Chapter 154: The Open Spear

It was already the third day since Dai County had been besieged. Su Wei had consistently adhered to the method of keeping the city gates tightly shut, leaving the Xiongnu to shout provocations beneath the city walls and raid the surrounding villages and towns.

Pei Yuan stood before his desk, looking at the battle report that had been presented to him. His face was chillingly cold. He threw the papers down with a sharp slap and barked furiously, “Just how on earth is this war being fought?!”

“Your Highness, continuing like this is truly not an option,” Lieutenant Qian Feng said, clasping his hands. “General Su shows absolutely no sign of resistance. The soldiers and civilians inside the city have long been thrown into a panic, and their morale is being crushed over and over again. More critically, no one knows how long the provisions inside Dai County can last. Right now, all four city gates are blocked; our people cannot get in, and their messengers cannot get out. Sooner or later, the day will come when their provisions are completely exhausted… If they had marched out to confront the enemy on the very first day and caught them by surprise, there might still have been hope for victory. It is a pity the opportunity was wasted for nothing.”

“I have met Su Wei a few times. He was originally a scholar who abandoned literature for the military, desiring to dedicate his life to the imperial court. He possessed a generous and righteous spirit, and he has won quite a few battles. His patriotism and loyalty are beyond question; it is just that he has a soft ear and is overly timid in his actions—he listens to whatever people tell him.” Pei Yuan lowered his eyes and said slowly, “Among his strategists, there is one named Dai Zeng. That man has the shifty eyes of a thief. I have found him eyesore for a long time, but my hand could not reach far enough to drag him out. I intended to wait for an opportunity to deal with him, but I didn’t expect to be a step too late after all.”

Qian Feng asked, “Does Your Highness suspect that Dai Zeng offered slanderous advice to General Su?”

Pei Yuan countered, “Why do you think Chunya Luan dispatched troops to besiege Dai County?”

“This…” Qian Feng did not know how to answer, so he asked tentatively, “He wanted to take advantage of the fierce battle at Shiyang Pass when Dai County’s defending garrison was depleted, intending to breach the city in one fell swoop.”

“Even if he breaches the city, can he hold it?” Pei Yuan smiled faintly. “Dai County is surrounded by our troops. Even if he occupies it, it would be no different from a sheep entering a wolf’s den. We could cut off his supply lines without wasting an ounce of strength. Without us even deploying our troops, he would have to obediently scramble out.”

Qian Feng was perplexed. “Your subordinate cannot figure it out.”

“His objective was never Dai County at all; he wants to feint in the east while striking in the west.” Pei Yuan sat down, his finger tapping two points on the topographical map. “He feigned a force of a hundred thousand men, besieged Dai County, and raided the border towns to create a sense of urgency for us. Then he bribed Dai Zeng to make Su Wei believe the enemy was incredibly powerful, rendering him too afraid to confront them. He calculated that I would not sit idly by and would definitely send reinforcements to Dai County. In doing so, Feng County would become vulnerable. At that moment, he will reveal his true military strength and breach Feng County.”

Qian Feng was greatly shocked. It was as if the clouds had cleared to reveal the moon, and his thoughts instantly became lucid: “So, there aren’t a hundred thousand troops beneath the walls of Dai County at all!”

Pei Yuan said indifferently, “I have already sent men to hijack their supply carriages. Just how many troops they actually have will be known once Chen Jia returns.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the study door was pushed open. Chen Jia walked in, filled with righteous indignation, and clasped his hands: “Your Highness! We followed orders to intercept the carriages. The cargo holds we hauled back were extremely heavy, and we thought there would be at least a hundred shi of grain inside. Who would have guessed that when we opened them, they were entirely filled with rocks! Chunya Luan has been playing tricks all along!”

Qian Feng was astonished by Pei Yuan’s brilliant foresight. After a moment of bewilderment, he snapped out of it and asked, “Your Highness, what should we do now?”

Pei Yuan replied, “Beat them at their own game.”

He then commanded, “Gather all the military officers of the fourth rank and above in the city. Tell them there are critical matters to discuss.”

……

The lamps in the Prince’s study burned through the entire night. It wasn’t until the hour of Yin (3:00 AM – 5:00 AM) the next morning that the generals finally departed. Each bore a face weary with exhaustion, yet their eyes flashed with an excited light.

