Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 897 One Man Against Ten Thousand
After Xia Lin gave the order, the central command tent fell into complete silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Li Zhi opened his mouth, but looking at his father's back already clad in armor, he swallowed back the words of dissuasion he was about to say.

He knew that his father's actions, though seemingly whimsical, were actually deeply meaningful, and this was not the time to question him.

"Send the order: the entire army shall break camp and retreat ten li!" Li Zhi took a deep breath and clearly conveyed the order.

Although the generals inside the tent looked surprised and suspicious, none of them dared to disobey. His Highness the Crown Prince had already given the order, not to mention that the fearsome Commander Xia had personally donned his armor.

Military orders are absolute. In less than half an hour, the massive military camp began to retreat in an orderly manner, with banners waving and men and horses silent, perfectly demonstrating the excellent discipline after the training.

Before the army had fully set off, Xia Lin rode out of the camp alone, his chestnut mare leisurely making its way to the city of Luzhou.

The rebels on the city wall had already noticed the unusual movements of the government troops. Just as they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, they saw a lone rider approaching, which made them even more nervous. The archers drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the city below.

Xia Lin reined in his horse a short distance from the city gate, looking up at the densely packed figures and gleaming arrows on the city wall. He hadn't even brought any weapons; he had simply raised his hand casually, his voice not particularly loud, yet it carried clearly up to the city wall:

"Bring your commander out and say that Xia Lin has come to visit."

The mere mention of the name caused a suppressed gasp and commotion to erupt on the city wall.

Xia Lin, the dual marshal of Wei and Tang, is known as the God of Slaughter. Who in the world does not know him? His appearance is like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of every rebel.

Soon, a man dressed as a general appeared on the city wall, standing at a distance and bowing to Xia Lin: "I am the commander of the South Gate! Is the one who comes here Marshal Xia Lin?"

"I'll give you five days." Xia Lin's voice remained calm. "Within five days, my army will retreat ten miles, without fighting or attacking the city. These five days are for the soldiers and civilians in the city who don't want to die. Those who want to live, find a chance to come out. After five days, not a single chicken or dog will be spared."

He offered no impassioned threats, nor any earnest attempts to persuade him to surrender; only this most direct and ruthless declaration. Having said that, he turned his horse around and leisurely rode back, exposing his back completely to the countless crossbow bolts on the city wall.

A deathly silence fell over the city walls; not a single person dared to fire an arrow. The leisurely departing figure was more oppressive than any charge of a thousand troops. Only when Xia Lin's figure disappeared from sight did a tremendous uproar and chaos erupt from the city walls.

"It's Marshal Xia! It really is him!"

"He said... in five days, not a single chicken or dog will be left alive..."

"What should we do? What should we do?"

Panic spread like wildfire across the city walls and throughout the entire city of Luzhou. Xia Lin was a legend among legends; every soldier in the land knew his name, a fact deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Now that he had personally arrived at the city walls, the psychological impact far surpassed that of a siege by tens of thousands of troops.

Li Zhi stood on a high point in the newly established camp, gazing towards Luzhou City. Although he couldn't see the specific situation clearly, he could imagine the enormous waves his father's few words had stirred up in the city.

He admired his father immensely; without firing a single shot, his father had shaken the foundations of the rebels with just his name.

The retreating government troops stood ready at the new camp. As expected, Yinuo did not launch any attack. However, this invisible pressure was more suffocating than swords and spears.

On the first day, the four gates of Luzhou City were tightly closed and heavily guarded, but the expressions of the soldiers guarding the city walls were different from those of the past, with panic and suspicion flowing silently between them.

The next day, in the early hours of the morning, groups of soldiers and civilians began to descend from the city walls under the cover of darkness, or crawl out from some unknown drainage tunnels, desperately rushing towards the direction of the Tang Dynasty's army.

The government troops, following orders, did not obstruct them, but instead took them into custody and interrogated them separately.

From these escapees, Li Zhi and others gained a clearer understanding of the situation inside the city. The conflict over the unfair distribution of grain intensified, and Liu Ren's faction was almost irreconcilably at odds with other factions. Xia Lin's ultimatum became the final straw that broke the psychological defenses of many.

"Father, it seems that a major upheaval will occur in the city within five days," Li Zhi said to Xia Lin, who had come to hear the report.

Xia Lin was fiddling with a puppy she'd picked up by the roadside, not even looking up: "Just wait. Get everyone ready. As soon as the city gates open, head straight for Liu Ren's residence. Don't let the real culprit escape."

The third day, at dusk.

The atmosphere in Luzhou City was extremely tense.

