Chapter 164 It's perfectly normal for a mayfly to be afraid of a man trying to shake a tree. ...
When news of the tragedy at Changting Pass reached Jian'an, it caused a great uproar in the imperial court.
When some colleagues, their eyes bloodshot, insisted on an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, Yang Du and Nie Yuzi, along with other experienced and prudent ministers, opposed immediate retaliation in the face of immense grief.
In the eyes of Yang Du, a trusted minister of the court, when the two countries were vastly outnumbered, forcibly seeking revenge would be tantamount to sending more soldiers and civilians to their deaths. As officials serving the people, they could not allow more wives to lose their husbands, more mothers to lose their sons, and more children to lose their fathers.
Even if everyone in Beiye desires to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Nanyin, it would be irresponsible and disregard the common people if those in the imperial court also went mad.
When arguing with other ministers who held different political views, Yang Du even argued that if they also engaged in slaughter, they would be no different from the beasts of the Southern Yin.
If we retaliate against violence with violence today, our descendants will regard violence as the norm, and our righteous nation will be condemned to eternal damnation.
"Do not kill indiscriminately" is the bottom line of human nature.
In his view, along with Nie Yuzi and most of the court officials, losing one's humanity in the pursuit of revenge was more terrible than failure.
Yang Du's stance, and even Chen Boxia, whose political views often differed from theirs, as well as two or three ministers who were originally from low-ranking aristocratic families, all sided with them this time.
They believed that when the army was well-equipped and the provisions were sufficient, they could rightfully demand justice and should never follow the example of the Southern Yin.
After a back-and-forth debate, Yang Du, Nie Yuzi, and others finally gained the upper hand.
Zhao Yunfu, sitting on the dragon throne, looked listless due to the emptiness caused by taking elixirs. He agreed to Yang Du's suggestion of not seeking revenge in any way and did not issue any orders to Huan Xun, who was far away on the Jianghuai battlefield.
In reality, even if he issued such an order, Huan Xun would not have carried it out.
The battle in the Jianghuai region is currently raging fiercely.
Having discovered the weakness of Beiye's forces through the Battle of Changting Pass, Xiao Daozun gave Beiye no chance to regroup and immediately launched a massive attack with concentrated forces.
During the process, Xiao Daozun slightly adjusted the attack route and divided his troops into three routes to advance.
Having just returned victorious, Ge Fei led the Left Route General and crossed the river to directly attack Geng County, intending to advance westward along the Huai River, occupy the city, and cut off the grain supply route to the southeast of Beiye.
The central army, one of the main forces of the Southern Yin, was led by a prince and assembled 300,000 elite troops. It marched north from Fengqiao, heading straight for Qiao County, the gateway to Hengcheng in Beiye. Once it broke through here, it could advance unimpeded and aim its sword at Jian'an.
The right wing army, with 200,000 light troops, was to attack Nanyang, attempting to use the Lianyun Mountains to contain the left wing garrison of Beiye, while also secretly forming a pincer attack with some central cavalry.
The Southern Yin offensive was fierce, and in less than seven days, under Xiao Daozun's strategy, they captured several cities.
With 800,000 against 200,000, and the two leaders evenly matched, this is not a good thing for Beiye.
Xiao Daozun was not an easy opponent. The day after the massacre, Huan Xun went to the front line without hesitation. He originally wanted to leave Xie Cheng behind to take care of Yu Nie and follow her orders.
However, Yu Nie firmly refused, saying that she had enough people around her and that Xie Cheng should assist her.
Left with no other choice, Huan Xun had to comply with her request and left a counselor to assist her.
Upon arriving at the front lines, Huan Xun, in response to the three-pronged offensive of the Southern Yin army, first led 10,000 cavalry on the left flank to attack. Utilizing the cavalry's advantage, he harassed the enemy's right vanguard, avoiding their numerical superiority. After the attack, he immediately changed positions, not lingering in battle.
The 100,000-strong main force of the central route, where Guan Zheng was stationed, relied on the terrain advantage near Qiao County to hold their ground and refused to engage in direct combat with the elite troops of Nan Yin.
