With Yan Chi's command, three days later, the seventy-thousand strong Northwest Frontier Army marched toward Mengzhou. Just as they reached Mengzhou's borders, Yan Chi received news that the ten-thousand garrison troops stationed in Mengzhou had been transferred to Wuzhou for city defense. Presently, Mengzhou was left undefended, and rumors of barbarian invasions had spread throughout the entire northwest region. The people of Mengzhou were now gripped with panic, fearing that Wuzhou might fall and become the next Cangzhou...
Some had previously worried about encountering resistance upon arriving in Mengzhou, but to their surprise, as soon as they reached the outskirts of Mengzhou City, the prefect of Mengzhou personally came to request an audience with Yan Chi.
In the temporary encampment of the Northwest Frontier Army, Zeng Chenghui, the prefect of Mengzhou, trembled with fear as he was escorted toward the central command tent.
He had reported his official title and name to seek an audience, fully aware that he was risking his life—after all, Yan Chi was now considered a rebel!
Zeng Chenghui had learned of Yan Chi's arrival with the army in Mengzhou, but he felt little desire to resist. In fact, he saw the Northwest Frontier Army as his lifeline!
Upon reaching the entrance of the camp, Zeng Chenghui straightened his official uniform before stepping into the tent. As he entered, he saw Yan Chi clad in armor, seated in the main position, exuding an imposing and commanding presence. For a moment, Zeng Chenghui dared not lift his head to meet Yan Chi's gaze. Trembling with fear, he knelt to pay respects but received no word from Yan Chi to rise. Cold sweat beaded on Zeng Chenghui's forehead as he waited. After a long while, he cautiously glanced upward, only to meet Yan Chi's gaze, sharp as a cold blade.
"Prefect Zeng severed ties with Xilin City several months ago. What brings you here today?"
Not long after Yan Chi arrived in Xilin City, Zeng Chenghui had cut off all official communications with the city's administrators and issued a decree stating that anyone who remained in Xilin City to serve would be considered an accomplice to the rebels. This decree had caused several minor officials from the Xilin City government to resign and flee overnight.
Zeng Chenghui was already terrified, and upon hearing these words, his heart nearly leaped out of his throat. "Your Highness... this... this has nothing to do with this humble official. I... I was merely following orders from above. If it were up to me, I would never have dared to do such a thing."
Yan Chi looked at him with a faint, mocking smile and said, "Speak. What is your purpose in coming here? With my seventy-thousand troops stationed here, Prefect Zeng seems remarkably unafraid."
Zeng Chenghui raised his eyes to look at Yan Chi, his expression obsequious. "No... this humble one is not afraid at all. Your Highness is noble and virtuous, just like the Old Prince. Speaking of which, when the Old Prince was alive, this humble one also received many kindnesses from him..."
Noticing Yan Chi's expression turning cold, Zeng Chenghui quickly stopped himself and added, "This humble one has come today to welcome Your Highness."
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?!"
Zeng Chenghui hurriedly explained, "Your Highness has brought your army into Mengzhou's territory. Surely it is because you learned that Mengzhou is undefended, and so you have come to..."
He left his sentence unfinished, but the implication was clear.
Mengzhou was empty, and Yan Chi had arrived with his troops at this moment—clearly, he intended to seize Mengzhou City while he had the chance!
Zeng Chenghui gazed at Yan Chi with a fawning expression, but Yan Chi found himself caught between amusement and exasperation. Standing nearby, Bai Feng, Yu Qi, and the others were momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then could not help but burst into laughter. Kneeling on the ground, Zeng Chenghui found the scene strangely unsettling, though he could not understand why.
Yan Chi coldly spoke from his seat, "Since you claim to have come to welcome this prince, what preparations have you made to receive me?"Yan Chi's words sounded as if he truly intended to enter Mengzhou City. Upon hearing this, Zeng Chenghui's face lit up with joy, and he said, "This humble one will open Mengzhou City's gates wide!"
At these words, Yan Chi sneered coldly, "Is that all?"
Zeng Chenghui's eyes darted around, and he added, "And... whatever Your Highness desires! This humble one will prepare it for Your Highness!"
