298 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain

he refused. Coldly snorting, Mo Jingli nodded in agreement. He seemed reluctant to stay any longer and pulled Ye Ying out of the shop without even acknowledging Wang’s call.Ye Li smiled contentedly an...298. Diverting the Tiger Away from Its Mountain

298. Diverting the Tiger Away from Its Mountain

In a deep mountain often shrouded in mist and fog, even on sunny days it's hard to see direct sunlight. Therefore, in this mostly arid western region of Xiling, these mountains present a rare scene of lush greenery.

At the entrance to a small courtyard, a slender pale girl was stopped before she could enter, "Who are you"

Yang Xiya jumped in fright and nervously said, "I… I want to see Lin's wounds…" The guards at the gate were expressionless, seemingly unmoved by the weak young lady before them, "The master instructed the lady to rest properly within the courtyard. When that guard recovers, he'll naturally come to meet with you."

Yang Xiya bit her lip lightly and whispered, "But… I'm very worried. Wuuu wuuu... I don't know anyone here at all. Only him, only him... Please let me see him." Seeing the girl crying pitifully before them, the two guards hesitated a little. After all, she was an esteemed guest brought back by their master, who had ordered them to take good care of her...

"Miss, please wait a moment. We'll report this to our master," one guard finally compromised.

"What's going on" Just as Yang Xiya was about to thank the guards, Zhu Ling’s voice came from outside the door. The guards immediately bowed and reported the matter. Zhu Ling raised an eyebrow at the pale girl before him, who appeared fragile but slightly panicked. He looked thoughtful for a moment. Yang Xiya carefully asked, "Mr. Zhu... How is Lin's condition When can we start our journey back to the capital I earnestly request Mr. Zhu to send someone to escort us. Once we return to the capital, my family and I will be grateful."

Zhu Ling’s eyes flickered slightly, his expression towards Yang Xiya becoming even more gentle. He smiled faintly and said, "Miss Yang, rest assured. After you've recovered well enough, we'll arrange for your escort back to the capital. However, that Lin guard is badly injured, so he might need some time to recover." Yang Xiya breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "Thank you very much, Mr. Zhu. As long as he's alright, I'm relieved. May I go see him"

Zhu Ling smiled and said, "Miss Yang, it would be best if you just look from the door. It’s better not to get too close to his injuries. I've already sent someone on horseback back to the capital to inform Mr. Zhu Liang. Perhaps very soon, Master Zhu Liang will come personally to escort Miss Yang." Hearing this, a hint of joy and relief appeared on Yang Xiya's face, "That’s wonderful! Thank you very much, Mr. Zhu. You truly are a kind person..."

Zhu Ling smiled faintly, “It is nothing, Miss Yang is the descendant of a loyal general; it is but a small matter for me to do.”

After calming Yang Xiya’s concerns and seeing her back into her room, Zhu Ling left the courtyard towards the outer part. Although this mountain-side residence appeared simple compared to those in cities, it still had two sections: an inner and outer courtyard. The study was located at a corner of the outer courtyard. Upon entering the study, the guard following behind finally spoke up, "Master, it seems that Miss Yang is truly General Hu's daughter. She showed no unusual reaction when you mentioned Master Zhu Liang would be coming."

Zhu Ling nodded and sat down behind his desk, looking somewhat tired as he said, "This is a critical time; being cautious always helps. Has the guard named A Lin regained consciousness"

The guard nodded, "He just woke up not long ago. He's severely injured. The stab wound on his back nearly took his life. His account of events matches what Miss Yang said. When the Mo army first entered Li Cheng city, General Yang arranged for several people to escort Miss Yang back to the capital under Ling’s protection. However, they didn’t expect the Mo forces to attack so swiftly; the city fell shortly after their departure. While in disguise as civilians passing through Zhang Qilan's occupied small county, their identity was inadvertently exposed and they were pursued by the Mo army."

