NOVPUB# 475. What? Silver Gong Xu slew hundreds of thousands of enemy soliders with one strike?
"Didn't Wei Yuan just capture the main altar of the Church of the Warlock God? Didn't he drive straight into the heart of the Yan Kingdom?"
Qian Qingshu’s eyes widened in shock.
According to the ministers’ estimates, the severely battered Church of the Warlock God would most likely swallow its pride and lie low to recover.
Or perhaps, after initially pacifying the people and repairing the cities, it would begin redeploying troops, but such undertakings could not possibly be accomplished in just a few months, maybe not even half a year.
The war had taken place on the Church's territory. Their people had suffered, their cities had fallen, even their main altar had been breached and destroyed.
Reconstruction and pacification in the aftermath of war would be a long and painful process.
Who could have imagined that less than a month after Wei Yuan captured Mount Jing City, the Yan and Kang kingdoms would gather eighty thousand troops to attack Yuyang Pass?!
This departure from the norms of warfare shocked, angered, and confused the Grand Academicians present.
Wang Zhenwen’s face darkened: “What is the situation…”
He paused, then changed his words: “How many cities in Xiangzhou have been taken?”
The eighty-thousand-strong coalition army, driven by vengeance, would surely fight to the death. Meanwhile, the border garrisons had just suffered the loss of Wei Yuan, low morale was to be expected.
The enemy vastly outnumbered them. And with Li Yi having returned to the capital... all signs pointed to the fall of Yuyang Pass, to the people of Xiangzhou being trampled under iron hooves.
This realisation made even the composed old Prime Minister anxious and restless.
Upon hearing the question, Li Yi instinctively smiled, a flicker of longing in his eyes.
*He smiled...* Zhao Tingfang and the others looked briefly stunned, and then heard Li Yi say:
“Fortunately, Silver Gong Xu was there. He almost single-handedly helped us hold off the enemy.”
At this, the Grand Academicians instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Given Xu Qi’an’s past record, he always managed to get things done, whether by force or other extreme means.
But then they felt something was wrong. With Xu Qi’an’s level of cultivation, how could one speak of "single-handedly"?
Wang Zhenwen frowned and voiced his doubt.
Li Yi said, “Silver Gong Xu charged into the enemy formation alone, slaughtered his way through, and killed over ten thousand enemy soliders. He slew Kang commander Sugudu Hongxiong, and amidst thousands of troops, struck down the Yan King Nurhaci with a single strike…”
As Li Yi recounted the events, the Grand Academicians were dumbfounded. Their aged faces froze in the same expression.
The teacup in Prime Minister Wang’s hands slowly tilted, scalding tea spilling out and burning him awake, he gave a sudden jolt.
“Is this true?!”
His voice trembled.
“This lowly official would not dare report false news. I’ve already submitted the dispatch to the Ministry of War. I came here at the request of Commander Zhang, hoping that Prime Minister and the honourable lords will make a swift decision to send reinforcements to the Three Provinces' border,” said Li Yi.
Prime Minister Wang slowly nodded. “Wait outside for now. Let us deliberate for a moment.”
Once Li Yi had left, the council room fell silent.
In the minds of the gathered scholars, they all thought back to that year of the official evaluation, to the image of a young Bronze Gong. Back then, he had merely been a lowly officer bouncing about under Wei Yuan’s favour.
Now Wei Yuan was dead, and this man had become a legend who could hold the line on his own.
How things had changed.
Zhao Tingfang sighed.
“To think he’s grown to this extent. In as few as five years, or ten at most, he may replace the Zhenbei King as the foremost warrior of the Great Feng.”
To kill nearly ten thousand enemies at the city gates and behead the Yan King Nurhaci in a single strike;
That achievement alone merited the title of marquis.
*What a pity... such a figure had once shattered his official token with his sword, resigning from his official duty.*
Hot-tempered Qian Qingshu snorted.
“His Majesty completely severed ties with him for the sake of King Huai and the royal family’s honour. He’ll never return to court. And with Xu Qi’an’s temperament, even if His Majesty were to forgive him, he wouldn’t come back.”