In an attempt to quell unrest, Liu Ren executed several mid-level generals who appeared to be wavering, including even a respected local warlord. However, this short-sighted measure not only failed to intimidate the people but also exacerbated the existing tensions.

It was night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

In the northeast corner of the city, a fire suddenly broke out in the camp where the Luzhou garrison was stationed, and shouts of battle erupted! Centered around the former subordinates of the powerful local leader who had been executed by Liu Ren, a large number of resentful former garrison soldiers and soldiers whose rations had been withheld began to launch a fierce attack on Liu Ren's direct troops stationed in the west of the city.

"Kill Liu Ren, open the city gates and surrender to Tang!"

"Commander Xia has ordered that only the ringleaders be executed!"

Roars, the clash of weapons, and the dying cries shattered the tranquility of the night, and the firelight illuminated half the sky. The rebellion spread rapidly like wildfire, plunging the city into utter chaos.

The news quickly reached the government army camp.

Li Zhi abruptly stood up, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "The time has come! Order the entire army: the vanguard battalion is to be ready to enter the city at any moment and seize the rebel leader! The rest of the troops, control the four gates, mop up the remaining enemy, kill any who resist, and spare the lives of those who surrender!"

He glanced at Xia Lin beside him. Xia Lin placed his sidearm under Li Zhi's hand and patted his son on the shoulder: "Go, do as you think. Remember, you are the commander-in-chief."

Li Zhi nodded emphatically, mounted his horse, drew his longsword, and pointed it at the city engulfed in flames: "Open the city gates! Follow me to quell the rebellion!"

The elite government troops, who had been poised for action, surged towards the south gate of Luzhou City like a flood bursting its banks. The storm that Xia Lin had stirred up with a single word was about to be reaped.

With a sickening creak, the south gate of Luzhou was pushed open by the soldiers who had rebelled inside. Before the heavy gate was fully opened, Li Zhi had already taken the lead, leading his fierce vanguard cavalry into the city.

The thunderous roar of horses' hooves echoed across the cobblestone streets, instantly drowning out the shouts and chaos within the city. Illuminated by the firelight, His Highness the Crown Prince, clad in silver armor and white robes, charged forward, becoming the most dazzling ray of light tearing through the chaotic night.

"Those who kneel and surrender their weapons will not be killed!" "Those who resist will be executed on the spot!"

The officers following behind roared in unison, their voices booming, attempting to intimidate the rebels who were still resisting or looting in the chaos.

The city was in complete disarray. Corpses lay scattered throughout the streets, shops on both sides showed signs of being smashed and looted, and fires were still raging in some places. The air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder. Some rebel troops were still fighting independently, and Liu Ren's loyal forces were locked in fierce combat with the defected troops, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

Li Zhi ignored the chaos of battles around him; he had only one goal—the governor's mansion in the center of the city, Liu Ren's stronghold.

"Don't linger in battle, take the central command!" he shouted sharply, his longsword flashing as he cleaved a rebellious junior officer who had charged forward recklessly from his horse. Warm blood splattered onto his armor, leaving a slightly sticky sensation, but Li Zhi didn't even flinch. At this moment, he had completely assumed the role of commander, even forgetting that the weapon his father had given him was hanging at his waist.

Like sharp arrows, the vanguard cavalry, supported by Zhang Jianzhi, advanced along the main road, easily crushing small groups of resistance.

Seeing the overwhelming strength of the government troops, the arrival of the Crown Prince, and the promise to only punish the ringleaders, more and more rebels threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground.

However, the closer they got to the governor's mansion, the fiercer the resistance became. Liu Ren's core followers knew they had no chance of survival, so they fought like cornered beasts. Using the barricades and familiar terrain, they desperately resisted with bows, crossbows, and spears.

"Shields forward! Archers, suppress! Assault team, follow me!"

Li Zhi commanded the troops in battle with clear and organized strategies. The newly trained Northern Army displayed exceptional tactical proficiency, with shield bearers advancing in formation, archers firing precise shots, and small assault teams flexibly clearing out the enemy behind the barricades.

The battle was briefly locked in a stalemate, with stray arrows whistling past their ears and striking their shields with dull thuds. Li Zhi stood in the middle of the formation, calmly observing the situation and searching for an opportunity to break through.

Just then, a greater commotion suddenly arose on the flank of the governor's mansion, the firelight suddenly brightened, accompanied by a unified shout of battle different from that of the rebels.

It's the training regiment!

They had somehow been led by an experienced guide familiar with the city's street fighting, and had slipped through another alleyway to strike at the weak point of the rebels' defenses.