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, leaned forward, and spoke in a sinister, terrifying tone, "You did not come to welcome this prince—you want this prince to bring his troops to guard Mengzhou City for you, don't you?"
Zeng Chenghui broke out in a cold sweat, stammering, "No... no... of course not..."
But Yan Chi abruptly straightened up and commanded, "Drag him out and behead him!"
At this order, guards immediately moved to seize him. Terrified out of his wits, Zeng Chenghui struggled frantically and cried out, "Your Highness, no... spare my life, Your Highness... Your Highness must know about the barbarians advancing to the north... This humble one... this humble one has no other choice. Whatever Your Highness wants, this humble one will give—this is true. Mengzhou's granaries still have reserves; Your Highness may take it all. I only beg Your Highness to help defend Mengzhou City. For the sake of the Old Prince, please do not abandon the lives of Mengzhou's three hundred thousand citizens..."
Hearing this, Yan Chi lifted his chin slightly, and the two guards restraining Zeng Chenghui released him. Zeng Chenghui's eyes were red-rimmed, thoroughly frightened. Yan Chi looked at him leisurely and asked, "So you came for the sake of the people?"
Zeng Chenghui nodded, adding, "My entire family is also in the city... I truly have no other recourse..."
Yan Chi laughed at this and said, "If that is the case, then this prince has one demand."
Zeng Chenghui quickly fixed his gaze on Yan Chi, who continued, "You must have already sought aid from the imperial court and know that the court's forces are concentrated in the north. Even if there were extra troops, they would not be sent solely to your aid. Yet your city is the most likely target for the barbarians to attack, which is why you came here."
Zeng Chenghui nodded repeatedly. Yan Chi went on, "This prince's demand is: if this prince ensures that the barbarians do not slaughter your Mengzhou, you will lead all the people of Mengzhou to pledge allegiance to Xilin. Are you willing?"
Zeng Chenghui was utterly stunned by these words, never expecting Yan Chi to make such a ruthless move—asking him, a local official, to take the lead in surrendering to another power.
If he did this, the imperial court would surely brand him a rebel. Losing his official rank would be the least of his worries; he feared the court would execute his entire clan!
But if he refused Yan Chi, with only twenty thousand troops in Wuzhou and Cangzhou already massacred, while the barbarians' hundreds of thousands of troops marched south...
Once the barbarians attacked, not only would his family perish, but all the people of Mengzhou would suffer devastation.
Considering this, agreeing to Yan Chi's terms seemed the better option!
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Zeng Chenghui's eyes burned with a desperate, righteous resolve. "Very well! This humble one agrees to Your Highness's terms! I will return to prepare the surrender documents and proclaim it to the world!"
Hearing this, Yan Chi's expression softened slightly, while Yu Qi beside him nearly overflowed with laughter from his eyes.
Zeng Chenghui saw it but could only force a smile in response.
Yan Chi nodded. "Good. Since it is settled, you may return now."
Zeng Chenghui nodded subconsciously, then suddenly paused in confusion. "Your Highness... will you not enter the city?"Yan Chi looked at Zeng Chenghui as if he were a fool. Beside them, Yu Qi couldn't hold back any longer and laughed, saying, "Prefect Zeng! Our Highness never intended to enter Mengzhou City in the first place. This time, we are heading north to Wuzhou. You only care about the lives of your Mengzhou people, but have you forgotten about Wuzhou?"
Zeng Chenghui froze on the spot like a stone. He stared at Yan Chi, who sat in the superior position, and for a long time, he couldn't utter a word.
Suddenly, Zeng Chenghui's eyes reddened again. "It's... it's my fault for being blind, for mistaking Your Highness as... Your Highness is truly righteous! The people of Mengzhou and Wuzhou will surely remember Your Highness's virtue! Your Highness is righteous! Your Highness is righteous—"
Yan Chi had no patience for such words. With a wave of his large hand, he immediately silenced Zeng Chenghui.
"The letter of surrender must still be written. Additionally, I command you to prepare fifty thousand dan of provisions and deliver them to Wuzhou within ten days. Can you do it?"
Facing Yan Chi directly and being in the Northwest Frontier Army camp, even if it was impossible, Zeng Chenghui had no choice but to nod and agree.