Such a waste! A terrible waste!
The Grand Academician of Huagai Hall murmured, “After Wei Yuan’s death, he might leave the capital…”
The Grand Academicians fell silent.
Qian Qingshu slapped the table, opened his mouth, but ultimately didn’t curse aloud.
Prime Minister Wang glanced at his close friend and changed the subject. “To think the Church of the Warlock God would retaliate so swiftly. It’s not logical.”
Grand Academician Chen Qi of Jianji Hall pondered for a moment.
“Nurhaci may have been blinded by hatred, but not Kang. Above them are high-ranked warlocks of the Church.
“Jing is still tied down in the north, and Yan has suffered heavy losses and needs time to recover. Only Kang retains enough military strength.
“They might gain a temporary advantage by attacking like this, but once the Great Feng responds and mobilises troops, Yan could be wiped out. Even Kang wouldn’t fare well.”
As it stood, Jing was held in check by Yao and barbarian forces. Mount Jing City had fallen, and many mid- and low-ranked warlocks had died.
If the Great Feng gritted its teeth and fought one more large-scale battle against the Church, Yan faced extinction. Kang would also suffer gravely.
That was why Prime Minister Wang had proposed drawing troops from the provinces, only to be denied by Emperor Yuanjing.
Chen Qi looked around at the others.
“So what reason do they have to risk everything on this invasion southwards?”
“Perhaps the Jianzheng can tell us,” Wang said in a low voice, then looked to Qian Qingshu. “Qingshu, invite the general back in.”
Li Yi re-entered the council chamber. Prime Minister Wang asked gently, “Is there something else?”
Li Yi hesitated. “Has Chen Ying arrived in the capital?”
Wang recalled who Chen Ying was and shook his head. “Not yet. Why?”
*So he’s not here yet…* Li Yi’s face darkened with fury.
“Other than the rations we took when we set out, the department of logistics never sent any further supplies. Our army was fighting on enemy soil, but the Ministry of Revenue in the Three Provinces cut off our provisions. When we withdrew and questioned the officials, we found out the grain was gone.”
At those words, the faces of the Grand Academicians changed dramatically. Qian Qingshu shot to his feet.
Prime Minister Wang rapped his fingers on the table, voice sharp:
“What do you mean the grain was gone? Before the campaign, didn’t we already transport rations to the border? Didn’t the Ministry of Revenue take inventory? Didn’t you? What about the escort officers? The supervisors?!”
What’s the most important thing in war?
Provisions. With one hundred thousand men, feeding soldiers and horses alike, without grain, there’d be mutiny.
“Of course we had people check. But when we got back, the supplies were gone. They’d already been secretly transported away. The escort and supervision officials had vanished without a trace.
“Chen Ying questioned the officials in the Ministry of Revenue, but those dogs just said they were following orders and refused to say more. So... Chen Ying flew into a rage and executed them all.”
Li Yi lowered his head, having finished.
Boom!
Like a thunderclap, Grand Academicians staggered.
“Following orders? Whose orders?! Whose?! And that Chen Ying… who told him to kill them all? Now who are we supposed to question?
“Brute! That damn brute!”
The short tempered Qian Qingshu was furious to the point of madness.
Only Prime Minister Wang remained seated, unmoving. He was silent for a long time. Once the shouting died down, he quietly took up the official hat beside him, placed it on his head, and slowly walked out.
“I’ll go see the Jianzheng.”
His voice held neither joy nor sorrow.
...
At the Ministry of War, the Minister sat reviewing the military dispatch.
It reported two things. First, the allied forces of Yan and Kang attacked Yuyang Pass, but were defeated by Xu Qi’an alone, ten thousand slain, the Yan King killed, the enemy routed!
Second, the rations had mysteriously disappeared. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Aside from the official dispatch, there was also a personal letter from Zhang Kaitai, begging the Minister and Censor Zhang Xingying to help save Chen Ying.
Killing Ministry of Revenue officials was practically mutiny.
