Chapter 270: First Volume, Chapter 270: Duel in Jingdu

First Volume, Chapter 270: Duel in Jingdu

For this sudden war in Beixi, Qin Feng was too far away to intervene directly; all he could do was pour in all manner of materials and supplies without regard for cost, and wait.

After all, in this age, real-time frontline intelligence was impossible; each military intelligence report took at least ten days to half a month to reach Jingdu, and sometimes three to five months—no one could say for sure.

Only after Qin Feng had handled everything he could and should do did he realize Qin Xiaofu had vanished.

Since the day the military intelligence arrived in Jingdu, Qin Feng had not seen Qin Xiaofu again; he was just about to send men to search for him when the camp gate guard rushed over, bowing urgently: "Young Master, someone outside requests an audience."

Qin Feng didn't think much of it and asked casually: "Who is it?"

The camp gate guard shook his head: "Stranger's face, dressed and behaving like a rascal and idle man. Says he comes from Fuyun County—that you'll understand."

Qin Feng felt a pang of suspicion—could this be someone from Ming Wang?

How could a prince of the blood possibly be linked to rascals and idle men?

Qin Feng couldn't figure it out, but he didn't bother trying; he simply walked forward to meet the visitor.

From afar, he saw a man around thirty, wearing mismatched clothes, his long hair tied into a thick braid coiled atop his head, chewing something in his mouth, eyes darting around like a thief's.

At first glance, he was clearly a rascal.

The rascal sized up Qin Feng, not showing fear but grinning grotesquely: "You must be Qin Feng, right? Hahaha, long heard of your name—today I see you, and indeed you're elegant and refined. My elder brother wishes to befriend you, and has arranged a grand banquet at Fengming Lou—he humbly invites you to attend."

How novel!

Qin Feng inwardly sighed—Ming Wang truly didn't follow the usual path.

As an imperial cousin, he associated with rascals and idle men; no wonder Jingdu's youth always kept their distance from this eccentric prince.

Yet Qin Feng had little interest in attending the banquet.

First, Beixi County was in dire straits—he was buried in official duties and couldn't spare time.

Second, his core strategy for dealing with Ming Wang was to avoid him whenever possible, steering clear of conflict unless absolutely forced.

Qin Feng immediately gestured with a hand and smiled faintly: "Today is truly inconvenient. Let's reschedule, how about that?"

Rebuffed, the rascal didn't rush—he grinned even wider: "Won't the Young Master care about the fate of his loyal servant?"

Was this man hinting at Qin Xiaofu?

Qin Feng frowned slightly and said coldly: "Since you're so generous, how could I be so unwise? Return and report: if Qin Xiaofu is unharmed, I'll pay for tonight's feast. If Qin Xiaofu has been mistreated, Jingdu is not a place where you can come and go as you please!"

The rascal showed no fear, only grinning: "Your words are most wise, Young Master—we'll await your arrival at Fengming Lou."

With that, the rascal hummed a bawdy tune and swaggered off.

Beside him, Shu Feng watched the rascal's retreating back and whispered: "Master, Fengming Lou is surely a Hongmen Banquet."

"So what if it is?" Qin Feng shrugged indifferently, telling the camp gate guard to summon Ning Hu. "This is Jingdu, not Fuyun County—what's there to fear?"

Night fell.

Beixi County City.

Two thousand Beidi Light Cavalry circled the City Wall, galloping back and forth, occasionally letting out strange cries of "Luo Luo Luo"—the unmistakable Beidi "Calling Horse Command."

Every native Beidi person knew this peculiar cry.

But now, this sound, meant only for training horses, echoed like a death talisman in every Beixi resident's mind, piercing straight to the soul.

Any Beixi County Garrison soldier who dared show his head was met with an arrow.

Though pitch dark and accuracy abysmal—perhaps one in a hundred arrows hit—the psychological pressure remained crushing.

All defenders hid behind the City Wall's Jianbing, peering through the shooting holes to observe the enemy below.

Then, ropes tipped with siege hooks were hurled upward.

Beidi cavalry dismounted to become elite step soldiers; hundreds of them, shielded by the two thousand light cavalry, climbed the wall along dozens of ropes.

Qi Meng had already dispersed his twenty guards along the wall, solely to steady military morale and prevent untrained militia from fleeing.

When the first Beidi step soldier reached the top, defenders hidden on both sides thrust out seven or eight Chang Mao, spearing him through like a sieve.

Qi Meng roared: "Hold your ground! Don't waste arrows on Beidi cavalry—stay behind the Jianbing! One climbs, you stab one! Beidi cavalry may charge fast, but they lack siege equipment—we only need to hold the County City, and we're invincible!"

"Listen well: Tianji Camp's Young Master Qin Feng already knows Beixi's plight—he has urgently dispatched Deputy General Xu Mo with the First Battalion of New Army, advancing to reinforce us. Young Master Qin has also allocated one million taels of pure white silver to urgently procure materials and military equipment, forming supply convoys to deliver to the County City. Hold out ten more days—the first reinforcements will arrive!"

The militia, forcibly "suppressed" by the guards, had no military morale whatsoever.

After all, until now, they were ordinary common people—never trained systematically, with virtually zero combat experience.

Without the guards standing their ground, facing the Beidi cavalry like death-bringing ghosts, they would have already fled the city in panic.

Now, hearing Qi Meng's words, their terror eased slightly.

Qi Meng, who kept boosting morale, felt deeply heavy.

Though reinforcements would arrive in ten days, could the County City truly hold for ten days? Qi Meng had no confidence at all.

If even ten or so Beidi soldiers climbed the wall, they could shatter militia morale—military defeat would come like a collapsing mountain, not a joke!

Qi Meng's only task now was to prevent Beidi soldiers from climbing at all—leading his twenty guards as firefighters, rushing wherever siege hooks were thrown.

Five li beyond Beixi County, the Beidi cavalry had set up camp.

Aside from the two thousand five hundred soldiers currently ambushing the County City, the remaining four thousand cavalry rested and recovered.

Deputy General Chen Si stood outside the Camp Gate, studying the distant County City, his expression relaxed as he asked casually: "When will the main siege force arrive?"

The nearby Colonel quickly replied: "The arrival of the main siege force depends on whether the Vanguard Army can suppress the Border Army—if the Border Army still has strength to launch offensive action, the main force cannot cross the border. But the Vanguard Camp has already replied: in three to five days, at most seven to eight, they will encircle Biancheng—then the main force can cross and reinforce."

Calm and composed, Chen Si suddenly frowned: "That long? Then we won't wait. At noon tomorrow, assemble all forces and launch a Beidi Siege Assault on Beixi County—cease at nightfall!"