CHAPTER 321: CHAPTER 17: RETURNING TO CAMP_1

"Men, follow my command! Quickly unsheathe your swords and draw your bows! Kill the Qian people around you and welcome the Yan people into the city!"

On the battlefield, the ability to arrange troops, adapt to changes, and seize the opportune moment epitomizes the qualities of a general. It was apparent that in this regard, Liang Cheng could be called almost perfect. However, some elements transcended the typical scope of the "battlefield." They weren’t considered standard qualities for a general, nor did they fall under the category of "unconventional" strategies. Usually, these were the sorts of dirty deeds handled by the unsavory characters in the royal court.

But now, Zheng Fan, having considered exploiting Lady Daxi, had already stooped quite low. Couple that with the blind man—a fellow who loved basking in the sun, perhaps fearing that the bellyful of wicked schemes he harbored would grow moldy if not aired out regularly—and he was, naturally, the most devious of all. As for the mental power of "soul searching," the blind man wasn’t incapable of it. He could even read others’ memories in a short time. However, he couldn’t perform such feats at present. Perhaps if his lord could reach a level comparable to Lord Jingnan, then he might have been able to act so freely.

However, not speaking the indigenous language was a minor problem. The effect of this sentence, spoken in the Central Plains dialect, quickly became apparent. The goal was to incite internal strife, after all, so it mattered little who struck first.

Following "Lady Daxi’s" shout, the Qian soldiers on the city wall were momentarily stunned. They immediately cast suspicious glances at their comrades, the Wolf Land Soldiers. Two Qian soldiers armed with crossbows directly aimed their weapons at the Wolf Land Soldiers beside them. One of them pulled the trigger.

BUZZ!

THWACK!

The crossbow bolt shot directly into the body of a Wolf Land Soldier. This happened suddenly, yet in full view of everyone. The other Qian soldiers instantly turned their blades on the Wolf Land Soldiers nearest them, adding fuel to the fire.

Qian State favored using Wolf Land Soldiers for two main reasons. Firstly, their ferocity in battle made them effective for quelling rebellions. Secondly, with the need to mobilize the West Army Division from guarding the Southwest mountains to the north, they used substantial funds to entice indigenous leaders to contribute their own troops for the northern campaign. This also stemmed from a concern that the Southwest might descend into chaos after the West Army Division’s departure. Therefore, a deep-seated mistrust already existed between the indigenous people and the Qian people. Compounding this was the Wolf Land Soldiers’ recent major defeat and the capture of their Lady Daxi by the Yan people. Consequently, these Wolf Land Soldiers were in a state of utter panic. Historical grievances, combined with the tense atmosphere and the catalyst of that crossbow bolt, instantly caused the situation to explode.

The Wolf Land Soldiers began to raise their swords, and the Qian soldiers did likewise. It’s unclear who struck the first blow, but with that, the infighting between the two sides erupted in this utterly ridiculous fashion.

Meng Geng stared wide-eyed at the unfolding scene, utterly dumbfounded. Events had escalated too quickly, and Lady Daxi’s turnaround had been too abrupt. Even now, he couldn’t believe Lady Daxi would dare to disregard her own tribespeople in the stronghold. Even if threatened by the Yan people, she shouldn’t have shouted those words! Even if tortured and forced, she couldn’t have changed so quickly!

As a result, Meng Geng lost control of the situation at that moment, largely because managing such internal conflict wasn’t typically the responsibility of a field commander. Normally, field commanders were responsible for battles, while the royal court handled logistics and supplies, striving to assign suitable troops for them to lead. However, these Wolf Land Soldiers were completely beyond Meng Geng’s ability to command. Had Mianzhou city provided him with the West Army Division or troops from Qian State’s Northern Three Towns, Meng Geng would have even dared to deliberately allow more Yan people into the city before shutting the gates to annihilate them. But now, all he could do was desperately try to prevent the situation from collapsing entirely. He was truly doing all he could, leaving the rest to fate. He was a man of fine character, yet to his dismay, he faced two utterly unscrupulous adversaries. Meng Geng’s eyes began to redden. He gripped his sword, but his heart was awash with confusion.

Contrarily, outside the city, Zheng Fan was very delighted. The knights began to regroup and prepare. The sounds of fighting from within the city were crystal clear. They knew their opportunity had arrived. No one ever felt they had too many military merits. Whether they were Barbarians or prisoner soldiers, all of them fiercely coveted enemy heads.

This was because, after the last raid on Qian State, Zheng Fan had come to realize that his "racial prejudice" against the Barbarian soldiers was inappropriate. Liang Cheng understood Zheng Fan’s intention and conveyed it to the blind man. The blind man, in turn, immediately grasped the essence of what his lord had communicated. Thanks to the blind man’s machinations, the Barbarian soldiers, besides the dream instilled in them through brainwashing, now had a more tangible goal right before their eyes. This goal was the chance to earn Yan citizenship through military merit. They could be granted land, effectively meaning they could obtain registered residency in Yan State. Of course, Yan State residency couldn’t compare to that of Qian State’s imperial capital. The Qian imperial capital was undeniably the foremost city in the world, a dazzling jewel with highly developed commerce, culture, and other industries. Yet, for Barbarians hailing from prisoner tribes, the chance to obtain Yan residency—thereby freeing themselves and their descendants from the terrifying shadow of the northern army’s blades—was an exceedingly precious opportunity.

However, just as the soldiers’ morale surged once more and they were preparing to find another opportunity to storm the city, two scout riders returned. Upon receiving their report, Liang Cheng immediately galloped over to Zheng Fan’s side and said, "My lord, Qian State cavalry has appeared on the periphery."

Zheng Fan was momentarily stunned, then asked: