I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1063 The Parthian King Walks into a Trap (4K6)

Two days later, the Parthian King Vologasis V's army was on its way back to Merv.

Meanwhile, having relied on the divine power of the griffin to defeat the Han army's northern route army in recent days, he was just one step away from annihilating the enemy. He was once in high spirits and considered himself the ruler of the world.

However, news of the central army's crushing defeat soon arrived, and an emergency alert was issued from Merv. The Parthian king was forced to temporarily abandon the enemy at hand and return to Merv to prevent his homeland from being captured.

"waste!"

"What a bunch of trash!"

Riding on the bumpy horse, His Majesty the Fifth would still occasionally replay the scene when he received the battle report in his mind.

He still can't believe that the lion he had placed his hopes on had actually wiped out his 50,000-strong army.

"Report! Urgent news from Mulu City!"

A scout galloped in on horseback, interrupting the Parthian king's thoughts.

"what happened again?!"

"Could it be that the Qin army has reached the walls of Mulu City?"

The Fifth Emperor asked, frowning.

To be honest, given the speed at which his 50,000-strong central army was collapsing, he wouldn't be surprised by any progress the Han army has made.

Perhaps that Eastern demon is indeed a formidable opponent.

"Your Majesty is right, the enemy army has reached the walls of Merv."

As he spoke, the scout dismounted, knelt on the ground, and held up two letters sealed with red lacquer.

The Parthian king's heart skipped a beat. He quickly took the letter, opened it, and saw that the sender was one of his two trusted confidants left in Merv—the court secretary Shapur and the finance minister Denam.

In the letter, the two, as always, did not get along and each blamed the other.

But unlike before, this time they had a common goal—Bahram.

In their reports, this once mighty general was portrayed as a coward and a scoundrel who feared the enemy like a tiger.

The Han generals were described by Bahram as terrifying as ghosts and gods, which once made the people of Merv City tremble with fear and almost surrender.

but!

With the two men's perseverance, the people of Mulu City united as one and won their first battle, repelling the enemy's seemingly unstoppable attack!

Of course, both men insisted in the letter that it was their own achievement, which led to some contradictory statements, but this only made Emperor V more convinced.

What truly convinced him of this great victory was the statement in their letter that the Han army soldiers were not skilled at attacking cities.

Admittedly, these Han cavalrymen possessed unparalleled dominance in the field, and their own cavalrymen were like clay chickens and earthen dogs in front of the Han cavalrymen. However, once they arrived at the city, apart from the fact that they initially used sorcery to damage part of the city gates, they were helpless against their well-prepared army in the short term.

As for the Eastern Demon King that Bahram described as being like a ghost or god?
They've never seen it before!
Perhaps this is just a lie fabricated by Bahram to evade responsibility?

"Good! Good!" Vologasis V slapped his thigh repeatedly, his previous gloom vanishing. He placed the two letters on the saddle, handed them to his ministers, and grinned from ear to ear.

"I knew it! How could those Eastern barbarians possibly possess any divine power? They only managed to defeat that good-for-nothing Bahram by sheer luck! When it comes to conquering cities and territories, it's up to the Parthian warriors to prove their mettle!"

The Prime Minister beside him quickly scanned the letter, cautiously reminding him, "Your Majesty, Shapur and Denham have always been at odds, yet this time they're speaking with one voice. Could it be..."

"What do you mean, 'what if'?" The Parthian king glared at him, his tone arrogant. "It's normal for them to fight for credit and profit! If they hadn't truly won the battle, why would they use the same words of praise in their letters?"

Then, the Parthian king pointed his whip northward, saying, "Look, Griffin is here. Even if the Han army has extraordinary abilities, what can they do to me?"

The descriptions in the two letters subtly echoed his previous victories against the Han army, and for a time he became even more convinced of it.

"As for Prime Minister Suren, your brother has truly disgraced the entire Suren family this time!"

"Fifty thousand troops! And he just let them perish like that! If it weren't for your sake, I would have executed his entire family!"

Prime Minister Suren broke out in a cold sweat and quickly knelt on his horse: "Your Majesty, you are wise. Although Bahram is my cousin, I will never show favoritism! After we return to the city, I will personally interrogate him and give Your Majesty an explanation!"

"Hmph, that's for the best." The Parthian king flicked his whip, ignoring Prime Minister Suren, and instead loudly issued his orders:
"Everyone, speed up!"

"We must return to Mulu City within two days! I want to show those eastern barbarians what true power is!"

With a command from the Parthian king, an army of 20,000 marched toward the city of Merv. Griffins circled low in the sky, emitting piercing cries, as if cheering on the upcoming battle.

However, the prime minister was in a state of great anxiety.

He knew his brother's character very well; he was definitely not the person those two people had slandered him to be.

"His Majesty."

The prime minister gritted his teeth and suggested, "I think we should be cautious and postpone our march to observe and scout. Although Mulu won a battle, I fear from the letter that the Han army did not exert their full strength."

"If they use Mulu as bait to lure our army into a trap, then things will be very bad."

"The Prime Minister's words are erroneous!"

