Chapter 735

First Volume, Chapter 735: Three Prongs Simultaneously

The letters previously sent in must have been discovered by the defenders, but so far there has been no reply—presumably the price offered still isn't high enough.

Qin Feng lowered his head, pondered for a moment, then immediately summoned the Brocade Clothing Guard.

"Raise the offer again!"

"For any Main General willing to surrender, reward seventy thousand taels of White Silver, plus one hundred Mu of Good Field, one mansion, and fifty head each of Cattle and Sheep."

"For all ranks below Deputy General, reward twenty thousand taels of White Silver, fifty Mu of Good Field, one mansion, and ten head each of Cattle and Sheep."

Upon hearing this price, Ning Hu was instantly startled.

He quickly grabbed Qin Feng's sleeve, his face flushing red with anxiety.

"Brother Qin, are you mad?"

"Seventy thousand taels for a Main General? Twenty thousand for everyone below? And you're giving land, houses—how much money is this? At least two million taels of Silver!"

Qin Feng shook free and straightened his crumpled sleeve, grumbling: "Ning Hu, how have you not improved at all?"

"Didn't I tell you? If we take Xiongying Ridge within the plan's deadline, two million taels of Silver is nothing."

"Save where you must—but where you mustn't, spend without restraint!"

Ning Hu still couldn't comprehend Qin Feng's madness—two million taels of Silver was enough to fully equip another Beixi Army from scratch.

What couldn't you do with so much money? Why waste it on bribing the Enemy Army? It's sheer profligacy!

What he didn't know…

Ever since learning that Li Zhang's Consumption War tactic had failed, Qin Feng had felt uneasy, convinced that capturing Xiongying Ridge from the outside was now impossibly remote.

His display of unwavering determination was merely a performance—for others, to boost Morale.

According to the Military Intelligence Report from the Brocade Clothing Guard, the most scarce resource in Xiongying Ridge was water—enough to last only three months.

But theory and reality often diverge drastically.

What if the water runs out and the defenders drink urine? Or slaughter their Warhorses for blood?

Moreover, after prolonged battles, the garrison's casualties will inevitably mount; as troop numbers dwindle, their water consumption naturally decreases.

Thus, after comprehensive consideration, Qin Feng judged that Xiongying Ridge could hold out for half a year without issue.

On the surface, Xiongying Ridge is sealed like an Iron Barrel, and time favors Qin Feng—but in truth, he cannot afford to wait. As long as Xiongying Ridge stands, the Di Royal Capital's final psychological DefensiveLine remains unbroken.

The Di will not give Qin Feng half a year!

So Xiongying Ridge must fall before Qin Feng marches on the Di Royal Capital—any means, no half-measures.

Corpses to intimidate the enemy, heavy gold to lure profit-driven men inside the city, and the crushing pressure of a full siege.

Only with three prongs simultaneously can there be a chance to take Xiongying Ridge.

Seeing Ning Hu's gloomy expression—as if Qin Feng had become a wastrel—

To prevent this fool from returning to Beixi County and complaining to the Cheng Clan,

Qin Feng reluctantly explained: "Come, let me break down the numbers for you."

"To take Xiongying Ridge quickly, there is only one way: direct assault."

"Our besieging forces total no more than forty thousand. Forty thousand men assaulting a Heavy Fortress defended by eight thousand Elite Troops? That's suicide."

"Even if we lose only half our men—"

"The combined losses in weapons, manpower, livestock, and Grain and Forage would amount to at least one million taels of Silver."

"Add the Compensation for fallen soldiers' families, and the cost exceeds even the Item: Military Expenditure."

"How much money and time did Beixi County invest to train these Elite Troops? If we wipe them out, how much more money and time will it take to rebuild them?"

"This is only the visible cost."

"Once dragged into a Consumption War, you'll understand what 'a grain of rice is worth a grain of gold' means. Heavy casualties don't just drain money—they trigger countless cascading effects: plummeting Morale, fractured unity, and countless rivals coveting Qin Feng will act without fear."

Hearing Qin Feng's explanation, Ning Hu finally understood.

The two million taels of Silver for bribes truly was a small sum…

Qin Feng patted Ning Hu's shoulder and sighed: "You don't know the cost of rice and firewood until you run a household. In war, it's all about money."

"Why spend big money for a poor return when you can achieve your Strategic Goal with small spending?"

Ning Hu's last lingering doubt vanished—he nodded firmly.

"Brother Qin, I get it!"

"Even if we're giving a bonus to those bastards inside the city, as long as we take Xiongying Ridge with minimal casualties, it's a guaranteed profit."

Qin Feng finally smiled: "Exactly. Money isn't precious—you earn more when it's gone. Lives are precious."

"But enticing surrender is only one part—accelerate the construction of the Catapults."

Since the corpses had been brought, Qin Feng had to find a way to hurl them all into the Fortress—otherwise, the intimidation would fail.

If we could trigger an epidemic, that would be the cherry on top.

Unfortunately…

It was now late autumn, and Bei Di, at high latitude, had temperatures nearing freezing—especially at night, dropping to minus three or four degrees.

The rotting corpses were all frozen solid, sparing Xiongying Ridge from plague.

Qin Feng sighed: "Heaven's timing, Earth's advantage, human harmony—I have none of them."

With all timber delivered to the Front Line, two days later, Tianji Camp craftsmen began constructing Catapults according to Qin Feng's Blueprint.

Since Qin Feng demanded strict adherence to the plans, with the finest craftsmanship possible, the Catapults had to not only hurl corpses into the city but also serve as weapons if forced into direct assault.

Thus, the Tianji Camp craftsmen's progress was greatly delayed.

It took three full days to complete ten Catapults.

That noon, during the warmest part of the day, the temperature—rarely so high—reached a staggering "five or six degrees."

Due to the ferocious winds of Sai Bei, even this temperature remained bone-chilling for most, especially when the wind blew like tiny knives.

But for decaying corpses, this temperature was already enough to thaw them.

Qin Feng ordered the soldiers to load these "sticky, slimy" decaying corpses into the large vats and haul them onto the catapults.

At a command, ten catapults simultaneously severed their ropes.

Ten large vats filled with corpses flew directly over the city and smashed into it.

Qin Feng raised his hand high, signaling everyone to be silent, then listened carefully to the sounds inside the city.

Due to the two hundred steps distance and the City Wall blocking the way, not a single sound could be heard.

"What a pity! If only I could see for myself the chaotic scene of the Enemy Army in disarray."