{"id":3965,"date":"2026-06-14T03:35:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T03:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-113\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T03:35:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T03:35:53","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-113","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-113\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of Jade 113"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 113

Zheng Wenchang, who had been walking ahead, visibly staggered.

The next moment, he shoved aside the bewildered soldiers lining the stairway and rushed up to the city wall even faster.

Fan Changyu was one step behind him. When she finally reached the top and saw the soldiers kneeling on the ground weeping and the civilians wiping away tears with lowered heads, she suddenly felt as though the world were spinning around her.

Perhaps it was because the grief was too overwhelming, or perhaps it was exhaustion from just having come off the battlefield. For a moment, her head felt heavy and dizzy, and an indescribable sense of desolation and confusion rose within her.

Although she had imagined what would happen if Lu City fell while on the way here, seeing the old man standing dead before the battle lines, leaning on his sword, was entirely different.

The sorrow crashed over her like a mountain tsunami, squeezing her chest so tightly she could barely breathe.

\u201cLord He…?\u201d

Zheng Wenchang\u2019s throat tightened.

He called out to the already-rigid old man with difficulty.

The towering man\u2019s eyes were bloodshot. After those two words left his lips, he could no longer continue and broke down completely.

He raised a hand and gently closed the old man\u2019s eyes, eyes that had remained glaring in fury at Wei Yan until the very moment of death.

Then he dropped to his knees and kowtowed heavily.

Again.

And again.

Until blood flowed from his forehead.

Tears and mucus covered his face as he repeated over and over,

\u201cThis student came too late… I came back too late…\u201d

The deputy general beside him could not bear to watch.

With reddened eyes, he supported Zheng Wenchang and said,

\u201cWenchang, don\u2019t do this.\u201d

\u201cLord He\u2019s wounds had never healed. He had already worked himself to exhaustion. When he learned the rebels were attacking Lu City, he ignored his own condition and rode here at full speed.\u201d

\u201cWith a body already at the end of its strength, he held the city until your reinforcements arrived. I\u2019m sure he was comforted by that.\u201d

\u201cThe enemy is still outside the city. Don\u2019t destroy yourself. Driving back the rebels is what Lord He would want to see!\u201d

Zheng Wenchang slowly lifted a pair of bloodshot eyes and looked toward the sea of rebel troops below the city walls.

\u201cThe rebels…\u201d

His voice was barely a whisper.

\u201cYes… the rebels.\u201d

\u201cThey deserve to die.\u201d

The bones in his clenched fists crackled audibly.

After rising to his feet, he immediately shouted,

\u201cSoldiers, hear my command!\u201d

\u201cFollow me out of the city!\u201d

\u201cWe will take Sui Yuanhuai\u2019s head and avenge Lord He!\u201d

The deputy general hurriedly stopped him.

\u201cWenchang, don\u2019t be reckless!\u201d

\u201cTwenty thousand rebel troops surround the city. Charging out now is no different from smashing an egg against a rock!\u201d

The cavalry Fan Changyu and Zheng Wenchang had brought numbered only three thousand.

After fighting their way into the city, only two thousand remained.

Two thousand against twenty thousand.

Defending the city was possible.

Opening the gates and attacking was suicide.

Veins bulged on the backs of Zheng Wenchang\u2019s hands.

His gaze fixed on the eight-horse war chariot protected at the center of the rebel army.

His teeth ground together.

\u201cThen I\u2019ll go alone.\u201d

\u201cI\u2019ll take Sui Yuanhuai\u2019s head myself!\u201d

With that, he picked up his spear and strode toward the stairs.

He was like a maddened bull.

Even the deputy general could not hold him back.

As he passed Fan Changyu, who had remained silent the entire time, she suddenly moved.

Her strike was as fast as lightning.

The edge of her hand slammed into the back of Zheng Wenchang\u2019s neck.

His vision went black, and he collapsed instantly.

\u201cWenchang!\u201d

The deputy general quickly caught him.

At first he was alarmed, but once he realized Zheng Wenchang had merely been knocked unconscious, he immediately understood Fan Changyu\u2019s intentions.

There was only one female general in the entire northwest army.

