Chapter 001 Conspiracy

  Hebei Road, Dingzhou, suburbs of the city.

  "Boss, how much longer do we have to wait? We've been hiding in this godforsaken place for three whole days and the brothers are getting impatient." A robust young man complained to a military-clad youth beside him in a dense forest. Since they retreated from the battlefield to their hometown of Qingyun County that day, the military-clad youth had brought them straight here and hidden for three whole days. Perhaps still immersed in the tragic massacre of tens of thousands of people in Qingyun County, the military-clad youth hadn't said a word except to order them to wait after giving himself an order. This unknowing wait made the robust young man puzzled. Originally straightforward and rough, he was instigated by his brothers and took advantage of being a childhood playmate of the master to come here and whisper.

  "Tell them, if they still want to avenge the tens of thousands of dead parents and relatives, it's best for me to be honest and stay put. As for how much longer we have to wait, that's my business." The young man in military uniform said coldly, his tone revealing an unshakeable determination. Looking at his determined expression, Shinkou opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the woman wearing armor standing beside the young man in military uniform.

  "We've already waited for three days, what's the difference of a little while longer? The scout, Feng Jing, hasn't returned yet, and we still don't know about the enemy's deployment. If we rashly advance, one misstep could lead to our entire army being defeated. Not to mention avenging our parents and villagers, but whether we can even leave safely is a problem." The elegant woman explained patiently. Although she was in the military, her demeanor still exuded an air of refined elegance. After hearing her words, Xin Ke wanted to say something, but ultimately closed his mouth instead.

  At this moment, a young man with a big sweat and a middle-aged man dressed as a Confucian scholar hurriedly came to the front of the military uniformed youth. Although both were dusty, their faces still overflowed with an irrepressible excitement.

  "Boss, I'm back. This is Mr. Luo Xiang." The young man pointed to the Confucian scholar beside him and said excitedly: "Mr. Luo Xiang was originally an official in Dingzhou City. On the day Dingzhou City fell, Mr. Luo Xiang neither fled south to Tian Du Shengjing nor surrendered to the enemy army, but instead took advantage of the terrain to hide in Dingzhou City, then figured out the enemy's defense deployment in the city. This time I went there, it was also by chance that I met Mr."

  The young man in armor raised an eyebrow, if this is true, then this person is a rare talent, but it's unknown whether he's a spy sent by the enemy. After carefully sizing up the Confucian scholar in front of him, the young man in armor finally spoke: "I heard that when the Imperial Army retreated south, the officials of Dingzhou City and the court followed suit, fearing the enemy's strength and the Hu people's love of killing, why did you take great risks to stay behind and guard Dingzhou?"

  Luo Xiang smiled indifferently, knowing that his actions were indeed hard to believe. The other party's question was within his expectations. If the other party couldn't even consider this point and asked him about the situation in the city, then he would have to doubt whether it was worth risking himself to come and offer his services: "General, your words are extremely right. As an official of the imperial court, being unable to protect the country and bring peace to the people is already a shameful matter. If disaster befalls the nation and one abandons the city and flees, what face would one have to meet the innocent citizens under their rule? Although I am only a low-ranking official, my loyalty to the country is not inferior to anyone else's. The reason I've been staying in the city all along is that one day, when the imperial army marches north, I can do my part."

  The young man in armor remained unmoved and continued to ask, "The Hu people have occupied Dingzhou for over a dozen days. In the face of the enemy's slaughter and search, how did you manage to avoid them?"

  Luo Xiang smiled again, with a hint of pride, and said: "For the Hu people, although they are temporarily powerful, they are ultimately just passing guests in Dingzhou. Someone who was born and raised here is truly a child of Dingzhou. With 500,000 civilians inside the city walls, it surpasses even the capital of Hexi, Yan Prefecture. It is indeed the first state of Hexi. As someone originally from Dingzhou, having served as an official in the city for over ten years, finding a place to settle down shouldn't be difficult."

  The young man in armor still had a calm expression, although the other party's words were flawless, but if the other party was indeed an enemy spy, then this speech should have been prepared long ago. After a pause, he continued to ask: "Now Dingzhou is occupied by the Hu people, and entering and leaving the city is extremely complicated. I don't know how you came out safely, sir?"

  Lu Xiang's expression turned solemn, and the young man in armor nodded in understanding. He hastily dismissed the attendants around them, leaving only himself, Lu Xiang, and the woman in armor. After glancing around to ensure no one was listening, Lu Xiang lowered his voice and said, "Reporting to General, it is not that I am being overly cautious, but this matter is of great importance, and I must be prudent."

  The young man in armor also seemed to know where the focus was, so he perked up and said in a low voice: "Sir, please speak freely, these three people are someone's confidants, there is absolutely no possibility of news leakage."

