Huangming

Chapter 463 Divination Inscriptions by Sorcerers: Stubborn and Self-willed

The main hall of the Datong General's Government was now completely filled with gold and silver jewels.

The setting sun shone on the mountain of valuables, making the entire hall glitter with gold.

—A pile of high-quality gold ingots stood in the corner, taller than a person.

The silver ingots were wrapped in red silk cloth and stacked into neat squares.

Jade bracelets, pearl necklaces, and agate ornaments spilled out of the open wooden box.

There were also stacks of land deeds and deeds, stamped with the government's seal in cinnabar, pressed on top of the jewelry box.

Wang Wei was wearing a brand-new python-patterned robe, a garment originally reserved for princes, which he was now wearing.

now.

He was squatting in front of a pile of gold bars, reaching out to pick up a heavy gold bar, a fascinated smile on his face.

This is a fortune of four million taels of silver!

Even if he embezzled military pay and withheld rations during his tenure as deputy commander of Datong, he could never have accumulated this much wealth in his entire life.

"Rebellion is still the best..."

Wang Wei brought the gold bar to his nose, as if he could smell the unique cool fragrance of gold.

"Confiscating property is much more enjoyable than being a general!"

Yesterday, when he raided the Prince Dai's mansion and saw the silver piled up to the ceiling in the treasury, the thrill of his heart racing was even more exhilarating than winning a battle.

Does the current emperor also enjoy this taste?

How long would it take to accumulate four million taels of silver by relying on taxes, salt, and iron?

It would only take a few days to confiscate the property of a vassal king.

He stood up, walked to a wooden box full of jewels, and picked up a string of pearls.

Each bead is round and uniform in size, gleaming with a white sheen in the sunlight.

This was the most treasured item of the Prince of Dai, which was said to have been bought from Liaodong for 100,000 taels of silver.

Wang Wei wrapped the necklace around his wrist, the cool beads against his skin, and his smugness was almost overflowing.

With this money, he could recruit tens of thousands of soldiers and buy the best armor and weapons. Even if Xiong Tingbi came, he would have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with the imperial court!
"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

Urgent shouts suddenly came from outside the hall, interrupting Wang Wei's reverie.

He frowned, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

The voice belonged to Zhou Jingzhi. Usually, this strategist was calm and composed, but now he was filled with an unprecedented panic.

Before Wang Wei could turn around, Zhou Jingzhi stumbled in.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his breathing was rapid and labored.

He grabbed Wang Wei's arm, his voice trembling:
"My lord! Xiong Tingbi... Xiong Tingbi's army has already surrounded Datong Prefecture!"

All four gates were blocked, and the city walls were filled with the banners of government troops!

"what?!"

Wang Wei abruptly shook off Zhou Jingzhi's hand, startled and taking a step back. His lower back bumped into the box full of silver ingots, causing the box to tip over with a "clang," and several silver ingots rolled to the ground.

"That scoundrel Xiong Tingbi, he actually arrived so quickly?"

“There’s more!”

Zhou Jingzhi swallowed hard, took another step forward, and lowered his voice.

"Xiong Tingbi also had people shout outside the city, saying, 'Only the bandit leaders Wang Wei, Liu Zhenbang, and Zhang Tianlin will be executed, and the rest of the coerced followers will be pardoned if they surrender!'"
The city is in chaos now.

The officers were in an uproar, even our personal guards were wavering, and Zhang Tianlin's band of refugees, upon hearing the news of the government troops' arrival, some began looting the people's grain again!

Upon hearing this, Wang Wei's heart sank, and his previous smugness and optimism were instantly replaced by panic.

"what should I do?"

Wang Wei paced back and forth in the hall.

"My lord, now is not the time to hesitate!"

Zhou Jingzhi saw through his thoughts and his tone became even more urgent.

"The city's food supplies are only enough to last for a month at most!"

