Chapter 25 The Shift

The situation had undergone a dramatic shift. In an instant, the inner compound now boasted over four hundred, nearly five hundred elite soldiers, and about a hundred more Zhuang Ding guards who were still capable fighters. It wasn't impregnable, but with the local garrisons and Jianghu gangs, even if they still numbered close to two thousand, they wouldn't be able to breach it.

"Damn it, they're probably going to use the villagers as shields," Huo Dong suddenly warned. Zheluo, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow, deeply agreeing.

"General, let's charge out and kill them all. Then there won't be any problems," Zheluo said, looking hopefully at Huo Dong.

Huo Dong frowned, then nodded. "Let's do it."

Zheluo immediately shot a "rally for attack" signal into the air. This kind of signal arrow was originally a very useful command for tribal cavalry in chaotic battles. Now, a complete set of signal arrows with different tones and combinations had become one of the standard military orders of the Yunzhou army, making things much more convenient.

Even as the arrow's echo still reverberated, Xu Yao led his men back to the mountain gate. He knew that he only needed to clear out a portion of the enemy. The next task should be left to the Special Operations Battalion and the Zhuang Ding, who were more adept at street fighting and familiar with the terrain. The cavalry should still focus on their specialty: charging and annihilating the enemy. But he also sent the lightly and seriously wounded to Fuxin Courtyard. After the Special Operations Battalion arrived, Fuxin Courtyard quickly drove out the enemy. After hearing the signal arrow, although they hadn't yet asked what the plan was, Fuxin Courtyard sent ten guards and twenty Special Operations Battalion soldiers, bringing the last ballista and the final twenty fire oil bombs.

"Please give the order, General." The instant gathering of over two hundred men stirred Huo Dong's heart. But he could see that Xu Yao held a high rank. The guards addressed him as "Vice-Overseer Xu," so he naturally had to yield the authority to command.

"I wouldn't dare," Xu Yao politely returned the greeting. "General, you've worked hard. We're about to attack, so it doesn't matter who gives the order."

Xu Yao's modesty made Huo Dong feel very comfortable. He bowed slightly and said, "In that case, let's attack."

Over two hundred elite soldiers, a mix of infantry and cavalry, launched an attack with the precise support of several fire oil bombs. They instantly scattered the enemies below. Then, the Zhuang Ding and retainers of Wanke Manor who followed rushed down to escort the villagers who hadn't had time to retreat into the hidden tunnels back to the inner compound. At this time, Jin Jie Gang and Fu Chong's troops, after seeing the Eagle Hall experts carrying the dying "envoy" fleeing, also clamored to run away.

The dozens of men from the Special Operations Battalion who were maintaining the passage wouldn't let them. They immediately organized a search and kill operation against the enemies who were climbing down the mountain and trying to escape. The Special Operations Battalion soldiers, who were specially trained in mountain warfare and were extremely skilled, achieved extraordinary results. But the enemy was too numerous, and they were about to escape.

Just then, the rumble of horses' hooves sounded again not far away. Judging by the formation, it should be another team of over a hundred but less than two hundred riders. This time, the expressions of Gui Weilian, Fu Chong, Zhou Rui, Huo Dong, Xu Yao, and everyone else changed. They all thought it was the enemy's reinforcements...

The newcomers didn't launch an attack. They simply positioned about a hundred cavalrymen in front of the manor gate, lined up in three neat rows. These cavalrymen weren't wearing armor, but their saddlebags contained sabers, short bows, and quivers, fully revealing their identities. In the very front of the formation, the middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader apparently hadn't expected to see this scene. His expression was truly wonderful. But his playful expression of stroking his chin sent a chill down Fu Chong's spine, who was now desperate to secure an escape route.

Incredibly, Fu Chong didn't beg for mercy but gathered his soldiers to try to force his way through. The desperate Gui Weilian also followed Fu Chong, urging the chaotic and disorganized gang members who were squeezing out of the manor gate to gather together in a noisy mob.

The troops of Ye Tao and Huo Dong, who had already achieved a great victory and controlled the situation in the manor, didn't understand the situation and stopped their continued assault, forming a defensive line and adopting a confrontational posture.

"General Huo, how about we raise our military banner to show our identity?" Xu Yao whispered to Huo Dong at this time. Whether to raise the banner, and whose banner to raise, was a matter of great importance. But the current situation didn't allow Huo Dong much time to think. He had already learned Xu Yao's identity. He was amazed by Xu Yao's status as a son of a super aristocratic family and the lofty position of second-in-command of the Jingyun Cavalry. But he was even more amazed that this guy didn't stay obediently in Yunzhou. Instead, he had led a cavalry team thousands of miles, enduring wind and rain, and secretly traveled to protect Ye Tao in case of an emergency? Was Ye Tao's position so important? He naturally wouldn't know that the guys from the Blood Kirin Army in Xu Yao's cavalry team were all prominent sons of aristocratic families. Now, Dongping's eagerness for war, its pursuit of war, and its search for new stimulation and enjoyment in military activities had made this kind of rare long-distance stealth pursuit extremely attractive to everyone. For most of the Chunnan officers, this was simply beyond their imagination.

