Fu Jin POV
As one of the soldiers in Sei Chou's personal guard, Fu Jin understood clearly and knew the strength of his Lord. All of the bodyguards sparred with each other, wrestled with each other and sometimes studied together. So, when Fu Jin received the order from Sei Chou to head out with 2,000 men and scout the surroundings of Hau City, he was only slightly confused.
Even though he had smirked at his Lord and told him to await his report, he did not truly understand the reasoning behind why he was scouting the city. Well, there was a reason, a very dangerous one at that, but he did not think his Lord would be so crazy. "But then again… It's Sei Chou…" His words trailed off as he thought more and more about the situation.
Hau City was close to the battlefield. In usual times, it would've been used as a supply depot to protect, store and send our rations to the Yan army, but from the information he had gathered, the city was only defended by a single Yan General.
"How many men did you say are defending the city?" He asked one of the 2,000 soldiers he had brought on the infiltration mission with him.
"20,000 in total, though they seem to be new to the job."
"How so?"
"Just… The way they moved and spoke, some too rigid and too many awkward movements."
Sei Chou had ordered around 30 soldiers to change out of their armour into normal clothes and try to enter the city, and report back what they saw if they had managed to do so. There was a lot of information; apparently, the Yan General had called upon the civilians to change into armour, only drilling them in the basics.
"Hmm, not bad." He commented before going over all that he knew about Hau City. 'The city has 20,000, possibly a quarter are conscripted, the city only has a single gate to pass through, and it is heavily defended… An attack on the walls, no, they will have archer towers…'
On and on, he thought up new ideas and dismissed them when the odds were unfavourable. His Lord wanted to use Hau City somehow, but it was alluding him as to how Sei Chou would do so. In the end, Fu Jin sighed, ran a hand through his blonde hair and shook his head because in the end it did not matter.
If Sei Chou wished for something to be done, then Fu Jin would see that it is completed, even if it meant that every last droplet of blood left in him would be shed; then so be it. "Should it ever come to that, then Fu Tei would take over from where I left off." A smile came to his lips at the memory of his son, the boy came into the world screaming and all red-faced.
His reminiscence was broken as he had an unexpected arrival. Den Pou, the first of the ten spears, entered his tent and hurriedly spoke, "Fu Jin, Young Master has given new orders."
Fu Jin stood up and went to grab his spear while saying, "When are we to assault the city?" He asked.
That's when Den Pou shook his head, "That's the issue." He pointed to Fu Jin, then himself, "We are not going there. You are to take your two thousand and evade enemy scouts and hit them with a series of raids, drawing their attention lightly. The same order was given to the Dojaku unit. Sei Chou said he will take the city with 3,000 and defend it." The news stunned Fu Jin, but Den Pou continued, "Only if the Yan army besieges the city on one side and the Dojaku on the other side are going to smash both their rear and flanks."
Though he was shocked, Fu Jin kept his calm "Then we shall do just that. We can only leave the rest up to fate."
Den Pou, a veteran man, cracked a small smile at that. "Ever since I've known him, I don't believe Sei Chou has needed fate."
Fu Jin felt a small smile on his face as he replied, "True, that's very true."
….
He moved through the night using his systems map to evade all the checkpoints and enemy scouts, and now he stood and looked upon Hau city with pure contempt, all the while 4,000 soldiers (An additional 1,000 stranglers were rounded up as he moved) stared at his back with varying expressions. Some were anxious; the wait was killing them, and they just wanted to get it all over and done with.
Whilst the majority looked at his back in awe, the way this young lad had led them and moved them to avoid even a single skirmish with the Yan. It was… spectacular and yet… terrifying. Some of them were even questioning the boy's age, as they could not believe that Sei Chou was only 13/14 years old. However, the boy was talented, and they chose to follow him. Even if the plan he proposed seemed to make him look like a mad fool, too scarred by war.
He could feel the eyes on his back, the shallow breaths some of the men took and the fear that oozed out of their pores. So, Sei Chou spoke words to encourage the men, knowing their morale was very important to whether they win or lose.
"I know some of you may be feeling fear, that I had doomed you in following me here with such a small number. That we would die and fail. That I am no legend, just a boy who has dragged you along out of a sense of loyalty…
That may be the case, but you all do not see the big picture. The truth is, at this very moment, you're all on the edge of etching your name in the annals of time. You're about to witness an act of a legend being born. An act you will be able to tell your children and their children about." Sei Chou's words started to inspire the men.
Resolve seemed to grow and solidify for those Zhao soldiers who had their doubts, for those in the Sei Chou army who had never fought under Sei Chou before, and had only come to get paid or gain favour with the new leader of the army. Silently, the soldiers began to prepare their hearts for an inevitable collision.
"Watch me. Follow me. I will enter this castle without a single sword being drawn, nor losing a single man from our 4,000-strong. The Yan invaded, thinking we were weak ants to be crushed under their heel. They thought so little of us that they came out of their mountains and wished to fight on the plains.