Zhu Ling frowned, nodding and saying, "It seems A Lin is quite loyal. Tell Doctor to use the best medicines available and heal him as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Master,"

"Is there any news from Grandfather’s side" Changing the subject, Zhu Ling inquired about important matters. The guard's expression turned more worried, shaking his head to say, "There is none since the city of Bian has been besieged by the Mo army; no message has come from General Yang after that. Zhang Qilan guards the county strictly checking everyone passing through; it’s likely impossible for your grandfather to send a letter out now. Master, are we just going to hide here and let Zhang Qilan control the entrance to Bian city Although the city is well-supplied, if it's besieged for a month or two, it will be quite difficult."

Zhu Ling pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "No, Mo Xiyaou won't do that. He’s in more of a rush than us. A couple months delay would allow reinforcements from all over Xiling to reach Bian city. At that point, even his elite 400,000 troops will be vulnerable."

"Master's meaning is..."

Zhu Ling frowned and said, "Mo Xiyaou’s forces are already limited; at this moment he could still send several ten thousand to occupy a small county. I suspect… that he knows of our existence." The guard was startled, saying, "Did King Ding station Zhang Qilan in Bian city to prevent us from reinforcing it"

Zhu Ling pressed his fingers against his forehead and said, "I rather think he wants Zhang Qilan to eliminate us."

"How is this possible" The guard snorted dismissively and said with disbelief, "Not only are we familiar with the terrain here in a way that the Mohist army can never match, even with Zhang Qilan's mere few ten thousand troops, they're no match for us." Zhu Ling shook his head and sighed, saying, "Xiu Yao wouldn't do something pointless. Send people down the mountain to investigate the situation of Biancheng again and the status of the Mohist army."

"Yes, Young Master,"

Two days later, Zhu Ling was sitting in his study playing chess with Yang Xiayi. Over these few days of相處，少女終於褪去了最初的惶恐和不安。特彆是在知道朱淩是朱焱老將軍的孫子之後，更是完全放下了心來。雖然她年紀尚幼冇有見過朱焱老將軍，卻也聽外祖父和舅舅們提起過的。朱家和淩家也頗有些交情。褪去了驚惶不安的少女也漸漸變得開朗了起來。朱淩這才發現少女並不像普通西陵女子一般不善琴棋書畫。相反的她頗工書畫，雖然冇聽過彈琴但是棋藝卻也十分不錯的，完全不像是所謂的將門虎女。但是再想想楊將軍的夫人乃是西陵前太師之女，可說是西陵數一數二的書香名門了，這一切又都說得過去了。

儘管生於武將世家，但朱淩卻是在如汴城這樣的地方成長起來的。當世三大書院之一的龍山書院就位於汴城，從小也是由當時的著名儒學大師教導長大的。然而由於種種原因，隻能常年待在這樣的深山之中，與這些不通文墨的將士為伍。如今難得遇到一個頗有才華的人，即使是一個女子也足以讓兩人交談甚歡了。

"Young Master, I have something to report," someone announced loudly from outside the door.

Zhu Ling glanced at the girl opposite him who was concentrating on her move and said indifferently, "Come in."

The person entering hesitated a moment as they looked at Yang Xiayi. Xiayi got up tactfully and said, "If Young Master has something to attend to, I will take my leave. We can continue our game another time. I'll go see A Lin." Zhu Ling nodded with a gentle expression on his face and replied, "That's for the best. Servant Lin should be able to get out of bed in a few days so you needn't worry."

"I know, thank you, Young Master," Yang Xiayi bowed and left after thanking Zhu Ling again.

Watching as the slim figure disappeared through the door, Zhu Ling gazed absently at the unfinished chess game in front of him.

"Young Master" A guard called out with some puzzlement. Zhu Ling snapped back to reality and asked, "What's happened"

The guard said, "For these past days, the Mohist army has been encircling Biancheng but hasn't made any large-scale attacks on it. Instead, they send a few small officers daily to the city walls to abuse us before retreating back to their camp after a brief skirmish. There's no major general who can stand alone in battle from Xiu Yao down among the Mohists. Moreover, during yesterday's clash, the old general led seven thousand men out of the city and headed our way. It seems they are planning to deal with Zhang Qilan first."

