Frost for a Thousand Years

The corpses upstream flowed down in dense streams, like fish leaping over the Dragon Gate.

Moreover, their eyes had all been gouged out, and murky river water gushed from their rotting eye sockets.

The people along the entire river were terrified by this brutal scene.

Although the Da Yu region was not enlightened and its governance was far from benevolent, it was still a nation of its own.

They were not from the State of Qi.

How could someone be so ruthless!
The major defeat of the Jiangpu branch camp greatly reduced the momentum of the rioting civilians, and many soldiers and civilians even fled as a result.

However, at this time of uncertainty, cavalrymen promptly delivered instructions.

"Commander, that lord said that some cavalry have been stationed at the Jiangpu branch camp, and they will not launch any more attacks. He wants us to turn back and join forces with Lord Wang Shuishan!"

Upon receiving this news, the centurion felt reassured and immediately ordered, "Alright, turn around!"

At the same time, these sentries also promptly relayed instructions to the rest of the rioting forces.

Because this vibrant 'brain' connects all parts of the body with intelligence networks like blood vessels, the overall system did not collapse even after such a major defeat.

Furthermore, they are quite adept at dodging attacks.

However, even they didn't know where the information came from.

They only knew that there were sentries at certain points, so there was no need to worry about losing contact.

At this moment, in a small house in a mountain village, the adult was observing the situation on the sand table by candlelight, his expression very solemn.

"My lord, it's confirmed. The Duke of Li has brought the King of Wu here," someone said.

"As expected." The official was not surprised and said very rationally, "Our original opponent had no strategy and only knew to go wherever the fire started to put it out. But now, he has seen through our intention to set the fire."

If you only focus on putting out fires, you'll be led by the nose by the fire and always be one step behind.

But if we know why someone set a fire, we can anticipate and catch the arsonist in advance.

"The Duke of Li is too cruel. He actually gouged out the eyes of those people and threw them into the river..." Someone said with great heaviness, "Many people have been terrified by this sight, and hundreds of soldiers desert every day."

Survival is the primary task of development; survival must come first.

Without food, they will die in a few days.

But if you get killed, you'll die on the spot.

Seeing this tragic scene, some people would rather go hungry and go out to find food than risk rebelling.

"That's normal," the official said calmly. "If the Duke of Li can still let us wreak havoc in his stronghold, then there's no need to fight this battle."

Superstars are those who can make a difference.

If a superstar appears but the team is losing points, what difference does it make whether he's there or not?
This Duke of Li was once a ruthless man who single-handedly destroyed two countries. It's truly disappointing that he couldn't foresee that the Jiangpu branch camp was their true intention.

“Now that the Duke of Li is here, the one leading the troops on the front lines must be Zhao Yi.” The official’s lips curled into a smile as he said with great confidence, “I have no worries about Zhao Yi facing His Highness the Prince of Qin.”

Zhao Yi is not just a figurehead.

Rather, he didn't even have a name.

He only possesses noble lineage and status.

But Wei Wusheng had genuinely experienced the brutal baptism of war.

"What about Lord Wang Shuishan? They've been under siege the whole time. If we can't reunite with him, things might get complicated if we drag this out."

It could even be said that the Duke of Li's side has now formed a preliminary strategy of besieging the stronghold and attacking reinforcements.

Wangshui Mountain, which has blossomed in the center, is indeed a sharp blade that can shake their foundation, but its strength is still too weak, and it does not have a regular army as a combat force.

Now that such a massacre has occurred, if the emotions don't pick up immediately and these rebel leaders are defeated one by one, then they can only be slowly eliminated.

"It's almost time."

The official slowly raised his hand, pulled down the banner of the Huaiyang General Camp, and said, "Mobilize all available elite troops and head towards the Duke of Li. And tell the people that Lord Song is personally leading the expedition!"

.........

After the Jiangpu branch camp was captured, the rioting people went to rescue Wang Shuishan again.

However, the Duke of Li was not swayed by this situation.

