Chapter 58: To Capture the Thief, First Capture the King

“If they don’t open the city gates soon, we’ll have to storm the city,” said a man who appeared to be a commanding officer, frequently glancing toward the ramparts of Changzhou.

Another hesitated, “But without siege equipment, how can we attack the city?”

The commander replied, “If we don’t attack, where will we get food? Are we supposed to starve to death?”

“But they are all Tang people; how can we...” another began.

“Nonsense!” The commander interrupted angrily before he finished, pointing fiercely at the city walls. “We treat them like family, but do they treat us the same? Look at those tightly closed gates and the archers ready atop the walls!”

After hearing this, the group fell silent. Seeing their quietness, the commander sneered and said, “Li Zhenggu is utterly incompetent; we’ve become a defeated force. Think about how the Son of Heaven in Jinling would react.”

A few years ago, when the Tang army attacked Fujian, generals who lost battles were executed. These soldiers, part of the imperial guards, were well aware of this. Thus, they all felt the weight of his words.

“We’re already guilty of a grave crime by besieging Changzhou. It’s better to take the city completely and then seek refuge with the Wuyue people than to die here. Maybe we can even gain high positions and rich rewards,” the commander said passionately, stirring the crowd.

As Yang Lian approached quietly, he caught the last sentence and furrowed his brow slightly, realizing the seriousness of the situation. It was clear this group of soldiers was about to mutiny. Yang Lian thought they couldn’t take Changzhou by force, but once the soldiers rebelled, the consequences would be grave.

Besides the suffering of the common people, the court would surely subject Li Zhenggu to even harsher censure. After all, he had already lost the battle and was the main cause of the mutiny. Not only Li Zhenggu, but also the two key imperial guard generals, Gao Tongjun and Zhu Tongjun, would face punishment.

The mutiny must not become a reality. With this in mind, Yang Lian moved closer to the elevated platform. Nearby stood a dozen fully armed soldiers. One shouted, “Who are you?”

Yang Lian smiled faintly and called out loudly, “I have a plan to take Changzhou, and I wish to offer it to the commander.”

On the platform, the commander’s eyes lit up when he heard Yang Lian’s voice. He glanced at Yang Lian, who rode a tall horse, a scar across his face, and armor stained dark red—proof of many battles fought. This was a formidable character, the commander thought, hesitating slightly. But he was more interested in Yang Lian’s siege plan. After some thought, he said, “Who are you? What plan do you have?”

Yang Lian cupped his hands respectfully. “Commander, I’m just an insignificant soldier. As for how to break through Changzhou, it’s a highly confidential matter. I’d like to report it to you in person.”

Yang Lian’s repeated address “Commander” pleased the man greatly, yet he remained cautious. “Come up then, but first put down your weapons.”

“This man is very wary,” Yang Lian thought, though he smiled as he slung his long sword over the horse’s head, dismounted slowly, and raised both hands to show he was unarmed. The commander nodded approvingly and did not order a search.

Yang Lian handed the reins to a man below the platform, smiled slightly, and stepped up. The men on the platform looked unfamiliar to him. Even though Yang Lian belonged to the Divine Martial Army, he couldn’t know everyone. Those present were likely all heads of units or higher, so he expected to recognize at least some.

“Greetings, Commander,” Yang Lian bowed slightly, continuing to flatter the man.

The commander’s face showed pride. “Are you from Changzhou?”

“I am not from Changzhou, but I am quite familiar with the place,” Yang Lian replied, casually scanning the group. Five men stood on the platform, evidently unit leaders. Their commander was nowhere to be seen—had he fallen in battle?

“Hmm, you claim to have a clever strategy to take Changzhou. Is it true?” the commander asked.

“Of course it is!” Yang Lian spoke deliberately slow, each word clear and measured, making the commander curious about his sudden change in tone.

Before the commander could respond, Yang Lian suddenly sprang forward with a powerful push of his legs, closing the distance in a single bound. His broad hand shot out and seized the commander’s neck firmly. With his other hand, he drew a dagger from his sleeve and pressed it against the man’s throat.

The suddenness of the act stunned everyone. No one expected such a brazen move in broad daylight. A few quick-reacting men drew their weapons, glaring fiercely at Yang Lian.

Yang Lian sneered coldly, pressing the dagger harder so the sharp blade cut into the man’s skin, drawing blood.

“Everyone step back, or I’ll kill him!” Yang Lian warned. He knew this man was the ringleader and needed to be controlled first.

The others hesitated, but seeing the blood, they retreated a few paces. Soldiers below the platform were caught off guard by the scene.

