Chapter 783 Turtle Shell

"It doesn't matter, the child can take my surname."

After this sentence was uttered,

Both sides of the desk fell silent for a long time.

Du Gu Mu looked at Qu Pei Luo,

and said:

"I never expected to hear those words from your mouth."

How self-deprecating, how demeaning to one's dignity, how obsequious must one be to say such a thing?

It was even more servile than a slave.

In truth, Du Gu Mu was much older than Qu Pei Luo's grandfather, but because he and Qu Tian Nan had both been Four Pillars of Great Chu, he was considered to be on the same level as Qu Tian Nan, and Qu Pei Luo called him Uncle.

"I am curious, have you ever considered what your father would think if he heard you say those words just now?"

Qu Pei Luo didn't hesitate,

and answered directly:

"He would be very gratified."

"Heh."

Du Gu Mu stood up and said, "You're insane. The centuries of glory and dignity of the Qu clan have been completely trampled upon by you."

"The Qu clan is already gone. Who are the remaining glory and dignity for?"

Qu Pei Luo also stood up.

"Go back and defend the city. It won't be long before I come to erase the stain your father left on this world."

"Uncle Du Gu, have you heard a saying? When something has fallen to the very bottom, it has only two possible outcomes.

Either it will be annihilated and cease to exist,

or

it will rise again."

A smile appeared on the corner of Du Gu Mu's mouth. "I didn't expect that you and those Fan surname lackeys in Fan City still harbor such unrealistic fantasies.

You,

have no chance.

I admit that the Yan people's sabers are indeed sharp, but the Yan people cannot ride their horses over Mount Meng. Even if the waterways were not blocked and Mount Meng was not controlled by the Great General, who could save you?"

Qu Pei Luo shook his head and said:

"I used to be as confident as you, Uncle Du Gu. Do you believe in fate?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't."

"Then why ask me?"

"I don't know."

The two stopped speaking, turned, mounted their horses, and left.

Soon,

bugle calls echoed from the Chu army's camp. The Chu army formed an orderly battle formation and began to advance. Among the formations were many siege weapons.

On the city wall, Qu Pei Luo saw this scene and said to Fan Zheng Wen, who was standing beside him:

"I thought I had delayed Du Gu Mu for two days, but in reality, he wasn't idle either. He was building siege equipment."

"Then did we gain or lose?" Fan Zheng Wen asked.

"We still gained. Two more days to cleanse the city and stabilize morale. Otherwise, with the initial situation, the city would have already collapsed, and it would have been impossible to defend it."

"It's good that we gained, it's good that we gained. In big business, not losing is a big win. Gaining a little is a windfall."

"Go down and stabilize the people's hearts. I'll command from the city wall."

"Alright."

Fan Zheng Wen readily agreed.

The Chu army attacked the city for almost an entire day, only ceasing when the sun was about to set.

Fan City had withstood the day.

Night fell, and torches were lit.

Qu Pei Luo sat on the steps of the city wall, leaning on a saber.

Fan Zheng Wen came up with a bowl of noodles and handed it to Qu Pei Luo, along with a pot of water.

Qu Pei Luo didn't take the bowl of noodles, but instead held out his hand.

Fan Zheng Wen understood and poured out the water for Qu Pei Luo to wash his hands.

After washing his hands, Qu Pei Luo began to eat the noodles.

Fan Zheng Wen sat down beside him and said, "This day was so hard to get through. Several times I thought we were going to collapse."

Some busybodies had commented that the Yan kingdom was known for its cavalry, the Great Chu for its infantry, and the Jin kingdom for its famous generals. The Jin kingdom's fame was due to the division of Jin into three states, each with its own thirteen bodyguards and seven great protectors. With so many official positions, "famous generals" naturally became more common.

As for the Qian kingdom, it was a jack-of-all-trades.

Therefore, the Chu army's ability to attack cities was indeed very strong, much more professional and formidable than the Yan people who had started attacking cities in front of Zhen Nan Pass with a last-minute effort.

But Qu Pei Luo still held on.

"The first day has passed. The second day will be a little easier," Qu Pei Luo said.

After all, the soldiers had gained experience and would no longer be as flustered as they were on the first day.

"Will it get better and better?" Fan Zheng Wen asked.

"If we hold on for a few more days, morale will collapse even if the city doesn't fall."

"More distribution of wealth?" Fan Zheng Wen asked.

