Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 376: Chapter 361 Troops Approach Songzhou City

In the study of the General Mansion, Ji Feiyu and Prince Qing were discussing the next strategies.

“Prince, Yang Zhenshan is planning to take over Songzhou Guard first!”

Ji Feiyu pointed to the location of Songzhou Guard on the map, saying, “Currently, Liu Zeqing has six thousand soldiers from the Rescue Camp and eight thousand from the garrison. However, whether it’s the Rescue Camp or the garrison soldiers, he can’t fully control them. If Yang Zhenshan leads the army to press the border, I fear Liu Zeqing will be…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Prince Qing already understood.

What would happen?

He would be tied up by his own soldiers and delivered to Yang Zhenshan to atone for his sins.

This was not hard to guess. Songzhou Guard was different from other places; many soldiers there had fought side by side with Yang Zhenshan.

And Yang Zhenshan’s reputation in Songzhou Guard was the highest, even higher than Wang Bin from the beginning.

Facing the formidable Liu Zeqing, these soldiers might have to compromise, but once Yang Zhenshan appears, these soldiers would likely quickly turn their coats.

“What should we do then?” Prince Qing asked earnestly.

“We can only give up Songzhou Guard!”

“But what about Zeqing!” Prince Qing said reluctantly.

Ji Feiyu shook his head slightly, “Our lives, as well as the positions my brothers and I hold today, were all given by you, Prince. Now is the time for us three brothers to repay your kindness!”

“We have been prepared for a long time! You need not worry about this, my Prince!”

His voice was deep, but there was an undeniable attitude in his tone.

Dying for Prince Qing was the greatest conviction of their lives.

The relationship between Ji Feiyu, Liu Zeqing, Hou Yao, and Prince Qing was much closer than outsiders imagined.

On the surface, the four had no interactions, but in fact, they had been connected since thirty years ago.

At that time, Prince Qing was only ten years old, and Ji Feiyu, Liu Zeqing, and Hou Yao were just teenagers.

Back then, Prince Qing was a little prince not esteemed by anyone within Qinghua Prefecture.

Back then, Ji Feiyu, Liu Zeqing, and Hou Yao were just beggars wandering the streets.

A compassionate offer created a connection between the four.

It was that offer that elevated Ji Feiyu and the others.

In fact, at the time, Prince Qing didn’t have much thought; he was just a ten-year-old child, lonely and just wanting to help three beggars.

The one scheming at that time wasn’t Prince Qing, but the eunuch Zhang Yu.

Under the care of Prince Qing, Ji Feiyu lived peacefully for two years, and during these years, Ji Feiyu got the chance to train, though he didn’t become a Martial Artist, they finally lived like real humans.

Then they were arranged by Zhang Yu to go to Chongshan Town.

It wasn’t just the three of them then; there were several other teenagers, but they were the luckiest, and the hardest working.

They joined Chongshan Town in the years following the Black Cloud Mountain battle.

At that time, Chongshan Town was declining and corrupting; without the threat from the East Sea Hu Clan, the court relaxed its supervision of Chongshan Town, and military officers there began indulging in profiteering.

Under such circumstances, the status and position of Ji Feiyu and his brothers rose quickly, because Prince Qing provided them with capital.

With money, they could rise quickly in ranks.

Prince not only gave them money but also helped them smooth the way financially.

The Navy was also formed around that time, and the commercial route from Jiangnan, Jizhou, Liaoxi to the West Road of Chongshan Town began to be cleared at that time.

With wealth, they could bribe officials, and with financial means, they could draw more people.

Thus, Ji Feiyu’s status rose higher and higher, eventually reaching the position of Vice General of Chongshan Town.

Although Liu Zeqing and Hou Yao were not as successful as Ji Feiyu, they too had their own prospects.

Most importantly, they were all diligently cultivating; they had money, financial means, and their own strength and capabilities were not bad.

Even after Liang Chu arrived, he found them talented and made significant use of them.

This led to them almost controlling most of Chongshan Town after the battle of the Northern lands came to an end.

“I’ve already sent a message for Hou Yao to rush to Chongshan Pass as soon as possible! We need to have a decisive battle with Yang Zhenshan at Chongshan Pass!”

“Only by defeating Yang Zhenshan can we take control of Chongshan Town, and then have a chance to swallow the whole of Liaodong!”

Ji Feiyu indicated on the map.

The situation they faced was clear at this moment, Yang Zhenshan was their greatest enemy.

As long as they could defeat Yang Zhenshan, they could at least get a respite period of two to three months, enough time for them to completely take control of Chongshan Town.

“Also, I’ve already contacted Prince Wu Tuo; they will continue to dispatch Northern barbarian cavalry into Liaoxi!”

A fierce gleam flashed through Ji Feiyu’s eyes as he spoke, “I’ve promised him, as long as they have the strength to take Beiyuan Town, Beiyuan Town will be theirs!”

Prince Qing suddenly lifted his head, looking at him in shock.

“Beiyuan Town!”

“Yes! For the great cause, Beiyuan Town can be sacrificed!” said Ji Feiyu.

“But that’s Da Rong’s territory!” Prince Qing’s face looked a bit ugly.

He wanted to contend for the throne, but he also wanted to make Da Rong more prosperous, not lead it to destruction.

“We may still take it back in the future!” Ji Feiyu murmured.

This was an inevitable choice. To resist the imperial army, they had to rely on the power of the Wuliang Hu Clan and ensure the Wuliang Hu Clan didn’t just plunder and leave; they needed them fully committed.

