Qingyun arrives
Lu Yunchu was initially worried about a potential rebellion among the male soldiers, but to her surprise, she received their approval. Her view that "victory is everything, men and women are all pawns; use whoever is useful, and eliminate whoever is useless" garnered widespread support from the lower-ranking male soldiers. Having long been oppressed by aristocratic officers, they felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Lu Yunchu take down those high-ranking officials.
"General Lu is a true man, much more ruthless than us. One must be ruthless to get things done."
They respectfully addressed Lu Yunchu as "Big Brother," "Father," "Grandpa," and "Heavenly Lord," to which Lu Yunchu could only laugh helplessly. She often deliberately passed on false information or assigned dangerous missions to those disobedient noble troops, using them as pawns to kill her. Being far from the emperor's reach, they couldn't do anything to her.
Faced with a series of interconnected cities along the southern border, Lu Yunchu deliberately dispatched troops with more compassion and relatively lenient discipline to lead the attack on the southern cities, while secretly cutting off their supplies.
"General, we only have enough provisions for three days and not enough arrows. How can we attack the city?" The veteran general in charge of the vanguard, known for his benevolence, anxiously approached her.
Lu Yunchu remained calm, his smile unchanged: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The cities of the Southern Dynasty are wealthy; after we breach them, will we lack supplies? This commander only cares about the results."
The unit was in dire straits: to advance lay fortified cities and deep moats; to retreat was to face the harsh laws of war and the threat of collapse due to lack of supplies. They were forced to fight to the death.
Braving a hail of arrows and boulders raining down from the city walls, the soldiers used their own bodies to build siege ladders. Lacking sufficient cover from the arrows, the ladders were repeatedly pushed down, and corpses piled up like mountains below. Hunger and despair fueled their savagery, and they ultimately overwhelmed the city with sheer numbers. After the city fell, the almost frenzied soldiers engaged in brutal street fighting and looting for food, turning this small border town into a sea of blood and scorched earth within a single day.
The defending troops learned from their mistakes and held their ground, relying on the natural defenses. The soldiers were short of food and weapons, and their siege equipment was severely lacking. Lu Yunchu observed the situation coldly, only sending a symbolic detachment to reinforce them after suffering heavy casualties; the main task of this detachment was to urge the attack on. The fierce tug-of-war lasted five days, the walls of Wangnan Pass stained dark red with blood. Finally, the veteran general led from the front, dying on the city walls. Driven by a fervent desire to avenge his general and the instinct for survival, his remaining troops finally breached the gates, stepping over the corpses of their comrades and enemies.
By this time, this "merciful" force had suffered heavy losses, and the remaining soldiers were left with only a numb killing intent in their eyes. Facing the towering walls of Xunyang and the ample garrison, they drove the previously captured Southern Dynasty civilians, the elderly, women, and children as their vanguard, approaching the walls. The defenders on the walls were caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to fire or not, and their morale was severely affected.
As the defenders hesitated, these tortured Chu soldiers, who had long since abandoned all mercy, went on a killing spree, climbing up the human ladder. They killed indiscriminately; hunger made everything seem like food. Xunyang City, this important southern city, fell under the combined pressure of internal tragedies and external attacks. Flames raged within the city, and cries of agony continued throughout the entire night.
In the military camp, the lower-ranking soldiers who supported her cheered and reveled in the fleeting pleasure of looting. Meanwhile, within the women's army, Lu Yunchu, Zai Yu, and others forced the women of the city to become their shields.
"Staying at home is like dying. Cheer up, at least you're out here and still alive."
She gave a cold laugh, her mind completely empty.
Su Xike's letter arrived soon after: "Remember: never trust a man's promises lightly. Sweet words are nothing but expedient measures, as they have been for thousands of years. Now is the time to secretly support the peasant uprising, letting them and the court wear each other down. Also, five women will be coming to Yangcheng to lend you a hand: Xuanji, Muyu, Xuanxuan, Axiao, and Azhi. These five heroines will disguise themselves as men and infiltrate the army camp, either openly or secretly, to promote the uprising. Remember, even if women and men temporarily join forces to overthrow the old dynasty, the ending will only be a repetition of history: when the new dynasty is established and things are peaceful, one will suffer the pain of pregnancy, be a wife and mother, manage the household, farm and weave, and be despised; when things are turbulent, one will be sold into slavery, used as a plaything, and consumed in war, facing life and death! Do not repeat the same mistakes!"
Lu Yunchu crumpled the letter into a ball, recalling a conversation she had with Su Lang not long ago.
It was a night after a minor victory, and the two were gazing at the starry sky outside their tent. Lu Yunchu deliberately steered the conversation towards his dissatisfaction with the corrupt court and its indifference to human life. Su Lang finished his bowl of wine and sighed, "If only the world could be at peace, and everyone could live peacefully and happily. Men should work outside to support their families, while women should stay home to raise children. Each should fulfill their duties, and life should be harmonious and beautiful!"
