Chapter Twenty-Seven
Another place is also thriving.
Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong led the remaining Yunzhao army, conquering the cities of Dongliang one by one with the speed and agility of a whirlwind. They fought their way in with incredible success, a feat that was both hilarious and exasperating, surpassing even their victory in Chen City.
In some cities, soldiers were putting up a fierce resistance, while the people inside the city secretly sneaked to the city gates and opened them. In cities where the gates could not be opened, the people of Dongliang secretly informed the soldiers of Yunxiu Kingdom and led them to take shortcuts, displaying a spirit of sacrificing family for the greater good.
Some city soldiers simply stopped resisting and surrendered without a fight. Since the court didn't care about them anymore, they figured they would lose no matter how they fought, so they decided not to waste their energy.
In some cities, the people of Dongliang secretly formed a force against Yunxiu Kingdom, launching surprise attacks from time to time. These people were not to be feared, as there were not many of them. However, finding them was time-consuming. They were like a group of insignificant and detestable women, and they were the most troublesome for Gongliang Zhong and Shurong.
Another group of fragrant maidens appeared.
Gongliang Zhong's brows furrowed into a deep frown, which he quickly smoothed out. Leading the Yunzhao Army, he swiftly routed the group of Xiang Niangzi, leaving them utterly defeated and exhausted. He sheathed his sword and ordered his soldiers, "Tie these people up, find out if they have any accomplices, and take them back to the camp for the general to deal with when he returns."
"Yes," the soldier replied, bowing.
Suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere, wielding a wooden stick, and struck Gongliang Zhong in the back. Before the soldiers could react, Gongliang Zhong swiftly spun around to the side, his sword seemingly drawn from its sheath. With a swift slash, the stick broke in two. With a flick of his wrist and a burst of force, the man was struck by the sword handle and immediately staggered backward, falling to the ground in excruciating pain.
The soldiers immediately stepped forward and held their knives to the man's neck. Gongliang Zhong glanced sternly at the man on the ground; he sensed this man was different from the other Xiang Niangzi. Just as he was about to ask a question, the man on the ground suddenly revealed a sinister smile. Gongliang Zhong immediately realized the situation was dire. Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, the man pulled a small blue box from his chest and prepared to throw it at Gongliang Zhong.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air, piercing the small blue box with perfect accuracy and embedding itself in the man's palm. The woman, Xiang Niang, immediately clutched the wounded man's wrist with her other hand in pain, her eyes filled with resentment as she glared behind Gongliang Zhong.
"Deputy General Gongliang, I saved your life. You are so kind and generous, no need for thanks, just repay the favor." The archer was none other than Shu Rong, who was smiling as he put the arrows into his quiver and rode over slowly.
The moment Shu Rong's arrow whizzed past Gongliang Zhong, he immediately sensed the familiar aura of it. His archery skills were so precise and powerful; years of fighting on the battlefield had ingrained that aura into his very being, requiring no further thought. However, even without Shu Rong's arrow, he believed he had enough time to handle the situation.
Gongliang Zhong's eyes were fixed on the small blue box. As he approached, he said, "Shurong, why did you come back?"
Shu Rong glanced at the woman on the ground, then looked at Gong Liangzhong and said, "Good news, Dongliang has surrendered."
When Xiang Niangzi, who had been shot by an arrow, heard that Dongliang had surrendered, her expression did not change much, as if she had expected it.
Gongliang Zhong looked at Shurong with some surprise, frowning as he said, "So fast." He knew that Dongliang's surrender was inevitable, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
"Yes, the Princess has already returned to the military camp from Suzang." Shu Rong added, "Hey, Gongliang Zhong, I'm telling you, stop frowning all the time. Whether you win a battle or a battle, you look like this. You're born with a bitter face. It's not good."
Whenever Gongliang Zhong was even slightly thoughtful, he would involuntarily furrow his brow. It had little to do with whether the matter was good or bad; it was just an innate habit. Just like some people, when thinking, would prop their chin up with their hand, scratch their head, or tap their fingers... However, Shu Rong always felt that frowning inevitably brought bad luck and was considered unlucky.
