Love Lock

Chapter 326 Like a Return from the Netherworld

They all knew that Zhao Zun had repeatedly made great achievements in Beiguan and was renowned for his prestige, but even if Zhao Zun's subordinates were very powerful, they couldn't be this exaggerated, could they?
"Five hundred men...as the main force?"

Yang Shaojie could hardly believe his ears. He suppressed the absurdity in his heart and tried his best to keep his tone steady.

“Your Highness, the Eastern Ming Empire has an army of 300,000. Even if it's just the vanguard, it would still number at least 50,000. Five hundred against 50,000... this..."

Qiu Zhenyu also frowned. Although he admired Zhao Zun's reputation, he knew that matters of national importance could not be taken lightly.

He cupped his hands and kindly reminded him, "Your Highness, this matter concerns the survival of Ji Province and the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. Please think it over carefully."

The other generals in the tent looked at each other and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Five hundred against three hundred thousand, isn't that like throwing an egg against a rock?"

"Could it be that Your Highness has another ingenious plan?"

Da Jiu and his brothers from the Big Character Team exchanged smiles, their eyes shining with trust.

Da Shiliu straightened his back and said loudly, "General Yang, Deputy General Qiu, there is no other way at the moment. How about we trust the Prince? The Prince has been fighting in the Northern Pass for many years. When have we ever seen the Prince fight a battle he is not confident of winning?"

Zhao Zun stood up calmly, his black cloak gleaming faintly under the lamplight.

“I understand the concerns of you generals.” Zhao Zun’s gaze swept over everyone present. “But the quality of soldiers is more important than the quantity. My five hundred soldiers are all elite troops, each capable of taking on a thousand men.”

He slowly walked to the military map, his slender fingers tracing the terrain outside Dongguan City.

"The Eastern Ming Empire has just won a great victory and is now full of pride. They believe that our army will not dare to take the initiative to attack, and they never expected that we would defeat a larger force with a smaller one."

Yang Shaojie couldn't help but press, "But Your Highness, five hundred men are still five hundred men. How exactly does Your Highness plan to deploy them?"

Zhao Zun's lips curled up slightly, revealing a profound and unfathomable smile: "We will set off at dawn tomorrow. You will set up your formation on the plains ten miles outside Dongguan City and beat the drums to challenge them. The Dongming army will underestimate our small numbers and launch an attack."

He pointed to a narrow valley on the map: "At that time, I will lead five hundred soldiers to ambush here. Once the main force of the Dongming army is drawn to the Jizhou army, we will launch a surprise attack from the flank and take the center of the army."

"But that's an army of 300,000!" a lieutenant general exclaimed in surprise. "Even if they could break into the central army, how could 500 men possibly deal with the endless stream of enemy troops?"

Zhao Zun gently stroked the cold barrel of the M16 under his cloak, a glint of light incomprehensible to people of this era flashing in his eyes: "Generals, you will know the outcome tomorrow. Rest well tonight and conserve your energy."

The atmosphere inside the military tent remained heavy, but seeing Zhao Zun's unwavering resolve, no one dared to say anything more.

Yang Shaojie took a deep breath and finally made up his mind: "Since that's the case, then I will follow Your Highness's plan."

As night deepened, no one in the military camp slept soundly.

Zhao Zun's five hundred soldiers quietly set up camp in a corner of the camp. They did not communicate with other soldiers, but silently checked their equipment.

Curious soldiers from Jizhou watched from afar and were surprised to find that these soldiers were carrying neither spears nor broadswords, but a kind of black "iron rod" that they had never seen before.

The brothers from Da Jiu and Da Zi team were so excited that after a brief greeting to Zhao Zun, they went back to their tents to rest.

On the other side, Yang Shaojie and Qiu Zhenyu stood outside the military tent, gazing at the starry sky with deep concern.

"Deputy General Qiu, do you really think the King of Cangzhou has a chance of winning?" Yang Shaojie asked in a low voice.

Qiu Zhenyu pondered for a moment: "When I was in the capital, I heard that the King of Cangzhou was a brilliant strategist who often won with fewer troops. But five hundred against three hundred thousand... this is truly beyond reason."

Yang Shaojie sighed deeply: "Uh... I hope there really is a miracle!"

At dawn the next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the Jizhou military camp was already bustling with activity.

Thirty thousand soldiers were ready to go. Zhao Zun's five hundred soldiers stood at the forefront, all wearing black cloaks that fluttered in the morning breeze.

Yang Shaojie rode his horse to inspect the entire army, and when he saw the five hundred men, he couldn't help but frown.

Aside from their unusual equipment, these people look no different from ordinary soldiers. Can they really be "one against a hundred" as Zhao Zun said?

Zhao Zun rode a tall black horse to the front of the army. Without any impassioned mobilization, he simply waved his hand and said, "Let's go."

The army marched out of Jizhou City in a grand procession, heading towards Dongguan. Along the way, the people stood by the roadside, watching with complex emotions this army that knew they would die but still marched on to protect them.