Later, Xie Cheng was in charge of the right flank. He led 20,000 light cavalry and 50,000 light infantry to bypass Wanren Pass and reach Lianyun Mountain. They cut off the connection between the right flank defenders of Nan Yin and the central army, and used the hilly terrain to block Nan Yin from advancing further.
In just a few days, the troops of the North and South were locked in fierce fighting on all fronts, with the South Yin having an overwhelming numerical advantage over the North Ye.
The afterglow of the sunset was magnificent, and the sky seemed to be burned red by the fire in the courtyard.
The smell of sulfur and saltpeter mixed with the unique humid smell of the Jianghuai region permeated the air.
After reading the letter, Yu Nie, who was sitting on the wooden railing, frowned and closed the letter.
"My lady." Cuiwei ran over, wiping her hands on her coarse apron. "How is it? Is there any good news from Zhenyong City?"
Zhenyong City is situated south of the steep cliffs of Lianyun Mountain and north of the Fujiang River, located between the left and central routes of the Red Armor Army, making it an important passage to the heart of Beiye.
For Beiye, Zhenyong City was like a jade disc. Back then, the Eastern Wei army of 100,000 men repeatedly attacked the jade disc but failed to conquer it, precisely because this fortified city blocked the throat leading to Guanzhong.
Now the situation has reversed. If Zhenyong City falls into the hands of Nan Yin, their right flank army can use it as a springboard to advance continuously.
If Huan Xun and his men can hold this city, it will transform from a smooth passage for attacking the Central Plains into a crucial checkpoint for trapping Nan Yin.
At that point, it would be extremely difficult for Nan Yin to continue advancing, and their right and central armies would be unable to connect into one.
Under Cuiwei's questioning, Yu Nie put the letter into his sleeve.
After denying it, she stood up with a worried look on her face: "Huan Xun said in his letter that the two sides are still at war and the outcome is difficult to determine for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Cuiwei was filled with worry and timidly asked, "There are so many people from Nanyin, can we win?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie turned around, his gaze sweeping over Cui Wei's still-childish face before turning to the bustling workshop.
After working day and night, the craftsmen were busy making firearms in the newly built Leiyao workshop. The rustling sound of bamboo planing and the muffled sound of charcoal pounding could be heard from time to time.
From the day the massacre at Changting Pass began, she led all the craftsmen to work day and night to produce enough firearms.
The disparity in troop strength between the enemy and ourselves is as vast as an insurmountable chasm. These still-imperfect firearms are their vital hope in fighting against Nan Yin and preventing the massacre from happening again. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for Xiao Daozun to atone for the tens of thousands of lost souls.
In an instant, she turned her gaze away from the busy figures in the Thunder Medicine Workshop and turned to Cuiwei: "We will definitely win."
Her voice was soft but firm: "Huan Xun believed in it on the battlefield, so how can we lose faith first in the rear?"
Cuiwei twisted the hem of her clothes, her voice growing even softer: "But...but I've heard that Nan Yin has 800,000 troops, while we only have 200,000. Isn't this like a mayfly trying to shake a tree?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had misspoke, and quickly covered her mouth, her face turning pale: "This servant has misspoke, please forgive me, madam."
Yu Nie simply shook his head and reached out to touch Cui Wei's shoulder.
“It’s alright, there’s nothing to forgive.” Her tone was soothing, without any hint of blame: “It’s right to be afraid, it’s perfectly normal for people to be afraid.”
"Anyone would be afraid when they hear that there are 800,000 against 200,000. Not to mention you, even I felt a chill when I first heard it. After all, the number of troops in Nan Yin is not just on paper, it is real. They are pressing in like a dark mass. Who wouldn't feel a sense of unease?"
Cuiwei murmured, "Princess..."
Yu Nie smiled and said, "That's precisely why we need to stand firm. If even we lose our composure, what will become of the soldiers who are counting on us to build firearms to defend the city?"
“Cuiwei, you’re right. However, the mayfly trying to shake a tree may sound like it’s overestimating its own strength, but that’s precisely where its courage lies. The essence of small power is not smallness, nor is it the word ‘power’ itself, but rather that even if one is as insignificant as dust, one should not lose the will to swing a sword upwards.”
