Chapter 303: To Surrender or Not to Surrender, That Is the Question

Jiang Jiang Mingyu and his party trekked along a mountain path strewn with falling yellow leaves, their feet crunching fragile dead branches with a "creak, creak" sound. This endless autumn scenery inexplicably stirred a touch of melancholy in Jiang Jiang Mingyu—had Fang Hang and Dog Egg already received orders? Where were they now?

He helplessly shook his head, mocking himself for such rare sentimentality. The current situation had reached its most critical point; he ought to focus his mind and body entirely, giving his all. Yet, thinking of the eve of ending this long campaign, numerous thoughts still surged to his heart, refusing to fade.

At this moment, Tu Tu Kesiluo walked to his side and asked with concern, "Big Brother, what are you thinking about? Are you worried about Dog Egg and the others' battle?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu came to his senses, smiled, and patted Tu Tu Kesiluo's shoulder: "Haha, I was just thinking of them. Truly, a brother with whom I share a telepathic bond!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo frowned and said, "At this final critical moment, could you be worried?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed and shook his head: "Worried? How could I! Dog Egg has followed you for so many years; how could you not know him? With his shrewdness and capability, the siege battle will be unstoppable. Rest assured, I predict they have already captured Huzhou and are now leading our forces north!"

Hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo was slightly stunned, then immediately showed a relieved smile: "Big Brother speaks truly! I indeed underestimated Dog Egg. Rest assured! With their strength aiding our northward advance, Li Li Haoyang will never have a chance to turn the tables!"

The two exchanged a smile, seeing determination and hope in each other's eyes. At this moment, the guide pointed ahead and spoke: "My lord, ahead is Jizhou City! We have nearly reached the place of decisive battle!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart tightened; he took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and strode forward: "Come, in this battle, we will surely win!"

This campaign had been brewing in him for a long time, waiting only to deliver the final blow to Li Li Haoyang. Once Jizhou City falls, the great cause will be accomplished! Thinking of this, a light of unyielding determination shone in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes. He knew he could not lose, and would not lose.

After drilling in the mountains for seven or eight days, the guide, whose face had turned sallow, suddenly spoke.

"Your Majesty, thirty li ahead is Jizhou City!" The guide's voice was exceptionally clear in the silent mountain forest.

A light shone in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes; he looked at Tu Tu Kesiluo beside him, and both saw a gleam of ambition in each other's gaze—this land occupied by the Great Liao for decades would finally be fully reclaimed!

Tu Tu Kesiluo scanned the surroundings, a satisfied smile rising on his lips: "Big Brother, we haven't encountered a single enemy force along this entire route, proving that Fang Hang and Feng Xiwai's strategy has already taken effect! How many ministers does Li Li Haoyang have left? Once Jizhou City falls, he will truly be unable to take a single step!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed loudly, patting Tu Tu Kesiluo's shoulder: "Exactly so! Li Li Haoyang is now beset by internal troubles and external threats, in a wretched state! This final victory is firmly in our army's hands!" Speaking thus, he could not help recalling the years of fierce slaughter and warfare against the Great Liao; today, the dawn of victory had finally arrived, filling his heart with heroic spirit!

Jiang Jiang Mingyu took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and stepped more firmly onto this land beneath his feet. He raised his arm high and forcefully brought it down, immediately issuing orders to the four wilds: "The entire army will camp here tonight; eat well and sleep enough! Tomorrow morning, set out on time, strike directly at Jizhou, and perish together with Li Li Haoyang!"

The camp was quickly erected; the aroma of roasted meat and the laughter of soldiers filled the mountains.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised his cup and drank heartily with everyone, celebrating the imminent victory. Tu Tu Kesiluo also rarely drank himself into a stupor, and Zhang Zhang Jiani was so excited her eyes turned red.

"Big Brother, I am truly too happy! This war has lasted so long, and it is about to end!" Zhang Zhang Jiani's voice trembled slightly, tears welling in her eyes.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and nodded; he looked at the great army behind him. At this very moment, the soldiers' faces were filled with unmasked joy and expectation.

Some lay on the ground eating meat in great mouthfuls, others talked loudly in groups of three or five, and many were already drunk and stumbling about.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly felt a strange, nameless emotion.

These ordinary soldiers might not fully understand the meaning of this war, but they were about to follow him to win this difficult victory. Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew that what he bore on his shoulders was their entire hope and trust.

As night deepened, other camps had already fallen silent, yet the light in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's main tent burned brightly.

The generals in the tent retired to sleep one by one; the rustling of breathing made Jiang Jiang Mingyu unable to help but feel emotional—these brothers who had followed him for over a decade, fighting with blood and sweat, would, after achieving success in tomorrow's battle, possess supreme glory and rewards.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu unconsciously felt filled with gratitude toward them.

At this moment, a deafening snore suddenly came from outside the tent, forcibly interrupting Jiang Jiang Mingyu's thoughts.

He lifted the curtain and walked out, seeing that outside the main tent, everyone was already fast asleep—some lay on their backs with mouths wide open, snoring loudly; others slept on their sides clutching wine bottles; some, drunk, slept in extremely indecorous postures.

This chaotic scene made Jiang Jiang Mingyu unable to help but laugh; he then realized that these soldiers had completely relaxed mentally, because they firmly believed their lord would surely bring them victory!

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gently placed his hand on the tent curtain, allowing the deafening snores to surround him.

