CHAPTER 309: CHAPTER 306: REINFORCEMENTS HAVE ARRIVED

The arrival of Song Xian’s troops was quicker than anticipated by Gao Yu’s court.

After Han Wei was killed, the morale of Gao Yu’s court wavered, and as they passed through various prefectures and counties, the stationed troops barely resisted before crumbling.

Some county gates, although tightly closed, had not a single soldier on the walls to fight against Song Xian.

Song Xian’s victories in Dai State and Xinzhou indeed had an effect. After the Qi people won and entered the cities, they refrained from looting and tried not to disturb the civilians. Even the pseudo king’s soldiers who were willing to surrender were spared.

Given this situation, the civilians who were unwillingly conscripted into the army naturally chose to flee, and none would fight desperately for the pseudo king.

This was the current situation in the Eight States, with only a few critical checkpoints guarded by the pseudo king’s loyalists to barely stabilize the morale.

After being in the Eight States territory for over a decade, loyalty to the pseudo king was limited to a small group, who, after years of stagnation, lacked the sharpness from the days of battling against Prince Guangyang.

The grand battles in the Eight States seemed to overlap with those from a decade ago. However, back then, Prince Guangyang had most of his forces requisitioned by the current Emperor, leaving only a third to defend the Eight States, a number far below Gao Yu’s army, yet the soldiers resisted fiercely.

Song Xian looked at the towering Taiyuan Prefecture City Tower in the distance. The army was ten miles away from the city’s first line of defense as he dismounted from his horse.

The city walls remained unchanged since Prince Guangyang perished there. The blood had dried on the walls, but the valor and tragic heroism persisted.

For so many years, silently observing the territory of the Eight States alongside these walls.

The people on the Taiyuan Prefecture City Tower vaguely saw Song Xian dismount and remove the helmet from his head.

"What are they doing?" the garrison soldiers couldn’t help but ask.

"Could it be they are pleading for our Emperor’s forgiveness, to leave the Eight States alive?"

This remark eased the tense atmosphere on the city walls a bit, but they all knew it was impossible—Song Xian had reached Taiyuan Prefecture so effortlessly, it was unlikely he’d give up just like that.

Sure enough, all of Song Xian’s soldiers dismounted from their horses.

Song Xian produced a bow and arrow from his back.

The garrison soldiers’ faces immediately changed dramatically: "They’re going to attack the city, they’re going to attack the city."

Before these words were even finished, someone had kicked them heavily in the chest.

How could Song Xian attack the city when soldiers were ambushed behind several lines of defense? Song Xian had arrived here travel-worn, and definitely wouldn’t recklessly attack.

Moreover, the distance was too great; Song Xian’s arrows couldn’t reach the tower, nor even pass the first line of defense.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great to discern Song Xian’s intentions. Before the garrison soldiers could understand, Song Xian shot an arrow, and the Song Family Army behind him followed by drawing their bows in unison.

"Whoosh"

The sound of the arrow rushing forth echoed.

Even knowing the arrows couldn’t reach the city walls, the garrison soldiers still showed signs of panic.

After the arrow fell.

The Deputy General of the garrison finally understood: "Is that...the place where Prince Guangyang fell?" Prince Guangyang had ridden out to engage Gao Yu and ultimately perished outside the Taiyuan Prefecture City Gate.

From Longzhou to Taiyuan, Prince Guangyang, with his small forces, retreated step by step. But retreating here, thinking of the innocent civilians within, though lacking in strength and unable to defend, he couldn’t risk having anyone open the city gates for him, lest Gao Yu’s forces take the opportunity to enter.

Thus, he fought to the death here.

Song Xian’s arrow shooting here was not to intimidate the Taiyuan Prefecture garrison commander but to pay ceremonial tribute to Prince Guangyang through "ritual archery."

Song Xian remounted his horse, gazing deeply at Taiyuan City, and loudly declared, "Prince Guangyang, reinforcements have arrived."

"Reinforcements have arrived."

Though nineteen years late, they had finally come.

The pseudo king’s generals standing on the city tower heard just these few words: reinforcements have arrived.

Countless soldiers shouted it aloud, echoing through the sky.

This was Song Xian’s declaration of war.

They had come.

By the time the news reached Du Zhuo, Song Xian had already won two small victories. The pseudo king was enraged by Song Xian’s provocation and eager to dampen Song Xian’s spirit, but things went contrary to his wishes.

Du Zhuo, looking at the map, thought some people are naturally born for the battlefield, knowing when to strike and how to control the battlefield.

Song Xian was such a person, destined to lead troops and fight battles.

While commemorating Prince Guangyang, he also boosted morale; they weren’t just reclaiming lost land, but seeking revenge, tearing open the scar of these nineteen years.

Du Zhuo harbored resentment in his heart, wishing to order Song Xian to retreat and let him be the first to reach Taiyuan Prefecture City Gates.

But even if he arrived first, he couldn’t achieve what Song Xian did.

"We must take Fen State today," Du Zhuo said with a serious expression, "We can’t afford to lose face any longer."

...

Inside the Royal Palace at Taiyuan Prefecture.

Gao Yu looked at the military general kneeling and pleading guilty, while civil servants in the hall defended him: "Even if Song Xian got lucky and won a few times, he hasn’t breached the first line of defense, he’s stopped outside the city."

Not breached the first line of defense? Was he stopped, or did he choose not to attack the city yet?

After all, the troops inside and outside the city were several times the size of Song Xian’s army, and attacking now wasn’t the best choice.

However, more troops also meant more problems, with daily consumption of vast amounts of food and forage for men and horses, Taiyuan Prefecture couldn’t hold out forever.

Moreover, once Du Zhuo leveled Fen State, he would come over too, boosting their odds.

Gao Yu hadn’t left the palace, but he had heard the rumors outside, which were spread by heavily injured soldiers claiming that Song Xian’s army seemed to have divine assistance. Although they could have dodged, they were strangely pierced. It was all because Song Xian used tricks to call back Prince Guangyang’s vengeful spirit for revenge.

Prince Guangyang died outside the city, and people from Prince Guangyang Mansion set themselves on fire inside it. When Gao Yu first established his capital, ministers advised him to leave Taiyuan Prefecture, saying Taiyuan Prefecture was ominous.

Gao Yu laughed it off, claiming that if he could kill Prince Guangyang’s men, even if Prince Guangyang became a ghost, he could still eliminate him.

On usual days, no one mentioned these things, but after a few defeats, everything was brought up again.

Prince Guangyang.

Gao Yu gnashed his teeth. Even though this person had been dead for nineteen years, he still affected the morale of Gao Yu’s troops, just like nineteen years ago, where his subordinates dared not approach to claim Prince Guangyang’s head despite unmistakable defeat.

Gao Yu slammed his palm on the table, wishing to immediately set out and defeat Song Xian in one move, to show the Qi people his might. Even though he was older, he was no less capable than before.

"We are incompetent, Your Majesty, please quell your anger," the civil and military officials knelt to plead for forgiveness.

Gao Yu coldly stated, "Tomorrow, march forth again to engage Song Xian. For those who die in battle, I will console their families; for those who lose..."

Gao Yu paused for a moment, then clearly said, "They need not meet me again; take their own lives in apology!"

The military general prostrating on the ground trembled all over and replied: "I accept the order."

Gao Yu continued, "Have you heard the rumors around town? From now on, anyone disturbing military or civilian morale, arrest and execute them immediately."

The officials responded.

Gao Yu waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

The Chief Secretary specially appointed by Gao Yu did not leave. After the palace doors were closed again, he retrieved a letter from his sleeve: "Your Majesty, Xiao Xingzong sent a letter."