The success of Prince Shou’s rebellion was monumental. Those common folk and slaves, who had previously lived at the very bottom of society, suddenly found themselves masters of their own fate. They threw open the granaries, slaughtered the wealthy merchants, indulged themselves with endless iron currency and inexhaustible women. Coupled with the easily routed imperial troops, the rebellion, which began in Huyang Prefecture, rapidly spread to Liuyang and Heyang Prefectures, the whirlwind of enfranchised serfs sweeping across the entire southwest of the Shuangcheng Kingdom.

When Lin Gu received news of the devastating defeat at Duanhe, he was tasked with taking emergency command, organizing and receiving twenty thousand troops to reinforce Pingyuan County. Pingyuan County was the necessary gateway to Huyang Prefecture. Since the imperial bandit suppression army had already reached Duanhe, there was absolutely no reason to dither by the riverbank.

According to Prince Shou’s original orders, all units crossing the river were supposed to garrison along the riverbank. Even if they failed to capture Shuangcheng in the future, they could rely on the river as a natural defense to divide the land with Shuangcheng. But who could have foreseen that the imperial army would manage to swiftly defeat a force of seven thousand and rapidly cross the river, pressing directly toward Pingyuan County?

The strategic importance of Pingyuan County's location was undeniable; therefore, safeguarding the gateway to Huyang required reinforcement. Lin Gu rested his troops in Hongping County for half a day before continuing on. Hongping County was the last county town before Huyang Prefecture. Due to its proximity to Huyang, its prosperity naturally far outstripped that of Pingyuan County.

The terrain around Hongping County had transformed into undulating mountains. The county seat was built utilizing three relatively low mountains as its walls, with the large expanse of flat land between them serving as the city site. Stone walls connected the mountains, with a gate carved into each section of the wall. The original imperial garrison troops had long since been wiped out; now, a vigorous campaign of land redistribution and ‘striking the local tyrants’ was underway.

The reason Hongping County, despite being a mountainous region, was more prosperous than Pingyuan County was determined by its archaic economic structure. Hongping County thrived on hunting; its output of furs, bones, and sinews was significant. Coupled with numerous blacksmith repair shops, it naturally stood out among the counties. The sinews Pingyuan County possessed were bartered for grain here. Originally, these were intended by Bai Lang for maintaining his bowmen, but they ended up benefiting others.

The journey from Hongping County to Pingyuan County should have taken five days. However, after resting his reinforcements there, Lin Gu had been traveling for five and a half days and was still far from Pingyuan County. Continuous rain had washed out the roads, and the soldiers lacked rain gear. Many were sodden day and night, and over a fifth of the troops suffered from various ailments, which further slowed their march.

“Marshal Lin, scouts report we are still fifty li from Pingyuan County. If the weather continues to clear, we should arrive by evening the day after tomorrow at the latest,” General Jiu Xia reported.

Lin Gu nodded, gazing at the sun now directly overhead. “Order the troops to rest in place, cook their rations, and resume marching after the peak heat of noon passes. The sun has only shone clearly for two days; many need to thoroughly dry their clothes and bedding. If we don't let them rest now, even if we reach Pingyuan County, they will have no combat effectiveness left.”

Jiu Xia responded, “Yes, Marshal Lin. I will issue the order immediately.”

General Han Dong, standing nearby, interjected, “Marshal Lin, if we delay too much longer here, I fear we won't reach Pingyuan County until the evening of the day after tomorrow.”

Lin Gu replied, “General Han, I am aware of the urgency. However, exhausted troops cannot fight. We still do not know the precise situation at Pingyuan County. If we rush in with a force of dispirited soldiers, even if the imperial army doesn’t defeat us, we will have defeated ourselves first. Dispatch riders immediately to scout ahead to Pingyuan County, establish contact with General Bai Lang, and only then can we formulate a plan for a pincer attack.”

Han Dong accepted the order, “Understood, Marshal Lin. I will arrange for scouts to proceed at once.”

Compared to Bai Lang, Shen Nian, and Wei Bo, Lin Gu was considered a genius in his generation; otherwise, he would not have garnered such high regard from Prince Shou. The smooth capture of Huyang Prefecture was inseparable from his counsel and efforts. The fact that Prince Shou’s core troops among the many rebel factions had become a formidable force was also closely related to his training methods.

Because the midday rest lasted longer than half the day, they covered only a few li before nightfall when they resumed marching in the late afternoon. Moreover, the road surface had not recovered. The troops stopped upon reaching higher, drier ground to set up camp.

