I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 289 - 215: Miscalculation

"Charge into Yinzhou City, capture Rong Shuo alive!"

"Charge into Yinzhou City, capture Rong Shuo alive!"

The setting sun was like blood, and the towering walls of Yinzhou City were already covered in char and blood.

The once black ground had turned crimson, the cold wind cut like a knife, and the icy air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood.

Beneath the city walls, as far as the eye could see, the Wei soldiers raised their swords and sabers, shouting with deafening fury to capture Rong Shuo alive.

The Wei Army surrounding Cang Wind Port was a ruse;

The real attack was on Yinzhou.

However, the twenty thousand City Defense Army had already been dispatched to Cang Wind Port for support.

The most skilled in city defense under Prince Rui, General Li Yuanju, had also been sent away.

It had been a full five days since Wei Junzhuo’s forces had reached the city’s gates and initiated the siege.

After five days, news finally broke through the layers of Wei Army’s siege that Cang Wind Port was unharmed. Originally, five nights ago, Wei general Lu Jian aggressively attacked Cang City, engaging in a relentless battle with Li Yuanju and others stationed far in Cang City. It was a mock attack, aimed at lulling Yinzhou into complacency, letting them believe the thirty thousand Wei troops were still encircling Cang City.

But,

They learned of it too late.

For months, Yinzhou had already been burdened beyond its capacity with many elderly, weak, and sick, along with refugees and disaster victims.

The relief supplies were still en route;

The majority of the grain in the city’s granary had been distributed to the citizens earlier;

In recent days, spies and assassins infiltrating the city were endless, and several granaries were burned, leaving the city’s populace in a state of panic.

In just five short days, Yinzhou reached the brink of exhaustion and starvation.

Today, Wei Junzhuo launched another offensive.

The thirty thousand defending troops in Yinzhou City were now down to half, nearly all were injured.

The hastily gathered defenders were already exhausted, almost mechanically drawing their bows and firing arrows, hurling boulders down, watching the seemingly tireless Wei soldiers climb with cloud ladders.

No one knew how much longer it would be before the Wei troops reached the top of the walls.

Once they did, everything would be over.

At dusk, Wei Junzhuo finally ordered the troops to retreat.

The densely packed Wei Army finally receded like a tide.

Rong Shuo walked on the city wall, his black armor battered, yet the crimson cape behind him still flapped fiercely in the cold wind.

Beside him, the Black Dragon Flag of Dayan and the King’s Flag were together, dancing wildly in the wind.

His gaze swept over the wounded soldiers lying on the ground, moaning in pain, a trace of imperceptible sorrow flickered in his eyes, his expression cold and solemn.

Seeing the Prince still standing tall, the wounded soldiers felt a slight comfort and renewed belief.

At least, with every Wei attack, they left an equal number of corpses.

At least the Prince was still here, advancing and retreating with them.

Just then, Tang Zhan rushed over, eyes red, and said, "Prince, tonight we will run out of food."

Rong Shuo tightened his grip on the Yanyue Long Saber, narrowed his eyes, and turned back to gaze upon the city behind him.

The sun had set, and the city looked dead, not a single light shining.

"What do you want to do?" Rong Shuo’s black eyes fixed unblinkingly on Tang Zhan’s eyes, he asked.

Tang Zhan opened his mouth, then suddenly bowed his head: "I... I don’t know."

"You want to seize food from the citizens, don’t you?" Rong Shuo asked coldly.

Tang Zhan shuddered, his eyes bloodshot: "I wouldn’t dare!"

"I think you would dare."

"Prince! The wealthy in the city..."

The surrounding soldiers, hearing the conversation between the two, couldn’t help but look up, tiredly at their Prince.

Rong Shuo’s breathing grew heavier, he clenched his teeth, his voice loud and resonant, echoing over the walls:

"As long as I live, not a grain of rice will be taken from the citizens of Yinzhou! Prince Rui Rong Shuo, fed by the state, served by the people, it is my duty to guard Dayan’s gates, to die without regret."

Tang Zhan lowered his head, quietly rubbing his eyes.

No tears came; he had no more tears to shed.

Rong Shuo spoke, his throat choked, and he continued, word by word:

"Slaughter the horses,

for grain."

...

"Chasing Wind, Chasing Wind... in the next life, don’t be a warhorse, be a wild horse, galloping across the grasslands, free and unrestrained..."

"Chasing Moon, I have failed you."

"Galloping Wind, my Galloping Wind..."

Accompanied by repressed sobs, a few warhorses fell into pools of blood.

The one killing the horses had hands that trembled slightly.