After a day's march, at dusk, a scout reported from the front: "Your Highness, General, a sentry post of the Eastern Ming army, with about 10,000 men, has been discovered outside Dongguan City."

Zhao Zun nodded: "According to the original plan, the Jizhou army will challenge us at dawn tomorrow. I will lead my troops to detour to the flank valley overnight."

Yang Shaojie couldn't help but confirm again: "Your Highness, is it really enough for us to just draw their attention? Should we send reinforcements?"

Zhao Zun smiled slightly: "General Yang, holding the line is the greatest support. Remember, no matter what you see or hear, you must hold your ground and not advance rashly."

That night, Zhao Zun led five hundred soldiers away from the camp and disappeared into the vast darkness.

As Yang Shaojie watched their departing figures, his curiosity grew even stronger.

The next morning, the Jizhou army arrayed themselves ten miles outside Dongming's outpost. War drums thundered, horns blared, and 30,000 men roared in unison, their voices echoing across the fields.

The commander of the Dongming outpost was a seasoned veteran. Seeing the 30,000-strong army from Jizhou pressing in, he narrowed his eyes and immediately judged the situation to be unfavorable.

The sentry commander did not want a direct confrontation, since they only needed to travel less than ten miles back to Dongguan City.

They were killed because a patrol team was ambushed and wiped out in the nearby mountains two days ago.

Therefore, Dongming sent 10,000 sentries to be stationed here to search for and ambush the thieves on patrol.

Therefore, the commander of the outpost did not want to confront the enemy head-on.

"Order! The entire army to retreat to the southeast!" Wang Ke shouted. "Maintain formation, shield bearers cover the rear!"

The Dongming army was well-trained and immediately carried out the order.

The 10,000-strong force retreated in an orderly fashion, with shield bearers raising their heavy shields to cover their comrades as they slowly retreated.

Seeing the enemy about to flee, Yang Shaojie, who was on the front lines, was anxious.

Zhao Zun ordered him to make a feint attack, but now the enemy was in retreat, and with 30,000 against 10,000, it was a good opportunity to pursue them, and he did not want to miss it.

Yang Shaojie raised his right hand, about to give the order—

"Da da da da da!"

"Da da da!"

A sharp, unprecedented sound suddenly erupted from the southeast valley, as dense as a torrential downpour pounding on a tin roof, yet carrying a chilling power.

Immediately afterwards, a cloud of blood erupted from the rear of the Dongming army, and soldiers of the Dongming outpost fell one after another like wheat fields swaying in the wind. Cries and shouts rose haphazardly, and the Dongming camp descended into chaos.

The battalion commander was directing the retreat when he suddenly felt his personal guard go limp, and a bloody hole appeared on his forehead.

Before he could react, he heard more strange noises—

"Bang bang bang!"

"Da da da!"

"boom!"

The Dongming soldiers fell in droves, as if harvested by an invisible scythe. Shields were pierced, armor was as thin as paper, easily penetrated by a single arrow, and warhorses neighed in panic, throwing their riders to the ground. "What kind of sorcery?!" the sentry commander exclaimed in shock, but he couldn't even find the enemy.

A squad of a hundred men attempted to rush toward the valley from which the sound came, but within moments they all collapsed, each with several bloody holes in their bodies from which blood gushed.

"Commander! We're surrounded!" The lieutenant ran in, his face covered in blood. "There's an ambush to the southeast. They're using... using some kind of repeating crossbow bolts. Our shields can't stop them at all!"

Panic spread like a plague among the outpost troops.

The Dongming soldiers had never seen such a way of killing—they could not see the arrows, but only hear the sound, and their comrades fell one after another.

Some people tried to find cover, but even the trees were riddled with splinters.

"Maintain formation! Don't panic!"

The battalion commander struggled to maintain order, but his own voice trembled.

Just then, a particularly loud roar came from the valley.

"boom!"

A ball of fire erupted in the center of the Eastern Ming army, and five or six soldiers were blown to pieces, their limbs flying into the sky.

This attack completely shattered the psychological defenses of the Eastern Ming army.

"The Thunder God is angry!"

"Sorcery! This is sorcery!"

"Run!"

The soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, scattered and fled, completely losing their discipline.

The battalion commander tried to stop the rout, but then felt a burning, stinging pain in his shoulder.

He looked down and saw that his armor had been pierced, and blood was gushing from the hole. If his personal guard hadn't pushed him at the crucial moment, the blow would have hit his heart.

"Go! Go quickly!" The guards dragged the battalion commander back.

But the massacre had only just begun.

A small squad of about five hundred soldiers in black rushed out of the valley. They worked in groups of three, coordinating perfectly, and wielded black "iron rods" they had never seen before, the tips of which constantly spewed flames.

Even more terrifying was the incredible accuracy of these soldiers' shooting. The officers and standard-bearers of the Eastern Ming army were prioritized for elimination, further disrupting the ranks.

Some tried to fight back, but before they could even draw their bows, they were struck down. The spearmen charged forward, but fell one after another along the way.

