Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 225: Battle of Kashmir Part - 8

A Few Moments Earlier, Near the Western Gate of Hari Parbat Fort

Rudra, being the supreme commander of northern imperial corps, led the siege on the fort’s western gate. Under his command, the army had surrounded the fort on three sides, establishing light barricades and tents in preparation for a long siege.

Soon, Faujdar Harish Pal returned with 2,000 forces, leaving behind a thousand in the base camp for the safety of civilians, with the remaining few patrolling the city that lay to the north of the fort.

From him, he received the report of 400 cavalry and 300 infantry dead in the process. It was heartbreaking news, but one must be ready to face the brutalities of war.

Rudra ordered Harish to take command of the eastern and southern positions, while he would oversee the western front and reinforce the southern half.

Soon a sudden explosion erupted on the eastern side of the siege perimeter. Though no further attacks followed, Rudra quickly recognized it as a diversion. But for what? The answer struck him almost immediately: The base camp was in the forest that lay west of the city. There was a high probability that the enemy could attack the camp in hopes of destroying the supplies.

He immediately took a thousand light cavalry and rode swiftly to the encampment. Enroute, the trail of dead comrades who might have been on patrol duty of the supply lines only bolstered his belief of an attack by enemy saboteurs.

Soon, they reached the camp perimeter and found Tsewang’s small unit lurking in the shadows. At first, it seemed they were trying to hide, but a sudden scream from one of the tents made them vigilant, and then they concentrated on that same spot.

Rudra signaled his forces to capture as many as possible alive. A fierce skirmish erupted, and the imperial troops quickly overpowered Tsewang’s men with sheer numbers. Just then, Tsewang himself emerged from a tent and was immediately seized.

Dismounting, Rudra approached him, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Surrender, General Tenzin," he called, drawing his sword. Stepping close, he placed the blade at Tsewang’s neck, sneering, "Or should I say, Prince Tsewang?"

The mention of Prince Tsewang brought a gasp of surprise from the civilians who had gathered there; they knew him as a general, not a prince. An air of mystery brewed, but none made any noise.

Tsewang’s heart clenched with sorrow as he felt it was over, and he waited for Rudra to expose him as a Ladakhi spy, but Rudra said little, as if keeping his cards under the table.

Though caught off guard, Tsewang’s composure remained intact. His gaze steady, he replied boldly, "I will, but let my men go."

Rudra’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. "That depends on how well you cooperate. For now, I can only spare them, even though they were troublesome."

Tsewang dropped his sword, and with that, he and his remaining soldiers were bound and led to the secluded area for prisoners.

The area was barricaded with thick logs in the open, and multiple tents were set up in a circular arrangement in the center, with a few lamps hanging on side outposts for better visibility. The confined area was heavily guarded, both inside and outside the barricade, with archers perched on some branches on guard.

As they were taken to the center, some troublemaking prisoners were already roped to a few tents. Some were wounded, some dead silent, and others gagged while they desperately tried to speak, but none cared.

Upon reaching the central area, Tsewang was pushed alone into one of the tents, while the others were dragged to separate tents. A soldier followed him, binding him to a pole and leaving him there. Though his hands were already bound, his body was now tied as well. Fortunately, for sitting, there was straw instead of a mat, and he remarked internally that the treatment was still comfortable.

Apart from the croaking of insects and the footsteps of soldiers on patrol, there was little sound. In that brief period, Tsewang found a moment to think over what had happened. He had been misinformed from the start.

The people he wanted to save were still aligned with the empire, the same empire that had never cared for them before, beyond maintaining a military presence. Were the reported atrocities fabricated? Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.

Most important of all was what would happen to him and his subordinates. No matter how noble his intentions had been, they were doomed to die, given they had killed their comrades.

Before attacking the encampment, in the worst case, he had hoped to buy time and let his men escape, but he doubted they had any chance of that now, with so many soldiers surrounding them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have surrendered so easily.

He did a blunder on his part, and now he has to pay for it. Good for him, the commander wants him to surrender, and he can negotiate or at least buy more time. Otherwise, they were clearly done for. He steeled his resolve to meet Rudra, who didn’t make him wait long as he came a few moments later.

Rudra brought water in a glass made of clay and asked, "You feeling thirsty?"

Tsewang stared at him with an icy gaze for a while, then replied, "My hands are bound."

Rudra untied his hands and passed him the glass, then sat across from him on the straws.

Tsewang drank the water and set the glass aside, then asked, "Aren’t you afraid I could attack you right here and try to flee?"

Rudra chuckled as he replied, "No, rather I am confident. If you try pulling any stunts, your men would be the first to die, and besides, I honestly wish you would try."

Tsewang’s eyes flared with anger at being looked down upon, but he calmed himself, knowing his subordinates were in danger and his body was still bound to the pole of the tent. He asked in an icy tone, "Speak, what must I do for you to let my subordinates go?"