Zhang Tianlin's army of refugees numbered over 30,000, all relying on plundering for food to survive. If their food supply were cut off, they would be the first to rebel!
Sun Zhen and Ma Rong were already being coerced into rebellion; once Xiong Tingbi issues the surrender order, they could defect at any moment!

"Xiong Tingbi can still mobilize troops from Xuanfu and Jizhen, and the troops from the Beijing Garrison are probably also heading here. He can afford to wait!"
But we can't afford to waste time.

Holding out will only lead to certain death!

"You mean... retreat?"

Wang Wei stopped in his tracks, his face grim.

He looked at the room full of gold and silver jewelry, his eyes filled with reluctance.

These riches were acquired not long ago. If we retreat, we simply cannot transport so much stuff. It can only be left to Xiong Tingbi!
Retreat meant abandoning Datong Prefecture and the gold and silver treasures he had just acquired, which was worse than death for him.

"It's a temporary retreat!"

Zhou Jingzhi nodded, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

“We can leave Zhang Tianlin’s refugee army in the city to wear down Xiong Tingbi’s forces.”

Those refugees, without food and supplies, will definitely fight the government troops to the death!
"Let's take this opportunity to break out through the west gate and head towards Yansui Town. The unrest there hasn't been quelled yet, so we can recruit more soldiers and horses. Once Xiong Tingbi has pacified the refugees, we'll come back and fight our way back!"

"no!"

Wang Wei shook his head violently, his tone somewhat stubborn.

"How can we move so much wealth?"

That's four million taels of silver!
And what about the antiques and paintings confiscated from the Prince Dai's mansion? Aren't they all treasures?

He pointed to the room full of valuables, his eyes filled with greed.

"I finally got these, I can't just lose them like this!"

"My lord! Money is just an external thing!"

Zhou Jingzhi was so anxious that he stamped his feet.

"Has my lord forgotten the fate of the Prince of Dai yesterday?"
He guarded a mansion full of wealth, but in the end, we still raided his home, captured him, and killed him.

If we don't retreat, and Xiong Tingbi breaches the city, we won't even be able to save our lives, let alone our wealth!

Wang Wei was struck on a sore spot by those words, and his face turned pale and then red.

He looked at the silver ingots rolling on the ground and recalled Xiong Tingbi's ruthlessness.

It is said that when this military commander of the Nine Borders was in Xuanfu, he executed all generals who plotted rebellion by slow slicing, and even exiled their families three thousand miles away.

Fear gripped his heart like vines, yet resentment burned like flames in his ambition.

"I can not be reconciled!"

Wang Wei suddenly drew his sword from his waist and slammed it on the table.

"Our town hasn't even had a proper fight with Xiong Tingbi yet!"
Why should we retreat?

If I can defeat him, Datong Prefecture will be mine, all this wealth will be mine, and then I can even conquer the heart of Shanxi and become a local tyrant!

His eyes turned bloodshot, like a gambler who had lost everything.

"Shanxi, with its mountains and rivers, is a region that can stand on its own!"

"My lord, please reconsider!"

"Mr. Zhou, stop trying to persuade us! This town is going to fight Xiong Tingbi to the death!!"

Looking at Wang Wei's resolute eyes, Zhou Jingzhi knew that further persuasion would be useless.

He sighed, a sense of despair welling up inside him.

Wang Wei was blinded by greed and ambition and failed to see the situation clearly.

Zhang Tianlin's refugee army is no match for him, and Sun Zhen and Ma Rong could defect at any time. How can this battle be fought?

However.
Wang Wei also had his own plans.

Sun Zhen and Ma Rong's group were tricked and controlled by him from the beginning using the "garrison eunuch order," and they had no intention of rebelling at all.

These days, the two have been playing cat and mouse with him, demanding more military pay but being uncooperative in their work. If it weren't for the fact that he held their families in his hands and controlled their lives, they would probably have defected long ago.

Now that Xiong Tingbi has besieged the city, these two are like ticking time bombs that could explode at any moment.

It would be better to borrow the government troops' swords and exhaust their strength.

