Chapter 388: Seize It Easily

The next morning, 80,000 One Da Jiang warriors stood ready in full armor, their silver-white battle plates gleaming under the golden-red dawn light. Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood atop the city wall, gazing at the departing army. Clad in black chainmail, he wore a long sword with a chilling, sharp gleam at his waist; his eyes were like those of a hawk, his expression resolute and daring.

"Advance!" Tu Tu Kesiluo raised his long sword high, his clear voice brimming with determination. The infantry marched in neat formation to clear the way, followed closely by cavalry bearing heavy armor. The thunderous hooves of 80,000 cavalrymen shook the ground, war drums beat, and military banners snapped in the wind. This magnificent column of 5 soon vanished into the golden dawn, marching toward the distant battlefield.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu watched the army depart, his expression grave. Turning to the generals behind him, he ordered: "Remember, the city must be filled with One Da Jiang flags to maintain the illusion that the army is still here, to deceive them." The soldiers, hearing the order, rushed to set it up, while the generals went to relay the commands.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood with arms crossed, gazing at the scenery outside the city.

As he pondered, suddenly a swift horse galloped in from the North Gate. Jiang Jiang Mingyu squinted and saw it was a messenger sent by Liu Liu Yifei. He hurried forward to meet him, his expression a mix of surprise and joy.

The messenger reined in his horse before him, bowed slightly in greeting, and then said with a smile: "Her Majesty the Empress has opened many shops in One Da Jiang, and business is booming, with momentum to sweep across the Nine Provinces. A few days ago, she dispatched large merchant caravans to Other Xi Xia to reopen markets; I believe they will soon resume trading. Other Xi Xia has had a bumper harvest this year, surely bringing in vast amounts of Bai Huahua silver."

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu could not help but sigh lightly. Liu Liu Yifei's hard work was merely to earn more gold and silver. Yet, on second thought, it was precisely the Empress's caravans, continuously supplying military grain and funds, that supported his campaigns; without this, the army would have starved in Jiangzhou long ago. Thinking of this, he felt deep gratitude toward Liu Liu Yifei.

Seeing him lost in thought, the messenger pressed: "General, shall I return to report and urge the caravans to earn more military funds quickly?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu waved his hand and said loudly: "Our army has already departed the city; there is no need to trouble the Empress further. I only hope she takes care; I will soon return in triumph."

After a day's travel, inside the military tent.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu rested his chin on his hand, listening with a solemn expression as Feng Xiwui reported. Feng Xiwui stood with arms crossed, brows furrowed, saying: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the scouts have just returned: the Lengyang army is already approaching Lingtaicheng and will arrive within two days at the latest; a great battle is inevitable."

"They come quickly!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu let out a light sneer, a glint of sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Wei Wei Yangyao is also cornered; this is perfect. Our army must seize the time."

Ebu, standing nearby, immediately interjected: "Your Majesty speaks wisely. Our army is still three to four days' journey from Lingtaicheng; if either Lengyang or Wang Yi is defeated, all our efforts will be in vain." Li Goudan and other great generals nodded in agreement.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu slapped the table with both hands and said in a deep voice: "Good! Issue the order immediately: the entire army must increase its marching speed and reach Lingtaicheng within three days."

Fortunately, the autumn rain season had passed, and the sky was clear all the way. The army marched day and night, dust flying; 80,000 elite troops advanced with thunderous steps, rushing toward Lingtaicheng like a violent storm.

Along the way, Jiang Jiang Mingyu received a military report from Tu Tu Kesiluo, learning that he had successfully entered Southern Jiang and was meeting up with He Jing; everything was proceeding according to plan, with no complications for the time being. Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately sent a reply urging him to fight a quick battle, insisting that Feng Cheng and Jing Xiang must be captured before the great battle at Lingtaicheng was won.

Three days later, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's army finally arrived at the outskirts of Lingtaicheng, hiding the main camp in a dense forest. However, scouts reported that Lengyang and Wang Yi had fought only one battle so far, with neither side yet victorious. Jiang Jiang Mingyu could only give a bitter smile; since they had arrived, they could only wait patiently.

He sat in the tent, holding a feather fan, his expression calm. Feng Xiwui and the other generals were each inspecting their troops, preparing to fight at any moment. As dusk approached, Xiong Xiongliehuo blazed in the camp; 80,000 troops rested and recuperated in the forest, preparing for the dawn of the next victory.

On the third morning, as Jiang Jiang Mingyu sat in the tent in deep thought, he suddenly heard a scout galloping in to report: Tu Tu Kesiluo had led his army to the Jing Xiang area and was preparing to engage in battle.

