The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 33 - Tremors

Morning broke.

The soldiers on watch climbed the fortress, their faces turning pale as they saw the banners fluttering outside.

“General Chang, what is the meaning of this?”

At Huang Family’s fortress.

Huang Gang, son of Huang Yu, stood atop the fortress walls.

The news of the fortress being surrounded by Prince Yan’s personal guard and the leaders of the Dong, Yang, and Lv families reached him.

He rushed over without even tidying himself, feeling a chill run down his spine as he saw Chang Wei leading the troops.

He had a sinking feeling that his father’s actions had been exposed.

“Huang Yu planted spies in the Prince’s Mansion, plotting rebellion. By order of His Highness, we are here to confiscate the Huang Family’s assets. Open the gates immediately, or face charges of treason,” Chang Wei declared loudly, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

Before setting out, Prince Yan had instructed him.

Approach the Huang Family with diplomacy first, then force if necessary.

If they could confiscate the Huang Family’s assets without bloodshed, imprison the key figures, and seize their wealth, it would be ideal.

But if the Huang Family resisted, force would be the only option.

“My father has always been law-abiding. There must be some misunderstanding. I hope His Highness and the General will see clearly,” Huang Gang’s heart skipped a beat.

Despite being prepared, the revelation still frightened him.

The situation had escalated to this point.

Prince Yan had made such a grand display, clearly determined to eliminate the Huang Family.

Opening the gates might mean the end for the Huang Family.

It might be better to hold out and wait for support from the Zhang and Du families, hoping for a chance of survival.

“So, you’re not opening the gates,” Chang Wei’s eyes turned cold.

Huang Gang remained silent, simply watching those below.

“General Chang, in that case, we should attack the fortress before the Huang Family has time to prepare. It will be harder once they’re ready,” Dong Yuan suggested, noticing the Huang Family’s private soldiers moving arrows and stones along the fortress walls.

Chang Wei nodded. With the Prince’s forces combined with the three families, they outnumbered the Huang Family nearly five to one, enough to take the fortress.

They had brought scaling ladders and other equipment.

His initial plan was indeed to attack swiftly.

But Prince Yan’s instructions were clear, and he had to follow them.

So, he called out one last time, “Soldiers of the Huang Family, His Highness wants you to know that the Huang Family has wronged you and your families. You should not sacrifice your lives for them.”

“Lay down your weapons. His Highness has promised that after the Huang Family is dealt with, your servitude contracts will be torn up, and your land and freedom returned to you.”

“……”

Chang Wei’s words echoed into the fortress, causing many of the Huang Family’s private soldiers to waver.

They had heard of what Prince Yan had been doing.

Working the Prince’s land required no servitude contract, and only a small amount of grain was needed as tax.

To them, it was like living in paradise.

Huang Gang noticed the soldiers’ expressions.

He immediately raised his sword, threatening, “Anyone who harbors disloyalty will be executed!”

The private soldiers lowered their heads.

The leaders among the Huang Family’s private soldiers were all family members, as was typical among the regional magnates in Yan Prefecture.

Below the fortress.

After shouting for so long, Chang Wei’s throat was sore, and he coughed several times.

But he noticed some of the Huang Family’s private soldiers looked dispirited.

Clearly, his words had shaken their morale.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

Prince Yan’s “psychological warfare” was indeed intriguing.

Focusing on Huang Gang, he continued, “Huang Gang, and all members of the Huang Family, listen well. His Highness has said that Huang Yu’s crimes will not implicate others. Surrender the fortress, and you may yet live. But if you persist in your folly, it will be considered treason!”

The Huang Family members beside Huang Gang felt uneasy.

When Prince Yan was mad, they had no fear of offending the Prince’s Mansion.

But things were different now.

Were they really going to resist to the death this time?

“General Chang, there’s no need to say more. Once the people from the Zhang Family and Du Family arrive, we can discuss whether the Huang Family is guilty,” Huang Gang thought to himself, realizing the situation was dire, and quickly mentioned the Du and Zhang families.

Some of the Huang Family members felt reassured upon hearing this, their resolve strengthening. With the Zhang and Du families’ support, they believed Prince Yan would ultimately lose.

Chang Wei scoffed, having achieved his goal of sowing doubt among some of the troops. Now it was time for swords and arrows!

Having seen the private soldiers from various families, he had already made his assessment. To him, whether it was the private soldiers from the Dong, Yang, and Lv families or the Huang Family, they were merely a ragtag bunch, intimidating only in numbers.

These private soldiers varied in age, and only the core family members had decent armor and weapons. Most of the private soldiers were equipped with worn-out weapons.

Their morale was even lower than the newly trained personal guard of the Prince’s Mansion. This clearly showed that the common people were not genuinely willing to fight for these regional magnates, whether they were from the Dong, Yang, Lv, or Huang families.

“Archers, prepare!” Chang Wei commanded loudly, no longer delaying.

The private soldiers from the three families immediately brought forth their archers, drawing their bows and nocking arrows.