Once their people are all gone, even if they want to defect, they won't pose much of a threat.

As for Zhang Tianlin's army of refugees, Wang Wei didn't take them seriously at all.

More than 30,000 people may seem like a lot, but in reality they are a mob who know nothing but how to rob grain.

Keeping them around would consume thousands of bushels of grain every day, and they would always rob and cause trouble in the city, ruining his "reputation".

Let them lead the charge. Those who survive will be fearless elites. We can then incorporate them into our ranks, saving on food and supplies while gaining capable soldiers.

Those who die on the battlefield are considered as having rid him of a burden.

Kill two birds with one stone.

A barely perceptible, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he turned and gave orders to his personal guards:

"Go and summon Sun Zhen, Ma Rong, Liu Zhenbang, and Zhang Tianlin, and tell them to come to the General Headquarters immediately for a meeting."

In less than half an hour, the main hall of the General's Mansion was filled with people.

Liu Zhenbang stood on the outermost side, his armor still stained with the blood from yesterday's chase. He lowered his head slightly, his left hand unconsciously gripping the saber at his waist.

Last night's pursuit of Zhang Wei failed, resulting in the loss of over two hundred elite troops. Although Wang Wei did not openly blame him, he transferred half of Zhang Wei's personal guards away.

Clearly, his previous double-dealing in Zuoyun County had caused Wang Wei to lose absolute trust in him.

Sun Zhen and Ma Rong stood side by side in the middle, their faces grim.

They were originally Yang Zhaoji's former subordinates. If Wang Wei hadn't used his family to blackmail them, they would never have gotten involved in this rebellion. Now that they were being coerced into joining the rebellion, they were filled with resentment and had no morale whatsoever.

Wang Wei sat in the armchair, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and cut to the chase:
"Xiong Tingbi's army has already surrounded the city, and all four gates have been blocked."

We can't just sit here and wait to be killed. We must take advantage of his arrival and the fact that he hasn't settled in yet, and launch a preemptive strike to catch him off guard!

The moment the words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

Sun Zhen, Ma Rong, Zhang Tianlin and others' expressions changed drastically.

Liu Zhenbang's body stiffened for a moment.

To launch a preemptive strike? To fight against Xiong Tingbi's elite government troops?

What’s the difference between this and committing suicide?
Seeing the crowd's reaction, Wang Wei curled his lips into a cold smile and continued:

The specific deployment is as follows:
Liu Zhenbang, you are appointed commander-in-chief and will lead 6,000 soldiers in an attack.

Of these, 2,500 were Sun Zhen's men, 2,500 were Ma Rong's men, and the remaining 1,000 were your own men.

He paused, then turned his gaze to Zhang Tianlin:

"Zhang Tianlin, you will serve as deputy general. First, lead 20,000 refugee soldiers out of the east gate to attract the attention of the government troops and disrupt their formation."

Once the situation becomes chaotic, Liu Zhenbang, you will lead six thousand soldiers to attack Xiong Tingbi's central army camp.

It would be best if we could kill Xiong Tingbi or one of his generals.

Even if we can't kill them, we must ascertain the strength and weaknesses of the government troops and test their fighting capabilities!

"what?!"

Sun Zhen could no longer hold back and cried out.

His 2,500 men were the last bit of capital he had left. If he sent them to fight the government troops head-on, they would probably be left with nothing but bones!
Ma Rong's face also turned deathly pale. He looked at Wang Wei, his lips trembling, but he dared not lose his composure like Sun Zhen.

He was afraid that Wang Wei would target his family.

Liu Zhenbang's expression was also grim. He looked at Wang Wei, his voice hesitant:

“Father-in-law, this… the rebel army is weak and they probably won’t last long. If my six thousand soldiers rashly attack, they might be surrounded by the government troops…”

He wanted to persuade Wang Wei to reconsider, but he didn't dare to be too direct.

After all, he had a history of outwardly complying but inwardly disobeying orders, and he was afraid of angering Wang Wei.