With firm steps, Jiang Jiang Mingyu led five hundred and fifty thousand troops out of the mountain ravine in single file. Sunlight pierced through the gaps between the ravines, casting a patchwork of light and shadow.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu squinted his eyes, adjusted to the blinding sunlight, and then cast his gaze around. Having not seen the sky for a long time, this golden scene made him feel somewhat unfamiliar. A few households scattered along the ravine hurriedly packed their belongings and fled; their terrified glances made Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneer coldly.

The great army marched on in a mighty procession; the countryside was utterly silent. Occasionally, an elderly person or child left behind would hide behind a house and secretly observe this invading army, their eyes full of unease and panic.

Half an hour later, the sturdy walls of Jizhou City finally appeared before their eyes. Jiang Jiang Mingyu quickened his pace, arriving at the city walls first, and looked up at the heavily guarded pass. His cold sneer grew even sharper; the hatred of many days was hidden behind this city.

"Li Li Haoyang, oh Li Li Haoyang, did you ever imagine that I would bring troops here today?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu murmured to himself, his eyes gradually gathering a killing intent. Looking at his five hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, he raised the Liu Tianyu Spear high and roared: "To subdue the Great Liao, it is in this battle!"

Li Li Haoyang spat in hatred; the words "repel the enemy" made him want to laugh. Since Jiang Jiang Mingyu entered Hongzhou, there had been no victory reports on his desk, only news of defeats.

He reached for the defeat report on the table, his wrinkled hand trembling slightly. It was the first battle report of Fei Long's death, the handwriting trembling with the writer's terror. He still remembered the moment he saw it, the feeling of a hidden pain in his heart.

Then came the final destruction of Wang Wang Sichao; the blood-written letter sent from the front lines was illegible, with only the large characters "Failure" striking the heart. Failure, failure after failure, as if dark tides were devouring the Great Liao's Jiangshan.

Wu Wu Yongyan, Kuang Kuang Boya. Li Li Haoyang bitterly smiled as he pulled out and read the battle reports of the two. He had thought he could cut Jiang Jiang Mingyu in half, yet now they were breached so easily. At this very moment, their bodies were likely rotting in the wilderness.

Li Li Haoyang's fingers dug deep into his temples; the throbbing temporal nerves reminded him that only fifty thousand veteran soldiers and one hundred and fifty thousand new recruits remained within Jizhou City. Outside was Jiang Jiang Mingyu's six hundred thousand-strong army; a twenty-fold difference meant that no matter what, it was throwing an egg against a rock.

His gaze fell upon several new recruits, those young men flailing about; what could they do to Jiang Jiang Mingyu?

"How to repel the enemy?" Li Li Haoyang murmured to himself. Repel the enemy? What a joke! Is there any other path besides waiting to die...

Li Haoyan let out a bitter laugh, his eyes revealing helplessness and anxiety. He turned his head, looking toward Jinling, trying to find a shred of hope on his face. He asked in a hoarse voice: "Jinling, do you have any good strategy to breach the city?"

Jinling was Li Li Haoyang's trusted minister and also his most trusted strategist. He had always followed Li Li Haoyang, from a small general to the current Emperor. He had seen Li Li Haoyang's glory and also his predicament. But this time, he was powerless.

He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, then spoke: "Your Majesty, I have one word to say; I do not know if I should speak it or not?"

Li Li Haoyang looked at him eagerly, thinking: Could Jinling have some wonderful stratagem? He hurriedly said: "What time is this? What is there you dare not say? Speak quickly!"

Jinling sighed and lowered his head. He knew Li Li Haoyang placed high hopes on him, but he also knew that what he was about to say would disappoint or even anger Li Li Haoyang. Summoning his courage, he said: "Your Majesty, Jiang Jiang Mingyu comes like a mountain-shaking tsunami; our army is newly formed and is absolutely no match for him. Fang Hang and Li Dog Egg have been invincible in capturing Huzhou; our army has suffered continuous losses of soldiers and officers. Feng Xiwai is also attacking Jizhou like a madman; commanders in various commanderies are exhausted trying to cope, with no time to return troops to aid the king. The best course of action now is... is..."

Speaking thus, he paused, looking at Li Li Haoyang's face. He found Li Li Haoyang's eyes had turned cold and sharp, like a knife. He was startled in his heart, but still gritted his teeth and spoke those two words: "Surrender."

Having said this, he closed his eyes and knelt before Li Li Haoyang. "Your Majesty, these are my heartfelt words; I beg Your Majesty to judge clearly."

Surrender? Hearing this word, Li Li Haoyang felt as if struck by lightning. He could not believe his ears. He glared at Jinling, wanting to explode, yet found himself speechless. Because he knew Jinling was speaking the truth.

"You... what did you say?" he asked in terror, his eyes filled with unwillingness and anger.

Jinling raised his head, his eyes firm yet sorrowful.

"Your Majesty, I speak the truth. Jiang Jiang Mingyu has already controlled more than half of the world; his army is unparalleled in excellence; our resistance is merely futile."

"If we continue to resist stubbornly, it will only cause more common people and soldiers to sacrifice their lives, and will also make Jiang Jiang Mingyu more ruthless toward us."

"Only by surrendering can we preserve our lives, and perhaps retain some dignity."

"Your Majesty, you are the parent of all under heaven; you should think for all under heaven, and not let them suffer the devastation of war any longer."

After speaking, he knelt on the ground again, tears sliding down his cheeks.