By the city walls, countless corpses piled up in an unbearable sight, some were comrades with whom they’d once talked and laughed, some were brothers who shared life and death with them...

The soldiers held the horse meat in their hands, not one of them moved to eat, their eyes all red, looking at each other, a sense of despair spreading all around.

These warhorses, intelligent and emotional, were their partners through life and death, how could they bear to eat them?

Rong Shuo looked at the meat in his bowl, lifted his head, and gazed at the grieving city guards. He calmly took the first bite of the meat.

"Eat." He swallowed with difficulty, holding back his choking throat.

"Prince..."

"Eat! If you don’t fill your stomachs, how will you fight, how will you defend the city? We’ve killed them, why be so sentimental!"

The soldiers, hearing his words, lowered their heads one by one and began to eat voraciously.

Rong Shuo held his bowl as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Tang Zhan sat down beside Rong Shuo: "Prince, I was wrong."

Rong Shuo waved his hand, indicating to drop the matter: "With Xie Yun’s speed at disaster relief, in half a month, he can reach Yinzhou."

Tang Zhan quickly said, "If Vice Minister Xie knew of our current situation, he would definitely speed up, maybe he could arrive in three to five days. Prince, we just need to hold on for a little while longer, and the issue of food and supplies could be resolved."

Rong Shuo shook his head calmly: "Do you think Wei Junzhuo won’t set barriers on Xie Yun’s path? Xie Yun is merely a civil servant, with only a thousand guards. To prevent them from delivering grain, Wei only needs to send two thousand men to block the road, and Xie Yun won’t be able to get into Yinzhou."

"Then...are we unable to wait for him at all?" Tang Zhan murmured sombrely.

Rong Shuo said: "Wei Junzhuo can block Xie Yun for a while, but not forever. Yuan Ju and Su Yi will eventually respond and return to assist. Xie Yun can also take detours in batches to bring food, that’s why I said, it will take another half month."

Tang Zhan said heavily: "But even if we kill all the horses, we can’t last half a month."

Rong Shuo put down the bowl, stood up, and shouted:

"Eat your fill, tomorrow morning, gather three thousand cavalrymen, and follow me out of the city to face the enemy!"

Rather than be trapped within the city, exhausting energy and awaiting death, it’s better to strike out while there is strength, turning the cavalry into a sharp blade, making Wei Junzhuo hurt and forced to retreat.

Even if it’s just a temporary retreat... Yuan Ju and Su Yi should know that Cang Wind Port is just a feint by Wei Country. As long as the Wei Army retreats for a few days, buying time for their support, Yinzhou will be saved.

As for food supplies, once Yuan Ju and Su Yi return, they can take the initiative to attack and seize the Wei Army’s provisions directly.

Wei Country has no cavalry, while my cavalry, even without practice for over half a year, even after defending the city and losing half, can still break through their formations.

Rong Shuo was determined; tomorrow’s battle outside the city can only be won, not lost.

Even if the Wei Army comes out in full force, three thousand cavalrymen must break their encirclement.

"Yes!"

A night passed.

In the morning, in the cold wind, the heavy sound of war drums could be heard.

With loud booms, the city gates of Yinzhou, long under siege, were opened from within.

Three thousand cavalrymen in Black Armor filed out, their lances flashing with a grim and eerie light, their overwhelming killing intent striking fear into the hearts of the Wei Army besieging the city.

In front of these cavalrymen was Rong Shuo, mounted on a warhorse, clad in Mystic Armor, wielding the Yanyue Long Saber.

"Wei Junzhuo, do you dare to battle me?"

Even though besieged is Yan Country, these Yan Country soldiers harbored not the slightest fear in their eyes.

In the command tent, Wei Junzhuo, upon hearing the voice from outside, softly mused: "At such a time, only Rong Shuo dares to use attack as defense."

"Great General, they actually dared to leave the city, so arrogant!"

"I heard that the Yan Army exhausted their food supplies last night, slaughtering horses to stave off hunger, so only three thousand cavalrymen came out of the city."

"This Rong Shuo knows he’s trapped and facing inevitable death, trying to make a last stand with his cavalry."

"Great General, I request to fight, I am willing to lead three thousand troops to meet them in battle!"

In the Wei Army camp, several commanders clamored for the chance to fight.

Wei Junzhuo walked out of the tent, his amber eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the imposing figure standing at the forefront of the battle line.

"But Rong Shuo, you’ve miscalculated, why must I face your cavalry directly?"

Wei Junzhuo said calmly.

He summoned the deputy general, speaking unhurriedly:

"Have the entire army retreat twenty miles and leave the battlefield to them."

"To them?"