Chapter 1056: In That Case, I Surrender
"A rebel army," the city gate guards reported, snapping to attention at Gao Yiye's query, "is rapidly bearing down on Luoyang. General Cao Wenzhao's and General He Renlong's forces are both absent from the city, and Mr. Bai Yuan has taken part of the militia to Nanyang for disaster relief. Only General Gao Jie remains, and he has ordered all four gates sealed to ward off a sudden rebel assault."
Gao Yiye blinked. "Oh? Is that so? And from which direction are these rebels approaching?"
"The South Gate," the guard informed her. "His Excellency the Governor, the Prefect, General Gao Jie, and the rest are all gathered there, awaiting their arrival."
Gao Yiye nodded curtly, then swiftly drove her vehicle toward the South Gate.
Arriving at the South Gate, she found it, as expected, already a hub of nervous activity.
Henan Governor Fan Shangzheng, the Luoyang Prefect, Prince of Fu Zhu Changxun with his personal retinue, and the rustic, yet dashing, General Gao Jie, were all assembled on the city walls, their brows furrowed as they stared intently southward.
It was quite a motley assembly, she observed.
The moment Gao Yiye stepped out, every single person present bowed in deference.
"The rebel army will be upon us momentarily," Gao Jie announced, his voice tight. "Saintess, this position is precarious. Stray arrows could easily fly over the walls. I urge you to seek safety for the time being."
Her words effectively silenced Gao Jie. With a respectful bow, he stepped forward, taking a commanding position at the forefront.
It was a desperate hour for Luoyang; with no true strategists at hand, even a common general like Gao Jie was now their last hope.
Prince of Fu Zhu Changxun, sweating profusely, suddenly blurted out, "General Gao, are you actually competent in battle?"
Gao Jie hesitated, "Well... probably... I mean, I *can* fight, right?"
Hearing his uncertain tone, Zhu Changxun flinched. "Have you ever actually fought in a *real* battle?"
Gao Jie scoffed. "Of course! I fought Cao Wenzhao himself back in Hequ County."
Zhu Changxun's face lit up. "You actually held your ground against General Cao?"
Gao Jie shrugged. "No, not at all. I was routed, a terrible defeat."
Zhu Changxun's jaw dropped.
Gao Jie continued, unfazed, "I also clashed with He Renlong in northern Shaanxi and suffered a crushing defeat. Oh, and speaking of defeats, I also tangled with the Heavenly Lord's Army in Pinelyang Prefecture. Another crushing defeat."
"What about the battles you *won*?" Zhu Changxun demanded, his voice thin.
Gao Jie pondered seriously for a long moment, then shook his head. "None," he admitted plainly. "Never a single victory."
"Aghhh!" Zhu Changxun wailed, "You haven't won a single battle! You're utterly useless! Guards! Protect this prince, quickly!"
The Prince of Fu's personal guards immediately swarmed him, forming a protective circle around Zhu Changxun.
Henan Governor Fan Shangzheng shot a sharp glare at Gao Jie. "General Gao, cease this deliberate provocation! His constant hysterics are thoroughly undermining our morale."
Gao Jie merely chuckled, then sobered, dropping the jests.
Just then, the rebel army began to materialize at the distant horizon. Their numbers were truly alarming; a vast, dark swarm seemed to pour out of the earth, instantly swelling into the tens of thousands.
A palpable wave of dread washed over everyone standing on the city wall.
Only Gao Yiye remained unruffled. She calmly turned her head, casting a glance at the back seat of her private vehicle. There, nestled within, was a large bell...
It was the sacred artifact used to summon the Heavenly Lord: the Great Bell.
A forceful strike upon it, and the Heavenly Lord would manifest.
Luoyang lay within the Heavenly Lord's liberated zone, a sacred place where His divine presence could manifest. Should the defenders find themselves overwhelmed, a single strike of this Great Bell would call forth the Heavenly Lord Himself, and no rebel force, however vast, could withstand His annihilation.
Yet, mortals were forbidden from inconveniencing the divine unless truly dire circumstances compelled it.
It was a summons Gao Yiye fervently hoped she would not have to make.
The rebel army outside the city pressed ever closer, and in short order, their vanguard stood at the very foot of the city wall.
A large banner unfurled, snapping crisply in the wind, emblazoned with three bold characters: "Zhang Miaoshou."
Gao Jie let out a mocking laugh. "Ah, so it's Zhang Miaoshou. I was expecting someone truly formidable, but it seems we have a mere greenhorn on our hands."
