Chapter 236

Soon, his 80, 00 men vanished into the swirling dust at top speed.

After another three days of marching, the exhausted army finally reached fifty li outside Yizhou City.

The scouts Tukesulu had sent out earlier had still not returned; they likely had not yet gathered what Jiang Mingyu needed.

After setting up camp and ordering the army to rest thoroughly, Jiang Mingyu fell into a deep sleep after his long journey.

Jiang Mingyu woke with bleary eyes; Tukesulu whispered, "Big brother, the scout's back—he says the time is ripe."

Jiang Mingyu startled, quickly saying, "Quick, bring him in for details."

A thin scout hurried in; Jiang Mingyu pressed, "What's the exact situation?"

"My lord, please look." The scout handed Jiang Mingyu a sheet of paper.

Jiang Mingyu took the paper and saw a map of Yizhou City's terrain and Hu Bo's troop deployments.

"Did you draw this yourselves?" Jiang Mingyu asked in surprise.

"Yes. While infiltrating Hu Bo's ranks to gather intelligence, we sketched this." The scout replied.

"You've worked hard indeed." Jiang Mingyu praised. "This map is invaluable to us."

"My lord overstates it. We merely fulfilled our duty." The scout replied humbly.

"Tell me—what's the current state of Hu Bo's and Chen Tang's forces?" Jiang Mingyu asked.

"We've confirmed Hu Bo has besieged the city for three days and nights, but Chen Tang's men hold firm. Hu Bo has suffered heavy losses; Chen Tang's forces are also badly depleted." The scout reported.

"How many troops does Hu Bo have left?" Jiang Mingyu pressed.

"Estimating from our observations, Hu Bo originally had 100, 00 men; now he has barely 40, 00 left." The scout answered.

"And Chen Tang?" Jiang Mingyu asked again.

"Chen Tang started with 20, 00 men; now he has barely 10, 00 left. Their grain supplies are nearly exhausted." The scout said.

"I see." Jiang Mingyu's eyes flickered with excitement. "Has Hu Bo received any messengers from Fei Hou?"

"Yes. We heard Fei Hou is furious Hu Bo hasn't taken Yizhou; he threatened to execute Hu Bo's family if he fails to capture the city within ten days." The scout said.

"Hmph. Fei Hou is a heartless master. Hu Bo fights for him, yet he treats him like this." Jiang Mingyu sneered.

"Exactly. So Hu Bo is terrified—he led his 40, 00 men to attack the city this morning. He's determined to fight to the death, success or ruin." The scout said.

"This is our chance." Jiang Mingyu's eyes gleamed. "Where is Zhuge Yu?"

"Master Zhuge Yu is waiting outside your tent, my lord." The scout said.

"Good. You may go. Rest well. Your service is noted." Jiang Mingyu said.

"Thank you, my lord!" The scouts chorused, then withdrew.

Jiang Mingyu rose and stepped out of the tent; Zhuge Yu and Tukesulu were both waiting there.

"My lord, you see? This is our best opportunity." Zhuge Yu smiled.

"Yes. I see. Your plan is brilliant." Jiang Mingyu praised.

"My lord flatters me. This success is only possible because of your wisdom and might." Zhuge Yu replied humbly.

"Big brother, when do we strike?" Tukesulu asked eagerly.

"Now." Jiang Mingyu said without hesitation. "Have the soldiers change into their uniforms and move out immediately."

As he spoke, he slipped on a set of leather armor he had prepared in advance.

Tukesulu grinned.

"Big brother, we've been ready all along—just waiting for your order."

Only then did Jiang Mingyu notice Tukesulu was wearing a similar leather armor. Stepping outside, he saw his 80, 00 troops had fully transformed into "regular troops" of Fei Hou's army.

This was Zhuge Yu's plan. These uniforms had been collected after they annihilated Ruan Chen's 100, 00-man army. Jiang Mingyu's next move was to join Hu Bo's assault under the guise of these "regular troops." Because of the uniforms, Hu Bo—short on troops and desperate to capture the city—would unquestioningly believe him.

Once they helped Hu Bo breach Yizhou City, Jiang Mingyu would turn on him—Hu Bo's forces would be annihilated. This way, they'd avoid heavy siege casualties and seize Yizhou effortlessly. Why not? Seeing all was ready, Jiang Mingyu waved his hand. "Scouts lead the way—ride hard for Yizhou City."

Eighty thousand troops surged forward like a flood toward Yizhou City. Jiang Mingyu and Tukesulu rode ahead; Li Goudan followed behind. "My lord, how do we approach Hu Bo?" Li Goudan asked.