Only after seeing his agreement did Yan Chi wave his hand. "I will await your provisions. You may kneel and take your leave."
Zeng Chenghui numbly kowtowed several times and remained dazed even after leaving the Northwest Frontier Army camp. Originally, he hadn't needed to come here. This trip had changed nothing, yet he had ended up losing fifty thousand dan of provisions for nothing! Thinking this, Zeng Chenghui glanced back at the Northwest Frontier Army camp...
In these troubled times, how many people in the world are like Yan Chi, bearing the name of a rebel yet acting with a heart to save the common people?!
Zeng Chenghui let out a long sigh, thinking of the despair he had felt over the past few days, unable to find help anywhere, and felt even more moved in his heart.
Meanwhile, laughter erupted in the central command tent. Yu Qi said, "Your Highness, this Prefect Zeng is too much of a fool. He actually thought we came to seize Mengzhou! And even so, he obediently walked right into our camp..."
Yan Chi also laughed. "He may be a bit foolish, but he is a good official. It's getting late. At dawn tomorrow, we will march at full speed to Wuzhou!"
Bai Feng and Yu Qi both acknowledged the order and went to prepare the troops. Yan Chi also left the central command tent and headed to the rear, to the sleeping tent he shared with Qin Guan.
Qin Guan had already heard about what happened earlier and wore a rather amused smile. Seeing Yan Chi return, she couldn't help but say, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on gaining another city. You haven't even engaged in battle yet, and you've already secured a city. This surely means you will return with a great victory!"
Yan Chi laughed heartily at her words, stepping forward to pull her into his embrace. "Your news travels fast."
He then took Qin Guan's hand and asked, "Are you still tired?"
After leaving the Northwest Frontier, they had marched urgently for three days before entering Mengzhou. Qin Guan had followed along the entire way, riding her own horse half the time and sharing a horse with Yan Chi the other half. She could only rest briefly when riding with Yan Chi or when the main force took a break. Naturally, she had been exhausted the entire journey.
Upon arriving at the temporary camp, Qin Guan had slept the entire day. Even now, traces of weariness lingered on her face.
Qin Guan replied, "Much better. After resting a bit more, I’ll be fully recovered by tomorrow."
Yan Chi felt a pang of heartache. "I suggested a carriage, but you refused."
Qin Guan leaned against Yan Chi’s chest and said, "Why would I need a carriage? It would be too conspicuous. We are on our way to reinforce Wuzhou."
Yan Chi said nothing more, simply stroking Qin Guan’s back in silence.
Before long, darkness fell. Just as Yan Chi was about to rest, another military report arrived.Bai Feng hurried in and said, "Your Highness, the barbarians have already reached Fengzhou. They failed to take Fengzhou and are now heading towards Wuzhou."
Yan Chi frowned deeply. "From Fengzhou to Wuzhou, it takes three days at fastest, but we need five days to travel north. I wonder if Wuzhou can hold out."
The northward journey was blocked by mountains. How could they move fast when they had to climb over ridges?
Hearing this, Bai Feng also began to worry. Yet at such a time, worrying was useless. Everyone rested early, and before dawn the next day, the army broke camp and hurried at full speed towards Wuzhou...
……
Since receiving Yue Qiong's message, Yang Jia, the garrison commander of Wuzhou, had fully entered combat readiness. He first mobilized ten thousand garrison troops from Mengzhou. Initially, he thought the Mengzhou garrison might not comply, but unexpectedly, they accepted the deployment order. Even so, Yang Jia felt only a momentary joy, because even with ten thousand more soldiers, they now had only twenty thousand troops, while the barbarians numbered at least two hundred thousand—ten times their strength! How were they to cope?!
One day, a scout responsible for reconnaissance galloped into the city from outside. Before even reaching the city gates, he shouted, "Open the gates! Quick, open the gates! The barbarians are here!"
The soldiers on the city wall were already tense. Upon hearing this, they immediately let the scout in. The scout hurried up to the wall and knelt before Yang Jia. "General! The barbarians are only ten li away! Please prepare for battle immediately! They’re just ten li away!"
