"Let Zhu Meng withdraw first. If this continues, the men I have will be wiped out," said Crown Prince Qiao Na, standing up. "Take me to see Baza Han."
Baza Han had already woken up. Liu Xiang Nan, old and frail, hadn't exercised much after being a monk for so long, so his arm strength was greatly diminished. Baza Han had narrowly survived.
Seeing Crown Prince Qiao Na arrive, Baza Han opened his mouth and with difficulty uttered a few words. "Baza Han cannot rise to greet you, Your Highness. Please forgive me."
Crown Prince Qiao Na waved his hand and sat by Baza Han's bed, letting out a long sigh.
"Your Highness, why do you sigh? Is the siege not going well?"
"Your Highness, if the siege is not going well, you should still deploy Zhu Meng. Zhu Meng he..."
Before Baza Han could finish, Crown Prince Qiao Na waved his hand. "To tell you the truth, I have already sent Zhou Mang up. But by midnight, Zhang Liao Ai was lost."
Hearing this, Baza Han gasped for breath after several struggles and said with difficulty, "Your Highness, I have an impertinent request."
"If we continue to fight like this, our chances of victory are slim."
"We should find a way out soon. If we leave late, we might not even be able to return to Great Tu Kingdom."
Listening to Baza Han's words, Crown Prince Qiao Na fell silent for a moment.
Baza Han spoke the truth. If he couldn't take the city after a prolonged siege, and the capital was taken by others, it would be a thousand miles back to Great Tu Kingdom, and a thousand miles held many variables. The weather was cold and freezing, and with snow falling, who knew how fast they could travel? If they were trapped in Da Cang Kingdom, he would have no escape.
With this thought, Crown Prince Qiao Na looked at Baza Han. "You are right, we should make plans early."
"I will immediately send someone to escort you back to the country. As for the rest, we shall leave it to fate."
Baza Han waved his hand. "Your Highness, you don't need to worry about me. I am probably a cripple. You should focus on finding a solution."
Qiao Na stood up, his expression firm as he looked at Baza Han. "You are injured, and Zhu Meng is helpless. In the morning, we lost fifty to sixty thousand men. If we continue like this, let alone taking the city, we might be counterattacked by Da Cang Kingdom." He then shook his head. "This is the situation, and we have no good solutions. I will immediately send a message to my father, the Emperor, and bring you back to Qing Guang City."
He then looked at Baza Han's guards. "Alright, you men, quickly pack up and take Baza Han away. Return to the country first. I will send people to escort you."
Meanwhile, Zhu Meng had returned to his camp. The death of Zhang Liao had shaken him greatly. Although Zhang Liao's body had been brought back, seeing the arrows all over it, like a porcupine, Zhu Meng's grief was beyond words.
Images of Zhang Liao's tragic state flashed through his mind. Zhu Meng gulped down a large bowl of wine. He remembered how spirited he was when he rebelled with Sun Yu Liang, leading three hundred thousand troops to capture Crown Prince Xiao Jing Yun. But gradually, he had fallen to this point, with his remaining fifty thousand troops scattered. And now, he had even lost his most trusted strategist, Zhang Liao. Furthermore, Wan Nian City remained unconquered, and he knew he would eventually bear the blame.
Thinking of this, Zhu Meng sighed. If he truly had to take the blame, his head might be forfeit. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Within ten minutes, he was drunk and passed out.
Looking at his dejected state, the guards beside him couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh. But then again, what could they do?
In stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere in the Great Tu Kingdom's camp, Wan Nian City was filled with jubilation. The old Marquis Liu Xiang Nan judged that the enemy forces outside would not attack again anytime soon. He therefore ordered the soldiers to rest, while the citizens took to the streets to celebrate. Although the war was not over, the entire army had fought all night, killing over sixty thousand enemies. This was a great victory! Their own losses were only a few thousand men.
Liu Xiang Nan understood that at this rate of attrition, his hundred thousand men could completely withstand the enemy's hundred thousand siege. The thought made him excited. He now eagerly awaited Huang Ying and the others to reach Qing Guang City as soon as possible, which would allow Qiao Na to retreat quickly.
Liu Xiang Nan's thoughts were correct. On the Great Tu Kingdom's side, Liu Ru Mei had not been idle. Today alone, she had advanced another hundred miles, breaking through two enemy defensive lines. At this moment, Liu Ru Mei's army was only three hundred miles away from Qing Guang City.
The Emperor of Great Tu Kingdom, Qiao Pu Sen, was greatly alarmed after reading the report. He had deployed almost all his elite forces, yet they could not stop the advance of Da Cang Kingdom. It made sense, of course. When the Lotus Cult Master and Shen Zi Yan, two top-tier experts, entered the enemy camp, it was like cutting through vegetables. With their decapitation strategy, they had killed several commanding generals, so it was no wonder the remaining soldiers retreated.
As Qiao Pu Sen was pondering, another battle report from Great Tu Kingdom arrived. Qiao Na had fiercely attacked for two days and two nights, but Wan Nian City remained unmoved, while his own forces had lost seventy to eighty thousand men. Qiao Na requested permission to withdraw and preserve his strength.
After reading Qiao Na's request, Qiao Pu Sen fell silent. His plans had been completely shattered. He had initially hoped that by Qiao Na taking Wan Nian City, he could gain the initiative in this war. But now, Qiao Na was incapable of attacking, and the army that was supposed to block Liu Ru Mei had been pushed back nearly three hundred miles. No one dared to claim they could stop Liu Ru Mei anymore.
After much deliberation, Qiao Pu Sen finally made a decision. He said to his attendant, "Go, deliver a message to Crown Prince Qiao Na. If the siege cannot be broken soon, he should immediately retreat and must not be trapped within Da Cang Kingdom."
The attendant turned and left. A falcon broke through the wind and snow, flying towards Wan Nian City.
Meanwhile, in Liu Ru Mei's camp, facing the unstoppable advance, she was somewhat complacent, her words naturally carrying a degree of confidence. That evening, Liu Ru Mei ordered the army to set up camp. She also had food and wine prepared and invited her generals to join her for drinks.
Chen Xiao Bei, seeing this, couldn't help but advise, "Ru Mei, it's best to be cautious. Although we've won successive battles, if you're all drinking, what happens if something occurs and there's no one to command?"
After hearing Chen Xiao Bei's words, Liu Ru Mei frowned slightly. She thought about it and agreed, "What you say makes sense."
"Then how about this: the commanding officers will only have three cups tonight, and the ordinary soldiers will have only one cup to ward off the cold. What do you think?"