The one who suddenly interrupted loudly was Demeus of House Karen, the commander of the Parthian royal guard:

"Didn't Your Excellency the Prime Minister see what the two officials said?"

"Why didn't the Han army go all out? They were afraid of the sacred beast's power!"

As he spoke, Demius unfolded the letter and showed it to everyone: "They are trying every means to find out the secret of the sacred beast, and seem unaware of what has happened in the north."

"This is a golden opportunity for us—imagine what a magnificent sight it would be if His Majesty led the Griffin to suddenly arrive when they were swaggering around the city threatening Murde to surrender!"

Demius's words ignited a flame of excitement in the Parthian king's eyes. He could almost see the Han army crumbling under the claws of the griffins.

Confidence stems from strength. On the northern battlefield, he has fully experienced the power of the griffins. Now it is time to make those arrogant Qin people pay the price!

"Well said!" The Parthian king lashed his whip. "All troops, advance at full speed! I will show those Easterners the consequences of offending the Parthian Empire!"

The next day, at Moklu Castle.

"Is it finally here?"

Su Yao looked at the red dot that had finally entered the detection range of his system map and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

Unbeknownst to King Vologasis V of Parthia, a vast net had already been quietly cast.

On the city wall of Mulu, Su Yao stood on the tower, looking down at the busy soldiers below.

The Han and Hu soldiers directed the surrendered Parthian troops to repair and set up various crossbows, catapults, and other weapons on the city walls.

"Your Highness, the crossbows have been set up, and the oil and sulfur are ready."

Zhang Liao strode over, beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead. Ever since learning that they were to deal with the mythical griffin, this renowned general from Bingzhou had personally overseen the construction of every defensive fortification.

Su Yao nodded, his gaze sweeping over the specially reinforced ballistae. Each ballista was wrapped with hemp rope soaked in oil, and the arrowheads were coated with a mixture of sulfur and saltpeter—all specially prepared according to the captured training notes.

"Wen Yuan, do you think our preparations are enough to deal with that beast?" Su Yao suddenly asked.

Zhang Liao pursed his lips and answered honestly, "This humble general dares not speak presumptuously. Normally, these preparations would be more than enough to deal with any bird or beast. But the griffin is, after all, a creature of mythology."

"Hahaha!" Su Yao laughed, patting Zhang Liao on the shoulder. "Don't worry, no matter how powerful it is, it's still made of flesh and blood."

"Unless it stays in the air indefinitely, we can still shoot it down if we seize the right opportunity!"

Just then, Yufuluo led a troop of Xiongnu scouts galloping in from the north. The Chanyu, his face flushed with excitement, shouted from afar:
"General Tian! The vanguard of the Parthian King is less than twenty miles away!" A glint flashed in Su Yao's eyes: "How many men have arrived? Are the griffins with the army?"

"About twenty thousand men, banners waving, a truly impressive sight!" Yufuluo dismounted and knelt on one knee to report. "The griffins circled above the army, their wingspans spanning five zhang (approximately 10 meters), their golden feathers gleaming in the sunlight—truly awe-inspiring!"

Su Yao's lips curled into a cold smile: "Good, very good. Pass down the order: proceed according to plan!"

At Su Yao's command, the soldiers on the city wall, who were busy working, quickly stopped what they were doing and hid behind the battlements to conceal themselves.

On the towering city walls, only a few Parthian flags fluttered in the wind and the shadows of a few scattered guards could be seen.

"Report! Urgent report from Mulu!"

"The Han army has suddenly intensified its offensive; the south gate is under attack, and the east gate is in danger!"

"Your Majesty, please send troops to our aid immediately!"

As night fell, just as the Parthian army had assembled about twenty miles north of the city of Merv, they received an urgent military report from the city.

The Han army, which had been quiet for two days, suddenly went berserk and launched a massive night attack.

Although the city's defenders fought desperately, the Han army was clearly serious this time. They were fearless and threw countless precious cavalrymen into the hand-to-hand combat of the siege.

Although the defenders fought desperately, they were outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. The city gates changed hands several times, and the city was in danger of falling at any moment.

"Your Majesty, we cannot wait any longer!" Demius knelt on one knee, his voice urgent. "Mulde is in imminent danger. The Queen and the others are inside. If the Han army takes the city..."

The title of "Queen" is merely a formality; in reality, as mentioned before, there were many families of soldiers who accompanied the Parthian king on his campaigns in Mulu.

Believing they had victory in their grasp and could bring the war to the heart of the Kushan Empire, they sent a considerable number of people to Merv, a city of great historical significance to the Parthians, to flatter His Majesty the Fifth and participate in rallies and other activities.

If the city of Mulu were to fall and the families of the soldiers were to be captured, it would obviously be a significant blow to the morale of the army.

"Something's wrong!"

The prime minister, who had been keeping a low profile recently, suddenly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, why did the Han army choose this particular time to launch a strong attack?"

"It is now dark, and our scouts have not yet had time to thoroughly investigate the city. If there is a trap, our army may be in grave danger!"

Seeing that his generals and prime ministers had differing opinions, the Parthian king hesitated for a moment.

