Chapter 10: Crisis Averted, Infantry and Cavalry Standoff

Lu Jinhe exhaled deeply. Regardless of whether his fifth son was truly a fighting general, the immediate crisis had at least been temporarily averted.

However, the danger to the Lu family was far from over. Once Prince Jiu officially ascended the throne as King Wu, the Lu family would likely face another severe ordeal. If handled poorly, it wouldn’t be impossible for the Lu family to be expelled from the state of Wu altogether.

Still, no matter what tomorrow held, having today as a buffer gave Lu Jinhe some room to maneuver.

Although Prince Yuan had been assassinated, his backing was extensive—he had numerous supporters in the court and deeply entrenched military power. Otherwise, he would not have dared to vie for the throne.

Now that Prince Yuan was dead, a complete reversal was impossible. Yet as long as his supporters could promptly unite and protect one another, even with Prince Jiu ascending the throne, he would likely hesitate to unleash a massacre. Judging by Lu Jinhe’s assessment, Prince Jiu would probably proclaim a general amnesty and forgive past offenses upon taking the throne.

With this in mind, Lu Jinhe hurriedly summoned aides and sent word to key ministers and military officers. There was no time to write letters, but a verbal message would suffice—some of them might already know, or even be controlled or eliminated by Prince Jiu’s faction. But if even a few could react appropriately, they would not be caught completely unprepared.

Of course, Lu Jinhe harbored darker thoughts.

If even a handful among them could spark an uprising, Songjing would descend into chaos. In the ensuing disorder, the Lu family—wealthy but politically powerless and not perceived as dangerous—might slip away unnoticed. As for how many would perish in Songjing’s turmoil, that was a concern he could not afford.

No sooner had he issued several orders than Lu Wu called up from below, “Father, all is quiet here. I’ll go to Uncle Lin’s house and check.”

“Fifth son, Uncle Lin isn’t at home. He’s trapped at Changshui Camp. Go straight there and be careful,” Lu Jinhe called down hurriedly from upstairs.

This was what Lin Ji’s personal guards had recently told him during an earlier alarm.

Though Lu Jinhe wanted to keep Lu Wu nearby to handle emergencies, his friendship with Lin Ji was so deep that he could entrust even his wife and children to him. Now that he had escaped danger, he naturally hoped Lu Wu could help rescue Lin Ji as well.

“I understand, Father. You be careful too. If things turn sour, take the three ladies to Wutong Manor. Qiutong and the others are there and can keep everyone safe,” Lu Wu replied briefly before urging his black horse into a gallop. The sound of hooves thundered like a sudden downpour as he quickly disappeared into the distance.

Lu Jinhe was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized: “Could even Qiutong’s maids—”

He had always thought Qiutong’s maids were simply tall and strong. Looking back, their parents were hardly imposing figures. How could all five maids just happen to be exceptionally tall and robust?

If their stature wasn’t natural but the result of practicing the “Horizontal Iron Cloth” technique, then to what level had they cultivated it?

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Changshui Camp.

Inside the cavalry formation, outside the infantry lines, both sides faced off across the camp gate.

The cavalry dared not charge out; the infantry dared not break in.

The incident had been sudden. If not for Lin Ji’s vigilance in recent days and his prompt concentration of his personal guards to block the She Sheng Wei outside the camp, the situation would have spiraled out of control long ago.

Even so, apart from fifty personal cavalry from the headquarters and five hundred light cavalry from the first battalion, the rest hesitated—the enemy’s shout that Prince Yuan was dead had shaken the morale of the Changshui Wei.

Lin Ji, the Changshui Captain, was one of the five captains of Songjing, commanding the suburban cavalry.

Suburban cavalry were mobile strike forces responsible for security outside Songjing city, covering the surrounding five prefectures and thirty-nine counties, deployed especially for major incidents.

Changshui Camp comprised two thousand cavalry.

In recent years, King Wu Ke Lu’s health had gradually declined. For some unknown reason, no heir had been formally designated.