"Having money but no life to spend it," Qu Pei Luo shook his head. "Let's just try to hold on for each day as it comes."

The next day,

the Chu army began attacking the city again. Arrows flew across the city walls, trebuchets smashed against them, the Chu army swarmed up the walls, and the defending soldiers, under Qu Pei Luo's command, rushed around to plug the gaps.

The battle continued until dusk, when the Chu army retreated.

For dinner, Fan Zheng Wen brought steamed buns, modeled after the style of Marquis Pingxi of Fengxin City, stuffed buns.

Qu Pei Luo took a bite and said:

"This can indeed boost morale."

Giving the soldiers stuffed buns was a surprise when they bit into them, and it also implied that there were sufficient food supplies.

"Today was indeed a little easier than yesterday."

"Go and reassure the people in the city."

"Don't worry, leave the matters inside the city to me. By the way, can we hold out tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, it will be on the north side."

On the third day,

as the Chu army arrayed on the south side and began a new day of attacking, the flag of Nian Yao appeared outside the north wall, and a sudden attack was launched.

But the north wall of Fan City was prepared early on. To be precise, Qu Pei Luo had always placed the direct lineage troops he had brought with him at the north gate. They had not been dispatched during the urgent and anxious moments of the previous two days. Fan Zheng Wen had also received many complaints from the Fan family's retainers, who believed that Qu Pei Luo was cherishing his own troops and deliberately allowing the Fan family's men to be consumed.

Fan Zheng Wen naturally suppressed these noises without hesitation. This Fan family head had self-awareness. He didn't understand fighting, but he knew how not to hold back.

Nian Yao's offensive was very swift, especially with the Yue tribesmen he brought with him carrying ladders straight up the walls. Their climbing ability was very strong, and their movements were agile and fast. The captured servant troops also wanted to perform, and could not be said to be lacking effort.

But it still failed to achieve any results. After failing to produce results under the initial bloodthirsty stimulation, the offensive once again faltered. Seeing this, Nian Yao had to order the retreat early.

The Chu army's siege on the south side still carried a steady pressure. After gaining experience from the previous two days, the Fan City defenders had also mastered the rhythm of defending the city. In addition, at noon, the Fan mansion's female relatives personally went to the city wall to deliver food and drink and take care of the wounded, greatly boosting morale. Du Gu Mu noticed that today's attack would not succeed, so the afternoon's siege was perfunctory, and he retreated early.

"It's the third day."

Fan Zheng Wen brought two dishes, a soup, and rice today.

Qu Pei Luo ate alone by a small table propped against the city wall, without sharing the exquisite dishes with the wounded or the soldiers around him;

He ate slowly and deliberately.

After drinking a mouthful of soup, Qu Pei Luo looked at Fan Zheng Wen and said, "Go and spread some news, saying that we've received a letter from the Yan people and that the Yan army is coming soon."

"Do we have to use this trick so soon?"

"Do you think we defended quite steadily today?"

"Yes."

"Usually, things are very stable before a collapse. Holding out for reinforcements, holding out for reinforcements. Without hope, we won't be able to hold on."

"I know what you mean, but I thought we could drag it out for a few more days."

"I don't like to gamble."

"Me neither," Fan Zheng Wen echoed.

"Let's treat every day as if it's the last."

"Okay."

…

"This Qu Pei Luo has something, he has something."

General Nian was in his tent, arms akimbo, sighing with emotion.

"Great General, we will definitely be able to climb the city wall tomorrow."

"Yes, Great General, let my division be the vanguard. My division is willing to fight to the death for the Great General!"

Faced with the requests for battle from these "mountain kings" and "water bandits," General Nian nodded heavily and said:

"Good, everyone is doing their best to serve the imperial court. This general guarantees with his general's position that the imperial court will never fail to live up to everyone's efforts and loyalty!"

"Thank you, Great General!"

"Thank you, Great General!"

"Everyone, go back and rest and comfort your troops. Tomorrow, we have to attack the city again."

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

After dismissing this group of "bandits," General Nian sat down on the carpet.

There was a brazier in the tent, making it a little stuffy. He unconsciously unfastened the neck clasp of his armor and tugged at it to let some air in.

Fan City had not fallen in one battle or collapsed on its own as he had imagined, but instead presented a gradually stabilizing posture.

This situation made Nian Yao a little烦恼.

At this moment, a personal guard came to report:

"Great General, the Du Gu family has sent a messenger."