The grand general, Qian Feng, immediately counted out thirty thousand troops, preparing to set out after sunset. They would travel light and launch a rapid raid to crush the enemy forces beneath Dai County in one fell swoop. At the same time, 120,000 troops would remain in Feng County, waiting to deal a crushing blow to Chunya Luan when he mistakenly believed the city defenses were weak and came to attack.

The border had not seen a conflict of this scale in several years. The weapons of the soldiers had long been thirsty for blood; they only waited for tomorrow to slaughter their foes in all directions!

……

When Pei Yuan returned to the bedchamber, Bao Ning was still asleep. She was cradled with Yuanzi in her arms, both of their faces flushed a healthy pink.

Pei Yuan did not light the lamp. The room remained dim as he sat down beside Bao Ning, gently touching her hand that was holding Yuanzi. Both of their hands were somewhat cold. He tucked their hands securely beneath the cotton quilt.

Bao Ning was a light sleeper; she woke up the moment he touched her. Blinking open her eyes groverily, she asked, “You’re back? What time is it?”

“The roosters haven’t crowed yet.” Pei Yuan scooped her out from the cozy blankets, wrapping the quilt tightly around her shoulders. He rubbed her cheeks to help her shake off the sleep and asked softly, “What time did you sleep last night? Did the baby trouble you?”

Being forced awake left Bao Ning a little displeased. She uncooperatively pushed him away: “I haven’t slept enough yet. You are so annoying, tossing me around the moment you get back…”

Pei Yuan kissed her eyes once, interrupting her complaints: “Ningning, I might not be able to accompany you for the next few days. Stay inside the estate and don’t wander around; it is very dangerous outside. I am leaving Chen Jia behind to protect you. Don’t worry, take good care of your body. I will return in five days at most.”

Bao Ning froze. Detecting the gravity in his tone, she asked blankly, “Did something happen?”

Pei Yuan said, “There is going to be a war.”

Bao Ning woke up completely, her heart sinking all the way to the bottom of an abyss.

The concept of war was far too distant for her. Even though she lived at the border and heard that conflicts broke out frequently—and even though Qiu Mingshan had led troops to Shiyang Pass to fight just last month—she had never actually witnessed it herself. Truthfully, she had harbored a sense of wishful complacency in her heart. She was afraid of bloodshed and terrified of death; she hoped that Feng County could remain forever unmolested by the flames of war. For a time, Bao Ning felt that nothing bad would happen to Feng County; this was Pei Yuan’s stronghold, boasting strong soldiers, sturdy horses, and countless valiant warriors.

Therefore, even when she heard that Dai County was in critical danger, she still hadn’t relinquished that shred of complacency, stubbornly believing that everything could be resolved peacefully.

But now, Pei Yuan said he was going to war.

Bao Ning realized that the situation might have already turned incredibly grave.

Bao Ning remained silent for a short while, then grabbed her clothes to put them on. She pulled Pei Yuan toward the outer room: “Let’s go outside to talk, let’s not wake Yuanzi.”

Outside, the morning light was faint and gray. By this weak illumination, Bao Ning clearly discerned the dark shadows beneath Pei Yuan’s eyes. Returning at this hour meant he probably hadn’t slept the entire night. Heartaching for him, Bao Ning gently rubbed the contours of his eyes and asked, “When do you leave?”

Pei Yuan answered, “I leave at the hour of You (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM).”

“Then there is still the whole day ahead,” Bao Ning said. “I will call for water so you can take a bath and sleep for a while.”

“No need.” Pei Yuan stopped her, shaking his head. “There is no time for that. Checking the troops, offering sacrifices to the war banner, and arranging the provisions and supply logistics—the entire day might not even be enough. I was afraid you would worry, so I came back to share a few words with you. I must leave immediately.”

Bao Ning’s eyes gradually grew red. She was currently highly sensitive and prone to overthinking. Though her lips claimed Pei Yuan was annoying, in the depths of her heart, she didn’t want to be parted from him for even a single moment.

Especially a separation like this, where the road ahead was unpredictable and life or death hung in the balance.

Pei Yuan made it sound simple, but it was war after all—a collision of cold blades. If people didn’t die, how could victory be won?

All of this had truly arrived too suddenly.

