the situation outside?”
“Your Majesty, Damu and the King of Sheng Luo are in cahoots. Damu is assassinating you from within, while the King of Sheng Luo is attacking the city with thirty thousand troops. The imperial guards and the city defense army are currently engaged with them. The King of Shahan has also brought over a hundred of his men to help defend the city. The Shahan warriors are fierce and have been a great help!”
“So, Damu made a deal with the King of Sheng Luo. Damu wants to replace the King of Shahan, and the King of Sheng Luo wants Langxuan?”
“Your Majesty is brilliant to have guessed it. That is what Inspector Qi said. Apparently, he and General Qi met the King of Shahan outside the city and learned the whole story. General Qi has already gone to Lianzhou to mobilize troops.”
Rong Feijun nodded, then paused. “I am going to the city gate.”
“Your Majesty, swords have no eyes. It is very dangerous there.”
“As an emperor, how can I hide behind the city walls and save my own skin when my city is under attack?” Rong Feijun said.
Mo Yan could only lower his head. “Yes, sir. This subject will do everything in his power to protect Your Majesty!”
The two of them rode away from the Lotus Terrace, passed through the palace’s old, dilapidated high walls, and arrived at the city wall that separated the capital from the enemy army.
Panic filled the city. Every household had sealed its doors and windows. Although the assassins in the palace had been dealt with, everyone was still on edge. In contrast to the silence within the city, the clamor at the city wall was dizzying.
The capital’s walls were sturdy, easy to defend and hard to attack. The Sheng Luo soldiers placed siege ladders against the walls and scrambled to climb up, but they were all hit by stones thrown from above. The soldiers using a battering ram to break down the gate were shot down by a hail of arrows from Langxuan.
Rong Feijun knew the situation was still manageable for now, but if the battle dragged on and the casualties increased, Langxuan’s forces would be insufficient. After all, Sheng Luo had twice as many men.
Qi Shaoling and Duanmu Ling were also on top of the wall with bows and arrows, helping out. Seeing this, Rong Feijun also picked up a bow and stood beside them. “When did Xiao leave?”
Qi Shaoling was startled to see him. “Your Majesty! It’s dangerous here. Please go down!”
Your Majesty?
Duanmu Ling was amazed. He had thought the emperor would be a decrepit old man, but he was so handsome. The girls in the city must be desperate to marry into the palace. Not only would they become empresses, but their husband would also be good-looking.
“It’s fine, I can protect myself. You haven’t answered my question yet.”
After firing an arrow, Qi Shaoling said, “Your Majesty, Ah-Xiao left an hour ago. He should be here in about half an hour.”
“Let’s hope so.”
The thick smell of blood hung in the air. The shouts of soldiers, the clash of weapons, the dull thud of the battering ram against the gate—the scene was so chaotic it could be described as a living hell.
Rong Feijun kept his eyes on the city gate. Seeing that it was about to give way, he said, “I will take a group of men out through a side gate and attack the Sheng Luo soldiers at the main gate from the outside. If we don’t, our arrows won’t be able to completely eliminate their vanguard.”
Mo Yan immediately became anxious. “Your Majesty is of noble birth! You must not risk going out of the city! If anyone is to go, it should be this general!”
“Yes,” Qi Shaoling added. “This subject is also willing to serve Your Majesty.”
“What noble birth? You are the commander of the imperial guards; you must stay here to give orders. Inspector Qi has no military authority; how will the soldiers obey him?”
“I will go.”
Everyone turned to see Wulanbaer standing nearby, sword in hand.
“I will lead my Shahan men down.”
“King Wulanbaer of Shahan?” Rong Feijun asked.
Wulanbaer cupped his fist and smiled. “It is I.”
Without waiting for Rong Feijun’s approval, he turned and shouted to his men, “People of Shahan! The men below are the ones who want to kill your king! Are you willing to help me go down and slaughter these evil spirits?”
The Shahan men behind him raised their weapons and roared, “Karong! Karong! Karong—”
Duanmu Ling whispered to Qi Shaoling, “What does Karong mean?”
“The one and only king favored by the gods,” Qi Shaoling replied.
Wulanbaer led his men off the city wall. The next time Rong Feijun saw him, he was at the foot of the wall, surrounded by the Sheng Luo army.
Completely surrounded by the enemy, Wulanbaer showed not a trace of fear. Instead, he was like a shura¹ reveling in the chaos. On horseback, every sweep of his spear sent blood flying. Wherever he passed, bodies littered the ground.
[Translator’s Note:
-
Shura : In Buddhist and Hindu mythology, a shura (or asura) is a demigod or titan, often depicted as a powerful, fierce, and warlike being. In this context, it describes Wulanbaer as a fearsome, almost demonic warrior.]
Rong Feijun was astonished. Wulanbaer’s crimson eyes and blood-soaked tiger-skin robe sent a shiver down his spine.
“General Qi is here!”
Someone shouted, and Rong Feijun looked into the distance. At the far end of the Sheng Luo army, the banner of Langxuan appeared.
“Reinforcements have arrived! Reinforcements have arrived!” The banners fluttered, and the war drums thundered. The morale of the Langxuan soldiers instantly soared. Some even excitedly brandished their spears and halberds, climbing down the city wall to face the enemy head-on. Mo Yan, no longer worried about a shortage of resources, ordered all the remaining cannonballs to be fired at the enemy.
Rong Feijun shouted, “God of War Qi Xiao, Langxuan will be victorious!”
“God of War Qi Xiao, Langxuan will be victorious!”
“God of War Qi Xiao, Langxuan will be victorious!”
“God of War Qi Xiao, Langxuan will be victorious—”
The shouts carried for miles. Qi Xiao had changed into his beloved warhorse, “Winning Wind,” which had accompanied him through countless battles. He wielded a spear in one hand and held Fu Yunzhi, who was in front of him, with the other.
Although his cheeks, hair, and armor were stained with blood, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Yunzhi, they’re calling my name!”
Fu Yunzhi paused for a moment, then also shouted, “God of War Qi Xiao, Langxuan will be victorious!”
Qi Xiao’s fighting spirit was already high, but now he was so excited he let out a great roar. “Warriors of Langxuan, charge—!”
The glint of blades, the clash of iron and horses. The voices of warriors, shaking the heavens.