The reason he halted his army twenty miles away was to allow Mulu City to hold out for a while, so that he could send out scouts the next day to gather more information and try to find a suitable opportunity to enter the fray.

But to his surprise, before he could even set up camp and rest, an urgent report from Mulu City disrupted his plans.

"Is it possible that the Han army intensified its offensive because they discovered His Majesty's army in advance, hoping to defeat Mulu before His Majesty arrived and take hostages to threaten the army?"

The Parthian king glanced sideways and saw that the person speaking was none other than Anmoti, the messenger who had brought the urgent report.

This disciple of the Bahram family was now dressed in blood, his hair disheveled, looking as if he had just escaped death.

He fell to his knees with a thud, pleading tearfully:
"Your Majesty, we must not waste any more time!"

"The city really can't hold on any longer!"

"In the previous letter, it was inconvenient for the two gentlemen to say this, but did you know that the Han Chinese devil is cruel and greedy, coveting the city's wealth and beauties? He once boasted during the siege that he wanted our army to open the gates and surrender the city, handing over the two princesses to him to serve in his camp?"

"Just this evening, when the Han army attacked the city, they said that if we continued to resist, they would massacre all the men in Mulu."

As he spoke, Anmoti, his hands trembling, took out a blood-written letter from his bosom and handed it to Vologasis V. The writer was none other than Queen Amina.

The Parthian king unfolded the blood-written letter, and saw that the handwriting was delicate but trembling, with dark red bloodstains mixed in with the ink. It was indeed the handwriting of Queen Amina.

In the letter, she first tearfully recounted the anguish of being imprisoned in a tower by Shapur, and then described how brutal and ruthless the Han army outside the city was, and how the city's defenders were suffering repeated defeats. Her words were filled with longing and anticipation for the Parthian king.

Finally, in despair, she wrote that if the city truly fell, she would have no choice but to die to prove her loyalty and not dishonor the dignity of the royal family.

"Shapur bastard!"

"Bahram is a piece of trash!"

"Didn't they just report to me that they had held off Mulu?!"

"In just three days, they lost the city gates to me and even imprisoned my beloved concubines, trying to force them to their deaths!"

The Parthian king was furious and slammed the blood-written letter to the ground.

He drew his sword sharply, its blade pointing directly towards the city of Mulu:
"All troops, listen to my command! Set off immediately to reinforce Mulu! I will make those eastern barbarians pay a bloody price!"

Prime Minister Suren tried to persuade him again, but the Parthian king kicked him in the lower back: "Old man! If you dare to undermine the morale of the army again, I will behead you right now and use you as a sacrifice to the flag!"

Anmoti kowtowed at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Although Mulu City is in danger at this moment, it is the perfect opportunity for our army to defeat the enemy! The main force of the Han army is under the two southeast gates of the city. Our army can break through from the north gate, storm into the city, and drive them out in one fell swoop!"

"Alright! That's settled then. Go and lead the army there immediately."

Having said that, the Parthian king surveyed the entire arena and roared, "With the divine beast Griffin by my side, my army will surely achieve a great victory!"

"We must win! We must win!"

"Our army will win!"

Inspired by the Parthian king, the Parthian army roared with unwavering determination to win.

Then, their army abandoned their planned encampment and marched south at breakneck speed, quickly arriving outside the north gate of Mulu under Anmoti's guidance.

In the darkness, the Parthian army's torches shone brightly, stretching like a long dragon, and the sound of their hooves shook the earth.

On the city wall of the North Gate, there were few people, and the faint firelight made it impossible to see anything.

As for the Han army outside the city, there were only a mere hundred or so cavalrymen. As soon as they saw the Parthian army arrive, they scattered like birds and beasts. After lighting warning torches, they immediately extinguished their own torches and disappeared into the shadows.

"Good! As expected, there aren't many Han soldiers here!"

King Parthia, gazing at the familiar banners atop the city walls, was overjoyed and immediately ordered his entire army to launch a surprise attack, quickly enter the city to rendezvous with allied forces, and drive away the attacking Han soldiers.

He sat firmly in the center of the army, with Parthian cavalry surging like a tide before and behind him. Griffins circled in the night sky, emitting sharp cries, as if cheering them on.

"Open the city gates! His Majesty has arrived!" Anmoti shouted from below the city walls.

"—His Majesty has arrived!"

"Quickly welcome His Majesty!"

On the city wall, Chancellor of the Exchequer Denham peered out, waving his hands and shouting loudly.

Soon, a commotion arose on the city wall, followed by hurried footsteps and the creaking of chains. The heavy north gate slowly opened, revealing a crack.

"Charge!" Demius, the commander of the Imperial Guards, cracked his whip and charged into the city gate, clearing a path for the army behind him.

However, his mission was destined to end in failure.

Because, with a loud bang, countless Han soldiers suddenly appeared on the city wall.

The leader, clad in silver armor and a red robe, wielding a golden pestle, laughed loudly:
"King of Parthia, you have certainly kept me waiting for quite some time!"

"Oh no!" King Anxi exclaimed, "We've fallen into a trap!"

As they spoke, arrows rained down, and sparks filled the sky.

The Parthian army was thrown into chaos!

(End of this chapter)