Pei Yuan sighed and gathered her into his embrace. “What are you crying for? You’re about to become a mother, yet you still cry all the time, looking as though you can’t grow up. I promise you, I will definitely be back in five days at most.”

He pressed his hands against Bao Ning’s shoulders to pull her back a slight distance, his expression growing a bit more solemn: “Ningning, do not forget your identity. You are the Princess Consort. If I leave, you hold the highest status in this city. You must show some backbone. Dropping a couple of tears now is fine, but in front of outsiders, you must absolutely never show this kind of weakness.”

Bao Ning bit her lip and stared at him. Helplessly, Pei Yuan used his thumb to wipe the tears from her eyelids. “Besides, what is there to cry about?”

Bao Ning knew she was in the wrong. With a major battle looming, she shouldn’t be disturbing Pei Yuan’s peace of mind like this. But she had truly been thoroughly spoiled by Pei Yuan. For such a long time, she had lived in a state of near-carefree bliss—crying when she wanted to cry, laughing when she wanted to laugh—and she had forgotten how to restrain her emotions.

“I understand.” Bao Ning forced a small smile. “Go with peace of mind. I will wait for your return at home.”

Pei Yuan ruffled her hair. He wanted to say something more, but looking at the color of the sky, there really was no time left.

“I am leaving.”

Bao Ning gave an “Oh,” adjusted her emotional state, and waved to him with a smile: “Go ahead. I see someone over there coming to find you; it looks like General Qian Feng.”

Pei Yuan instructed, “I’ve left Chen Jia for you. No matter what noise occurs outside, do not be afraid, and do not go out. Take good care of your body and don’t strain yourself…”

He threatened, “If anything happens to the child, I will…”

Bao Ning asked, “You will what?”

Pei Yuan couldn’t think of any harsh words to reply with. After a long while, he gave up, helplessly pinching her cheek: “Be good. Don’t leave me feeling restless and anxious while I am out there.”

Bao Ning gave a muffled “Mhm,” stepped forward to embrace Pei Yuan’s waist briefly, and then let go: “You must take care of your health too…”

Pei Yuan knew exactly what she meant. His body currently appeared no different from a normal person’s, but the residual poison had not been completely purged after all. No one could say for certain when it might flare up again.

Pei Yuan didn’t pursue the topic, merely gently nudging Bao Ning’s shoulders to guide her back toward the room: “Go back and sleep a bit more.”

He watched Bao Ning step back into the room, turning her head to look at him three times with every step, and only turned to leave once she closed the door.

……

Precisely at the hour of You , the city gates swung wide open, and the grand army departed right on schedule.

Bao Ning brought Yuanzi to stand upon the city watchtower, gazing into the distance as they departed.

Thirty thousand warriors formed neat ranks to exit the city, splitting among the four gates. Each gate took nearly half an hour to clear out the troops.

The twilight cast its glow upon the white snow, the horses’ hooves leaving shallow impressions behind. Every single soldier straightened their spine, their armor reflecting a golden, shimmering light. The army resembled a massive black dragon following the black-and-gold embroidered tiger banner at the very front, slowly marching into the distance.

Bao Ning failed to spot Pei Yuan’s figure. He had likely not exited from this particular gate; she had come here behind his back, only to miss him.

After a brief wave of disappointment, Bao Ning forced herself to cheer up and took a deep breath.

From beside her came Nanny Liu’s soft voice: “Look, Princess Consort, the majority of those going to war are just young lads.”

Bao Ning remarked, “I heard that in the past when the war was tight and mature soldiers died in battle, leaving gaps that couldn’t be filled, even fifteen-year-old boys had to go to the battlefield.”

Yuanzi asked, “If the soldiers die in battle, what will happen to their families? How heartbroken must they be, waiting for someone who will never return?”

Neither Bao Ning nor Nanny Liu knew how to answer this question. They exchanged a brief look, and then Nanny Liu took Yuanzi’s hand to lead her toward the stone steps: “Is Yuanzi hungry? Let’s go eat dinner, shall we? We are having delicious meat tonight.”

Yuanzi said okay.

Bao Ning smiled faintly, lifting the hem of her skirt to follow them down the watchtower. Just as she stepped onto the very last stone step, she spotted a city guard running over frantically from a distance. That soldier also spotted her and seemed to grow even more panicked, hurriedly halting his steps to stand straight, bowing as he greeted: “Greetings to the Princess Consort.”

