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墨書 Inktalez
Han Fuqi struggled for a long time, ultimately unable to resist the inner questioning. With the city gate already half open, he felt he could not betray Zhang Jian's great kindness. Now, jumping down from the city, he fought alongside Zhou Cang, unwilling to let down Zhou Cang's brotherly bond. Ji Bu had never broken his word, and Hou Ying valued his promises; even scholars said that a gentleman dies for his friends. With sword in hand, he could not abandon Zhou Cang.
True heroes reveal their true colors; genuine gentlemen exude charm. The two stood with their swords drawn, embodying the spirit of shaking off dust from a thousand peaks and wading through rivers for miles. At this moment, Tukeli's cavalry charged forward, and the two faced them without fear, not seeking glory but only aiming to kill.
Tukeli saw Zhou Cang sever the horse's head from its body with one strike, displaying a strength that could shake heaven and earth, reminiscent of Zhu Hai reborn or Dian Wei resurrected. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Indeed, the Tang Dynasty is filled with heroes!"
That said, his steed did not slow down; instead, it suddenly accelerated like a hurricane. Zhou Cang and Han Fuqi roared in unison, truly like a dragon awakening from slumber, shaking the mountains with their battle cry!
Tukeli led the charge; his curved blade had already been severed by Xu Zhen. Drawing out a horse-slaying sword from his saddle, he harnessed the unmatched momentum of his steed to shake the very pulse of the earth. As he rushed past, the horse-slaying sword struck towards Zhou Cang with tremendous force!
Zhou Cang remained undaunted, his feet rooted like ancient trees. He crouched low and twisted his waist with power, dancing with his foreign blade like a whirlwind as he clashed head-on with Tukeli!
"Clang!"
Tukeli's horse stumbled momentarily before galloping away again; the horse-slaying sword flew out of his hand!
Zhou Cang was thrown back by the opponent's immense force, sent flying as his foreign blade was cleaved open with a terrifying gap. The back of the blade slammed heavily against his chest!
"Bang!"
Zhou Cang fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood!
Following closely were twelve or thirteen cavalrymen rushing in like a tidal wave. Just as Zhou Cang was about to be trampled underfoot, Han Fuqi jumped in front of him, holding his waist knife up at chest level with his left hand bracing against the back of the blade. Like a rock amidst crashing waves, he blocked the cavalry and protected Zhou Cang!
Tukeli dared not linger any longer; seeing that Zhou Cang and Han Fuqi had lost their fighting strength, he led his personal guards out of the city gate like lightning and wind, racing towards the Mohe Tribe's camp.
"Han brother!"
Zhou Cang held back a surge of hot blood in his chest and was about to rise when Han Fuqi suddenly collapsed!
"Han, my brother!"
Zhou Cang was filled with grief and anger as he turned Han Fuqi over, only to see that his chest and abdomen were covered in knife wounds, blood already blurring the area!
"Quick, someone come! Quick!"
The charge had been like a sudden storm. By the time the Garrison on the City Wall were awakened, Tukeli had already exited the city gates. The soldiers hurriedly rang the Alarm Bell, and Hengshan City came alive in the quiet night, flames lighting up like stars. After entrusting Han Fuqi to the Garrison soldiers, Zhou Cang seized a warhorse and chased after them!
The Xu Zhen rode in, seeing Han Fuqi gravely injured. She quickly made arrangements and upon hearing that Zhou Cang was pursuing the enemy alone, she slapped her thigh in frustration and hurriedly mounted her horse to follow.
Tukeli had long been prepared. The two to three thousand soldiers in the barracks saw their leader return and quickly gathered. It turned out that an entire battalion had been resting on their weapons, and they immediately began to maneuver eastward towards Gaimu City.
With a command from Tukeli, all supplies at the Camp were abandoned as the troops surged forth. Amidst the shouts of men and neighing of horses, a general could be seen chasing from behind—none other than the furious Zhou Cang!
"You lot, block this barbarian to prevent chaos in our ranks!"
Tukeli casually pointed, and over a dozen personal guards received their orders and galloped towards Zhou Cang.
