The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1039 - 1039 500 Strongest Gu Family Army (First Update)

Chapter 1039: 500 Strongest Gu Family Army! (First Update) Chapter 1039: 500 Strongest Gu Family Army! (First Update) The battle for Yuegu City saw heavy losses on both sides, with Zhan Country’s forces even more depleted. However, they had the numbers to quickly replenish their ranks.

Perhaps because the conquest of the previous three cities had been too easy, when Rong Fu led an army of twenty thousand to attack Yuegu City, he actually felt it was an overkill.

He was well aware of Yuegu City’s military deployment; the total guards and constables from all the government offices barely exceeded two thousand, and even with the addition of temporarily conscripted able-bodied men, their numbers were no more than five thousand. Plus, Tang Yueshan had spirited away two thousand five hundred soldiers from Ye City, making a total force of just over seven thousand.

Out of these seven thousand, Rong Fu carefully did the calculus; the two thousand five hundred troops of the imperial army had been starved for three days and nights when captured, their strength severely drained, and were then forced to march dozens of miles. Their combat power had plummeted. Moreover, the over two thousand conscripts lacked the training and quality of soldiers, Amounting to practically a death sentence on the battlefield.

To put it bluntly, compared to the robust and mighty forces of Zhan Country, these few thousand were nothing more than the old and infirm!

Yet it was this very group of “wounded and crippled” that had held out against Zhan Country’s twenty thousand-strong army for three days and four nights!

From where did these fellows draw their strength?!

This was no longer about not fearing death but holding onto some powerful, unshakable belief in their hearts. It was as if they would use their bodies as barricades at the city gates and walls to stop the invading forces even in death.

Rong Fu, as the commander of this campaign, had been attentively monitoring the siege from atop his warhorse below the city tower. The city gate had already been breached, and their mighty army was pouring in; Zhan Country’s forces wouldn’t last much longer.

The city tower, on the other hand, was proving to be more troublesome.

He had always been aware that Tang Yueshan was somewhat capable, but he never expected him to be this capable.

Among the three renowned generals of Zhan Country, the one best at military strategy was Old Duke Gu Chao, the most shameless and unpredictable was Marquis Xiao Ji of Xuanping, and the bravest and fiercest was Grand Marshal Tang Yueshan.

Honestly, when they heard that he became the Grand Marshal, both Rong Fu and his father, Rong Yao, were quite astonished. The bravest and fiercest wasn’t exactly a flattering assessment—plainly spoken, this man was brave but thoughtless, a major taboo in military strategy.

Yet a few days ago, Tang Yueshan had used a strategy to “lure the tiger away from the mountain”—spreading false intelligence that the imperial supplies had reached the Huaqing Official Road, causing them to dispatch a large force to hijack the supplies. In the meantime, Tang Yueshan took the opportunity to sneak into their Military Camp and lead two thousand horsemen to break out.

What seemed like a simple tactic actually required every step to be meticulously measured to the finest detail; had they not responded, or failed to divert enough troops, even if Tang Yueshan had infiltrated their camp, he wouldn’t have been able to lead his men out.

Even the escape route taken by Tang Yueshan and his men had been carefully selected by him, resulting in their cavalry being unable to catch up with the infantry. Frustrating, isn’t it? Just say it’s frustrating!

It was this incident that made the Rong Family realize Tang Yueshan wasn’t just brave but thoughtless; he was too brave, which made everyone overlook his cunning.

But no matter how brave he was, what of it?

He was but mortal flesh and bone; eventually, he would run out of strength. Zhan Country’s army was vast and seemed inexhaustible, while the defenders of Yuegu City were dwindling with each casualty.

Indeed, as Rong Fu predicted, Tang Yueshan was reaching his limit. But it wasn’t due to exhaustion—it was because his leg was injured.

The injury was precisely where he had once been shot through by a son-in-law’s arrow; the blood poured forth, staining the ground beneath his foot.

“Grand Marshal Tang!”

Deputy Commander Cen, covered in blood, approached Tang Yueshan. He too had sustained injuries, though not all the blood on him was his own.

“Don’t mind me!” Tang Yueshan, supported by a broken battering ram behind him, stood up with excruciating pain shooting through his leg. He raised his hand to cut down a Zhan Country soldier, then fell down after he did the deed.

Deputy Commander Cen clenched his teeth, “…Yes!”

His eyes warmed as he turned, sword in hand, to continue fighting the enemy.

Tang Yueshan was nearly spent, barely able to stand. It was just a matter of time before he would be slain.

Compared to Tang Yueshan, who posed little threat, there was the young man defending Zhan Country’s flag with his spear alone.

The youth was armored, helmet on, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes resembling an eagle’s. In truth, his face and age were obscured, but his every move radiated a youthful vigor.

Countless Zhan Country soldiers climbed up, yet none could approach the flag of Zhan Country. Without exception, all were impaled by the youth’s Red-Tasseled Spear!

