Chapter 130: Restoring Order from Chaos

Chen Mu led his troops all the way to the square, where the magistrate came out to receive him.

“Your Highness, I was unaware that you would be returning to the kingdom and failed to welcome you properly. I beg Your Highness to punish me!”

Chen Mu waved a hand. “It is not your fault. I only returned because something happened.”

According to proper protocol, whenever Chen Mu returned, an advance unit was supposed to travel from the border checkpoint to the city. This served two purposes: to inform the garrison that the approaching forces were friendly, and to give the magistrate time to prepare a formal welcome.

The magistrate therefore knew that something had gone wrong. Hearing Chen Mu’s words, he hurriedly asked, “Has something happened in the Southern Barbarian Kingdom?”

Chen Mu nodded. “I will write a letter. Send someone to deliver it to the administrative seat of the southern border region, and use the telephone to notify the capital.”

The magistrate realized at once how serious the matter was and quickly ushered Chen Mu into the county office. Chen Mu picked up a brush and swiftly wrote a letter.

In it, he described the situation in the Southern Barbarian Kingdom and outlined the countermeasures he intended to take. He then ordered Chen Xingtian to send a thousand veteran soldiers of the Wudang Flying Army by train.

The magistrate sent someone to deliver the letter to the southern border governor. Chen Mu then ordered him to load the local artillery onto the train, along with the hinged lifting frames.

Wanghai County was a border town with a frontier garrison. Two heavy cannons and ten light cannons stood atop its walls.

Chen Mu calculated that the twelve cannons, combined with a thousand elite musketeers, would be sufficient.

Once everything had been arranged, Chen Mu finally went to sleep with peace of mind.

Upon receiving the telephone call, Chen Xingtian immediately arranged for the Wudang Flying Army to assemble and had the train carriages modified. By the following evening, a thousand soldiers had arrived at the administrative seat of the southern border region.

After resting for one night, they transferred to horse-drawn carriages the next morning and reached Wanghai County by noon.

This was the speed of high technology. Once the railway network expanded and more trains became available, they would be able to move even faster.

Chen Mu made further preparations, and the next day he led the army toward the Southern Barbarian Kingdom.

When they reached the border, the scouts reported that the rebel forces of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom had established defenses in the city nearest Great Xia. Men were also patrolling outside the walls.

Chen Mu nodded. “Good. That saves us the trouble.”

The army arrived outside the city and formed up. Using the hinged lifting frames, they lowered the heavy cannons into position.

The rebels inside the city stared curiously at the unfamiliar equipment.

“What is that thing? Why are they carrying such a huge piece of iron?”

“I have no idea. But the king ordered us to hold the city, so we hold it.”

“Exactly. Ignore them. Prepare the rolling logs and stones, and get the forks ready to push away their ladders.”

While they were talking, Chen Mu’s artillerymen had already adjusted the cannons.

The two heavy cannons opened fire at the battlements. Two explosive shells flew over the walls and burst apart. Countless fragments tore through the air, killing dozens of rebels.

The rebels nearby were stunned by the thunderous explosions and the terrible power of the shrapnel.

“What was that? I think I saw fire!”

“That thing is filled with little blades. They were all stabbed to death!”

As they spoke, the light cannons of the Great Xia army fired as well. Ten explosive shells flew onto the battlements. When the fragments spread, nearly everyone on the wall was killed.

At that moment, Chen Mu ordered several officers of the Wudang Flying Army to step forward and shout in the Southern Barbarian tongue.

They told the rebels of the cannons’ power and urged them to surrender at once.

The soldiers on the other two walls witnessed the scene from a distance and were filled with terror. When they heard the men of the Wudang Flying Army calling out, they soon opened the gates and surrendered.

Chen Mu ordered his troops into the city to take over its defenses. He also sent men to reassure the civilians and explain what had happened.

The next day, Chen Mu led his army to the capital of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom.

Chen Mu already knew that the man pretending to be the illegitimate son of the Southern Barbarian king had first incited the reserve forces of the Wudang Flying Army.

The so-called reserve forces consisted of strong local men from the Southern Barbarian Kingdom. Whenever the Wudang Flying Army suffered casualties in battle, these men were used to replenish its ranks.

A few days earlier, a rubber forest had been discovered, and the reservists had been sent to guard it.

The so-called “illegitimate son” was their captain. He had taken the opportunity to trap Chen Mu and the others inside the rubber forest, then returned to the capital and seized control of the government.

That was why Chen Mu had summoned the Wudang Flying Army from the capital—and specifically its veterans. He wanted them to persuade the rebels to surrender.

Those veterans had once been the bravest men in the region, and many people respected them. Chen Mu believed their presence would have an effect.

Thus, he did not immediately attack the city, while the rebels likewise chose not to fight their way out.

The rebel commander on the battlements was deeply shaken.

“How did the Great Xia army arrive so quickly? I thought we would have two months to prepare.”

The new king added, “Exactly. I heard that the capital of Great Xia is more than three thousand miles from here. How could they have arrived so quickly? I made inquiries—the border is not heavily defended.”

The rebel commander pointed down below. “I know several of those men. They were chosen to join the Wudang Flying Army. Weren’t they in the capital of Great Xia?”

The new king stared at him. “What? Really? They actually came from the capital of Great Xia?”

Outside the city, Chen Mu also spotted the new king and sent several officers and centurions from the Wudang Flying Army forward to call out.

“Hey! I am Riaston, commander of the First Company of the Wudang Flying Army! Our Great Xia army has brought twelve cannons! You cannot hold this city!”

“Brothers inside the city! I am Niu Xuhuangpo! Surrender quickly! There is no need to die for a rebel!”

At their words, the soldiers on the battlements all turned toward them, whispering among themselves.

Seeing that the situation was turning against them, the new king and the rebel commander hurried along the wall, trying to stop the soldiers from listening.

“Do not listen to their lies!”

“We can hold the city!”

Chen Mu saw that the moment had come and ordered the cannons to fire.

However, the twelve cannons were not aimed at the battlements, but at the walls themselves.

Twelve shells flew out and struck the city wall. The entire structure shook violently, as though it might collapse at any moment.

The soldiers atop the wall were utterly stunned.

“Great heavens! Is this the legendary cannon?”

“It is that powerful?”

“What are we going to do?”

After one barrage, Chen Mu once again gave the order. This time, the cannons were aimed at the main gate.

The soldiers adjusted their aim and fired again.

With only one volley, the gate of the Southern Barbarian capital was blasted apart.

The rebel soldiers were now completely thrown into turmoil.

A young man shouted, “I am Riabaton, Riaston’s younger brother! Listen to me!”

“The Great Xia army is too powerful! If we continue like this, none of us will survive!”

“If we seize the rebel leaders now, we can still earn merit!”

The surrounding soldiers fell silent for a moment. Then they began shouting one after another.

“I will follow you!”

“Seize the rebel leaders!”

“Earn merit!”

Riabaton nodded firmly and raised the single-edged saber in his hand.

“Follow me!”

With that, Riabaton charged straight toward the new king, the soldiers following close behind.

They shouted as they went, and more and more men joined them. When the new king realized that something was wrong and tried to flee, it was already too late.