Faced with such a person's polite and earnest inquiry, Huo Dong thought for a moment and agreed. "Very well." He had figured it out. Although Fu Chong would definitely be pursued, he was at least still flying the banner of the Chunnan army, and raising his own banner wouldn't help to clarify his identity, but would complicate the situation.

A flag with a tree-shaped emblem was raised high, fluttering in the cool breeze of this grim night. This wasn't a military flag, but Ye Tao's command flag. As the Yunzhou Pacification Commissioner, although Ye Tao might not actually lead an army as a commander, his greater role was to build and develop Yunzhou. But he had this authority, this obligation, and this ability and prestige. And this complex unit led by Xu Yao would have no problem fighting under Ye Tao's command flag. If it was the Blood Kirin Army's military flag or the Yunzhou Command Headquarters' military flag, then people would inevitably have doubts. And although Xu Yao was used to being arrogant, he didn't have a habit of embarrassing people. If he raised the Dongping military flag, then Huo Dong would have a hard time explaining things to his colleagues and superiors in the future.

The leader of the small cavalry team on the opposite side saw Ye Tao's command flag at first sight. The expression on his face became even more complicated. But his right hand slowly raised and then waved down. The three rows of cavalry behind him immediately drew their weapons and charged towards the remnants caught in the middle. Although these soldiers weren't wearing heavy armor, they were skilled in archery and horsemanship, their assassination movements were standard and fierce, and their coordination with their horses was first-class. They were truly a very strong cavalry unit. Their superb basic skills impressed even the always proud soldiers of the Blood Kirin Army, the Iron Cloud Cavalry, and the Jingyun Cavalry. But an even bigger problem arose: who was this guy?

Xu Yao also knew that this problem could definitely be solved today, but if he didn't act fast enough, it would really be dawn soon. He immediately called for a full-scale attack, and for a time, the shouts of killing shook the sky.

Under the two-pronged attack, Jin Jie Gang and Fu Chong's troops quickly collapsed. In less than half an hour, the battle ended. A large number of soldiers and gang members surrendered their weapons. Under the threat of flashing swords, the Jianghu figures could only submit. Gui Weilian and Fu Chong, knowing that they couldn't escape, actually committed suicide by poison in the chaos, preferring death to being interrogated. This behavior, coupled with the previously identified Mo Leng, made people strongly suspect the motives of the Daoming Sect.

"Friend, where are you from? Are your brothers also on the military payroll?" Xu Yao carefully led a few cavalrymen and came to the middle-aged leader, asking politely but boldly.

"Are you Ye Pacification Commissioner's men? Which unit?" the man asked back.

"Jingyun Cavalry, Xu Yao... and this is Chunnan Imperial Guard, Colonel Huo Dong, Huo Dong." Xu Yao pulled over Huo Dong, who had come to understand the situation, and introduced him.

The man smiled generously and said, "Oh, you're all together. ... I am Gao Senqi from the Northern Liao Flying Tiger Battalion."

With a series of *shing* sounds, both sides drew their weapons, on the verge of a confrontation. The name Gao Senqi was very familiar to the people from Yunzhou, and to the Blood Kirin Army and Imperial Guard soldiers who were familiar with military affairs. Especially Yunzhou, which had spared no effort in investigating and studying this general they were likely to deal with in the future. Gao Senqi commanded the most elite Flying Tiger Battalion of the Northern Liao Western Route Army: a cavalry unit whose combat power shouldn't be underestimated. Yunzhou, which was also dominated by cavalry, especially the Iron Cloud Cavalry, Jingyun Cavalry, and the Frost Wolf Silver Wing Armies, was quite wary of Gao Senqi and the Flying Tiger Battalion. Unexpectedly, Gao Senqi had come before them at this moment, and the Flying Tiger Battalion and them had actually fought the same opponent, seeing each other's skills.

Xu Yao said calmly, "This is Chunnan. And we are currently at peace with Northern Liao. Put away your weapons."

Both sides put away their weapons. Xu Yao cautiously asked, "General Gao, may I ask how your unit came to be here?"

Gao Senqi replied, "I came to find Pacification Commissioner Ye. I didn't dare to travel from Yunzhou through Dongping, so I had to take a boat and land at Jining Port. I really didn't expect to run into you here. Originally, I thought I'd only meet him in Jinzhou or Yuhang."

"Pacification Commissioner Ye is in the manor. May I ask what urgent business you have, General Gao?" Xu Yao asked.

"Military affairs, political affairs." Gao Senqi looked calm. "General Xu, please introduce me. I'll go see Pacification Commissioner Ye alone. I believe Pacification Commissioner Ye is a man of great measure. You can handle such a large group of rabble, so you shouldn't be afraid of me alone, right?"

"In that case... General Gao, please bring your men into the manor to rest. Organizing the manor will be a bit chaotic, but food and water will be arranged immediately," Xu Yao invited.

Gao Senqi didn't hesitate and readily agreed. "Alright."

With Xu Yao's reputation and status, and with the sense of military honor that the Yunzhou armies usually emphasized, since he had said he would entertain them, Gao Senqi wouldn't act like a petty man and question anything. And indeed, as Xu Yao had said, although there would definitely be a war between the two countries, it wasn't now.