Zhu Ling was startled. Furrowing his eyebrows, he said, "The main generals below Xiu Yao didn't appear on the battlefield But... there's only one Zhang Qilan here! Where did everyone else go"

The guard replied, "The Mohist army secretly withdrew soldiers from their camp. The old general suspects that they have long known of our existence and are planning to use the encirclement of Biancheng as a cover while concentrating most of their forces against us. It must be because the old general isn't at ease with this scenario that he's come here to help."

Zhu Ling closed his eyes, "Who is guarding Biancheng then"

"General Longyang is also in Biancheng,"

"Then it’s fine… no, wait. Xiu Yao isn’t aiming at us; he wants to lure my grandfather out of the city!" Suddenly struck by an idea, Zhu Ling's face changed and he rose abruptly saying, "If Xiu Yao isn't present in the Mohist camp or with Zhang Qilan, then that means he must be hiding somewhere else! With his few troops, we won’t even appear on his radar. He wants to lure my grandfather out of the city and gradually deplete Biancheng’s forces!"

The guard's face also changed dramatically, "Then… what should we do, Young Master"

Zhu Ling said solemnly, "Send an order to launch an attack on Zhang Qilan's division! We must take over the county town before dawn tomorrow to support my grandfather!"

"I will go right away,"

Deep into the night, the quiet cluster of mountains was especially silent. A slender figure emerged swiftly from a courtyard hidden by darkness and nimbly avoided the patrolling guards as she entered the secret study located in the corner of the front yard.

Even tonight, with most soldiers having left the forest, the entrance to Zhu Ling's room was still heavily guarded. The shadow approached silently; moving like a phantom, by the time the four guards outside noticed him, three were already on the ground.

"It's you!" "You..."

"Swoosh—" A dagger flew out, lodging itself in the last person’s heart.

"Lin Han" Darkshadow murmured. From under the eaves beside him, a tall and upright figure silently landed and walked over to look at the four corpses on the ground; there was no ripple of emotion in his eyes as he said softly, "Lady Wang." The one who had come was precisely Alin, the guard from the Huwei General Manor who should have still been lying on the bed unable to get up.

"Are you alright" Yang Xianya—Ye Li—asked gently.

Lin Han murmured back, "I avoided my vital organs; it’s no longer a problem. It just looks worse." Ye Li nodded and said, "Good then; watch me as I go in."

"Yes."

Ye Li entered the study but did not stay long inside. Very soon, two figures vanished from the courtyard. Not long after, a dazzling, eye-catching firework pierced through layers of fog and darkness to bloom into the night sky over the mountains…

The dawn approached, and combat officially began in the small county town. This town was not as sturdy as Bian City; its walls were far from tall or thick compared to Bian’s. Some places even had no wall at all. It would be much harder for this small town to defend itself than it would be to enter the palace. Hence, Zhu Ling almost encountered little resistance when he led his troops into the city and fought fiercely with General Mo’s army.

In a hidden corner of the fortification, Zhang Qilan stood atop a high point overlooking the battle below. His subordinate whispered in alarm, "General, they are expected to have nearly ten thousand soldiers; we should retreat now."

Zhang Qilan shook his head and said, "No, according to Lady Wang’s information, there are at least 180,000 men on the other side."

"But this county town is too small. With over ten thousand troops, they won’t have enough space to maneuver; they can’t possibly bring out all their forces," his subordinate murmured in warning. Zhang Qilan shot him a nasty glance and said irritably, "Of course I know that! Don’t you see how cramped it already is with just this many men Tell the outer troops to secretly withdraw while those who have engaged continue fighting; hold them off until Zhu Yan’s forces arrive."