Blinded by rage, Zhou Cang charged forward with his strange blade. The personal guards first shot a volley of White Feathers, but Zhou Cang loosened the reins of his horse and wielded his blade with such ferocity that the Feathered Arrows could not touch him. As they collided, Zhou Cang's strange blade struck like a ravenous beast, knocking two enemy soldiers off their horses with a single sweep!
Just as he was about to charge again, however, his warhorse could no longer bear his weight; its front legs buckled, throwing Zhou Cang off.
The personal guards were wary of Zhou Cang's bravery. Now that he was without a horse, they felt emboldened and surged forward like a tide, thrusting four or five long spears recklessly at him!
Zhou Cang wielded his strange blade, deflecting spears, beheading foes, and striking at the legs of horses. The remaining loyal soldiers surrounded him like a pack of wolves attacking an enraged elephant, unable to take him down for the time being, forced to slowly wear him out.
These loyal soldiers were Tukeli's Death Warriors, fiercely loyal and willing to sacrifice their lives, ready to stay behind. They were undaunted by death, but they never expected that despite their encirclement, they would find Zhou Cang utterly unassailable.
Zhou Cang was furious over Han Fuqi's severe injuries; his anger surged as he swung his blade without any technique, unleashing a torrent of power that felled three more Death Warriors.
However, human strength has its limits. Zhou Cang was eventually injured by Tukeli's charge. After a fierce struggle, he began to falter and was ambushed by a Death Warrior who thrust a spear into his thigh.
“Damn traitors!” Zhou Cang howled in rage as he stumbled and knelt down. The enemy's blade grazed past his cheek, leaving him hanging by a thread!
He swung his blade to sever part of the spear shaft and stood up again, but his footing was unstable, and he was struck again on the shoulder!
Just as it seemed Zhou Cang would be overwhelmed by the chaotic assault, the sound of thundering hooves approached rapidly. Xu Zhen arrived like a bolt of lightning, her horse and herself merging with the night as she charged in!
Xu Zhen was already filled with fury; these rebels were bad enough, but they even attempted to assassinate Li Jue. How could she endure such grievances?
Seeing Zhou Cang under siege ignited her rage further. To facilitate her pursuit, she brought along the Divine Fire Camp's giant crossbow. At that moment, she pulled the trigger, unleashing ten iron bolts from the crossbow like a torrential downpour. The enemy was caught off guard and fell one by one under Xu Zhen's precise shots!
The remaining three or four loyal soldiers were terrified; witnessing the power of the crossbow for the first time left them stunned. Xu Zhen galloped forward and mercilessly decapitated one enemy with her long knife. Zhou Cang, enduring his injuries, erupted in retaliation. Together they beheaded all their foes!
Under Li Jue's command, reinforcements thundered in; unfortunately, it was too late. The Mohe Tribe's forces moved swiftly and lightly, their horses like the wind as they slipped away from Hengshan's defenses under the cover of night towards Gaimu City. There was no way to catch up now.
Upon returning to the city, everyone was indignant, yet Li Jue laughed heartily and said calmly, “This may not be a bad thing after all. If we had allowed Mohe’s bandits to hide within our ranks and strike when we attacked the city, the consequences would have been unimaginable. This man is brave but lacks strategy; he simply cannot contain his impatience.”
Many soldiers were in awe of the Chief Steward's vision and strategy, but the Xu Zhen remained suspicious. Zhou Cang had taken the blame for violating military regulations and for Han Fuqi's late-night drinking, yet he could not explain why Han Fuqi had opened the city gates, allowing Mohe Chieftain Tukeli to leave.
Li Jue was also aware of the inconsistencies. The others, being perceptive, began to voice their opinions even before the Xu Zhen could speak. Among them, Zhang Jian was the most vehement, expressing deep sorrow and asserting that Han Fuqi must have communicated with the Mohe bandits; otherwise, how could he have opened the gates without orders?
Everyone else echoed his sentiments, but Li Jue turned his attention toward the Xu Zhen.