"Let him in."

"Yes."

The messenger was very young. After entering the tent, he took the initiative to salute Nian Yao, but instead of kneeling down according to military regulations, he gave a half-salute:

"Greetings, Great General!"

Nian Yao raised his head and looked at the messenger. There was no one else in the tent at this time.

Immediately,

the Great General knelt down directly:

"This slave greets Eighth Prince and pays his respects to Eighth Prince."

The messenger was none other than the eighth son of the former emperor of Great Chu, who had sat on a pleasure boat with the sword-maker during the Wangjiang Battle, overlooking the battlefield and urinating into the wind.

Eighth Prince was intelligent at a young age and had chosen the right side early on;

The Jingnan Prince of Yan broke Ying Du, and a fire in Ying Du burned to death those princes who had been captured during the former princes' rebellion and imprisoned in Ying Du City.

Therefore, there were not many brothers left of the Regent.

One was Fifth Prince Xiong Tingshan, who was still being heavily used;

The other was the eighth brother whom the Regent had always favored;

Nian Yao was not born into nobility, nor was he born as an external subject, but as a slave. In the past, he was a slave in the Fourth Prince's mansion. Now that the Fourth Prince had become the Regent and was about to ascend the throne, he was naturally a slave of the royal family.

And the Eighth Prince, who had once eaten wine on the Mi Jiang boat and whose boat had collided with Nian Yao's, was no longer the callow and arrogant youth of that time. He immediately stepped forward and helped Nian Yao up:

"Great General, this is a military camp. How can you, as the commander of an army, kneel?"

As he spoke,

Eighth Prince was about to kneel down as well.

Nian Yao immediately got up and said, "Absolutely not, Your Highness."

The master and servant exchanged "greetings" and "pleasantries." Eighth Prince Xiong Qing An sat down, but firmly refused to sit in Nian Yao's commander's seat, instead sitting in the lower seat.

"What is going on with Du Gu, Pillar of the State, that he would actually send Your Highness as a messenger?"

Fan City was not a standard square city. When the Fan family built it, they focused on its military role, so it was somewhat similar to the layout of Xuehai Pass, built along the mountains.

Although the north and south were not completely separated, it was very inconvenient to deploy formations and attack the city in other directions. It was also dangerous to pass through, because the army could not encircle the city as tightly as it usually did when attacking cities on the plains.

"It was I who took the initiative to volunteer. I wanted to come and see the Great General. Before I came out, His Majesty had instructed me to listen, see, and learn as much as possible from the Great General."

Nian Yao naturally put on another surprised and grateful expression, and Eighth Prince got up slightly again. The two exchanged another round of pleasantries.

Then,

Eighth Prince opened his mouth and asked:

"General, I observe that this Fan City has high and steep walls. The effectiveness of the siege in these past few days has not been satisfactory. What are your thoughts on this?"

"The one defending the city on the opposite side is Qu Pei Luo."

"Of course I know this."

"The former eldest son of the Qu clan, from a family with a deep scholarly background, and having received personal instructions from his father during his lifetime, although he has now betrayed the ancestral temple and the state, his abilities are still not lacking."

"To be honest, General, I am a little surprised. In the past, this Qu Pei Luo was also treated as a joke in Ying Du. Who would have thought that he would actually have some ability."

"Your Highness, you must know that I still have the nickname 'Nian Turtle' on my forehead."

Nian Yao did not directly say "Nian Great Turtle."

"That's true, it's hard to blame him for constantly losing to that Marquis Pingxi."

"It's not just Qu Pei Luo. The Fan rebel's family head, that Fan Zheng Wen, is also a talented man in managing his territory. This is also undeniable.

This Fan City,

if it didn't have Qu Pei Luo, it might have been captured on the first day;

if it didn't have Fan Zheng Wen, it should have already been breached.

One is good at military command, and the other is good at management and pacification. The two are indispensable.

Precisely because they are both there, this Fan City is really becoming a tough bone to crack."

"Alas, in this way, it is a loss for my Great Chu."

Qu Pei Luo was the son of a Pillar of the State, and according to the rules, he would have inherited his father's position as Pillar of the State if nothing unexpected had happened;

Fan Zheng Wen was also a house slave of the Qu clan.

This pair of partners were originally Chu people, and prominent figures in Chu. They should have served Great Chu, but now, they are resisting the Chu army in the city.