The foot scouts could not possibly return from Pingyuan County yet, so Lin Gu was in no hurry to advance the main force. He needed to ascertain whether Pingyuan County had fallen to the imperial army before he dared to proceed confidently. Even if the city was besieged, what difference would another day or half-day make? Otherwise, if he squandered this force of twenty thousand men, Lin Gu’s own career would be finished.

Lin Gu instructed his personal guards, “Summon the accompanying carpenters to see me.”

The guard acknowledged the order and soon returned with the carpenters. This craftsman, named Xu You, was considered one of the finest talents in Huyang Prefecture. Lin Gu, being highly calculating, had gathered a collection of artisans before departing, including Xu You. Xu You bowed and said, “Marshal, what instructions do you have for this humble subordinate?”

Lin Gu began, “As I understand it, the Shuangcheng Kingdom once utilized shields.”

Xu You confirmed, “This is true, Marshal. My family’s secret records contain fragmented accounts. However, our Shuangcheng Kingdom can no longer import iron ore, so no one even in Hongping County crafts these shields anymore, as the cost is too prohibitive.”

“I know that. You are a carpenter; why would I ask you to forge metal? I am considering asking you to find a wood that is both hard and light to construct wooden shields. With battle against the imperial army imminent, we must devise more ways to improve our weaponry if this ragtag bunch of ours hopes to defeat the heavily armored Imperial Guards. While forging wooden shields now might be late and there isn't time to develop a suitable training regimen, these peasant soldiers are accustomed to fighting individually. Just rush production of a batch and let them use them freely.”

Xu You’s face lit up with pleasure. “Marshal’s consideration is excellent. In battle, a wooden shield that can deflect both blades and arrows will be immensely effective, significantly reducing our casualties.”

Lin Gu laughed heartily, “Preserving ourselves allows us to inflict greater damage upon the enemy. That is my realization during this time.”

Carpenter Xu You departed. Soon after, Jiu Xia entered the camp to report, “Marshal Lin, for some unknown reason, none of the more than twenty scouts I dispatched have returned. It is impossible they are all lost. I estimate something untoward has happened at Pingyuan County.”

Lin Gu stated, “There is nothing strange about this. Even if Pingyuan County city has not fallen, the imperial troops besieging it could have sent out counter-scouts to neutralize our reconnaissance. It seems the commander leading the imperial forces this time is no incompetent fool.”

“Marshal, what should we do now?” Jiu Xia inquired.

“Continue scouting. Tonight, reinforce patrols and increase vigilance around the camp. We are very close to Pingyuan County. I fear the imperial army has already detected this relief force. They might send units to halt our progress. If that is the case, Pingyuan County might not have fallen yet, considering they have over ten thousand defenders. Given the formidable city walls, and the imperial army’s typical lack of siege weaponry, taking Pingyuan County smoothly will not be easy.”

Jiu Xia offered flattery, “Your Excellency’s foresight is boundless; we cannot keep up.”

Lin Gu responded, “Our encampment is on high ground, and there are no valleys nearby for concealment, so they dare not attack lightly. However, we must not let down our guard. Go arrange patrols immediately.”

Lin Gu believed everything was foolproof, but in the middle of the night, a series of deafening explosions abruptly woke him. The sound was just shy of thunderclaps, but the points of impact were among the soldiers' tents; entire tents were flung into the air, raining down corpses and wounded men.

“What is happening?” Lin Gu demanded of his personal guard, throwing on a robe.

The guard, panic-stricken and wearing only a short tunic, stammered, “I don’t know, Marshal! It seems like heavenly lightning is attacking us! Could it be that our rebellion against Heaven has angered the deities?”

Lin Gu snatched a saber from the waist of a nearby duty guard with a clang, and with a thud, he cut down the morale-sapping guard. “Everyone remain calm! Anyone who dares to run wildly will be executed without question!”

Jiu Xia and Han Dong also deeply understood the consequences if panic erupted within a camp of twenty thousand. Thus, they too ordered their guards to suppress disorder at the flanks and quickly moved to Lin Gu’s side. “Marshal, are the imperial troops assaulting the camp? The ground is constantly erupting. For safety, please move away from the tents.”

Lin Gu retorted, “A few small thunderclaps cannot harm me. This must be the imperial army playing tricks. The defeated soldiers who retreated to Huyang told of being wounded by these things they dropped from the sky. We, however, have fallen into a premeditated ambush. Immediately notify the perimeter soldiers to actively defend, beware of the imperial army exploiting the chaos to raid the camp, and thoroughly search every corner of the camp. I suspect someone has infiltrated our midst to cause trouble.”