Yang Jia had been waiting for days. Hearing this, he felt no fear, contrary to what he had imagined. He looked back: on the wall were many new recruits, all militia volunteers from the city’s residents who refused to abandon their homes. Below the wall, strong women and elderly men were helping transport sand and stones.
Yang Jia took a deep breath. A sense of mission unlike any before kept him from showing the slightest fear.
He waved his command flag. "Prepare for battle! Everyone, ready! Archers, man the walls! Fire oil brigade, to the walls—"
The orders echoed from the wall, spreading throughout Wuzhou in moments. Wuzhou was not large, with only one eastern gate. After hearing about the massacre in Cangzhou, nearly half the population had chosen to flee. But many more had nowhere to go and could only stay to defend their homes. Thus, the city still held nearly a hundred thousand civilians. As the highest-ranking officer defending the city, and especially after Yue Qiong’s warning, Yang Jia dared not slacken. Now that the barbarians had truly arrived, the entire city of Wuzhou trembled with the approaching hoofbeats—and even more so did the hearts of its people.
The scout returned at sunset. As the last golden light faded below the horizon, the legendary bloodthirsty barbarians finally appeared at the edge of the horizon. They rode tall steeds from the Cold Plains, clad in crude fur garments, with bearded faces and imposing stature, gripping gleaming broadswords. They charged toward Wuzhou in a chaotic, formationless mass, like a horde of demonic executioners coming to claim lives!
Many soldiers weakened at the sight. On the wall, Yang Jia himself climbed onto the command platform and began beating the war drum, strike after strike.The heavy drumbeats momentarily dispelled some of the fear in the soldiers' hearts. As the barbarians' iron hooves drew closer, some defenders on the city walls showed terror, yet more wore expressions of fatal determination. Facing these death-seeking demons, none dared underestimate them—especially when witnessing the endless tide of barbarians surging forward...
But so what? Behind them were their wives, daughters, and parents. Even if slaughter awaited, they would fight to their last drop of blood!
The barbarians employed no tactics. Knowing the city's defenses were insufficient, they charged like wild bulls toward the walls, attempting to breach the gates and scale the battlements. At the officers' command, locust-swarm arrows rained down from above, instantly eliciting screams below. Yet arrows had limited accuracy, and even more limited was Wuzhou City's military supplies. By nightfall, the barbarian onslaught showed no signs of abating.
Two hours later, the archery battalion commander reported: "General! All arrows are exhausted!"
Yang Jia surveyed the situation and ordered, "Fall back. Send up the oil barrel unit."
During the shift, when barbarians again charged the gates and walls, burning oil barrels rolled down from the battlements, once more filling the air with agonized cries. Yet after another two hours, all oil barrels were depleted.
It was just past midnight when soldiers scavenged every usable stone and rubble from below.
The city gates absolutely could not be opened—they were trapped inside, unable to engage directly, forced to rely on such methods to repel the invaders. When the stones ran out, it would come to close-quarters combat on the walls. Gritting his teeth, Yang Jia drew his long sword...
"General! The barbarians are too numerous! At this rate, they'll scale the walls by dawn!"
"General! A breach on the left battlement—they're climbing up!"
Yang Jia seized his sword and led the charge. "Slaughter them! Brothers! For our families in the city! Annihilate these barbarian dogs!"
The high walls allowed only few climbers, yet even so, Yang Jia needed twice their numbers to eliminate them. What truly chilled everyone was the barbarians' ferocity in close combat—all understood that in street fighting, they stood no chance against these foes, let alone when outnumbered multiples over.
Born warriors who feared no casualties, the barbarians exploited wave after wave of assaults to create more gaps in the defenses. Drenched in blood, Yang Jia fought on as soldiers fell around him. After sustaining this desperate defense through the night, dawn arrived with all stones exhausted.
Without rubble to hinder them, the barbarians scaled the walls rapidly. Chaos soon engulfed the battlements as more invaders reached the top. Yang Jia's shouts turned hoarse, but nothing could stop the tall, battle-hardened barbarians. Within moments, the walls became a sea of blood. Fighting with maddened desperation, Yang Jia recognized Wuzhou was lost and abandoned all restraint, ready to sell his life dearly—when suddenly, the barbarians below fell into disarray.
From the southwestern plains, an uncountable tide of figures had emerged...
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