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

General Wen Yang of Chu truly lived up to his reputation as the fierce tiger of Jingchu.

He led 15,000 elite troops, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, hiding by day and moving by night in the rugged and treacherous paths of the Funiu Mountains, enduring hunger and thirst, and managed to carve out an almost impossible marching route through the towering mountains.

Horses had their hooves wrapped in cloth, people had gags in their mouths, and horses had their bells removed; any action that might reveal their whereabouts was strictly prohibited.

Along the way, there were occasional mountain people and hunters, but they were either kept at a distance or "dealt with properly" to ensure that the news would never leak out.

More than ten days later, this exhausted but fierce lone army finally crossed the Funiu Mountains, which were considered an insurmountable barrier, without anyone noticing, and appeared like ghosts on the banks of the Ru River, more than a hundred miles south of Luoyang.

In the distance, the majestic outline of Luoyang City appears and disappears in the misty morning light of spring, like an unguarded giant lying there quietly.

"General! Luoyang is just ahead! Scouts report that the four gates of Luoyang are open as usual, merchants are coming and going as normal, the guards on the city walls are sparse, and nothing seems amiss!"

A scout rushed back, excitedly reporting in a low voice.

As Wen Yang rode on his horse, gazing at Luoyang, a flicker of wild joy and bloodthirsty fighting spirit flashed in his eyes.

All the hardships along the way seemed to have been worth it.

The "empty Luoyang" mentioned in the secret letter from the King of Wu was indeed true! Xiao Chen's main force must have been tied up in the north and Guanzhong. This heartland of the Central Plains and the former capital was so lax!

"Heaven is helping me!"

Wen Yang roared, suppressing his excitement, "Send the order: the entire army will have a hearty meal and rest for an hour! Scouts will regroup and ascertain the rotation times and weak points of the guards at the four gates of Luoyang! One hour later, the entire army will advance—target: the south gate of Luoyang! Take it in one fell swoop!"

"Yes, sir!"

Although the Chu soldiers were exhausted, their morale soared as they saw their target in sight and their defenses were "lax." They took out their remaining rations, wolfed them down, and sharpened their weapons, preparing for this decisive battle.

They could almost see the scene of conquering Luoyang, burning, killing, looting, and achieving unparalleled feats.

However, they were unaware that their every move had already fallen into an invisible net.

While Wen Yang's troops were traversing mountains and valleys, arduous journeys, intelligence about their approximate route, troop strength, and even estimated arrival time was continuously sent to the desk of Wang Dashan, the garrison commander of Luoyang, through the special channels of the "Listening" organization and the "accidental" discoveries of the mountain people along the way. This intelligence had just been secretly returned to take command.

Wang Dashan, a seemingly rough but actually shrewd veteran of the battlefield, had already laid a trap after receiving Xiao Chen's secret order and the intelligence from Murong Xue.

Luoyang City appeared to be "relaxed on the outside"—the city gates were open, the guards were sparse, and merchants and travelers were as usual.

In reality, the city was under "internal tension"—the city's elite troops had already secretly assembled, with bows and crossbows nocked, swords drawn, and ample supplies of rolling logs, stones, molten gold, and oil prepared.

Inside the four gates, pits had already been dug, and tripwires and barbed wire had been laid.

Several elite cavalry units were hidden in civilian houses and military camps near the city gates, awaiting orders.

Outside Luoyang City, in the mountains and ravines on the east and west sides, five thousand elite infantrymen from Hanyuan were ambushed on each side, commanded by Wang Dashan's capable captains.

They lay low and remained silent, like tigers lurking in the grass, waiting for their prey to step into their trap.

Further away, Chen Dao's main force of 30,000 Han Yuan troops was traveling day and night along a secret route, heading straight for Nanyang, like another deadly guillotine about to fall.

An hour later, the sun was high in the sky.

Wen Yang believes the time is right.

He mounted his horse, pointed his long spear forward, and roared, "My men! Fame and fortune are within reach! Follow me and kill!"