"Your Highness, it is not appropriate to express such emotions at this time."

"I misspoke. By the way, Great General, how long do you think it will take to capture this Fan City?"

"It may be captured tomorrow, or it may be able to hold out for another seven or eight days."

"Is there a shortage of food in the city?" Eighth Prince asked.

"There is no shortage of food."

"Then how can you be sure…"

"The Fan family's lair has been taken down by me, a slave. There should still be surplus grain in the city, enough to supply it for two or three months, but the city should be short of arrows."

"Oh…" Eighth Prince seemed to understand.

"Your Highness, rest assured, Fan City is like a cooked duck, it can't fly away."

"Half a month later, it will be the day of my imperial brother's official enthronement. I only hope to use this Fan City to congratulate my imperial brother."

Nian Yao nodded and said, "This matter has always been kept in mind by this slave."

"Can you do it?"

"Definitely."

…

Fourth day, dusk.

The Chu army retreated.

Qu Pei Luo had been hit by an arrow and was bandaging his wound.

To be precise, he had been hit by three arrows, but two of them were stuck in the gaps of his armor, and only one arrow had pierced his body.

Fan Zheng Wen broke the steamed bun and fed it to Qu Pei Luo's mouth. After a few bites, he fed him a mouthful of water.

"Is there any silver left in the treasury?" Qu Pei Luo asked.

"Yes, there is still a small treasury. I originally planned to take it out and distribute it tomorrow. Shall I order it to be taken out and distributed now?"

"No need, send it to the city wall tomorrow morning. Let's use silver to smash people."

"Are you joking?"

"You were the one who joked with me first."

"Why?"

"Why did you save so much silver and wealth but not save more arrows?"

"Are we running out?"

"We're already using them sparingly."

"We clearly stored a lot."

"It's still too little."

"Alas, why can't they shoot more accurately."

"Heh, if they were all sharpshooters who could hit the bullseye from a hundred paces, I could just take them out of the city and defeat the Chu army."

"I neglected that, I really have no experience, next time… I hope there will be a next time."

"Things will get even more difficult next."

Without arrows, they would not be able to suppress the Chu army, but would instead be suppressed by the Chu people's arrows. The probability of melee combat would greatly increase, and the difference in the quality of soldiers would become apparent.

"It's my fault, it's my fault."

Qu Pei Luo took another sip of water and said, "The Regent is about to formally ascend the throne. Our heads are the best gifts for his enthronement."

"So…"

"Next, the Chu army's siege will become even more frantic."

"Just like you always said a few days ago, let's try to hold on for each day as it comes," Fan Zheng Wen said with a smile.

"What are you waiting for?"

"It's what we are waiting for."

Hearing this, Qu Pei Luo looked at the newly bandaged wound,

and said:

"I didn't believe in fate at first. If we wait for it, I will really have to believe it."

"Is it the surname to take with the child?" Fan Zheng Wen rarely joked.

Qu Pei Luo nodded,

"Maybe we will still take advantage of it."

………

The sound of horses' hooves thundered,

Because the vanguard army, that is, Gou Mo Li's division, had completed the road opening work very well, Zheng Houye (Marquis Zheng) and the main force of the Central Army, led by the Marquis himself, had an extremely smooth journey all the way, except for the necessary rest.

"We have to hurry." Zheng Fan said to Liang Cheng beside him, "Otherwise, we won't make it in time."

Hearing this, Jin Shu Ke immediately asked:

"Houye, are you worried that Fan City will be lost?"

"No, more than that, I am worried that I won't make it in time to send a gift to my brother-in-law, who is about to ascend the throne."

Jin Shu Ke suggested: "Houye, do you want to send someone to let Gou Mo Li's division in front rest for a while, and let our army also rest for a while, otherwise, if we rush to Fan City, it will be good if Fan City is still in the hands of the Fan family, but if it has been captured by the Chu army, our army will be exhausted, and we may be taken advantage of by the Chu army."

"Order the entire army not to rest or delay, and continue to advance at full speed."

Obviously, Zheng Houye rejected this suggestion.

"Does Houye already have a strategy in mind?"

Jin Shu Ke had always admired Zheng Houye and regarded Zheng Houye as his role model.

Zheng Houye laughed loudly,

forcefully grabbed a handful of the mane of the Pixiu under his crotch,

and shouted:

"No, this Houye is just impatient to smash that General Nian's turtle shell!"