He remained calm as he observed the sand table.

"It's only scary when the fire starts burning. This motionless Wang Shuishan is definitely a decoy."

This was the judgment of the Duke of Li.

He absolutely did not believe that their goal was to rescue Wang Shuishan, or to bring together several forces to form a more powerful combined force.

What our opponents have always wanted is for a small spark to ignite a prairie fire.

Just as the Duke of Li said to Zhao Yi and Hua Zheng, if they only have one large military farm left, and all the surrounding branch camps and estates change their flags, who can hold onto all of this?
The Duke of Li can definitely hold out, with his iron-fisted methods.

But he didn't come here to buy time for Zhao Yi.

He's here to make a difference.

"Duke!" Just then, a general reported to him, "After the rebels gathered at Wangshui Mountain, they suddenly changed course and headed towards our camp. There are tens of thousands of them in total, including many elite soldiers... They should be Imperial Guards disguised as laborers, and..."

"And what?" asked the Duke of Li.

"They're flying Song Shi'an's banner!" the general said. "And some soldiers even said they saw Song Shi'an!"

These words terrified all the officials and generals present.

Song Shi'an is here; another camp is about to fall...

However, some people quickly disagreed.

"How is this possible? How did Song Shi'an get in?"

"Yes, if he really was there, it means he was already there when the Imperial Guards were disguised as laborers."

"This is our heartland. For someone like him to come here in person, isn't that too risky?"

The enemy's top leader actually appeared behind their backs, and without the protection of a strong army or logistical support, he ventured deep into the enemy's lair by relying solely on turning the common people against their will.

Let alone a big shot like Song Shi'an, even ordinary generals like them wouldn't go to such lengths.

"Is it really Song Shi'an?" asked the Duke of Li.

“There are many rumors, but no evidence,” the general said. “But the rebels’ morale has indeed risen sharply, and they have encountered almost no obstacles along the way.”

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the Duke of Li solemnly said, "If Song Shi'an appears, he will surely be met with overwhelming support, and even our army may defect. So, can we not be sure whether it is him or not?"

"Your Excellency, I understand." Seeing his somewhat agitated expression, the general said, "I will personally go and investigate, and I will definitely find out whether Song Shi'an is here or not!"

"Go," the Duke of Li said coldly.

"Yes!"

"The rest of you, prepare for the defense of the main camp," Duke Li instructed again. "And suppress the rumors circulating in the military settlements and prohibit any discussion of Song Shi'an."

"Yes!"

And just like that, everyone else went down.

Only Gao Yunyi remained here.

"Duke," he reported, taking the opportunity since the other party had assigned him his work, "I have some leads in investigating where those rebels received their orders."

"Where?" asked the Duke of Li.

Gao Yunyi pointed to the map and said, "These scattered rebels all received military orders from the same place, Yunze Township. And based on the location, around this point, Qihuting, is quite suspicious."

The intelligence hub can be calculated.

The point where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect is the origin.

With a few more factors to consider, you can pinpoint the exact location.

It's like finding the coordinates of the Trisolarans in the universe.

After Gao Yunyi finished speaking, he handed the confessions of the prisoners to the Duke of Li and continued, "All the military orders were issued by that lord. But none of them saw that lord. They were only responsible for delivering the intelligence to a fixed location, waiting for the order to be issued, and then returning to carry it out."

They have an upline, and that upline has an upline.

"That was to be expected," said Li Guogong.

These are rebels. How could rebels possibly expand in an orderly manner and have a purposeful plan?

There is definitely someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

This is their command post.

Once their brains are removed, they become a directionless mob.

"But is this person really Song Shi'an?" Gao Yunyi asked, still unsure.

The Duke of Li wanted him to arrest this person.

“Normally, the commander-in-chief shouldn’t be here,” Li Guogong said. “But do you think Song Shi’an is normal?”

“That’s definitely not normal,” Gao Yunyi said with certainty.

If you want to know whether this is right or wrong, then we can analyze it further.

But if you were to bring this up, would Song Shi'an dare to do it?