"kill--!!!"

Fifteen thousand well-rested and prepared Chu troops unleashed an astonishing momentum, surging out from behind the hills where they were hiding like a flood bursting its banks. Their hooves trampled the earth, kicking up clouds of dust, and they charged toward the seemingly unprepared south gate of Luoyang!

They didn't even launch any probing attacks, but instead launched a full-scale assault, intending to use their momentum to break into the city in one fell swoop!

On the city wall, the scattered defenders seemed stunned by the sudden attack, frantically ringing alarm bells. A few arrows rained down, but they could not stop the Chu army's charge.

Battering rams and ladders were quickly pushed toward the city wall, and the fearless Chu soldiers, with sharp blades in their mouths, began to swarm and climb the city!

"Hahaha! Luoyang is ours!" The Chu general at the forefront laughed wildly, about to climb onto the city wall.

At that very moment—

"put!"

A cold, short, yet extremely penetrating command suddenly rang out from the top of Luoyang City!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

A deep and tremendous sound of war drums suddenly boomed and exploded from all parts of Luoyang's city towers and walls!

The drumbeats were powerful and rhythmic, and there was no trace of panic or haste in the fight.

Almost the instant the drums sounded, the situation on the walls of Luoyang changed dramatically!

Behind the originally sparse barricades, countless dark heads suddenly appeared!

The arrowheads, gleaming coldly, were densely packed and pointed down at the city walls!

Even more terrifying, dozens of ballistae and small catapults were suddenly launched from the city walls. The crossbow bolts, as thick as a child's arm, and the sparking stones, with a piercing sound, slammed into the Chu army crowded below the city!

"Oh no! An ambush!" The Chu general at the front was terrified, but it was too late.

Arrows rained down like locusts, and stones were fired like a storm!

The battering rams were smashed to pieces, the siege ladders were shot down and set on fire, and the Chu soldiers who were climbing them fell with screams.

Even more terrifying, scalding hot liquid and burning oil poured down from the city walls, instantly turning the area below into a sea of ​​fire and a living hell! The Chu army's momentum was halted, and they suffered heavy casualties.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Wen Yang's eyes were bloodshot. He instantly realized that they had fallen into a trap!

This is not a sign of lax defense, but a deadly trap designed to lure the enemy into a snare!

However, it was too late to back out.

"Waaaaah—waaaah—"

A desolate yet powerful horn sound rose into the sky from the mountains and forests on the east and west sides of Luoyang!

Immediately afterwards, two huge black banners bearing the character "王" (King) and the battle banner of "寒渊" (Cold Abyss) were unfurled on the hillside!

"Iron Cavalry of the Frost Abyss! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Amidst the earth-shattering shouts of battle, countless armored cavalry and elite infantry surged forth from both the east and west flanks!

Like two giant iron pincers, they swiftly and decisively cut the Chu army, which was suffering setbacks and in disarray during its siege, in half!

The cavalry charged, the infantry followed up with a coordinated attack, and in an instant, the Chu army was cut off and surrounded!

"Don't panic! Form ranks! Break out to the south!"

Wen Yang, being a veteran of the battlefield, remained calm in the face of danger. He shouted himself hoarse as he organized the resistance, trying to rally his troops and break through in the direction they had come from.

But how could Wang Dashan let him have his way?

"Boom!"

The south gate of Luoyang, that seemingly fragile city gate, slowly opened to the horrified gaze of the Chu army!

No, it wasn't breached, it opened up on its own initiative!

Inside the doorway stood a black-armored general, as imposing as an iron tower, wielding a thick iron staff, riding a magnificent black horse, like a demon god descending to earth—it was none other than Wang Dashan himself!

Behind him were five thousand impatient Cold Abyss heavy infantry and two thousand elite cavalry!

"You traitor from Chu! Do you even recognize your grandfather, the King?! Kill him!"