Therefore, every time he saw Gongliang Zhong frown, he would mutter a few words. Especially when he got close and saw Gongliang Zhong's deep, unyielding brow lines, he would feel itchy and wish he could take a broom and smooth those lines out.
As the story continued, Gongliang Zhong didn't say much, only frowning slightly. He was used to it; he was used to the story continuing. Gongliang Zhong didn't say much more, but then asked, "Why did the Princess suddenly return to the military camp? Has the matter of the 50,000 Iron Cavalry under Su Zang been resolved?"
Shu Rong smiled and said, "The two armies fought for less than an hour before surrendering. I wonder what happened in the capital that prompted the Emperor to urgently summon the Princess back to the capital."
Gongliang Zhong: "What about the fifty thousand ironclad cavalry?"
Shu Rong leaned closer to him and whispered, "According to the soldiers' report, the Princess seems to have won over the commander of the Iron Cavalry and intends to incorporate this cavalry into the Yun Zhao Army."
The character "川" (river) reappears.
Shu Rong then asked, "Gongliang Zhong, do you know the title of the commander of the Iron Pagoda?"
Gongliang Zhong asked, puzzled, "What title?"
"Marquis of Begonia".
...
As they spoke, several soldiers beside Shu Rong, following his instructions, stepped forward and pressed down on the wounded Xiang Niangzi, rendering her immobile. They then carefully and gently removed the small blue box from the arrow and the bloodied hand of the Dongliang man. Their movements were practiced and swift, and Gongliang Zhong immediately recognized that Shu Rong had encountered a similar situation before.
After the soldier examined the blue box, Shu Rong beckoned, and the soldier carefully handed the box to him.
Gongliang Zhong stared at the box and cautioned, "Be careful!"
Shu Rong brought the box close to her nose, sniffed it, examined it for a moment, and then handed the box to the soldier, saying, "Deputy General Gongliang, do you know what's in that box?"
"It's gunpowder." Gongliang Zhong had already guessed it. The day before the attack, when the general asked the two of them to come to the army for a meeting, he reminded them that the scouts had found traces of gunpowder used in Dongliang, and that they should be careful when entering Dongliang.
Shu Rong nodded. "After we separated yesterday, the soldiers I led also encountered attacks from several groups of Xiang Niangzi. Among them, three Dongliang people used this kind of explosive. Fortunately, the Princess warned us before the attack on the city, and we reacted immediately. Otherwise, several of our brothers would have been blown to pieces."
Gongliang Zhong was relieved that Shu Rong had arrived just in time. If that Dongliang man had thrown the box, he would have been able to dodge it in time. However, the nearby soldiers might have been caught in the crossfire, and their lives would have been in danger. Thinking of this, he frowned and asked, "Were there any casualties?"
Shu Rong said, "Yes, but it's alright. Apart from two brothers whose left arms and right legs were blown off, the rest were minor injuries." They were already used to it. On the battlefield, anyone who could come back alive was considered "alright"; bleeding, broken skin, and flesh sticking together were all minor injuries as long as the bones were intact and could grow back.
Gongliang Zhong slowly let out a sigh of relief.
Shu Rong continued, "I just smelled it, and it's the same as the explosives made by those other groups of 'Fragrant Maidens' before. It's roughly a mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal powder. This mixture is extremely flammable, and once it ignites, it burns very intensely; it's called black powder. If black powder is burned in a sealed box, it will explode. These damned 'Fragrant Maidens' got all this stuff from somewhere and even designed such a dangerous box."
He paused, then pointed to the blue box in the soldier's hand. "Don't underestimate this simple blue box. It's completely sealed, and these Dongliang people have set up a mechanism inside. When the box is hit, sparks will be generated inside. Just a little spark is enough."
Gongliang Zhong frowned even more. He glanced at Shu Rong and asked, "How do you know so much?" Since these women carrying gunpowder dared to do this, they were already prepared to die together with their enemies. They shouldn't have been able to tell Shu Rong such details. Even if they were to interrogate her, with such a short time, it would be unlikely that they would get anything out of her in a short time.
"This one..."
Shu Rong smiled innocently, and after saying those three simple words, she looked at Gong Liangzhong meaningfully.
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