Chapter 424: 7,000 Cavalry? A Grimly Similar Number When You Think About It!

Xiahou Da's expression froze instantly, his mouth opening wide enough to fit a fist, and he stood there dumbfounded.

He stared blankly at Shi Zhen, taking a long moment to react, his voice trembling: "Wh... what?!"

"The Zhou Army is already about to besiege the city?!"

"Another 7,000 cavalry have arrived?!"

Before the words finished, the wine cup in his hand clanged and tipped over, spilling amber liquid.

It ran down the table onto the floor, soaking a large area of the Brothel's hem, yet he remained oblivious, staring blankly at the mess, his eyes full of terror and bewilderment.

Only twenty li, for cavalry that's an instant arrival......

Shi Zhen lay on the ground, his body shaking even more, his chest heaving violently, his voice broken and each word wrapped in extreme fear: "No... not just that!"

He inhaled deeply, yet could not stop his teeth from trembling; cold sweat ran down the grooves of his forehead, leaving a small wet patch on the Qingshi slab: "The latest report says, besides these 7,000 cavalry, the Zhou Army is launching a massive attack on our nation from five directions!"

"The local garrison cannot hold back the Zhou Army, fierce as wolves and tigers!"

The salt ponds on the eastern foothills, the horse farms in the western desert, the granaries in South Valley, and the camps beneath the Qilian Mountains in the north were all seized in surprise attacks.....

The camps were trampled as if flattened, and the rain of arrows from the bowmen was so dense it could block the sky.

Our side can be described as routed, losses extremely heavy.....

Xiahou Fuyun sprang up from his seat, the Brothel's hem sweeping over the low table, toppling the melons, fruits, and vessels onto the floor.

His eyes widened, staring fixedly at Shi Zhen, his face full of incredulous ferocity, as if to devour the other alive.

"How could this be possible?!"

He shouted hysterically, his voice altered by extreme shock, "Shouldn't the Zhou Army be exhausted dealing with the Great Khan's 7,000 elite warriors?!"

"How could they still have the strength?!"

Xiahou Fuyun paced anxiously back and forth in the hall, his fists clenched and cracking.

His eyes were filled with incomprehensible frenzy, clearly unable to accept this reality‑shattering news.

Tu Yu Hun Khan had never imagined that, in an instant, the offensive and defensive would reverse, and even his own lands were being invaded......

Zhao Xufeng forced down the raging waves in his heart, stepped forward half a pace, his gaze landing on the trembling Shi Zhen on the ground; his voice, though carrying a barely perceptible weight, was steadier than anyone else in the hall: "Have you seen whose banner the Zhou Army is fighting under?"

Shi Zhen lay on the ground, his Adam's apple moving as he swallowed, struggling to sift through chaotic thoughts for a moment; his voice still trembled but was clearer than before: "Each route is different....."

He paused, his forehead pressed to the ground, then shifted his tone and continued: "But those 7,000 cavalry are fighting for Yuwen!"

Xiahou Fuyun's steps abruptly halted, his rapid breathing gradually eased, the frenzy in his eyes fading considerably, replaced by astonishment and contemplation.

He raised a hand to press his throbbing temple and said gravely: "Yuwen?"

"Isn't it Chen Yan who came?"

Then, standing firm in the hall, his brows knit as he muttered to himself, as if persuading himself: "Could Yuwen Hu have ordered some member of the Imperial Clan of the Zhou State, using a strategy of encircling Wei to rescue Zhao, to force the Crown Prince to return aid and relieve Hezhou's plight?"

If so, we just hold Fusi City and wait for the Crown Prince to lead troops back for rescue....

Maybe we could even enjoy a feast of Zhou State dumplings!

Zhao Xufeng seemed to realize something; his complexion turned ghostly white in an instant, looking even sicker than the prone Shi Zhen, cold sweat on his forehead instantly gathering into a stream that ran down the furrows of his wrinkles.

He swayed, nearly losing his balance, his eyes filled with terror and despair, his voice trembling: "It's over, it's over....."

He immediately looked at Xiahou Fuyun, his lips quivering, struggling to voice the dreadful speculation: "Great Khan, the Crown Prince... he may already have been completely annihilated....."

Xiahou Fuyun was startled, as if he hadn't heard clearly, standing frozen; his previously steadied breath quickened again, brows knit, staring intently at Zhao Xufeng's despondent look, he asked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Zhao Xufeng braced himself against a nearby pillar, forcing himself to stay calm, his gaze fixed on Xiahou Fuyun, his voice heavy with suppressed weight: "Great Khan, think carefully about the number of Zhou Army cavalry?"

Xiahou Fuyun's brows twisted tighter, he recalled briefly, and blurted out unconsciously: "7,000?"

He wore an expression of utter incomprehension.

Zhao Xufeng inhaled deeply, his chest heaving once, then asked another question, each word hammering the hall: "Is it comparable to the number of elite troops led by the Crown Prince?"

Xiahou Fuyun's pupils snapped shut, as if struck by lightning, his forehead instantly beading with dense cold sweat that rolled down his cheeks.

His legs gave way, unable to support his body, and with a "thud" he collapsed onto the throne, both hands gripping the armrests, his knuckles whitening from the strain.

"This... this... could it be...?!" he opened his mouth, his voice trembling, full of astonishment and fear.

A terrifying fact surged into his mind like a tide......

Those 7,000 Zhou Army cavalry might not be reinforcements at all, but the Crown Prince's annihilated elite, whose warhorses now arm the Zhou State's cavalry.....

This also perfectly explains where they came from......

