UCTOOT CH130

“Cooperating with tribes only happens in one situation: when you are stronger than them. Otherwise, it is asking a tiger for its skin, searching for a snake in the grass—seeking your own death.”

Shi Shu’s heart skipped a beat: “So what will happen next?”

Xie Wuchi finished reading the letter and said, “If it’s cooperation, there must be conditions. The letter says that the Jing Emperor promised that after the suppression is successful, he will return Yong’an Prefecture and Bu Prefecture to Northern Min. In addition, he ceded half a province of Taiyin Prefecture and agreed to open the Yunzhou city pass to facilitate the Min army outflanking Yanzhou from the east.”

Memories resurfaced—the three-month siege of Yunzhou, corpses thrown into the city.

Shi Shu: “You’re talking about Yunzhou, which cost over two hundred thousand lives to defend?”

Shi Shu couldn’t hold back: “Is he human? A city pass defended at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives back then, and now he actively opens the gate for alien tribes to outflank you from the side?”

Xie Wuchi: “Inviting a wolf into the house. And according to the informant, the Min people used the excuse of borrowing passage and grain to send troops from Taiyin Prefecture. Soldiers passing through act like bandits. The Jing army still uses plunder as its main military pay system. Someone in the court advised against borrowing passage, fearing that commoners and city passes along the way would be plundered, causing disaster, but it was ignored.”

Shi Shu’s back felt cold: “What does that mean?”

Xie Wuchi: “It means tacitly allowing the Min army to sack cities after entering Taiyin Prefecture, tacitly allowing soldiers to massacre commoners. As military funds for ‘hiring’ Min wolf soldiers.”

Black spots danced in his vision. Shi Shu felt like he’d been punched in the forehead, his whole body icy cold: “Sacking? To get rid of you, they actually tacitly allowed Min people to sack and massacre?”

Xie Wuchi: “Not just sacking, but also massacre. The commoners of Taiyin Prefecture have all been abandoned.”

Cold, utter cold. Hot blood would only be extinguished and shredded by the vortex of power, cooled to extreme frigidity. As if returning to that cold winter.

Shi Shu looked up. Horses were continuously galloping along the main road, creating double images before his eyes.

In the third year of the new Emperor’s reign, the Great Jing court cooperated with the Min Great Khan, signing the “Xituo Alliance,” introducing one hundred thousand Min alien wolf soldiers into the pass to attack Xie Wuchi’s forces in Yanzhou from the east.

Wolf soldier beacon fires rose everywhere, iron hooves kicking up smoke and dust. After city passes opened one by one, countless figures watched the thousands of troops entering through the city gates. Prefecture officials received secret orders to close their doors and not come out, tacitly allowing wolf soldiers to sack cities for sufficient funds and military equipment. War raged within the cities.

The wild laughter of wolf soldiers resounded through the city towers, mixed with the crying of commoners. Flames ignited wherever they passed; after plundering valuables, they torched the cities.

Firelight blazed.

Wherever they went, city walls and towers turned to scorched earth, blood flowing for a thousand miles.

Another half month passed.

A unit of wolf soldiers deviated from the agreed eastward path, openly heading south straight for the Eastern Capital, betraying the alliance and causing the “Three-Day Massacre of Lingzhou,” the “Disaster of Shukang,” and the “Chaos of Chenjin.” Alien tribes entered the pass.

The Central Plains sank.

The setting sun was like blood as flying horses galloped past.

Hooves stepped in mud, splashing deep red blood spots.

“Hya hya hya!” Countless flying horses galloped past, entering a dead city. With a swish, the riders jumped off their horses.

Shi Shu wore a bamboo hat, revealing handsome eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. The muddy road was speckled with blood, mosquitoes and flies dancing, emitting a putrid smell.

Looking up again, the city gate was burned, bearing marks of sword cuts and arrow shots, eaves missing corners. Inside the city were scorched ruins of house beams, embers burning. The city was empty; city walls, houses, and streets were all destroyed.

“All burned. Everything along the way was burned, and the commoners have fled too,” Shi Shu said.

Du Zihan: “Why burn the city in addition to sacking it? Can’t figure it out.”

Xie Wuchi: “Destroy living forces, leave no supplies.”

The people and horses walked lonely in the city. Song Sinan, fully armored, pulled out a piece of charred wood, but underneath lay a burned female corpse. He covered it up again.

“These sons of bitches…” Song Sinan cursed angrily, kicking aside the ruins blocking the way with a clatter and drawing his sharp sword.

Shi Shu looked at the ruins in the sunset before him.

Soldier’s fire.

When ancient armies passed through, they sacked cities, looted gold and silver, massacred commoners, and then torched the cities.

Burning down commoners’ houses and property.

All this was tacitly allowed by the high levels of the court, permitting the massacre of their own subjects and looting of their own people.

Walking to a Buddhist temple, the temple had been set on fire and looted. Buddha heads were scorched black, pure vases shattered, shrines obliterated, only the smile lines remaining on the Buddha’s mouth.

