Chapter 332: Forming the Iron Cavalry Camp

"Brothers! The enemy is not wrong!" shouted the first Western Xia soldier to surrender, "We only came to fight for a bowl of rice! The commander is dead, and the city will be breached sooner or later! We might as well surrender voluntarily, join the enemy army, and solve our hunger!"

Hearing these words, the soldiers all nodded in agreement. Chaos in the city grew worse, and the defense completely collapsed.

"Open the city gates! We surrender!" shouted several Western Xia soldiers who had first raised the white flag to signal surrender. Instantly, the morale of defeat spread, and more and more defenders threw away their weapons.

"Stop! The city gates cannot be opened!" Wang Wang Dayong tried to stop them, but it was already too late. The sound of the gates opening with a clatter rang out, and the One Da Jiang army had already rushed into the city.

In an instant, chaos reigned. The One Da Jiang army quickly formed square formations, searching layer by layer to capture and kill the Western Xia defenders who wanted to resist. For a moment, wails filled the land, and hundreds of Western Xia soldiers fell to the ground.

"Stop! We have surrendered!" Seeing such a scene, Wang Wang Dayong finally gave up resistance.

The One Da Jiang army then stopped, quickly bringing the defenders in the city under control. Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Tu Tu Kesiluo also led their troops into the city.

"The situation in the city is indeed unclear; fortunately, we reacted in time," Tu Tu Kesiluo said to Jiang Jiang Mingyu. "However, their numbers are not large, so there should be no major problems. We can gradually take control of the entire city."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Xicheng city that had just been captured. Dust rolled everywhere, filled with wails and screams. Blood and corpses covered every street and alley. Uneven houses collapsed in a mess, and a very small number of residents were escaping from the ruins.

"Truly a scene of misery," Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned. "But we have no better choice; this is war."

"My lord," Tu Tu Kesiluo hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I think these common people need not be slaughtered anymore. We can simply spare their lives; recruiting the surrendered soldiers is enough."

"You speak with reason," Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded. "We have already achieved our strategic goals; it is time to show mercy. Here is what we will do: issue an order immediately to open the city gates and let the common people go, and declare that all soldiers who do not resist may join our army, guaranteeing their safety."

"As you command!" Tu Tu Kesiluo replied respectfully. Soon, the decree of surrender and forgiveness spread throughout the city. The remaining Western Xia defenders also mostly laid down their weapons, and Xicheng finally fell into the hands of the One Da Jiang army.

After Jiang Jiang Mingyu's army entered the city, they quickly took control of the entire Xiangcheng. Tu Tu Kesiluo soon led men to confiscate all the weapons of the Western Xia defenders; the 50,000 defenders were powerless to resist and could only submit with their hands tied.

About half an hour later, news from Tu Tu Kesiluo arrived: "Big Brother, all defenders in the city have disarmed and surrendered. Please order whether we are permitted to enter the city!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mount arrived; the Western Xia soldiers in the city all knelt on the ground, extremely terrified. He spoke indifferently: "Those who wish to follow me may stay; the rest may leave." His tone was flat, yet it made no one dare to have even a shred of rebellious thought.

The Western Xia soldiers looked up at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, all nodding silently to indicate their willingness to submit. Because joining Jiang Jiang Mingyu's ranks would at least save their lives and provide a bowl of rice. If they continued to resist, this city would fall sooner or later, leaving them with only one path: death.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said with satisfaction: "Tu Tu Kesiluo, integrate these troops with our army and hand command over to Gao Fei. Also gather the warhorses outside the city to form a Western Xia cavalry unit, to be named the 'Iron Cavalry Camp', with Gao Fei as the camp commander." His subordinates immediately transmitted the order to execute it, and for a moment, troop movements in the city were frequent.

These measures undoubtedly greatly boosted the morale of the surrendered Western Xia soldiers. They had originally been confused about their fate, but now they finally saw a glimmer of hope. If they followed Jiang Jiang Mingyu, perhaps their future would be bright!

Tu Tu Kesiluo quickly executed Jiang Jiang Mingyu's orders, integrating the surrendered Western Xia soldiers with the One Da Jiang army and handing them all over to Gao Fei. Gao Fei was deeply grateful inside; he understood that Jiang Jiang Mingyu was supporting him, giving him actual power. Otherwise, having betrayed Tuoba Tuoba Jiqian in today's battle, he would surely be targeted and retaliated against in the future. Now, having gained Jiang Jiang Mingyu's trust and promotion, his future would be even broader.

In addition, under Tu Tu Kesiluo's arrangement, the remaining Western Xia soldiers quickly formed a new Western Xia cavalry unit—the "Iron Cavalry Camp". These Western Xia warriors, originally defeated and disheartened, immediately perked up. They pulled back from the cliff's edge, seeing hope again, and one by one flattered and pledged loyalty to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, deeply feeling that following him would lead to a career reaching the heavens.

By nightfall, Tu Tu Kesiluo had led the One Da Jiang army to fully control Xiangcheng. The life order of the people in the city also gradually stabilized. The Western Xia cavalry of the Treading Snow Camp were even more vigorous; they began patrolling within the city to demonstrate power, showing the high-pressure policy of the One Da Jiang army to the common people in the markets.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was inside the Governor's Mansion in the city center, reviewing the military situation report submitted by Tu Tu Kesiluo. The report detailed today's battle situation and various indicators for taking over the city.

"Your Majesty, according to my estimate, within the next month we will need to draw a large amount of manpower and supplies from nearby towns for the reconstruction work of Xiangcheng," Tu Tu Kesiluo said. "If my lord agrees, I can quickly draft a personnel allocation plan."

"Go ahead," Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly, "and regarding the suppression of rebellion after the war, what are your plans?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo nodded, pondered for a moment, then spoke: "Your Majesty, regarding the suppression of rebellion, my plan is to first stabilize the local people's hearts. Xiangcheng has just been breached by us; the emotions of the common people may be unstable. We can temporarily suspend heavy taxes and conscription, letting the people live in peace and happiness for a while. Once their lives tend toward stability, we can gradually implement our policies; at that time, it will also be easier to avoid large-scale rebellions."

"You speak with reason," Jiang Jiang Mingyu agreed with a nod. "Then let us first implement a policy of appeasement. You send people to post notices throughout the city, announcing that the One Da Jiang army will suspend the collection of miscellaneous taxes for two months after entering the city, and guarantee the safety of civilian property, allowing the people to return to normal life as soon as possible. Only in this way can we slowly win hearts and minds."

"As you command." Tu Tu Kesiluo received the order and left, immediately arranging for his subordinates to post notices, and selecting outstanding members from the Iron Cavalry Camp cavalry patrolling the city to create the Xiangcheng One Da Jiang Garrison, patrolling day and night to ensure stability of security within the city.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was also thinking about the next step of the action plan. The fall of Xiangcheng signaled the first victory of the Western Xia counterattack, but truly defeating the Western Xia army would require further advancement.

To smoothly realize this grand blueprint, Jiang Jiang Mingyu began preparing to dispatch large quantities of grain and supplies to the front lines. At the same time, he also secretly ordered Tu Tu Kesiluo and Gao Fei to train more Western Xia surrendered soldiers to bolster the strength of the One Da Jiang army.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also drew 20,000 fierce warriors from his own elite troops, forging them into a "City-Breaking Army" specifically responsible for siege tasks.