Hearing this, a glint of sharp light flashed in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes, and he smiled mockingly: "Good, the time has arrived! I only need to wait for the armies of Wang Yi and Lengyang to clash, then I can strike from the middle and profit as the fisherman."

Li Goudan, standing nearby, frowned slightly and asked: "Your Majesty, when the two armies clash, how exactly should our forces strike? The timing determines success or failure!"

He spoke wisely. If our army arrives too early, both sides will see through us, and we will surely bring disaster upon ourselves; if we arrive too late, whoever wins will be fully prepared, making it difficult to achieve victory through surprise.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised his feather fan to cover the cold sneer at the corner of his mouth and said calmly: "Rest assured, I am already waiting for the perfect opportunity: when Lengyang has completely surrounded Lingtaicheng!"

He had received scout reports from a few days prior: to counter Lengyang, Wang Yi had newly recruited 20,000 troops. Once the battle began, these new recruits would not only be useless but would become a burden to Wang Yi.

"At that time, we will march directly toward Lingtaicheng, claiming 'Wang Yi has surrendered,' and launch a fierce attack on Lengyang's army!" A sharp light burst from Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes. "Lengyang will surely erupt in rage and counterattack, but once both sides are locked in a stalemate, our army can profit as the fisherman!"

Li Goudan and others were shaken by this, repeatedly praising the strategic genius of the One Da Jiang monarch. At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was also certain: once this move was made, Lingtaicheng would surely burn like a sea of fire, and military opportunity would be within easy reach!

A little later, as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was eating in the camp, Feng Xiwui, who had only one arm, suddenly rushed in in a hurry, his face flushed and gasping for breath, shouting: "Your Majesty! Lengyang and Wang Yi have finally engaged!"

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu jumped to his feet, slapped the table, and could not hide his excitement: "Speak quickly, what exactly is happening?"

Feng Xiwui panted heavily, trying to calm down, then explained: "Just now, a scout galloped in to report that Wang Yi and Lengyang have met with their full armies outside Lingtaicheng and are engaged in a great battle. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's earlier prediction was correct; at this moment, Wang Yi's army is gradually losing ground, and both sides are locked in a chaotic melee."

A light flashed in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He threw down his chopsticks, strode out of the tent, and without looking back ordered: "Quickly, tell Ebu to immediately lead the entire army to prepare for departure and rush secretly to the battlefield. Such a rare opportunity must not be missed!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu leaped onto his horse, and the 80,000 troops behind him surged out like a tide, quickly vanishing into the mountain paths. Jiang Jiang Mingyu urged them to speed up all the way, fearing to miss this rare tactical opportunity.

After traveling nearly 20 li, the fierce shouts of battle gradually came from ahead. Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart leaped with joy; he knew they had finally reached the battlefield. He sighed in relief but still increased the marching speed. Jiang Jiang Mingyu thought to himself: Tu Tu Kesiluo's side must have started fighting by now; soon our army will be attacking Lingtaicheng from east and west. Thinking of the triumphant smiles on Li Goudan and others' faces, Jiang Jiang Mingyu himself could not help but show a joyful expression.

In less than an hour, the chaotic battlefield ahead finally came into view. Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed into the distance and immediately judged that the Lengyang army, which was gaining the upper hand and fiercely attacking Lingtaicheng, was undoubtedly dominant, while the army bearing the "Marquis" flag, retreating step by step and on the verge of collapse, was Wang Yi's men. The ground was littered with an astonishing number of corpses in various postures; Jiang Jiang Mingyu roughly estimated that at least 50,000 had died on both sides. The vast majority were rebels under Wang Yi's command.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu secretly felt proud; he had finally arrived at the perfect moment. He immediately ordered Li Goudan: "The entire army will act according to plan, strike directly at the rear of Lengyang's army, and must crush them; do not let Wang Yi retreat into the city. Fight a quick battle! We have only one chance!" Upon hearing this, Li Goudan and others immediately split into three flanking routes: Li Goudan attacked Lengyang's main camp directly, while Che Gang and Ebu flanked from the left and right wings.

The two sides were locked in fierce combat. When they suddenly saw One Da Jiang soldiers bearing the great One Da Jiang flag charging toward them, they were momentarily stunned. At that moment, Lengyang and Wang Yi's faces first went blank, as if their brains could not yet process what was happening before them. A few seconds later, their expressions turned to a mix of terror and shock. Their eyes widened, and their mouths opened in surprise.