Shi Shu withdrew his gaze. Tribute courtyards and academies were all burned to the ground, corpses scattered in the ashes, too horrible to look at.

One could imagine how that triumphant wolf army entered the city, breaking into houses one by one to slaughter, taking away all portable valuables, smashing what couldn’t be taken, and then burning everything with fire.

“This dog Emperor played deaf and mute when Chou Army territory was occupied; now that General Xie finally took it back with difficulty, he wants to carve us out again! Whether it’s this dog Emperor or the Min thieves killing my people, I’ll count them one by one! I must tear them to pieces!” Song Sinan cursed angrily.

Shi Shu stepped on sticky blood and opened a door; corpses lay across the floor inside. He closed it again: “Once the wolf soldiers entered, how many people died?”

“The rebel leader from Taiyin Prefecture who came to seek refuge reported that court officers did nothing and withdrew from the city gates. Min soldiers massacred as soon as they entered; don’t know how many commoners died,” Xie Wuchi said.

Shi Shu: “Commoners spontaneously organized armies to resist Min soldiers…”

Slipping underfoot, Shi Shu had his arm supported by Xie Wuchi: “Commoners heard the soldiers in the city wouldn’t resist, gathered for justice to kill officials, and led relatives and friends to seek refuge in Yanzhou.”

Shi Shu: “If it were me, I’d also want to kill officials and abandon the dark for the light.”

“Other commoners heard the court wanted to cede them to Min soldiers again, also rose up in resistance, killed the ceding envoys, and came to seek refuge.”

Perverse acts against reason will inevitably cause people to rebel.

Shi Shu walked through this city; the corpses he saw were countless, nearing numbness. He summoned the system again to check.

Every time war was encountered, the number of survivors would drop sharply. The Green Army of the Qian’an civil rebellion split the Great Jing Central Plains, and numbers decreased. This time, wolf soldiers entered, killing and injuring over a million commoners; numbers plummeted even more.

The court lacked troops, so they conscripted everywhere, forcibly capturing people; young people had nowhere to flee.

Shi Shu stared at the glaring numbers on the system.

【Current Survivors: 8】

“Entering the world to be eaten by people, hiding in deep mountains to be eaten by tigers. Causes of death are all war or illness.” Shi Shu hid the system. “How long will this catastrophe last?”

After inspecting the city pass, Xie Wuchi traced the traces of wolf soldiers going south, left the city, and summoned generals: “Follow this road; they went to Nanjiang Township. Let Miao Yuanliang lead troops to intercept, must not let Min soldiers plunder cities and massacre commoners anymore!”

“Yes!”

Returning from the city gate, it was nearly evening. Shi Shu entered the tent; Du Zihan was folding clothes, stacking changes of clothes one by one and putting them into a bundle.

Shi Shu stood by the lamp watching. Du Zihan looked up: “Did you eat before coming over?”

Shi Shu: “I came to eat with you.”

Du Zihan: “Not keeping your brother company today? You have some conscience, Little Schoolbag.”

Shi Shu stopped smiling and answered with a question: “Zihan, have you thought it through?”

Du Zihan scratched his head: “Pretty much. Little Sinan is in the Chou Army and will soon go south with his uncle to stop the Min army from burning, killing, and looting. They have a blood feud, so the Chou Army is going. You know his temper is explosive; I have to go take care of his mental health.”

Shi Shu frowned: “So you’re running off with him? What about me?”

Du Zihan folded his underpants and said, “Are you worried I’ll be in danger? I know, this is the first time I’ve summoned the courage to leave your side. I was wondering if I could find my own way in life. So I want to go fight too.”

The system numbers flashed through his mind again and again.

Shi Shu stepped forward: “Zihan, don’t go.”

Du Zihan smiled: “Two years ago, I knew another reason you fled Dasheng Prefecture was to save my life. Since then, you and I have been wandering together. Shi Shu, I also want to be brave like you.”

Shi Shu suddenly grabbed his shoulder: “Don’t say such things, I did it voluntarily.”

“Now, Great Jing’s land is falling, commoners are being massacred—which young person with flesh and blood can sit by and watch? I want to go to the battlefield with Sinan.”

Shi Shu knew he couldn’t persuade him anymore and helped him pack his clothes: “Go then, remember to send me a letter once a week.”

Du Zihan: “You still say that? Did you ever reply when I wrote to you?”

Shi Shu: “This time I’ll definitely reply.”

Du Zihan: “Alright, I’ll believe you one more time.”

A bowl of noodles sat on the table. Shi Shu washed a bowl and served another bowl of noodles. The two ate noodles in the dark. Many things surfaced in Shi Shu’s mind. “Back when we followed refugees south, getting to eat a bowl of noodles like this was rare; we gnawed on cornbread every day.”

Du Zihan: “Yeah, and how come you get anemia and toothaches if you don’t eat well? Seems only Brother Xie can raise you well.”

