Chapter 69: Mere Eastern Wu, How Dare They Covet the Territory of Our Great Han

Deep into the night, the candles within the study of the Yong'an Governor's Mansion remained brightly lit. Deng Ai sat straight at his desk, unarmored and wearing only a dark civilian robe. His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, scrutinized the uninvited guests standing before him—Yan Shuo and his son, Yan Han.

Feeling extremely anxious, Yan Shuo spilled all the details of the conspiracy: how Tian Yu, Liu Qing, and Sheng Man of Eastern Wu had colluded to ignite fires as a signal on the night of the full moon, intending to open the city gates from within and surrender. Throughout his speech, he repeatedly emphasized his "loyalty" and that he had been "forced," while fine beads of sweat oozed from his temples.

Deng Ai listened quietly, his expression devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as though he were listening to a trivial matter that did not concern him. When Yan Shuo finished, Deng Ai did not respond immediately. Instead, he slowly picked up a bamboo slip from the side of the desk and casually tossed it before the father and son.

"Pick it up and read it," Deng Ai said, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Yan Han, being younger, moved faster. He picked up the bamboo slip, unrolled it, and after reading just a few lines, his complexion instantly turned ashen, his hands beginning to tremble slightly. Yan Shuo leaned in for a closer look, and was so terrified that his soul nearly left his body!

Densely recorded on that bamboo slip were the exact dates, locations, and even partial contents of the several secret meetings held by the heads of their three clans! Even Yan Shuo's complaint—"It is not that we are disloyal to Shu Han, but Liu Chen is going too far! You cannot blame us"—was recorded without a single word missed.

What was even more terrifying was that even their secret trip to Jianping Commandery last night to meet Sheng Man—when they departed, what boats they took, and when they returned—was documented with crystal clarity.

"This... this..." Yan Shuo collapsed heavily to his knees, trembling like a sieve, unable to complete a single sentence. He had originally intended to betray his friends for glory in exchange for Deng Ai's forgiveness and rewards, never expecting that every single move they made had long been under the other's surveillance.

Only then did Deng Ai speak coldly, a trace of mockery in his tone, with a sneer: "Within Yong'an City, the Brocade-Clad Envoys are everywhere. Did the likes of you, scurrying about like rats, truly believe you could pull the wool over everyone's eyes?"

Fiercely maintaining his composure, Yan Han pulled his father down to kneel and kowtowed, saying, "May the Great General examine this clearly! Although my father was muddle-headed for a moment and participated in the secret discussions, he actually infiltrated the enemy's ranks to gather intelligence so that he could report everything to the Great General. Our Yan family harbors absolute loyalty to Han, to the Prince of Qin, and to the Great General!"

Deng Ai stood up, walked over to the window, gazed out at the silent city of Yong'an, and sneered, "Had I not known that the two of you truly came to surrender, I would have taken your lives long ago. Get up!"

"Thank you, Great General." With pale faces, the father and son hurriedly stood up.

Slowly, Deng Ai continued, "What manner of man is Sheng Man? When I was commanding armies in battle, he was still a mere boy!"

Hearing this, the father and son nodded repeatedly, not daring to raise the slightest objection.

Turning around, Deng Ai swept his gaze like the blade of a knife across the two of them: "Since the two of you have come to 'denounce' the plot, this general will grant you a chance to redeem yourselves through meritorious service. Return and act as usual; under no circumstances must you allow the Tian and Liu families to notice any flaws. When the night of the full moon arrives, act according to the plan. Whatever they intend to do, let them do it."

"Yes, yes." The father and son immediately felt a wave of relief. Yan Shuo kowtowed repeatedly: "We can! We can! This guilty subject will surely act according to the Great General's commands, and will die without regret!"

"Go. Someone will contact you regarding the specific details." Deng Ai waved his hand as though shooing away a pair of flies.

Hailing from the state of Wei, he cared nothing for anyone in Shu Han except for Liu Chen.

After the father and son left the study with trembling steps, walking backward the entire way, a figure stepped out from behind the screen. Dressed in ordinary plain cloth with restrained breathing, it was none other than Luo Ming, the commander of the Yong'an Brocade-Clad Envoys.

Without turning back, Deng Ai simply asked, "Can their family find incriminating evidence against Qiao Zhou?"