Rudra inquired with curiosity, "What kind of idiot are you? You came into enemy territory with hand full of men and got caught? What was your goal in coming here? Do you know those you met before?"

Tsewang felt a bit embarrassed as he dropped his eyes for a moment, then composed himself and replied, "It was misinformation on my part. We had intel that Sarmrajya’s forces were low in strength at the base camp, and with fewer forces, we could avoid being detected. We hadn’t anticipated your arrival, and as for our goal, we were trying to rescue the civilians you have forcefully dragged into your encampment for war slavery. My bad luck, the woman screamed, thinking I was someone from your turf." There was a sense of mockery in Tsewang’s voice in the last statement.

Rudra, "..."

Tsewang, "..."

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA," Rudra broke out into hearty laughter, which confused Tsewang.

"What are you laughing at?" Tsewang snapped.

Rudra replied with sarcasm, "And you expect me to believe that? Let’s say you’re telling the truth.. but why would I believe so easily the words of a commander from a rival side who has killed so many of my soldiers? Don’t you think it’s suspicious that someone would come from the other side, deliver himself on a silver platter, and blabber like a parrot without making me lift a finger?" He locked his eyes on Tsewang and leaned forward. "Tell me your real agenda."

Tsewang returned the stare but stayed silent. He knew Rudra was right, and he calculated his other options.

Rudra sighed, then began, "Well, I have made some research about you. You are popular here as General Tenzin, who raised his rank from humble grounds. Surprisingly, you managed to win the heart of the last valid heir of Kashmir, Princess Zara, and married her, but fate played a cruel trick on you, and you lost your wife on the very night of your wedding in the hands of usurpers. Thanks to you, the Ladakhis didn’t plunder the local people after taking over Srinagar, and in return, you helped them to take over with peace even though you were imprisoned and taken to Ladakh. Then you returned with the promise of autonomy to the locals in return for cooperation, and even now, you came here for the sake of taking them back... That’s what the local people believe, anyways."

He grabbed Tsewang’s hair, tilting his head forcefully, his voice laced with barely-contained fury. "But the truth is, you’re Prince Tsewang of Ladakh, a disguised spy who deceived not only the princess but also the common people here who still view you as a messiah."

He took out the knife from his boot and drew it to Tsewang’s neck. "And now you’re trying the same tired trick on me, hoping I’ll be foolish enough to believe your blatant lies. Tell me why you’re really here, and spare me any more nonsense unless you’re eager to die a miserable death. Or would you rather I start with the screams of your subordinates?"

Tsewang’s gaze turned cold as he looked downward. "You’re right; tearing me apart wouldn’t be enough for my crimes. But I’m not lying this time."

Rudra stood up and clicked his tongue. He kicked Tsewang in the stomach and started to leave in frustration, fearing he might kill him if he continued with him now. But then Tsewang’s trembling voice stopped him in his tracks. "Taking over Kashmir was indeed our plan, but it had nothing to do with killing Princess Zara. I honestly loved her, and I lost her."

He turned and saw Tsewang almost choking on his words, a deep pain on his face. He sat down with a huff, "It seems we have an interesting story to hear." He retained his hospitable mood. "I’m all ears. Continue..."

Tsewang then revealed the struggles Ladakh had endured with its limited fertile land, always reliant on Kashmir and Tibetan states for supplies. When the Mughals imposed heavier taxes and tariffs, survival grew difficult. For decades, Ladakh had planned to take control of Kashmir’s fertile lands, but with the sudden rise of the Samrajya empire, plans changed.

To fulfill their king’s command, they decided to merge Kashmir as a whole, and for that reason, he was tasked with espionage in Kashmir. Through his talent and luck, he managed to rise to the position of general and catch the attention of Princess Zara.

He also admitted that he, along with Princess Zara, was responsible for removing her two corrupt brothers, who didn’t care for the local people and were more concern with their lavish lifestyles.

Everything was perfect, and he wanted to convince Zara by revealing his identity, taking over Ladakh as successor, and ruling the whole area together. But the greed of his royal family led to her murder, sparking the disaster that followed.

Rudra rubbed his temples, feeling a headache from the new revelations. ’ Plan was impressive had they succeeded if not for the succession issue. Such a huge loss..’

He then proposed, "It seems you, too, want to take revenge, so how about we make a deal? Though I cannot promise freedom."

Tsewang inquired, "What is it?"

Rudra asked, "Help me with the secret passage to the fort."

Tsewang agreed without a question and shared all the details, but also warned that it was sealed and might be guarded. However, Rudra reassured him not to worry. Just as he was about to leave, Tsewang asked, "Why are you helping the civilians? And how do you know about my identity?"

Rudra chuckled. "So you caught on, huh? You’re wrong about a lot of things. Kashmir belongs to Samrajya, and so do its people. It’s only right that the empire protects its subjects." He stood. "As for your identity, it was your grandfather who declared it to claim his delusional rights. Interesting, isn’t it?"

With that, he strode out, leaving Tsewang alone in the tent, feeling miserable and speechless.