Chapter 54: Surviving Defeat Is Already a Stroke of Fortune

Inside the county office at Wangkou, the air was thick with tension and gravity.

Yan Chun, dressed in military uniform and wearing a complex expression, stood before Jiang Bai. His gaze flickered with both resolve and confusion. Without hesitation, he divulged every secret he knew, including critical military intelligence and defense layouts, hoping to exchange them for the safety of himself and his troops.

Confronted with grave accusations of colluding with the enemy, Yan Chun’s voice was edged with outrage and determination. “Such a thing! I knew nothing of it!” he declared, insisting that had he learned of these dealings earlier, he would never have sat idly by and would have taken up arms against Old Deng long ago.

Jiang Bai’s face shifted to one of apparent “emotion,” as though deeply moved by Yan Chun’s “loyalty to the dynasty.”

“Incredible, Commander Yan! If you could go to Chengyun and expose these crimes before the masses, it would be ideal!”

“Therefore, I suggest you prepare at once, journey to Chengyun, and address the entire country!”

These words left Yan Chun awkward and conflicted, realizing that his performance had been taken with utmost seriousness.

Faced with Jiang Bai’s proposal, Yan Chun was torn. On one hand, he feared this action would invite even greater peril; on the other, he knew that refusal could prove fatal.

After a fierce inner struggle, Yan Chun’s expression shifted from astonishment to a wry smile. The grin he forced was laced with helplessness and pain. “General Jiang’s instructions are clear. I will offer my unconditional cooperation from now on.”

Though spoken reluctantly, Yan Chun was well aware that, having inflicted heavy losses on Jiang Bai’s forces, being allowed to live was already a stroke of luck.

He foresaw that once he reached Chengyun, he would face nothing less than house arrest, and the hope of regaining command was but a fantasy.

With Yan Chun and his troops’ fates decided, Jiang Bai turned his attention to the future of these soldiers.

Within the old county office at Wangkou, Jiang Bai stood before the remnants of the Second Mixed Brigade, his demeanor calm and resolute.

He assured them that so long as they surrendered, not only would their lives be spared, but they would also be granted land. In the midst of anxiety and uncertainty, this promise shone like a ray of sunlight, piercing through the gloom that weighed on the soldiers’ hearts.

Gradually, their faces relaxed into expressions of relief and satisfaction. When land was mentioned, some soldiers’ eyes gleamed with excitement and gratitude.

With the instability at the rear thus resolved, Jiang Bai returned to his makeshift command tent and, standing before a crude tactical map, issued new orders.

His voice resonated through the tent, each word heavy with authority: “The Seventh Reinforced Division will attack Wangkou at dawn tomorrow.” As his order fell, the staff officers and military aides around him were filled with fighting spirit, ready for the coming battle.

With the rising sun, the Sixty-Third and Sixty-Fourth Infantry Brigades took the lead, advancing steadily along the muddy roads toward Wangkou. Their movements were swift and orderly. Soon, Wangkou was encircled. With the complete surrender of the Second Mixed Brigade, the main defensive force was lost, and the defenders’ morale plummeted. Their eyes brimmed with fear and uncertainty—they were like trapped beasts, unwilling to risk a counterattack.

Meanwhile, in the joint command center at Xuzhou, the atmosphere was somber.

Old Deng, upon receiving the urgent news from Wangkou, lost control. His fury erupted within the spacious command room, his hat thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.

His face was ashen, his eyes ablaze with rage, furious beyond measure at Yan Chun’s betrayal. “I’ll slaughter Yan Chun’s entire family! I risked everything to rescue you, and you betrayed me!”

“You will come to no good end, Yan Chun! No good end at all!”

As Old Deng’s impotent rage echoed through the room, his advisor Yan Fei finally spoke, trying to soothe him:

“General, in my view, we may no longer have the strength to continue this fight.”

“With so many defeats, I believe other units will be hesitant to provide further support.”

“What’s more troubling is that the nearest reinforcements are four days away from Wangkou. By then, the outcome will be decided.”

“So, if we are to break the siege at Wangkou, we must seek another path.”

Beside him, Yan Fei’s expression was even more complex, his eyes full of deep concern and helplessness. As he tried to persuade Old Deng, his voice remained steady and firm. Despite his composure, a faint tremor betrayed his inner anxiety.

Gradually, Old Deng’s anger subsided in response to Yan Fei’s words. His brow tightened, and he fell into deep contemplation. From the depths of his gaze, it was clear that, despite his fury, he was calculating how best to respond to the crisis, searching for a way out.

Beneath the dim light, his figure seemed especially solitary—a warlord struggling to survive in a chaotic era, now facing an unprecedented challenge.

From the very beginning, he had never underestimated the Seventh Reinforced Division under Jiang Bai’s command. He had even deployed his core forces, the 23rd and 24th Security Divisions, as his main line of resistance.

Yet the results astounded him. Even these two elite units, under the assault of the Seventh Reinforced Division, were powerless—as fragile as paper, easily torn through.

Now, in the Wangkou region, his only remaining forces were the ten thousand enemy troops stationed there, and the Gaoli Division resting in Xuanhua.

Though the latter was made up entirely of Gaoli soldiers, both its organization and all mid-to-high ranking officers were enemy nationals—it was, in truth, an enemy division in all but name.

“General, perhaps we should ask for help from the enemy,” Yan Fei suggested quietly after a moment’s hesitation. “After all, they promised that should we find ourselves in dire straits, they would provide immediate military assistance.”

“Now is the moment for them to honor that promise.”