This was not a battle, but a one-sided massacre.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the entire Dongming outpost of ten thousand men was wiped out, with not a single man managing to escape.

The battlefield was littered with corpses, and blood stained the land red. A few survivors knelt and begged for mercy, only to be quickly bound and controlled by soldiers in black.

The 30,000 soldiers of the Jizhou army stared in disbelief at all this. The entire army was silent, with only the occasional groan breaking the silence.

Yang Shaojie sat on his horse, his long sword having slipped from his hand and fallen to the ground. His face was pale, and his lips trembled slightly.

Is this what Zhao Zun meant by "just attracting attention"? Is this the strength of those five hundred "garrison soldiers"?

Yang Shaojie finally understood why Zhao Zun was so confident, and he finally understood why Zhao Zun had the audacity to rebel.

"General..." Lieutenant General Qiu Zhenyu's voice trembled, "What...what should we do now?"

Da Jiu smiled slightly, but said nothing.

Yang Shaojie took a deep breath, trying to calm the shock in his heart.

He recalled Zhao Zun's instructions before he left: "No matter what you see or hear, stay calm and don't rush forward."

Now he fully understands the weight of those words.

"All troops, listen to my command!" Yang Shaojie shouted, his voice slightly hoarse. "Maintain formation. No one is allowed to advance even a single step without my order!"

He watched the five hundred black-clad soldiers cleaning up the battlefield in the distance. They moved efficiently and in an orderly fashion, checking each corpse. Occasionally, there were sporadic "bang" sounds—the final blows delivered to the still-breathing enemies.

Yang Shaojie's confidence soared, and he suddenly realized that the rules of war in this world seemed to have changed.

What once required tens of thousands of troops to fight for a whole day to decide a victory can now be decided by just five hundred elite soldiers and the time it takes to eat a meal.

He gazed toward the valley, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him—three parts awe, three parts fear, and four parts deep contemplation of the future of warfare.

"Messenger," he whispered to the soldier beside him, "go and fetch the prince back. Tell him... the Dongming outpost has been cleared out, and we request instructions on the next steps."

The messenger obeyed and left, the sound of his horse's hooves standing out clearly on the silent battlefield.

Yang Shaojie stared at the bloody battlefield and suddenly noticed a detail: the five hundred black-clad soldiers were collecting some kind of small metal objects, which were scattered among the corpses and shimmered in the morning sun.

Those were parts of the murder weapons that took the lives of thousands, and now they are being carefully retrieved, as if they were more precious than gold.

A warm breeze swept across the battlefield, carrying with it a heavy stench of blood. Yang Shaojie felt a chill; even the blazing sun couldn't dispel the coldness deep within his heart.

On this day, he witnessed the end of a war and foresaw the beginning of countless new wars.

A short while later, Zhao Zun, led by a messenger, slowly walked through the ranks of the Jizhou army and the new army.

Countless gazes fell upon him, and the soldiers watched him silently. The scene of the thunderous attack that instantly claimed the lives of the Dongming soldiers was still burning vividly in everyone's minds.

The sunlight made Zhao Zun's silver armor on his chest dazzling, but he was like a mountain draped in cold light, calm and unshakable.

His silver armor was spotless, and the black cloak behind his shoulders fluttered slightly in the wind.

What's most breathtaking is the M16 gleaming with a dark metallic sheen on his chest—

A weapon that doesn't belong to this era makes him seem like a god descending to earth, or like someone returning from the underworld.

When they arrived in front of Yang Shaojie, Qiu Zhenyu, and Da Jiu, Yang Shaojie and Qiu Zhenyu were still standing there with their mouths open, stunned and in awe, as if they had not yet recovered from the lightning-fast killing.

Only Da Jiu and a few of his brothers from the Big Character Squad smiled, their eyes revealing a calm acceptance of the situation. They knew that the battle they had just fought was merely a small test for the Prince and his men.

Zhao Zun, holding the M16, spoke calmly but firmly: "What are you waiting for? Immediately give the order to have the brothers help clean up the battlefield. It's hot and the corpses are rotting, which could easily lead to disease. We can't delay."

His gaze swept over the mess on the ground, then he turned to look at the official road in the distance: "Make the troops move quickly and be sure to reach the outside of Dongguan City tonight."

After a brief pause, he continued, "I will lead five hundred soldiers ahead to search for ambush sites outside Dongguan City. I will contact you again at that time."

Yang Shaojie and Qiu Zhenyu then seemed to wake from a dream and nodded emphatically.

Zhao Zun said no more, turned around and waved his hand. Five hundred soldiers mounted their horses in unison, their hooves thundering, kicking up a cloud of dust, and surged like a black tide towards the end of the official road with Zhao Zun.

The crowd stood there for a long time, watching the black-clad group gradually shrink until it disappeared at the end of the official road.

Only when the dust settled and the official road was deserted did they seem to regain their breathing rhythm, and one after another they came to their senses and bent down to immerse themselves in the land that had been baptized by blood and iron.

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