During this period, whether Lengyang or Wang Yi, both had been so worried about Lingtaicheng that they had almost forgotten about Jiang Jiang Mingyu. Now suddenly remembering Jiang Jiang Mingyu, both could not help but silently blame themselves for their negligence. Lengyang clenched his fists tightly, his teeth gritted hard, his face filled with self-reproach; Wang Yi covered his forehead, looking as if he were about to faint.

Almost at the same time, both realized that Jiang Jiang Mingyu intended to fish in troubled waters, aiming to capture Lingtaicheng in one blow while both sides were about to exhaust their strength. This was disastrous; Jiang Jiang Mingyu, that old fox, wanted to take advantage of the situation and make all their hard work in vain. Thinking of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's calculating face, Lengyang let out a "tsk," punched a nearby tree, and peeled off several pieces of bark.

Originally, Wang Yi had not secretly colluded with One Da Jiang, but now, seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu arrive, he also considered joining forces with Lengyang to destroy Jiang Jiang Mingyu. He gave Lengyang a subtle glance, trying to hint at an alliance. But Lengyang stared at him with suspicion, as if saying, "I do not trust you, this surrendering beast."

But before Wang Yi could speak, Li Goudan, charging straight toward them, had already shouted at the top of his lungs. Li Goudan's usually cheerful face now sparkled with energy, his eyes shining like a child who had just received candy.

"Commandant Wang, do not panic; my Lord personally leads the great army to save you." Li Goudan's voice was loud and powerful, hurting the ears of those who heard it.

"If we join forces, front and back, to destroy Lengyang's troops, you will be the hero who presents Lingtaicheng, and my Lord will reward you handsomely." As he spoke these words, a flattering smile spread across Li Goudan's face, making him look like a sycophant.

Immediately, he raised his long blade and shouted. The long blade cut a chilling arc through the air, and the veins on Li Goudan's hand gripping the hilt bulged.

"Brothers, follow me and kill! Quickly!" At his roar, the surrounding One Da Jiang soldiers cheered thunderously. The sound of blades being drawn echoed everywhere, filled with killing intent.

Seeing Li Goudan speak thus, Wang Yi's face turned green; it was like mud falling into one's trousers—whether it was shit or not, it was still shit. His face changed from green to blue to white, finally turning as pale as paper. At this point, he could no longer stand; he stumbled backward, fortunately caught by a guard nearby who acted quickly.

At the same time, Lengyang, covered in blood, looked even worse. He shouted at Wang Yi. Lengyang's blood, all over his body, looked even more shocking under the firelight. He gritted his teeth, his voice sharp as thunder.

"Wang Yi, now that Jiang Jiang Mingyu has personally come to save you, you, this beast who betrays your ancestors, what more is there to say?" He spat out these words one by one, as if he wanted to swallow Wang Yi alive.

Seeing the dark mass of fresh One Da Jiang troops behind him, and having lost over 20,000 men, he knew the time to fight for his life had come. Lengyang quickly glanced back and saw the One Da Jiang banners fluttering in the wind, filled with killing intent. He knew it was either die together with the enemy or face certain death. Lengyang took a deep breath; no sign of retreat remained in his eyes.

But he did not act recklessly; instead, he launched an even fiercer attack on Wang Yi. He raised his long sword, his body moving like lightning, and rushed toward Wang Yi.

"Brothers, follow me to behead Wang Yi and capture Lingtaicheng! Once we enter the city, we still have a chance to turn the tables." Lengyang roared, his voice like a great bell. He understood that at this moment, he must fight to the death; this was his only chance of survival.

But just as Lengyang's troops, eyes red with rage, rushed toward Wang Yi, Ebu, coming from the left wing, shouted loudly. Ebu's hoarse cry echoed through the clouds.

"Commandant Wang, rest assured; Che Gang and I are here to assist you." At the sound of a whistle, 30,000 Southern Jiang troops surged forward like a tide. Swords and spears gleamed, instantly blocking the path ahead.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and the hope of returning to the city was slim, Lengyang's face instantly darkened. His thin cheeks tightened with anger, his thin lips trembled, and a cold, sinister light shone in his eyes.

With all his strength, he shouted hoarsely at Li Goudan and others: "You all charge quickly! I will break out from within the city and attack these thieves from both sides! Once we destroy them, this Commandant will present Lingtaicheng to Your Majesty!"

Seeing this, Li Goudan and others no longer hesitated; they raised their weapons and roared as they charged at Lengyang. Their faces were fierce, their eyes filled with greed and cruelty, as if they had already seen the city fall and all the gold and treasure fall into their hands.