Blood stained his armor and the rubble beneath his feet, but the flag he was protecting remained untainted.

He was like a deity of war, safeguarding the spirit of Zhan Country’s army.

“When did Yuegu City come up with such a troublesome character?” Rong Fu’s brows furrowed deeply.

If he had gone to Lingguan City, he would have heard of this person from the son-in-law, but unfortunately, he had not gone there yet.

Rong Fu ordered his subordinates, “Fetch me a bow and arrows.”

“Yes!”

The subordinate handed over the bow and arrows.

Rong Fu notched the arrow and let it fly toward the flagpole above Gu Jiao’s head with a whoosh!

Gu Jiao’s eyes grew cold. She braced her Red-Tasseled Spear on the ground and with a surge of strength, leaped up and kicked away the incoming arrow!

Rong Fu then released a second arrow!

The third arrow, the fourth arrow!

By the fifth arrow, he had finally stopped aiming at the flagpole, he aimed directly for Gu Jiao’s head!

He wanted to shoot through the young man’s brain!

See how he would deflect his arrows then!

Just as Rong Fu pulled his bow taut and was about to release, a deep horn sound suddenly erupted from not far behind him, as if it had burst through ancient wilderness, carrying the momentum of lands and rivers, making everyone’s hearts tremble!

Accompanying the horn sound was the drumbeat, starting slow but picking up speed, thunderous and intimidating, shaking the mountains!

“Roar! Roar! Roar!”

Uniform shouts hovered with dominance in the heavens and the earth!

The ground began to shake, dust started to whirl, and as Rong Fu observed the trembling dirt under the horse hooves, he suddenly realized something!

The scouts of the Zhan Country’s army panic-strickenly rushed from the rear: “Report—report—Gu Family’s army has come!”

This cry of terror tore a bloody gash in the dark night sky, as if something was erupting from behind the clouds.

No sooner had the scout’s voice fallen than an arrow mercilessly pierced through him. His eyes bulging, he collapsed in front of Rong Fu’s horse.

Rong Fu, looking at the suddenly struck-down scout, felt an inexplicable surge of fear rising from the depths of his heart!

Impossible.

From such a distance, how could he have been hit?

No, the question was, how could the Gu Family’s army have arrived so promptly from such a distance?

If he hadn’t been certain that the Gu Family’s army couldn’t have reached them so quickly, how would he have dared to lead an army of twenty thousand to attack the city?

His elder brothers had all established military achievements, only he had not.

He had come, driven by the desire for military prestige!

If he took Yuegu City, killed Gu Chao and Tang Yueshan, he too could be ennobled as a marquis or a king, just like his brothers!

His luck couldn’t be that bad! This must be another of Tang Yueshan’s tricks!

The Zhan Country’s defending army had dwindled to a few hundred, victory was within reach, retreating now would be their gravest mistake!

Rong Fu drew his sword from his waist, solemnly shouting, “The information is false! It is not the Gu Family’s army! It’s a few Zhan Country prisoners making a bluff in the woods! Everyone, continue the attack! Whoever takes the heads of Tang Yueshan and Gu Chao will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold! And that boy!”

As he spoke, he pointed toward the youth who had killed many soldiers and was staunchly guarding the flag, saying, “Whoever cuts off his head can become a general of the Rong Family!”

The somewhat disheartened soldiers of Zhan Country suddenly filled with fighting spirit!

A thousand taels of gold, a generalship in the Rong Family, they wanted every single reward!

However, that spirit did not last for long, as Rong Fu’s subordinate suddenly pointed toward the back, his eyes filled with terror, and stuttered, “Gene—gene—general, look…”

“Look at what? It’s just—”, Rong Fu said impatiently, turning around, but the words got stuck in his throat mid-sentence.

The darkness of the night sky had scattered at some point, and yet it wasn’t dawn, the horizon was a shade of ink-grey.

Under this endless expanse of the sky, countless cavalry charged over, each one clad in cold silver armor, even the warhorses beneath them were adorned with silver armor.

Following the command of the leader, all the cavalry took out black cloths and simultaneously covered their horses’ eyes.

“It’s—it’s—it’s…”, his subordinate couldn’t continue.

The sight was too astonishing!

This was the true cavalry!

Gu Changqing, like a lone rider breaking through the snowy winds, came at breakneck speed, his pristine white cloak billowing behind his silver armor, as if a pure streak of snow in the heaven and earth, bringing with it a frigid and icy killing intent.

Rong Fu’s breath halted!

Wherever Gu Family’s iron cavalry went, the soldiers of Zhan Country crumbled.

Gu Changqing did not head anywhere else; he charged straight towards Rong Fu, with the dawn’s early light chasing behind him, as daylight began to break.

Rong Fu raised his sword to battle!

But before he could strike, Gu Changqing had already decapitated him with a single blow!