Chapter 338: Bloody Battle at Wang Cheng

Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly looked up and saw a figure leap from a hidden spot on the city wall; it was Zhang Zhang Jiaqi. She held a longbow, her eyes gleaming with the cold light of hatred; it was she who had loosed that arrow.

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's eyes were blurred with tears, the arrow already nocked; she knew regret would avail nothing. "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, since we now draw steel against each other, today we shall settle this!" Full of venom, she released the taut bowstring.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed from afar at the city wall when suddenly he saw a streak of sharp light—"Watch out!" shouted those beside him. Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu moved to dodge, the arrow sliced through the sky, speeding toward him. With a "clang," an adjutant had darted in front of him!

"Commandant!" Everyone was shocked, rushing forward to support the mighty warrior who had fallen dead with an arrow in his forehead. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face looked grim; he spoke in a deep voice: "There is a spy on the city wall; strengthen the defense on the left wing!" Having said this, he gazed far toward the wall, sneering, "Zhang Zhang Jiaqi, could you bear to deal such a poisonous blow?"

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi choked back words, knowing that though the arrow missed, her heart was already dead. "Zhang Jiaqi, this arrow of yours hurts Jiang Jiang Mingyu even more than if it had struck him!" Tu Tu Kesiluo said, taking malicious delight from the side.

It was precisely because Zhang Zhang Jiaqi offered strategies that they were able to seize power in Other Xi Xia and become King. Ultimately, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi also yielded herself to him, becoming the Wang Fei of Other Xi Xia.

This massive assault on One Da Jiang served two purposes: first, to satisfy Tu Tu Kesiluo's ambition, and second, to avenge Zhang Zhang Jiaqi.

At first, this was merely a transaction, but before long, Tu Tu Kesiluo truly and deeply fell in love with this seemingly forever-cold woman. To win a single smile from her, Tu Tu Kesiluo almost without hesitation executed Cao Lun and launched this bloody storm.

Since invading Other Xi Xia, Jiang Jiang Mingyu has won three battles in three engagements. The Other Xi Xia army has retreated step by step, suffering heavy casualties. Yet Tu Tu Kesiluo felt not a shred of resentment. At this moment, if only Jiang Jiang Mingyu died, not only could the lost lands of Other Xi Xia be quickly recovered, but the prosperous One Da Jiang would also fall entirely into Tu Tu Kesiluo's possession.

That arrow Zhang Zhang Jiaqi just loosed was like severing all ties between her and the past. Once this great threat, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, was gone, she would surely lower her guard and throw herself wholeheartedly into Tu Tu Kesiluo's embrace.

Everything was so perfectly under control; how could Tu Tu Kesiluo not show his joy on his face?

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, die! Your days are numbered.

Only did Lu Yi below the city roar, "Charge for me!" as dense ranks of soldiers surged like a mountain and sea toward the city gate. Boiling oil and raging fire made a scene too cruel to behold, yet Lu Yi only turned back to shout, "Follow me! The city gate is right before our eyes!" Wounded soldiers gritted their teeth and followed one by one, gradually approaching the towering city wall.

"Up! Get up!" Lu Yi, wielding a great blade, was the first to leap onto the siege ladder amidst a storm of arrows and stones. "Well done!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu beat the war drums from afar to boost morale. Only did Tu Tu Kesiluo on the wall let out a fierce shout, "Hold it for me!" as countless warriors rolled down boiling oil. Lu Yi fought his way to the city wall through thick, rolling smoke and slashed a general with one stroke. "Charge—!"

The two armies clashed in a melee, the cries of battle shaking the heavens. Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned tightly, yet in his mind were the figures of the adjutant and Zhang Zhang Jiaqi just now. "Between us, perhaps only one can live, and one must die..." he murmured to himself.

"Zha Zha Wenhua, lead your troops to support Lu Yi immediately; you must breach the East Gate at the fastest speed!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's gaze was resolute as he issued the order in a deep voice. After careful consideration, he had realized that since Tu Tu Kesiluo would very likely move his main force north to meet the enemy at the North Gate, it was better to launch a fierce attack while the opportunity existed. As long as fresh troops could penetrate Wang Cheng, Tu Tu Kesiluo would inevitably return forces to rescue them, and at that time, the crisis at the East Gate would be resolved.

"Obey!" Zha Zha Wenhua frowned deeply, war intent shining in his eyes. He raised his long spear high, his clear voice echoing through the clouds: "Brothers, follow me up!"

Eight hundred thousand troops heard the order and fought bravely. Amidst the clanging war drums, squadrons of brave and skilled fresh troops stepped forward, forming a vast and orderly siege formation in an organized manner. Braids danced in the cold wind, and the sound of hooves thundered like rolling thunder. They held their spears across their chests, arrows filling their quivers, and like fierce tigers, they galloped and roared across the snowfield.

And just as Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's arrow missed, Jiang Jiang Mingyu luckily escaped this sudden calamity, which undoubtedly made Tu Tu Kesiluo extremely angry. He furrowed his brows tightly, and unprecedented anxiety instantly invaded his heart—this deadly enemy, whom he had always regarded as a thorn in his eye, was still hopping around!

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's face also sank slightly. Just now, she had watched as that fatal arrow was about to hit Jiang Jiang Mingyu, only to find it blocked at the last moment by his attendant. Now that this timely shield had been raised, it would likely not be so easy to take Jiang Jiang Mingyu's life again!

