Chapter 1010

Chapter 1010: The Surge of Fortune

Under the escort of Sun Zhengheng and dozens of Yulin Guards, Princess Qingyun arrived at the top of the city wall.

She was very surprised and did not understand why Wang Chen had brought her here.

But upon seeing the Dayan army outside, Princess Qingyun began to grasp the situation.

It was time for a showdown!

The current Princess Qingyun was no longer the innocent girl she used to be. Although the imposing military force of the Dayan army inevitably affected her, she still managed to maintain the dignity expected of royalty.

She did not lose her composure in that moment.

"Your Highness."

Wang Chen spoke in a deep voice, "Supreme General of the State Shangguan Wuji understands the bigger picture and refuses to submit to Prince Jing’s rebellion. He intends to pledge loyalty to you and reclaim the rightful succession for the Great Liang!"

Princess Qingyun immediately widened her eyes and looked at Shangguan Wuji beside her.

She did not expect Wang Chen to subdue him so quickly!

Shangguan Wuji let out a quiet sigh, then knelt on one knee: "I, Shangguan Wuji, hereby swear loyalty to Princess Qingyun. I will raise the banner against rebellion until death, and if I break this oath, may heavenly punishment and earthly destruction befall me!"

His voice resonated throughout the city wall, reaching half of Hanhai City and even into the ranks of the Dayan army.

Shangguan Wuji held high prestige in the Hanhai army, so as soon as he finished his declaration, all the soldiers knelt in unison and shouted, "We are willing to serve the Princess until death!"

"Rise, my loyal subject."

Princess Qingyun suppressed her inner excitement and gracefully returned the bow, "Supreme General of the State, your deep affection shall never be forgotten by me. When I ascend the throne, there will certainly be rewards!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Shangguan Wuji knocked his head heavily on the ground in gratitude before standing up again.

With this, he had completely aligned himself with Princess Qingyun, leaving no chance to back out.

Along with him were fifty thousand elite troops of the Hanhai army!

Princess Qingyun turned to Wang Chen, her eyes filled with indescribable joy and gratitude.

[Fortune +500]

A prominent message flashed in Wang Chen’s vision.

He couldn’t help but smile slightly.

At that moment, three to four miles away in the Dayan army, inside a tent with a golden roof, an old man in a purple robe, a silver-armored warrior, and a refined middle-aged man exchanged glances, all revealing a hint of astonishment.

Any one of these three could shake the very foundations of Dayan with a stomp, and they had gathered here today with the purpose of capturing Hanhai Pass!

Hanhai Pass had long been a sharp thorn in the side of Dayan, one they wanted to remove quickly.

However, due to the previous strength of the Great Qi surpassing Dayan, and the Hanhai army holding a significant strategic advantage at Hanhai Pass, even if Dayan could extract this thorn, it would come at an extremely heavy cost.

So they had always remained patient.

But now, with the news of Prince Jing’s usurpation, Dayan was determined to seize Hanhai Pass at any cost.

For if they did not act now, the nation might face its demise!

Given the national fortune involved in this battle, the three martial honors came together, demonstrating their unwavering resolve to succeed.

They had just heard Shangguan Wuji’s oath, and their expressions turned somewhat peculiar.

The old man in the purple robe frowned and said, "Has Shangguan Wuji gone mad? At this moment, he swears loyalty to Princess Qingyun. Is he still in his right mind?"

Who is Princess Qingyun?

She is merely a pawn for the Great Liang to forge an alliance with Dayan. Even if she has a slim chance of becoming the queen of Yan in the future, it is hardly worth the loyalty of a sixth-level martial honor.

Moreover, Shangguan Wuji commands significant military power!

The silver-armored warrior pondered and said, "Could it be that he intends to use Princess Qingyun’s banner to seize control of the Great Liang?"

This speculation was not without merit; given Shangguan Wuji’s own strength and his command over the Hanhai army, leveraging Princess Qingyun could indeed provide him an opportunity to vie for control over the Great Liang.

"Impossible!"

The refined man dismissed the idea outright, "Shangguan Wuji is not so foolish as to stake his lives on a princess."

The old man in the purple robe stroked his long beard and asked, "What should we do now?"

"We wait for the army to assemble."

The silver-armored warrior replied in a deep voice, "The number of siege engines and catapults is still insufficient. We need at least ten days to prepare before we can launch a decisive battle!"

To attack Hanhai City, such a formidable stronghold, it is impossible to succeed without ten times the soldiers and adequate equipment.

Most importantly, the Dayan army, having traveled a great distance, cannot sustain a prolonged war.

"Then we will wait ten days."

The refined man made the final decision, "We’ll send a joint letter to Shangguan Wuji, urging him to surrender. Whether it succeeds or not is of little consequence."

The old man in the purple robe and the silver-armored warrior exchanged knowing smiles.

Both were confident in their ability to capture Hanhai Pass; the only question was the cost.

If they could persuade Shangguan Wuji, that would be ideal!

Not long after, a letter of surrender, co-signed by the three martial honors of Dayan, was shot over the walls of Hanhai Pass by the archers of the Yan army, then passed on to Wang Chen by Shangguan Wuji.

After reading this eloquent letter urging surrender, Wang Chen couldn’t help but smile, "The terms are quite generous."

The terms offered to Shangguan Wuji for his surrender by Dayan were exceptionally favorable, including the title of Supreme General of the State, the position of Grand Tutor, a ducal title, and a household worth of land—a hereditary grant that would last for generations.

It was akin to the treatment of a prince!

Without Wang Chen, facing hundreds of thousands of Yan troops and three martial honors, Shangguan Wuji might have yielded.

"All of this is meaningless."

Shangguan Wuji scoffed, "Without the Hanhai army, titles like Supreme General and Grand Tutor are worthless!"

Shangguan Wuji knew very well that his most crucial bargaining chip was not his own cultivation level.

It was the fifty thousand elite soldiers of the Hanhai army!

If Shangguan Wuji surrendered to Dayan, could he still maintain control over this border army?

A foolish notion!

Without the Hanhai army, Shangguan Wuji would be like a tiger without claws, still formidable but lacking in deterrent power, and expecting to live comfortably for the rest of his life would be wishful thinking.

Wang Chen nodded—he could tell that Shangguan Wuji genuinely disdained the offer.

Shangguan Wuji’s attention returned to the blueprints in Wang Chen’s hand, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Is this what you mentioned, the divine weapon that can be used against the Yan army?"

"Exactly."

Wang Chen smiled slightly, "Its name is cannon!"

Originally, Wang Chen had not planned to deploy this formidable weapon so soon, but the timing was too perfect to ignore.

Firstly, the Dayan army was advancing relentlessly; the Hanhai army needed such a defensive weapon to counter it.

Most importantly, Hanhai City had excellent conditions for cannon production.

This border city of Great Liang housed dozens of blacksmith’s shops of various sizes, teeming with skilled craftsmen.

Moreover, the military workshop was brimming with talented artisans, annually supplying the Hanhai army with a vast array of high-quality weapons, and the nearby iron mines produced tens of thousands of pounds of iron daily, more than sufficient to meet the demands of cannon production!