The wind blew, and the sky-shattering war drums began to beat. The Xiliang army sat high on their horses, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
On the city wall, a person was hanging. The leading general, a famous archer of Xiliang, spotting prey, raised his bow. A supremely sharp Black Iron Arrow shot forth, whistling through the air, piercing the wind and clouds, heading straight for Yun Xiao.
Everyone felt a tightening in their chests, finding it difficult to breathe.
Unexpectedly, Shangguan Lin suddenly flicked his cloak. A powerful gust of wind surged, sweeping the arrow back. It fell below the city wall, and Yun Xiao was finally pulled up by him.
As her feet touched the ground, her body went weak, and she began to fall. Yun Zhen stepped forward to catch her, but Shangguan Lin was a step faster, encircling her.
Yun Xiao steadied herself against his arm, her face completely devoid of color, her lips pale from fright. Now that she was on solid ground, she could no longer hold back her curses.
"Shangguan Lin, you scoundrel, you son of a bitch! Do I have a grudge against your family from a past life, or a debt to you in this one? Why did you hang me on the city wall? Do I owe your family, or do I owe you?"
On the city wall, everyone’s hearts tightened again. Had she escaped danger only to fall victim again?
However, this young man was indeed bold. One must know that Shangguan Lin was a prince of the current dynasty. Her beating the drums to call off the troops was already a grave military offense.
Although her intentions were good, military orders were like mountains. This was undoubtedly insubordination, and she had acted without authorization. It was not unreasonable for the Prince to hang her on the city wall as a mild punishment.
Now, she was unleashing a torrent of abuse. Everyone dared not look at the Prince’s face, lowering their gazes to their feet. Even Yun Zhen was sweating, and he softly called out.
"Feng Guan, you must not be rude."
"Am I wrong to curse?" Yun Xiao turned her head, her expression entirely justified. Just as everyone was at a loss and the air was chillingly suffocating, a clear voice rang out.
"Report."
Feng Li Cheng and Yun Zhen spoke simultaneously, "What is it?"
It turned out to be a scout. The scout respectfully knelt on one knee and said, "Reporting to the Deputy Marshal, the vanguard officer, the Xiliang army has a total of one hundred and thirty thousand troops, half of which are hidden in the large bamboo forest opposite."
"You may withdraw."
Feng Li Cheng secretly exclaimed at his luck, finally feeling that the five thousand troops had not sacrificed in vain. If it weren't for this young man, perhaps no one could have stopped this Prince.
At this moment, Yun Xiao, as if having caught a handle, coldly eyed Shangguan Lin and let out a haughty snort after a long pause.
"With the current troop strength, a frontal confrontation with the Xiliang army would be like throwing an egg against a rock. We can only outsmart them, not confront them head-on."
After speaking, she flicked her sleeves and left without looking back at Shangguan Lin.
Behind her, Shangguan Lin’s ashen face slowly recovered. He seriously reflected on himself, realizing he had indeed been rash. He admitted he was an amateur when it came to warfare.
An amateur arbitrarily directing the enemy was indeed a path to self-destruction. How precious were those fifty thousand troops? The poisoning had already depleted their strength significantly. Now, they could only think of a stratagem.
However, why did Feng Guan understand so much? Shangguan Lin became increasingly puzzled. Unbeknownst to himself, his emotions were often controlled by this young man.
On the city wall, light and shadow shimmered, the breeze whispered past, and not a sound could be heard.
Slowly, Shangguan Lin descended from the city tower. Behind him, countless people breathed a sigh of relief. Just when they thought the Prince would turn to stone, he finally moved.
The Xiliang army continued to beat their drums, but Fen Ya Pass remained silent and unresponsive. However, when they attempted to force their way into the city, fire arrows shot out from within, along with stones and boiling oil, making it difficult to breach the defenses.
Furthermore, with the increased manpower, everyone was diligently moving stones and preparing boiling oil, united in their efforts against the foreign enemy. Despite their ample troops, the Xiliang army could not break through for the time being.
In the main hall of Fen Ya Pass’s camp, a group of people was seated. Sitting at the very center was Prince Shangguan Lin.
Feng Li Cheng sat to his side, and on the other side sat the old general who had previously defended Fen Ya Pass. Due to the previous losses, he remained quiet, and military matters had been managed by Yun Mo and Feng Li Cheng.