Wang Wei's brows furrowed instantly, his eyes sharpening. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the candlelight to flicker.
"What? Do you have any objections?"

His gaze swept over Sun Zhen, who shuddered at his stare and quickly lowered his head, swallowing back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He looked at Ma Rong, who dared not look up, his hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

He then looked at Liu Zhenbang and Zhang Tianlin, both of whom lowered their heads, not daring to look Wang Wei in the eye.

Seeing this, Wang Wei's expression softened slightly.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow at midnight, Zhang Tianlin will lead the refugee army out of the east gate first, followed by Liu Zhenbang with his troops."

As for Lieutenant General Sun and Lieutenant General Ma…

His gaze swept over the two of them.

"You will remain at the General Headquarters and assist the General Headquarters in planning the war, so that you can deploy troops in the city at any time."

Sun Zhen and Ma Rong felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Stay at the General Headquarters?
This is treating them as hostages.

They were afraid that the enemy might take the opportunity to escape or secretly pass messages to the government troops!
But they dared not resist, and could only bow in respect:

"The general will obey the order."

"In that case, all of you, go and prepare!"

Seeing the grim expressions on everyone's faces, Wang Wei waved his hand and said.

"Yes!"

No one dared to say anything more, and they all turned and left the hall.

Liu Zhenbang walked at the back, glancing back at Wang Wei sitting in the armchair, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

In this battle, he will likely lose more than half of his thousand main force soldiers, and he may even lose his own life.

Hey ~
Difficult!

Wang Wei watched the departing figures of the group, a ruthless smile curling at the corner of his lips.

That's exactly what he wanted.

Let Sun Zhen and Ma Rong exhaust their resources, weaken Liu Zhenbang's strength, and let Zhang Tianlin's refugee army fend for itself.

Once this battle is over, no one in Datong City will be able to threaten his position.

Even if Xiong Tingbi is still besieging the city, he will have the selected elite troops at his disposal and will be confident in dealing with the government army.

Zhou Jingzhi frowned as he watched the dejected figures of Sun Zhen, Ma Rong, and the others.

The deathly silence in the main hall was even more chilling than the government troops outside the city.

Zhou Jingzhi knew perfectly well that such a one-man rule would likely cause morale to plummet, which would be of no benefit to Wang Wei.

If we don't find a way to boost morale, tomorrow night's battle may turn into a farce, or even incite a mutiny.

He composed himself, stepped forward, and bowed to Wang Wei, who was stroking the pearl necklace:

"My lord, you saw the expressions on the faces of the generals just now."

Sun Zhen and Ma Rong were already resistant, Liu Zhenbang was suspicious after suffering heavy losses, and Zhang Tianlin's refugee army was in disarray.

Forcing them to fight now will only further demoralize them, and they might even defect on the battlefield if things go wrong.

Wang Wei looked up at Zhou Jingzhi, his tone tinged with impatience:
"Sir, please speak frankly; there's no need to beat around the bush."

"I think it would be better to take some of the gold and silver confiscated from the Prince of Dai's mansion and use it to reward the soldiers who went into battle tonight."

Zhou Jingzhi's voice was earnest.

"Sun Zhen and Ma Rong's troops were mostly veterans of the border army, who valued practical benefits the most."

Zhang Tianlin's refugee army fought desperately for a bite to eat and a little money.

If they are offered a generous reward, their resentment will naturally subside, and their morale will be boosted.

Even if we can't fight to the death, we shouldn't desert our posts.

"That's local money!"

Wang Wei suddenly raised his voice.

"Those silver and jewels were confiscated from the Prince's mansion by this town, one sword and one spear. Why should they be given to a bunch of people who are going to die sooner or later?"

He stood up, walked to the wooden chest full of gold and silver, bent down and picked up a heavy silver ingot, his eyes filled with greed:

“Sun Zhen and Ma Rong were forced into rebellion; they will defect sooner or later.”

Zhang Tianlin's army of refugees was a rabble; they knew nothing but how to rob grain.

