Chapter 302: Schemes by Night, The Battle of Jizhou Breaks Out Immediately

The noon sun filtered through the gaps between the city's towering skyscrapers, spilling onto the quiet streets. It was not too hot during the day, with a gentle breeze blowing. Kuang Kuang Boya walked briskly, pacing along this wide road. His tightly furrowed brows and lips that occasionally muttered revealed the fierce internal struggle taking place in his mind.

Fuxiang, Li Li Haoyang's last piece of territory in Hongzhou, was only one step away from falling. Yet Kuang Kuang Boya knew clearly that his own position was not secure. He must establish outstanding military merit in the campaign to conquer Fuxiang to earn Jiang Jiang Mingyu's complete trust. Only by personally beheading Wu Wu Yongyan, the Governor of Fuxiang, could he prove his loyalty. This thought occupied his entire brain, urging him to constantly think and devise various schemes.

Finally, a bold idea took shape in his mind. This was the reason he had requested an audience with Jiang Jiang Mingyu...

On the bustling city street, after deep consideration, Kuang Kuang Boya spoke seriously: "Your Majesty, I have already accepted the surrender of the entire Dingchuan city. Now, the whole of Hongzhou has only the Fuxiang commandery left. I guess Your Majesty will soon send troops to seize it."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu merely turned half his face, asking lightly: "General Kuang, do you have any clever strategy for a quick victory?"

"Your Majesty, I have already thought it through." Kuang Kuang Boya rubbed his hands together excitedly, his eyes burning with intensity. "Please dispatch the Marquis of Zhennuo to accompany me into the city. I guarantee I can behead Wu Wu Yongyan in the blink of an eye! At that time, the city will naturally fall into our hands."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised an eyebrow; it seemed this strategy was quite a compromise. He pondered for a moment before saying, "How exactly will it be implemented? Explain in detail."

After hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo also fell into deep thought. Although this strategy was bold, the risks he faced were not to be underestimated. Kuang Kuang Boya was an extremely unpredictable person; if anything happened in the city, he feared he might not escape disaster... This series of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

However, thinking again, Li Li Haoyang was now at the end of his road; Kuang Kuang Boya would certainly not perish with him. Thinking of this, Tu Tu Kesiluo smiled slightly and clapped his hands, saying, "Brother, let us proceed according to this plan. I am willing to go to Fuxiang!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Zhang Zhang Jiani still wore expressions of worry on their faces. Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately added, "Please rest assured; I know my limits."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu hesitated three times before finally nodding. He spoke in a deep voice, instructing, "Brother, this concerns my great-nephew; you must be extra careful!" Tu Tu Kesiluo laughed heartily and said, "I have not yet seen your great-nephew; how could I possibly be careless?"

Seeing that Jiang Jiang Mingyu had agreed, Kuang Kuang Boya secretly rejoiced in his heart. He immediately said to Tu Tu Kesiluo, "My Lord, time waits for no one; let us set out tomorrow morning!"

The next day, after bidding farewell to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, Tu Tu Kesiluo and the other two led Kuang Kuang Boya's eighty thousand troops and quietly marched toward Fuxiang. Jiang Jiang Mingyu watched the two depart; the group soon disappeared into the dust in the distance. He stood in place, unable to look away for a long time, as worry and anxiety gradually filled his heart.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew deeply that this opportunity to attack the city was rare and the key to determining success or failure. Yet the risks of this strategy were equally not to be underestimated—once Tu Tu Kesiluo went, his life and death would be in the hands of the enemy. If something changed within the city, the consequences would be unimaginable... Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the various tragic scenes floating in his mind. He told himself this was the only way, yet unease still tugged at him, lingering for a long time.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jiang Mingyu left Zhang Zhang Jiani behind with four hundred thousand troops to rest, while he alone led one hundred and fifty thousand men, following far behind.

Two days later, Jiang Jiang Mingyu led his army following far behind. This long wait made his heart a tangled mess; his brows were tightly furrowed, and he had almost no desire for small talk. At this moment, a rolling column of thick smoke suddenly shot up into the sky in the distance. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart immediately rose to his throat—could something have happened in the city?! He gripped the saddle tightly, his eyes staring fixedly at the city walls. Just as despair was about to swallow him, several fireworks suddenly shot up from the city walls with a "Boom!", bursting into dazzling red light.

When the rolling dust shot up into the sky, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt his heartbeat stop. He gripped the saddle tightly, staring unblinkingly at the black smoke rolling up into the sky above the distant city, and the figures and buildings faintly visible amidst the flames. This was an agonizingly long moment, maddening in its duration; he did not even have time to wipe the sweat beads seeping from the corners of his eyes, praying only—please, let there be no mishap!