Lin Gu’s orders had not yet been fully issued when terrifying screams erupted from outside the perimeter, followed by the sound of gongs signaling an attack. Soon, the camp descended into chaos again. Lin Gu loudly interrogated Jiu Xia, “Did you arrange sufficient night watchmen? How did so many imperial soldiers infiltrate our camp?”

Jiu Xia exclaimed, “Marshal, how could I dare neglect such a critical matter? There must be another reason! Perhaps a unit is attacking us from outside. I will send men out to see what is happening. Could the enemy possibly intend to fight in the darkness? That’s utterly impossible!”

The concept of fighting without the sun was deeply ingrained in the minds of the Shuangcheng people, which is why Jiu Xia posed such a question. But possibility was not for him to decide. Soon, a Qianhuzhang (Chiliarch) came to report, “Marshal, our brothers on the perimeter were attacked in the dark by a type of javelin. These missiles shoot out with frightening speed and force; many of our men were killed instantly. I brought one back for Your Excellency to examine.”

Lin Gu had no patience to look at the javelin. He asked, “Did you not follow the methods I taught you for counterattacking enemy surprise raids?”

The Qianhuzhang replied, “Marshal, of course, we followed them! But the enemy moves too fast. By the time we manage to locate a target in the dark, circle around to their rear, they have already retreated. Furthermore, in the darkness, the line of sight with torches is limited; even if we deploy archers, we cannot harm a single hair on their heads. This battle is simply unwinnable.”

Not just this Qianhuzhang, but several units stationed on the camp’s periphery encountered the same problem. The enemy would strike and immediately withdraw. Their weapons could strike from a distance; by the time the rebels in the darkness identified a target, the enemy would swiftly retreat before the rebels could enter effective range. Sometimes, they even deliberately lit a few fires to confuse the eye, and when the rebels chased to the fires, the enemy had already fled in the opposite direction.

More critically, these fires sometimes became harbingers of death. Once a rebel stepped on a certain spot, a violent explosion would erupt from beneath the ground. Small stones, hard as iron, would scatter from the blast, capable of piercing a man’s thigh. Even soldiers further from the explosion center were injured. Of the soldiers unlucky enough to step on that spot, nine out of ten were killed by fragments of stone generated by the blast.

The torment continued until the middle of the night. When the rebels saw the fires but dared not approach them, those explosive devices were moved. They were placed along the pathways surrounding the camp. When the rebels spotted figures shooting javelins at the camp from the darkness, they shouted and charged forward, only to trigger a string of explosions, leaving them terrified, fearful that they might be the next victim.

By this time, Lin Gu fully grasped the gravity of the situation. He lit a lamp and closely examined the explosion sites. He found small stones, a type of unusually hard pebble not found in common earth. The fragments of stone also carried a strange odor—a pungent, unfamiliar smell he had never encountered.

Looking at the javelin, it was much longer than a standard spear, crafted from high-quality hardwood, and quite heavy. If thrown, being struck by it meant little chance of survival. Reports from the fighting below indicated this type of javelin had already claimed many lives.

Jiu Xia and Han Dong, their faces pale, dared not disturb Lin Gu. Lin Gu finally spoke, “Order the soldiers to abandon pursuit if they are harassed again. Have them fell trees through the night to build a defensive stockade around the camp, leaving loopholes for firing. If an enemy is spotted and they do not attack the main camp, instruct everyone not to act rashly, but to respond only with arrows. Dispatch more men to investigate the enemy’s details, and more importantly, ascertain what weapons they are using—what could shatter thick stone blocks? The sophistication of these weapons surpasses our imagination. If the imperial army uses these weapons extensively, our campaign is doomed.”

The terrifying night finally passed. Before dawn, that phantom-like imperial army had vanished without a trace. The losses from the previous night were quickly tallied: over a hundred men killed violently, mostly by javelins, with a significant number also lost to explosions. Over a hundred casualties among a force of twenty thousand was not numerically huge, but their deaths severely impacted the morale of the rest. Rumors spread that Prince Shou’s rebellion had defied Heaven’s will, and this was divine lightning sent to punish them.

Lin Gu naturally did not believe it was heavenly lightning. Besides enforcing military discipline and quashing the superstitious rumors, he dispatched wave after wave of scouts to sweep the area around the main marching column. Yet, even with this careful advance, explosions sounded intermittently; an inconspicuous spot in the ground invariably concealed an explosive monster.

The entire operation was thrown into disarray, and the speed slowed to a crawl. By the evening of the third day, they were very close to the western gate of Pingyuan County when a messenger dispatched from Pingyuan County arrived at the relief army’s camp.