Luo Ming shook his head and replied, "Qiao Zhou is extremely cautious. He has always dispatched messengers to convey messages verbally. Relying solely on this, it is impossible to convict him. Moreover, this man's reputation is too great; he cannot be dealt with lightly."

"That old fox," Deng Ai clenched his fists, saying with undisguised frustration, "Let us deal with Sheng Man first! How dare tiny Eastern Wu covet the territories of our Han dynasty?"

Deng Ai did not even hold Sun Xiu in high regard, let alone a mere Sheng Man!

On the night of the full moon, a silver plate hung high in the sky, casting a cold, crisp moonlight over the battlements of Yong'an City, draping the perilous fortress in a veil of eerie mystery. The river breeze blew gently, carrying moisture and a trace of imperceptible murderous intent.

Outside the city, Sheng Man, the Administrator of Jianping for Eastern Wu, stood at the bow of his ship, unable to suppress his inner excitement and greed. Gazing into the distance at the silent city of Yong'an, he waited only for the fires to ignite within the city so that he could coordinate from within and without, capture this gateway into Shu, and achieve peerless military exploits. Behind him, the Wu soldiers gathered in silence, their warships blanketing the river like ghosts.

Inside the city, Tian Yu and Liu Qing were also experiencing surging emotions. They had assembled the private troops and retainers of their clans, waiting anxiously for the agreed-upon moment. Tian Yu frequently glanced in the direction of the Governor's Mansion, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and frenzied excitement. As long as tonight succeeded, wealth and glory would be within easy reach.

"The time has come! Ignite the fires!"

Tian Yu hissed through clenched teeth.

Instantly, at several agreed-upon locations, torches flared up fiercely, looking exceptionally glaring in the dark of night!

"It is done!" Seeing the signal outside the city, Sheng Man was overjoyed and immediately waved his army forward. "Lads, the breaking of the city is tonight! Follow me and slaughter them!"

The Wu soldiers' boats rapidly approached the shore, and the troops poured like a tide toward the seemingly defenseless city gates. Inside the city, Tian Yu and Liu Qing also led their men in a sudden uprising, shouting as they charged toward the gate guards in an attempt to force open a passageway from within.

However, just as the vanguard of the Wu soldiers was about to rush into the wide-open city gates, a drastic change suddenly occurred!

Atop the city walls, the previously sparse torches multiplied abruptly, instantly turning the area as bright as day! A grand banner bearing the character "Deng" fluttered wildly in the firelight.

"Rumble—" The heavy portcullis dropped violently, smashing several leading Wu soldiers into pulp and completely cutting off the direct passage between the inside and outside of the city.

"Not good! We've fallen into a trap!"

Seeing this clearly from the rear, Sheng Man's heart sank heavily, filled with sheer horror.

Before the Wu soldiers could even react, countless crossbows flashed into existence atop the city walls and within the houses on both sides of the streets, their cold arrowheads gleaming with the light of death under the firelight.

"Release the arrows!"

Clad in armor and standing at the highest point of the gate tower with a gaze as cold as ice, Deng Ai swept his arm downward.

At his command, ten thousand arrows were loosed simultaneously! Pouring down like a violent storm upon the heads of the Wu soldiers who had just rushed into the barbican and those still outside the city. In an instant, cries of agony, exclamations of shock, and the sound of arrows piercing flesh rose endlessly, and Wu soldiers fell in droves.

"There's an ambush! Fall back! Fall back!"

Terrified out of his wits, Sheng Man screamed at the top of his lungs. But by then, the formation was in complete chaos, and the boats were jammed along the riverbank, leaving them trapped and unable to advance or retreat.

Meanwhile, fierce sounds of battle erupted within the city as well. Father and son Yan Shuo and Yan Han acted "according to plan," but instead of cooperating with Tian and Liu, they led their household troops, alongside elite forces of Deng Ai already lying in ambush nearby, to encircle the rebelling private forces of the Tian and Liu families from the rear.

"Yan Shuo! You dare betray me!" Witnessing this scene, Tian Yu's eyes split with rage as he swung his blade and lunged toward Yan Shuo.

"By order of General Deng, execute the rebels!"

Young and hot-blooded, Yan Han took the lead in charging forward with his men, showing no mercy whatsoever. For a time, the rebel forces within the city fell into heavy encirclement, being systematically cut down and wiped out.