RWNEFE -Chapter 159 Killing Zhao Nanshan and Subduing the Surrendered Troops

The soldiers under Zhao Nanshan began to hesitate.

Shen Lanxi raised the stakes and shouted loudly: “We are the righteous army, walking the path of justice, upholding what is right, and protected by Heaven. If you surrender to me, I guarantee to treat you as my own personal guards. In the future, you will be promoted and honored, and your descendants and family will share in your wealth and glory!”

Zhao Nanshan panicked: “Don’t listen to his nonsense! He only has a handful of men. And yet he dares call himself a righteous army? All of his troops combined don’t even equal one standard banner unit of my forces.”

Shen Lanxi looked at him coldly: “So, you insist on resisting to the end, even if your family dies?”

Zhao Nanshan stiffened his neck and spat forcefully.

“I already sent people to protect my family. You can’t scare me!”

Shen Lanxi turned her gaze into the darkness: “Do you really think your mere 200 soldiers can intimidate me?”

“Do you think I would have so few men by my side?”

“Zhao Nanshan, you deny reality without even confirming it. Aren’t you afraid of angering me, and having your family’s heads fall?”

Zhao Nanshan didn’t flinch, stubbornly insisting: “You can’t scare me!”

“Kill them all, and I will show you the way to achieve merit, fame, and rapid promotion!”

Suddenly, torches lit up in the night.

Wei Dongzhu and a few men stepped forward.

Zhao Nanshan’s eyes went wide, and his knees went weak as he recognized them.

“Do you see clearly who they are?” Shen Lanxi demanded coldly.

Struggle flashed in Zhao Nanshan’s eyes, but quickly hardened into resolve. He gritted his teeth and said icily, “You think a woman and a few children can force me to submit? Never!”

Suddenly, a soldier shouted: “They are Captain Zhao’s wife and children!”

All of Zhao Nanshan’s men stared in disbelief. Truly, there are people who would forsake even their closest kin for fame and merit!

Wei Dongzhu said: “See now? This is the true face of your husband!”

Captain Zhao’s wife stared blankly at him. They had been hidden in the shadows under guard until now. She had heard everything he said.

She could not believe that the man who had once cared for them so dearly could be so cold-hearted.

Previously, she had tried to justify Zhao Nanshan in her mind, thinking he hadn’t seen them or that they were deceiving him.

Now, having seen her and the children, why could he still be so ruthless?

Her heart died in that instant.

As others had said, Zhao Nanshan would risk his family’s lives for fame and career advancement!

“Zhao Nanshan, you are a beast. I truly regret ever choosing you as my husband. You are a wolf in human skin. What have the children and I done to you that you refuse to acknowledge us?” Captain Zhao’s wife cried bitterly, relentlessly accusing him.

Shen Lanxi shouted: “Today he disowns his wife and children to avoid being restrained. Tomorrow, he will discard them again. Now, after everything, do you still want to risk your lives serving such a traitor?”

With a clatter, a soldier threw down his weapon.

“I surrender!”

“I surrender too!”

Zhao Nanshan panicked, drawing his sword to strike at the traitorous soldiers.

“Anyone who surrenders, I’ll kill!”

Shen Lanxi raised her hand and threw her long staff with force. Zhao Nanshan swung to strike but misjudged the speed of the incoming staff and missed.

With a loud bang, Zhao Nanshan was pinned to the ground by the staff!

After a moment of dead silence, a victorious cheer erupted.

“Victory! Victory! Victory…”

“Lord Lan is mighty…”

The remaining hesitant soldiers, seeing this, quickly threw down their weapons and shouted their surrender.

Wei Dongzhu reported: “We lost six, twenty wounded. Three hundred fifty-eight enemy soldiers surrendered. We captured 730 various weapons, 30 warhorses, three large chests of gold, silver, and jewels, and provisions…”

Shen Lanxi approached Captain Zhao’s wife.

“I killed your husband. Do you want revenge?”

She sat on the ground, heart like ashes. She shook her head: “The moment he disregarded the lives of me and the children, he ceased to be my husband.”

Shen Lanxi: “I admire decisive women like you. I will let you return.”

“When you go back, tell your father and brothers to bring the officials of Shilipo to the Baihe County Office to meet me.”

Captain Zhao’s wife gasped. She realized Zhao Nanshan had surely implicated her family. She would rather die herself than see her family harmed because of her.

“Are you truly willing to let me and the children go?”

Shen Lanxi looked at her: “No need to test me. Take the children and leave. Tell your family—I only give them three days!”

Her heart skipped. She grabbed the children and ran without looking back.

Shen Lanxi: “Bring Zhao Nanshan’s body to the Baihe County Office!”

“Yes!”

On the way back, she dispatched people to Caotuo Ridge, where the remaining enemies were hiding—it was time to descend.

Wang Songbai, the county magistrate of Baihe, had just returned from the Suiyuan Prefecture office. The Eastern Liao King had risen, leaving local offices powerless. All administrative duties were handled by the troops. Yesterday, when he went to see his sister and brother-in-law, he couldn’t even enter the office and was questioned all night by soldiers guarding the gate.

After being released, he dared not stay in Suiyuan Prefecture and rode quickly back to Baihe County.

Baihe County was small, and higher authorities didn’t care about it, nor did they station troops there. Wang Songbai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Half-asleep, he suddenly felt the world spin and he fell to the ground.

“How did I end up on the floor? Still dreaming…”

Just as he tried to climb back into bed, something pressed against his neck, cold, followed by excruciating pain.

He was instantly fully awake.

“Sir, I surrender! I sincerely surrender!” Wang Songbai had no pride, kneeling and kowtowing.

Liu Yanhui asked amusedly: “You know who we are, and you just surrender?”

Wang Songbai thought: Isn’t it the Eastern Liao King?

Could he speak plainly? Of course not.

“No matter who you are, I sincerely surrender. Spare my life. I have an eighty-year-old mother and a nursing child…”

They thought it would take effort, but he surrendered so easily!

Liu Yanhui: “From now on, this county office is requisitioned by our righteous army.”

Wang Songbai immediately fawned: “Use it however you like! There’s plenty of charcoal in the warehouse; I’ll have it burned to warm you all!”

Liu Yanhui: “What a fawning fool! You’re quite the character!”

Wang Songbai hurriedly bowed and flattered: “Thank you for your praise!”

Shen Lanxi told Liu Yanhui to deal with this sycophant quickly—he was giving her a headache.

“You said there’s charcoal in the office? Take me to see it!” Liu Yanhui grabbed Wang Songbai and led him away.

Shen Lanxi immediately called her aides to discuss strategy: “Our available troops are too few. Before spring, I must rise to the position of Commander over four counties!”