Chapter Seventeen: The Siege

Page 1/3

The sudden turn of events stirred little emotion within Tulan. He merely smiled and said to the Imperial Advisor beside him, “It seems there are more rats in the city than expected. Advisor, I am not disobeying His Majesty’s orders.”

Gurna understood Tulan’s meaning and gave a wry smile. “If the people of Daqi are seeking their own demise, then indulge your temper. But remember, keep it within limits.”

“Thank you, Advisor,” Tulan laughed heartily, then turned sharply to the Jin soldier still standing frozen. “You fool, did you hear the Advisor? Get down there immediately and lead the men to capture them!”

A flicker of ferocity and delight flashed in the surviving Jin soldier’s eyes as he obediently took his leave.

Thus, the entire Beining City soon plunged into a localized riot—shops were smashed, homes destroyed, men slaughtered, and the women became the playthings of the Jin soldiers.

This wild revelry among the Jin troops continued until late into the night, by which time seventy thousand Shen Ce troops had finally arrived at the city’s outskirts.

“Prince, according to the scouts’ report, the Jin forces have not heavily guarded the city towers. This is a prime opportunity.”

General Du Manjiang’s eyes shone with martial spirit, filled with anticipation.

For over a decade, the Jin Kingdom had been domineering the northern borders. The Daqi Empire had never dared launch a counteroffensive; even defending the city had been done reluctantly. The Jin soldiers naturally never imagined that one day the Daqi army would launch a sudden assault on their city of Daman.

“Notify the entire army—prepare to storm the city at once.”

Qin Xuan issued the order without hesitation.

Under the cloak of night, the seventy thousand Shen Ce troops silently advanced to within five li of Daman’s walls.

The assault troops had already crept to the base of the walls, well-equipped with lassos, grappling hooks, waist knives, and daggers hidden about their bodies, waiting only for the command to scale the walls with utmost speed.

“Attack!”

Qin Xuan shouted inwardly, and the troops surged forward.

The thunderous sound of hooves instantly alarmed the defenders on the walls, leaving them pale with terror.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The Jin soldiers shouted, one of them darting to the beacon tower to light the signal fire.

But at that moment, a sharp arrow flew through the darkness like it had a mind of its own, piercing the man’s head instantly.

Qin Xuan’s gaze was icy as he neatly withdrew his bow and concealed it behind his back.

The infantry and supply units had already closed in on the walls, but the next moment saw a deluge of arrows raining down like a storm.

“Raise your shields!”

Page 2/3

“Press forward!”

Guan Xingsheng held his shield in his left hand and gripped his blade in the right, roaring fiercely.

He easily deflected the arrows, but his comrades around him continued to fall.

War never lacks the dead.

“Archers, fire!”

Seeing the infantry pinned down by the arrow storm ahead, Qin Xuan gave the order.

Ten thousand archers simultaneously drew their bows, releasing a rain of arrows that immediately blanketed the entire battlements.

Hundreds of defenders perished on the spot, many others wounded in their thighs and arms, temporarily losing their ability to fight.

It was at this moment that the Shen Ce assault troops, using their grappling hooks, successfully scaled the walls.

One soldier, barely catching his breath after climbing, was struck in the abdomen by a curved blade.

He screamed in pain, yet with a swift motion drew a dagger from his waist and plunged it into his attacker’s neck.

The Jin soldier stared in disbelief at the Shen Ce warrior before him, his eyes full of incredulity.

It was as if he was asking silently: “How could you kill me back?”

In the eyes of all Jin soldiers, the Daqi troops were worthless; they had never seen such reckless, relentless enemies.

The soldier pushed away the corpse before him, ignored the severe wound in his abdomen, and charged directly at another attacking Jin soldier.

He was cut in the chest, but did not cry out in pain. Instead, he sneered, grabbed the attacker’s blade, and with all his might, pushed both himself and his foe off the battlements.

Scenes like this unfolded repeatedly atop Daman’s walls as more and more Shen Ce soldiers surged upward.

At the same time, ladders were raised against the walls, and hundreds of Shen Ce troops climbed up as if death held no fear.

Those who had relied on ropes to ascend were already drenched in blood.

They were the true suicide squads, never expecting to descend alive.

They knew that if they could hold on one second longer, their comrades below would gain a sliver more hope.

Meanwhile, the beacon fires on the battlements were finally lit by the Jin soldiers, plunging the entire city into chaos.

Page 3/3

Inside the Jin Imperial Palace, Emperor Fucha Ha’er was swiftly roused and summoned his civil and military officials for an urgent council.

“What is the situation outside the city?” The Jin Emperor kept his composure, speaking with a stern tone.

“Your Majesty, the Daqi troops launched a surprise attack. Our garrison is understaffed, and we have already lost control of one-third of the battlements,” the Jin Minister of War replied, his expression anxious.

“Where are the commanding officers?” the Emperor demanded coldly.

An armored elder stepped forward—Nalan Shuo, once a legendary war god of the Jin Kingdom and Tulan’s proud mentor.

He spoke slowly: “Your Majesty, the chief commander of the city defense, Varna, has rushed to the battlements. The deputy commander, Paha, has fallen in battle. I have already mobilized all the city guard forces to reinforce the North Gate.”

“However, given the current situation, the border troops may not hold. I humbly request Your Majesty order the deployment of all Imperial City troops.”

The so-called Imperial City troops were akin to the Daqi Empire’s Royal Guards, elite forces directly under the Emperor’s command, numbering fewer than twenty thousand.

“Granted.”

The Jin Emperor was decisive, yet his face remained grave as he asked: “Who knows which force is behind this sudden assault?”

The Shen Ce army’s rapid siege was both astonishing and abrupt.

Neither Jin nor Daqi intelligence had anticipated the Shen Ce troops appearing beneath Daman’s walls.

“Only one man in all of Daqi could possess such capability, and dare to mount such a night raid,” Nalan Shuo said solemnly.

The Jin Emperor’s brow furrowed. “Who?”

“The Sixth Prince of Daqi, King Chu—Qin Xuan,” Nalan Shuo answered gravely.

Before he finished, the Minister of Rites interrupted: “Impossible! According to yesterday’s report from Daqi, the Shen Ce army is still held up outside Tianshan City. Do they have wings to fly here directly?”

The Daqi Emperor had already sent envoys to the Jin Kingdom to negotiate, providing intelligence about the Shen Ce army in an attempt to eliminate Qin Xuan.

“Foolish!” Nalan Shuo, a war god, scoffed at the Minister of Rites. “Is the intelligence you received necessarily true? Qin Xuan is young yet has already achieved great feats on the frontier. Even the fierce Hangu cavalry and Khitan troops have suffered repeated defeats at his hands. How could a mere city like Tianshan hold back such a man?”