Now that Han Fuqi was gravely injured, they could only wait for him to awaken to ascertain the truth. If he did not wake up, the case would lose its leads, and the blame would inevitably fall on Han Fuqi.
Zhou Cang feared that Han Fuqi would be wronged and took on the blame for the late-night drinking. Seeing Zhang Jian's accusations, he stubbornly defended Han Fuqi.
Zhang Jian feigned sorrow, putting on an act of righteousness while shedding tears, moving everyone with his apparent loyalty.
The Xu Zhen stated that they would wait for Han Fuqi to awaken, at which point everything would be clarified. Everyone then returned to their duties. However, Li Jue found it impossible to sleep; he kept the lights on all night, contemplating military matters.
The next day, Li Jue convened a meeting in the Central Army Tent with all the officers, deciding to mobilize against Gaimu City. Otherwise, if the Mohe Tribe handed over information about the Tang army's strength and deployment to Goguryeo, the situation would become dire.
This proposal received nearly unanimous support. Everyone returned to prepare their troops, while Zhang Jian quietly made his way to Han Fuqi's quarters.
Looking at the barely conscious Han Fuqi, Zhang Jian couldn't help but shed tears. He had acted out of necessity; initially intending to harm the Xu Zhen, he had inadvertently put his own brother-in-law in jeopardy.
Zhang Jian's elder brother was a high-ranking official serving as Chief of the Imperial Stable and Governor of Huazhou. His younger brother Yan Shi was a Left Guard General and Duke of Fanyang. Known for his cautious nature, Yan Shi had commanded the Yellow Feather Forest Army for over twenty years without incident. The Zhang brothers were collectively known as "the Three Spears of the Zhang Family," thanks to support from Changsun Wuji. How could Zhang Jian forget such kindness?
However, if his actions were exposed, not only would his career be over, but his life might also be at risk. As they say, "No man is a true man without ruthlessness." He felt compelled to push Han Fuqi forward.
He bit down hard on his lip and drew a short blade from beneath his robe, pressing it against Han Fuqi's throat. Trembling, he said, "Fuqi, do not blame your uncle for being ruthless; I am also forced into this situation. I have always cared for you. Now that you are suffering greatly, it would be better to repay me for my kindness!"
After finishing his words, he was about to stab down with the short blade in his hand, but his hand began to tremble violently. After struggling for a long time, he finally sheathed the blade, pressed on Han Fuqi's shoulder, and left the room.
As Zhang Jian had just departed, Han Fuqi slowly opened his eyes. This iron-blooded hero was filled with disappointment and resentment, tears silently streaming down his face.
He knew that Zhang Jian obeyed Changsun Wuji; otherwise, he would not have acted against the Xu Zhen in the first place. However, he did not expect that in the face of national righteousness, these people were still blinded by personal grudges and court struggles. This was something Han Fuqi deeply despised.
Perhaps after this incident, Han Fuqi and Zhang Jian would be completely estranged.
Upon returning home, Zhang Jian found Murong Hanzhu waiting in the secret chamber. Seeing the latter's calm demeanor, Zhang Jian couldn't help but frown tightly, feeling quite displeased.
"Mr. Cui has contributed a good strategy! He has even sacrificed my brother-in-law, and yet he can still smile!"
In response to Zhang Jian's sarcasm, Murong Hanzhu lightly chuckled and then slowly spoke: "I have already received news from that person; the Holy Presence will soon cross the Liao River. Zhang Dudu might as well compete with the Chief Steward to stay and welcome the Holy Presence. With Changsun Wuji speaking well of you before the Sage, what worries could you have?"
Hearing this, Zhang Jian became even angrier: "Are you suggesting I be a coward? I may not dare to claim bravery, but my blood is still warm. All of this is due to the Xu Zhen; I swear I will not be human if I do not kill her!"
Murong Hanzhu was slightly taken aback; on the surface, he sighed softly, but inwardly he was secretly delighted.
At the end of May, Liaodong Circuit Commander Li Ji ordered the army to set out and attack Goguryeo's key stronghold, Gaimu City!
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