What Each Side Had in Mind

Commander Zha led his troops out under cover of darkness, taking the three main battalions and their 20,000 soldiers with him. Sunset City still had over 30,000 soldiers, along with more than 20,000 newly recruited troops, leaving more than enough strength to defend it.

Wuling City

The great battle continued.

Outside the city gates, the battle cries of both armies shook the heavens. Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed in rivers. The city walls had also become a battleground. Wu Kingdom soldiers kept climbing with grappling hooks and scaling ladders, while Qian Kingdom reinforcements poured in, driving them back time and again.

"Bring up the fire oil! We must not let these bastards cross the defensive line!"

A group of soldiers carried fire oil up the wall and poured it down on the Wu Kingdom troops. Others took up flaming arrows and shot them at the spilled oil. Boom... Flames filled the sky, lighting up the entire wall.

Wu Kingdom soldiers rolled about with their whole bodies ablaze, wailing without cease. The fire crackled as it burned. The fire oil had effectively halted the enemy's advance. The surviving Wu Kingdom soldiers fell back; the waves of flame were too fierce for them to press forward.

A fish-belly white spread across the horizon, and the stars quietly faded. Night had finally passed~

Cloud Mountain Fortress

"Attendants, have any new battle reports come in?" Yan Fengxiao had clearly been awake all night, remaining in the fortress to keep abreast of the fighting.

"Reporting to the great general, Deputy General Wu led the troops in battle throughout the night. They crossed the city wall several times, but the Qian army drove them back each time. The whole army is now resting in place, awaiting a second assault."

"How many casualties did the troops suffer?"

"Several thousand were killed or wounded. Our army brought back all the fallen. The Battle Formation Breaching Battalion suffered the worst, losing eight or nine out of every ten men."

"What about Wuling City?"

"We haven't received any specific news yet, but I expect they fared no better than our army. We attacked by surprise, so the Qian army must have been unprepared. Forced to meet us in haste, they surely suffered heavier losses."

"Reporting to the great general, General Chen and High Minister Sima request an audience!" A junior soldier came to report while the men were discussing military affairs.

"Alas, let them in!"

"Yes."

Before long, Chen Haoran and Sima Heru hurried in!

Before either man could speak, Yan Fengxiao spoke first.

"General Chen, my attendants informed me last night that you had led your troops into Cloud Mountain Fortress. Unfortunately, military affairs kept me so busy that I could not welcome you properly. I trust you won't take offense!" General Yan cupped his hands in greeting, though he did not rise from his seat.

"Oh... General Yan, what are you saying? I came to visit rashly last night, unaware that the army had already launched its attack. If I had disrupted your command of the troops, I truly would have been unable to eat or sleep in peace. I came early this morning especially to apologize. I hope you won't hold it against me, General Yan."

"There is no need to be so modest, General Chen. We are both generals on the campaign against Qian, serving under the Wu Emperor's orders. Naturally, we should distinguish ourselves in service to the Wu Kingdom. Please, General Chen, have a seat."

As soon as the two men sat down, they spotted a map of Wuling City's layout on the table, with several circles drawn around the red dots.

"May I ask how General Yan's surprise attack went last night?"

Yan Fengxiao already looked down on Chen Haoran, and now Chen was asking him about important military affairs. Naturally, he was displeased, but he gave a perfunctory reply without letting anything show on his face!

"Our army launched a surprise attack last night. The Qian army was unprepared and met us in panic. We killed tens of thousands of them and dealt them a crippling blow!"

This old bastard can't stop lying, Sima Heru thought to himself.

"With such a great victory, it seems Wuling City will fall any day now! Allow me to congratulate you in advance, General Yan!" Though Chen Haoran did not know the details, he knew General Yan was boasting. He did not expose him, however.

"General Yan, all 150,000 of my troops have arrived at Cloud Mountain Fortress. When might my army be able to pass through Wuling City to attack Sunset City?"