Hearing his words, the subordinate grimaced and said, “If we do this, there won’t be any way for us to escape.” With ten thousand troops alone they were already barely managing. How could they survive with even more men added and an old general who has seen countless battles Zhang Qilan smiled as he patted his subordinate on the shoulder and said, "Afraid Don’t be afraid; I’ll be here with you. Even if we have no way to escape, at least we can take a Western Li military commander with us to die in our place; it’s not a bad deal."

The subordinate glared and shouted back, “Who said anything about being afraid I don’t want to die alongside Zhu Yan! I still want to fight for the prince and conquer the world!” Zhang Qilan laughed and replied, "Good, you have courage. I’ll keep an eye on you; heh heh…”

Just as they spoke, a glow of fire appeared east outside the city walls. Zhang Qilan took a deep breath and said, “They’re here….”

Zhu Yan arrived very quickly; before this side even saw his torches, the other side had already rushed to the gate. The small county town’s gates were no match for him; Mo’s army didn’t have enough troops to defend the city walls either. Soon, the eastern gate was broken through by Western Li soldiers. Mo’s army was sandwiched between the two enemy forces coming from opposite directions. Zhang Qilan looked up at the brightening sky and sighed in regret, "We need to retreat!" With a gong sound of retreat, Mo’s troops left without looking back. The Western Li soldiers had been suppressed for days; they wanted to pursue the fleeing army but were stopped by Zhu Yan.

"Don’t chase them," Zhu Ling advised.

Zhu Yan nodded and said, "That’s right; Mo’s army’s retreat looks chaotic but is actually orderly—they’re not defeated. This must be a ploy to lure us in."

After instructing his men to clear the battlefield, Zhu Ling and Zhu Yan finally had time for a private conversation. Due to Zhu Yan’s identity and current responsibilities, he spent most of his time in remote mountains; grandfather and grandson often went months without seeing each other. This meeting was also more than half a year after their last one. Looking at his tall, determined grandson before him, Zhu Yan nodded with satisfaction but felt deep shame as well. His grandson had to be stuck in the mountains away from everyone because he insisted on taking charge of this army for him. The boy was his only relative and most cherished descendant; sometimes Zhu Yan wondered if it all really was worth it.

"Good child, you’ve been working hard," said Zhu Yan after a long moment as he looked at Zhu Ling.

Zhu Ling smiled faintly and replied, "Grandfather is too kind. This is what I should be doing. By the way, why did you bring troops out of the city The defense of Bian City…" Zhu Yan waved his hand and said, “I know that Mo Xiu Yao wants to lure me out; but with Long Yang there, it doesn’t matter if I’m gone or not. But somehow, I just can’t be at ease about your side… especially these past two days, every time I think of it I feel my heart pounding and my flesh quivering in fear. What’s going on over there”

Zhu Ling shook his head and said, "I’m all right; grandfather is worrying too much. I’ll be careful. Since you’ve come out here, it has its benefits. We can now coordinate with Long Yang to hold back Mo Xiu Yao’s troops. Besides… our combined forces exceed 600,000 men; do we still need to fear Mo Xiu Yao’s under-400,000 army" Zhu Ling did not take his grandfather’s worries lightly; it wasn’t the usual paranoia of an old man, but rather a seasoned general’s instinctual sense for danger.

Zhu Yan patted his grandson's shoulder with a smile, saying, "Good boy, you've grown up." Even Zhu Ling, usually calm and composed, couldn't help but show a delighted smile at his grandfather’s praise. The two sat down to exchange views on the current battle situation, and Zhu Yan was even more pleased by his grandson's growth. When Zhu Yan mentioned rescuing Yang Xianya, he frowned slightly and said, "You say she is the daughter of the late Tiger Might General Are you sure"

Zhu Ling was taken aback as he replied, "Of course I'm certain. She has all the tokens her bodyguard carries without any discrepancy. Moreover, I asked her many questions about the Tiger Might General and our family; there were no inconsistencies." A sudden feeling of unease arose in his heart, causing Zhu Ling's expression to change slightly as he looked at Zhu Yan with some concern.