The unified response was that he dared to do anything.

There is nothing in this world that he wouldn't dare to do.

He is always in dire straits, yet in those dire straits, he manages to ensure his own safety.

It jumps around right under your nose, and you can't do anything about it.

"He likes to treat those common people as important matters for a while, thinking that if he raises his arm and the people follow him, he will be invincible." The Duke of Li smiled with some disdain, "I wonder who taught him this absurd idea."

If ordinary people are truly useful, then the world will belong to them.

"Many of the men he sent out were captured by us and never returned," Gao Yunyi asked. "Will this cause him to relocate his headquarters?" "Impossible," Duke Li said. "If he moves, the rebels won't be able to find him. Minor positions might be adjusted, but he will definitely not leave this area. In fact, given his personality, he would never be afraid of such a trivial risk."

Song Shi'an is a very bold and daring person.

At the same time, they also have a strong desire for control.

If the location were changed, making the exchange and transmission of information less convenient and causing missed opportunities, he would be even less likely to accept it.

“The problem now is whether he is there or not,” Gao Yunyi said. “And then, is the person who led the attack actually him?”

This is also a question that the Duke of Li is considering.

Where exactly is Song Shi'an?

Once this problem is solved, we've won this battle.

after all……

"He can trust the people, but don't expect them to protect him."

.........

After annihilating the ambushing enemy troops, Wu Jue led his cavalry forward.

Along the way, all I saw was devastation and disarray.

Moreover, they captured quite a few soldiers.

Of course, they didn't have time to convert these prisoners.

So, kill, kill, kill.

They killed everyone they saw, regardless of age, leaving no one alive.

This sharp knife plunged straight in towards the direction of the Grand Ceremony of Settlement.

Once he gets there, takes control of the new emperor, and then "rescues" those officials, he can easily seize power without Zhao Yi even needing to intervene.

Zhao Yi shouldn't expect to get any credit for this.

Of course, the Duke of Li never intended to give it to him.

This glory should be enjoyed exclusively by the Wu family!
"The grand ceremony for the military settlement will be held ten miles ahead!"

Finally, they were not far from their destination.

The fighting spirit of these Qinzhou cavalrymen reached its peak.

However, at this moment, Wei Le, the commander of the Imperial Guards who had been driven away by them, had somehow managed to set up his formation on the spot.

Moreover, behind them was a tributary built by the garrison, about seven meters wide.

The original bridge was completely demolished.

This is a desperate battle with no way out.

"Gentlemen!" Wei Le shouted, "We have nowhere left to retreat. As you all know, they haven't spared a single survivor along the way. Surrendering will only lead to our slaughter. Only by fighting can we have a glimmer of hope!"

"Hoohoho!"

The soldiers responded with a loud shout, boosting the morale of the army.

They were indeed garrison soldiers, lacking any sense of conviction. But when the people of Qinzhou swept through the land, there was no concept of surrendering and losing half the battle. They had witnessed firsthand how these people treated the routed soldiers.

They cut off their heads like mowing grass, without any mercy.

Nobody wants to fight, but if fighting is the only way to survive, then everyone would be a master fighter!
This scene left Wu Jue, who had led the army there, somewhat stunned. He felt that after the failed ambush in the valley, these people had collapsed and were no longer able to recover. He thought that entering the agricultural settlement would be like entering a vegetable garden for them, and they would not put up any decent resistance.

I never expected these people to be so arrogant. Not only did they not run away, they even dared to fight back against our army!

"Brothers, kill all these chickens and dogs!"

Wu Jue smiled lightly, and then issued the battle order.

And so, thousands of cavalry charged forward.

Wei Lejun, holding shields, fought back desperately as arrows rained down upon him.

Rows of cavalrymen were felled, but the short distance was instantly closed.

The Qinzhou cavalry charged straight into the enemy ranks, raising their sabers and slashing at the enemy.

However, Wei Le had made preparations in advance. The soldiers who were lying on the ground used their sickles to slash at the horses' legs in the chaos.