Now that Yun Mo was ill, Shangguan Lin took his place in the main seat.
On either side sat a row of Tiger Riders. On the left, leading them, was Yun Zhen, who had been appointed vanguard officer, followed by deputy generals and staff officers. On the right sat Zhao Fei, a fierce general under Yun Mo, with his capable subordinates below him.
Within the camp hall, silence prevailed. Everyone stared uniformly at Prince Shangguan Lin, unsure how to fight this battle.
Shangguan Lin had now calmed down. After careful consideration, he knew that a frontal engagement was indeed inadvisable. They could only adopt a flanking strategy, prioritizing wit over force. With this thought, he turned to Feng Li Cheng.
"Marshal Feng, I have heard that your formations and deployments are exceptionally skilled. Why not use formations to welcome the enemy in this battle?"
Upon hearing the Prince address him by name, Feng Li Cheng immediately stood up, his expression slightly embarrassed. He admitted that his formations and deployments were indeed a matter of reputation, but they were merely trivial skills.
The Xiliang army was very cunning and well-versed in formations. Ordinary formations could not trap them.
Last time, Yun Mo had won a battle using a peculiar formation, and the Xiliang army immediately dispatched a person deeply versed in military strategy from the rear. Since then, their strategies had always been broken.
"Reporting to Your Highness, what I know are merely trivial skills. Not only is the Xiliang army skilled in warfare, but a newly transferred deputy general among them is exceptionally adept at breaking formations."
As Feng Li Cheng finished speaking, people in the camp hall immediately echoed his sentiment, nodding in agreement.
Shangguan Lin swept his gaze across them. His face was stern, his eyes sharp. Did they not have formidable deputy generals just because the other side did?
He glanced around. Everyone was silent, some with their heads bowed, others looking elsewhere, all avoiding Shangguan Lin’s gaze, fearing being singled out by the cold Prince.
It wasn't that they were afraid of trouble; it was simply that they lacked the capability.
Yun Zhen, who had remained silent, slowly stood up and spoke calmly.
"Your Highness, the plague has only just subsided after days of continuous outbreaks. Everyone is still very tired. Let's rest for a day and devise a strategy tomorrow."
Upon hearing the vanguard officer’s words, many agreed. Having just been poisoned by the enemy, their strength had been greatly depleted. How could they possibly have the energy to deal with the Xiliang army?
Although these people were unharmed, seeing others poisoned and infected weighed heavily on their hearts, keeping them awake at night.
"Your Highness."
Everyone called out in unison. Although Shangguan Lin was anxious, seeing the redness in everyone’s eyes and their evident fatigue, he had no choice but to nod. "Then, we shall rest today."
Those in the camp hall breathed a sigh of relief, truly fearing that the Prince would insist on fighting.
However, after the severe reprimand from the young physician, the Prince seemed more amenable. The crowd dispersed, filing out. Only a few key generals remained.
Deputy Marshal Feng Li Cheng, Vanguard Officer Yun Zhen, the old general from Fen Ya Pass, and the General of Yun City sat grimly at the side of the hall.
Everyone present knew that this battle would be difficult to fight, not because they wouldn't fight, but because they didn't know how to proceed.
"Forget it, let's rest well today, and we'll make a decision tomorrow."
With a command from Shangguan Lin, everyone dispersed.
In front of the hundred tents in the west city, busy figures moved in and out, creating a lively scene. Voices from within the tents could be heard intermittently. The previous aura of death finally dissipated like clouds parting.
Yun Xiao, accompanied by Liu Xing, entered her father's tent. No one was inside. Yun Mo had already woken up. Seeing Xiao'er enter, he anxiously inquired.
"How is it? What's the battle situation?"
"No fighting," Yun Xiao sat beside her father and naturally placed her hands on his pulse. After taking it for a while, she finally showed a smile. "Very good. Tomorrow, Father can get out of bed and move around. Drink more, and the poison will be completely resolved. Father, don't worry."
Yun Mo was not concerned about his own condition; he became anxious upon hearing that there had been no fighting.
Even from here, one could faintly hear the intense war drums outside the city gate, the fluttering banners, and the enemy vociferously cursing Eastern Qin. Even by imagining it, one knew what they were cursing about.