And throughout history, in cases of mutiny, the soldiers could be pardoned, but the leader had to die.
The Minister of War had been personally promoted by Wei Yuan, and was a pillar of the Wei Clique.
He pondered for a long time before summoning a trusted aide. “Leak the contents of the dispatch. Mention the first matter, not the second.”
The grain issue was not yet fully understood and was too sensitive to release.
But Xu Qi’an’s feat could be spread, the aim was to proclaim this victory. Wasn’t His Majesty hesitant? Reluctant to honour Lord Wei posthumously? Then let him be given a light push.
…
Very soon, the story of Xu Qi’an single-handedly standing against the forces of both Yan and Kang began to spread, encouraged by those "in the know", first among capital officials, then among the common people.
In a high-end restaurant in the Inner City, a group of court officials entered together.
Once they were seated in a private room and had ordered food and drink, they began to chat freely. After a few drinks, one of the officials said:
“I just got word from a friend in the Ministry of War. Two days ago, a joint force of eighty thousand elite troops from Yan and Kang launched an assault on Yuyang Pass.”
The others turned pale. “Has Xiangzhou fallen?”
“No, no.”
The official waved his hand and looked around with theatrical flair. “As it happened, Silver Gong Xu was there. Alone, with just one sabre, he killed over twenty thousand enemies, slew the Kang general commander, and even beheaded the Yan King.”
“Utter nonsense. Eat more, drink less, and stop spouting drunken talk,” the others scoffed.
“It’s absolutely true. A matter this big, you’ll find out sooner or later. Why would I lie to you? Would I tarnish my own reputation?”
“Well what happened then, tell us…”
Outside the room, the serving boy had been eavesdropping clearly. He immediately ran downstairs, face flushed with excitement, to find the innkeeper.
“Boss, boss! Something big’s happened!”
The innkeeper’s expression changed. “A fight?”
The boy waved his hands quickly and said, dancing with excitement, “The joint Yan-Kang army of eighty thousand attacked the border and, and Silver Gong Xu killed them all by himself. Even the Yan King is dead!”
The noisy dining hall fell into complete silence.
…
In a brothel.
“Have you heard? Silver Gong Xu stood alone on the Xiangzhou border and crushed a hundred thousand troops from Yan and Kang!”
“I thought he was still in the capital?”
“Who told you that? That’s classified intelligence. I only know because I have a relative in the court. A full hundred thousand troops, can you believe it? The corpses piled higher than the city walls!”
…
At the mouth of an alley.
Someone was shouting, “Listen up, everyone. I’m about to tell a most stirring tale. You may not believe me, but I swear every word is true.”
“What’s it about?”
Passers-by gathered round.
The man announced, “Yesterday, at Yuyang Pass, Silver Gong Xu faced off alone against 150,000 troops from the Church of the Warlock God. One strike, ten thousand dead. After fifteen strikes, the entire army turned to dust.”
“Is that true?” someone questioned.
“I heard the same, but it was said to be 200,000 troops, not 150,000. Don’t go belittling his achievement.”
“Wait, wasn’t it 250,000?”
“That sounds like nonsense!”
“Nonsense? If it’s Silver Gong Xu, then it’s completely believable! Don’t forget, last year in Yunzhou, he single-handedly suppressed twenty thousand rebels and ended the rebellion by himself.”
More and more joined in from the crowd.
Word of mouth spread rapidly across the capital.
The common folk of the capital delighted in the news, all wearing expressions of “as expected of him.” Some were elated, believing it was Heaven watching over the Great Feng.
Others were more anxious, worried that if Silver Gong Xu kept performing miracles like this, there would be no place left in the human world for him, he would ascend to the Heavenly realm, and the empire could not bear such a loss.
…
In the imperial palace.
The Crown Prince heard the news from a trusted official and was utterly stunned, no less so than when he’d first heard of Wei Yuan’s death.
His first reaction was to seek out Lin’an.
He had already sensed during the Consort Fu case that Lin’an and Xu Qi’an had feelings for each other, especially his own naive and trusting sister, who might well be said to have fallen deeply in love.