Xiahou Da staggered back two steps, his back slamming heavily against the low table, producing a dull thud.

He turned ashen, flailing his hands wildly as if to dispel the horrific speculation, his voice full of panic and denial: "Impossible!"

"How could this be possible!"

He paused, then raised his voice sharply, with a hint of hysterical justification: "The Crown Prince sent cavalry; even if they can't defeat Chen Yan, could they still not escape?!"

Even though the Crown Prince is a rival for the Khanate throne, this is no time for schadenfreude, and Xiahou Shun is no fool!

We can't just stupidly wait to be annihilated, can we?

Xiahou Fuyun slumped on the throne, his eyes hollow and lifeless; the earlier fury and astonishment had completely vanished, leaving only bone‑deep despair.

He stared at the flickering candles in the hall, his lips moving unconsciously, his voice weak like a dying candle in the wind: "If that's truly the case, then we have become......"

"The lambs awaiting slaughter"—the five words lodged in his throat, he could not spit them out.

Zhao Xufeng squeezed his own thigh hard, using the pain to suppress the last trace of panic; he hurried to the throne, half‑kneeling, his gaze blazing at the despondent Xiahou Fuyun: "Great Khan, now is not the time for this!"

He raised his voice, trying to rouse Xiahou Fuyun from despair: "Our top priority is how to deal with the Zhou Army that is about to besiege the city!"

Zhao Xufeng knew clearly that, at this moment, the entanglement that had arisen was already of no use.....

The urgent matter is to solve the problem!

Otherwise, they will all become captives!

"Quick!"

Xiahou Fuyun's hollow gaze suddenly sharpened, he clenched the throne's armrest hard, his chest heaving violently from rapid breathing.

The earlier despair was suppressed by the instinct to survive; he suddenly straightened his spine and shouted toward the hall's exterior, "Hurry, summon General Qi Fu Chu Zhuang and General Zhai Pan Mi to discuss a plan!"

The sunset's afterglow, like molten gold, spilled over the vast Grassland, dyeing the Gobi outside Fusi City a warm red.

Seven thousand cavalry formed a strict Formation, their dark armor glinting with a cold, hard sheen in the twilight.

The Warhorse pawed anxiously at the loose stones, its breath exhaling white mist that vanished instantly in the cool evening breeze, yet no chaotic neighs could be heard.

Gu Yuci raised his hand to the long sword at his waist, his gaze sharp as a hawk, sweeping over the sparse poplar forest ahead, pointing to the city whose outline was gradually becoming clear not far away, and said in a loud, steady voice, "General Yuwen, Fusi City is just ahead!"

Yuwen Ze slowly nodded, his eyes blazing like torches, fixed firmly on the silhouette of Fusi City in the dusk ahead; the moving shadows on the city walls appeared to him like trapped beasts.

He lifted his hand, drew the sword at his waist, its cold blade flashing a chill light under the waning sun, and his voice rose sharply, "Very good!"

"By my command, send fifteen hundred riders through each of the four city gates!" He pointed the sword forward, his tone as harsh as frost, "Anyone who leaves the city shall be slain without mercy!"

He paused, his gaze so fierce it seemed to devour, "Even a single fly must not be allowed to escape!"

As the words fell, the messenger beside him immediately turned the horse's head.

Raising the command flag high, he galloped toward the Formation, the sharp messenger's call piercing the evening wind and quickly spreading through the cavalry ranks.

Yuwen Ze sheathed his sword, the cold edge disappearing into the scabbard, turned his body, and his gaze shifted to Chen Yan beside him; the earlier harshness had largely faded, and his tone carried a hint of inquiry and closeness: "A Xiong, is this arrangement proper for the younger brother?"

Leading the cavalry at the forefront, the aim is to catch Tuyu Hun completely off guard......

Allocate six thousand to guard the four gates, keep a thousand as a reserve force, so that the Wang and noble families of the Xiahou clan are all sealed inside the city.

"Excellent!" Chen Yan smiled faintly and nodded.

Even though he delegated command to Yuwen Ze, Chen Yan still chose to assist from the side, reinforcing the formation in case of unforeseen needs.....

But it must be said, this son, carefully nurtured by the great chancellor father, only lacks a stage to showcase his talents; there's no need for him to worry too much.

Yuwen Ze's mouth curled slightly upward, his gaze fixed on the distant city, and he said, "Then from now on, we will simply wait for the five armies to arrive and encircle Fusi City!"

Three days later.

The night was as black as ink.

Outside Fusi City.

The main camp's lanterns burned unusually bright, dispelling most of the surrounding chill.

Wang Xiong and the other generals hurried into the tent, saluting Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze in unison, "Grand General, General Yuwen, the Subordinate Generals have returned to report!"

Chen Yan slowly lifted his eyes, gave a brief appraisal, then a faint smile tugged at his mouth as he teased, "Look at you, all smug and triumphant, you must have seized a lot along the way, right?"

"Hahaha!"

A burst of hearty laughter rang out in the tent, and everyone exchanged glances, their eyes full of unspoken understanding.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yuwen Ze cleared his throat and immediately issued orders: "By my command, the entire army shall assault the city at the hour of the Pig!"

"Understood!" the generals replied in unison.

Yuwen Ze's gaze passed over the shoulders of the crowd, through a slit in the tent curtain, looking toward the faint outline of Fusi City in the night.

The lanterns atop the city walls were sparse and dim, like a dying candle trembling in the wind.

A barely perceptible curve lingered at his mouth, his eyes deep as night, concealing all emotions, and he mused inwardly, "At last I can test A Xiong's new device....."