Trapped between attacks from inside and outside the city, plus Li Goudan and others' fierce assault, Lengyang's advantage collapsed instantly. Wails and screams filled the area by the city wall; the number of dead and wounded grew. The remaining men were either severely injured or had lost the will to fight, gradually retreating and collapsing. Some even began to think of surrender, for in such a situation, survival seemed almost impossible.

Just then, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who had been watching from afar, arrived at the edge of the battle formation with Feng Xiwui. He squinted his eyes and shouted with all his might: "Soldiers under Lengyang, listen! You are already surrounded; continuing to resist means certain death. In view of your being fine men, lay down your weapons immediately, and I will spare your lives!"

This shout echoed across the battlefield, and the formation instantly fell silent. After a brief moment of silence, a Southern Jiang soldier, who seemed on the verge of collapse, finally threw down his long sword.

Seeing this, Lengyang's face instantly turned iron-green. He knew the temper of these Southern Jiang soldiers: once someone surrendered first, the rest could not be stopped. He suddenly grabbed a crescent bow from his saddle, aimed at the Southern Jiang soldier kneeling on the ground with hands raised in surrender, and shot an arrow. The sound of the arrow whistling through the air was heard, and the Southern Jiang soldier fell to the ground as the arrow struck, but he was already lifeless.

However, Lengyang never expected that this sudden arrow, intended to intimidate the crowd, would have the opposite effect. The Southern Jiang soldiers, who had only sought self-preservation, now all looked up at Lengyang with sinister expressions, their eyes filled with resentment and hatred.

Lengyang's heart sank; he immediately understood their meaning: "Since you insist on us not surrendering, then give us a chance to break out. If you are powerless, we will fight to the death to break through the encirclement and will no longer obey your orders, you 'Commandant Kuai'!"

Those hateful glances made Lengyang shiver. Before he could make a decision in this crisis, Ebu had already drawn his bowstring, leaped forward, and shot an arrow that whistled through the air, piercing Lengyang's chest. A look of disbelief flashed across Lengyang's face; then he and his horse fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground, his consciousness gradually fading into chaos and darkness.

Seeing that Cold Sun had already been shot dead, Li Goudan immediately raised his treasured blade, his strong, powerful voice laced with cold intent: "Cold Sun is dead! If you don't surrender right now, you'll follow in his footsteps! Anyone who wants to live, throw down your weapons!"

Before the words had faded, the One Da Jiang soldiers behind him had already leveled their blades, spears, and shields, stepping forward one pace with murderous aura billowing. Their faces were expressionless, their eyes fixed dead on the remnants under Cold Sun's command, as if ready to pounce at any moment and chop these enemies into mincemeat.

The Southern Frontier soldiers under Cold Sun exchanged glances, each seeing despair in the other's eyes — they understood this was the end of the road, and stubborn resistance was pointless. So almost without hesitation, they threw down their bows, blades, and spears in unison, dropped to their knees, and pleaded ceaselessly for their lives.

In the blink of an eye, a stretch of weapons lay on the ground and a stretch of people knelt, all kowtowing nonstop to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, terrified that the slightest offense would bring lethal disaster upon themselves.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave a satisfied, slight nod. Feng Feng Xiwei immediately ordered his soldiers to tie up this whole group of surrendered troops and confiscate their weapons.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Mingyu turned to Wang Yi, who was watching from the side, and sneered coldly: "Commander Wang, I've already eliminated Cold Sun for you. Now it's time for you to fulfill your promise — open the city gates and surrender to my One Da Jiang!"

Wang Yi's face went deathly pale in an instant. He had originally planned to play the fisherman's game while the two armies fought, never expecting Jiang Jiang Mingyu to emerge completely unscathed while Cold Sun's entire force was annihilated. Forcing down his face's shifting, awkward emotions, he squeezed out an ugly smile with great effort: "Your Majesty jests... Though I am talentless, I have always valued my word. Having already promised to surrender to One Da Jiang, there is absolutely no possibility of going back on it..."

Before the words had faded, Li Goudan was seen striding forward and grabbing Wang Yi's arm: "The situation is still unclear, so Commander Wang must enter the city with us, for safety's sake!" This was clearly distrust, and Wang Yi's face instantly grew even uglier, but he also understood that his pitiful remnant troops were no match for Jiang Jiang Mingyu at all.

With no other choice, he could only squeeze out a bitter smile even uglier than the one before, and with a trembling voice ordered the city-guarding soldiers to open the gates. The city-guarding soldiers exchanged uneasy glances; they too understood the situation was lost and the city could not be held, so they could only slowly lower the drawbridge and let Jiang Jiang Mingyu's great army pour into the city.