Zhu Yan furrowed his brows and said, "What you said is correct. That girl does resemble the Tiger Might General’s daughter both in temperament and appearance. However... Two years ago, when the Tiger Might General brought his wife and daughter to visit me in Bian Prefecture on their way to Lichi City, I saw that young lady was overindulged from childhood and her personality didn’t match the Tiger Might General's taste for literature and art; she only knew how to sew and could barely read a few characters. She also knows nothing about chess."

"Then... " Zhu Ling’s face immediately fell. Although he had initially been wary of Yang Xianya, even not sharing any important information with her now, after several tests he really believed in her identity. Learning that her true identity was a complete lie made him indignant.

"Grandfather… I must return immediately; I fear…"

Zhu Yan’s expression turned solemn too. At such a time, the appearance of an unknown woman claiming to be the Tiger Might General's daughter naturally caused unease. After thinking it over, Zhu Yan nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead. Be very careful."

"Yes, grandfather, you should also…"

The soldier outside hurriedly reported, “General! The Master of the Black Eagle Division Zhang Qilan claims to be the daughter of the Tiger Might General and has surrounded us with her army!” In fact, Ruan Ling and Zhu Yan had already known about it before he finished speaking; the war drums were booming outside the city walls. They rushed out, climbed onto the city wall, and saw the black-clad soldiers arrayed in formation under fluttering banners below—far from their earlier disarrayed appearance.

Zhang Qilan, brandishing his saber and standing astride a horse, shouted loudly, "Old General Zhu! Zhang Qilan of the Black Eagle Division has long admired your reputation. I hope you’ll deign to teach me something!"

Zhu Yan looked around; the black army below was at least ten thousand strong. Unlike inexperienced young officers like Yun Ting and Chen Yun, Zhang Qilan could spread out his troops with a wave of his hand, scattering them but forming an intricate network that would trap any bold intruder inside.

Zhu Ling’s expression changed slightly; he had seen the intricacies of the formation too and said to Zhu Yan, "Grandfather, I'll go down and test it."

Zhu Yan nodded and instructed him carefully, "Zhang Qilan is a veteran general. Be extremely cautious."

"I understand."

The city gates were opened, and the Xi Ling soldiers rushed out. The young man in moon-white robes hadn’t even changed into armor but leaped down from the battlements to mount a charger galloping forth. With his heel pressing the horse's side, he charged towards the black army with Zhu Ling leading the charge. The Xi Ling soldiers tore through the ranks like a dragon, unstoppable yet unable to break out of the encirclement. Behind them, Zhang Qilan watched from horseback and rubbed his chin, smiling eagerly: "That lad has some spirit."

A subordinate reminded him from behind, "Captain, you can’t match him."

Zhang Qilan’s face turned dark; he wasn't stupid. Warfare and single combat were entirely different matters. Therefore, Zhang Qilan naturally knew that in the army, there would always be someone stronger—losing to a younger opponent wouldn’t disgrace him, but being told so openly by his subordinate wasn’t pleasant. He glared at his subordinate angrily, "Why do you have to open your mouth"

The subordinate helplessly rolled his eyes; wasn't it because the prince was worried he might charge forward in a fit of pride that I had to remind him What did I ever do to deserve this Being an underling is tough enough, but being one who considers their superior’s position is even harder!

"Captain How about we take down this lad"

Zhang Qilan looked back at his subordinate and asked, "Who'll go You"

The subordinates waved his hand and pointed to someone watching from the side.

Zhang Qilan glanced sideways at Qin Someone with a grim face. “Commander Qin, do you finally want to tell me where my wife is For your information, anything that happens to her will affect both of us!”"I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling."Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, she heard Ye Ying’s weak yet regretful voice from where she was leaning on Mo Jingli: "Princess, I’...