Chapter 342

Jiang Jiang Mingyu paid no attention to the inner turmoil of the Western Xia soldiers on the city wall; he sipped his fine wine on his own, waiting for the situation to deteriorate further.

At dusk, the army, having eaten their fill, returned to the main camp in satisfaction. Soon, messengers from the eastern and western routes also came rushing in one after another.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the situations on the eastern and western routes are much the same as here. The Western Xia soldiers are all demoralized, their army's spirit shaken, and they have reached a point of no return."

"Very good." Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded upon hearing this, set down his wine cup, and instructed those around him, "Send for General Gao Fei to come see me immediately."

In a short while, Gao Fei arrived with long strides, respectfully bowing to Jiang Jiang Mingyu: "What are Your Majesty's orders?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu clapped his hands, a smile spreading across his face as he said excitedly, "The favorable situation has ripened! The Western Xia army's morale is scattered; the perfect moment to launch a night raid and seize Wang Cheng has arrived. Do you dare to penetrate the enemy camp, incite the Western Xia soldiers to rebel, open the city gates at the fourth watch, welcome our great army to slaughter in, annihilate the remaining Western Xia forces, and resolve the war situation in one stroke?"

Gao Fei firmly and resolutely returned the bow: "Your subject accepts the order! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's high expectations!"

"Haha, well said, well said!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu was very satisfied upon hearing this, nodding repeatedly. "I have long made meticulous arrangements; this city-attacking plan will absolutely succeed!"

"Thank you for Your Majesty's trust; your subject will certainly do his utmost." Gao Fei responded with clasped hands.

"Go, our great army will follow shortly. Be sure to be careful!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu patted Gao Fei's shoulder.

After Gao Fei accepted the order and departed, Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately became serious, sternly instructing his subordinates: "Quickly transmit my military order: organize the army for battle, set out at the third watch, and enter the Western Xia Wang Cheng punctually at dawn tomorrow! In this decisive battle, we must root out and annihilate the remaining Western Xia forces in one stroke!"

"Yes! The brothers have long been impatient to slaughter everywhere!" The commander immediately responded respectfully with clasped hands.

Soon, the camp that had just been quiet became lively at once; neighing horses and the clashing of knives and spears rose and fell, creating a joyous atmosphere.

At the third watch, Jiang Jiang Mingyu personally lit a huge, roaring fire, illuminating the night sky red. He clapped his thighs and shouted loudly, "Someone, bring me my horse!"

The commanders immediately gathered to lead several robust warhorses over. Jiang Jiang Mingyu swung himself onto a horse, raised both arms high, and his booming voice echoed in the night sky: "All troops, dress and align! March according to the original plan! Straight to the foot of the Western Xia Wang Cheng! At dawn tomorrow, I want to see the Western Xia royal flag lying on the ground!"

"Yes!" The hundred thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their killing intent surging and their morale high.

At this moment, a commander suddenly spoke up to ask, "Your Majesty, is relying solely on Gao Fei to break through the Western Xia Wang Cheng truly sufficient? To end the war situation quickly, would it not be better for us to launch a frontal assault?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily without care: "Good question! But you need not worry at all; Gao Fei will absolutely complete the mission perfectly. He will be the key to victory in this battle! Previously, I had already planted spies on both the eastern and western sides; Gao Fei is merely the final blow! This scheme is absolutely foolproof!"

Upon hearing this, the commanders were all much relieved, one after another praising the Emperor's wisdom and martial prowess, certain that this battle would surely begin with victory.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart surged with emotion as he thought to himself: "Western Xia remnants, your doom has finally arrived! At that time, I will surely make you pay for your blood debts with blood!"

At the third watch in the Western Xia Wang Cheng, the cold wind howled, with not a shred of warmth. Only a few dim lanterns swayed on the city wall; the defending soldiers were huddled together, shivering, having completely lost their fighting spirit.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu tightened his cloak and slowly spoke: "General Lu, the third watch has arrived; it is time for us to act. All troops prepare to depart!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lu Yi responded, immediately riding his horse at full speed to the camp to transmit the order. Soon, the sound of orderly hoofbeats approached from afar; the great army slowly moved out of the camp into the sobbing north wind, heading toward the Western Xia Wang Cheng. This bone-chilling weather made both veterans and new recruits shiver uncontrollably; the group huddled their necks and complained in low voices.

"It's damn cold! If it weren't for seeing the city is empty, who would be willing to run out in the middle of the night and freeze to death!" a young soldier muttered.

"Stop talking nonsense! This is a rare opportunity! If you want to achieve fame and fortune, just hold on!" an old soldier nearby said sternly.

After the third watch, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's great army finally arrived beneath the familiar East Gate. The city gate was tightly closed, and the guards on the wall were listless, showing not a shred of vigilance.

"What is going on? Why hasn't General Gao appeared yet?" Lu Yi frowned.

"Rest assured! There will be movement soon!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained calm and composed.

