Upon Yunzhou City's walls, the banners had changed. The Great Ming's dragon flag fluttered in the wind, a symbol of imperial authority.
But the city itself was a scene of devastation. Buildings were destroyed. Blood stained the streets. This once-great stronghold of the Great Ming's northern frontier, after enduring countless battles, was now in ruins.
Three heads hung upon the city walls.
Xiahou Mao's face was frozen in a mask of terror.
Zhuge Ke's expression was one of grief and indignation.
Ma Su's eyes were filled with regret.
Their deaths had been gruesome. Even in death, their final emotions lingered.
Beneath the heads lay three broken weapons.
A shattered sword, a chipped blade, and a splintered spear, discarded like garbage.
"Reporting to the Great General.
Our casualties have been tallied. Approximately twenty-eight thousand soldiers were killed in action. Approximately four thousand sustained minor injuries. Approximately one thousand sustained severe injuries and are no longer combat-ready."
"We have ascertained the enemy's movements. The Three Kingdoms Alliance has regrouped. Their forces number approximately one hundred and ninety thousand. They have established three camps, located here, here, and here."
The deputy general pointed to three locations on a map. The camps formed a defensive triangle, each supporting the others. He assumed Wanli would either launch a pursuit or fortify the city's defenses.
But he was wrong. Wanli's first command after his decisive victory was chillingly cruel.
"Injured soldiers? My army has no injured soldiers. All those who are no longer combat-ready are to be granted a peaceful death."
The deputy general trembled. He stared at Wanli in disbelief.
He wasn't just an ordinary officer. He had been the original commander of the three hundred thousand Wolf Troops.
He had personally trained these men. There were only a thousand severely injured soldiers. They could be treated within the city. Why did Wanli want to kill them all?
He dared to speak up.
"Great General! We have retaken Yunzhou City! We have achieved a glorious victory! Our soldiers deserve rewards, not punishment!
And even if we retreat, we can still defend the city. A thousand injured soldiers are not a burden. Please, Great General, show mercy!"
The deputy general knelt before Wanli, his voice loud enough to attract the attention of the nearby soldiers.
"Excellent."
Wanli's voice was cold and emotionless.
"So you dare defy my orders?"
"No… Great General, I…"
Before he could finish, his head was severed, blood splattering across the ground. The head rolled down the steps, coming to rest amidst a pile of corpses.
The Wolf Troops erupted in chaos.
"Silence!"
Wanli's roar echoed through the city.
"Remember, you are soldiers of the Great Ming, not the deputy general's personal guard! He disobeyed my orders. He deserved to die!"
"Houyi!"
A muscular man with a thick beard knelt before Wanli, his sword dripping with blood.
"Your servant is here."
It was Houyi who had executed the deputy general.
"From this day forward, you are the new deputy general. You have one incense stick to prepare the army. We are marching! I want to crush the remaining enemy forces. Leave no survivors!"
The former deputy general, even in death, wouldn't have guessed Wanli's intentions. He wasn't content with simply retaking Yunzhou City. He wanted to annihilate the enemy.
To retake Yunzhou was a victory.
But to crush the Three Kingdoms Alliance?
That would truly wash away the shame of his previous defeat and restore his reputation within the Great Ming.
…
Military reports from Yunzhou, one after another, arrived at the Fan Residence's Rivers and Mountains Pavilion.
"The Three Kingdoms Alliance has retreated from Yunzhou City, regrouped, and established new defenses."
"Zhuge Liang has deployed the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation!"
"Zhou Yu has deployed the Iron Chain River Crossing Formation!"
"Guo Jia has deployed the Beacon Fire Yellow Sand Formation!"
"The three camps form a mutually supportive defense."
"Deputy General Houyi led one hundred thousand Wolf Troops in a frontal assault. The attack failed. They lost twenty thousand men and were forced to retreat."
Fan Li's brow furrowed as he read the reports. He hadn't expected the situation to change so quickly. In a single battle, the Three Kingdoms had lost Yunzhou City.
Thankfully, they had regrouped and established new defenses. A temporary setback, not a complete defeat.
"Brother, what should we do?"
Aside from Fan Li, his elder brother, Fan Zhengming, and his younger brother, Fan Chun, were also present in the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion.
Fan Zhengming was in charge of the Fan Clan's intelligence network in Great Chu. Fan Chun controlled the Fan Clan's army.
"I've heard that the rulers of Wei, Han, and Wu have sent envoys to Empress Yao Guang, requesting reinforcements.
Crown Prince Wanli's cultivation has reached the Great Vehicle Realm. No one in the alliance can match him.
And there are rumors… that there might be another Great Vehicle Realm expert within his army."
Fan Li nodded, his gaze fixed upon the report. Houyi?
"Brother, is this Houyi the other Great Vehicle Realm expert?" Fan Chun asked eagerly.
Fan Zhengming shook his head.
"The reports state that Houyi fought Xiahou Mao for thirty-four rounds before beheading him.
He's likely a Unity Realm cultivator. If he were a Great Vehicle expert, he would have killed Xiahou Mao instantly."
"What about Empress Yao Guang? How has she responded?" Fan Li asked.