What made her even more terrified and worried was that the reinforcements under Jiang Jiang Mingyu's command were surging in wave after wave. She anxiously looked toward the North Gate, knowing that if Cheng Gao could not quickly defeat Tu Tu Kesiluo and stabilize the situation, the East Gate would likely not hold!

"Loose arrows! Suppress the Other Xi Xia archers!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu, seizing the instant the enemy line loosened, calmly gave orders. He understood that the more intense the battle on his side, the more it would tie down Tu Tu Kesiluo's main army's attention, and the less pressure Tu Tu Kesiluo would feel.

At his command, the archers of One Da Jiang turned back, drew their bows, and rapidly pulled the strings taut. With a "wooo-wooo," the sound of arrows sliced through the sky; tens of thousands of arrows formed a rainstorm in the north wind, pouring down. In an instant, countless archers on the high battlements fell with a thud and tumbled off the wall, a scene too cruel to behold.

The Other Xi Xia defenders scrambled with their heads down, dodging the flying arrows. Feng Shen immediately seized the opportunity, his voice booming like a great bell, as a new order for the siege was issued: "Your Majesty has ordered the entire army to attack the city! Kill for me!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the siege weapons and carts of One Da Jiang rattled and clattered. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, amidst shouts, surged like a tide, galloping toward the East Gate of Wang Cheng in Other Xi Xia.

"Quick, bring the oil cauldrons to the city wall! Fire attack!" Seeing the enemy approaching with fierce momentum, Tu Tu Kesiluo gradually felt the gravity of the situation. He waved his sword and shouted, ordering his men to defend the city gate with all their might. Dozens of large oil cauldrons crashed down from the tower, splashing scalding oil onto the attacking enemy. Soldiers by the river could not dodge in time, and screams rose one after another.

"Listen to the order: focus on defense; under no circumstances let these southern barbarians rush into the city!" Tu Tu Kesiluo roared, urging the army to maintain formation. "The remaining troops, all disguise yourselves as commoners, exit the city through the small gates, and attack the enemy from behind!"

Thus, a small portion of the Other Xi Xia army quickly changed into peasant clothing, carrying pitchforks and shovels, and slipped out stealthily through several city gates, waiting to jump onto the backs of One Da Jiang soldiers and launch surprise attacks. Meanwhile, atop the city wall, the two armies fought to the death, slaughtering each other desperately. Bodies fell from the high walls, and the ground was already a sea of blood, the air thick with a heavy stench of gore.

As the sun gradually tilted westward, this fierce siege battle continued. On the city wall, the two armies fought fiercely; below, the dead and wounded lay everywhere. The afterglow of the sunset bathed this wasteland of life and death in a layer of crimson light. Many soldiers were already exhausted, fighting with their last breath. Inside and outside the city, wails and mournful cries never ceased.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood high, gazing at the devastated city wall where blood and fire had just played out a tragic drama, now silent as death. He let out a long sigh; this siege battle had been arduous yet made no substantial progress, so they could only withdraw the army for now.

"Send a message quickly to Li Goudan, ordering him to withdraw his troops temporarily and return to the main camp to rest." Jiang Jiang Mingyu issued the order. Having supervised the battle to this point, he was already exhausted. With arrows spent and food exhausted, a direct assault was meaningless; the soldiers needed food and rest more. Moreover, Li Goudan was still holding out at the West Gate; since the East Gate could not be taken, the West Gate likely saw little progress either. Otherwise, given Tu Tu Kesiluo's character, he would never have remained so calm.

Hearing the order, the soldiers under Jiang Jiang Mingyu's command finally relaxed their tense nerves. They dropped their heavy siege equipment and slowly retreated, supporting the wounded. The Other Xi Xia defenders on the city wall also organized their remnants at this time, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades down from the wall.

Tu Tu Kesiluo let out a long breath, and color finally returned to his face. The wave after wave of sieges just now had terrified him; had he not moved the main army north to meet the enemy in advance, the East Gate would likely have been breached long ago! He had to thank Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's foresight; her decision to move the troops had preserved the safety of Wang Cheng.

"Quickly inspect and count the city defense weapons and grain supplies!" Tu Tu Kesiluo shouted loudly. Tomorrow, Jiang Jiang Mingyu would surely return; he must reposition his forces to face even fiercer battles in the future. Most importantly, the grain stored in the city was almost exhausted; he must find a way to solve the food problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if the enemy army was repelled, it would be of no use; in the end, the city would still fall due to internal collapse. This grave threat must be resolved as soon as possible, or the outcome would be unimaginable...

Various difficulties weighed on Tu Tu Kesiluo's heart; his tightly furrowed brows foreshadowed his inner worry. At this very moment, he needed wisdom and decisiveness more than ever before!

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi wiped the blood from the long whip in her hand, gazing at Tu Tu Kesiluo's back as he pondered bitterly, frowning without speaking. She understood the gravity of the situation; this battle concerned him and also concerned her own future. If the tide had already turned against them, she would definitely abandon this man who only dragged her down and resolutely seek another path.

Although she had already made up her mind in her heart, she must still do her utmost to help Tu Tu Kesiluo overcome this crisis. After all, in the short term, their interests were still aligned. As long as Other Xi Xia did not fall, she could still wield this power to realize her own ambitions.