Indeed, as soon as the words fell, a figure suddenly appeared on the city wall, shouting a few words to the guards below. Those guards immediately perked up, looking around. Then, with a loud boom, they struggled to push open the heavy city gate, while roaring sounds simultaneously came from the southwest ends.

"Here it comes! Attack!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands and shouted loudly. Lu Yi led a group of fierce generals to charge into the city first, while the rest of the great armies swarmed in. However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu strictly ordered that no harm be done to the local common people; otherwise, military law would be enforced.

At this moment, Goudan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, we should enter the city too!"

Thus, Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Goudan rode their horses straight into the city gate together. They saw the Western Xia soldiers kneeling by the roadside, shivering; each had a haggard face and a look of despair. Most wore thin military uniforms and had suffered greatly from wind and snow; at this moment, they were holding their heads and weeping bitterly, hot tears tracing paths down their frozen cheeks. Some weak martyrs were on the verge of freezing to death; their cracked lips moved, yet they could no longer utter a single complete sentence. These warriors, who had fought against hunger and cold day and night, finally collapsed upon seeing the arrival of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's great army, breaking down and wailing aloud.

And from the crowded single-story houses on both sides of the road came the crying of infants and the wailing of women. More panicked Western Xia commoners, clutching a few pieces of clothing and vessels, ran about crying, searching for shelter. Many household doors stood wide open; on the door thresholds...

... cowered emaciated elderly people, while there were also entire families, old and young, supporting the elderly and leading the young, with panicked expressions and stumbling steps. Some among them prayed aloud, while others knelt on both knees, offering their remaining food and ornaments to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, begging for mercy, pitiful to the extreme.

On the entire wide avenue, everywhere were the cries of commoners, the moans of soldiers, mixed with the whimpering of infants, blending with the sound of hoofbeats, buzzing monotonously and despairingly. This ancient city, battered by wind and snow for years and long ravaged by war, finally displayed its most fragile and desperate aspect at this moment.

A feeling of compassion rose in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart. He slowed his horse's pace, stood at a high point, and gazed at this sea of wailing. These Western Xia commoners had been displaced by war for years; now, surrendering to the great army was their only hope; no wonder they displayed such grief and desperation.

At this moment, a pitch-black swift horse suddenly cut through the crowd. Tu Tu Kesiluo, who had been supervising the battle at the South Gate, was controlling his horse and rushing toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Tu Tu Kesiluo rode his horse at full speed, his face filled with extreme excitement. He announced loudly, "Big Brother, Gao Fei has achieved outstanding merit! I have already occupied all key locations in the city; over four hundred thousand Western Xia soldiers have all surrendered! At this very moment, Tuoba Ji Qian and his loyal warriors are trapped by us within the imperial palace; the entire Western Xia Wang Cheng is actually under our army's control!"

Having said this, he let out a long sigh of relief, his expression exhilarated: "It is truly so happy! We have fought for half a year, and finally managed to conquer this damn Western Xia!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly: "Well done, Tu Tu Kesiluo. You and Goudan performed excellently this time."

Tu Tu Kesiluo hurriedly said modestly, "Where, where? This is all the result of Big Brother's wise command. If not for Big Brother formulating a meticulous plan, how could we have occupied the Wang Cheng so smoothly!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head and said, "Enough. Occupying the Wang Cheng is only the first step. Now there are more important matters that need handling."

Tu Tu Kesiluo immediately became serious and said, "Whatever Big Brother orders, I will certainly exhaust my mind and energy!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said in a deep voice, "First, immediately notify Goudan to quickly incorporate the newly surrendered Western Xia soldiers. At the same time, confiscate their weapons; they are not allowed to carry any arms. Afterwards, prepare good wine and meat to treat them well."

Tu Tu Kesiluo nodded repeatedly without stopping: "Understood, understood! Rest assured, Big Brother; I will transmit the order immediately."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu added, "Second, send a brave unit to strictly monitor the surroundings of the imperial palace. Tuoba Ji Qian still has loyal guards around him; under no circumstances should we be careless."

Tu Tu Kesiluo slapped his chest hard: "Big Brother, rest assured! The defense around the imperial palace has been arranged tightly. Even if Tuoba Ji Qian is arrogant, he will find it hard to escape our army's control!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly and nodded: "That is very good. Then, we should also go pay a visit to that self-important Western Xia Emperor."

Tu Tu Kesiluo laughed heartily: "Haha, yes, yes! This Emperor, who is hiding in the imperial palace and shivering, must be so afraid he is almost losing control of his bladder! We go to see him; we are sure to scare his soul out of his body!"

Thus, the two of them swung themselves onto warhorses and galloped swiftly toward the imperial palace. Tu Tu Kesiluo continued to chatter incessantly along the way:

"Big Brother, tell me, when Tuoba Ji Qian sees us, won't he be terrified, his legs turning to jelly? He once arrogantly claimed he would destroy our One Da Jiang, and now he is about to be captured alive by us!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said nothing, merely smiling faintly. Yet in his silence, he vaguely felt that the matter was probably not that simple. A Wang Zhe like Tuoba Ji Qian, even in such a state, must surely be no pushover...