It rained frequently in the south, and at dusk, a fine drizzle poured down without end. When the veil of night descended, the soldiers of the Darkstone Empire lit up torches and illuminated the entire square of Yu City. On the square were a few thousand unarmed commoners of Yu City, and all of them had furious expressions as they cursed at the army of the Darkstone Empire.
Thud thud thud …
Amidst the clattering of hooves, a familiar flag appeared before everyone's eyes. It was the flag of the Yihe Nation. Under Lu Yan's invitation, Qin Yi and Qin Huan had come to witness this massacre.
Qin Yi was already very old. His originally grizzled hair was now completely white. His hair was so soft that even the pinewood hairpin couldn't hold it in. He didn't bring many people with him, only two Captaincy and a dozen chiliarchs.
"Commander, be careful."
A Captaincy carefully helped Qin Yi down from his horse. When Qin Yi's boots landed on the rain, he staggered and almost lost his balance.
"Father!" Qin Huan hurriedly supported him, his face pale.
"Commander, you're here!" Lu Yan laughed heartily as he walked forward and cupped his hands, "We've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Qin Yi glanced at the commoners on the square and the elites of the Sea and Mountain Army who were ready to go. He had already guessed what was going on and said, "Commander Lu Yan invited us here … I wonder what orders he has for us?"
"No, no, no, there are no orders." Lu Yan waved his hand and smiled, "Yu City has obstructed us for many days. Now that it has been destroyed, my Blackstone Empire's soldiers have fought bravely. As their commander, I have to commend them. For true warriors, there is no reward more fitting than a massacre. These people of Yu City are stubborn and want to fight us to the death. Hmph … I'll let them know the consequences of trying to stop a chariot. The Yihe Nation is our ally, so it's only natural that we come to watch. Commander, please tell us if there are any flaws in our Ocean and Mountain Army's cavalry formation."
As he spoke, Lu Yan raised his arm and shouted, "Prepare to charge!"
In the distance, armored cavalrymen mounted their horses. They raised their shields and spears, while the horses stomped their hooves as if they were anticipating a massacre.
"Charge!"
Lu Yan suddenly dropped his arm.
The sound of hooves thundered, and the sharp edges of spears and swords gleamed coldly under the light of the fire, making people feel like they were in a harsh winter even though it was a spring day.
Among the crowd, the commoners were in a state of panic. Suddenly, a man wearing a low-ranking civil official uniform rushed towards Qin Yi, Qin Huan and the others and shouted, "Great commander, help! Commander-In-Chief … I'm an official of the Yihe Nation. I'm Zhang Jun from the Rearguard Commandery of Bai Ling City … Commander-In-Chief, save me! Young Prince, save me … "
It was as if Zhang Jun had seen a life-saving straw. He crazily led a group of people and charged towards Qin Yi, Qin Huan and the others. The Yihe Nation had once flourished, and Qin Yi, the commander, would definitely be able to save his life.
Unfortunately, Qin Yi turned his face away, unable to bear to see the scene before his eyes.
"Back off!"
A group of shield-wielding heavy infantry used their shields to push Zhang Jun and the others away, and even brandished their broadswords in a frenzy.
"Commander-In-Chief! Commander-In-Chief … "Despair began to pile up on Zhang Jun's face. Amidst a miserable howl, his left arm was chopped off by a heavy infantry, and fresh blood splattered everywhere. After retreating several steps, his entire body trembled, and the sharp edge of a lance pierced through his chest. It was a black iron lance commonly used by the heavy cavalry of the Blackstone Empire. That heavy cavalry with sharp eyes and quick reflexes spurted his horse past Zhang Jun, grabbing the handle of the lance and pulling it out of Zhang Jun's chest. For a moment, blood and internal organs splattered everywhere.
"Plop …"
Zhang Jun weakly knelt on the ground, but his gaze remained fixed in the direction of Qin Yi and Qin Huan until he lay down perfectly straight, becoming a corpse that was gradually cooling down.
Qin Yi looked at the dead Zhang Jun with a calm expression, seemingly without the slightest sorrow or joy. Meanwhile, Qin Huan clenched his fists tightly. How could a hot-blooded person like him endure this kind of torture? He clenched his teeth and said, "Commander Lu Yan, these commoners are only unarmed farmers and craftsmen. Why must you be so ruthless? Commander, please be lenient …"
"Is Young Highness pleading for this group of rebels?" Lu Yan looked at him and faintly smiled, "Is that so?"
"You can … you can say that …" Qin Huan said in a low voice.
"Don't give me that!" Lu Yan sneered, "Was Young Highness this kind of benevolence when you controlled half of the empire? I'm afraid not. As the saying goes, the merciful cannot command an army. Young Highness should understand such a simple truth. The people of the Qin Empire are like weeds on the ground, lowly and tenacious. If we don't uproot them now, they will soon take root and sprout, smelt iron and forge weapons, and become the enemy of my Blackstone Empire. Young Highness need not plead for leniency, I, Lu Yan, know what to do. "
"But …"
"Don't say anymore, unless Young Highness wants to become one of them." Lu Yan waved his hand and smiled, "The commander-in-chief is an outstanding talent of Lingnan. Although I, Lu Yan, am ruthless, I still want to leave a bloodline for the Lingnan Qin family. I hope Young Highness knows what you should do and what you shouldn't do."
