Chapter 446: First Volume, Chapter 446: Do Not Forget to Inform Your Ancestors at the Family Sacrifice

First Volume, Chapter 446: Do Not Forget to Inform Your Ancestors at the Family Sacrifice

Not only was Ning Hu laughing, but all three hundred Tianji Camp Guards laughed uncontrollably; the laughter echoed through Beixi County, making some civilians weep while others joined in laughter—some felt sorrow, while others' morale soared.

The laughter abruptly ceased; Ning Hu spoke calmly: "The Tianji Camp Guards are all Brother Qin's treasures. Sending them into the fire reveals just how dire the battle has become. If our nation is on the brink of collapse, who else but us will descend into hell?"

"When we repel the Northern Barbarians and proclaim the glory of Shedynasty, do not forget to inform your ancestors at the family sacrifice!"

Ning Hu turned to face the three hundred Tianji Camp Guards and roared: "All guards, those willing to march bravely to death, step forward!"

The three hundred Tianji Camp Guards did not hesitate a moment; they stepped forward in unison and shouted in one voice: "Crush the Di and defend our mountains and rivers! We are ready to die!"

Ning Hu waved his hand and led the three hundred Tianji Camp Guards out of the city; behind them, the civilians wept as they watched them go.

Li Zhang slowly climbed the City Wall, gazing at the dark night beyond, his eyes unwavering: "The officials in the capital suspect Beixi of harboring ambitions to hold troops for personal power—we shall prove our loyalty with blood!"

The night grew deeper.

Dawn was less than one Envoy away.

Chen Si still showed no sign of rest; he stood outside his Ying Zhang, staring toward Beixi County. He knew well: the key to this battle still lay in Beixi County. In the previous two engagements, Beixi County struck fiercely but withdrew quickly—its strategic aim was clearly to relieve pressure on the Border Army.

The Vanguard Camp and the Liang Kingdom defenders had now fought for three days and three nights.

The Border Army, relying on the City's advantages, had suffered nearly two thousand casualties, while the attacking Vanguard Camp had lost over ten thousand. But as long as this intensity of assault continues, the Border Army will inevitably collapse—it is merely a matter of time. The Di have staked everything; even losing fifty thousand men is acceptable. The Liang Kingdom Border Army, however, has already lost over seven thousand; their morale must break.

Meanwhile, the follow-up forces were gradually entering the Battlefront to intercept the Piaoqi General's reinforcements.

The main thrust targeted the Border Army; intercepting the Piaoqi General was secondary. As for the Chariot and Cavalry General, he dared not move at all—he must prevent the Great Di forces from charging straight through into Bei Jing Nan Qu to seize grain, while also diverting attention to support the rear of Beixi County and the Piaoqi General's forces—he was stretched too thin.

What Chen Si feared least was prolonged combat.

What he feared most was Beixi County launching an ambush—should that happen, he would be forced to redeploy troops for reinforcement, severely disrupting the Vanguard Camp's offensive.

Chen Si found Beixi County deeply troubling; this tiny Beixi County was far harder to crack than any Border Army stronghold. Its City Defense was constructed vastly differently from any other major town in Liang Kingdom. According to siege troops' reports, Beixi County was nominally divided into Inner City and Outer City—but in truth, it had three layers.

The Inner City stored vast quantities of Military Supplies, covering military, People's Livelihood, and administrative needs—it was the core of Beixi County.

The Outer City housed the civilian population; able-bodied Civilian Laborers could be swiftly mobilized for construction or combat. Outside that lay a ring of Wengcheng, heavily guarded.

If fifty thousand troops could take a Border Army stronghold, ten thousand might still fail to capture Beixi County. Even if you merely besieged it without attacking, Beixi County's War Potential could sustain it for at least three to five years.

This kind of unyielding, ever-threatening Men Ya stronghold was the most unstable factor in this entire war.

Yet Chen Si still had five thousand Infantry—enough to repel any possible ambush from Beixi County.

But the purpose of these five thousand Infantry was not to fight Beixi County directly; they were a buffer to prevent the Beixi County Garrison from penetrating too deeply into Great Di territory. If the war spread into Great Di lands, the entire military deployment would be crippled—exactly what Chen Si dreaded most.

Chen Si had not slept for two days and two nights.

Seeing his terrible condition, his Deputy General hurried to urge: "General, dawn is nearly here—please rest. The Beixi County Garrison won't come now."

Chen Si shook his head, eyes resolute: "Not yet. Wait until dawn."

Only at dawn, with clear visibility, could he effectively prevent Beixi County's stealth attacks. As long as Nightfall approached, his heart remained suspended.

The Deputy General sighed deeply: "At dawn, you'll have to wait for messengers from the Vanguard Camp—you'll be up another day. Why not rest for two Envoy now? I'll stand watch. If you collapse, who will handle Li Zhang? That tiny Beixi County hides tigers and dragons—full of wise ministers and capable generals. If they weren't afraid of you, they'd have attacked long ago."

Though Chen Si feared movement from Beixi County, for the sake of the greater strategy, he followed his Deputy General's advice, turned, and returned to the Barracks to rest briefly.

The Deputy General stood outside the Ying Zhang, summoned Ye Xiao, and asked sternly: "Any movement from Beixi County?"

Ye Xiao shook his head, eyes grave: "All our spies sent out have gone silent. We suspect Beixi County is purging our infiltrators."

The Deputy General's gaze grew deep, yet he showed little reaction—after all, both sides routinely purged each other's scouts. After years of maneuvering between Great Di and Liang Kingdom, their spy networks had reached their peak; before the war even began, each had already infiltrated the other nearly completely. As the saying goes: know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Thus, before every military maneuver, both sides routinely cleared each other's spies—it had become standard procedure.

Clearly, the Beixi County Garrison was preparing a military campaign soon.

But dawn was imminent; they wouldn't come today. Right now, Chen Si needed rest—he alone could handle Li Zhang.

Just as the Deputy General was about to order Ye Xiao back to patrol and prevent Liang Kingdom spies from infiltrating, a rapid flurry of footsteps suddenly approached.

Turning to look, they saw a leather-armored Ye Xiao, drenched in blood, charging straight to the Deputy General's side.

"General! Beixi County's scouts launched a four-pronged strike! I fought my way out through blood and returned to the Camp! The Beixi County Garrison is now less than Ten Li from our main Camp!"

At these words, the Deputy General's eyelid twitched violently.

Beixi County was already a Men Ya stronghold, extremely close to the Border. Once it mobilized, even Infantry could reach the Beidi Frontier within one Envoy. That's why the number of scouts around Beixi County exceeded those around the Liang Kingdom Border Army by more than threefold—precisely because they feared Beixi County might suddenly strike.

"How many are coming?" the Deputy General demanded urgently. If it was only a probing force, the five thousand Infantry in the Camp could hold.

If the force was too large, he would have to request reinforcements from the Vanguard Camp.

Ye Xiao's voice was frantic: "They've sent out everyone!"

The Deputy General's heart dropped—he had no time to hesitate and spun around to report to Chen Si.

But as he turned, Chen Si stepped out from behind the curtain—he had not slept at all.