Coroner's Diary

Yan Chi's words left everyone momentarily stunned.

Yue Qiong asked, "What do you mean by 'inviting the enemy into a trap'?"

Yan Chi narrowed his phoenix eyes, his voice ethereal as he explained, "The terrain within Weixian County's town is quite complex. The Rong barbarians are least skilled in urban warfare—on open plains, they can fight one against two, but once they enter Weixian County, I'm afraid most will get lost. Given this, why don't we use Weixian County as our battlefield?"

Hearing this, not only Yue Qiong but even Zhao Shuhua and Cheng Wei were astounded!

Who could have imagined Yan Chi would devise such an ingenious strategy?!

Yue Qiong leaned forward, "Using the county town as a battlefield? What do you mean? Explain in detail."

Yan Chi responded, "Do you have a map of Weixian County?"

Yue Qiong glanced at his deputy, who immediately brought forth the city defense map of Weixian. Yan Chi took it, studied it intently for a moment, then placed it on the table and said, "The narrow paths within Weixian County crisscross like a maze. The main streets twist and turn, with two stone arch bridges and a clear river cutting through the town. Even if it were my first time entering, I might struggle to find my way, let alone the Rong barbarians."

After a pause, Yan Chi continued, "The Rong barbarians are born fierce and skilled in battle, and they particularly enjoy plundering. If they attack the city, they won't spare any valuables or supplies—they'll loot everything. So, we'll leave some money and provisions in the town."

Taking a charcoal pen, Yan Chi circled several spots on the map. "I've looked it over. These areas are essentially independent districts, each with its own winding alley that eventually leads out of the city. In total, aside from the main street's front and rear exits, there are at least a dozen other exits. We can first station troops in ambush within Weixian County, then lure the Rong barbarians inside. At that point, we can defeat them piece by piece. If the battle goes well, we can annihilate them. If not, we retreat along the routes we know. Given the hot weather, we can use fire attacks, hidden arrows, and Mechanisms—any method we can think of for urban warfare. Then, we'll position sufficient troops at all exits. Once the Rong barbarians are disorganized within the city, they'll inevitably scatter and emerge from other exits, and we'll be waiting to reap the rewards."

Yan Chi added, "Most buildings in Weixian County are made of stone, so if we use fire attacks, the flames won't spread too widely. Of course, if the Marquis insists on preserving Weixian County, then we'll have to confront the Rong barbarians head-on to the north of Weixian."

Yue Qiong slammed the table, "I'm not that rigid! Weixian County is already empty of people. Since the Rong barbarians love raiding our towns, this time we'll make sure they don't return! We'll use your plan! We'll seize the advantage of terrain—something the Rong barbarians would never dream of!"Yue Qiong made the final decision, leaving both Zhao Shuhua and Cheng Wei deeply impressed. Thus, the three parties began discussing the strategy of luring the enemy into a trap. They ultimately agreed that Yue Qiong would return that day to arrange defenses: first withdrawing some troops to the southern exit, then setting up mechanisms and ambushes throughout the city according to its terrain. The Northwest Frontier Army would take responsibility for all western exits, while the Northern Garrison Army would guard the eastern ones. If the Rong barbarians retreated, all three forces would converge and attack northward.

With the plan settled, the second alliance meeting concluded. Yue Qiong returned to the city, made the arrangements, and dispatched messengers to the eastern and western camps to inform them of the preparations. Everyone now understood the strategy thoroughly. Just as Yue Qiong had predicted, within a day, at dusk, the Rong barbarians launched a surprise attack.

Though everyone had anticipated the Rong barbarians would assault the city, no one expected them to attack under the cover of night. This move robbed the Zhou army of even the advantage of favorable timing.

