Chapter 1174: Chapter 1010: Absurdity

The division and deployment of troops in the war? It’s simply absurd!

Gu Chengyu couldn’t believe that his teacher would commit such an act, as it’s a crime that could overthrow the Dynasty. Such a feat would be recorded in history, but not as an eternal glory; rather, as an eternal shame.

Back in those days, the teacher already held the Standard Second Rank position. Although Xue Haozhen was ahead, Xue Haozhen was also getting older, and the teacher still had a chance to become the Grand Secretary.

Why, then, did the teacher take such a risky move? It defies logic.

Could the opponent threaten the teacher with his family’s lives? That too is impossible. The teacher’s legitimate son died young, and both daughters are married, living without ties. How could there be any threat?

Gu Chengyu’s mind raced as he put down the letter in his hand. He sifted through the other letters and finally found one with a blank envelope.

He picked up the letter, his hands trembling, and stared at it for a long while before drawing out the contents.

Liu Su’er noticed Gu Chengyu’s hesitation, which eased her mind. It seemed that Gu Chengyu was far less composed than he appeared; hesitation was good—it meant he still had a conscience.

Mrs. Tan and Uncle Qin exchanged glances; they were aware of the contents of those letters as well. They had read them when they found the letters in the swaddling clothes back then.

At that time, fearing someone might follow them to their original place, they took the girl and fled far away. In retrospect, it was indeed the right decision.

If someone else had taken the girl back then, they would have been at risk of exposure.

Mrs. Tan looked at Gu Chengyu, filled with worry. She wondered how Mr. Gu would handle this matter. If he ignored it, there would be no harm.

But what if Mr. Gu destroyed the evidence upon finding it involved his teacher, or even resorted to silencing them? In that case, they would die unjustly.

In truth, Mrs. Tan and Uncle Qin were not so resolute in stopping their girl due to personal reasons. They had poured much effort into raising an infant from swaddling clothes.

As they had no children of their own, after all these years of living with her, they already saw Xue Shuyao as their own child. But Xue Shuyao saw her great vendetta unavenged and intended to clear the Xue Family’s name, unwilling to live in hiding.

Naturally, when she was young, they also thought the same. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hired a governess to raise her so delicately.

But people are not plants; how can they be unfeeling? After seventeen years, as the girl grew, they became even more reluctant to let her return to the Capital.

However, knowing about the extermination of the Xue Family, and the tragic deaths of her parents and kin, how could she remain indifferent as the lone survivor of the Xue Family? They advised her twice, and seeing her unwillingness to heed, they stopped trying.

Even if Mr. Gu destroyed the evidence but spared their lives, they would be immensely grateful. They would promptly take the girl far away from the Capital for a peaceful life; then they would have someone to care for them in their old age and send them off properly.

After Gu Chengyu unfolded the letter, he first looked at the signature. Seeing that it was signed by Liang Zhirui, with his private seal on it, Gu Chengyu’s heart sank immediately.

Suppressing the unease and excitement within, he began reading the contents.

"The Holy Emperor has dispatched the troops stationed in the Capital, the City Defense Mansion, and Kaiyan Prefecture to the border to support the war efforts. A total of 700,000 troops have set off today. Marching day and night, they are expected to arrive in two months. Among them is a commanding marshal Zhou Bozhong, with two Vice Marshals, Shi Yuewen and Wei Geng.

Zhou Bozhong is the legitimate descent of the Zhou Family, whose ancestors have numerous battle achievements and are extraordinary strategists. He is skilled with a spear..."

As Gu Chengyu read on, he became increasingly alarmed, having read about such matters during his time at the Hanlin Academy through historical documents and records.

In the second month of the fifty-first year of Dayan, war on the border was imminent. Previously, as Da Xing repeatedly invaded the borders, its soldiers and officers plundered, burned, and ravaged the border civilians, mercilessly probing the limits of Dayan.

Dayan could no longer tolerate such abhorrent acts and raised an army to give Da Xing a painful lesson.

At the time, 600,000 elite troops were already stationed at the border. As soon as the horn sounded, battle was inevitable. The Emperor, to ensure nothing went wrong, gathered troops from three stations for the mission, deploying a total of 1.3 million soldiers against Da Xing’s 500,000, securing a certain victory.

Moreover, the Emperor sent Zhou Bozhong, known for his valor and tactical prowess, with him conducting military maneuvers and formations with ease.

Zhou Bozhong, aged over fifty at the time, was still robust, boasting outstanding battle records and impressive feats.

Both the Emperor and Zhou Bozhong himself likely believed the enemy would be utterly defeated in this encounter.

Who would have thought that an initially assured victory would encounter unforeseen problems?

Zhou Bozhong led the soldiers to the border, nearing their destination, when ambushed en route. Zhou Bozhong was struck in the shoulder by an arrow, and nearly 20,000 soldiers were killed or wounded.

If it were merely an arrow wound, it wouldn’t have mattered; a few days of rest would suffice for him to return to the battlefield. However, the arrow was poisoned, and Zhou Bozhong lost much vitality during the detoxification process.

The other two teams dispatched to the border were not spared either, as Vice Marshal Wei Geng was caught off guard during the ambush, resulting in 60,000 casualties. Wei Geng didn’t survive the ordeal, dying en route before reaching the battlefield.

These misfortunes before entering battle left the surviving Zhou Bozhong and Shi Yuewen to quickly send word back to the Capital and continue to the border.

As the remaining 620,000 troops rushed to the border, the battle was underway, right at the time of engagement. Delayed by the journey, Dayan lost the first-mover advantage.

General Hu Wei, defending the border, had already faced the enemy general twice and was exhausted.

The enemy sent the renowned general Sarman, known for his fame at the border. His martial arts matched Ren Xiuguang’s, yet he was cunning and adept in deceit, forcing Ren Xiuguang into a difficult position. Finally, on the third encounter, Ren Xiuguang was slashed on the thigh.

Wounded, Ren Xiuguang could no longer fight, and Zhou Bozhong, his old wound unhealed, had to step onto the battlefield wearily.

Dayan lost its advantage, being caught unprepared, without the chance for thorough deployment, granting Da Xing the opportunity to exploit this and achieve repeated victories.

When the war report reached the Capital, the Emperor was furious, as Zhou Bozhong was defeated by enemy generals Sarman and Luobsang. Zhou Bozhong was even executed by them on the spot, his head displayed on their city tower in a show of might.

From that point, the morale of Dayan’s army crumbled, and the spirit was broken. Subsequent hastily appointed generals rushed into back-to-back battles, both resulting in defeat.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.