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was extremely anxious, the city gate creaked open with a "Squeak—". A tall figure covered in blood leaped out on horseback. In the instant he recognized that person's appearance, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was so excited he almost shouted out!

"Hahaha, brother! You have finally returned safely! Is everything well in the city?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu happily patted Tu Tu Kesiluo's shoulder. Tu Tu Kesiluo wiped away the sweat and blood, smiling wearily but contentedly: "Big Brother, rest assured; Fuxiang has now fallen into our hands! Wu Wu Yongyan and others have all been beheaded, and Kuang Kuang Boya has also established quite a few merits; he is waiting for your promotion."

After hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily, went to see Kuang Kuang Boya, promoted everyone in their party by one rank, and generously rewarded them with treasures. Only then did he lead the army to enter the city in a single file, incorporating the newly surrendered sixty thousand enemy troops under his command. With one great achievement accomplished, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was in high spirits, and the vitality on his face even increased several folds.

The next morning, everything had settled. Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat in the main commander's tent, gazing at the map and pondering for a long time. After a long while, he looked up at Tu Tu Kesiluo, his tone revealing the firm determination of one who is sure of victory: "I have already ordered someone to send a message to Fang Hang; the time is only a few days away from our agreed date... Now, all we need to do is wait for the timing to mature and annihilate Li Li Haoyang in one stroke!"

At midnight two days later, the four hundred thousand troops led by Zhang Zhang Jiani finally entered Fuxiang.

After resting in Fuxiang for another day, Jiang Jiang Mingyu spoke to everyone.

"Tomorrow, our army will attack Jizhou. The goal of this battle is only one: Li Li Haoyang's stronghold—the city of Jizhou."

"All surrounding commandery cities will be spared. Once Jizhou city is broken, Li Li Haoyang's forces will surely scatter like stars and clouds."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed at the flickering candlelight, his face revealing determination and resolve. The deputy general left to guard Fuxiang had already received orders to defend the city; next, he would lead the main force directly to Jizhou, annihilate the remaining forces of Great Liao, and seize Li Li Haoyang's stronghold in one stroke!

This decisive battle had been brewing for a long time, but Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew deeply that a direct frontal assault was easy to defend against and difficult to attack. Li Li Haoyang would eventually mobilize all the troops of Jizhou city, gathering his last strength to defend the city stubbornly. A huge number of casualties was inevitable, but for the ultimate victory, he had to throw caution to the wind!

The next morning, four hundred thousand troops marched out in a grand procession. Jiang Jiang Mingyu, dressed in military uniform and riding boots, stood on the high city wall looking back. Facing the rising morning sun, a glance revealed battle formations winding for several miles, with momentum like a soaring dragon. Amidst the clangorous and powerful sound of horns, he shouted: "Set out! Seize the final victory!" The soldiers' morale soared greatly, rushing confidently toward the end of their destiny...

At the same time, Feng Feng Xiwei had also led his army directly into the territory of Jizhou. This time, he understood his role was to distract the attention of Li Li Haoyang's main force. So Feng Feng Xiwei raised a loud clamor, creating the appearance of a massive attack on the city.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at the generals and soldiers coming and going in the ranks, his expression complex. This final life-and-death struggle required him to go all out, yet the odds of victory were uncertain. When ordering the soldiers to advance, Jiang Jiang Mingyu involuntarily paused, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

At this moment, Tu Tu Kesiluo walked to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's side, startling him from his chaotic thoughts. Tu Tu Kesiluo frowned as he looked at the grand army and asked, "Big Brother, this is the final critical moment; do you have any worries you haven't told me?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sighed lightly and patted Tu Tu Kesiluo's shoulder: "I am only worried that Li Li Haoyang's army will split into two routes and attack our army from front and rear. Once we are surrounded on all sides, our situation will be extremely unfavorable..." Saying this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu fell into deep thought again, his brows tightly furrowed.

Seeing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo hurriedly spoke: "Big Brother, rest assured; with our loyal forces present, we will surely defeat such scum!" Only then did Jiang Jiang Mingyu turn around, smiling with full confidence: "Good! With you all here, how could we possibly lose to Li Li Haoyang?"

"But rest assured, I have already sent Feng Feng Xiwei to lead a detachment of troops to feign an attack on the outskirts of Jizhou."

"This move will surely draw away a large portion of Li Li Haoyang's troops to fight them. We can then take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Jizhou city and strike directly at the vital point!"

After hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo suddenly understood: "So Big Brother had arranged this long ago; your thinking is excellent!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled: "Otherwise, how do you think I had the leisure to wait for the attack? Li Li Haoyang's eyes are now only on Feng Feng Xiwei, this big fish; who would think that a pack of tigers and wolves is hiding in the mountains?"

As they spoke, the group had already entered the mountains. Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand to order the army to stop. He stood at a high point, looking around, and only after confirming their concealment did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.