Wang Dashan roared like thunder, his voice shaking the surrounding area. He took the lead, wielding a long iron staff, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Wherever he went, men and horses fell, and blood and flesh flew everywhere!

The heavily armored infantry behind him, like a moving steel wall, marched forward with orderly and terrifying steps! The cavalry swept out from both flanks, wantonly cutting down the Chu army that was trying to regroup.

Encircled from three sides!

The ambushes on the east and west sides, along with Wang Dashan's main force that broke out from the city, formed a perfect and deadly encirclement.

Wen Yang's 15,000 elite troops were tightly surrounded in a narrow area less than five miles south of Luoyang.

The battle, from the very beginning, was a one-sided massacre.

The Chu army, exhausted from their long march, suffered a setback in their siege, their morale plummeted, and then were ambushed from three sides, instantly finding themselves in dire straits.

The Han Yuan army was well-rested, fully prepared, and in high spirits. They were well-equipped, and their commander, Wang Dashan, was exceptionally brave and led from the front.

"Hold on! Hold on for me!"

With bloodshot eyes, Wen Yang brandished his long spear, killing several Han Yuan soldiers in an attempt to stabilize the situation.

He was exceptionally brave and did cause some trouble for the encirclement.

But individual bravery appears so pale and powerless in the face of the overall defeat.

The encirclement by Han Yuan Army tightened, with arrows raining down and swords and spears flying everywhere.

The Chu army was divided into countless small groups, each fighting its own battles, and then ruthlessly devoured and annihilated.

Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood stained the earth red, forming streams that flowed into the Ru River, turning the river water a dark red.

"General! We can't hold on any longer! Let's break out!" The guard, covered in blood, cried out, suggesting.

Wen Yang looked around and saw his men falling one after another. The black-clad Han Yuan Army surged in like a tide. Despair was like a cold, venomous snake, gnawing at his heart.

He knew he had lost the bet, and lost miserably.

The surprise attack turned into a trap, and 15,000 brave soldiers from Jingchu will likely perish on this foreign land.

"Follow me south! Fight your way through!"

Unwilling to give up, Wen Yang gathered his last few hundred personal guards and, like a desperate arrow, launched a desperate charge southward, in the direction they had come from.

He knew that only by rushing out and bringing the intelligence back to Jingzhou could the prince be prepared.

"Want to leave? Have you asked your Grandpa Wang's stick yet!"

A thunderous roar rang out from the side, and Wang Dashan charged in like a god of death. His iron staff swept across with immense force, instantly smashing several of Wen Yang's personal guards, breaking their bones and tendons!

Wen Yang parried with his spear. With a loud clang, sparks flew everywhere. Wen Yang felt a sharp pain in both arms, his tiger's mouth split open, and he almost dropped his spear!

"Protect the general!" The guards rushed forward desperately to block Wang Dashan.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wen Yang spurred his horse and, with more than ten remaining soldiers, charged southward recklessly.

He was highly skilled in martial arts and determined to die. He actually managed to tear a small opening in the encirclement, covered in blood, and galloped away without looking back.

Wang Dashan swept away the obstacles with his staff, watched Wen Yang's departing figure, and spat, "Pah! You're lucky to be alive! Men, kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

With the commander-in-chief fleeing, the last vestige of resistance collapsed.

The remaining Chu soldiers either knelt down and surrendered or were mercilessly killed.

In less than two hours, this meticulously planned ambush came to an end.

South of Luoyang, corpses lay strewn across the fields, banners fell to the ground, and warhorses, having lost their masters, neighed mournfully in pools of blood.

Of the 15,000 elite Chu troops, almost the entire army was wiped out, except for the commander Wen Yang and a dozen or so riders who managed to escape at the cost of their lives, and a few who knelt down and surrendered.

Wang Dashan, leaning on a blood-stained iron rod, stood amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, gazing southward, his eyes flashing with cold light: "Wen Yang escaped, perfect for informing that bastard Xiao Han. I just wonder if Chen Dao's guillotine has reached his neck yet?"

