[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-313":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289148,4475,"Chapter 313: The Empty City Strategy","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-313",313,"\u003Cp>At the third watch, the normally sleeping Shangmu City was jolted awake. A unit of Western Xia soldiers slipped silently into the city, led by the famed Western Xia general Mo Yanbin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move carefully—don’t alert the Southern barbarians inside,” Mo Yanbin whispered to his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Western Xia soldiers crept forward step by step toward the city center. The silent night filled the timid soldiers with dread, fearing they might awaken the Southern barbarians and invite death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, what shall we do with these Southern barbarians?” Yan Anfu, trailing behind Mo Yanbin, asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Capture one first for interrogation—find the location of their main camp, then annihilate them all at once,” Mo Yanbin said with firm resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, brilliant flames erupted all around, leaving the Western Xia soldiers stunned. Then, a commanding male voice shattered the night: “Mo Yanbin, do you still recognize me, Jiang Mingyu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What... what is this?!” Mo Yanbin’s face turned ashen. Soon after, Fang Hang’s reinforcements surrounded the Western Xia troops on all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Close the city gates!” came a command from afar—the gates slammed shut, trapping Mo Yanbin’s reinforcements outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the flickering firelight, a young man stepped forward—it was Jiang Mingyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t expect this, did you, General Mo? I told you before—there were no ambushes in the city. If you’d simply marched in back then, you’d now be a pile of cold corpses. How’s my Empty City Strategy, eh?” Jiang Mingyu taunted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You treacherous Southern barbarian, you’ve deceived me!” Mo Yanbin’s eyes burned red, craving to devour Jiang Mingyu alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down. I gave you a chance. But you insisted on charging in foolishly—don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Jiang Mingyu remained composed, then raised his sword and shouted: “Kill them all—leave not a single survivor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Protect the commander! Protect the commander!” Yan Anfu rushed to shield Mo Yanbin. Fang Hang’s flaming arrows rained down like meteors, and corpses soon littered the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must break out!” Yan Anfu gritted his teeth as the Western Xia soldiers desperately charged toward the encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a blade of blinding white light sliced through the night, aimed straight at Mo Yanbin’s throat. He barely parried, collapsing to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You won’t harm my commander even a little!” Yan Anfu roared, swinging his sword down at the attacker. The man sidestepped effortlessly; Yan Anfu’s strike missed, and he was kicked backward onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man pressed his sword tip against Yan Anfu’s throat and said coldly: “Jiang Mou today will take both your lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You vile Southern barbarian, how dare you insult the great Western Xia!” Mo Yanbin struggled to his feet. “I’ll fight you to the death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bold words! But Shangmu is destined to be your grave!” Jiang Mingyu retorted without backing down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two stood locked in tension, their battle fury surging. Then, distant shouts of battle echoed—the army of Tuoba Jiqian had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reinforcements are here! Ha! You Southern barbarian, today I’ll tear you limb from limb right here in Shangmu!” Mo Yanbin regained his courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s see if you have the guts!” Jiang Mingyu sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mo Yanbin, die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuke Sulu’s eyes blazed red as he lunged forward with his gleaming sword, aiming straight for Mo Yanbin’s throat. Mo Yanbin was locked in combat with a Da Jiang soldier and turned just in time—he couldn’t parry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Save the commander!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Anfu shouted and leapt toward Tuke Sulu. After a clash of blades, Yan Anfu was kicked away and crashed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out of my way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuke Sulu, a demon incarnate, thrust his sword at Yan Anfu. Yan Anfu barely rolled aside, scrambled up, and charged again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Yanbin, seeing Tuke Sulu’s ferocious advance, ignored the gashes on his body and swung his great blade at him. The two clashed fiercely, and Yan Anfu joined the fray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Roar!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Hang swung his long spear in a diagonal slash at Mo Yanbin. Mo Yanbin dodged and countered with a sweeping strike, kicking Fang Hang back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll handle this bald bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Anfu stepped in front of Fang Hang and clashed swords with him. The two fought evenly, neither gaining ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only death awaits you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuke Sulu seized the opening, darting behind Mo Yanbin with lightning speed, his blade flashing as it sliced toward his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Yanbin frantically raised his sword to block—but he was too weak. A jet of blood spurted from his neck, and his head tumbled to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha ha ha!” Tuke Sulu snatched Mo Yanbin’s head, leapt onto a rooftop, and raised it high. “Mo Yanbin is dead! Follow me—kill them all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander!” Yan Anfu cried out in anguish, unable to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You vile Southern barbarians—I’ll fight you to the death!” Tears blurred his vision; all that remained in his heart was slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a blade slashed from behind—Yan Anfu’s head fell cleanly to the ground. The attacker was Li Goudan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha ha ha! Western Xia beasts—you’ll join that bald bastard in hell!” Li