Bao Ning asked, “Are you late?”

The soldiers changing shifts had just departed. Looking at his frantic state, he had clearly missed his shift interval.

Jiang Sheng swallowed his saliva nervously. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and said, “Please forgive my sin, Princess Consort!”

Bao Ning furrowed her brows, startled by his sudden action, and waved her hand: “Forget it.”

She didn’t say anything more, stepping forward to join Nanny Liu and Yuanzi who were waiting for her a short distance away, and they walked toward the Prince’s estate together.

Jiang Sheng let out a breath of relief, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

……

Seeing Bao Ning here had genuinely made his conscience prick with guilt for a moment. It wasn’t because he was late for the shift change; it was because, just fifteen minutes ago, he had accepted a request that he should have strictly and sternly refused.

A man named Wang Cha had found him, slipped a silver ingot into his hand, and asked Jiang Sheng to secretly let him in late at night after the city gates were already closed.

Military orders had been emphasized repeatedly, explicitly forbidding such behavior. Jiang Sheng had agreed to Wang Cha’s request, and he did feel worried and afraid. However, the temptation of a whole silver ingot was simply too great. Furthermore, he reasoned that this wasn’t particularly dangerous.

It was merely letting a single person inside. The city possessed over a hundred thousand defending troops, as well as three thousand Benlang cavalrymen who were hailed as the most elite in the entire Zhou Dynasty.

Even if he let a single spy in, what kind of chaos could that person possibly cause?

Jiang Sheng had agreed to it.

……

When the drums beat for the third watch, Jiang Sheng finished his shift.

The soldier paired with him was already exhausted to the bone, anxiously wanting to return to the barracks to sleep. Jiang Sheng made an excuse that he needed to use the latrine and slipped away from the group. He arrived at the northwestern corner of the wall that he and the man named Wang Cha had agreed upon, and let out a few coded signals from his mouth.

A response quickly echoed from the other side. Jiang Sheng climbed onto the top of the wall and peered down, spotting a human figure. Knowing it was Wang Cha, he quickly threw down a hemp rope, securely tying the other end around a battlement.

Jiang Sheng carefully observed his surroundings; it was dead silent, and no one was coming, allowing him to relax.

The Wang Cha down below seemed to possess excellent martial skills, scaling the wall in mere moments. He thanked him, saying, “Thank you, brother.”

Hearing Wang Cha’s accent, Jiang Sheng felt a bit strange. Busy pulling up the rope, he casually asked, “You aren’t from around here, are you? Where are you from, and why did you absolutely have to come in at this hour? What business do you have?”

Cha Ergua replied, “Indeed, I am not from around here.”

As he spoke, he drew a dagger from his boot, gently pulling off its sheath.

“If you don’t want to say, then don’t. I can’t be bothered to ask anyway.” Jiang Sheng held the rope in his hand and instructed, “Even though this area is a blind spot, there are still patrols. One shift every hour. You had better leave quickly. Calculating the time, the next patrol guard will arrive in fifteen minutes.”

Cha Ergua asked, “How many people will there be?”

Jiang Sheng answered, “Probably twelve or thirteen.”

He grew suspicious: “Why are you asking this?”

Cha Ergua smiled and said, “Nothing.”

Jiang Sheng grew a bit impatient: “Then get moving quickly. What are you lingering around for, waiting to die?”

With that said, he turned his back, preparing to step away, when he was suddenly gagged from behind by Cha Ergua. Jiang Sheng’s eyes widened in sheer terror. Before he could even strike back, he felt a sharp, agonizing pain pierce his abdomen. Lowering his eyes, he saw that he had been skewered by a sharp blade; fresh blood gushed down his armor, instantly soaking the tops of his shoes.

Fearing he wasn’t completely dead, Cha Ergua stabbed him several more times in rapid succession until Jiang Sheng went entirely limp, unable to emit even a ragged wheeze from his throat before letting him go.

Jiang Sheng’s eyes remained wide open as he collapsed to the ground like a stiff, dead fish.

Cha Ergua snatched the rope from his hand, following the same method as before to tie one end to the battlement and cast the other end down. Very quickly, over a dozen towering warriors climbed up one after another. By this time, fifteen minutes had passed, and the heavy thud of boots stepping across stone pavement echoed from not far away.

