Xinyang City
On the city walls, Leng Qingyu stood with a grim expression, gazing at the distant fluttering banners. Xinyang had been besieged by the enemy army for over ten days. If reinforcements did not arrive soon, the city would collapse—either from the relentless assault of the Western Mausoleum Army or from internal turmoil. The situation worsened with the recent reinforcements suffering heavy losses upon reaching the border, and the disappearance of Nan Hou Shizi, the deputy general, on the battlefield, further dampening the morale of the defending soldiers. If not for the death of Xinyang’s defending general, leaving the city without leadership, it was uncertain whether Leng Qingyu would even still be standing on these walls.
"General Leng, when will the imperial reinforcements arrive?!" A weary-faced officer rushed over, his tone sharp and impatient. The soldiers had long resented this young general who had risen to command despite his inexperience, especially after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Prince Zhennan of Xiling before even setting foot on the battlefield. Yet, as the son of the Grand General of the Nation and an imperial-appointed commander, he was now the highest-ranking officer in Xinyang following the defending general’s death. Though the men showed him surface-level respect, their true thoughts remained unknown. The senior officers of Xinyang couldn’t even be bothered with such pretense.
A flicker of frustration and anger crossed Leng Qingyu’s stern face. He had always been successful, rising through merit to become the Commander of the Capital Imperial Guard, one of the most outstanding young talents in the capital. But ever since arriving at the border, he had faced setback after setback, shaking his once-unshakable confidence.
Frowning, Leng Qingyu replied coldly, "They will arrive when the time comes. Be patient."
The officer’s expression darkened. "I can wait, but Xinyang cannot! General Leng, look at the city below, look at the state of our troops—how many more days do you think Xinyang can hold?!"
"Silence!" Leng Qingyu roared, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Xinyang will not fall!"
The officer was momentarily stunned by the murderous intensity in his eyes but quickly scoffed. "If General Leng is so confident, then I shall wait and see!" With that, he turned on his heel and strode away. Watching the man’s retreating figure, Leng Qingyu’s expression grew even darker. Yet when he turned back to the endless sea of enemy troops in the distance, he could only suppress his fury.
Suddenly, thunderous war drums erupted from below the walls. Leng Qingyu tensed, his eyes snapping toward the horizon where the previously motionless banners and troops now surged forward. Taking a deep breath, he raised his voice in command: "Hold the city!"
Once again, the battle raged fiercely between the attackers and defenders. But the exhaustion and weakness of the defending side were evident, fueling the enemy’s relentless assault.
In a tall building somewhere within Xinyang, the distant clamor of battle echoed through an open window. Inside, an unremarkable-looking man spoke gravely, "Xinyang cannot hold. Prepare to withdraw."
Another man frowned. "Should we ask General Yuan to provide support from the outside? The Princess and the reinforcements are already on their way."The man shook his head, "It's no use. Haven't you noticed how much more intense Western Liang's attacks have been these past two days? Zhennan Wang is clearly determined to take Xinyang City at any cost. Leng Qingyu can't control the city's defenders, and even though General Yuan has been leading harassment operations on the outskirts these days, it won't buy us much time. There's a high chance General Yuan and his men might get trapped as well."
"Alright then. Send word immediately for General Yuan to disengage and return to Jiangxia. You all go first—I'll stay behind to handle matters in Xinyang."
"Understood. Be careful."
After seeing off his companions, the man turned and hurried downstairs toward the residence of Xinyang's chief official.
In the Western Liang military camp:
Zhennan Wang sat calmly in a comfortable chair, one hand propping up his chin as he rested with his eyes closed, waiting for news from outside. Today would undoubtedly bring word of Xinyang's fall. Though the young man defending the city had some skill, he was still too green to turn the tide in such circumstances. The thought of Xinyang's endless stores of grain, cloth, gold, and silver—soon to become supplies for his future campaign against Chu—filled him with indescribable pleasure.
"How are Yuan Pei's preparations coming along?" Opening his eyes, Zhennan Wang suddenly recalled this matter.
A general who had also been waiting for news immediately stood up and replied, "As per Your Highness's orders, our forces have secretly cut off the retreat route to Jiangxia. Though we haven't located Yuan Pei's troops yet, once Xinyang falls, he'll have to return to Jiangxia. We'll surely capture him then."
Zhennan Wang nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent."
The sound of retreat gongs came from outside the tent, deepening the smile on Zhennan Wang's face. He stood up, laughing, "Xinyang has fallen!"
The assembled generals beamed with joy. "Congratulations, Your Highness." Zhennan Wang waved them off. "No, congratulations to all of us. With Xinyang in our hands, we'll be invincible in our campaign against Chu. Truly, Heaven favors Western Liang this time." The generals echoed in unison, "Heaven favors Western Liang."
A messenger rushed into the tent. "Your Highness, Xinyang has fallen!"
"Good. What of that young defender?" Zhennan Wang asked.
