But one could not avoid facing the enemy. Shangguan Lin, young and impetuous, flew into a rage upon hearing the drums from outside the city gates. His deep eyes, sharp as ice, fixed on Feng Li Cheng as he ordered in a deep voice.
“Prepare to meet the enemy.”
Feng Li Cheng, still the deputy marshal, disagreed instinctively upon hearing Shangguan Lin’s words.
The Xiliang army was naturally fierce and skilled in combat. Furthermore, they knew that the people within Fengyaguan were severely weakened, making them as formidable as tigers descending from a mountain. How could these soldiers possibly be their match?
But before he could finish, the one leading the troops was still the Commander of Yuncheng, An Yu.
This man had always been stubborn, acting without regard for consequences, and was eager for fame. Upon seeing the King of Lin issue an order, he showed no intention of disobeying and spoke in a low, rumbling voice.
“Your humble servants obey the Prince’s orders.”
Feng Li Cheng could not say anything further, but Yun Zhen, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shangguan Lin, raised an eyebrow and spoke in a deep voice, “This matter should be planned with more deliberation.”
“Are we just going to let them shout and curse at our doorstep?” Shangguan Lin, being a prince, had never suffered such indignity. His face was already a ghastly pale. He completely disagreed with Yun Zhen’s suggestion and turned to look at An Yu.
He had met this man once before and had a vague impression of his name being something like An. Shangguan Lin thought for a moment but could not recall. An Yu, however, stepped forward to introduce himself.
“An Yu and his fifty thousand troops are at the Prince’s command.”
“Good. I await your deployment.” Shangguan Lin spurred his horse towards the city gate. An Yu, leading his fifty thousand men, paid no mind to Feng Li Cheng and the others, following directly behind the King of Lin towards the city gate.
Although they knew the Xiliang army had nearly two hundred thousand men, a portion of them were stationed thirty li away, meaning only tens of thousands were approaching. If there was support, they would retreat.
An Yu calculated this, showing no fear.
Most importantly, if Yun Mo could defeat the Xiliang army with fifty thousand men, why couldn’t he?
If he could win this battle, his reputation would be on par with Yun Mo from then on. This would not only be a great merit but would surely lead to the Emperor entrusting him with important matters.
The sound of horse hooves was loud and majestic, heading towards the city gate. Behind them, Yun Zhen and Feng Li Cheng, who had been left in the dust, exchanged glances. Dozens of deputy generals and officers also looked at each other in shock.
The Emperor had dispatched fifty thousand troops. But for the sake of victory in this battle, if the King were to act like this, and if these fifty thousand troops were annihilated, what hope would they have left?
Alas, the Xiliang people were shouting loudly, and the Prince could not stand the insult. He refused to listen to anyone.
“Let’s go.”
Yun Zhen spoke with a frown, his gaze cold. Those beside him spurred their horses and headed towards the city gate.
From a distance, the sound of horse hooves grew louder, cloaks billowed, and dust obscured the eyes. In the blink of an eye, they arrived, revealing Yun Xiao and one of his subordinates.
“Feng Guan is here to observe the battle on behalf of the Prince.”
Yun Zhen smiled lightly, his elegance undiminished even in armor.
“Let’s go.” Yun Zhen led the way. Liu Xing pulled on the reins, following the people ahead. Feng Li Cheng and his entourage followed closely, rushing towards the city gate.
Previously, they had not paid much attention to this young man. None of them had expected his medical skills to be so extraordinary.
Not only had he treated poisoned patients, but he had also discovered that it was not a plague at all but rather a case of deliberate poisoning. In the end, he had set a trap that annihilated the enemy in one fell swoop.
At this moment, everyone at Fengyaguan regarded the young man with a degree of awe. The survival of everyone within the city was due in no small part to this young man, who could be considered a divine physician of this era.
If Dong Qin managed to repel the Xiliang army this time, it was likely that his fame would spread throughout the land.
Outside the tall city walls, the war drums beat incessantly. Before they had even reached the high walls, they heard Shangguan Lin’s roar: “Beat the drums.”