"We are outnumbered by the forces of Nan Yin, but that doesn't mean we're doomed. As long as we believe in our invincibility, victory will surely be ours."
“Besides, we have these.” She looked at the firearms in the wooden crates in the yard.
After a moment, she turned her gaze back to Cuiwei: "With these powerful weapons, with the craftsmen working day and night, and with the people who are united with us, we will not lose this battle."
That concludes his remarks.
Her resolute expression, seen by Cuiwei, became a reassuring presence.
The unease that had been lingering in Cuiwei's heart gradually turned into a firm resolve.
Her voice was filled with self-reproach as she lowered her head: "It was my fault for being too pessimistic. The battle wasn't even over yet, and I had already crushed my own spirit."
She expressed her apology, then took a deep breath, as if to expel all her inner timidity.
With a confident look, she said, "Don't worry, my lady, I will not embolden them. The Southern Yin people have committed so many atrocities at Changting Pass, and Heaven is watching. They will be punished by Heaven."
“Cuiwei is right.” Yu Nie smiled and nodded.
As soon as they finished speaking, the sound of horses' hooves rang out outside the door, and a group of people stopped in front of Leiyaofang.
Yu Nie looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gu Xiangzhi dismount and walk inside.
Her gaze sharpened, and she immediately strode out to meet them.
Before he could even step onto the stone steps in front of the door, she was already in front of him, anxiously and nervously asking, "Have you delivered everything?"
Gu Xiangzhi took off his dusty cloak and casually handed it to the attendant behind him, but his gaze never left Yu Nie's face.
"It's been delivered." His voice was steady, showing no signs of fatigue from the long journey. "It was personally escorted by Attendant Lu, so you can rest assured."
Thinking that Huan Xun needed reliable people by his side, and knowing that Lu Jinshi himself had always wanted to go to the front line, Yu Nie sent him to the army to be in charge of the task of receiving and transporting firearms.
They sent one batch the day before yesterday, and this is the second batch they sent; the quantity is not large.
Yu Nie pressed on, "What did Attendant Lu say? How effective was the gunpowder that was transported earlier?"
Gu Xiangzhi said, "Attendant Lu said the gunpowder is very reliable and effective. It rarely misfires, and the soldiers on the front lines find it easy to use, which has been a great help."
After he finished speaking, he saw her shoulders relax.
"That's good……"
She uttered those three words softly, her whole being exuding a sense of relaxation after a long period of tension.
For days, she had barely slept, lost her appetite, and couldn't sleep at night, fearing that any mistakes in the firearms she was overseeing would cause losses to the soldiers on the front lines.
The news brought by Gu Xiangzhi finally dispelled the gloom in her heart.
Yu Nie slowly breathed a sigh of relief; this was perhaps the first time in seven days that she had truly been able to catch her breath.
But the moment she looked up, she caught a fleeting moment of hesitation on Gu Xiangzhi's face.
His brows furrowed slightly, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment before quickly shifting to the wooden crate in the courtyard.
But in that instant, the string that had just loosened in Yu Nie's heart suddenly tightened again.
She asked him, "Has something happened at the front?"
Gu Xiangzhi remained silent for a moment.
The night wind swept through the courtyard, making the newly lit torches crackle.
Some things just can't be kept secret.
He gazed intently at her, and said carefully, "Attendant Lu did say something else."
"What did he say?" Her heart jumped again.
Gu Xiangzhi's tone turned somber: "Attendant Lu saw at the front lines that the enemy army also seemed to have firearms capable of injuring people. Although they are not as sophisticated as ours, they are indeed made of gunpowder and can explode when thrown, injuring people and horses."
The sounds of craftsmen working behind me could be faintly heard.
The relaxation that Yu Nie had just shown on her face had completely vanished.
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Author's Note: Regarding the number of troops on both sides in the battle, historically, the actual number would certainly not have been that high; the novel has definitely exaggerated some aspects.
Regarding the cover title, this is actually the name that came to mind first, and it best reflects the idea I wanted to convey in this story. It's almost 700,000 words long (because the remaining 60,000 words will be written quickly), so you could say it's already in the countdown to the finale.
Thank you for reading this far, everyone. See you in the next chapter.
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