Shi Shu: “When you see swords and knives yourself, remember to dodge far away. Your health isn’t good; exercise every day when you get there.”

Du Zihan: “I know.”

Shi Shu: “After this war is fought, we’ll never have to suffer again. You wait, I’ll have my brother buy you a big house.”

Du Zihan: “Talk is tough, letting someone else buy it for me—to be able to talk so tough, truly worthy of you!”

Shi Shu hehehed, Du Zihan also hehehed; both were fake smiling. Silent for a while after finishing eating, Du Zihan finished packing. Shi Shu laid out a bedding roll nearby and lay to the side. The two talked, Shi Shu imparting experience of going to the front lines.

Unknowingly falling asleep, Shi Shu hadn’t woken up the next morning when he heard Du Zihan: “Little Schoolbag, I’m leaving.”

Like sleep talking, Du Zihan didn’t wake him, carrying his bundle to leave with the Chou Army.

When Shi Shu woke up, the bright sun shone high. He glanced at the empty seat beside him. Outside the tent, Xie Wuchi wore fine armor under a crane cloak, posture upright, coming to pick him up.

Feeling a sense of loss, Shi Shu bathed in sunlight and walked over.

Shi Shu followed Xie Wuchi’s central army, busy with Lin Yangchun at the Medical Bureau.

A nationwide war began. Since Northern Min wolf soldiers entered the Central Plains burning, killing, and looting, the Green Army rebelled, the Southern Army rebelled. Some Taiyin Prefecture officers let things slide, while others unwilling to submit to alien iron cavalry rose up in revolt.

Xie Wuchi issued a “Call to Arms Against Rebels,” listing all the crimes of the Jing Dynasty Emperor—opening passes to invite wolf soldiers to slaughter millions in the Central Plains. Words like swords and spears, every word weeping blood.

Xie Wuchi had a reputation for new policies, merits of holding Yunzhou to defeat Northern Min, and the unparalleled achievement of recovering Yong’an and Bu Prefectures. Thus, public opinion under heaven boiled. Many uprising officers from Taiyin Prefecture took the initiative to defect, offering cities to Xie Wuchi and joining the team against rebels.

Inside the central army tent, warlords from all sides came to pay respects, footsteps hurried.

“General, the Pacification Commissioner of Dingyuan Prefecture wrote a letter, please review, General!”

“The Forbidden Army shot over a call to arms, please review, General.”

“The Hexi Route Military Commander leads twenty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of commoners to seek refuge!”

“…”

Xie Wuchi sat upright before the desk, reviewing memorials. Some argued endlessly: “These people are truly muddled and ignorant. The Jing Emperor lacks virtue, slaughtering commoners under heaven, yet some are still loyal to him, refusing to submit!”

“What do you know? How could they not recognize this Emperor? They are still watching. In case they defect to General Xie, they fear being charged with rebellion in the future. They will only come to defect when our General stands in an invincible position. Each is shrewd, all fence-sitters, swaying both ways.”

“Those people are okay, can still be recruited. There are also foolishly loyal ministers—the Emperor caused millions inside the pass to die, yet they still want to be loyal and defend to the death with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. That is truly muddled!”

Day and night, Shi Shu occasionally passed the central army tent, seeing travel-worn generals coming to defect: “In this world, besides those who allow alien tribes to enter and slaughter for their own rule, there are also those who would rather bear the charge of rebellion to protect the commoners.”

Shi Shu helped at the Medical Bureau, brewing a bowl of medicine for Xie Wuchi at the central army tent every night, while waiting daily for Du Zihan’s letter.

Short weapons met; the battlefield split in two. One was the battlefield in the west against Northern Min wolf soldiers, currently fought by the Chou Army mixed with some wolf soldiers. The other battlefield was in the south, Ping Yichun’s elite iron cavalry against the Jing Dynasty Forbidden Army.

However, at the same time, the Jing army didn’t get along with Northern Min wolf soldiers and was also fighting.

The Jing army was forced to split in two, and combat effectiveness was extremely low. The main reason lay in knowing Xie Wuchi’s achievements, fearing his dominance, not wanting to fight, disheartened.

Another reason was indignation at the disaster of wolf soldiers. The campaign was unjust, and they weren’t border defense troops trained for a long time, but wealthy soldiers of the court. Most commanders were rotted by court corruption, restricted by fools at every step, hard to dispatch, like a pile of loose sand.

The Jing army collapsed extremely fast. Xie Wuchi’s main force wasn’t in the south, but in the west fighting Northern Min wolf soldiers slaughtering commoners.

War is a long process. Shi Shu followed Xie Wuchi’s central army, moving everywhere. On this day, they recovered a city that had just fought wolf soldiers.

Shi Shu jumped off the carriage, walked into the city, looked left and right, and saw people piled up under the low city wall before him, dripping with blood, exactly like cities suffering military disasters he had seen before.

But when Shi Shu walked past, he saw these bloody people were not dead, but missing hands and feet, crawling on the ground begging for their lives.

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