Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The "scorched earth" surrounding Panshi Fortress and Qinghe Town is like a meticulously prepared invitation full of death traps, silently spreading across the only road for the Northern Yan to move south, carrying a silent mockery and chilling killing intent.

As the thick smoke dissipated, what remained were broken walls, filthy wells, fractured roads, and burned fields, presenting an eerie and desolate scene under the gradually warming spring sunshine.

Only the occasional raven and abandoned wild dogs added a touch of ominous life to this desolate place.

Han Yuan's initiative to back down and "self-destruct" did not make Murong Chui, the commander of the Northern Yan border army and General Zhenbei, feel any relief. On the contrary, it was like a heavy punch hitting cotton. The pent-up anger in his heart had nowhere to be released, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He was a veteran general of the Northern Yan state, over fifty years old, and known for his steadiness and prudence.

Xiao Chen's rise to power, the destruction of the Black Hawk Camp, and the humiliation of losing heads had long been a thorn in his side.

Having obtained intelligence from Chuan Linyan's inside man, and seeing that Han Yuan seemed to be in turmoil due to the New Year and banditry, coupled with pressure from the royal court, he finally decided to seize this opportunity to avenge his previous humiliation and regain strategic initiative over the south for Northern Yan.

"Scorched earth policy? Hmph, a child's play!"

Inside the central command tent, Murong Chui sneered at his generals, "That brat Xiao Chen knows his troops are few and weak, and dares not confront the Great Yan's iron cavalry head-on. Therefore, he resorts to this desperate measure of cutting off the enemy's supply lines and weakening himself to await the enemy's advance. Does he think that burning down houses and polluting wells will stop my 100,000-strong army? How laughable!"

He pointed to the scorched earth region of Hanyuan on the map: "He abandoned his front lines, retreating into a few hardened strongholds like Panshi Fortress and Qinghe Town. While this appears to be a contraction of his defenses, it actually makes his forces more dispersed, while lengthening his supply lines! If our army swiftly traverses this wasteland with overwhelming force, we can strike directly at his core stronghold! His petty tricks are utterly insignificant in the face of absolute power!"

"General, your insight is brilliant!"

The lieutenant flattered, "However, scouts report that when the Han Yuan army retreated, they destroyed roads, dug wells, and set traps, which may cause many inconveniences for our army's advance. Moreover, their guerrilla squads are elusive and have already ambushed and killed several of our scout groups, so we must be on guard."

Murong Chui stroked his beard: "It's alright."

The more Xiao Chen acted this way, the more it showed his guilty conscience and cowardice. He ordered the vanguard Helian Tienu to lead his three thousand elite cavalry to clear the way for the main army.

Ignore any small-scale harassment and proceed quickly. If you encounter a fortified stronghold, detour or monitor it until our main force arrives before making a decision.

The top priority is to get through this scorched earth as soon as possible and reach the foot of Panshi Fortress!

"Once we capture Rock Fortress, the gates of Cold Abyss will be wide open, and Green River Town will be within our grasp! Then, let's see how long Xiao Chen can remain cowering!"

"yes!"

Helian Tienu, the vanguard general of Northern Yan, was a famous and fierce general under Murong Chui. Born into a noble family of Northern Yan, he was exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, but also had an impatient and ruthless temperament.

Upon receiving the order, he was overjoyed, seeing it as a golden opportunity to claim the credit first.

Three thousand elite cavalrymen from Northern Yan, men as fierce as tigers and horses as powerful as dragons, their helmets gleaming and armor shining, crossed the border with imposing momentum and stepped into that land that had been deliberately "cleared out".

At first, everything went smoothly.

Although the roads were damaged and the wells were contaminated, Helian Tienu did not care. The army carried enough dry rations and drinking water.

As for the pits and barricades, they did not pose much of an obstacle with the cooperation of engineers and cavalry.

Occasionally, a stray arrow would be shot from afar, or a small group of Cold Abyss cavalry would roam and provoke from a distance. Helian Tienu strictly ordered his men not to pursue them, so as not to delay their journey.

"They're just some rats causing trouble. We can deal with them after our army breaks through Rock Fortress!" he said dismissively.

However, as they ventured deeper, an ominous premonition began to grow in the hearts of some of the more experienced veterans. It was too quiet.

Apart from the sounds of the wind and horses' hooves, there was almost no other noise. All that could be seen along the way were ruins of deserted villages; there wasn't a single person in sight, not even a chicken.