In the ensuing melee, both sides suffered casualties.

The battle was so fierce that screams of agony filled the air.

However, Wu Jue was repeatedly defeated by such an opponent.

They fought until nightfall before retreating.

At this moment, Wu Jue also felt afraid for the first time.

At night, Wu Juejun and his entire team rested on the earthen platform.

“Commander, we are deploying cavalry. The nearest reinforcements will take a day to arrive,” his deputy said to him.

"I know, I know." Wu Jue clenched his fists, his voice filled with hatred. "I'll crush Wei Le sooner or later."

The situation was somewhat unexpected.

The opponent's desperate gamble was highly effective.

They actually managed to resist their offensive with those ragtag soldiers.

"Commander! Our men have spotted a cavalry force just three miles away!"

At that moment, his subordinate rushed in to report.

Upon hearing this, everyone panicked.

"Cavalry? They're not ours, are they?"

“We have already withdrawn all our cavalry; how could they possibly be ours?”

"That belongs to General Zhao?"

"That's even more impossible. He's farther away from us. If he were to arrive first, it would be..."

Wei Wusheng's soldiers.

Whether an arrogant army is destined to lose is unknown, but an arrogant army is certainly arrogant.

Because they had such a smooth run, completely dominating the game, they became completely out of sync with the team.

If we can defeat these troops who are fighting with their backs to the river today, they could storm the military settlement ceremony even faster than Wei Wusheng and seize power.

But these people blocked them for a whole day.

They were completely bogged down until their cavalry arrived.

"Don't panic!" Wu Jue roared at the officers. "We are all cavalry, and our equipment is far superior. Even if they really come, they might not be able to defeat us. Besides, what kind of image would it be to panic without even knowing how many people are coming?"

“Commander-in-Chief, you’re right,” the deputy said. “But there aren’t many people coming now. If we delay, more will eventually arrive. In that case, why don’t we retreat first?”

Wu Jue was quite unwilling to give up and retreat just like that.

He only mobilized his troops lightly because he wanted to gain credit. If he goes back like this now, wouldn't he be ridiculed by Zhao Yi?

The ridicule is secondary. The Wu family army has suffered heavy losses in this battle, with many casualties. If they leave now and join forces with Zhao Yi and the others, even if they win, the greatest credit will go to Zhao Yi.

Among the nobles, they contributed the most and lost the most lives, yet they only received ordinary credit.

"Commander-in-Chief!" his deputy shouted, urging him to make a decision quickly.

"Retreat!" Wu Jue had no choice but to grit his teeth and make his decision.

Although he had already lost a fortune, he knew that it was pointless to keep arguing at this point.

It's impossible to win now.

The ideal situation would be for the entire army to withdraw.

Therefore, the cavalrymen mounted their horses and prepared to retreat.

At this moment, Wei Le, who was camped on the riverbank, also realized that the enemy was about to withdraw.

Therefore, he immediately ordered: "His Highness the King of Qin's reinforcements have arrived! All troops, attack!"

Soon, the people surrounded them.

Wu Jue's iron cavalry had no choice but to retreat in haste.

However, as he turned back, the cavalry he had mentioned, whose numbers he didn't know, were already charging towards him in a mighty force, carrying torches and waving banners.

Their numbers are no less than theirs.

Wei Wusheng also assembled all his cavalry.

"The one wearing the red-cherry-embroidered helmet is Wu Jue!"

"The one not wearing a helmet is Wu Jue!"

"The one wearing the red robe is Wu Jue!"

……

Zhao Yi's camp.

Because of the great victory on the right wing, he sent thousands of reinforcements to escort Wu Jue and Wu Lin.

He was afraid that Wu Jue would win too quickly, resulting in him winning without having done anything.

They also feared that Wu Jue would suffer a major defeat and the entire Wu family army would be wiped out.

So he still wanted Wu Jue to win; as for the credit, he could always get some of it...

"General, Commandant Wu is dead!" (End of Chapter)