Chapter 353: Insidious Scheme

When this numerically vast enemy army arrived at the city walls, the battle did not begin immediately.

The enemy army pressed their formation outside the city and halted.

Afterwards, several dozen cavalry who had been pressed into service in the middle broke out of the crowd and reached the foot of the city.

They raised a banner bearing the character "Gu," shouting that they didn't want arrows shot, just wanted to talk, and came to a point about half an arrow's distance outside the city.

At that distance, Chen Wuji was absolutely confident he could kill the enemy commander with a single arrow.

But he didn't do that; the one who came to the city below was obviously not an important figure.

He had seen the guy on the white horse the previous night; at that moment the man was standing before the main army formation and did not step forward.

If nothing unexpected happened, that person should be the chief commander of the Gu-Li-Xue alliance.

"What do you want to talk about? Speak!" Chen Wuji shouted loudly from the city wall, drawing on his dantian energy.

Although it was only half an arrow's distance away, without a bit of skill and a loud enough shout, communication would not be easy.

"By order of our general, I respectfully inform the Qin County magistrate and Deputy Commander Chen: release our clanspeople, and our general will likewise release the villagers of Xishan Village. If you two are obstinate and unyielding, our general doesn't mind exchanging one for one."

The enemy officer below the city shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Say something human, stop giving me this neither‑civil‑nor‑rustic nonsense—doesn't it annoy you to hear it?" Chen Wuji scolded disparagingly, also issuing a warning.

"Our general said, release the people, or we'll all kill each other!"

That person obediently switched to a shorter phrasing.

"No release, get lost!" Chen Wuji bluntly refused him.

As for Xishan Village, he truly wasn't worried about it.

He was well aware of the methods of Chen Bushi and Chen Luozi.

"Wait, wait a bit before you get lost—tell the guy on the white donkey to retreat his troops, or else I'll first cut down the Gu family members, then hang them one by one on this city wall for you all to admire." Chen Wuji shouted.

The man on the white horse stood beneath the great banner and the flag bearing the character "Gu," and he was likely of Gu lineage.

It's laughable that an alliance of several local powerful clans even went so far as to raise a great banner.

But what characters were written on it, Chen Wuji couldn't make out because the distance was too great.

Yet from hearing that officer's shout down below, the other side must certainly be a general.

However, how this general came to be is unknown.

But even the official rank that Lu Ping'an had been granted is hardly different from the idea of "putting a cap on a monkey."

"Deputy Commander Chen, do you really intend to be so obstinate and unfeeling? When two armies clash, disaster should not extend to the clans." The officer below the city did not leave immediately, but shouted again at the top of his voice.

Chen Wuji shouted: "Sorry, I'm a petty person, I just like doing this! Go deliver the message—if you don't get lost, just stay here."

Seeing an archer rack set up on the wall, that officer's face darkened, and he quickly spurred his horse away.

Xu Zengyi laughed and said: "As expected, having no scruples still works."

Chen Wuji glanced at Xu Zengyi and thought, "We're the eldest brother—no need to mention the second brother."

Speaking of low standards, Chen Wuji felt he was slightly better than Xu Zengyi.

With just a slight turn of this old man's mind, Jia Xu would have to clap his hands in delight.

"They probably haven't gained anything in Xishan Village; if they had, they'd surely have already pushed to the front lines to negotiate with me—why waste all this talk?" Chen Wuji said.

"It's just a shame that the horses and cattle I just got my hands on might end up as someone else's dowry. I hope these brats haven't already gulled them down their throats, or else I'd truly feel heartbroken."

Those cattle, sheep, and horses were the capital Chen Wuji had prepared for starting his venture.

If it weren't truly unavoidable, he really wouldn't want to abandon those livestock.

"Indeed a shame." Xu Zengyi also sighed: "The horses should be left behind, but the cattle and sheep are hard to say— they've conscripted so many soldiers, and the cost of feeding people and horses is not low."

"Don't talk about it—just saying it makes my flesh ache."

"Archers, get ready!" Chen Wuji shouted loudly.

At the command, countless bows rose up on the city wall.

Although among Chen Wuji's troops there were hardly any genuine archers,

but in a city‑defense battle, anyone can be an archer.

Nothing else—having many bows and many arrows is extravagant; letting everyone treat it as practice is fine.

In the battle against the Qiang people, Chen Wuji captured a large quantity of bows and arrows.

While the enemy army had not yet approached the city, everyone could take a shot.

Even if aim is poor and stamina lacking, with enough numbers, a blind cat hitting a mouse can still cause some damage.

When the enemy army draws near the city and rolling logs, stones, and golden broth can be put to use, they'll switch immediately— the true archers keep shooting arrows, while the others change to other means.

With resources, Chen Wuji will certainly make full use of them, seeking every opportunity to inflict maximal damage.

"Damn it!" Xu Zengyi suddenly shouted.

Chen Wuji watched the enemy's movements, and his face also darkened.

Only to see a large number of ragged civilians being driven out from behind the enemy ranks, just like herding sheep, they were driven toward the city gate, followed by a unit whose weapons were relatively uniform, wielding broad sabers.

"They don't look like the villagers of Xishan Village." Chen Wuji said.

"Isn't it?"

"I don't think so." Chen Wuji shook his head.

"But it's indeed bad— this brat seems to be driving civilians to assault the city; in my first siege defense, how did I run into this kind of scum?"

Chen Wuji was genuinely angry.

Because the enemy's tactic is truly excessively insidious, he saw it but had no strategy to break the situation.

"Can we let them enter the city?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Yes." Xu Zengyi gave an affirmative reply: "They want these civilians to be the first to climb up; let them do so. Anyone who abandons their weapons, the deputy commander will let them go up onto the wall."

"If they intend to use these civilians to attack the gate, we really have no choice but to slaughter them. But as for who gets to climb the wall and who doesn't— isn't that up to us to decide?"

Chen Wuji hearing these words, his heart slightly eased, "But there is also a chance."

If these civilians are enemy troops in disguise, letting them up onto the city wall would ruin everything.

I know what the Commandant worries about; just have these civilians remove their clothes, then after they go up onto the city, immediately bring them down to guard the city. Xu Zengyi said, "Moreover, we must keep the speed in check, not let them all rush up onto the city wall at once; these conditions cannot be abandoned, violators must be executed!"

These civilians, we can only save part of them; we definitely cannot save everyone.

Chen Wuji nodded, "If we can save some, let's save them; who would dare hope to save everyone in such a situation?"

Everyone, hear my order: command the civilians below the city, if they want to live, discard their weapons, remove their clothes, climb the city one by one; violators will be treated as enemy troops and executed!