Chapter 663: Battle Report

In late July in Xiazhou, the sun set a little later than in the Central Plains.

Yet it could not stop the western sky's burning clouds from gradually fading to dark purple.

The evening wind, carrying the Northern Border's unique dry scent, swept through the Qi State army's endless camps, and the drum beats just fell outside the central camp's great tent.

Inside the tent, the candle flame flickered gently, casting mottled shadows of the spread-out map on the desk.

The heavy tent curtains blocked the outside clamor.

Gao Xiaoyu wore a dark‑gold‑threaded battle robe, and the beast pattern on his Shoulder Armor glimmered a cold, hard light in the candlelight.

He leaned back on a tiger‑skin‑covered seat, his eyes lightly closed, his long lashes casting a small shadow under his eyelids, as if indifferent to all the disturbances outside the tent.

Only the jade pendant hanging at his waist swayed slightly with his steady breath, exuding a touch of noble aura incongruous with the military tent.

On the other side inside the tent, Liu Zaizhou was leaning over the map.

His battle attire was even more simple and sleek, the cuffs rolled up to the forearms, revealing solid forearm lines, and his knuckles appeared somewhat rough from years of campaigning.

He held a pen shaft in his hand, its tip dipped in vermilion, delicately circling several cities within Xiazhou on the map.

Liu Zaizhou's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze focused as it swept back and forth between Hangjin, Tongwan City and Gancao City, occasionally tapping the map lightly with his fingertip, as if simulating troop deployments and marching routes.

The candlelight perfectly illuminated his sharply defined profile; a strand of black hair on his forehead, damp with sweat, clung to his skin, further highlighting his steady resolve.

In late July in Xiazhou, the daytime remained unbearably scorching.

Even at dusk, the tent still retained the day's heat, mingling with leather, sweat and a faint ink scent, forming a complex aroma unique to a military camp.

From outside the tent came faint shouts of soldiers training, and occasionally the Warhorse's neigh split the dusk in the distance; the heavy curtains blocked most of these sounds, leaving only muffled noises, which only accentuated the silence inside the tent.

At that moment, the curtain was gently lifted, and a gust of evening wind carrying sand dust rushed in, causing the candle flame to flare and sway a few times.

A soldier clad in light armor bowed and entered; his cheeks were sun‑tanned dark, his forehead dotted with fine beads of sweat, and his armor was specked with dust, clearly having rushed in.

After entering, the soldier dared not pause his steps, walked straight to Gao Xiaoyu, knees slightly bent, bowed in salute, his voice carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "Crown Prince, General Ding's side has sent the latest battle report!"

Having spoken, he drew a neatly folded battle report from his chest; its cover was sealed with a fire‑arrow seal bearing the character "Ding".

The soldier lifted the report high with both hands, his posture exceedingly respectful, even softening his breath for fear of startling the Crown Prince.

Gao Xiaoyu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep as a cold pool, showing no trace of the drowsiness of just waking.

He did not speak immediately, but his calm eyes settled on the report in the soldier's hand; then he extended his slender finger and took the report.

His movements were unhurried; his fingertip brushed the cover, feeling the paper's lingering warmth from its journey.

Gao Xiaoyu casually broke the Huojian seal, unfolded the report, and his eyes swiftly scanned the characters.

At first his expression remained calm, but as his gaze shifted his brows gradually knit, the bridge of his brow twisting into a shape like the Chinese character "chuan".

Between his once relaxed brows, a shadow slowly gathered; the curve of his mouth dipped slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure and gravity.

His fingers pinched the report's edge, his knuckles paling slightly, clearly having seen unwelcome news.

Liu Zaizhou had already halted the motion of his hand.

He had been watching Gao Xiaoyu's facial changes all along.

Seeing the Crown Prince's brows tightly knit and his complexion darken, he realized the report's contents were likely unfavorable.

He then straightened, stepped lightly to Gao Xiaoyu's side, and, with a slightly probing tone, asked: "How is the Crown Prince?"

"Has something gone wrong on General Ding's side?"

Gao Xiaoyu handed the report to Liu Zaizhou, then rose slowly, his expression solemn to the point of being austere, and in a deep voice said: "Zhou State is in Hangjin, has mobilized heavy troops, and is striving to reinforce the city defenses..."

He paused, as if steadying his emotions, then exhaled a murky breath, the air tinged with unmistakable helplessness and weight, and continued: "General Ding has been confronting the enemy for a long time; the soldiers fight bravely, yet they cannot gain even an inch. Now they cannot even aim their weapons at Tongwan City!"

By the end, his voice unintentionally grew heavier, and his right hand clenched forcefully, crumpling the report into a tattered mess, his knuckles turning a bluish‑white from the strain.

Tongwan City is Xiazhou's administrative seat and core stronghold.

If they cannot approach Tongwan City, the strategic aim of this expedition will be hard to achieve, leaving Gao Xiaoyu, eager to make a name for himself, rather troubled.

Liu Zaizhou took the report, skimmed it quickly, and his expression also grew solemn, but compared with Gao Xiaoyu's agitation, he remained calmer.

Then, placing the report on the desk, his fingertip lightly tapped the Hangjin spot, pondering as he analyzed: "The officials of Zhou State in Xiazhou are, after all, not fools..."

He looked up at Gao Xiaoyu, his tone steady, "Our expedition this time, with great banners, moves with a speed faster than the eye can catch, capturing several cities in succession; the tremors within Xiazhou are considerable..."

"Having caused such a stir, even if they are sluggish, they must now respond."

"Hangjin is the throat road to Tongwan City; Zhou State will surely fight to the death to hold this point!"

Gao Xiaoyu heard this, slowly nodded in agreement, his expression softening a little.

He walked to the desk, his gaze landing on the map, and in a deep voice said: "Hmm, we previously seized the advantage of a surprise attack, catching them off guard..."

At this point his eyes suddenly sharpened, his tone bearing a hint of stubborn resilience: "Xiazhou is a key stronghold of Zhou State, its city defenses are solid, its forces abundant; being hard to take is normal..."

"If it could be taken so easily, it would not showcase the capability of our Qi State soldiers!"

Liu Zaizhou nodded in agreement: "Exactly!"

A slight smile curled his mouth, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes, and with a tone of certainty he said: "Your Majesty's task for us is not merely to capture many cities, but to dismantle Zhou State's defensive system in Xiazhou, and its livelihood!"

"Now we have already taken several cities in succession, stirring panic throughout Xiazhou; the objective is already largely achieved."

"Hangjin's staunch defense, though preventing us from approaching Tongwan City for now, also ties a large Zhou force here, which may not be a bad thing for our subsequent actions."

Gao Xiaoyu's gaze roamed the map; hearing Liu Zaizhou's analysis, the knot of frustration in his heart gradually loosened.

He extended a finger, lightly tapping the Gancao City spot on the map, turned and looked at Liu Zaizhou, his eyes asking: "How is Gancao City doing?"