Gao Senqi didn't bring any guards, following Xu Yao alone to Fuxin Courtyard. Wang Shi and Wang An were busy urgently reorganizing the manor, and those left in Fuxin Courtyard were all people close to Ye Tao. The guards carefully searched from the center outwards, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. But in the main hall, Ye Tao, Feng Zi, and others had already taken off their armor, put down their weapons, and were chatting and laughing. The losses in all aspects were indeed not small. Although Wanke Manor hadn't been burned down, it had experienced a medium-scale battle, and Ye Tao's soldiers had thrown a lot of fire oil bombs, so there was a lot of damage everywhere. Wang Shi, Wang An, and even all the Wang family members didn't care. It wasn't just that they were rich and generous, but the compensation Ye Tao gave them was really tempting. Ye Tao was preparing to give the Wang family the secondary agency rights for Yunzhou horses in Chunnan... basically, they had latched onto Yunzhou, and since Chunnan was currently buying a large number of military horses from Yunzhou, there was a high demand for horses from both the military and the civilians. The military could directly contact Dongping or Yunzhou, but those aristocratic and wealthy families couldn't. With this agency right, the Wang family could not only benefit greatly in business, but also develop many relationships they couldn't have climbed before, if they operated it properly.

In the main hall, Ye Tao and Feng Zi, who were chatting and laughing, saw Xu Yao, smiled, stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and exchanged greetings, asking about the battle situation. And seeing that Xu Yao had brought someone, he naturally knew that this was Gao Senqi, who would likely become a formidable enemy in the future. He couldn't help but take a close look at him.

At this moment, Gao Senqi was also looking at Ye Tao and Feng Zi. One was the Yunzhou Pacification Commissioner, and the other, although his official position seemed not high, was actually the head of Yunzhou's civil service system. Such figures were not people that a Northern Liao general like him could meet whenever he wanted to.

Gao Senqi had also considered that if he was willing to risk his life to kill these two guys who didn't know martial arts, then maybe his life would be much better in the future. But seeing that Liu Yong and Guan Huan were by their side, and Zhou Rui, Wu Pingan, Bi Xiaoqing, and others were cleaning up in the courtyard, Gao Senqi gave up this plan.

"Pacification Commissioner Ye," Gao Senqi asked with interest, "I happened to be here. I moved my hands and feet but I still don't understand what's going on here. How dare the Chunnan local garrison attack your Excellency?"

Ye Tao didn't intend to reveal the matter of the Hidden Dragon Casket to him either. He waved his hand and said, "This is not for outsiders to know. But you, General Gao, why are you here? How could your Western Route Army be willing to let you out to play?"

"I came specifically for your Excellency." Gao Senqi said bluntly, "To ask your Excellency for a favor."

"Oh? Please speak."

"Everyone knows that in a few years, there will definitely be a war between our two countries. Our two sides are the main force in the future war, but it seems meaningless to engage in all kinds of small battles now. My father's idea is that we each take a step back. Fighting to the death is something for the future, but for these few years, should we just calm down, those who should train should train, those who should prepare should prepare, those who should repair fortresses should repair fortresses, those who should do business should do business. What does your Excellency think?" Gao Senqi spoke too directly, making Feng Zi's eyes look strange.

Regardless of whether he agreed, Ye Tao would probably be attacked by censors just for contacting Gao Senqi like this... well, maybe not. The head of the Censorate was now Qu Yan, Feng Zi's father. But there would always be other people who would be ignorant of current affairs and jump out. But in fact, everyone understood that for the current Yunzhou and the Northern Liao Western Route Army, this temporary ceasefire agreement was the most ideal state. Yunzhou needed an absolutely stable and peaceful environment to complete a series of constructions and transformations without being distracted by anything. Although not a soldier, Feng Zi also knew that Dai Yun had mentioned many times that the re-equipping and training were too rushed, and the battlefield coordination ability was not as good as before, which would cause big problems. The various units at the battalion level needed large-scale combined training to cultivate mutual understanding, while tense small-scale border confrontations were meaningless. As for Northern Liao, they naturally hoped that smooth trade routes would allow them to arm their troops more easily, so that they wouldn't be too far behind Yunzhou and Dongping in military equipment in these few years. Although everyone in the era of cold weapons thought that the brave would win when they met on a narrow road, it would obviously be better if the brave had a sharper knife in their hands.

"Oh? I have no problem. The trouble with the buffer zone on the border, didn't everyone not fight in the end? If your side feels that you need an oral or written agreement, I can give it to you. Indeed, this is in the interests of both sides. But, if our two sides stop fighting, can your father withstand it? Can you withstand it? It is said that several ministers in the Northern Liao court have wanted to kick General Gao Pei out for a long time. They have been coveting your Western Route Army, especially the Flying Tiger Battalion. If we stop fighting for two years, can your family withstand the pressure from the court?" Ye Tao's curious tone greatly suppressed the provocative meaning in his tone.

"This is also why I came to your Excellency to ask for a favor." Gao Senqi grinned.

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Sorry, this chapter is a bit long and late.