At that time, she did not want to be his enemy and still harbored some hope, so she tentatively asked, "What if...a woman finds childbirth too painful and does not want to give birth?"
Su Lang was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head matter-of-factly: "How can that be? A woman's ability to give birth is a natural law, like the rotation of the sun and moon. How can it be violated? Being a good wife and mother is a woman's duty!"
Lu Yunchu took the opportunity to feign a sorrowful expression to avoid giving herself away, saying that she was unable to have children and that it was too much for those women who could have children to refuse. Su Lang then offered a few words of comfort and criticized those women.
Later, she casually chatted with several trusted male bodyguards about similar topics, and the answers she received were largely the same. They might sympathize with abused women, help pregnant women in distress, and even, like Su Lang, try their best to stop trafficking, but they firmly believed that a woman's best destiny was in the family, and that a woman's value lay in childbirth. They would never allow women to truly become independent and break free from their control and definition, and they would never consider the dangers of childbirth or the uncertainty of relying on others.
Lu Yunchu had his trusted female confidante secretly record these conversations, which were then circulated and shared among the women's army.
"Did you hear that? This is the kind of 'goodwill' we might face in the future if we don't become independent and resist!" Lu Yunchu's voice was exceptionally clear in the silent camp: "They may not be bad people, and they might even be 'good' to us, but that 'goodness' is based on the premise that we will always be dependent and always weak! We cannot repeat the same mistakes! We cannot go back to wait for death!"
Soon after, Xuanji, Muyu, Xuanxuan, Axiao, and Azhi, as planned, infiltrated the Yangcheng camp one after another.
Xuanji, with his imposing physique and resolute face, quickly attracted attention upon entering the elite cavalry unit, where strength and ferocity were paramount. Axiao and Xuanxuan, both tall and capable, with Axiao's calm and efficient demeanor and Xuanxuan's sharp intellect, joined the cavalry unit together, displaying exceptional qualities. Muyu, of relatively ordinary build, blended into the regular infantry unit. Azhi, however, leveraging her status as a sorcerer and her extensive knowledge of astronomy and geography, quickly gained a prominent position within the army.
At this time, the enemy forces held their position in an abandoned village located on a hillside. The village was mainly constructed of bamboo and wood, and was surrounded by weeds, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Several strong attacks all failed.
After observing the celestial phenomena, Azhi approached Lu Yunchu and said, "Three days later, there will be a sustained easterly wind. Their stronghold relies on the wind direction, while our army is downwind, making a direct attack difficult. Why not take advantage of the wind to set fire to their camp?"
The plan was set. Three days later, the east wind arrived as expected, stirring up dust from the ground. The Chu army dispatched several thousand archers, their arrowheads bound with hemp cloth soaked in oil, who approached the enemy camp under the cover of shield bearers.
"Release the arrows!"
At a command, thousands of rockets rained down like a storm of fire, hurtling towards the enemy stronghold with the help of the wind. Dry bamboo, thatch, and fallen leaves on the ground were instantly ignited. The wind fanned the flames, and the fire, fueled by the wind, engulfed the entire stronghold in flames in an instant.
"Advance!" Lu Yunchu seized the opportunity and ordered a general offensive. The Chu soldiers' morale soared, and they charged towards the enemy camp, which was already engulfed in fire and thick smoke. Resistance was minimal. In this battle, the Chu army annihilated the defending enemy at a very low cost and captured a large amount of supplies. With this victory, Azhi established her reputation as a divine shaman.
Conventional attacks were unlikely to be effective against an elite heavily armored infantry phalanx from the Southern Dynasties.
Xuanji volunteered to lead the most valiant cavalry unit in the Flying Cavalry Camp as the vanguard of the entire army. Clad in heavy armor and wielding a long-handled giant axe, she cleaved several heavily armored infantrymen in the front ranks, shields and all, flying with her might. Her bravery greatly inspired the cavalry behind her.
Meanwhile, Xuanxuan, positioned on high ground on the flank, drew her bow and shot with deadly accuracy. Almost every twang of her bowstring was accompanied by the fall of an enemy general.
While the main battlefield descended into chaos, Mu Yu, who had already infiltrated the ranks, weaved through the flashing blades with incredible agility, always managing to evade fatal attacks at the last second. Her objective was clear: the enemy commander in the center. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by Xuanji's attack and Xuanxuan's ranged suppression, she approached silently and, amidst the confusion, precisely stabbed the enemy general in the back.
At this moment, A Xiao displayed her outstanding command skills. Instead of blindly pursuing, she shouted loudly to gather the scattered cavalry battalion into a tight charging formation.
In this battle, the five girls each displayed their unique abilities, quickly establishing themselves in the Yangcheng camp and making many friends. Xuanji, in particular, quickly became sworn brothers with the soldiers by relying on her cheerfulness, fighting skills, and concern for others.
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