Beiyuan Town was merely bait, a trap set by Ji Feiyu himself. However, the Wuliang Hu Clan was no fool, and their aim was not limited to the lure of Beiyuan Town.

Ji Feiyu sought the strength of the Wuliang Hu Clan, but didn’t the Wuliang Hu Clan also aim to take the opportunity of Prince Qing’s rebellion?

Both parties were merely colluding and using each other!

Prince Qing did not retort but stayed silent.

After a brief silence, Ji Feiyu spoke again, “My Lord, I will arrange for the three princes to be sent away tomorrow!”

“Sent away, where to?” asked Prince Qing.

“Out to sea from Fuzhou City!” replied Ji Feiyu.

Prince Qing looked up, staring at him, “You have no confidence?”

Ji Feiyu took a deep breath and nodded, “Yang Zhenshan is not easy to deal with; not only is he brave and good at fighting, but he is also wise and resourceful, with endless strategies.”

“My Lord, I can only give my utmost effort, but there’s no guarantee of victory!”

He knew far more about Yang Zhenshan than Xu Maocai.

How remarkable Yang Zhenshan’s military exploits were, he knew all too well.

More than a hundred thousand souls of the East Sea Hu Clan had fallen to build Yang Zhenshan’s daunting reputation.

Victory after victory, he rode through the Northern lands as if they were devoid of any resistance.

Moreover, the battle of Fushan City was won due to Yang Zhenshan’s strategies; without them, Liang Chu might have needed several more months to conquer Fushan City.

Thinking of Yang Zhenshan’s accomplishments, how could Ji Feiyu dare to underestimate him?

Prince Qing nodded, “Then let them leave! Let all who can leave do so first!”

He had three sons and two daughters. Although he did not highly value familial ties, he also did not want to bet everything.

It would be good to send them away; even if he lost, his lineage would still remain in this world.

…

The armies of Tenglong Guard, Jianning Guard, and Jinzhou Guard converged, bringing Yang Zhenshan’s forces to a total of thirty-seven thousand.

Jianning Guard had six thousand cavalry and five thousand infantry, Jinzhou Guard three thousand cavalry and nine thousand infantry, with Tenglong Guard providing an additional six thousand cavalry and eight thousand infantry; totaling fifteen thousand cavalry and twenty-two thousand infantry.

Jianning Guard having six thousand cavalry was thanks to the foundation left by Zhou Lan. After the battle in the North, Jianning Guard only had four thousand cavalry left, but these were all battle-hardened elites. After taking over Jianning Guard, Niu Zhuang spent five years recruiting two thousand more cavalry.

In comparison, Jinzhou Guard was much less fortunate with only three thousand cavalry.

This was an unavoidable situation. When Tang Feihu took over Jinzhou Guard, there were barely one thousand cavalry left; reaching three thousand now had not been easy.

Actually, the biggest reason was the change in court’s attitude towards Chongshan Town. After the destruction of the East Sea Hu Clan, Chongshan Town faced no external threats. Thus, in recent years, the court had reduced its investment and support for Chongshan Town.

Without the support from the court, Niu Zhuang and Tang Feihu were like skilled cooks without rice; they simply had no means to expand their forces.

Originally, the court’s actions were not entirely unjustified, but no one expected Prince Qing to join forces with Ji Feiyu in such a move, let alone their collusion with the Wuliang Hu Clan.

Yang Zhenshan and his men rested in An Yuan City for two days before setting out again after receiving a message from Pang Tang.

The reason they waited for Pang Tang’s message was that Yang Zhenshan now needed logistical support from him.

Tenglong Guard had ample supplies, and the rations carried by the troops could last for a month, but after joining with Jianning Guard and Jinzhou Guard, supplies started to run low.

After all, Jianning Guard and Jinzhou Guard were not as well-off as Tenglong Guard.

So, they needed logistical replenishment from the rear.

According to Pang Tang, he had already ordered the Governor’s Office of Liao Yuan to organize a large force of civilians and also prepared a batch of supplies, which were already on their way to An Yuan City.

Additionally, the Liao Yuan Prefecture’s government office had mobilized eight thousand soldiers, who would soon arrive at Qinghua Prefecture City.

With Pang Tang in command at Qinghua Prefecture, Yang Zhenshan had no worries about security.

July 8.

The army set out towards Songzhou Guard.

Nearly forty thousand troops arrived majestically at the gates of Songzhou City.

The imposing army cast a chilling atmosphere over Songzhou City, causing immense panic among the soldiers within the city.

Inside the Assistant General Mansion in the city, Liu Zeqing sat grim-faced in the main hall, with the military officers hanging their heads, silent.

The tense atmosphere weighed down on everyone’s hearts, making it almost suffocating.

At that moment, they were discussing tactics to confront the enemy, but no matter what Liu Zeqing said, his subordinates stuttered and failed to propose any useful suggestions.

Whether to hold the city or to meet the enemy outside, there had to be some suggestion.

“Gentlemen, you have no way out now! From the moment you followed me in raising our flag, you were already rebels!”

“I advise you not to entertain impractical thoughts.”

“You’d better pray that we can repel Yang Zhenshan; otherwise, you all face only one fate, which is to implicate all your relatives!”

The look on Liu Zeqing’s face was so solemn it seemed it could drip water.

How could he not know what these men were thinking? They saw that things were impossible and wanted to defect at the last moment!

But he would never give them that chance!