Chapter 18: Dampening the Spirit of the Kang Army

Yan Wugou?

This carriage stood out remarkably within the army; clearly, only the Empress of Great Kang, Yan Wugou, was entitled to travel in such luxury.

Seeing this, Yang Chuan felt a pang of melancholy.

Yan Wugou, oh Yan Wugou, it seems you still harbor such hatred for me that you would lead your troops in person just to annihilate Great Qi?

However, even though she was the Empress of Great Kang, Yang Chuan did not take her seriously in the slightest. He, more than anyone, was qualified to judge whether this woman possessed the ability to command an army in battle. During his three years in Great Kang, had it not been for his meticulous guidance, Yan Wugou would likely have ended up like the "God of War" Zhu Qizhen of Great Ming, captured as a prisoner of war by another nation. Her presence on the battlefield would only serve to boost the morale of her troops, and nothing more.

"Qin Yue, what is your estimate of the size of the Great Kang force attacking the city?"

After carefully observing the formation outside the city walls, Qin Yue reported truthfully: "Prime Minister, based on my many years of experience, the Kang army numbers around fifty thousand."

Yang Chuan nodded; Qin Yue’s assessment matched his own. Yet, among these fifty thousand, the Great Kang Imperial Guard accounted for only about twenty thousand. The rest were troops drafted from various provinces. It was clear that Yan Wugou still held her Imperial Guard in high regard.

"General Qin, heed my command!"

At Yang Chuan’s order, Qin Yue immediately bowed to receive it.

"The hill to the left of Linde City is an excellent position for slaughtering the enemy. Take your troops immediately, along with one thousand crossbowmen and a sufficient supply of boulders and logs. When the Kang army begins their assault, rain these down from the mountaintop; you will surely deal them a crushing blow!"

"Qin Yue obeys!"

After arranging matters with Qin Yue, Yang Chuan turned his gaze toward Tian Yueying.

"Empress of Great Qi, Tian Yueying, heed my command!"

As these words fell, numerous officers and soldiers, including Qin Yue, were struck with horror, turning to look at Yang Chuan in disbelief. Since the founding of Great Qi, only the Emperor had ever issued orders to officials; never had a subject dared to command the monarch.

Yet, Tian Yueying felt nothing amiss. Instead, she bowed respectfully to Yang Chuan and said in a low voice, "Yueying heeds your command!"

This scene left all the defenders of Linde City in utter shock.

After glancing at the crowd, Yang Chuan instructed Tian Yueying carefully: "Your Majesty, there is a highland to the east of Linde City with a wide field of vision. You may take two thousand light cavalry there. As soon as you see the Kang army attacking the city, wave your banners, shout, and beat your drums to create a distraction."

"However, Your Majesty must remember: this is merely a feint. The Great Kang Imperial Guard is well-equipped and formidable in individual combat; you must not engage them head-on!"

Tian Yueying nodded and immediately set off to mobilize her troops according to Yang Chuan’s instructions. Beside him, Qin Yue cast a suspicious look at Yang Chuan before taking two deputy generals down from the city tower to assemble the forces.

With that, Yang Chuan stood alone on the tower, quietly waiting for the right moment.

Below Linde City, after Yan Wugou’s carriage stopped at the front of the army, General Bao Wenyuan rode his tall horse to the vanguard. Soon, a barrage of insults rose from beneath the walls, with Yang Chuan’s name mentioned every few sentences. It seemed Bao Wenyuan was strictly following Yan Wugou's orders, intending to goad Great Qi into sending Yang Chuan to the front lines.

The insults lasted for a long time. Even though the defenders of Linde City were seeing Prime Minister Yang Chuan for the first time, the relentless, grating abuse made them feel exceptionally restless. Unable to endure it any longer, the soldiers petitioned Yang Chuan.

"Prime Minister, this man’s insults are intolerable! We ask to sally forth and meet the enemy to deflate the Kang army's arrogance!"

But Yang Chuan merely smiled faintly, appearing entirely unbothered, and waved his hand. "No matter."

He understood Yan Wugou too well. Do not be fooled by the ferocity of the Kang army’s insults; the one truly suffering from a breakdown was Yan Wugou, sitting in her dragon carriage. Driven by her own narrow-mindedness, she had cast aside the only man capable of leading Great Kang to prosperity—how could she not be agitated?

At this moment, Linde City, standing before the Kang army, had become the greatest obstacle in their eyes. The best strategy to break the city was to break the spirits of its defenders. If she could provoke the soldiers into leaving the city to engage, she could easily seize this strategic pass.

This very strategy of luring the enemy was something Yang Chuan himself had taught her. He never expected her first attempt to use it would be against him.

Narrowing his eyes, Yang Chuan sneered, "Truly, a student who learns from a master eventually starves the master. It is fortunate that Yan Wugou lacks true brilliance; otherwise, she might have learned quite a bit more from me over these three years."

After calmly observing the surroundings, Yang Chuan continued to wait in silence.

Two hours later, on the cliff in front of Linde City, Qin Yue and his thousand crossbowmen stood in strict formation atop the hill. Below, the Kang army, seeing no sign of the Qi forces emerging to fight, had grown weary. The shield-bearers in the front lines had discarded their gear and were lounging on the ground.

"Someone, bring me a bow!"

Bao Wenyuan, having cursed for half an hour straight, was now parched and had dismounted to rest. Yang Chuan took a longbow from a soldier, nocked an arrow, and aimed directly at the General’s standard in the center of the Kang army.

The distance from the tower to the banner was about 150 meters, the very limit for a standard bow. In ancient times, to strike a target with such an arrow required not only measuring wind speed and the arc of the shot but also possessing exceptionally sharp vision. Of course, for Yang Chuan, these were trivial matters.

He stood sideways, channeled his strength, and a few seconds later, the arrow was released. It flew true, striking the flag bearing the character "Bao" and snapping the pole in two.

The sudden turn of events caused Bao Wenyuan to jump up from the ground in shock, pointing his weapon at the city tower. "Who goes there? How dare you shoot my banner! On the day the city falls, I shall have you torn to pieces!"

"Pass the order: open the city gates! Today, I shall go out to meet the Empress of Great Kang myself."

Upon hearing this order, the soldiers were stunned. "Prime Minister, you cannot! Setting aside whether the Kang army will seize the chance to storm in, if you go out yourself, who knows how many crossbowmen the Empress has hidden to strike you down!"

"Heh, no matter. I understand Yan Wugou too well. The more critical the moment, the more she loses emotional control, and the harder it becomes for her to accomplish anything of significance."

A few minutes later, the gates of Linde City swung wide. Yang Chuan, alone and on horseback, rode calmly out of the city.

Upon seeing the man standing beneath the walls—the very Yang Chuan she had been "longing" for—Yan Wugou lost her composure in the carriage and burst into tears.