A soldier rode his horse past the east gate of Zasra military camp, his mount still charging straight towards the training ground. In the distance, he saw Bijan and Koorush observing Razaasia soldiers practicing. The soldier quickly reined in his horse, dismounted with a hurried leap, and ran directly to them.
"General Bijan," the soldier gasped, kneeling before Bijan and Koorush, his chest heaving. "Report, Sir." He barely had time to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Bijan looked down at the panting man, his voice a deep, low rumble. "What is it?"
Compared to the average Razaasia male, Bijan was considered short at only five feet six inches, quite overweight at two hundred and sixty pounds, with a bulging belly.
Bijan's low tone made the soldier dare not raise his head. "Captain Reza was defeated in Hosha City," the soldier stammered. "He was seriously injured and is coming this way with the surviving soldiers."
"What!" Koorush roared, kicking the soldier hard in the chest to vent his fury. "Our plans were perfect down to the smallest detail! How could he lose?"
The poor soldier scrambled to his feet. "The Magoli came to save the Musian."
Koorush growled, grinding his teeth. "The Biizen are doing a terrible job of holding back reinforcements. We should have let them attack first!"
Bijan stared at the soldier. "How many soldiers are left?" he asked, his voice disturbingly calm.
The soldier, eyes fixed on the ground, replied, "Ten soldiers, including Captain Reza."
Bijan smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. "Five thousand elite soldiers went out to fight, and now there are only ten left. The only general who can defeat such a powerful army is the Southern General of Hmagol. But since there is no change in Da-Lao Pass, he's not the general who aided Hosha City. Tell me, soldier, which Magoli general came to aid Hosha City?"
The soldier lowered his head further. "I don't know."
The horse carrying Reza finally came to a halt in front of Koorush. Reza slowly, painfully dismounted, struggling to walk towards Bijan and Koorush.
The moment Koorush saw Reza, he sneered, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Looks like you've been through hell," he taunted. "Why are you looking like a drowned dog?"
Reza coughed, his voice hoarse. "Fa... father..."
Bijan's eyes flashed with anger. "I already told you, when we go out in public, you are to call me General!"
"Gen... General," Reza corrected himself, wincing. "I'm very sorry... I was overconfident and let down my guard. The person who led the Magoli army to rescue Hosha City is no other than the traitor, Suo Zhi."
Bijan said calmly, a chilling edge to his voice, "No wonder you ran back home like a wounded dog."
"How the hell did Suo Zhi end up with the Magoli army?" Koorush demanded, disbelief etched on his face. "According to Zhiyuan, he was sentenced to death!"
Bijan scoffed. "What Zhiyuan said is not credible. I think the brother-in-law needs to educate his son better and not push the injured dog into the corner, because that is his most aggressive stage." He looked at Reza. "Go and take care of your wounds. There is still time for redemption." He lowered his head and glanced at the soldier who was still kneeling. "Go get Payam to meet me in the meeting tent."
"Yes, General." The soldier quickly stood up and rushed away.
"As for you..." Bijan's gaze lingered on Reza. "Clean your wounds before joining our meeting and brief us on the details of the battle."
After the military doctor bandaged Reza's wound, he walked out of the medical area, his steps heavy, and headed towards the conference tent less than a hundred feet away.
Reza knew, with a sinking dread, that the moment he walked in and sat down, Bijan and the others would tear into him. He paused outside the tent flap, bracing himself to accept the severe criticism, because after all, it was his catastrophic decision that led to the loss of four thousand ninety-six soldiers. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then pulled the door curtain aside and walked in. Inside, he found not only Bijan, Koorush, and Payam, but also Xiyan and Zhiyuan, who was already sitting in his usual seat. Reza walked to sit next to Payam, his heart hammering.
Zhiyuan looked at Reza, an arrogant smirk on his face. "You are surely looking like a wounded dog. Are you sure it was that Zhi dog that made you look like this?"
"It's him," Reza confirmed, his voice flat.
"He came with the Magoli army?" Xiyan asked, his expression intense.
"Yes," Reza replied.
Bijan's voice, though calm, held an undeniable steel. "Tell me in detail how Zhi defeated you. I need all the details, otherwise you will have to face His Majesty alone and be responsible for the deaths of four thousand and ninety-six soldiers."
"I understand," Reza said, his voice tight with apprehension. He stood and walked towards the sand model of Hosha City on the table. He picked up a small wooden stick and pointed to the left side of Hosha City. "Half of Hosha City wall was half falling. The first siege tower had breached the city wall and so had our other ladders. The second siege tower was right behind the first escalade." He placed a rock marking the second siege tower's position. "The battering ram arrived at Hosha City gate and began attacking the gate. At this time, some of our soldiers made it up Hosha City wall."
