After regrouping their troops, they resumed their advance toward Baila Pass. By the time they arrived, Xiong Tianba had already marched away with his hundred brothers.
Dawn arrived unnoticed. After a grueling night of defense, Eastern Liang Commandery had successfully repelled three attacks by the Yong Army. The snow had stopped in the latter half of the night, only to give way to freezing rain that left the Yong soldiers in utter misery. Qin Yangming discovered that this siege was far more difficult than he had anticipated. Heaven refused to cooperate and had never once taken his side. At dawn, another piece of news was confirmed: Hu Xiaotian had captured the Eastern Luo Granary in a surprise attack. The news chilled Qin Yangming to his very core. He knew what losing the granary meant.
His adviser, Zhai Yuan, could already guess his mood from his livid face. He dared not speak first and waited quietly beside him.
Qin Yangming asked, "How many days will our provisions last?"
"Two days," Zhai Yuan answered softly.
Qin Yangming gazed at the smoke-shrouded gate tower of Eastern Liang Commandery not far away. If he pressed the attack, he might take the city within a day-but what happened after that? What would he do about the Eastern Luo Granary? Unless he recaptured it, their military supplies would be in jeopardy. Even with vastly superior numbers, how could they fight on empty stomachs? Hu Xiaotian was ruthless indeed. He had pulled the firewood from beneath the cauldron and cut off Qin Yangming's way back.
Deputy General Yang Xian came to report, looking somewhat alarmed. "General, a hundred warships are sailing toward Eastern Liang Commandery from Wuxing Commandery. They appear to be carrying reinforcements."
Qin Yangming's heart grew heavier still. Wuxing Commandery must have heard that the