  "In the past few days, although many officials in the city had left ahead of time with the imperial army's southern expedition, there were also many loyal and righteous men who stayed behind. Among them was He Fu, the original general guarding the east gate of Dingzhou City. This man was deeply strategic, skilled in governance, and extremely loyal and heroic. However, due to being too straightforward, he was demoted to the position of east gate guardian. After the Hu people entered the city, on someone's suggestion, he was the first to surrender to the enemy army. To commend his meritorious service, the Hu people specially allowed him to continue serving as the north gate city guard. However, due to the Hu people's overwhelming power, he had fewer than 500 soldiers under him, and although these were his elite troops trained over many years, facing the superior enemy forces, he could only temporarily endure. The fact that someone and General Fengjing were able to leave the city smoothly was actually thanks to his help."

  "Oh? If this general is extremely loyal and upright, why would he listen to your opinion and surrender to the enemy army first?" The young man in armor was greatly encouraged. If this person was really as Ruo Xiang said, then there was great hope for success. But if this was a trap, his entire army would be in danger of being annihilated. However, thinking that he had been hiding here for three whole days, except for letting Feng Jing go out to gather information, no one else had left this place half a step. Moreover, the enemy army would never have thought that there was an army like his outside Dingzhou City, so the possibility of them sending a spy was extremely small. And even if the enemy army knew he was hiding here, with Hu's personality, they should have directly sent troops to annihilate him. Hearing Ruo Xiang's words, which were extremely sincere, the young man in armor had already believed nine-tenths of it. It was just that this matter was too important, and he couldn't help but confirm it once more.

  "Because I am his brother-in-law. His sister He Shi is someone's concubine." Lu Xiang said with a smile.

  The young man in armor nodded, and since that was the case, it should be completely true. He clasped his hands together and said respectfully: "I am Huáng Tiān, originally a garrisoned cavalry officer of Qingyun County in Dingzhou Prefecture. I was rude just now, please forgive me, sir."

  "Isn't General Mo the son of Lord Hao, the county magistrate of Qingyun, who is known as a young prodigy with both literary and military talents?" Lu Xiang asked in surprise.

  "It's really you. I'm just a humble person who doesn't dare to accept such praise." Huáng Tiān hastily returned the courtesy and said.

  "Haha, someone said that whoever has such audacity and grandeur would dare to attack the heavily guarded Dingzhou city with a force of only a thousand cavalry. It turns out that he is indeed an extraordinary tiger cub. Right, now that Dingzhou city has fallen, Qingyun county will also be hard-pressed to avoid capture. I wonder what the current situation is like? General Hao probably doesn't know yet... Someone and your respected parents have a close relationship, but because one was in the city and the other in Qingyun, it's been difficult for us to meet up. Now that I think about it, it's been many years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?" Lu Xiang stroked his three long mustaches and said with a smile.

  "It was actually Uncle Shi. Without hiding it from Uncle Shi, on the day when Dingzhou City fell, my father had already... When I rushed back, my father was no longer there, and more than half of Qingyun's 100,000 fellow townspeople were slaughtered. So even though I knew this was like hitting a stone with an egg, I still decided to sneak attack Dingzhou to avenge my father and the 100,000 fellow townspeople." Haotian's eyes reddened as he spoke, his voice tinged with sorrow. Since his mother had died in childbirth, his father had been heartbroken and never remarried, instead taking in their orphaned cousin Qin Tianyi and raising her and Haotian together. As a result, Haotian deeply respected his father, while for his deceased mother, he felt a deep longing.

  Luo Xiang's expression was stunned, his face stiffened for a long time, and a sad expression floated on his face. His eyes were also empty, and he slowly closed his eyes. After a long time, he finally let out a long sigh: "Shi Zhong, it's all right to die in the line of duty, it can be said that he died for a good reason. Alas, since Qin Xianzi passed away back then, Shi had already made up his mind to die. Now, it can be said that his wish has been fulfilled. The most important thing now is how to break through Dingzhou and avenge the death of the millions of people in He Tao. Ah, didn't you, Shi Zhong, originally lead the army northward to cooperate with the battle under the order of Ding Bei Hou Zhang Gong? How did you end up here?"

