Facts proved that in a cruel environment of survival, there were no weaklings.
More than half a month had passed since the gloomy rainy season began. No reinforcements came from the northern bank, and some troops had even departed without authorization. When the tree fell, the monkeys scattered—no one would remain loyal to a king about to die.
After discovering they could no longer besiege a point and strike reinforcements, the Chi Mang people finally decided to take Yue City. They would show more Central Plains factions what it meant to be valiant and battle-hardened. Under normal circumstances, the attackers needed more troops and suffered greater losses, yet reality showed the two sides were evenly matched.
The Central Plains had endured year-round warfare and severe attrition after the Former Tang Dynasty fell. They had weakened to an appalling degree, and their armies' combat strength had failed to improve as well. War was fought with overall strength, not numbers.
Atop the walls, Yue City's defenders, their faces sallow with hunger, stared tremblingly at the dense masses of Chi Mang people outside the city.
The recent breakout battles had shown them clearly how formidable their opponents were. In truth, the Chi Mang people's fighting strength was no different from the personal guards of Central Plains generals. If ordinary able-bodied men received strict training, full meals, and good equipment, they could absolutely fight them.
Unfortunately, only the Former Tang Dynasty had been able to bear such enormous military expenses. As for now, from an annual pay of five taels of silver, receiving even one tael meant one could kowtow to the officials and generals, burn incense, and call them bodhisattvas. They skimmed, flayed the soldiers dry, embezzled ghost salaries; the equipment was tattered, and all they ate was thin porridge.
How could men