[{"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-331":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},2289166,4475,"Chapter 331: Surrender Is the Only Hope","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-331",331,"\u003Cp>Dawn light gently caressed the towering walls of Tang Xiang, the shadows of the garrison on the ramparts flickering in the morning glow. Jiang Mingyu, clad in silver armor and gripping a heavy sword, rode his steed through golden sunlight, overlooking the thirty thousand troops below, a chilling aura enveloping the entire battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within sight, desert winds swept sand, painting the heavens and earth a dull gray-yellow. In the distance, atop the snowfields, a towering city loomed—Tang Xiang, the vital western stronghold of Western Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu reined his horse and turned, gazing at the thirty thousand troops behind him, brimming with murderous intent. He sighed deeply: “This life-or-death struggle cannot end in failure!” With that, he cracked his whip, and his mount surged forward eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals roared in unison, their hunger for battle fierce, desperate to storm Tang Xiang and tear Wan Fanti to pieces. Only Tukesiluo smiled: “Lay down arms, serve the nation; our elders entrust us with this mission. Brother, we shall succeed!” Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly, yet his heart churned—vast Western Xia held secrets beyond reckoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the depths of winter, dusk fell. A lone rider shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, galloping miles until he reached the city’s gates. Tukesiluo raised his sword and roared: “Tang Xiang garrison! Open your gates and surrender at once! If you refuse, we shall storm the city, slaughter every soul, and leave not one alive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ramparts were already lined with troops, ready for battle. Wan Fanti, clad in armor, stood defiant. He laughed loudly: “Jiang Mingyu, you rabble! How dare you invade our borders? Tang Xiang’s walls are strong, our grain and supplies ample—you shall be trapped here!” With a sweep of his blade, he pointed upward, and arrows rained down like a storm, blanketing the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu replied calmly: “Fortunately, our supplies are plentiful—we can afford a prolonged siege. When your food and arrows run out, and the city falls, not a single soul shall live. Consider this carefully.” Tukesiluo added: “Your forces are weak, your officers few—you cannot resist. If you dare sally forth, you shall learn the true horror of Western Xia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Fanti’s face darkened with rage. “You ignorant vermin! I’ll take your head!” He swung his great blade, his body darting like a gale, charging straight at Tukesiluo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two clashed before the ranks, their killing intent chaotic, neither gaining the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two armies fought fiercely within the city, a piercing cry erupted from the southeast watchtower! A massive banner fluttered in the wind—Western Xia’s national flag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our reinforcements have arrived! Open the gates and welcome them!” the defenders on the ramparts cried out in alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gates swung open, and a squad of fierce warriors, swords drawn and bows ready, surged into the city. At their head stood a tall man clad in black armor, his eyes cruel, wielding two axes in both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hostile forces!” Wan Fanti suddenly sensed something wrong. He was about to order a defense when the black-armored captain roared, raised his axe, and swung it straight at Wan Fanti! Wan Fanti gasped in shock, drawing his sword in haste. The two clashed, blades and axes meeting in furious exchange, locked in stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re traitors and spies! We’ve been ordered to exterminate the rebels of Tang Xiang!” the black-armored captain bellowed to the heavens. Hundreds of surrendered troops surged forward, launching a ferocious assault on the city walls. Our forces’ morale surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! We’ve been tricked!” Wan Fanti roared in fury, leading his remaining troops into direct combat. A bloody battle erupted beneath the walls, corpses littering the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo charged through the eastern city gate, his blade falling with each strike, carving a bloody path through flames. “Wan Fanti, give me your head!” He sat firm on his steed, murderous intent blazing as he charged straight for the enemy commander. Wan Fanti, clad in heavy armor and wielding a steel sword, charged toward him. Their horses locked, each giving their all in combat. Suddenly, a black arrow whistled through the air and struck Tukesiluo’s mount—its body collapsed instantly. Tukesiluo leapt down, closing in on Wan Fanti with swift strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tukesiluo, don’t get cocky—I’ll cut off your head today!” Wan Fanti roared, unleashing three furious blows. The two remained locked in stalemate. Then Wan Fanti felt a faint chill at his back, a subtle pain. He spun around—only to see Tukesiluo’s deputy withdrawing his repeating short spears! He had seized the moment of Wan Fanti’s distraction to launch two hidden projectiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You vermin dare strike from behind? Die!” Wan Fanti’s eyes blazed with fury as he turned to face Leng Ruohan—but it was too late. Tukesiluo seized the opening and slashed off Wan Fanti’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our commander is dead—what do we do now?!” Li Sigong, a Western Xia soldier on the ramparts, cried in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our commander is dead. We’re just ants—what hope do we have left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can still retreat to the inner city. To surrender now… I can’t bear it!” Wang Dayong, a soldier with bloodied face, gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surrender? What choice do we have?” Li Sigong sighed. “The enemy has two hundred thousand troops. Our main force has been annihilated. Now we’re only fifty thousand left in the city. No reinforcements, no supplies, isolated and abandoned—how long can we hold?