With that, Gao Jie's voice boomed across the parapet: "Open the city gates!"
"What?!" Prince of Fu Zhu Changxun shrieked, utterly terrified. "Why are you suddenly opening the gates? Gao Jie, are you truly betraying us, trying to usher the enemy into the city?"
Gao Jie snapped irritably, "What utter nonsense are you spouting now? We're opening the gates so I can go out and put that man in his place."
"No, please!" Zhu Changxun cried. "Let's stick to defending! It's far too dangerous to venture outside! Don't open those gates!" The final plea was directed at the city guards.
The city guards instantly froze, their movements arrested, utterly unsure whose command to obey.
Fan Shangzheng, having reached his limit, barked at the city guards, "Disregard the Prince of Fu's ramblings! Follow General Gao's orders: open the gates!"
The city guards exchanged bewildered glances, looking left and right. What were they to do? Whose command held sway? While reason dictated they should heed the Governor, the Prince of Fu's inevitable retribution afterward would be a considerable headache.
Gao Yiye then spoke, a calm smile gracing her lips. "Open the city gates," she instructed softly. "There is no need to fear."
Any lingering doubt vanished from the city guards' faces. Open the gates!
Obeying the Saintess was beyond reproach. When the Heavenly Lord was not present, the Saintess's authority reigned supreme; the Prince of Fu, the Governor, the General – all others held lesser sway.
The Prince of Fu cast a deeply resentful glance at Gao Yiye, yet dared not utter a word of protest. He meekly retreated back into the thick of his personal guard, prepared to bolt at a moment's notice.
Gao Jie, by contrast, straightened his armor, swung onto his horse, and leading only a small contingent of cavalry, galloped out through the open city gate.
On the opposing side, Zhang Miaoshou seemed to grasp Gao Jie's unspoken challenge. Surprisingly, he too advanced with only a handful of his men, riding forward to meet him.
The two parties halted, facing each other a mere few paces away.
Gao Jie chuckled darkly. "Zhang Miaoshou, have you truly come to Luoyang to meet your end?"
Zhang Miaoshou wore an expression of utter resignation. "The Eight Great Kings and I had a rather dramatic falling out. He was determined to attack Xuzhou, a feat I deemed impossible, so we parted ways. And yet... he actually succeeded in capturing Xuzhou. Now I'm too embarrassed to return and rejoin him, and out here on my own, I'm starving. I simply can't carry on like this. So, I've come to Luoyang to seek out my old friend Fan Shan Yao. Would you be so kind as to lend me some grain?"
"Borrow?" Gao Jie snorted with a mirthless laugh. "Why not just admit you're here to threaten me and seize my grain by force?"
Zhang Miaoshou feigned offense. "You can't just become an imperial officer and forget your former brethren! What harm is there in sharing a little grain with a brother? After all, you're a high-ranking official now, with grain to spare."
Gao Jie grunted, the smirk fading from his face. "Zhang Miaoshou, take my advice: simply surrender."
"What?!" Zhang Miaoshou spluttered, utterly flummoxed. "Are you out of your mind? I come here to threaten you, to demand provisions, and you're pulling *this* kind of trick?"
Gao Jie's expression hardened. "Look at those musketeers on the city wall. Do you really know whose banner I now fight under? If you're sensible, you'll lay down your arms and surrender at once. It will be treated as a voluntary submission, granting you a forty percent reduction in your sentence and preserving your life. But if you refuse to see reason... Chuang Wang's grim fate will undoubtedly become your own."
The words visibly startled Zhang Miaoshou. "What?! You mean to say *you* killed Chuang Wang?"
Gao Jie quickly clarified, "I certainly never claimed that! *I* didn't kill Chuang Wang, but..."
He gestured toward the musketeers on the city wall. "They did. Their methods are beyond comprehension, brother, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that men like us are no match for even their slightest effort. Just surrender cleanly and confess your crimes now."
Zhang Miaoshou was utterly terrified; a cold dread seeped through his entire body, leaving him numb.
His mind flashed through the countless wretched misfortunes he'd endured over the years, and he vividly recalled the chilling terror of encountering those bizarre musketeers.
So that was the truth of it. No wonder Chuang Wang had fallen; it was those eerie musketeers once more.
He stammered, his voice trembling, "If I surrender, will my life be spared?"
"Death averted!" Gao Jie affirmed, his voice resolute. "What's more, I stake my own head on the promise that your subordinates will be well-fed from this day forward."
Zhang Miaoshou threw his hands up. "Well, I'll be damned! In that case, I surrender."
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