Prince Jiu, the king’s second son, and Prince Yuan, the third son, both aspired to succeed the throne. Both factions had poured enormous resources into the struggle, making retreat impossible.

Prince Jiu was deeply rooted in Songjing. His birth mother was Princess Li of Chu, whose brother was the current King Xiangtong of Chu, commanding many pro-peace supporters.

Prince Yuan led the pro-war faction. His military influence was vast; his birth mother was Princess Ming of Yue, and his wife was the daughter of Wu’s Grand General Luo Gan. He had personally commanded troops stationed at Dingshui City, facing off against Chu forces.

In fact, when King Wu Ke Lu’s poor health became known, Prince Yuan had managed to relinquish command and return to Songjing.

Lin Ji and the others were Prince Yuan’s subordinates, recalled to Songjing to contest military power.

But the sudden outbreak today caught them off guard. The esteemed cavalry commander found himself blocked at the camp gate by mere infantry.

“Hahaha, Captain Lin, come join us for a drink. Why the long face?” She Sheng Captain Lu Guang boomed, setting out a table of wine in front of the camp gate and raising his cup in a distant toast to Lin Ji.

The two had personal enmity. Now that the situation was settling, Lu Guang was elated.

“Sir, shall we charge?” a guard behind Lin Ji growled.

Lin Ji shook his head. “Wait a bit longer. The message has already been sent. Perhaps there’ll still be a change.”

Indeed, cavalry charges could overwhelm infantry, but it depended on the circumstances.

The enemy was prepared. Spear and shield formations stood firm at the front, with powerful crossbows and bows guarding the flanks. The camp gate was narrow; even light cavalry couldn’t break through, let alone heavily armored riders.

“Captain Lin, if you wait any longer, my lord Prince Jiu will soon be crowned,” Lu Guang declared loudly, draining his cup.

He bore a personal grudge against Lin Ji and would relish killing him here. But with only a thousand men, his force could block the gate but risked defeat if they tried to storm the camp. If their formation broke, the enemy might break out, making the outcome uncertain.

Lin Ji’s eyes darkened.

With Prince Yuan dead, they had lost their righteous cause. Even if they broke out today, what then? Could they turn the tide?

Yet to give up meant not only risking their lives but abandoning the subordinates they had brought back from the frontier—men whose futures were uncertain. Survival alone was victory.

Moreover, Prince Yuan had shown him great favor. With his death and two young sons left behind, Lin Ji felt compelled to protect his bloodline.

“Lv Chen, we stand here in formation. You take some men and see if you can tear down part of the wall behind us,” Lin Ji instructed his deputy quietly.

“Sir, we already scouted. There’s a scout every thirty meters. Sneaking in is impossible,” Lv Chen replied wryly.

They exchanged a glance, both at a loss.

“Who goes there? Dismount and surrender!” a sudden shout came from outside.

“Ah—” a scream.

“The She Sheng Camp acts under King Wu’s orders. Do not provoke us!” another voice roared.

“Shoot!”

“Third squad, spear formation—be alert!”

Screams echoed repeatedly.

“Kill!” someone bellowed.

The once-disciplined She Sheng ranks began to falter. Some archers and crossbowmen guarding the flanks turned their weapons backward.

“First Battalion, First Squad, Kong Ming, lead the charge!” Lin Ji’s eyebrows knitted sharply as he shouted.

In battle, the moment to act was fleeting. Hesitation meant death.

In Wu’s army, ten men formed a squad; five squads a company; one company had fifty cavalry.

It wasn’t that Lin Ji was unwilling to commit his elite troops, but the camp gate allowed only ten riders abreast. Fifty cavalry had to charge in batches—more men were useless if they couldn’t enter together.

“As you command!”

Squad leader Kong Ming shouted, urging his horse forward with his men.

Charging a spear and shield formation head-on was near-suicide.

But these were Lin Ji’s trusted veterans, battle-hardened at the frontier. Even facing death, they dared to charge!

Moreover, the enemy was clearly unsettled. This charge might yet hold a glimmer of hope.