Qin Huan was startled and didn't say anything else. Lu Yan was someone who would do what he said. He was not just an ordinary kind of ruthlessness.
At this time, Lu Yan's advisor, Baili Yan, walked forward in a black robe and respectfully cupped his hands at Qin Yi, "I am Baili Yan, greeting the commander-in-chief of the Yihe Nation."
Qin Yi nodded, "Mister, you don't have to be so courteous. If you have any orders … just say them."
"Then I won't beat around the bush. The Haishan Army has been attacking Yu City for days and has suffered heavy casualties. The soldiers need rest, so I would like to ask the commander-in-chief to lead the Yihe Nation's army of a hundred thousand to open a path in front and attack Shangyang City like lightning. If we can take Shangyang City before Xiang Yu is prepared, it will be a great achievement. "
Qin Yi's eyes couldn't help but turn cold, "Mister Baili, are you planning to let the Yihe Nation's army attack Shangyang City first?"
"That's right."
Baili Yan smiled faintly, "But you don't need to worry, commander-in-chief. The Blackstone Empire's army of a hundred thousand will be arriving soon. They will hold the line for you from the rear. If you can't take Shangyang City, we will naturally take your place."
Qin Yi's heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. He felt like he was being roasted over a fire. Baili Yan wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work, but there was nothing he could do. He was being controlled at every step and had no control over himself.
After a while, Qin Yi cupped his hands and said, "I will solemnly obey the commander-in-chief. However … I hope that you can prepare all the provisions, weapons, and warhorses that the Yihe Nation needs."
"Don't worry, commander-in-chief. I will naturally prepare everything. The Haishan Army will depart tomorrow morning, so … I hope that you will immediately lead the army to attack. Speed is the most important thing in war. We cannot give Xiang Yu too much time to prepare."
"Yes …"
Qin Yi's face was pale, and his aged body was slightly stooped. He didn't even look half as imposing as the commander-in-chief of the Yihe Nation, Qin Yi.
The sounds of fighting and the screams of misery gradually came to a stop. Just like that, the five thousand citizens of Yu City had all become sacrifices to the butcher's knife. To the Blackstone Empire's army, which was known for their savagery and cruelty, this was a common occurrence. Given that they had sufficient provisions, it was already good enough that they didn't eat people. As for the faint sounds of women crying and the shouts of looting, they turned a deaf ear to them.
Yu City was less than a hundred kilometers away from Shangyang City. Even infantry soldiers would be able to reach it in a day and a night.
Qin Yi didn't know what the fate of the Yihe Nation's final army was, but at this moment, he regretted it.
He regretted killing his older brother, Qin Jin, and dividing the world into two.
However, he only had one choice, and once he made it, there was no turning back. Qin Yi knew that neither he nor the Yihe Nation had a path of retreat, so he could only continue forward. Even if there was a steep cliff in front of him, he could only blame himself if he fell and his bones were crushed.
… …
At the east of Shangyang City, the Darkstone Empire's army in the city streaked towards Shangyang City in an endless stream while the cavalry at the front had already set up camp less than 2.5km away from Shangyang City. It was taboo for the cavalry at the front to advance rashly. However, this powerful army was led by the Darkstone Empire's Dragonriders, Fu Yun. The few tens of Dragonriders circling in the air were enough to make the Imperial Army of the Great Qin Empire in Shangyang City tremble with fear.
Xiang Yu had given the order to close the gates and not engage in battle, to defend the city to the death and wait for reinforcements.
Thus, Fu Yun could only wait for Lu Yan's army to join forces with him. After all, he wasn't that arrogant to attack Shangyang City alone. Xiang Yu and the others in the city weren't to be trifled with either. Which one of them hadn't fought in the wind and rain for close to a decade?
At dusk, the entire Fu Yun's camp seemed to be dyed with a layer of blood. The Dragonriders had already settled down in the camp, and an endless stream of supplies was being delivered from outside the camp. These were all supplies that had been plundered from nearby cities and villages, including food, livestock, and even living people. To the Blackstone Army, living people were also a form of rations, and mobile rations at that.
"Report!"
The messenger rushed in. "Lord Fu Yun, we've captured a spy. He claims to be from Lanyan City."
"Lanyan City?"
Fu Yun put down his chopsticks and said, "Lanyan City is thousands of kilometers away from here. Have they already learned of the situation here?"
"I don't know. This spy says he wants to see you, Lord Fu, and has brought an extremely important letter."
"Oh? Bring him in. "
"Yes, Lord Fu!"
Not long after, a wretched-looking man with his hands tied behind his back walked in and immediately knelt on the ground. "General … General, please don't kill me. I'm here to be a messenger!"
"Messenger?" Fu Yun couldn't help but laugh. "There's actually such an ugly and cowardly messenger in this world? Men, bring him out and behead him. "
"Wait, General, read the letter first!"
"Hmph, bring the letter up!"
The letter was a kind of rice paper with a faint fragrance. In the world of scholars in Lanyan City, many people would use this kind of rice paper made from special peach wood pulp. However, it was too expensive, so ordinary people couldn't afford it.
A few lines of words were written densely on the rice paper. The title was "Lord Commander of the Blackstone Empire Army", and the inscription was "Generals of the Qin Empire Army".
Fu Yun glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh. "Zhuang Yan, Su Changying, and Liu Xiyu. Why aren't these people enjoying their lives in the imperial capital? Why are they working with the Blackstone Empire?"
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