  When the great army of Qingfeng marched north, Dingbei Hou Zhang Mingjing ordered the garrison troops of the six states in the Yellow River Valley to follow and cooperate with the battle. The elite thousand cavalry naturally did not exception. However, due to the internal struggle within the northern expeditionary force at that time, Guoshi Pang Yan also conveniently arranged for this familiar terrain to be distributed on the westernmost river defense line as a scout. It was also because of this that Huan Tian narrowly escaped the night raid by the Rouran cavalry. After learning about the defeat of the main army, facing the killing intent of the million-strong allied forces of the alien tribes, Huan Tian wisely used the terrain to hide during the day and escape at night, successfully evading the enemy's siege and returning to Dingzhou Qingyun in the southwest of the Yellow River Valley. However, by this time, the allied forces of the alien tribes had swept across the entire Yellow River Valley, occupying Dingzhou City, while the parents and villagers of Qingyun County, except for a few who were captured, the remaining 100,000 civilians either fled or died under the enemy's butcher knife. Faced with the ruins of Qingyun, Huan Tian's thousand-strong army of Qingyun did not want to flee south to Yin Feng Gu Bao, nor did they want to let go of the alien butchers who killed their parents and relatives. After a brief period of pain, Huan Tian resolutely led his elite cavalry to this dense forest outside Dingzhou City, hoping to avenge his hometown and family. If not, he could also die on the battlefield, living up to his title as a soldier.

  After calming down his emotions, Haotian said: "Shi Shu, I was just worried about how to enter the city, but with your help and General He's assistance, this will not be a problem. However, I only have a thousand cavalrymen under my command, while there are at least two tribes of ten thousand people in Dingzhou City. Even if we launch a surprise attack, it's unlikely that we can achieve complete victory."

  "Is this a test of someone's abilities? Although I only have a thousand cavalry, I bear a deep grudge and the saying goes that a sorrowful army is bound to win. As long as the officers and soldiers are united in their hearts and make proper arrangements, it's not impossible to take on ten times our number. Moreover, this is just a surprise attack. After the enemy occupied Dingzhou, their military discipline has become extremely lax. As long as we can achieve a sudden strike, defeating the enemy won't be difficult." Lu Xiang said with a smile.

  "Luoshishu, I've heard that in recent days, the defender of Dingzhou has captured many defeated generals and soldiers from the Northern Expedition and imprisoned them all within the city walls of Dingzhou, preparing to send them back to their country as slaves. Is this true?" A woman dressed in armor suddenly interjected.

  Looking at Qin Tianyi in her military uniform, Luo Xiang's expression suddenly became extremely excited, and even his lips were trembling uncontrollably. However, in an instant, a deep sadness floated up in his eyes, and even the corners of his eyes were slightly moist. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Luo Xiang finally asked: "May I ask who this young lady is?"

  "This is Qin Tianyi, my younger cousin and also my fiancée. We originally planned to get married this year, but due to my father's sacrifice for the country, it has been temporarily postponed." Haotian hastily said, then pointed to the two people beside him: "These two are my family generals, Feng Jing and Xin Ke. They are also Tianyi's sworn brothers."

  "A strong general has no weak soldiers, with a talented nephew like you, how can we worry that great things won't be accomplished?" Ruo Xiang stroked his long white beard and smiled as he said this, but his eyes were fixed on Tian Yi.

  "Uncle Luosheng, is there anything wrong with the phrase 'heaven's will'?" Haotian asked curiously, noticing Luoxiang's expression.

  "It's not unpropitious, but rather Heaven's will. This sentence has hit the key to success or failure this time." Luo Xiang nodded and said.

  "Shi Shu has been rewarded, but Tian Yi's words were just casual remarks." Tian Yi said with a smile.

  "The heavens have underestimated the young lady. This time, the key to success or failure lies in these tens of thousands of prisoners." Lu Xiang shook his head and said firmly: "Even if our army adds the 500 soldiers under He Fu's command, we only have 1,500 people. There are 30,000 Rouran soldiers in Dingzhou City. If we just want to defeat this enemy, it shouldn't be a problem if we act suddenly and make proper arrangements. But if you want to occupy Dingzhou and annihilate the enemy, these numbers are still far from enough."

  "Does Uncle Shi mean we can take advantage of these prisoners?" Hu Tian asked as if he had suddenly realized something.

  "Not bad, these prisoners of war are the elite of the Northern Expeditionary Army. Although they were defeated and captured, there is a reason for this. I think they must have been harboring resentment in their hearts all along. If we can send a surprise force to rescue them after entering the city, they will surely unleash their superhuman strength." Luo Xiang said with a smile.

  "What you said is absolutely right. Then I'll have to ask you to arrange tonight's battle, Uncle Shi." Hao Tian listened with a pleased heart and said respectfully.

  "Hao Shijie has a talented nephew, and by his side is the virtuous Tianyi girl; what need is there for an old man like me to come and direct? I suppose you've already thought of a plan, young master?" Lu Xiang said noncommittally.

  Haotian smiled slightly and said, "That young nephew has taken the liberty. However, before that, please introduce the distribution location and military strength of the enemy in the city."

  Highly recommended books: "The Little Prince", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "1984", "Pride and Prejudice", "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights", "Great Expectations"

  Latest full version: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda II, A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords, The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, Breath of the Wild