Cha Ergua knew these were the guards coming to inspect the area. He made a hand gesture, signaling the men behind him to conceal themselves. The group hid within the shadows of the wall corner, watching those guards approach and then walk away. Catching the perfect window of opportunity, Cha Ergua swept his long arm forward. The dozen or so men instantly swarmed out, succeeding in their ambush within a single breath as they slit the necks of those guards from behind.

Cha Ergua smiled and praised, “As expected of the most outstanding death warriors of my Royal Court.”

The night was deep and the wind was cold. The moon was obscured by dark clouds, and snowflakes began to drift down once more—it was snowing.

This hour was when everyone was at their most exhausted, when vigilance was at its lowest, and it was the optimal time for a night raid.

Cha Ergua commanded the soldiers to strip the armor off those guards and change into it, then drag their corpses into a corner. Disguising themselves as the guards who had just finished their patrol, they formed a line and marched toward the main city gate.

The leader guarding the main city gate was a centurion. Seeing them approach from a distance, he stopped them with displeasure: “What are you doing? Patrols must follow regulations, how can you wander around aimlessly? Go back to where you belong!”

Cha Ergua did not halt, walking straight toward him while secretly gripping the long saber in his hand.

Flushed with anger, the centurion took a large stride forward, lifting his hand to slap Cha Ergua across the face: “Can’t understand my words, can you! I told you not to fucking wander around…”

Before his palm could fall, Cha Ergua’s long saber had already pierced through his abdomen.

“There’s a traitor…” The centurion weakly rasped out his final three words. Cha Ergua yanked the blade out with a fierce pull, waving his hand: “Charge!”

The defenses at the city gate instantly descended into utter chaos.

The sounding gong for warning was struck frantically, and reinforcements quickly rushed to help. However, those Cha Ergua had brought with him were elite Xiongnu death warriors, entirely capable of taking on ten men alone. As the two sides remained locked in a stalemate, the thunderous sound of tens of thousands of horses galloping suddenly echoed from the distance, roaring like thunder. An army of twenty thousand Xiongnu troops flooded forward like a black tide. Amidst the hazy snow, the guards upon the city walls spotted that winding dragon of an army, their eyes filling with terror as they struck the gongs and screamed: “Enemy troops are attacking! Critical danger! Critical danger!”

……

The city gate area was a chaotic mess. The grand general left behind to defend, Qian Feng, immediately rushed to confront the enemy. Inside the Prince’s estate, Bao Ning was also jolted awake by the noise.

She couldn’t help with the fighting, but she couldn’t sleep either. Holding Yuanzi in her arms, she sat by the table, anxiously awaiting the battle reports from the front. For the first hour, it was almost entirely bad news.

Although Pei Yuan had left behind sufficient troops and was well-prepared, the enemy was far too cunning. They had assassinated the majority of the guards on duty, intending to open the city gates from the inside; fortunately, they were intercepted by Qian Feng. However, following this disturbance, morale suffered a massive blow. The opposition’s offensive was ferocious and their numbers vast, nearly succeeding a few times.

After an hour, the battle situation gradually stabilized. The two sides were evenly matched, and the Xiongnu lost the fierce momentum they had at the start. Furthermore, because it started snowing, the area by the city gate became slick and wet, yielding no advantage to them, and they showed signs of retreating.

There was only an hour left before dawn.

Hearing the news of the victory, the tightly coiled strings of Bao Ning’s heart gradually relaxed, and only then did she feel a splitting headache, her physical energy completely spent.

Nanny Liu supported Bao Ning to go rest, while Chen Jia stood guard outside the door.

At this time, the Prince’s estate was nearly devoid of guards. Everyone had been mobilized to the front lines to repel the enemy; the estate was hollowed out, leaving only the women and children.

In a secluded corner, a small detachment that had infiltrated the city several days ago was already primed and ready, preparing to slip into the Prince’s estate amidst the chaos.

The order they had received from Chunya Luan was: Abduct the Jibei Princess Consort and a five-year-old boy named Yuanzi.

This was Chunya Luan fulfilling his promise to Pei Xiao, but it was also out of his own selfish desire.

He had heard of the grand reputation of the Prince of Jibei’s beloved wife long ago. He desperately wanted to see just what kind of beauty this woman—who shook the northern borders without ever stepping foot outside her door—actually possessed.

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here