It was not difficult for him to guess her identity.

Gratefully, he said,

\u201cThank you, Commander Fan.\u201d

Fan Changyu replied,

\u201cTake General Zheng below and let him rest.\u201d

The deputy general summoned several soldiers to carry Zheng Wenchang away.

At the same time, he ordered a stretcher brought over.

He Jingyuan\u2019s body was carefully laid upon it.

With his eyes closed, the old man still looked imposing.

Yet there was now a peacefulness in his features.

As the soldiers carried him away, Fan Changyu quietly gazed at him for a long while.

Then she softly called out,

\u201cUncle He.\u201d

The first words were spoken as the daughter of an old friend.

The next as one of his subordinates.

\u201cI will hold Lu City.\u201d

\u201cI will not allow the rebels to take even a single inch of Jizhou soil.\u201d

The deputy general felt a lump rise in his throat.

\u201cCommander Fan… please take care of yourself as well.\u201d

Fan Changyu nodded silently.

Just as she turned to examine the battlefield below, a scout who had been observing the enemy rushed over.

\u201cGeneral!\u201d

\u201cThe rebels are preparing to attack again!\u201d

The deputy general\u2019s expression changed dramatically.

He hurried to the battlements and looked down.

Below, the rebels had already reorganized the formations scattered by Fan Changyu\u2019s cavalry charge.

Shield walls and archers once again advanced at the front, covering the troops carrying siege ladders as they approached the city walls.

The deputy general immediately began issuing orders.

\u201cArchers!\u201d

\u201cQuickly!\u201d

\u201cFill every battlement!\u201d

\u201cTwo men per position, rotate continuously!\u201d

Then he turned toward Fan Changyu.

\u201cCommander Fan, how many cavalrymen are skilled archers?\u201d

\u201cGet them up here and fill every opening on the walls!\u201d

Fan Changyu immediately ordered Xie Wu,

\u201cBring every archer still capable of fighting onto the walls.\u201d

Most cavalrymen were already the elite among ordinary soldiers.

Archers needed tremendous arm strength to draw longbows, making mounted archers even rarer.

Of the original five hundred archers among Fan Changyu\u2019s three thousand cavalry, many had fallen during the charge into the city.

Only a little over three hundred remained battle-ready.

Xie Wu brought all of them onto the walls and positioned them at the battlements.

The civilians who had previously helped defend the city voluntarily moved below the inner wall to transport weapons, stones, and rolling logs.

Fan Changyu had fought many siege battles.

This was her first time defending a city.

Attacking a city relied on courage and momentum.

Defending one was different.

Looking down from the walls at an ocean of enemies surging forward was far more oppressive.

The enemy formations stretched endlessly into the distance.

The psychological pressure was immense.

Fear could easily take root.

The deputy general was clearly experienced.

When the enemy shield formations entered range, he shouted at the top of his lungs,

\u201cThe last time they attacked, we held this wall with fewer than a thousand men!\u201d

\u201cNow we have thousands of reinforcements!\u201d

\u201cWe can beat these bastards back with our eyes closed!\u201d

The moment the enemy entered range, he roared,

\u201cLoose arrows!\u201d

A storm of arrows flew from the walls.

Two archers occupied every battlement.

One fired while the other prepared the next arrow.

As soon as the first stepped back, the second immediately took his place.

This ensured an uninterrupted rain of arrows.

Fan Changyu observed alongside the deputy general.

Enemy soldiers fell constantly.

But there were simply too many of them.

When one man died, another climbed over his corpse and continued forward.

Through sheer numbers, the rebels eventually succeeded in placing siege ladders against the walls again.

The defenders reacted quickly.

While the archers fired, soldiers and civilians hurled stones and rolling logs.

Barrels of oil were poured down.

Then torches followed.

The ladders and the men climbing them were instantly engulfed in flames.

The rebels screamed and desperately tried to extinguish the fire.

But their clothing was soaked in oil.

Soon they became human torches and tumbled from the ladders.

When Fan Changyu first entered the battlefield, the sight of corpses alone had made her nauseous.

Now, witnessing scenes that resembled hell itself, she still felt sickened.

The difference was that she no longer felt the urge to vomit.

