Chapter Thirty: The Time Is Ripe, or Perhaps a Masterstroke

Old North Mountain.

This was the rugged mountain path connecting Tianshan City to Beining City. At this moment, Monkey was leading his troop through the difficult terrain. He had actually arrived in the Northern Territory two days ago, but scouts quickly brought word that Beining City was under siege, leaving him no choice but to take a detour.

"General Hou, once we pass that mountain bend ahead and travel for another half day, we will reach Beining City."

Monkey was an orphan with no name or surname; the people around him simply called him by this nickname, and he did not mind. The man guiding him was a merchant from Tianshan City who had traveled this route between the two cities for years.

"Lead the way well. Once we enter Beining City, you shall be handsomely rewarded."

Monkey was short in stature, but his sharp, piercing eyes made many feel a chill run down their spines. Furthermore, because Qin Xuan had left behind two thousand Shence troops when he departed, the entire force—though largely comprised of Tianshan City garrison soldiers—remained strictly disciplined.

Meanwhile, the Great Qi coalition and the Tulan army launched another assault on the city. After more than an hour, Gulna gradually began to notice something amiss. The Shence troops, who had been exhausted and struggling to cope, were suddenly moving with agility today. Yet, at the same time, their defensive maneuvers seemed awkward, as if they were just learning how to fight.

"Tulan, why do I feel like the Shence troops have regained their strength? Their counter-attacks are much fiercer than before."

Gulna could not help but voice his suspicions. Tulan smiled faintly. "That is good news. It is likely the final struggle of the Shence troops—what the people of Great Qi call a 'flash of brilliance' before death."

"It doesn't seem like that. I have a feeling today is rather strange."

Gulna muttered to himself, but unable to pinpoint the cause, he changed the subject. "We have been laying siege for seven days; the Shence troops must be at their breaking point. I have already notified the Great Qi coalition to launch a full-scale offensive tomorrow at the hour of the Rat."

"I have long been impatient to break the city. This time, I will ensure the entire Shence army is wiped out." Tulan was full of confidence and fighting spirit.

Neither man could have imagined that the people of Beining City, influenced by more than thirty thousand refugees, had risen up once more. After all, the people of Beining had always been seen by the Jurchen nation as nothing more than lambs to the slaughter. Yet, at this moment, the entire city of Beining had become a fortress of armed citizens.

On the other side, within the Great Qi coalition, Sun Wei and his officers were discussing the plans for tomorrow's midnight offensive.

"Why is it the Northwest Army leading the charge again? Do you think my men haven't died enough?" In the command tent, Liu Zhizhong looked at Sun Wei’s orders, finally unable to suppress his long-simmering anger as he questioned him loudly.

Sun Wei remained composed, rebuking him sternly: "I am the commander, and you are merely a general. You must obey my orders. If General Liu finds my arrangements improper, you are free to submit a report against me to the throne. But until then, you and your Northwest Army must follow military law."

In the business of storming cities and seizing strongholds, the vanguard naturally suffered the heaviest casualties. Although Liu Zhizhong understood this, he simply refused to accept Sun Wei’s decisions. The two had been at odds since the affair at Tianshan City. Added to that was the recent incident where a large number of Northwest troops were gunned down by the Qingyun army; although it was forced by circumstance, it remained a festering grudge in Liu Zhizhong’s heart.

"Why not imitate the Tulan army and use a portion of the cavalry as a human wall to quickly erect siege ladders? Wouldn't that be more effective?" Not daring to actually impeach Commander Sun, Liu Zhizhong could only grit his teeth and make a suggestion.

Sun Wei sneered, "The Jurchen nation has plenty of cavalry, and they don't mind losing a few, but where would Great Qi find so many horses to waste? Besides, once we take Beining City, do you think we won't have to fight the Jurchens and the Hangu? If we lose other borders later because we lack cavalry, will you take the responsibility?"

Both the Jurchen and Hangu nations were world-renowned for their cavalry. To face them in battle, Great Qi naturally could not do without horses. But unfortunately, Great Qi was not adept at breeding them, and their stock was inferior to the other two nations. Sun Wei was naturally unwilling to use such precious cavalry as cannon fodder.

"General Liu, consider the bigger picture. Please, think carefully." Seeing the murderous intent in Liu Zhizhong’s eyes growing, the military secretary Cao Xueguang could not help but intercede.

Liu Zhizhong snorted coldly and muttered, "I am willing to follow Commander Sun's arrangements." But in his heart, he was already sneering: "You want to use my soldiers to trade for military merit? Fine, if that's the case, then no one shall have an easy time."

Inside Beining City, the Shence troops finally had a chance to catch their breath. Qin Xuan divided them into two shifts; one group rested while the other acted as temporary instructors, teaching the commoners how to use weapons and how to respond during a siege.

"The issue of rest for the troops has been temporarily resolved, but the food crisis has worsened," Zhuge Xuan said with concern. "Hu Xu left a day ago; I wonder if there has been any news?"

Qin Xuan shook his head. "It won't be that fast. At the very least, we won't hear anything until this time tomorrow." He paused, looked at Zhao Luoying, Guan Xingsheng, and the others, and urged, "You all should go and rest for a while, or who will lead the troops tomorrow?"

"I can still hold on." Guan Xingsheng, who was already swaying, forced himself to stand straight and grinned.

"Stop trying to be heroes. Luoying, you go sleep for a while, too. In three hours, I will swap with you." Qin Xuan spoke with the finality of a military order.

The group looked at one another and had no choice but to obey.

"Your Highness, please do not overwork yourself. Wait for me to relieve your post." Zhao Luoying looked at Qin Xuan with a pained expression. He nodded, and after they left, he continued to discuss matters with Zhuge Xuan. "Even if Hu Xu can bring back food, it will only solve the immediate fire. If we truly want to break the stalemate, we must shatter the alliance between the Tulan and the Great Qi coalition."

Zhuge Xuan nodded slightly. He had been pondering this for a long time but had yet to find a brilliant strategy.

"We have been under siege for seven days. If I were the enemy, I would certainly launch the final offensive within the next two days."

"But with our current strength, even with the citizens participating, it will be difficult to win. At most, we can only hold out for a few more days." Qin Xuan had calculated the disparity in strength between the two sides. There were nearly fifty thousand citizens participating, but their combined combat effectiveness was likely less than a third of a regular army.

"The Tulan army must have joined forces with Great Qi because the Emperor sent an envoy. But what I cannot understand is what conditions the Great Qi court promised to make the Jurchen nation agree to this alliance?" Zhuge Xuan was completely baffled.

"Great Qi only needed to promise the Jurchens that after the city falls, Beining would be handed over to them. For the Jurchens, the Shence army has always been a thorn in their side; why not take this opportunity to eliminate us once and for all?" Qin Xuan sneered. "As for my foolish father, to root me out, he is willing to sacrifice the entire city of Beining—he is cold-blooded to the extreme."

"However, he never imagined that the people of Beining would fully support the Shence army. This may be one of the keys to our victory." Qin Xuan seemed to have thought of something, his gaze gradually growing sharp.

"Your Highness, do you already have a brilliant plan?" Zhuge Xuan asked, excited.

"When the time is ripe, it will be a plan. But I believe that moment will surely come." Qin Xuan’s tone was grim, his body filled with murderous intent.