Payam looked at the place Reza marked, a thoughtful frown on his face. "The plan is as I expected. According to this tactic, Hosha City would fall before dusk even if reinforcements arrived. So, what is the problem?"
"That's what I thought until..." Reza picked up the stick and drew an arrow from the left. "Until Magoli soldiers attacked us from here." He drew an X on the left side of the model of Hosha City. "Here." He drew two more X's on the left and right sides of the model. "And here." He placed the final X behind the main camp. "It was here that I met Suo Zhi and the largest number of Magoli soldiers."
Payam spoke; his voice tinged with a knowing sarcasm. "There's no guard on this gap on the right side of Hosha City, so did you leave the battlefield and try to escape through that corridor?"
Reza nodded, shame coloring his face. "I planned to escape by myself because that was the only least guarded corridor, but who knew that the soldiers would follow me."
Payam scoffed, a short, bitter sound. "Young Lord, that corridor was specially left for you. They knew that as soon as you left the battlefield, the Razaasia soldiers would follow you. Now I understand why you lost ninety-nine percent of the soldiers."
Bijan slammed his palm on the table, the sound echoing sharply in the tent. "You idiot! I shouldn't have sent you in the first place!" he roared, his face turning crimson. He exhaled deeply through flared nostrils, trying to regain control.
Koorush seized Reza's collar, his voice a low, furious snarl. "Do you know what this corridor was called in war?" He shoved Reza away from the model table.
Reza shook his head, his voice trembling. "I do not."
Payam sighed, his expression grim. "Young lord, you may not know this, but in war, we called this corridor... the Corridor of Death. The strategy behind creating this death door is to have your enemies attack from all sides, with the goal of making you think this corridor will lead you out safely. The moment you leave the battlefield and walk into the Corridor of Death, your fate is sealed. The morale of the soldiers will be greatly reduced, and in this way, you are leading your soldiers into a slaughter trap." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the silent, tense faces in the tent. "I assume no other soldiers came out of the corridor except you."
Reza nodded.
"That's why we call it the Corridor of Death," Payam concluded, his voice heavy. "On the battlefield, no matter what the situation, the Corridor of Death should be avoided at all costs." He looked at Bijan, noticing his general's face was already red with suppressed fury. "General, don't blame the young master. I am also half responsible. I never expected that Suo Zhi would come up with such a plan in such a chaotic situation."
Xiyan interjected, his voice sharp and dismissive. "This seamless plan is not the result of Zhi, because Zhi only has strength and no brains to come up with such a wonderful plan. The person who makes such a plan must be the master of Zhi. I couldn't help but wonder, who could this person be that could make Zhi bend his knees?" He turned to look at Zhiyuan, his gaze piercing. "Are you afraid?"
Zhiyuan swallowed hard, a cold sweat slowly tracing a path down his back. "Why should I be afraid of a traitor?"
"Zhi is the kind of person who takes an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," Xiyan countered, his tone laced with menace. "If I were you, I would be scared. After all, you killed his wife and imprisoned his family. Besides, Zhi is very powerful, but his royal power only belongs to those who have not betrayed him. Thanks to you, the Magoli has gained another strong soldier." He turned to Bijan. "Uncle, I can be sure that Zhi was not the general who led the Magoli soldiers to rescue Hosha City, because in such a short period of time and with his attitude, he will never gain the favor of Batukhan. Therefore, I can guarantee that the general who led the Magoli soldiers to aid Hosha City must be someone else... For example, Batzorig, or one of his captains, but then again, if the northern soldiers came to fight in the south, then why haven't we got the news yet, and it is impossible for them to come to aid Hosha City on time, so it must be someone we don't know."
"Then we will go to Hosha City to find out ourselves," Zhiyuan declared, trying to sound confident.
Payam sighed, rubbing his temples. "My lord, you and Lord Xiyan cannot go because Prince Geming is still in Hmagol. Once the two of you enter the battlefield, Prince Geming will become a hostage, which will lead to a war between Hmagol and Tanggolia. If Prince Geming is still in Ntsua-Ntu City, Emperor Xin will not invade Hmagol. Do you know where the southern general will invade?" He looked pointedly at Xiyan and Zhiyuan. "Haishi City." He then turned to Bijan. "General, I would like the opportunity to go face to face with this mastermind so we can better understand who we are dealing with."
"You got it," Bijan conceded, his gaze hard.