When the Rong barbarians arrived noisily and in great numbers outside Wei County’s walls, they found no signs of a prepared defense. Instead, the city was pitch-black, as if the Jinzhou army had already withdrawn. Suspicious, the Rong chieftain sent a few scouts into the city to investigate. The scouts entered and found the city filled with winding, narrow alleys. Proceeding cautiously, they stuck to the main road but encountered not a single Jinzhou soldier. The eerie silence convinced them the city was deserted. Upon receiving this report, the Rong chieftain was overjoyed, assuming the Jinzhou army had foreseen their return and retreated. Without hesitation, he ordered his entire force to enter the city.

The chieftain led the majority of his troops—nearly 100,000 men. They advanced slowly into the city, and at first, everything went smoothly. Seeing the city truly empty, the Rong barbarians grew excited. Driven by their plundering nature and reassured by the apparent safety, they couldn’t resist breaking into the locked houses, looting and ransacking one after another. Although most of Wei County’s residents had taken their valuables when they fled, some items remained—be it silks, grains, or gold and silver. The Rong barbarians took everything without discrimination, and the vanguard soon amassed substantial spoils.

But as these men swaggered deeper into the markets and neighborhoods flanking the main street, disaster struck abruptly!

First, a workshop suddenly burst into flames, trapping hundreds of Rong barbarians who were burned alive inside. Then, a residential courtyard filled with mechanisms ensnared the leading Rong soldiers—before they could react, they fell into a pit bristling with inverted arrows. Many others who forced their way into dark homes were instantly killed by volleys of cold arrows. What terrified the Rong barbarians most, however, was the presence of the Zhou people—nowhere to be seen, yet seemingly everywhere.Drunk with success, the Rong and Man tribesmen focused solely on plundering valuables, their formation completely scattered. They fanned out along the main roads before splitting into small groups that charged into rows of civilian houses through narrow alleys. The Jinzhou Army, however, was well-prepared—whether deploying fire attacks or ambushing with arrows, everything unfolded in mere moments. By the time the tribesmen realized their predicament, they found themselves surrounded by a maze of chaotic pathways, with no clear route for escape. Yue Qiong had long since familiarized the Jinzhou troops with the county town’s layout, and now they moved like shadowy fish in the night, hunting with lethal ease.

When the tribal chieftains finally grasped the severity of the situation, fires had already erupted throughout the city, and countless tribal corpses lay in the pitch-black houses. Panic instantly seized everyone. Those still in the market districts fled blindly toward the city gates, only to collide head-on with the Northwest Frontier Army and Northern Garrison Army guarding the exits. The frontlines froze, refusing to advance further, and morale collapsed as many turned to retreat.

At that moment, Yue Qiong launched the Signal Flare. Elite infantry lying in ambush surged from every dark corner like vengeful spirits, slaughtering the unprepared tribesmen. Though the Rong and Man warriors were physically powerful, they stood no chance against this onslaught. Losses mounted rapidly. The Jinzhou Army, however, avoided prolonged engagements—withdrawing immediately after each strike like phantom soldiers, elusive and untraceable. If the tribesmen gave chase, new Mechanisms awaited them in the unnamed alleyways...

This guerrilla-style urban battle allowed the Jinzhou Army to redeem their shame from being besieged days earlier, while also experiencing firsthand the Zhou people’s intellectual superiority over the Rong and Man tribes. The ghouls-like tactics tormented the tribesmen relentlessly within the city walls. After over two hours of attrition, the tribal chieftains finally ordered a retreat. The army turned back, despairingly retracing their path out of the city—by now, they had lost over twenty thousand soldiers.

Seeing the tribesmen retreat, Yue Qiong launched another Signal Flare. Instantly, the three armies pursued northward: the Northern Garrison Army and Northwest Frontier Army flanked them from both sides, while the Jinzhou Army mopped up the remaining stragglers in the city. The tribesmen felt as though they were haunted by malevolent spirits, unable to break free.

The fierce battle lasted all night. By dawn, the tribesmen had fought their way to the southern side of Lion Ridge. Yan Chi, observing the situation, ordered an immediate withdrawal—no lingering!

