Chapter 1016

First Volume, Chapter 1016: Enemies at the Gates

Xu Mo finally arrived; Qin Feng was delighted inside, silently resolving that once the Northern Di situation stabilized, he would drink with his brothers until their souls were drunk and they wouldn't leave until utterly intoxicated.

But for now, of course, he could not indulge in pleasure; the closer the final moment, the more he must remain clear-headed, absolutely refusing to let joy cloud his mind.

Qin Feng personally led Xu Mo into the city, but since the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade was too numerous, they could not enter, so they camped outside the walls instead.

As Xu Mo stepped into the city, Ning Hu seized him in a tight embrace.

Ning Hu, like Qin Feng, was wildly excited: "Hahaha, Xu Mo, brother, you've finally arrived! I thought you'd been crushed by Chen Si in Ezhou!"

Xu Mo paid no mind to Ning Hu's teasing; compared to others, he and Ning Hu had been the first to follow Qin Feng, and were already as close as brothers.

Xu Mo shot back with a punch to Ning Hu's chest, laughing heartily: "Little Marquis, you and Lord Qin have been trapped in this godforsaken little county town for so long, yet your spirit remains so vibrant—truly enviable!"

"Once we've pacified Northern Di, you and I must sit down and catch up properly."

Ning Hu nodded vigorously: "Exactly, exactly, hahaha!"

Qin Feng urged Xu Mo toward the County Yamen, while at the same time, news of the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's arrival in Changshui County spread with astonishing speed.

The common people within the city, upon learning Qin Feng's reinforcements had arrived, were naturally elated.

They hoped more than anyone that Qin Feng would win, for as Northern Di people who had defected to Qin Feng, should he lose, it would mean utter ruin for them.

As the saying goes: one prospers, all prosper; one falls, all fall.

But since the main force had not entered the city, the people of Changshui could not see the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's might firsthand, so they began speculating wildly.

"Hahaha, my brother works in logistics—he once climbed the City Wall during a break hauling timber and saw the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade. You wouldn't believe it—he said he'd never seen such elite troops in his life!"

"Those soldiers from Beixi County? Each one is ferocious as hell, like celestial warriors descending from heaven."

"With such a mighty army under Lord Qin, how could he possibly lose?"

"Now we can rest easy—us common folk have clung to Lord Qin's leg; better days are just around the corner!"

Watching the middle-aged man's ecstatic expression, the gathered crowd's eyes brimmed with envy.

They sighed inwardly, wondering why they hadn't been so lucky as to witness the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's true form.

Yet they were still overjoyed—now that Qin Feng had united with the army, they no longer feared the city falling, and could finally sleep soundly.

Because the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade was vast and had camped outside the city, word quickly reached the commanders of every garrison in the Northern Di Imperial Court.

Chen Lang, Deputy General of the Wang Du Garrison, heard the news and leapt to his feet as if struck by lightning.

His eyes, heavier than ever, demanded urgently: "The Beixi Expeditionary Brigade has reached Changshui County? How many men? Is it truly as elite as the rumors claim?"

Chen Lang cared so deeply about the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade's condition because he had not yet decided whether to defect to Qin Feng or remain loyal to the Northern Di King.

Chen Lang knew Li Zhang's Main Force was closing in on Wang Du, but its advance was slow; the true decisive factor on the strategic level remained the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade—thus its condition was the critical factor determining Chen Lang's next move.

The scout who had just returned from Changshui dared not hesitate, immediately reporting.

"Your Excellency, due to the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade being surrounded by countless spies, there are numerous reconnaissance units within Ten Li, and large cavalry patrols within Twenty Li—approaching the brigade is as hard as climbing to heaven."

"But I managed to sneak near enough to estimate their numbers: over ten thousand, with mixed deployment—from Light Infantry to Heavy Infantry, from Logistics to Cavalry—all present."

"Moreover, their equipment is vastly superior: whether Heavy Armor or Light Armor, it outclasses ours; even their individual bow and arrow quotas exceed ours."

Hearing this, Chen Lang's heart sank halfway.

The enemy's sheer numbers and quality alone were enough to extinguish any thought of engaging them.

Furthermore, from the scout's report, Chen Lang discerned an even more critical point: the brigade still numbered over ten thousand.

This meant that since marching from Zhuozhou through Ezhou to the Imperial Court, the brigade had maintained an exceptionally low casualty rate.

This not only highlighted the brigade's formidable combat effectiveness, but also its flawless logistics.

To fight such a Tiger Wolf Elite Troop, any army under Heaven and Earth would pay in blood.

Realizing the Beixi Expeditionary Brigade was even more elite than rumored, Chen Lang no longer hesitated—he immediately ordered his personal guards to depart for Changshui County to contact Qin Feng and fully defect to his side.

Though he alone could not determine the entire garrison's direction, at least his own faction had decided to side with Qin Feng.

Under Chen Lang's orders, his representative set off without delay toward Changshui County.

Almost as soon as Chen Lang's man left ZhuZhen, the Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison learned of Chen Lang's betrayal of the Northern Di King and defection to Qin Feng; yet the Commander-in-Chief did not immediately order his arrest, but instead fell into deep thought.

As the last remaining garrison of Wang Du, his stance determined not only the fate of the capital, but also the future of his entire army.

Whether to continue supporting the Northern Di King, defend Wang Du to the death, and wage bloody war against Qin Feng's forces—or to follow Shi Shi Zhe Wei Junjie—he himself could not decide, which was why he had not acted against Chen Lang at once.

The Commander-in-Chief understood the Northern Di King's position all too well.

Now, the Northern Di King had assembled the Imperial Guard and was barricading himself in the Imperial Palace; though the palace's strength could hold out for a while, it was merely the desperate struggle of a caged beast.

After all, there were far too many people inside the palace, and supplies were severely limited—maximum endurance: two months.

Qin Feng's army, once it breached the outer city walls and entered Wang Du, need not even assault the palace—merely blockading the perimeter would starve the Northern Di King to death.

Of course, the Commander-in-Chief could also retreat his army into Wang Du and fight to the last, but what purpose would that serve?