CHAPTER 311: CHAPTER 13: I AM DIRTIER THAN YOU_3

Meng Geng immediately slapped his armor, having made his decision. Holding the imperial edict high, he shouted to the defending soldiers around him, "The imperial edict is here! Everyone, follow me out of the city to block the enemy!"

This command left the Qian soldiers on and below the city wall somewhat stunned.

Go out of the city? Are you out of your mind? We already saw those formidable Wolf Land Soldiers get routed when they went out. Now you want us to go?

Meng Geng shouted again, "The Prince is within the city! If the city falls today, all of us, top to bottom, will have our entire clans exterminated! Don’t think you can escape. You can’t!"

Meng Geng drew his saber and roared, "All who have balls, follow me down to block the enemy!"

Meng Geng led the way down. The Royal Mansion guards exchanged glances but followed. Their families were all in the Royal Mansion. If anything happened to the Prince, they would be held responsible for failing to protect him, and their families would also suffer the consequences. Thus, the guards had no choice.

Although the surrounding Qian soldiers hesitated, the threat of the imperial edict and the Prince’s life at stake compelled some of them to follow. Once a few took the lead, more Qian soldiers joined in.

Arriving at the city gate, Meng Geng shouted in the local dialect to the Wolf Land Soldiers inside the city, "Lady Daxi has been ambushed by the Yan people outside! We’re going to rescue her!"

The Wolf Land Soldiers exchanged glances. They didn’t trust the Qian people, but they knew they couldn’t allow their lady to be in danger. At this, many Wolf Land Soldiers stopped looting and, grabbing their sabers or bows, followed Meng Geng.

Meng Geng exited the city, a dark, dense crowd of men assembled behind him. They had no formation or proper ranks, yet Meng Geng, through his personal encouragement and by leading from the front, managed to guide the Wolf Land Soldiers and Qian soldiers some distance beyond the city gates.

Meng Geng dared not advance further. The farther they moved from the city gate, the weaker the psychological resilience of the over two thousand soldiers behind him would become. If the Yan cavalry were given enough room to charge, it could very well lead to a repeat of the Wolf Land Soldiers’ earlier rout. Moreover, many city defenders who had disobeyed orders, too timid to come down, remained on the walls. They were all armed with crossbows, watching from the battlements. If Meng Geng advanced any further, he would move out of their firing range.

He had no intention of actually rushing to save Lady Daxi. His goal was to prevent the Yan people from seizing another opportunity to use retreating soldiers as cover to storm the city.

This time, the Yan cavalry were more numerous than before. Essentially, however, it was the same situation: for attacking a city, their numbers were still too few.

The first wave of routed Wolf Land Soldiers finally came running back. They were somewhat suspicious upon seeing the defensive posture at the city gate but didn’t slow their pace.

Meng Geng shouted in their native tongue, "Run to the sides! Anyone who dares charge our line will be killed without mercy!" With that, he personally charged forward and cut down a Wolf Land Soldier who was about to run straight at them. This caused a commotion among the Wolf Land Soldiers behind him, but the fleeing Wolf Land Soldiers at the front immediately began to veer to the sides.

Soon, Meng Geng spotted the Yan cavalry. They had been tailing the retreating troops, waiting for them to clear a path so they could charge the gate again. Meng Geng knew the enemy Yan commander was skilled in warfare; every maneuver was well-executed. From the initial feigned retreat to the subsequent counterattack, and even the timely decision to exploit the chaos by pressing the advantage with the routing soldiers to try and storm the gate after their counterattack succeeded—everything was executed with great precision.

Meng Geng understood clearly: the Yan people’s only disadvantage was the insufficient number of their cavalry this time! If they had another thousand horsemen, Mianzhou would undoubtedly fall today.

Meng Geng suddenly felt an urge to laugh. He had always thought highly of himself, believing he had truly inherited his father’s military genius. Yet, in a defensive battle where he had superior numbers, he had still managed to let things reach such a desperate state.

"CLANG!"

Meng Geng thrust his saber into the frozen earth before him and roared, "Meng Geng is here! Do any of you Yan bastards dare to come and take your grandfather’s life?!"

「Stop!」

Liang Cheng raised his hand, signaling the tribal soldiers behind him to halt. The cavalrymen all reined in their warhorses.

Zheng Fan saw it too: a dense mass of people in the open area before the city gate.

Sure, we could try to charge. But only a hundred of our cavalry managed to break off from the main engagement and join me here. You know the enemy might just be holding on by a thread; one charge could scatter them. But if they don’t scatter, then I and these hundred riders will all be lost.

Zheng Fan vividly remembered how Huo Kuang and his hundred cavalrymen had been swallowed by the human tide.

"My lord, there’s someone on their side who knows how to command," Liang Cheng could only remark.

"I see," Zheng Fan nodded.

Seeing that his lord had no intention of charging the enemy line, Liang Cheng immediately turned and, looking at the disorganized Wolf Land Soldiers fleeing in their rear, ordered, "Intercept them!"

The tribal soldiers promptly fanned out, wheeled around, and resumed hunting down the fleeing Wolf Land Soldiers.

The defiant cry, "Meng Geng is here! Do any of you Yan bastards dare to come and take your grandfather’s life?!" drifted over.

Zheng Fan suddenly smiled. "Quite arrogant," he commented.

"A general is the heart of his soldiers," Liang Cheng said. "Regardless, we’ve killed so many Wolf Land Soldiers this time, including a female chieftain. My lord, we haven’t come out of this at a loss."

Zheng Fan knew Liang Cheng was trying to console him.

We certainly haven’t lost out. But this feeling of getting just a foot in the door only to be shoved right back out... it’s not pleasant at all.

Liang Cheng nodded slightly. He actually wanted to advise Zheng Fan to quit while he was ahead, but he knew it wasn’t his place to say such things.

"I hope Blindy and the others captured that female chieftain alive, that they didn’t kill her."

Liang Cheng’s eyes narrowed. "My lord, you’re thinking...?" he ventured.

Zheng Fan gestured towards the Wolf Land Soldiers standing behind the Qian State commander and said, "Do you think if we offered to trade their female chieftain’s life for this city, they’d agree?"

"I’m afraid that female chieftain might be a true heroine, a woman of unyielding valor."

"Blindy isn’t on our payroll for nothing! Have him use his psychic powers to control the female chieftain. Make her go forward and call out to her soldiers. It’ll be worth it even if Blindy overexerts himself to the point of collapse!"

Liang Cheng’s mouth fell slightly open. After a moment’s pause, he said, "My lord is wise."

This time, his "My lord is wise" was no longer the perfunctory praise it had often been, not like a casual "How are you?" or "Nice weather today."

"When it comes to waging war, I’m not your equal."

"My lord is too modest."

"But in one respect, I am better than you."

"Please enlighten me, my lord. I am eager to learn."

Zheng Fan turned to look at Liang Cheng beside him. This Zombie, he knew, possessed a deep-seated pride.

"I’m dirtier than you."