The air was thick with the smell of burning and some strange, indescribable odor. The burned fields were a dark, gaping mass, like gruesome scars on the earth.

Occasionally, one can see the tattered flags and damaged supplies discarded by the Hanyuan Army during their "hasty retreat," which seems even more deliberate.

"General, the terrain here is gradually rising, with rolling hills on both sides and dense forests. There may be an ambush." ​​A military advisor pointed to a valley path that was gradually narrowing ahead.

This is one of the main routes leading to Rock Fortress, and locals call it Wolf Valley.

Helian Tienu reined in his horse and squinted at the road ahead. The valley road was about five or six li long, a hundred paces wide in some places, and only wide enough for a few riders to ride abreast in others.

On both sides are steep earthen and rocky slopes covered with low shrubs and sparse trees.

It was indeed a good place to set up an ambush. But after observing for a moment, he felt relieved.

No birds were seen flying on the hillside, no flags or people were seen in the forest, and there were no obvious obstacles such as tripwires or pits in the valley.

The scouts have just reported back that there is nothing unusual in the valley.

"The main force of the Cold Abyss Army is holed up in the Rock Fortress. How could they possibly have the resources to set up an ambush here? Even if they did, it would only be a small harassing force. Wouldn't they flee at the sight of our main army?"

Helian Tienu sneered, "Order the vanguard to speed up and pass through this valley quickly! Tonight, I will set up camp ten miles outside the valley!"

With the order given, the three thousand cavalrymen set off again, forming a relatively spacious marching column, and entered Wolf Valley.

The horses' hooves pounded the hard, dry ground, making a dull thud that echoed through the valley.

Meanwhile, deep within the bushes on both sides of the hillside, behind the crevices of rocks, and even in the shallow pits dug beforehand, pairs of cold eyes were staring intently through the gaps in the branches and leaves at the Northern Yan cavalry slowly advancing in the valley.

They were camouflaged so well that they blended almost seamlessly into their surroundings, and their breathing was barely audible, like lurking beasts.

The bow is strung, the knife is half-drawn from its sheath, and the fuse of the gunpowder canister is in place.

The leader, a man of imposing stature, with a hideous scar on his face, was none other than Zhang Meng, the commander of the Panshi Fortress cavalry.

He was ordered by Wang Dashan to lead 1,500 elite cavalrymen, who had been lying in ambush here for a full day and night. They were as silent as stones and as concealed as soil, waiting for their prey to fall completely into the trap.

"General, the enemy cavalry's vanguard has passed the middle section, and the rearguard is entering the valley," a night owl sentry reported in a low voice.

Zhang Meng licked his slightly chapped lips, a bloodthirsty excitement flashing in his eyes.

The prince's "fortification of the walls and scorched earth" and Lord Wang's "luring the enemy deep into the territory" have been put on for so many days, and so many villages and fields have been abandoned. This is the moment they have been waiting for!

Let the Northern Yan people think that Han Yuan is afraid of fighting, and that they can advance unimpeded. Then, on this road that they thought was safe, give them a head-on blow!

"Tell the brothers to stay calm. Without my order, anyone who dares to move an inch will be chopped up by me!" Zhang Meng ordered in a low voice, hoarse but full of power.

In the valley, Helian Tienu rode on horseback, slowly advancing with the procession.

For some reason, the further he went, the stronger his unease became.

It's too quiet, so quiet it's unsettling.

The trees on both sides of the hillside seemed to have become silent, malicious eyes, watching them.

"Speed ​​up! Get through quickly!" he urged again.

Just then—

"BOOM!!!"

The loud noise didn't come from the hillside, but from the mouth of the valley they had just passed through!

Above the valley entrance, dozens of massive boulders, which had been secured with wooden frames and ropes, were suddenly tumbled down after the ambushing engineers cut the ropes. They tumbled down with a thud, carrying with them a large amount of mud and tree trunks, instantly blocking most of the narrow valley entrance! Their escape route was cut off!

"Oh no! An ambush!"

Helian Tienu's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, "All troops, prepare for battle! Prepare to charge..."

Before he could finish speaking—

"call out--!"

A whistling arrow shot straight into the sky with a piercing cry! It was the signal for attack!

"Release the arrows!!!"

Zhang Meng's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding in the valley!

"Buzz—!"