The arrival of the training corps instantly shattered the balance. Their tactics were cunning, their teamwork seamless; often, groups of three to five could easily breach a defense. The rebel lines crumbled in an instant.

"Your Highness, the gates of the mansion have been breached!" A brigade commander, covered in blood, excitedly reported.

Li Zhi's spirits lifted, and he pointed his longsword forward: "Enter the mansion! Capture Liu Ren alive!"

The soldiers roared as they stormed through the wide-open gates of the governor's mansion. The last resistance inside proved futile against overwhelming force and was quickly wiped out.

Surrounded by his guards, Li Zhi strode into the main hall of the government office. The hall was in disarray, with documents scattered all over the floor, clearly indicating that the rebel leaders were trying to destroy evidence or flee in haste. However, Liu Ren was nowhere to be found.

"Search! Dig three feet into the ground to find him!" Li Zhi calmly ordered.

Moments later, news came from the inner quarters that traces had been found at a hidden cellar entrance. When the soldiers forcibly pried open the cellar door, terrified cries and pleas for mercy came from inside.

Several elegantly dressed but disheveled women were brought out; they were Liu Ren's family members. However, Liu Ren was still not among them.

"Where is Liu Ren?" Li Zhi's voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Liu Ren's wife collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face: "He...he left through the secret passage with his personal guards an hour ago...I don't know where he is, Your Highness!"

He really did escape! Li Zhi felt a surge of anger, but wasn't too surprised. How could a cunning man like Liu Ren not have a way out?

"Chase him!" he immediately ordered. "Seal off the entire city and thoroughly search every gate! He can't have gone far!"

Just then, Xia Lin strolled into the governor's mansion. Looking at the mess in the courtyard and Liu Ren's family members being escorted away, he clicked his tongue and said, "Oh, they ran away?"

Li Zhi stepped forward, his face filled with shame: "Father, it was my negligence that allowed the ringleader to escape."

"You can run away, but you can't hide." Xia Lin didn't care at all. His gaze swept over the trembling family members and finally landed on a boy who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old. The boy's features were somewhat similar to Liu Ren's. He was trying to remain calm, but his clenched fists betrayed his fear.

Xia Lin walked over, squatted down, and looked the boy in the eye: "Your father abandoned you and your mother and ran away. Do you know what that means?"

The boy's lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

Xia Lin patted him on the shoulder, his tone calm yet cruel: "It means that in his heart you are all pawns that can be discarded at any time. Kid, remember this feeling."

After saying this, he stood up and said to Li Zhi, "Take stock of the battle results, comfort the people, and tally the casualties. Write a report and tell your mother the whole story of what happened here. Leave the pursuit of Liu Ren to the professionals below; you stay in the central command."

His well-organized plan instantly pulled Li Zhi out of his frustration at failing to capture the ringleader himself. Li Zhi took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. He knew his father was teaching him that as a commander-in-chief, it was more important to control the overall situation than to fight for short-term gains.

As dawn broke, the chaos in Luzhou City largely subsided. The city gates were firmly under the control of government troops, and soldiers began patrolling the streets to maintain order and extinguish any remaining fires. Residents who had fled their homes were guided back to their places of origin after confirming their safety.

Li Zhi stood atop the gate tower of the governor's mansion, gazing upon the city that had weathered a brief but intense storm. The rays of the rising sun pierced the morning mist, illuminating the war-torn streets and reflecting on his already dignified face.

That night, he personally led his troops to capture a prefecture city and quell a rebellion. Although it was somewhat regrettable that the ringleader had escaped, this was undoubtedly a significant achievement in his career as crown prince. He turned around and saw his father, Xia Lin, leaning against the wall, yawning, looking as lazy as ever.

But Li Zhi knew in his heart that if his father hadn't single-handedly shouted to intimidate the entire city, and if the seemingly absurd order to retreat for five days hadn't been given, the battle would never have gone so smoothly, and the casualties would never have been so small.

"What are you looking at?" Xia Lin lifted his eyelids. "Hurry up and clean things up. This lousy place reeks of blood; it's unbearable to smell. Oh, and don't forget to recommend me for merit. Write 'Xia Lin, the military advisor, is eloquent and has terrified the enemy. His merit is outstanding.' He will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and twenty beautiful women."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi couldn't help but chuckle, and the gloom in his heart vanished. However, his father's achievements could not be summarized in just a few words.

He looked into the distance and began to conceive of a report of victory to send to Chang'an. Luzhou City had now fallen, but the turmoil in Hedong Province might have only just begun. This traitor Liu Ren was most likely just one link in a chain of events.

(End of this chapter)