Chapter 320

At dawn on the second day, Jiang Mingyu ordered the heads of the prisoners to be hung high above the city gate; within a single night, dozens of bloodstained severed heads dangled from the walls, horrifying to behold. When the people inside and outside Yingyuan awoke, they saw this brutal spectacle and drew in sharp breaths, faces twisted with terror. Soon, every resident of the city knew they had a new master—one who demanded absolute obedience.

Jiang Mingyu sat in the grand hall of the governor’s mansion, his cold gaze sweeping over a group of captives. These were the officials and wealthy gentry of Yingyuan, bound and kneeling on the ground, wailing in fear. Jiang Mingyu made no haste in punishing them; he let them wait in dread for his judgment.

“Who are you?” Jiang Mingyu asked, his voice icy.

One captive lifted his head, trembling, and said, “Great King, I am Li Pu, the Prefect of Yingyuan. I beg Your Majesty to spare me!”

Jiang Mingyu sneered. “Spare you? You served the Western Xia, oppressed the people—what right do you have to beg for mercy?”

Li Pu cried out in terror, “Great King, we were forced! King Tuoba Jiqian threatened and bribed us—we had no choice. We are loyal to you, we simply never had the chance to prove it!”

Jiang Mingyu scoffed. “Your loyalty? I’ve seen it clearly. You’re nothing but opportunistic traitors—yesterday you surrendered to Western Xia, today to me, tomorrow to someone else. Your loyalty serves only your own interests; your conscience was long ago devoured by dogs.”

Li Pu wept, “Great King, you misunderstand! We acted out of desperation! We beg to serve you—only grant us a chance to live!”

Jiang Mingyu shook his head. “I don’t believe your words. I don’t want your lives. I won’t pardon your crimes. I feel no pity for your deaths. Your only path to survival is to reveal the military intelligence and movements of King Tuoba Jiqian. Otherwise, join your comrades—hang from these walls, to be pecked apart by birds and beasts.”

Hearing this, Li Pu and the other captives turned pale, speechless. They knew Jiang Mingyu would not spare them—their fate was sealed. All they could hope for was someone to rescue them… or avenge them.

Five days later, Jiang Mingyu entered his tent and summoned his trusted aides, Tukesiluo and his deputy Fang Hang, to discuss the next campaign.

“Report, Great King!” Both bowed respectfully, eyes filled with awe.

Jiang Mingyu smiled. “Yingyuan has fallen to our forces, and the townsfolk are gradually calming down—would you agree?”

Tukesiluo nodded eagerly. “Indeed! Under Your Majesty’s brilliant command, our troops struck unexpectedly and pressed the assault relentlessly—until Yingyuan’s walls finally broke. Now, the heads of its former rulers hang from the ramparts, proclaiming Your Majesty’s might. The people tremble and submit without resistance!”

Fang Hang added quickly, “Exactly! We marched a thousand li into enemy territory and caught Western Xia completely off guard. Capturing such a vital stronghold in so short a time—only Your Majesty’s divine strategy and surprise tactics could achieve this!”

Jiang Mingyu waved his hand. “Enough. Yingyuan is but a small town—its capture was easy. The real test lies ahead. Do not grow careless. It is winter—we cannot linger here. Will we march on Tanzhou at first light tomorrow?”

Tukesiluo frowned. “Great King, we’ve already penetrated deep into Western Xia’s heartland. Why not press our advantage, advance north to capture Pingci? That would strike at their very roots and directly threaten their capital—wouldn’t that be better?”

Fang Hang agreed. “Yes! Pingci lies directly north of Yingyuan—the path is clear. Take it, and we can march straight to the Western Xia capital, opening our route home—easily!”

Jiang Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly. “You speak sense—but such a move is too reckless. Pingci lies in a frozen, snowbound wasteland; our troops cannot endure it. If Tuoba Jiqian arrives with a hundred thousand men, we’ll be trapped, surrounded on all sides.”

Tukesiluo and Fang Hang were stunned, suddenly grasping the peril of the plan.

