Chapter 182: Failed Surprise Attack

That night, Jiang Xiaomu returned to the small courtyard and told his sister Jiang Xiaoyu the news.

Upon hearing it, Jiang Xiaoyu's face turned deathly pale; she tightly gripped Jiang Xiaomu's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"Brother, this is too dangerous! Bincheng is now in chaos; if you go there......"

Jiang Xiaomu gently patted his sister's hand and comforted her:

"Xiao Yu, don't worry; I will protect myself."

"Moreover, this is the Empress's decree; I cannot defy the imperial order."

"But......" Jiang Xiaoyu wanted to say more, but Jiang Xiaomu cut her off.

"All right, Xiao Yu, rest assured; I promise you I will return safely."

This mission is extremely perilous, but he has no other choice.

That night, Jiang Xiaomu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

His mind kept conjuring the Empress's grim face and the various crises that might befall Bincheng.

After expressing his gratitude, Jiang Xiaomu immediately began preparations.

The Empress's reward was not mere praise; she allocated twenty thousand elite troops to Jiang Xiaomu.

Led by the commander of the Forbidden Army, a stern-faced, taciturn fellow—Zhou Wu.

Jiang Xiaomu's impression of Zhou Wu was limited to having seen him a few times at court; this man always bore an unapproachable demeanor, making him hard to get close to.

After a forced march lasting several days, they reached a ruined village not far from Bincheng.

Most houses had collapsed, and the fields lay barren.

Jiang Xiaomu ordered the troops to set up camp on the spot, while he and Zhou Wu climbed a nearby low hill to observe the situation in Bincheng.

"Commander Zhou, look."

Jiang Xiaomu pointed at the black flag fluttering on the distant city wall, his brows furrowed.

"That is the rebels' banner."

Zhou Wu merely gave a slight nod, uttering a single word sparingly:

"Hmm."

Jiang Xiaomu sighed helplessly; Zhou Wu really was miserly with words, and talking to him was as hard as squeezing toothpaste.

He sent several able-bodied soldiers to Bincheng to gather intelligence.

During the wait, Jiang Xiaomu felt anxious and restless.

The situation in Bincheng was worse than he had imagined, filling him with dread for the impending battle.

He instinctively touched the long sword at his waist, a blade that had accompanied him for many years.

Having endured countless life-and-death battles, it now must drink blood once again.

Not long after, the scouts returned, but the news they brought sank Jiang Xiaomu's heart.

Bincheng had already fallen completely into rebel hands; the garrison commander, General Li...... had been beheaded and displayed publicly.

Returning to the camp, Jiang Xiaomu immediately summoned all the soldiers and informed them of the scouts' report.

The soldiers erupted in an uproar, and the atmosphere instantly grew solemn.

"Comrades," Jiang Xiaomu shouted:

"Bincheng has now fallen into rebel hands, and General Li died a heroic death in service of the nation! If we do not avenge this, we swear not to be human!"

"Avenge! Avenge!"

The soldiers were filled with indignation, raising their weapons one after another.

Jiang Xiaomu raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, then continued:

"Bincheng's terrain is treacherous, easy to defend but hard to assault; a frontal attack would surely cause massive casualties."

"We need to devise a meticulous plan in order to take Bincheng in one fell swoop."

"Commander Zhou,"

Jiang Xiaomu turned his head to look at Zhou Wu, who had remained silent.

"What do you think?"

Zhou Wu finally spoke, his voice low.

"I suggest we split our forces into two routes: one to feign an attack on the gate to draw the rebels' main force,"

"the other to scale the west cliff under cover of night, launch a surprise attack on the rebels, coordinate inside and out, and breach the gate."

Jiang Xiaomu pondered for a moment, feeling the plan was risky but not impossible.

The west cliff is steep; the rebels would surely neglect its defense, and if a surprise attack succeeded, there would indeed be a chance to breach the gate.

"All right," Jiang Xiaomu made a decisive decision.

"We will follow Commander Zhou's plan! I will personally lead a small team to launch a surprise attack on the west cliff."

"Commander Zhou, you will lead the main force in a feint attack on the gate; be sure to draw the rebels' attention!"

"I will obey your orders!" Zhou Wu replied, clasping his fists.

Just as Jiang Xiaomu was about to give the climb order, a cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind:

【Warning! Warning! High-risk trap detected; the surprise plan's success rate is below 1%; advise abandoning the operation.】

【The rebels have installed numerous rolling logs and falling timber traps on the west cliff, with a trigger probability of 99%.】

【Moreover, heavy troops lie in ambush atop the cliff; the surprise force is very likely to be wiped out entirely.】

【If the host leads troops to climb the cliff for a sneak attack, the action will be exposed, surrounded by the enemy, and the host and company will be unable to resist, shot to death by arrows.】

Jiang Xiaomu's heart sank. This voice...... is that damned system!

A chill rose from his feet to his head, and Jiang Xiaomu felt a sudden coldness in his back.

It was enough to soak his clothes—nine deaths to one life...... no, it was certain death!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Twenty thousand elite troops—are they to be buried here like this?

He glanced at Zhou Wu beside him, this silent man now staring intently at Bincheng.

Give up? Jiang Xiaomu gritted his teeth.

He cannot give up, nor let these soldiers die in vain; he must devise a new plan.

"Commander Zhou," Jiang Xiaomu whispered.

"Do you feel… the western cliff is too quiet?"

Zhou Wu blinked slightly, seemingly pondering the meaning of Jiang Xiaomu's words.

He fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"I, the subordinate, also feel something is off; logically, such a strategic spot should have rebel defenses."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded, then continued:

"I suspect there are heavy troops ambushed on the cliff, with many traps."

Zhou Wu's face instantly grew solemn.

"Then what about us…"

Jiang Xiaomu waved his hand, cutting off Zhou Wu's words.

"The plan stays the same; we will still launch a surprise attack on the western cliff."

A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Wu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I, the subordinate, will obey the order."

Jiang Xiaomu turned to look at the soldiers below, ready to depart, and shouted loudly:

"Soldiers, I know this mission is perilous."

"But for the people of Bincheng and for the realm of Great Qian, we must fight to the death!"

Night fell, and Jiang Xiaomu led five hundred elite troops, under the cover of darkness, sneaking toward the western cliff.

The cliff was steep, jagged with rocks, and climbing was extremely difficult.

The soldiers used hands and feet, climbing upward cautiously, fearful of making any sound.

Jiang Xiaomu led from the front, climbing at the very head of the column.

He clung to the rock face, feeling the cold stone and the howling mountain wind.

Tap—a light sound as a loose stone rolled from under Jiang Xiaomu's foot, piercingly loud in the silent night.

Jiang Xiaomu's heart tightened; he silently thought, 'Not good.'

Almost at the same moment, countless torches suddenly flared up on the cliff's summit, illuminating the entire cliff.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

A cry of alarm rose from the top of the cliff.

Immediately after, countless rolling stones and felled logs rained down, striking the soldiers climbing the cliff.

"Ah!"

Wails rose and fell; many soldiers were struck by the rolling stones and logs and plunged off the cliff.

Jiang Xiaomu watched helplessly as the soldiers beside him fell one by one into the abyss, his heart filled with rage.