The drums sounded, earth-shattering. The city gate creaked open, and fifty thousand troops surged out, standing in formation below the gate. Banners fluttered, dust swirled, and under the scorching sun, the scene was magnificent.
At this point, Yun Xiao and Yun Zhen had ascended the high walls, followed by Feng Li Cheng and others. They looked down upon the spectacular scene from above.
Shangguan Lin held a spyglass, scanning the enemy’s forces, his face grave, contemplating something.
Yun Xiao frowned. Frankly, the enemy’s forces were unclear.
He could only see a vast expanse of black, its numbers unknown.
Before confirming the enemy’s strength, fifty thousand troops had been dispatched. Was this not like throwing an egg against a rock?
Yun Xiao’s expression immediately turned grim. He turned to look at Yun Zhen.
“How many enemy troops are there? Are the scouts’ reports accurate?”
Yun Zhen’s brow furrowed, his face clouded with frost. He replied coldly, “Scouts reported approximately seventy thousand troops an hour ago.”
Yun Xiao’s brow furrowed. Regardless of Shangguan Lin’s high status, he stamped his foot and snatched the spyglass from Shangguan Lin’s hand, gazing towards the enemy.
He saw that behind the enemy’s main force was a vast stretch of forest. Sunlight glinted on the treetops, and birds flitted through the branches. Yun Xiao’s heart sank. He turned his icy gaze to his brother and ordered.
“Quick, beat the drums and recall them. That dense forest must be hiding a large contingent of the Xiliang army.”
Yun Zhen and Feng Li Cheng’s expressions changed drastically. They turned and ordered the drums to be beaten and the troops recalled immediately.
The drums sounded, banners waved, and amidst the thunderous noise, Shangguan Lin’s face turned ashen. His eyes glared fiercely at Yun Xiao.
“You have great audacity! I gave an order, and you dare to have the drums beaten to recall the troops. They haven’t even fought yet, and you’re recalling them. How can you be so sure there are enemy troops hidden in that bamboo forest?”
“An army knows that deception is key. Do you think everyone else is a fool?”
Yun Xiao sneered and turned away from the person exuding coldness beside him, leaning out half of his body to look down below the city wall.
The fifty thousand troops heard the drums, bewildered. The city gate had opened, and they could only retreat into the city. On the battlefield, the drum command was paramount. Disobedience meant execution.
Yun Xiao finally let out a sigh of relief. But before he could fully exhale, his body suddenly shot up into the air.
Someone held him with one hand, glaring furiously. His sculpted features were covered in a layer of dark, frosty light. He panted heavily, then with a sudden 360-degree swing, he dangled half of Yun Xiao’s body outside the city wall, swaying in the air.
On the city wall, everyone was stunned. Liu Xing, the first to react, spoke in a deep voice, “Your Highness, what are you doing?”
Yun Zhen also snapped back to his senses, glaring at Shangguan Lin, and roared menacingly, “Shangguan Lin, are you insane? Let her go quickly!”
The wind picked up, billowing Yun Xiao’s brocade robe. Her heart pounded erratically. Glancing down, she could barely catch her breath. Fury ignited, she raised her head and glared coldly at Shangguan Lin.
“Prince Lin, are you enraged by shame? Have you ever fought a battle? Have you ever led troops? Perhaps in other matters, you, Prince Shangguan, are wise and intelligent, but when it comes to the battlefield, what right does someone who has never fought have to command others to charge into battle, especially to their deaths? Do you think others are not born of parents? Do you know how many eyes are watching behind these fallen soldiers?”
The sonorous words, like notes from a pipa, resonated through the high wall like a gust of wind. Everyone felt a tremor run through their bodies. A surge of passion rose in their hearts, and they could not help but cheer for the young man in their hearts, speaking in unison.
“Your Highness, spare him.”
In the silence, Shangguan Lin gradually calmed down. The young man’s stern reprimands echoed in his ears. It seemed he had indeed acted impulsively. Perhaps the enemy camp was indeed heavily ambushed, and without a foolproof strategy, he could not send these men to their deaths.