As daylight broke and the open plains stretched before them, the tribesmen anticipated a counterattack. But the three Zhou armies retreated even faster than they had pursued, leaving the Rong and Man to watch helplessly as their enemies vanished. They had sacrificed tens of thousands of tribesmen for nothing...

This victory was not only cathartic for the Jinzhou Army—the Northern Garrison Army and Northwest Frontier Army also achieved disproportionately high enemy casualties at minimal cost to themselves. It was an exceptionally rare triumph. Somehow, both the Jinzhou and Northern Garrison armies learned that the battle strategy had been devised by Yan Chi. Instantly, the title "God of War of the Northwest Frontier Army" resounded across all three armies. Even Jinzhou officers who had previously held grudges against the Northwest Frontier Army couldn’t help but inwardly acknowledge their admiration.After this battle, the Rong barbarians would not dare to enter Wei County easily. Yue Qiong then ordered the Jinzhou Army to reoccupy the city. Once the battlefield was cleared, the entire Jinzhou Army, from top to bottom, was filled with jubilation—a stark contrast to the despair they had felt half a month earlier when trapped in Fengzhou.

In the central command tent, Yue Qiong said, "After this battle, even the lowest-ranking soldiers have gained morale. It truly shows how brilliant Prince Rui’s strategy was! The Rong have suffered heavy losses this time and will likely not act rashly for a while. This gives us a chance to rest and regroup."

The officers below all voiced their agreement, expressing great admiration for Yan Chi.

Yan Qi, upon hearing this, asked, "Shouldn’t we press our advantage and continue attacking the Rong barbarians?"

Yue Qiong shook his head. "As I said before, in open plains, we have no advantage against the Rong—in fact, we are at a significant disadvantage. But if we fight in cities or set ambushes, the outcome is entirely different. While pursuing victory is tempting, a head-on clash with the Rong would only cost us dearly. It’s better to rest briefly and devise new strategies. The Rong rely heavily on brute force; if we use tactics, they are likely to fall into our traps."

Given that their recent victories had all been achieved through careful planning, everyone quickly agreed.

Yan Qi also nodded in approval. "That makes sense. However... Marquis, our supplies are running low. Since we’ve won several battles in a row, why not devise a strategy to deliver one final heavy blow to the Rong barbarians?"

Though they had won multiple engagements, they had only managed to reduce the Rong’s numbers. Even now, the Rong still had nearly 100,000 troops ready for battle. If the Jinzhou Army were to face them directly, they could still suffer a defeat.

Yue Qiong also felt that, with Yan Chi and Zhao Shuhua currently willing to assist, it was the perfect time to devise a plan to cripple the Rong in one decisive strike. Once the Rong were severely weakened, they would inevitably retreat to Cangzhou. At that point, the Jinzhou Army could press their advantage and, regardless of Yan Chi and Zhao Shuhua’s decisions, would have enough strength to deal with the Rong.

As a seasoned commander, Yue Qiong’s strategic prowess was only slightly inferior to Yan Chi’s. Inspired by Yan Qi’s words, he first sent envoys to the Northwest Frontier Army and the Northern Garrison Army to express gratitude. Then, he immersed himself in planning how to counter the Rong. After sending scouts dozens of times to the Rong encampment at Fallen Phoenix Slope, Yue Qiong finally conceived a reliable strategy. Two days later, he began sending messages to propose a third alliance meeting.

Given the success of their previous collaborations, Yan Chi and Zhao Shuhua were no longer hesitant about the alliance. Instead, their trust in Yue Qiong had grown stronger.

Two days later, at the same meeting place as before, Yue Qiong and his officers welcomed Yan Chi and Zhao Shuhua into the tent. As soon as they were seated, Yue Qiong said, "Recent scout reports indicate that the Rong are currently resting and have even sent troops toward Cangzhou, likely to seek grain supplies from the Garrison Granary near there. It seems they intend to drag this out with us..."