On the fortress wall, Huang Gang’s face turned pale, and he quickly took cover behind the parapet. Meanwhile, the Huang Family’s archers also readied their bows.

“Fire!”

Chang Wei ordered.

Having been on the battlefield and fought against the Xiliang people, he was no stranger to real warfare. This skirmish was nothing to him, and he commanded with ease.

“Whoosh, whoosh…”

The Prince’s Mansion’s personal guard and the private soldiers from the three families had the advantage in numbers. The archers numbered nearly two thousand, almost five times more than the Huang Family.

The dense rain of arrows fell upon the Huang Family fortress like a storm, forcing the private soldiers to keep their heads down. Cries of pain echoed across the fortress wall.

“Scaling ladders!”

Taking advantage of the arrow barrage, Chang Wei shouted.

At this moment, five squads of soldiers rushed to the fortress, carrying scaling ladders. The lead soldier, with a knife clenched between his teeth, climbed swiftly up the ladder like a monkey scaling a tree.

Chang Wei watched the young soldier closely. This soldier was Chen Hu, who had been training diligently since joining the Prince’s Mansion’s personal guard. He had volunteered to be the first to attack the Huang Family.

Initially, Chang Wei had considered letting the private soldiers from the three families lead the charge, but seeing their lackluster demeanor, he abandoned the idea.

Even Prince Yan couldn’t guarantee that the Du and Zhang families wouldn’t send reinforcements. If the Huang Family fortress wasn’t captured quickly, they could be attacked from both sides, making the situation even more perilous.

Dong Yuan, Yang Cheng, and Lv Ran watched the swift actions of the Prince’s Mansion’s soldiers, feeling a shock in their hearts. The morale of these soldiers was far superior to theirs.

“Three taels of silver isn’t given for nothing; these soldiers are truly dedicated,” Dong Yuan thought, feeling a pang of envy.

His family’s private soldiers received no military pay and had to give up eighty percent of their grain to the family. When the Prince’s Mansion announced the recruitment of private soldiers, he considered offering his soldiers some benefits to stabilize their morale. But ultimately, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Lv Ran and Yang Cheng nodded in agreement, unable to deny the impressive morale of the Prince’s Mansion’s personal guard, as if the battle was being fought for the soldiers themselves.

As the three men acknowledged this, more soldiers climbed up the scaling ladders.

The soldiers of the Huang Family were pinned down by the rain of arrows, unable to retaliate. On the fortress walls, Huang Gang shouted orders, his voice echoing with urgency. Commanders among the Huang Family urged their soldiers to fight back, but the soldiers remained crouched behind the battlements, unwilling to move.

“Get up, get up!” One of the Huang Family commanders, eyes blazing with desperation, swung his sword at a cowering soldier. The soldier fell instantly, blood pooling beneath him. “Anyone who retreats will die!” The commander moved toward the next soldier.

A soldier from the Huang Family glanced at the Prince’s Mansion soldiers rapidly scaling the walls. With a resolute heart, he thrust his spear into the commander’s chest as the blade swung toward him. The commander stared in disbelief at the spear embedded in his chest, slowly collapsing.

The other Huang Family soldiers froze in shock. The soldier shouted, “Brothers, are we going to keep being slaves for the Huang Family? Prince Yan’s army is right outside the fortress. Join them and gain your freedom! What are you waiting for?” With that, he turned his spear on another member of the Huang Family.

In that moment, the eyes of more than a dozen soldiers changed. With someone leading the charge, they found their courage and followed the first soldier into battle. Chaos erupted on the fortress walls.

At that moment, Chen Hu climbed over the wall and leaped down. “Charge!” he roared, diving into the midst of the Huang Family soldiers. Seeing the Prince’s Mansion soldiers storming the walls, more Huang Family private soldiers lost their will to fight. None wished to sacrifice themselves for the oppressive Huang Family, and they began to abandon their weapons.

Only the Huang Family members rushed forward to continue the fight. Chen Hu charged ahead, ignoring the surrendering soldiers, cutting down those who attacked him and moving on to the next target. More soldiers climbed the walls, following him like a sharp blade tearing through the defenses.

“Seize the city gate!” Chen Hu shouted, leading the soldiers toward the gate. Meanwhile, Huang Gang was paralyzed with fear. He could never have imagined things would turn out this way. Was Prince Yan’s strategy truly so popular?

There was no time to ponder, as a group of soldiers had already opened the city gate. A mass of soldiers poured through the gate. The Huang Family was finished!

…

Yan City.

The news of the Huang Family fortress being captured spread quickly through Yan City by dawn. The regional magnates lingering in Yan City were shocked. Some realized that the era of the Zhang, Huang, and Du Families ruling Yan Prefecture might be coming to an end.

Prince Yan’s Mansion.

The true master of Yan Prefecture would soon take control of this land. As regional magnates of Yan Prefecture, if they wished to continue living here, they would have to learn how to coexist with Prince Yan.