Chapter 160: Yutang, Foe of the World!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"One thousand men is not enough!" The janissary leader’s expression was one of deep concern. "Send another two thousand people over! From today onwards, this wine is our life! Even if all three thousand brothers have to die in battle, the wine will not get any lesser, not even by a single drop!"
"Besides our brothers here, millions of our fallen brothers are also waiting in antic.i.p.ation!"
The leader’s eyes were rimmed red. "Let us antic.i.p.ate the day to toast with all our brothers, both alive and dead!"
"Just thinking of that moment, that day, as long as I get to experience it, I shall have no other regrets in this life."
On the eleventh of the tenth month, Tiantang City began implementing curfew and was.h.i.+ng its streets with water as well as filling them with soil; the number of patrol teams increased threefold.
All the shops and stores in Tiantang City, regardless of their origin and background, received the same notice – no one was to cause trouble within this important month. Offenders would be stopped from doing business without question for a month and follow-up procedures would only resume after that period of closure.
On the twelfth of the tenth month, some larger shops and significant buildings began cleaning their properties and hanging celebratory decorations. The atmosphere was merry and jubilant.
On the thirteenth of the tenth month, there were already three foreign troops that had arrived at the camp outside the city. Other representatives who had promised to come were all on their way, slowly approaching.
ON the fifteenth of the tenth month, Marshal Han Sanhe , who wore the t.i.tle of ‘G.o.d of the Military’ in the Empire of Dongxuan, had arrived with his troops.
Tiantang City was abuzz with his arrival – it was not of a sense of joy, but of loathing. The commonfolk could not help but wish that they could eviscerate Han Sanhe into oblivion.
Dongxuan and Yutang had just ended their war; the Empire of Yutang that had emerged victorious still paid the price of hundreds of thousands of casualties in that war! The blood of the warriors who had sacrificed themselves in that battle had not even dried, their perished bodies still warm, their souls not yet at peace, yet Han Sanhe had come to Tiantang City so easily! How could it not cause a commotion?
Waves of sinister undercurrents gushed unabatedly in streets; the impact of his arrival was unprecedentedly huge.
"Letter of credence of peace states that those who come are all guests; the festive event of militants is to be ended with a merry drink. This event has never taken place before and shall remain unparalleled for years after; it is to be praised through the ages, its renown to remain immortal. Do not bring shame to our heroes and do not let guilt taint them."
The shortly-worded flyers were sent to each family and household by tens of thousands of soldiers.
Three soldiers formed a team – one to knock on the door, one to step forth with a bow and present the flyer with both hands while the last was to carry the humongous stack of flyers.
"Please understand. This is the wish of countless brothers, thank you for abiding by it."
Each family, each inn, each shop had been sent one of these flyers.
As long as there was someone inhabiting the place, the soldiers of Yutang would send a flyer over.
Other than being an enemy, those who had come bore the ident.i.ty as a militant; they were as loyal as any Yutang warrior. They had come to celebrate Tie Zheng’s wedding as a soldier, they had come representing countless Dongxuan warriors. Even if both sides held different standpoints, there should be adequate respect given during this occasion; resentment and grudge should only be resolved in the battlefield after this, and no one was to act rashly.
The vicious undercurrents were pacified instantly.
The elderlies who had not been sent flyers had opened their doors early in the day, making food and preparing tea to serve at their doors. When they saw the soldiers who were distributing the flyers coming over, all of them tried their best to make them welcome.
"Child, work hard, fight hard!"
"Take care! We understand you!"
"Child, kill a few more men when you return to the battlefield. My second son has died at the Fortress of Resilience. When I see you, I see my child coming back home… You must have something to eat and drink, and rest a little before you leave!"
"You have worked so hard!"
An elderly woman gripped the soldier’s hand tightly as she gently stroked the saber scar on his face; love and sympathy filled her expression…
"Oh, child, how you’ve suffered…"
…
All the soldiers who had gone to distribute the flyers came back with full stomachs and red-rimmed eyes.
…
Silence filled the city as well as the top of the city wall.
Silence filled the outside of the city as well.
Half of the generals in this continent had gathered here, their flags fluttering merrily in the wind.
Han Sanhe emerged from his tent and made his way to a small hill that was slightly higher than it"s surroundings to gaze upon Tiantang City.
The autumn wind blew strong, so violently that one had to stagger against it.
In spite of this, Han Sanhe stood quietly, looking into the distance at the flags above Tiantang City, at the Yutang soldiers who looked exceptionally spirited at Tiantang City. He remained statuesque, just gazing faraway.
"Marshal." Zhan Ge approached with a cape on his arm.
Han Sanhe waved his hand to stop him and continued to gaze, murmuring, "Yutang... its destiny as a nation has not yet diminished!"
Zhan Ge and another two men widened their eyes and looked into the distance as they stood behind Han Sanhe… Marshal, where are you seeing this? How is it that we can’t see a thing?
