Translator: Antonia
In the Yinghui battle, Tianbin had all the advantages, but it didn"t mean that Bafang had no chance to win. The key was whether the Bafang army could break the right-wing-blockade of Tianbin.Just as the dozens of thousands of soldiers of both sides fought ferociously, an unexpected turn changed the whole situation on the battlefield.
Duke Fang, as young as seventeen years old, had a unique wise eye and took the opportunity to disrupt the enemy"s formation, killing countless enemies and almost catching Tuoba Muhong alive, who had escaped the siege only by his subordinates" protection.
The Tianbing army was badly damaged.
Despite the victory, Bafang lost no less than Tianbin.
Tianbin"s great warriors fought bravely, so the battle took the lives of as many as 60,000 soldiers of both Bafang and Tianbin. The injured was countless.
However, the significance of this battle was by no means about numbers. Since Tuoba Muhong became a commander, he had never lost a battle. As early as five years ago, he had begun to work on the plans of attacking, so he had conquered five cities of Daqing in half a month, at an impossible speed. Victory was just under his nose.
Yet, he suffered in Bafang.
This was Tuoba Muhong"s first failure, an end to the legend about this undefeatable commander. Yet, the terminator was an unknown young duke.
History was cruel like this. Maybe the fall of a star was to make another rising one more brilliant!
Fang Junqian"s fight back against Tuoba Muhong gave the famous undefeatable commander of Tianbin a taste of failure for the first time in his life, which also built Fang Junqian"s authority and reputation. Just like the name of the battle “Yinghui (Usher in Glory)” suggested, the old dying Daqing ushered in its glory!
Fang Junqian began to appear in the sights of the kings of various nations and quickly stepped on the historical stage of contending for hegemony like a thunderbolt.
The good news went to the imperial city. People came out on the streets and hurrahed together!
Xiao Qingyu commented, “The Battle of Yinghui has a profound impact! Tianbin changed from invading into defending, from positive to pa.s.sive. As they lose, we win. The situation is now good for us. Duke Fang made a great contribution in this regard and in saving the people!”
“Duke Fang, WELCOME!”
The moment Fang Junqian entered the barracks, he was scared by the patch of dark kneeling soldiers.
In their zealous eyes, he saw an unusual respect and admiration.
“What are you doing?”
“Duke, don"t you understand yet?” Li Shenghu said loudly, “You win the first time you go to the battle. And the enemy was Tuoma Muhong, the invincible legend! You defeated him and put an end to the legend. Only this is enough to have your name written and become renown in the history!”
“Become renown in the history?” Seeing Li Shenghu"s exalted look, Fang Junqian couldn"t help but smile bitterly. He looked up at the rolling dark clouds in the sky and felt the depressing air before a violent storm.
It was too early to laugh at this moment.
How could Tuoba Muhong give up now?
Tianbin would definitely make a comeback, more desperate than this time…
He had a hunch that a battle was coming soon which would decide his and Tuoba Muhong"s fates!
The first night Fang Junqian settled in Bafang, Yu Bin had a generous gift sent over—a pair of jade lions, sculpted lively and cute. Fang Junqian smiled meaningfully and accepted them.
The next day, he found that there was contempt hidden in the way Jia Mu looked at him.
Fang Junqian just smiled and didn"t care.
Now the supervisor eunuch Wei Zhongjun couldn"t be more satisfied with Duke Fang!
Although this duke was young, he was polite and humble, able to fight, and more importantly, understood to show respect to him… At the thought of the jade lions, Wei Zhongjun grinned all his teeth out.
Fang Junqian didn"t stay idle these days. Clearing the battlefield, burying corpses, soothing the injured, building the towers… The trifles made Duke Fang busy as bee!
Nevertheless, on the fifth day, none of the generals saw Fang Junqian. After inquiring, they got the report that, “Duke Fang doesn"t feel well. He doesn"t receive visitors now.”
At this moment, Duke Fang was holding a name list of traitors that Childe Wushuang had sent him and memorizing all the names in mind…
On that night, Fang Junqian had the name list secretly put in Wei Zhongjun"s room.
On the next day, Duke Fang “was better” and convened all senior generals in Bafang to discuss post-war reconstruction.
Wei Zhongjun, who had never partic.i.p.ated in meetings, unexpectedly showed up. His face flus.h.i.+ng, and the loose muscles on his cheeks trembled slightly.
Yesterday, someone had put a secret letter into his room. He opened it and almost got a cramp from laughing! Wei Zhongjun knew this would be a huge feat. As long as he submitted the letter, his name would be engraved in the credit book!
“Duke,” Wei Zhongjun coughed, “I have something to say.”
Fang Junqian replied in a modest tone, “Please feel free to talk.” n.o.body could tell the murderousness in Duke Fang"s smile.
Wei Zhongjun"s vanity was satisfied, “I received a letter last night.”
“Oh?” Fang Junqian displayed curiosity in the proper time, “What"s it about?”
Wei Zhongjun took out the name list, “This is a name list of traitors in Bafang.”
The words like a drop of water throwing into boiling oil! The scene became chaotic!
Duke Fang, sitting in the commander"s chair without saying a word, watched everyone"s expression and sneered covertly.
Wei Zhongjun presented the secret letter.
Fang Junqian took it over but didn"t open it. He asked in a low voice, “Mr. Wei, did you read the letter alone?”
Wei Zhongjun was a little stunned and replied at once, “The letter is of vial importance. I didn"t dare to let others read it.”
“Really?” Fang Junqian asked again.
“Absolutely.”
Great!
In the exclamation of everyone, Fang Junqian clenched his right hand! The letter was shattered into dancing b.u.t.terflies…
“I don"t care about your past. As long as you pledge loyalty to Daqing and I since this point, I"ll regard you as my brothers with whom I"ll die or share honor together!”
Fang Junqian had a quality of trustworthiness.
“But if I found some of you had a private relation with foreign countries, by then don"t blame me for my mercilessness.”
His words contained coldness.
His expression also carried murderousness.
When Fang Junqian turned to him, Wei Zhongjun didn"t come back from the shock. Duke Fang"s voice was still modest and courteous as usual, but somehow, it triggered a gust of coldness from the bottom of Wei Zhongju"s feet.
“Mr. Wei, only you read this letter, so I hope you will never disclose any name on it. I"d like to thank you for this.”
Fang Junqian knew that effortlessly, Wei Zhongjun was already a dead man in the eyes of those traitors!