Goudan kicked Yan Anfu’s head aside and grinned as he plunged back into battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their commander dead one after another, the Western Xia army’s morale plummeted. Surrounded on all sides, they had no path to survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me—avenge our commander!” someone shouted. Most of the Western Xia remnants fled the battlefield; those who remained fought desperately in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent! Blood for blood!” Jiang Mingyu wielded the Emperor’s Sword, cutting through enemies as if they were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cut them down!” Tuke Sulu swung his sword and charged into the thick of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the Western Xia remnants lay dead across the field—the battlefield fell into eerie silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are survivors! Kill them all!” The soldiers re-engaged, swiftly exterminating the last of the Western Xia. Dawn had broken; the bloody battle ended. Jiang Mingyu stood silently on the battlefield, mourning the fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After clearing the battlefield, Jiang Mingyu led his army back to Shangmu City. From afar, the Da Jiang banner flew high above the city walls, bathed in morning light, as if recounting this hard-won victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enemies still linger in the city—strengthen defenses and do not open the gates,” Jiang Mingyu ordered. The army entered the city in batches. Behind him, the gates slammed shut, sealing out the corpses and the thin morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through bloodstained alleys and streets, they reached the central square. The once-bustling marketplace now lay deathly silent; only a few crows took flight from ruined rooftops, crying out in mournful shrieks. The endless corpses on the square testified to the day’s brutal fighting. Jiang Mingyu walked past with a grim face, returning first to the Shangmu Royal Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You stay behind to oversee the wounded,” he told Tuke Sulu. “All other units must scour the city for Western Xia remnants. If you find Da Jiang captives like Liu Cong, rescue them at all costs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord.” Tuke Sulu departed. Jiang Mingyu watched him go, sighed wearily, and pushed open the palace door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-gleaming palace was now unrecognizable—walls cracked, roofs collapsed, debris scattered everywhere. He walked through the hall where the royal banner hung, soon spotting Tuoba Jiqian tending to his wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Half the Western Xia army is dead, and our losses are heavy,” Jiang Mingyu sat beside him. “But Shangmu has been reclaimed. This victory cost us too much blood and fire...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuoba Jiqian nodded silently, sighing: “I never expected the Western Xia to fight so desperately—they’re tougher than we thought.” They sat in silence, each lost in thought about the meaning of this victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, reports poured in from across the city: aside from scattered pockets of resistance, all Western Xia remnants had been eliminated. Liu Cong and the other Da Jiang captives had all been rescued. That night, Jiang Mingyu held a victory banquet in the palace to celebrate the recapture of Shangmu. The soldiers drank heartily; after three rounds of wine, exhaustion set in, and they gradually dispersed in pairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn the next day, under Jiang Mingyu’s supervision, the army began cleaning the battlefield. They collected and burned every corpse, cleared away ruined buildings. Three days later, Shangmu City was neat and clean—no trace of battle remained; everything was orderly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the deep quiet of night, Jiang Mingyu stood alone amid broken walls and rubble, gazing at the waning moon. The once-magnificent royal city lay in ruins, stained with blood and littered with debris. He sighed softly, pondering postwar reconstruction, when two soft hands wrapped around his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking about? You didn’t even notice me coming?” Jiang Mingyu turned in surprise, meeting Liu Yi’s tear-filled eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why aren’t you asleep?” he chided. “Aren’t you exhausted after these days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi pouted. “I just missed you... We finally got to see each other, and you’re already thinking about war again?” Her voice carried a hint of hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu chuckled softly, brushing her hair. “Alright, I haven’t forgotten you. But there’s just so much to think about...” he explained gently. Liu Yi smiled, tightening her hold on his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stood in quiet companionship, savoring this long-awaited warmth. Then Liu Yi suddenly perked up. “I just heard from Feng Xi that you suffered heavy losses last night? Tell me everything—how did it happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu shook his head helplessly and recounted the entire story of the Western Xia ambush and the siege battle. When he mentioned fifty thousand soldiers dead, her eyes welled up. “So tragic—fifty thousand lives! Don’t blame yourself too much; holding Shangmu was already a miracle.” She squeezed his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly, pulling her into his arms. “With you here, I fear nothing. As long as we’re together, we’ll crush all of Western Xia someday.” They stood embraced, drawing strength from the ruins. Then footsteps approached—Tuke Sulu walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report, Elder Brother—the western quarter is cleared. We burned the corpses and found several granaries.” He paused, noticing Liu Yi, and grew awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi quickly said, “Thank you, Tuke Sulu—rest early tonight!” Jiang Mingyu chuckled. “Good timing—if I don’t sleep soon, your sister-in-law will strangle me!” He winked at Tuke Sulu, who smiled and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That kid’s always obsessed with battle—never thinks of his own health,” they watched him go. “Hmm, unlike someone who clings the moment she arrives,” Jiang Mingyu teased. “You!” Liu Yi pinched him. They bantered back and forth, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>",1733,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f35f4d0cc9eece9036afbb3af49eca2ff98247bdd21055659059be662b84f20c","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-314","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-312",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]