"Do you all know?" Han Sanhe spoke softly, "There are so many countries in the continent, many other countries that are preparing to strike against us, but this old man has never held them in high regard. It was only when we went against Yutang that this old man made a move, even when I knew it was a ploy. Haven"t you wondered why? I suppose you it wouldn"t have mattered before the war, but weren"t you curious?"
The three of them were stunned and carefully recalled the incident that had happened all these years ago.
Han Sanhe would only take things into his own hands when there was war with the Empire of Yutang. If it were with the other nations, he would send either one of them or the other generals and ignore it himself.
They had only thought that the marshal regarded himself highly and couldn"t care less about striking out by himself but it seemed that there was another reason now.
"May I ask Marshal why is this so?" Zhan Ge scratched his head and asked in confusion.
"The ranking of the continent’s notable generals is terribly confusing, but there several points to note that are contained within."
Han Sanhe squinted his eyes against the autumn wind and said faintly, "Have you all noticed that the Empire of Yutang has taken seventeen spots out of the current top fifty notable generals in this continent? This ratio is higher than any other nation."
"As for the top ten notable generals, Yutang’s proportion in it is even more frightening. They’ve taken up to three spots!" Han Sanhe continued softly, "Perhaps you three don’t know about this, but back in the day, the Empire of Yutang took up to seven spots in the top ten ranking of the continent’s most notable generals!"
"Seven spots?" Mu Wuyun and Gao Han were shocked to hear it.
Zhan Ge was stunned as well, asking, "Is this because of the Shangguan Family of Generals?"
"Exactly. Among the seven spots then, five of them belonged to the Shangguan Family of Generals while the other two were Yutang’s old marshals who had pa.s.sed on long ago. In spite of this, Yutang’s glorious military feats in those years had indeed subdued the world! Even when this old man thinks about it now, the fear still outs.h.i.+nes the surprise within. If it weren’t for the conspiracy that time where the three nations had set up ambushes from all thirty-six sides and killed all of Yutang’s Shangguan Family of Generals, this world might have already become Yutang’s territory."
Han Sanhe’s voice was grim. "Although Yutang had been powerless to expand its territory after that battle, its upcoming marshals and generals were all splendid in their own terms. Regardless of the years, Yutang’s generals will always be more abundant and stronger than those from the other countries’."
"Do you know why this is so?"
Han Sanhe’s voice was growing even more solemn.
"Why?" Gao Han was reluctant to accept the fact. "How is it that Yutang’s men are so gifted in military prowess? Is it because they are terribly talented?"
"No!" Han Sanhe said indifferently, "Yutang’s strength lies within its geography. Since the Empire of Yutang was formed, its capital has always been in Tiantang City. The border of Empire of Yutang sits at the central area of half of this continent."
"The strongest feature of the Empire of Yutang is that it is surrounded by enemies!"
Han Sanhe heaved a long sigh. "The generals of Empire of Yutang are deployed to wars almost every year. Every general is a warrior who has fought in the battlefield and gone through a hundred wars!"
"When I say go through a hundred wars, I meant it literally. As for the other four empires, Dongxuan, Dayuan, Tianci, and Ziyou, other than a handful of generals, the reputation of going through a hundred wars honored upon the rest of them is only a decorative name, high-sung praise. Except for those belonging to Yutang, rare is the general who would dare say that he has gone through a hundred wars. In reality, there are probably less than thirty who have fought so many wars throughout the continent."
"Yet, the Empire of Yutang’s generals have all truly gone through a hundred wars! Several hundred, even!"
"They no longer fight with their lIves, but are fighting all their lives! Can you all understand the difference?"
"The wars we’ve faced were mostly fighting against another force but the Empire of Yutang’s soldiers are fighting the east, the south, the west, then the north. Possibly, they have to fight northeast, southwest, so on and so forth."
"Because even if they didn"t initiate the war, we would have attached them anyway! It’s a never-ending cycle, no one has a choice in it."
"Going through such a cycle, those who have experienced hundreds of wars and managed to stay alive… how can they not be terrifying?"
"Unfortunately, there is no nation on the continent that can avoid Yutang if they go on their conquest to expand their territory."
Han Sanhe sighed, weary after having spoken so much. "Therefore… the world acknowledges Yutang’s prowess! They will never be able to deny it."
"I am an old man now. Even if I insist on holding on, I can’t be fighting more than a few more years of war. But all of you must remember, you must never take things lightly, no matter which of the Empire of Yutang’s generals you may face on the battlefield in future, renowned or otherwise. If Yutang maintains its reign, the Empire of Yutang will eventually conquer to this world."
"Yutang has wiped out first; only then will other countries have the chance to compete."
"This is also why the four empires rarely declare war on each other but have focused on efforts on Yutang instead."
Han Sanhe said softly, "Yutang, foe of the world! The world shudders in fear at the name!"
"Look now, there are soldiers on the city wall." Han Sanhe’s gaze went up, as did other three men’s.