Jiang Mingyu continued, “While securing our route home is vital, severing the enemy’s supply lines is the key to victory. We’ve marched a thousand li into their land—we must control the critical passes. Our main target is Tanzhou: to cut off Western Xia’s reinforcements and annihilate every enemy force that dares come!”

The two men suddenly understood, clapping in admiration. “Brilliant! Your Majesty’s wisdom and valor are unmatched! We are fools—how could we ever match even a fraction of your insight!”

That evening, ten thousand dan of grain arrived from Cangzhou, accompanied by Wu Ziyu, a trusted agent dispatched by Zhuge Yu to oversee operations, who enjoyed Zhuge Yu’s complete trust.

Jiang Mingyu questioned Wu Ziyu closely on military intelligence and grain logistics from Cangzhou. Wu Ziyu answered every question fully, without concealment.

Before dawn the next day, Jiang Mingyu led his four-hundred-thousand-strong army out of Yingyuan. According to the map, reaching Tanzhou required a three-thousand-li march—meaning they would endure the entire winter on the road.

Jiang Mingyu sighed. “We’ll likely spend the New Year on the march… Prepare yourselves, men—this journey will be brutal.”

Tukesiluo smiled apologetically. “Your Majesty need not worry! Precisely because we march during Western Xia’s coldest season, they’ll be powerless to retaliate…”

Jiang Mingyu nodded. “We’ve marched a thousand li—our troops are exhausted. Once we take Tanzhou, we’ll still need to split forces to capture Pingci and Jingdian. By the time we reach the Western Xia capital, spring will have come. Their morale will rise, and they’ll fight to the death.”

Fang Hang hurried to reassure him. “Your Majesty, don’t fret! By then, Western Xia will have lost every southern county—their grain stores will be empty. Even in spring, the north remains frozen. Without supplies or reinforcements, they’ll be like a starving camel—still large, but broken. Taking their cities will be inevitable!”

Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily, as if a heavy burden had lifted from his chest. The generals joined in, laughter swelling their spirits.

That night, Tukesiluo stood alone atop the high city wall, gazing toward the Western Xia capital. The setting sun painted the desert red, staining the horizon. Far off, the Western Xia capital glowed golden under the dusk—its towering walls and colorful pagodas blurred into silhouettes in Jiang Mingyu’s gaze.

A pang of homesickness stirred in Tukesiluo’s heart; this desolate landscape reminded him of his homeland. Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. He turned to see Jiang Mingyu walking over, smiling.

“Why are you standing here alone?” Jiang Mingyu stepped beside him, following his gaze toward the Western Xia capital. “Thinking of home?”

“Not entirely,” Tukesiluo replied with a faint smile. “I was wondering why the Western Xia royal family chose to build their capital here. This vast, barren wasteland—it’s a cursed place, terrible feng shui. Isn’t it suspicious? Could the Western Xia king be hiding some trap here? That’s why he built his capital where nothing grows?”

Jiang Mingyu raised an eyebrow, studying the distant capital. The golden city shimmered like a dream under the sunset, its palaces and pagodas solemn and mysterious. “Perhaps their ancestors had secrets they couldn’t speak of,” he teased.

Tukesiluo chuckled. “Ha! Maybe the Western Xia king’s brain got filled with sand—frozen stiff by the wind! What tricks could he possibly play here?” The two men laughed together, neither noticing a golden bird soaring high above them—a massive golden eagle, its wings flashing gold in the dying light.

“Look at that bird!” Tukesiluo exclaimed. Jiang Mingyu squinted—the eagle had flown over the Western Xia capital’s walls, heading southwest. “Why would the Western Xia king release a messenger pigeon?” Jiang Mingyu grew alert. “That’s a trained war bird—it’s carrying military intelligence,” Tukesiluo judged. They exchanged glances, each seeing the same suspicion in the other’s eyes…

“Brother, I think the Western Xia king is mobilizing troops,” Tukesiluo said. Jiang Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: “Likely summoning reinforcements. We must seize Tanzhou quickly—cut off their supply lines.” They locked eyes and smiled—united in strategy.