"General Chen, you and your men have endured a long and tiring journey. Why not rest here at the fortress for a few days? Once my army has thoroughly crushed the Qian army and swept away every obstacle, would it not be more prudent for you to march out then?"

"After all, General Chen, you come from a military family. If anything were to happen to you within my jurisdiction, I would have a hard time answering to my father!"

"In that case, sorry for the trouble, General Yan! Brother Sima, pass down my order: the army is to rest at Cloud Mountain Fortress. Without my command, no one is to act on their own. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Sima Heru had come with General Chen to request that their forces be joined to attack Wuling City together! Now that General Chen had said this, High Minister Sima found him somewhat hard to fathom.

Even so, he accepted the order and withdrew!

After leaving, Sima Heru did not hurry back. Instead, he waited there for General Chen.

Inside, General Chen's arrival had cast a heavy mood over the men. He was clearly unwelcome. General Chen naturally understood, and after exchanging a few courtesies, he too rose to take his leave.

As soon as General Chen stepped outside the camp, Sima Heru grabbed him.

"Brother Chen, what is going on? Weren't we going to join forces and attack Wuling City together? Why is our army resting here now?"

"Brother Sima, don't be impatient. Let us return to the tent first!" With that, he pulled free of Sima Heru and walked on.

"Alas..." Sima Heru shook out his sleeves, his face full of worry and anxiety.

Wuling City

The two sides had now ceased fighting and were resting separately. Commander Wan was leading men in repairing the city wall. Numerous obstacles and spikes had been set up in front of the gate.

Commander Cao was inspecting every position and counting the casualties.

The Wu Kingdom's surprise attack the previous night had caused some losses. The residents had now all been moved farther back, and several defensive lines had been set up throughout Wuling City. If the Wu soldiers broke through the gate, Wuling City would be their burial ground.

"Commander Wan, how is the situation?" After inspecting every corner, Commander Cao returned to the city gate and happened to see Wan Que directing the work.

"Reporting to the grand commander, the gate has now been repaired, but the wall is badly damaged. It will take time to repair it. I fear the Wu soldiers won't give us that time."

"The Wu Kingdom came at us fiercely and attacked in the middle of the night. It was no easy feat to hold them off. There is no need to blame yourself, Commander Wan. Our army has now completed its deployments. Wuling City is secure."

"How many casualties did we suffer last night?"

"Our army suffered approximately 7,000 casualties, most of them from the enemy's catapults."

"Alas, to lose so many soldiers in a single night! I have failed in my duty."

"Grand Commander, please don't blame yourself. When two kingdoms go to war, casualties on both sides are unavoidable. Wuling City is still in our hands. If the enemy comes again, our soldiers will surely avenge their fallen brothers!"

"Commander Zha, where is our army going?" a young officer beside the commander asked in puzzlement. They had been suddenly assembled the previous night and had received no further orders even now, only marching at speed the whole time.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't. You'll find out when the time comes," Commander Zha said as he rode.

The young officer said no more and whipped his horse to catch up.

Wuling City, you must hold out!

Elsewhere, at Guo Youshan's marching camp.

"Deputy General Yuan, the fighting at Wuling City should have stopped by now, shouldn't it?"

"Reporting to General Guo, five hours have passed since General Yan sent out his troops. After a night of battle, the men and horses must be exhausted. They should be resting and regrouping now."

"I wonder when that old bastard Yan Fengxiao will take Wuling City?"

"General Guo, Wuling City is the gateway facing our Wu Kingdom, so naturally it is a wall of bronze and iron. Apart from the Wu Emperor, no one could take it in a short time."

"Hmm, good. That old bastard has to compete and contend with me over everything. This time, I'll take Qixia City before he succeeds and make him lose all face."

"End the whole army's rest and advance on Qixia City at speed!"

"Yes."

"Whole army, move out! Pick up the pace to Qixia City!"