"Report, the north city gate of Huaicheng is under attack by enemy forces!"
The north city gate faced the Zi Wu River. The vanguard of the Ji Yang army, which had rushed to Huaicheng ahead of Qin Qiancheng, was stationed outside the city gate. The Great Li army crossed the Zi Wu River. After Wen Zhong led the vanguard in a surprise attack on the east city gate, Qin Qiancheng dispatched the remaining Ji Yang army to reinforce the east city gate. Only about a thousand Ji Yang soldiers remained in the military camp.
"Who is leading the troops?"
"Deputy General Wen Zhong, Zhang Yizhi!"
North City Gate.
Zhang Yizhi, clad in dark armor and wielding a long spear, charged at the Ji Yang army at the head of his cavalry. When he was still a hundred meters from the camp, the warhorse beneath him stumbled on the soft earth and fell.
Zhang Yizhi swung his long spear, the tip piercing the edge of a trap about three meters deep, exposed by the trampling of the warhorse. Using the recoil, he leaped from his horse, flipping backward to avoid falling into the trap with it.
However, the cavalry accompanying him did not fare as well. Except for a few agile soldiers, the rest, along with their horses, fell into the traps meticulously dug by the Ji Yang army.
Human screams and the neighing of horses erupted simultaneously. Though not deep, the traps were filled with sharp wooden stakes. Men and horses, after falling, were impaled by the stakes, releasing a pungent smell of blood. Zhang Yizhi's face turned so dark it seemed water could drip from it!
He leaped over the trap, followed closely by his infantry. Only the soldiers pushing the siege engines unstrapped their shields to use as bridges, attempting to allow the siege engines to cross the trap safely.
As the siege engine soldiers removed their shields and laid them across the trap, rockets rained down from the sky, so dense they blotted out the sun. The Great Li soldiers had no time to raise the shields on the ground. Unable to dodge, they were pierced by the rockets and instantly set ablaze.
Before the Great Li army could even touch the Ji Yang soldiers, they had already suffered heavy losses.
Qin Qiancheng stood on the sentry post of the east city gate, gazing at the fires at the north city gate. The sounds of battle raged around him. Arrows shot from below grazed his ear. Soldiers on the sentry post, unable to dodge in time, were pierced through the shoulder by incoming arrows.
As one person was injured, another immediately took his place. Qin Qiancheng turned and leaped down from the city gate, ordering the soldiers to set up the trebuchets.
Giant stones fell, crushing some of the Great Li soldiers into bloody pulp.
On the other side, after losing nearly half their soldiers, Zhang Yizhi's Great Li army finally broke through and clashed with the Ji Yang army.
The sounds of battle shook the heavens and the earth, the clash of weapons cutting through the night sky. The people of Huaicheng were awakened from their sleep by the commotion. Realizing what was happening, some clutched their wives and children in terror, while others leaped from their beds, donned their outerwear, and rushed out of their rooms. Grabbing hoes and axes from their courtyards, they ran towards the city gates. Approaching the gates, they formed a line.
Their hands, gripping weapons, were covered in cold sweat, but their gazes towards the city gates in the darkness were firm and resolute.
If the city gates were breached, they would fight to their last breath to tear a piece of flesh from the Great Li army!
The battle continued throughout the night. As the sky dawned and the sun began to rise, Wen Zhong and Zhang Yizhi both issued orders to retreat.
The Great Li army withdrew instantly, like an ebbing tide.
Huaicheng had been defended!
The city gates remained intact, and the people of Huaicheng, who had been filled with dread all night, wept with joy.
...
The news reached the capital immediately, landing on the desks of Ji Hong and Ji Jinmo.
As Ji Jinmo had predicted, Qin Qiancheng did not choose to surrender and open the city gates at the first opportunity. Instead, he personally led the army to defend the city and repelled Wen Zhong's vanguard.
"The vanguard was merely a probe!"
Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong stood before the topographical map. Huaicheng and Wei Cheng were adjacent, separated only by the Zi Wu River. This area was once the capital of Xi Liang, and the Zi Wu River was not a border river dividing the two cities but the moat of the Xi Liang capital.
The Zi Wu River, shaped like a coiling dragon, meandered up and down. When Linyuan and Da Li divided Xi Liang, the uneven distribution of land separated by the Zi Wu River resulted in the cities of Mocheng and others, allotted to Da Li, being located on the opposite bank, adjacent to Huaicheng of Linyuan. This led to subsequent border unrest, Ji Jinmo leading the Demon Hunter Army to slaughter the Da Li imperial forces and occupy Mocheng and the other six cities in that campaign.
Before Da Li's Qingli Army had arrived at Wei Cheng, Wen Zhong had already launched his attack, intending to ascertain Huaicheng's military strength.
"After last night's battle, Wen Zhong must have discovered our army's insufficient strength. Tonight, the Qingli Army, led by Pi Chongwen, will arrive at Wei Cheng. If I were Wen Zhong, I would lead a hundred thousand troops to break down Huaicheng's city gates tonight."
Ji Jinmo analyzed the enemy's intentions from the perspective of an enemy general.
If Huaicheng were breached, Wen Zhong would likely pursue his victory and, without timely reinforcement from Linyuan's army, break through the gates of Mocheng and the other six cities consecutively.
"Why haven't the remaining Ji Yang troops arrived yet!?"
Ji Hong's eyes were bloodshot, his anger surging to his brain. Da Li's Qingli Army was even on its way, so where were the Ji Yang troops?
Ji Jinmo looked at the topographical map. If the Ji Yang army was not delayed, they should have reached Huaicheng by noon today.
...
The Ji Yang army marched past the banks of the Si Shui River. Huan Heng ordered the army to halt and rest for half an hour before resuming their march.
"Old Hei, where are you going?"
An old soldier from the Sixth Battalion of the Ji Yang army, carrying a water bucket, walked towards the Si Shui River. Xiao Jia, a soldier from the same tent, ran up to him and put an arm around his shoulder.
Old Hei shook the water bucket and said, "Going to the river to fetch water!"
"The General ordered us to rest here for half an hour. I saw men from the First Battalion fetching water to start cooking. I thought we could also take out some rice and cook some porridge."
"That sounds great, come on, let's go together!"
Xiao Jia snatched the water bucket from Old Hei's hand without ceremony. Old Hei watched Xiao Jia's retreating back, a flash of cold light in his eyes.
Old Hei squatted by the Si Shui River and took a sip of water. The river water was clear and sweet, with a chill that swept across his tongue, like drinking ice chips.
He looked around. Seeing Xiao Jia bending over to fetch water with his back to him, he flicked his sleeve. A paper packet fell from his sleeve, weighted and about to drop into the Si Shui River.
Xiao Jia, who had been facing away from Old Hei, suddenly turned around. He threw the water bucket in his hand at Old Hei. The water-filled bucket was heavy and struck Old Hei squarely in the chest. As Old Hei was sent flying backward, Xiao Jia flashed forward, appearing in Old Hei's previous position in an instant, and snatched the paper packet just as it was about to fall into the river.
Xiao Jia opened the paper packet, sniffed it, and his expression changed drastically. He immediately re-wrapped the packet and threw it on the ground.
"General, it's 'Half-Step Powder'!"
Huan Heng arrived at the scene. Xiao Jia reported to Huan Heng with a grim expression.
Old Hei clutched his chest. Seeing that his plan had been exposed, a ferocious glint flashed in his eyes, and he was about to bite the poison to kill himself. Huan Heng, with lightning speed, clamped down on Old Hei's jaw and pried out the poison hidden in his back molars.
"Trying to commit suicide?"
"In your next life!"