"It's strange. She initially agreed to send Sage Rulers to support the alliance. But a day later, she changed her mind, claiming that the Sage Rulers were all busy, unable to spare any troops. She even suggested that the Three Kingdoms should withdraw their forces and cut their losses."
This sudden change in attitude was indeed strange. The rulers of Wei, Han, and Wu were all Great Vehicle Realm experts. But they couldn't personally lead their armies into the Great Ming.
Outside their own kingdoms, their divine abilities wouldn't function. They would simply be powerful cultivators, even vulnerable to assassination.
"Why would Yao Guang change her mind after only one day?" Fan Chun couldn't understand.
"To send Sage Rulers was to strengthen the alliance. To abandon the alliance meant she was acting in her own interests."
Fan Li's voice was grim.
"This means that there must be a reason, something important enough for her to abandon her allies, even at the risk of their defeat."
"Brother, stop playing games with us!"
Fan Chun was anxious. He was a military man. His understanding of strategy was limited to the battlefield. He couldn't grasp the complexities of court politics.
War, after all, was simply an extension of politics.
"Aside from Great Chu, which is under my control, the Three Kingdoms are Yao Guang's most powerful allies in the war against the Great Ming.
For her to abandon them… it means she believes she can achieve her ultimate goal without their help."
Fan Li's words shocked his brothers.
"Does Yao Guang believe she can defeat the Great Ming?!"
They weren't fools.
Fan Li had made his meaning clear.
"Not necessarily defeat the Great Ming, but at least… eliminate Emperor Jiajing."
Even as he said it, Fan Li found it difficult to believe.
To eliminate Emperor Jiajing?
Was that even possible?
What had happened in the Great Ming, or perhaps in Great Ci, that he didn't know about?
"Brother! What should we do?" Fan Zhengming's expression was grave.
Should they send troops to support the alliance?
Or should they, like Yao Guang, sit back and observe?
"There are no eternal friendships between kingdoms. Only shared interests can bring them together."
His brothers assumed he had decided to abandon their allies. But then, Fan Li's tone changed.
"For now, my interests align with those of Wei, Han, and Wu. We must help them!"
He mobilized one hundred thousand troops from the Great Chu army.
He would lead the army personally, with Fan Chun serving as his deputy. Wu Gang, the former guardian deity of Great Chu, would accompany them.
The next day, after the army had already departed, Emperor Xiang Chong finally received Fan Li's memorial.
He requested permission to send troops?
"If… If I refuse, will he bring the army back? This is a matter of national importance! Why didn't he discuss this with me beforehand?"
Xiang Chong's face was dark with anger.
The army had already departed, and now Fan Li was asking for his permission?
It was Fan Zhengming who had delivered the memorial.
Although he didn't hold an official position in the court, as the hereditary Marquis of Liyang, he was a member of the nobility. He was entitled to attend court.
"Are you joking, Your Majesty? My brother does not require anyone's permission to act."
Xiang Chong, facing Fan Zhengming, a man who resembled Fan Li and possessed an even more imposing aura, felt utterly helpless.
The Fan Clan truly didn't respect the Emperor.
…
Fan Li, despite mobilizing his troops, knew he might be too late.
Unlike his previous journey to Yunzhou, where they had marched under cover of darkness, taking a roundabout route, the one hundred thousand Chu soldiers marched openly, passing through the territories of Wei, Han, and Wu, traveling at maximum speed.
Unfortunately, before they reached the Great Ming border, more bad news arrived.
"Zhang Juzheng, Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Palace, has arrived at the Yunzhou battlefield."
"The Ming army has divided its forces into three groups."
"Zhang Juzheng leads one group, targeting the Wei camp."
"Houyi leads one group, targeting the Wu camp."
"Crown Prince Wanli personally leads one group, targeting the Han camp."
"Yesterday, the Beacon Fire Yellow Sand Formation was breached. The Wei camp has fallen."
"Zhang Juzheng has deployed a mysterious formation, trapping the remaining Wei forces. Guo Jia's life is in danger!"
Fan Li couldn't believe it.
Guo Jia had been defeated?
His teacher was Guiguzi. The Beacon Fire Yellow Sand Formation was a powerful and intricate creation. How could Zhang Juzheng have breached it?
And there had been no previous reports of Zhang Juzheng possessing any knowledge of formations.
And yet, he had trapped the Wei army with a mysterious formation?
How had he achieved this?
"All troops, double time!"
Fan Li felt a growing sense of unease. His goal wasn't to turn the tide of battle or to achieve victory. He only needed to save them.
The Fan Clan's immense wealth proved invaluable.
Marching at maximum speed depleted their soldiers' spiritual energy, affecting their combat effectiveness.
But Fan Li had prepared a vast quantity of pills. He ordered his men to consume them without hesitation. Thus, they maintained their strength, reaching the Yunzhou border in record time.
More reports arrived.
"Houyi has breached the Iron Chain River Crossing Formation. He has trapped the remaining Wu forces with a mysterious formation. Zhou Yu's life is in danger!"
"Crown Prince Wanli has breached the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. He has led his troops into the Han camp. Zhuge Liang has deployed the Seven Stars Prayer Formation, trapping Wanli within.
The fates of Wanli and Zhuge Liang are unknown!"