Chapter 24: The Food Crisis

In the Jurchen Kingdom, before the Great Man City, one hundred thousand Tulan troops stood ready. Compared to the hurried and chaotic fifteen-thousand-strong allied forces of the Great Qi, these one hundred thousand Tulan soldiers appeared significantly more elite and radiated a far more formidable aura of slaughter.

As war drums thundered, the Jurchen Emperor Fucha Haer ascended the city walls to see the Tulan troops off.

"This battle shall be a victory!" Tulan, mounted on his steed, roared loudly.

"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"

The hundred thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices sounding like thunder in the dead of winter.

"March!"

With Tulan’s order, the army set out immediately, accompanied as always by the State Preceptor Gurna. Both he and Tulan had suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of Qin Xuan, and neither was willing to concede.

"One hundred thousand Tulan troops attacking the South Gate, fifteen thousand allied troops attacking the North Gate—Qin Xuan, do you still have any way to break this siege?" Riding his horse, Gurna was full of high spirits and anticipation.

Meanwhile, in Beining City, the Divine Strategy Army had just opened all the grain storehouses in the government office, only to find a mere three thousand dan of grain inside.

"Damn those corrupt officials; they must have sold all this grain to the Jurchen Kingdom." Du Manjiang’s face was filled with murderous intent. Had he not already executed those greedy bureaucrats earlier that day, he would have wished to subject them to death by a thousand cuts.

"Now is not the time for rage. Go notify Hu Xu and mobilize the strength of the merchant guilds to see if there is any way to transport grain from other cities." Qin Xuan had anticipated this outcome, so he was not particularly surprised.

Expectation, however, did not solve the problem. In military campaigns, even when defending a city, food was of paramount importance. Fortunately, as the Prince of Chu, he was not bound by the laws of the Great Qi, so he immediately ordered the Divine Strategy Army to borrow grain from the wealthy merchants in the city. Ning Yuanfeng, who was in charge of this task, understood his Prince's intent: the grain must only be requisitioned from those unscrupulous, greedy merchants; the ordinary merchants and commoners were absolutely not to be disturbed.

However, the region of Beining had always been bitterly cold, and its own grain production was severely insufficient; most of its supplies were purchased from nearby cities. But ever since the Jurchen army had mobilized half a month ago, no merchant caravans had dared to leave the city. Thus, even after the Divine Strategy Army scoured the estates of those corrupt merchants, the total grain gathered remained woefully inadequate.

"Based on the current situation, this amount of food can only sustain our troops for five days." Zhuge Xuan calculated, his expression filled with worry. "And the remaining grain in the city is only enough for the civilians to survive for half a month."

His concern went beyond the upcoming defensive battle; he feared that even if the enemy did not launch a direct assault, simply surrounding the city without attacking would be enough to bring about Beining’s fall from within.

"That is only one aspect," Zhao Luoying added, analyzing the situation. "The sudden clearing of the skies today will certainly accelerate the march of the Tulan and allied forces. Coupled with the fact that the weather is growing colder by the day, we are facing a significant shortage of winter gear."

"I wonder if Hu Xu has any way to smuggle grain in? I fear it will be difficult," Guan Xingsheng muttered to himself, his face equally heavy with anxiety.

Seeing the low morale among his generals, Qin Xuan could not help but shout, "Heaven never shuts off every path! As long as we are alive, there will always be a way to solve the plight before us."

Hearing these words, the generals regained a spark of fighting spirit. Du Manjiang growled, "To hell with it! At worst, we’ll just drag them down with us to the grave."

"Exactly! My life was saved by His Highness; I’ve lived these extra years as a bonus, and I’ve had my fill." Guan Xingsheng laughed heartily, casting aside his gloom.

Zhao Luoying gazed at Qin Xuan with soft, deep eyes, as if to say that as long as he was there, even the eighteenth level of hell would not frighten her. Qin Xuan returned her look with a glance of profound tenderness, then turned to his generals. "While we still have time, everyone return to your posts. This battle will not be easy to fight, but please trust me—the final victory will be ours."

As the others dispersed, Zhao Luoying remained with Qin Xuan in the command tent. She understood this man; this time, even he seemed to be feeling unprecedented pressure.

"When soldiers come, use generals to block; when water comes, use earth to cover. Your Highness, you need not be overly worried," Zhao Luoying consoled him in a soft whisper.

Qin Xuan forced a bitter smile and pulled her into his arms. Under normal circumstances, Zhao Luoying would have struggled out of shyness, but this time, she did not resist. Instead, she hugged him tightly, listening to his heartbeat and offering her silent, intimate company.

Breathing in the faint, delicate fragrance of the beauty in his arms, Qin Xuan felt his mind settle. "Do you regret following me?"

"Ever since I began following Your Highness, I have never felt a single regret." Zhao Luoying smiled with infinite tenderness, a faint blush blooming on her beautiful face. "Your Highness, you have done enough and acted well enough for the Great Qi. If not for the Emperor’s madness in colluding with the Jurchens, with your heaven-sent talents, why would you ever need to worry?"

Yes, indeed. Two nations had allied, yet they were targeting nothing more than a fallen prince—was this an honor or a tragedy?

Wait, that wasn't right! In an instant, Qin Xuan seemed to grasp a crucial piece of information. The next second, he excitedly kissed Zhao Luoying on the cheek.

Zhao Luoying flushed crimson and scolded playfully, "Your Highness, you haven't even blown out the candles yet!"

"My dear Luoying, you are truly a goddess sent to me by the heavens!" Qin Xuan laughed heartily, so exhilarated that he lifted her up in his arms.

Seeing his excitement, Zhao Luoying realized she had misunderstood him. Though she was embarrassed and shy, she could not help but ask, "Your Highness, have you thought of a strategy to break the enemy?"

Qin Xuan nodded firmly. "I was trapped in a narrow line of thinking, blinded by the disadvantages faced by the Divine Strategy Army. But as I’ve said before, one must adapt to the circumstances—and that applies here as well."

"How so?" Zhao Luoying’s eyes were full of anticipation.

"The Jurchen and Great Qi allied forces would be invincible if they were truly united from the start. However, the Great Qi forces were caught in a trap halfway, which in turn held back the Tulan army. The Jurchen Kingdom must be harboring dissatisfaction and suspicion because of this."

"Therefore, this so-called alliance is not as solid as a barrel. I only need to exploit the contradictions between these two armies, and I will certainly be able to hold Beining City."

Qin Xuan spoke with conviction. Zhao Luoying thought for a moment and realization dawned on her. The Jurchen and Great Qi had always been hostile nations; their hasty alliance could never be as harmonious as it appeared on the surface. If Qin Xuan could find a way to sow suspicion between the Tulan army and the Great Qi forces, victory would be within reach.

At the midnight hour in Tianshan City, the gates slowly creaked open. A cavalry unit of ten thousand silently slipped out into the darkness. The man riding in the lead was short of stature but possessed a resolute face—it was Monkey, whom Qin Xuan had left behind in Tianshan City.

Half an hour later, the gates opened once more. This time, it was a massive caravan stretching for nearly half a mile, also consisting of ten thousand people. The two groups followed one after the other, maintaining a consistent distance as they hurried toward the northern border.