"We say we're reinforcements sent by Fei Hou. Since he threatened Hu Bo, he must offer some incentive." Jiang Mingyu said.

"But how do we prove we're Fei Hou's men?" Li Goudan asked again.

"Simple. We just show the token Fei Hou gave us." Jiang Mingyu said.

"What token?" Li Goudan asked curiously.

"This." Jiang Mingyu pulled a golden jade pendant from his chest; it bore the character "Fei."

"Is this Fei Hou's pendant? How did you get it?" Li Goudan asked in surprise.

"I took it from Ruan Chen's body. Ruan Chen was Fei Hou's trusted aide; Fei Hou gave him this pendant as a symbol of trust. I'm certain Hu Bo knows its origin." Jiang Mingyu said.

"I see. My lord is truly ingenious." Li Goudan praised.

"Big brother, stop talking—Hu Bo's camp is right ahead." Tukesulu warned.

All three looked up; ahead, red banners fluttered, each emblazoned with a large "Hu" character.

"Good. We enter here." Jiang Mingyu said.

He spurred his horse forward without delay.

By the time Jiang Mingyu reached the foot of Yizhou City, the thunderous battle cries and dying soldiers' wails rode the wind into his ears.

Like ants, the "regular troops" raised shields and climbed ladders fearlessly.

On the city walls, defenders patiently rolled logs and hurled boulders, driving them back one by one.

But Jiang Mingyu quickly realized: though the rebel defenders held tightly, they were clearly losing ground. Chen Tang couldn't hold much longer!

As a group of unfamiliar troops entered the battlefield, a loud shout rang out.

"Halt! Who are you?" Jiang Mingyu turned to see a burly man watching him coldly amid the chaos—a subordinate general, wielding a great saber, his small eyes filled with suspicion. Jiang Mingyu instantly feigned nervousness and blurted out:

"I am Jiang Xinchén, the general appointed by His Majesty, leading 80, 00 troops to reinforce Commander Hu."

"Where is Commander Hu? Take me to him at once." The name was fabricated—there were countless officers in the Great Feng army; no one could know them all.

Seeing Jiang Mingyu wore official armor yet looked unfamiliar, the subordinate general hurried to say, "Wait, you—" Jiang Mingyu glanced at Tukesulu, spurred his horse forward, and snapped impatiently:

"Enough nonsense! If you delay His Majesty's mission, I'll cut your head off—lead the way now!" The sudden authority startled the general; seeing Tukesulu draw his blade, he quickly said:

"Forgive me, sir—this way." He led Jiang Mingyu's troops to the central command.

Hu Bo, bearded and weary, had already spotted Jiang Mingyu's arrival. As Jiang Mingyu predicted, desperate to capture the city and save his family, Hu Bo had no time for caution.

Still, he couldn't help asking: "His Majesty has no more troops to spare—where did your 80, 00 come from?" The matter was too critical to ignore.

Jiang Mingyu remained visibly tense. At Hu Bo's question, his bluster faded into irritation. "Commander Hu, rest assured—my 80, 00 troops are no rumor."

"His Majesty secretly recruited elite soldiers in the capital and personally issued them armor and weapons. These men are His Majesty's loyalists, willing to die for him without hesitation."

"If His Majesty hadn't been furious you've failed to take Yizhou despite your prolonged siege, do you think I'd want to wade into this mess?" His expression grew increasingly impatient.

"If Commander Hu doubts me, I'll simply return my troops to the capital."

"Besides, my family isn't held hostage by His Majesty. Hmph. Farewell." With that, he turned to leave.

Hu Bo, alarmed by his attitude, quickly blocked his path. "General Jiang, you misunderstand—I don't doubt you. I merely wish to understand better."

"You know Yizhou City is a vital stronghold of the Great Feng Empire—its defenders are numerous and strong. We've fought for half a month and only broken the outer defenses. Inside lie tens of thousands of elite troops and countless traps and devices—hard to breach."

"Your arrival with 80, 00 reinforcements is indeed good news. But you must understand: the situation here is complex. We cannot act rashly. We must first strategize to maximize our effectiveness."

Jiang Mingyu smiled inwardly. He knew Hu Bo's true intent—he wanted to seize command of his troops.

He dropped his arrogant demeanor and feigned deference.

"I see. Jiang Xinchén was merely eager to serve His Majesty and may have been impolite. If Commander Hu has plans, I will follow them."

"But the rebel defenders inside Yizhou have held out for half a month. If we delay further, they may perish. Please decide quickly—let us launch a decisive assault." Hu Bo nodded, slightly satisfied with Jiang Mingyu's tone.

"Don't worry. I've sent for the other generals. Once they arrive, we'll convene immediately. Rest here for now." With that, he turned to leave.