She could even calmly discuss the battle.

\u201cGeneral He, I think we\u2019re running low on oil.\u201d

\u201cShouldn\u2019t we conserve it?\u201d

\u201cIf stones and logs can destroy a ladder, we should use those instead.\u201d

The military supplies in Lu City had been transported to Chongzhou after the first siege was lifted.

At the time, no one had imagined the trapped rebels would somehow escape and launch a counterattack against Lu City.

Deputy General He sighed.

\u201cI thought the same thing.\u201d

\u201cBut Lord He said we couldn\u2019t let the rebels discover how little supply remained.\u201d

\u201cIf they launch several assaults and we drive them back every time, even their human-wave tactics will eventually wear them down.\u201d

\u201cBut if they realize our supplies are running out, they\u2019ll become even more desperate to take the city.\u201d

Fan Changyu fell silent.

He was right.

The defenders were already at a disadvantage.

If their lack of supplies became obvious, enemy morale would soar.

Taking Lu City would become effortless.

Fortunately, with the help of the two thousand cavalry and the city\u2019s civilians, Lu City survived another assault.

As the rebels sounded the retreat and withdrew like beaten dogs, cheers erupted across the walls.

But after conducting an inventory, the quartermaster approached Deputy General He with a grim expression.

\u201cGeneral.\u201d

\u201cWe\u2019re almost out of arrows.\u201d

\u201cAnd only a few barrels of oil remain.\u201d

Deputy General He glanced at the rebels reorganizing below and turned to Fan Changyu.

\u201cCommander Fan, how long until General Tang arrives?\u201d

Fan Changyu calculated briefly.

\u201cLu City is over a hundred li from Chongzhou.\u201d

\u201cEven if General Tang abandons everything and marches at full speed, we still need to hold for at least another two hours.\u201d

Deputy General He looked out across the smoke-covered battlefield.

\u201cThen we\u2019ll hold for another two hours.\u201d

Behind Fan Changyu, Xie Wu\u2019s expression changed subtly.

But he said nothing.

Throughout the walls, only the ordinary soldiers celebrated this temporary victory.

The officers all knew the truth.

Arrows.

Oil.

Stones.

Logs.

Everything was nearly gone.

Lu City could not be held much longer.

Every face carried a heavy burden.

Yet no one said it aloud.

Everyone simply continued doing what needed to be done.

They were no longer preparing for another defense.

They were preparing for a glorious death.

At a time like this, even grief seemed unnecessary.

Fan Changyu looked at the faces around her.

Some solemn.

Some smiling brightly.

After a moment of silence, she suddenly said to Deputy General He,

\u201cI have an idea.\u201d

\u201cIt might allow Lu City to hold a little longer.\u201d

Deputy General He immediately asked,

\u201cWhat idea?\u201d

Fan Changyu replied,

\u201cI\u2019ll take a dozen men outside the city and challenge their generals.\u201d

\u201cWhile they\u2019re occupied, you seal the gates.\u201d

Deputy General He\u2019s expression changed.

He immediately realized she intended to trade her life for time.

\u201cNo!\u201d

Fan Changyu said,

\u201cIt\u2019s the only way I can think of.\u201d

She looked at him steadily.

\u201cThe rebels fled here overnight. Their supplies must be running low as well.\u201d

\u201cIf they enter the city, the civilians will suffer.\u201d

\u201cLord He defended Lu City even after death itself claimed him.\u201d

\u201cHow can we allow the city to fall simply because we fear death?\u201d

\u201cThe city still needs someone to command it.\u201d

\u201cThat person must be you.\u201d

\u201cSo I request permission.\u201d

Deputy General He hesitated.

Xie Wu stepped forward urgently.

\u201cIf Commander insists on going, let me take your place.\u201d

For the first time, Fan Changyu spoke harshly to him.

\u201cYou\u2019re not qualified.\u201d

Xie Wu froze.

Deputy General He looked troubled.

\u201cCommander Fan…\u201d

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together and saluted.