The messenger hesitated. "The defending general, Leng Qingyu... hasn't been found."
Frowning, Zhennan Wang waved his hand. "Keep searching. Report back immediately with any news."
"Yes!"
An hour later, the attacking troops had all returned to camp, and the command tent was filled with jubilation—except for Zhennan Wang, who remained frowning. Noticing this, one of his subordinates asked, "Your Highness, is something wrong?" Zhennan Wang shook his head. "I don't know... I just feel something isn't quite right..."
"Your Highness, urgent news!" someone called from outside the tent. Zhennan Wang's heart sank. "Enter," he said coldly. "What's happened in Xinyang?" The messenger reported, "Your Highness, the grain stores that should have been in Xinyang... somehow only about twenty percent remain!"
"What?!"
The assembly erupted in shock. "Did the Eastern Chu know they were doomed and move the supplies beforehand?"
"Impossible! Not even a mosquito could escape after Xinyang was surrounded, let alone that much grain."
Zhennan Wang's face darkened. "What else?" he demanded.The soldier glanced at Zhennan Wang's expression and replied somewhat fearfully, "Also, the treasury silver from Xinyang City's government vaults, along with the cash and banknotes from several money houses, have all disappeared. The amount of silver currently available in Xinyang City is less than thirty percent of its original reserves."
The tent fell into silence. The generals stole glances at Zhennan Wang's face, none daring to speak. Xinyang was not the wealthiest city in Eastern Chu, but it was indeed the place where the most military supplies were stored and ranked among the top five commercial hubs in Great Chu—though their trade partners were Western Liang. The reason everyone coveted this city was precisely because of its endless provisions and vast reserves of gold and silver. But now... there was nothing left.
"Good!" After a long pause, Zhennan Wang suddenly sneered. "What a fine move by the Ding Royal Palace!"
The crowd was stunned. Someone questioned, "Your Highness, are you saying the Ding Royal Palace is behind this?"
Zhennan Wang chuckled. "Who else but the Ding Royal Palace could have hidden all the provisions so swiftly and undetected?"
"But isn't Prince Ding in Northern Rong?"
"Then that means the Ding Royal Palace has another mastermind."
"Your Highness, General Zheng has just ordered the massacre of the city!" A soldier hurriedly reported at the entrance.
"Outrageous!" Zhennan Wang slammed the table and stood up, his voice sharp. "Who gave that order?"
The soldier trembled in fear and quickly replied, "General Zheng... General Zheng and his men clashed with the city's commoners while taking items from a pawnshop, and then... then General Zheng ordered the massacre..."
"Immediately relay my command—stop the massacre! Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot. Summon Zheng Bian to see me at once."
"Yes!"
Inside the tent, the officers exchanged uneasy glances. "Your Highness, those Eastern Chu people—killing them is no great loss. Keeping so many alive just wastes food."
"Exactly, Your Highness. We gained nothing from capturing Xinyang. Might as well slaughter all the Eastern Chu people to teach them a lesson."
"Fools!" Zhennan Wang said coldly. "How many people are there in Eastern Chu? Can you kill them all? Right now, only Eastern Chu's army resists us. But if the commoners learn of the massacre, every last one of them will rise against us."
Many dismissed his words. "If even Eastern Chu's army can't stop us, what use are a few commoners?"
Zhennan Wang's voice darkened. "In any case, no one is to kill Eastern Chu's commoners without my explicit order!"
"Your Highness, Yuan Pei has broken through with tens of thousands of the Mo Family Army and is heading toward Jiangxia."
Hearing this, Zhennan Wang frowned. "What happened?"
"The forces sent by the Young Master to intercept Yuan Pei were ambushed and annihilated. Moreover, Yuan Pei seemed to know our troop deployments and the terrain perfectly. He split his forces and slipped through the gaps in our lines. Though they suffered some losses, the main force of the Mo Family Army remains largely intact."
"Your Highness, we've just received word from the Southern Route Army. Three days ago, the Young Master was ambushed and severely wounded."
Zhennan Wang abruptly stood up. "How is Teng Feng?"
"The Young Master is out of danger, but his injuries are grave. He won't be able to lead troops for some time."
Zhennan Wang lowered his head in deep thought, slowly suppressing the fury in his heart. He waved his hand. "I understand. You may leave for now."The once festive atmosphere in the grand tent had grown somber due to the successive pieces of bad news. After a long silence, Zhennan Wang let out a low chuckle. "Well, the Ding Royal Palace truly has no shortage of remarkable talents. It seems I have indeed lost this round."
"Your Highness?"
"Enough. Send word to Teng Feng—I will appoint someone else to take command of the Southern Route Army. Have him come to Xinyang as quickly as possible," Zhennan Wang waved his hand calmly. "No matter what, Xinyang is already ours in the end. Let him come and oversee the overall situation. As for those provisions and silver, I refuse to believe they could have vanished into thin air—they must still be in the city!"
"As you command."
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