“Don’t be afraid. Kill him!” the commander urged bravely.

Yang Lian smiled coldly, pressing the dagger further. “You’re not afraid to die, but others are.” He looked at the men. “You conspired to attack Changzhou. Do you realize what a grave mistake you’ve made?”

“Don’t listen to his lies. Kill him now!” the commander barked.

“Shut up, or I really will kill you,” Yang Lian said icily. He turned to the hesitant men. “If it were you holding a dagger to your throat, wouldn’t you be afraid?”

Some couldn’t help but nod. A normal person would fear death.

“Exactly. Any normal person fears death. So why doesn’t he? And why is he inciting you to attack Changzhou? Doesn’t that seem strange?” Yang Lian scanned the group and asked.

Several were already suspicious. Hearing Yang Lian’s question, one nodded. “Indeed, we are Tang soldiers. Even if defeated, how could we slaughter Tang civilians?”

“Gentlemen, we received the emperor’s secret order to retreat under cover of night. That Qian Wenfeng somehow knows this is already suspicious. Who’s to say he hasn’t plotted further to make us turn on each other?” Yang Lian said cautiously.

“Hmph, if you want to kill, just kill. What’s this about Qian Wenfeng?” the commander sneered.

Yang Lian smiled. “Why do you get so nervous when I mention Qian Wenfeng?” Suddenly, noticing something odd about the man’s neck and face color, Yang Lian seized the moment while the commander spoke, grabbed his hair, and yanked hard—tearing off a mask.

“Ah! You’re not Commander Wang! Who are you?” someone shouted.

The man snorted but said nothing. Suddenly, he raised both hands, grabbed Yang Lian’s dagger, and slashed his own throat. Blood gushed forth as he collapsed.

Yang Lian looked coldly at the dead man, then at the others. “You see for yourselves, this man is not your Commander Wang.”

Faces changed. “Could he be a spy from Wuyue?”

“Yes. They must have killed Commander Wang and sent someone to impersonate him,” another said.

Yang Lian said nothing further, crouching to examine the man’s face. The man was about thirty, weathered and worn. Though dead, his body twitched faintly. Yang Lian’s eyes brightened. He grabbed the man’s chest and tore open his clothes, revealing a vivid tiger head tattoo.

“Ah!” Yang Lian gasped. He had seen something similar before—a tiger claw tattoo on a Taihu pirate. Now this man bore a tiger head. Could there be a connection?

The men exchanged glances. One stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully. “Brother, may I ask your name?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Yang Lian stood. “My name is Yang Lian, Marquis of the Divine Martial Army.”

“Ah, you’re Yang Lian?” someone exclaimed. Chen Decheng’s defeat had embarrassed the Tianxiong Army, so Yang Lian’s name was well known. Few expected someone so young to appear amid such turmoil.

Among the group were also Divine Martial Army officers. One asked, “So you’re Marquis Yang Lian. Do you know if Commander Zhou is still alive?”

“I don’t know,” Yang Lian replied, unconcerned about Zhou Hongzuo’s fate. He looked at the group. “This man is not the so-called Commander Wang. It seems you have all been deceived.”

“Truly shameful,” one blushed and hastily saluted. “If not for Marquis Yang Lian, we would have made a grave mistake and implicated our families.”

“We’re all brothers here; no need for thanks. There are still many defeated soldiers wreaking havoc in the villages. I hope you will restrain them. Deputy Commander Li, General Gao, and General Zhu are safe and will arrive within an hour or two. We can’t lose face before them,” Yang Lian said, tucking his dagger into the wrist clasp.

“Marquis, rest assured. We will restrain our men immediately,” they said, forgetting Yang Lian was just a marquis while they were unit heads or even commanders.

Yang Lian nodded. “There are too many troops under Changzhou. This will inevitably panic the city’s military and civilians. Since it’s still early, we should retreat ten li and cut trees to build camps. This will settle the soldiers and allow us to rest. If the Wuyue do attack, we must redeem ourselves with merit.”

“Exactly. We are Tang soldiers, sworn to defend our homeland,” one said.

Another hesitated but admitted, “Without food and tents, how can we settle the troops? Although the weather isn’t cold now and tents can be managed without, without food, the soldiers will surely complain.”

Everyone was stunned; the food issue was indeed serious. The previous mutiny had started because the soldiers lost most of their supplies during the retreat, leaving them hungry and desperate, leading to looting and killing.

Yang Lian waved his hand. “Leave that matter to me. As long as you all agree to retreat ten li, I will bring sufficient food and tents within two or three hours.”

They exchanged glances, then saluted together. “Thank you, Marquis Yang Lian.”