Almost simultaneously, in Nanyang...

After sending Wen Yang, King Xiao Han of Chu waited anxiously in Jiangling, while simultaneously gathering a large army, ready to immediately march north to support and sweep through Nanyang once Wen Yang succeeded or drew away the main force of the Luoyang garrison.

However, what he received was not Wen Yang's report of victory, nor the fierce battle situation in Luoyang, but a Han Yuan Iron Cavalry that seemed to have descended from the heavens like divine soldiers!

Chen Dao's military tactics combined unorthodox and conventional methods, employing both steadiness and ruthlessness.

He led 30,000 elite troops, avoiding main roads and choosing instead mountain trails, moving swiftly and quietly approaching Nanyang.

After confirming that Wen Yang's troops had "successfully" slipped into Wang Dashan's trap as planned, he did not hesitate and immediately launched a thunderous surprise attack on the Nanyang Chu army's defense line!

The Nanyang garrison commander never expected that such a powerful enemy force would suddenly appear from the north, and that it would appear from the flank and rear without any warning!

They were caught off guard and collapsed at the first contact.

Chen Dao was a brilliant strategist, dividing his forces into several routes. He launched direct attacks, flanking maneuvers, and surprise attacks from behind, eliminating the Chu army strongholds around Nanyang one by one, and his army advanced directly towards Wancheng, a key town in Nanyang.

When Xiao Han received the urgent report from Nanyang, he was shocked and furious. Just as he was preparing to personally lead his army north to rescue the city, another piece of news came like a bolt from the blue—Wen Yang’s surprise attack on Luoyang had failed, and his army was almost completely wiped out in the ambush. He barely escaped with his life and was fleeing back in a sorry state!

"What?!"

Xiao Han was struck dumb, abruptly standing up from his throne, then slumping back down, his face instantly turning ashen.

Wen Yang was defeated? Fifteen thousand elite troops gone just like that? What about Luoyang… Nanyang… Chen Dao's army…?

"Your Highness! Make a decision quickly! Chen Dao's army is sharp and powerful; Wancheng is in imminent danger! If Wancheng falls, the gateway to Nanyang will be wide open, and the northern defenses of Jingzhou will be lost!"

The strategist Fan Zeng urged anxiously, but his heart was ice-cold.

His worst fears came true, and worse than he had imagined.

"A decision...a decision..."

Xiao Han was completely distraught, and all traces of his previous heroic spirit had vanished.

The surprise attack failed, the elite troops were wiped out, and a powerful enemy was pressing in... All of this was because of his momentary impulse and that damned "secret letter"!

"Report—!"

Another scout rushed in, tumbling and crawling, "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Wancheng... the garrison commander of Wancheng has surrendered! Chen Dao's army has already entered Wancheng!"

"puff--!"

Overwhelmed by anger and rage, Xiao Han coughed up a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he collapsed backward.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Chaos erupted inside the hall.

King Xiao Han of Chu betrayed his alliance and launched a sneak attack, thinking he could catch his opponent off guard. Little did he know that his every move was already anticipated and calculated by Xiao Chen.

The ambush outside Luoyang almost completely annihilated their elite surprise attack force; the fierce attack from Nanyang struck straight into their heartland, capturing several important towns in succession.

The King of Chu's attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly. He not only suffered heavy losses in his army, but also brought the war to his own doorstep. Nanyang, the northern gateway to Jingzhou, was now in imminent danger.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the world.

The feudal lords of the land were once again shaken.

What they witnessed was not only the King of Chu's crushing defeat, but also the unfathomable strategies, ruthless and decisive methods, and terrifying strength of the Regent who reigned high in the capital.

Anyone who harbors any illusions or thoughts of provocation should probably think twice about whether they can withstand the devastating blow that would befall Luoyang.

At this moment, the most uneasy person is probably Wu King Xiao Rui, who is far away in Jinling and originally wanted to "drive the tiger to devour the wolf".