With Xu Qi’an’s growing brilliance, the Crown Prince felt increasingly conflicted. On the one hand, he had offended the Emperor and was doomed. On the other, he was simply too useful, so useful that the Crown Prince believed that if he could draw him to his side, it would solidify his claim to the throne.
At the very least, with a peak martial artist absolutely loyal to him, he would have no worries over his personal safety.
Now, he was even more certain of this.
Leaving the Eastern Palace, he quickly made his way to Shaoyin Courtyard nearby. Informed by the guards, he found his sister in the rear garden, in a red dress.
Her face was soft and fair, her features exquisite, with eyes like glistening peach blossoms, always seeming full of tender affection. She was charming but not vulgar, enchanting yet not frivolous.
As her brother, the Crown Prince was immune to her beauty, but even he now saw it as an extraordinary weapon.
“Brother prince, what brings you here today?”
Lin’an was sitting in the pavilion, enjoying the autumn scenery. She turned and smiled, a hundred charms blooming in that glance.
The Crown Prince strode in and laughed heartily. “I came to share some big news.”
He told her the tale of Xu Qi’an’s heroic feat at Yuyang Pass.
After a pause, he tested the waters. “Lin’an, Xu Qi’an is a rare talent. What do you think of him?”
Though it sounded like he was trying to use his sister to win Xu Qi'an over, this was standard practice for a Crown Prince.
Lin’an was stunned, her lovely oval face blank for a long time.
Eventually, she murmured, “So he went to the northeast border…”
“Yes. He charged the enemy ranks alone, slew tens of thousands, and frightened off fifty thousand more. It’s a deed scarcely seen in the annals of our nation.” The Crown Prince was visibly excited.
But Lin’an only felt her heart ache. What had driven him to travel so far, to lead the charge, to kill and bleed?
Wei Yuan’s death must have struck him hard.
When you like someone, your first concern is always their joy and sorrow, not the honour and glory they bring.
Of course, Lin’an also heard the frantic beating of her own heart.
That man now had the power to overturn the heavens and descend from the heavens with a princess of the celestial realm.
…
At the military quarters of the Yudao Guard, Xu Pingzhi received one congratulation after another from colleagues and superiors.
“Congratulations, Sir Xu. The Xu family truly is a family of loyal heroes. The second son marches to war, and the eldest holds the frontier alone and performs unmatched feats.”
“I say, Sir Xu had the eye for it early on, he always saw Silver Gong Xu as a martial genius.”
“Yes, yes. To think I used to call Sir Xu a disgrace in private…”
*You didn’t need to say that… you coarse brute.* Xu Pingzhi smiled with mixed feelings as he made small talk.
…
At the Stargazing Tower.
Wearing a scarlet robe, Wang Zhenwen climbed to the Bagua Platform. In his memory, he had only come to the top of the tower fewer than five times.
Likewise, he had met the Jianzheng fewer than five times. This guardian god of the Great Feng, a figure who had watched the world for five centuries, lived in the mortal realm yet seemed so detached from it.
Since Wang Zhenwen entered court service, the only time he had seen the Jianzheng directly intervene was when he forced Emperor Yuanjing to issue a self-reproach edict.
*What are you really thinking…* Wang Zhenwen sighed and then asked:
“Your disciple… is he unwell?”
Not far off, Yang Qianhuan was squatting with his back to them, muttering incessantly. Wang Zhenwen caught snippets like:
“I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous… damn Xu Ningyan, damn Xu Ningyan, damn Xu Ningyan…”
“Pay him no mind.”
The immortal-like Jianzheng seemed to choke for a moment.
Wang Zhenwen nodded, then explained the matter of the two intelligence reports and bowed. “I ask for the Jianzheng’s guidance.”
The first report was about Wei Yuan’s death. The second was on the supplies.
The Jianzheng, still with his back turned and a wine cup in hand, chuckled and said, “Lord Prime Minister, who in the Great Feng do you think could cut off supplies to an army of a hundred thousand?”
…
