Chapter 473
1 The Success
"Zhao Da."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Lead the elite troops of this unit forward to block the vanguard of the routed soldiers. Under my banner, order them to halt and regroup! Anyone who dares to charge our lines will be executed on the spot!"
"The rest of the units, relying on the terrain and riverbanks, immediately construct simple defensive lines! Nock your crossbows and prepare your spears!"
"Send men to gather the officers among the fleeing soldiers and bring them before me!"
Orders were issued one after another, calmly and orderly. The chaotic camp quickly regained its discipline.
In an instant, a chilling atmosphere filled the air.
The vanguard of the fleeing soldiers was forcibly intercepted by Zhao Da and his men. The glint of swords and spears and the intimidating presence of the "Jia" banner caused some of the fleeing soldiers to instinctively stop in their tracks.
When some defeated officers were brought before Jia Yu, they saw an unusually young general with an imposing and dignified presence.
His armor was stained with blood, and his eyes were like lightning. Just by standing there, he exerted an invisible pressure on these defeated generals.
"How did Feihu Pass fall? Where is the main Tatar force now? How many troops do they have? Who is their commander?" Jia Yu asked directly and sharply.
The defeated generals chattered amongst themselves, their voices filled with terror as they described how ferocious the Tatars were, how the walls had been breached, and how their commanders had been killed or gone missing...
Jia Yu listened patiently and quickly extracted the key information.
The force that breached Feihu Pass was the Tatar Left Wise King's troops, numbering about 30,000, mainly cavalry. After breaking through the pass, they divided their forces to sweep the surrounding area, while the main force seemed to intend to march straight towards Shenjing (Beijing).
The fleeing troops, along with scattered garrison troops and militia, probably numbered no less than ten thousand, but they were completely disorganized and scattered like sand.
"Gentlemen,"
Jia Yu shouted loudly, drowning out the surrounding noise and the cries from afar.
"Feihu Pass has fallen, and the imperial reinforcements have not arrived. Further south lies a plain with no natural defenses, where the Tatar cavalry can roam and plunder at will."
"You soldiers have already failed in your duty by abandoning the pass and fleeing. Do you intend to throw the people, homes, parents, wives, and children behind you to the Tartars' butcher's knife as well?"
The defeated generals looked ashamed, but some muttered under their breath, "The Tartars are too powerful, how can we resist them..."
"Powerful?"
Jia Yu sneered and pointed to his main force behind him, which was standing ready and exuding a murderous aura.
"My men fought across hundreds of miles in three days, defeating eleven Tatar cavalry units and beheading over two thousand! The Tatars are also made of flesh and blood; they will die just like us if their heads are cut off!"
His gaze swept over the crowd, and his tone suddenly turned impassioned: "Now that the defeated soldiers have gathered, numbering over ten thousand, if they are to scatter here, they will be lambs to the slaughter."
"If we can regroup and hold our ground, we might be able to stop the enemy's advance and buy time for the court to deploy defenses and for the people to evacuate!"
"I, Jia Yu, have been appointed by the Emperor to oversee the defense of this area. Today, I am willing to share life and death with you all and fight against the enemy! Are you willing to join me in establishing a camp here to block the Tatar advance, avenge our past humiliations, and repay the Emperor's kindness?"
His words carried a strange power, as if they were naturally convincing, possessing both imperial majesty and the camaraderie of his comrades, as well as the intangible prestige forged by days of victories.
Some officers with remaining fighting spirit were inspired, while many more defeated soldiers, in their confusion and helplessness, subconsciously tried to grasp at the seemingly solid "backbone" in front of them.
"I am willing to follow the general!"
"Please take us in, General!"
"Let's fight the Tartars!"
The shouts went from sporadic to concentrated.
Jia Yu immediately gave the order:
With the elite troops at its core, the routed soldiers were quickly reorganized, defense zones were divided, weapons were distributed, and fortifications were constructed. At the same time, multiple scouts were dispatched to closely monitor the movements of the main Tatar force.
He had to take advantage of this sudden wave of fleeing soldiers and the imminent crisis to unite this scattered group into a single, unyielding force, pinning it down on the Tatars' southward advance.
Besides blocking the enemy, it was also to further consolidate military power, accumulate strength, and forge the name of "savior"!
Within the Realm of Illusion, the Mirror of Love and Lust trembled violently.
On the mirror, the crimson and black auras representing the fate of the northern frontier churned wildly, while in the gloomy tide of defeat, a golden ray rose against the tide.
Instead of being annihilated, it attracted the scattered fortune around it like a magnet, and its light became more concentrated and stronger, with a faint dragon-shaped upward trend.
Fairy Jinghuan's face turned ashen as she channeled her magic into her fingertips, attempting to disrupt the flow of fortune surrounding the golden light.
However, a powerful and orderly resistance surged back against them.
She even saw that the golden light faintly resonated with and was drawn to the crumbling Ziwei Emperor Star in the direction of the Southern Divine Capital.
"Damn it... This kid actually managed to rally the people amidst the rout, seize military power, and manipulate destiny!" Fairy Jinghuan gritted her teeth. "If this continues, I fear he will truly become a force to be reckoned with and completely escape the control of fate!"
She turned her head abruptly: "Chi Meng! How are things at the Jia family's place?"
The Fairy of Dreams hurriedly said, "As you instructed, Jia Yucun is taking advantage of the situation, Sun Shaozu is pressing for repayment, and Wang Xifeng's lending activities have been exposed. The household is in dire straits, and complaints are rising from top to bottom."
"Baoyu quarrels with Daiyu, and has a falling out with Baochai; troubles continue to arise in the garden..."
"Not enough! Still not enough!"
Fairy Disenchantment said sternly, "Let his family be destroyed! Let his relatives suffer and his loved ones wail. Go and make arrangements immediately to expose the sordid deeds of Jia She and Jia Zhen ahead of time, and to intensify the emperor's dissatisfaction with the Jia family."
"If necessary, Yuan Chun can be made to appear seriously ill in the palace!"
"Let the Jia family be ransacked and their clan exterminated, and they should all be killed."
She wanted to ignite a great fire behind Jia Yu's back.
The campfire at the low hill camp was bright.
Jia Yu stood alone on the makeshift platform, watching the soldiers below busily lining up and building fortifications.
Although it is noisy and there is still some confusion, order is gradually being restored.
He suddenly felt something and looked up at the southern horizon again. There, a wisp of extremely faint, yet sorrowful and resentful gray-black energy seemed to be faintly connected to the causal threads that he had not yet completely severed.
His cold smile became even more pronounced.
"Jinghuan, is this your method? To drag me down with the calamity of your own family?"
He slowly closed his eyes, and in his sea of consciousness, the Heavenly Will stirred slightly. A pure, vast, and supreme power of order swept over him, gently dispelling the wisp of sorrowful energy that had tried to invade.
"The path of the emperor is one of utmost solitude and loftiness. Kinship and moral obligations are nothing but worldly shackles. The rise and fall of the Jia family are no longer my concern."
"This earthly throne, this heavenly authority, I will claim them for myself. Anyone who obstructs my path, whether immortal or demon, friend or foe, may... be slain!"
He opened his eyes, his gaze burning with golden light, without a trace of hesitation or worry.
Just then, flames suddenly rose on the northern horizon, and the sound of horses' hooves, like deep thunder, rolled closer.
The vanguard cavalry of the Tatar Left Wise King finally sensed the gathering of prey and swept in.
The real bloody battle is about to begin.
One will be a million bones.
This battle will be the blood-stained staircase that will allow him to truly ascend to the center of this era. (End of Chapter)