Now look, as I give them back what they wished to do unto us. We will take Hau City and celebrate in her halls for many nights to come. So… carve this moment into your hearts and minds. Remember them till the day you feel your chest stop beating and your lifeblood stop moving."
He turned to look over them all then, his dark eyes shining with brilliant light, "You will never lose…! Once you have chosen to follow me back, the bitter taste of defeat shall never be yours. From the day I entered this battle, defeat was never a choice. A new legend is in the making, one that will be forged here and now by our own very hands…!
A tale of how a small unit of 4,000 men managed to flip a losing battle on its head and take Hau City from the invading Yan army…! Everyone in this living world and beyond will hear and speak of our deeds.
As we become immortalised." Sei Chou brought up his open palm before clenching it tightly.
"All of you before me have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so make sure you grasp it with both hands. Do not let it slip from your fingers! Take the chance to carve your names as legends forever.
Will you fail to fight for the man who will be known one day as the greatest general to have ever lived? Will you shrink and cower when the man who fights beside you fights for absolute victory?"
There was a reaction; the faces of 4,000 soldiers hardened with eyes that swore determination until death. Victory even in death, faces that looked on at Sei Chou with the eyes of men who would follow him to the gates of the underworld and beyond.
The men were all dressed in Yan armour, as was Sei Chou; these were men of Zhao, but make no mistake, these men here and now chose their line. They chose who they would follow, the boy who had promised them glory, tales and immortalisation.
To a man, all of them looked as if they were ready to die if it meant they could take Hau City, their eyes held DETERMINATION, PRIDE and ZEAL!
A few looked as if they wished to cry; tears had gathered at the corners of their eyes, seeing a dream they wished to be a part of.
Whilst ten or twenty looked so pumped up they needed to cheer, to let out the fire that had gathered in their hearts.
Sei Chou turned back to Hau City, fixed his sword belt to his waist and crossed his arms as a wind picked up and fluttered his hair, glancing over his with a smirk. "Now then, let's create a legend that would reach the heavens."
'OUUUUUUUU!!!!!' 4,000 hearts roared in unison.
'How I would like to see Great General Chi Ketsu's face at this moment.' The thought came to Sei Chou's mind, and he nearly burst out laughing, thinking of an elderly man seething and flipping over chairs and tables.
….
HAU CITY
Dressed in Yan armour, Sei Chou and the troops that accompanied him placed a few "injured" soldiers in carts taken from Yan. With their flags raised, they dashed through the gates of Hau City. For onlookers, it seemed like they were being chased by someone or rushing with great haste.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Archers on the walls aimed at them.
"OPEN THE GATES! OPEN THE GATES! WE BRING WORD FROM GENERAL LI SHUN AND GREAT GENERAL CHI KETSU!"
"WHAT GREAT GENERAL CHI KETSU?!!"
"OPEN THE GATES!"
"OPEN THE GATES!"
Sei Chou kept his face neutral as he watched the gates of Hau City go up, before stirring his horse forward, passing the first threshold to his plan. As he continued in, he came across a man with spiky black hair dressed in finely made armour.
Sei Chou jumped down from his horse and bowed to the man whilst clasping his hands, "Urgent report, General, Great General Chi Ketsu sent word to General Li Shu to ask for a relief force. They request your presence at the frontlines."
The eyes of the General went wide in shock, "What? My uncle did? For what reason?" The man asked in clear worry, Sei Chou picked up that the man had a relation to one of Chi Ketsu or Li Shun and decided to play on that.
"I can't speak of either the Great General or the General… but there some of the soldiers were whispering that the war in the west had ended…" Sei Chou trailed off.
"...Ren Pa." The Yan General gasped, "It seems so, a scout said Ren Pa is leading a 150,000 army here with haste." The man seemed to go paler with every word Sei Chou spoke.
Presenting a scroll, Sei Chou passed it to him, "All of the information is here, General." The stamp was stolen from General Li Shun's camp, a score from one of the last raids that had managed to make this plan even smoother.
The Yan General seemed to come out of his state of shock as he felt the scroll, before he instantly turned to his soldiers and started to shout out orders for them to get ready to head into battle, only stopping to turn back to Sei Chou and praise him. "You did a great job. As soon as this battle is finished, I will ensure my uncle rewards you finely for this achievement."
Sei Chou only bowed, "I only did what I could with my defeated soldiers, General."
The Yan General looked behind Sei Chou at the defeated soldiers, seeing the majority of them in carts writhing in pain, he nodded and returned his focus to Sei Chou. "You and your unit can rest in the city." By the time their conversation was over, the full garrison had been rallied and readied to set out.
Which left only Sei Chou and his troops and skeleton force to protect Hau City, "Hook, line and sinker." Whispered the young Zhao commander as he watched the forces disappear over the horizon from the walls of Hau City.
"Kill all the Yan soldiers that are not our men, after that search for any hidden in the city and eliminate them." One of the men in Sei Chou's personal guard who had followed him nodded before heading off and ensuring his Lord's orders were completed.