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still hope,” Wang Dayong insisted. “Perhaps His Majesty will send reinforcements? Holding Fengwu City and buying time for His Majesty isn’t crucial?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop dreaming, brother,” Li Sigong shook his head helplessly. “His Majesty is too far away—he has no spare troops. Even if he did, they’d never arrive in time. Our grain won’t last a month. No city in Western Xia can send us aid. We won’t hold for a month—the city will fall, and then we’ll die worse than now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers on the ramparts debated among themselves, all pondering whether to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard from the front lines—the enemy commander is Han Chinese. His name is Jiang Mingyu,” said a lightly armored officer, idly turning his curved blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what? He’s seizing our land, pushing out our people—what’s the difference between him and those wolf-hearted invaders?” Wang Dayong shouted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not necessarily,” the lightly armored officer shook his head. “I heard he uses hit-and-run tactics. After battle, he doesn’t massacre. All surrendered soldiers are absorbed into his ranks and live in comfort. Perhaps we should try surrendering—for survival?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you mad?” Wang Dayong exploded. “We’re His Majesty’s elite! How can we disgrace our ancestors by surrendering to the enemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But His Majesty isn’t here,” Li Sigong said helplessly. “And we can’t fight to the end. If we don’t surrender, the only outcome is massacre and annihilation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers fell once more into division and confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of you, listen!” Tukesiluo’s voice thundered across the ramparts. “Your commander is dead. Resistance is futile. I’ll say this once: open the gates and surrender within the time of one cup of tea. I will spare your lives. If you force us to storm the city, not one of you will live!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the officers’ already wavering hearts sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One cup of tea… that’s already lenient,” Li Sigong murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush to surrender,” Wang Dayong began to think. “Once we open the gates, we lose all leverage. Let’s hold out here—maybe we can negotiate better terms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What leverage do we have?” Li Sigong sighed. “They can wipe us out with a snap of their fingers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Better than being slaughtered at random when we surrender,” Wang Dayong said. “Besides, even if we surrender, they might not spare us. Let’s fight for one last chance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers fell into silence. The ramparts grew utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pah!” At that moment, the final grain of sand in the hourglass fell. The enemy’s ultimatum had expired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They truly won’t surrender,” Tukesiluo said coldly. “All units, prepare for assault!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army below instantly took position. Vast waves of arrows rained down on the ramparts. Siege engines rolled forward, preparing to hurl stones against the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now we’re truly doomed!” Li Sigong cried in despair. He turned to look at the soldiers on the walls—all faces pale, legs trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still hope!” Wang Dayong shouted. “Retreat to the inner city at once! If we can hold for an hour, perhaps His Majesty’s reinforcements will arrive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the entire western quarter had descended into chaos. Soldiers shoved and trampled each other in panic, ignoring all commands. Stones cascaded like waterfalls from the ramparts. Arrows pierced through the crowds behind the battlements. The city was on the verge of falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a Western Xia soldier screamed: “Look! Down there—our own people! They’ve surrendered to the enemy—and they’re alive, living well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible?” Wang Dayong peered down skeptically. There, a Western Xia officer commanded the encircling troops. Within the encirclement, countless Western Xia soldiers filled the enemy ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps… surrender is our only hope?” Li Sigong whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers within the city heard this, and hesitantly turned their eyes downward.\u003C\u002Fp>",1507,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6808c4f6b2ca6b01f5d46237955caa1f282beb69087d1323c9b5eeedb8f950dd","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-332","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-330",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]