\u201cGeneral He.\u201d

\u201cMy true name is Meng Changyu.\u201d

\u201cI am the descendant of General Meng Shuyuan of Changshan.\u201d

\u201cDeceiving the Emperor is already a capital crime.\u201d

\u201cIf I cannot uncover the truth behind Jinzhou and clear my ancestors\u2019 names in this lifetime, then at least let me do one good deed for the people.\u201d

\u201cLet the Meng family\u2019s honor continue through this.\u201d

\u201cI ask General He to grant my request.\u201d

Deputy General He was shaken to the core.

After struggling for a long moment, he finally closed his eyes.

\u201cPermission granted.\u201d

Fan Changyu bowed.

\u201cThank you, General.\u201d

Then she turned and headed downstairs.

Xie Wu hurried after her.

\u201cI\u2019ll accompany you.\u201d

Fan Changyu stopped in a deserted corner.

To Xie Wu\u2019s surprise, her tone was calm.

\u201cXiao Wu.\u201d

\u201cThank you for everything these past months.\u201d

\u201cI know you and Xiao Qi stayed beside me because of him.\u201d

\u201cBut he\u2019s going to marry the Princess.\u201d

\u201cIf I keep you with me after that, I won\u2019t even be able to face myself.\u201d

Xie Wu had remained by her side and knew nothing about the imperial marriage decree.

Hearing this, he was stunned.

At the same time, panic rose within him over what she intended to do.

\u201cCommander!\u201d

\u201cThere must be some misunderstanding!\u201d

\u201cWho told you the Master was marrying the Princess?\u201d

Fan Changyu did not answer.

\u201cI don\u2019t blame him.\u201d

\u201cThe Jinzhou massacre shocked the world.\u201d

\u201cNo one could forgive that.\u201d

\u201cI\u2019ve always believed my father and grandfather were innocent.\u201d

\u201cBut that\u2019s only what I believe.\u201d

\u201cIf I die in Lu City today, then let it be considered atonement on their behalf.\u201d

\u201cThere\u2019s only one thing I wish to ask of you.\u201d

\u201cIf I die and Lu City survives, avoid the Emperor\u2019s agents and Wei Yan\u2019s spies.\u201d

\u201cFind a good family to adopt Ningniang.\u201d

She paused.

For a long while, she said nothing.

Then she whispered,

\u201cShe\u2019s the only one I can\u2019t let go of.\u201d

There was someone else she could not let go of as well.

But the fate between them had already ended long ago.

Xie Wu\u2019s eyes reddened.

\u201cCommander…\u201d

Fan Changyu cupped her fists.

\u201cI\u2019m counting on you.\u201d

Before he could respond, she had already turned away.

Below, a small force was assembled inside the barbican.

The sixteen men were all natives of Jizhou.

Every face carried the solemn determination of men ready to die.

Fan Changyu looked at each of them in turn.

\u201cWe\u2019re riding out.\u201d

\u201cIf we can hold them even a little longer and survive until reinforcements arrive, our brothers-in-arms and the people inside this city won\u2019t have to die.\u201d

\u201cHistory may remember our names.\u201d

\u201cOur families will receive compensation from the court and never want for food or clothing again.\u201d

\u201cBut if we fail and the city falls…\u201d

\u201cWe\u2019ll simply become one more set of bones beneath the yellow sands.\u201d

\u201cOur wives, children, and parents may wander homeless through war.\u201d

\u201cOr die beneath rebel blades.\u201d

After speaking, she mounted her horse.

Then she shouted toward the soldiers guarding the gates,

\u201cOpen the gates!\u201d

The massive gates slowly swung open with a grinding creak like rolling wagon wheels.

As Fan Changyu rode out with her blade in hand, the black mass of rebel troops in the distance visibly froze.

Sixteen elite riders followed behind her.

Arranged in a goose-wing formation, they looked like a pair of wings extending from her back.

Only the last trace of crimson sunlight remained on the horizon.

The Jizhou banner atop the city walls snapped violently in the wind.

Across the deathly silent battlefield, Fan Changyu\u2019s voice tore through the evening gale and echoed into every ear.

\u201cI am Meng Changyu, descendant of Meng Shuyuan!\u201d

\u201cWhich rebel general dares come out and face me?\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3965","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3965"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3966,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3965\/revisions\/3966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}