Liu Zhenbang…

He paused, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"We know perfectly well what he's up to."

In the eyes of the town, these people are all dead.

"Since it's a dead person, why give them money?"

Zhou Jingzhi's heart sank; he finally understood Wang Wei's thoughts.

Not only did they want to use Xiong Tingbi to deplete these non-direct-line troops, but they also wanted them to die "cleanly," without paying even a little bit of the cost of winning people's hearts.

But expecting the horse to run without feeding it will inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later.

He continued to advise:

"My lord, though that is true, tonight's battle is of utmost importance."

If the soldiers lose their will to fight, not only will they fail to kill Xiong Tingbi's men, but they will also be defeated by the government troops, and then..."

"enough!"

Wang Wei abruptly waved his hand to interrupt him, his words already showing some impatience.

“Last night, the town had a diviner perform divination. The divination said, ‘Tomorrow night, we will go into battle. It will be very auspicious. We will be able to defeat the government troops and capture the enemy general alive.’”

With divine protection, what's there to fear about low morale?

As he spoke, he took out a folded piece of yellow paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and handed it to Zhou Jingzhi.

The paper was covered with crooked and distorted symbols, and next to it were a few lines of hastily written divination inscriptions.

Zhou Jingzhi took the yellow paper, glanced at it, and gasped, his hands trembling slightly.

He originally thought Wang Wei was just greedy and cold-blooded, but he never expected him to be so absurd as to believe in sorcerers!
He actually believed in these divination inscriptions that weren't even scribbled characters?
The city of Datong was besieged, the forces were vastly outnumbered, and morale was low. Could they really win the battle with just a piece of tattered paper?

"My lord, most of these sorcerers are charlatans who rely on sweet talk to deceive people. Their words are absolutely not to be trusted!"

Zhou Jingzhi's voice trembled slightly, and he almost pleaded as he spoke:

"The current situation is critical. We rely on the soldiers' courage and proper strategies, not on divination or fortune-telling!"
If this vague and unreliable divination leads to a major blunder, then we will truly be powerless to reverse the situation!

"Alright, alright, that's enough!"

Wang Wei impatiently snatched the yellow paper, carefully folded it, and stuffed it back into his sleeve, as if it were a great treasure.

"The town's mind is made up. Tonight's battle will proceed as arranged earlier."

"If there's nothing else, sir, you may leave now. I need to take another look at the town's defense map."

Zhou Jingzhi watched as Wang Wei turned and walked to the desk, unfolding the city defense map with his back to him. His back view revealed an air of arrogance and self-will, and he no longer had the humility to accept advice he once had.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but the words stuck in his throat.

Zhou Jingzhi had no choice but to slowly leave the hall, his steps heavy as if they were made of lead.

As he passed by the mountains of gold and silver jewelry, he couldn't help but stop and look at the room full of golden light, a deep sense of disappointment welling up inside him.

This money could have been used to win over the people, expand military equipment, or even to appease the people in the city, which would have increased the chances of a successful rebellion.

But what about Wang Wei?

He treated the money as his private property, preferring to let it gather dust in the general's mansion rather than give it a single penny. Instead, he pinned his hopes on the divination of the sorcerers, expecting to win the battle by relying on "divine will".

He had previously thought that Wang Wei was a brave and resourceful man who could accomplish great things, which is why he was willing to assist him in the rebellion.

But now it seems that Wang Wei was nothing more than a short-sighted, greedy, and superstitious gambler.

He only saw the wealth before his eyes, but failed to see the importance of people's hearts.

They blindly believe in the illusory will of Heaven, ignoring the real-world crises.

Zhou Jingzhi looked up at the window. The night was getting darker, and the distant shouts of government troops could be faintly heard.

Hey ~
He sighed deeply, feeling for the first time a sense of despair about his future.

Can I really achieve my ambitions and ideals by following such a person?
PS:

There should be an extra chapter tonight!

(End of this chapter)