Chapter 56: Crushing Defeat of the Mianzu Rong

"These damned, uncivilized barbarians, they only know how to exploit an opening," Jian Ping cursed bitterly as he stood upon the wooden platform, watching the menacing approach of the Mianzu Rong grand army.

"What do we do?" Yuan Long asked urgently, having rushed over upon receiving the intelligence.

Presently, Jian Ping served as the supreme military commander of Mianzu City, entrusted with the command of the entire garrison, leaving even Yuan Long subordinate to his orders.

Jian Ping nodded resolutely. "We fight, of course. Otherwise, all the painstaking efforts the Great General poured into laying out Mianzu City will go down the drain."

As matters stood, Mianzu City lacked true walls; it was merely an oversized military encampment.

Should the Mianzu Rong army breach the perimeter, this nascent city, built with such arduous toil, would likely be reduced to ashes.

Consequently, Jian Ping had to block the Mianzu Rong forces outside the boundaries of Mianzu City.

"However... I fear our numbers..." Yuan Long’s expression was grave. Most of the infantry within the city were engaged in construction and corvée labor. The forces readily available for immediate combat numbered a mere three thousand foot soldiers and cavalry.

Facing cavalry in direct combat made Yuan Long uneasy, for the Mianzu Rong cavalry were no pushovers.

A cold snort escaped Jian Ping’s lips. "The Great General instructed us to use our superior forces to counter their inferior ones."

"Do you truly take the infantry of Great Qin for fish upon a chopping block, awaiting slaughter?"

The moment Jian Ping’s words fell, a row of Qin crossbowmen embracing their crossbow mechanisms emerged from behind the wooden wall.

"Yuan Long!" Jian Ping barked his order to Yuan Long. "The cavalry is yours. The moment the crossbow volley from the ramparts concludes, charge directly out of the city."

"You must halt them before the new city walls."

Simultaneously, at the command of the Mianzu King, the Mianzu Rong army surged toward Mianzu City like a raging flood.

"Fire!"

Seeing the enemy cavalry gallop into range, Jian Ping gave the order, and the soldiers holding taut bowstrings released them.

A sky-darkening rain of arrows plummeted into the Mianzu Rong ranks, sending their cavalry tumbling over horses in disarray.

Yet the Mianzu Rong charged with utter disregard for death, pushing through the rain of arrows right past the effective killing zone of the bowmen.

"Fire!"

Frowning, Jian Ping issued another command.

The Qin crossbowmen poked their heads out swiftly and squeezed their triggers in unison, loosing a myriad of arrows together!

The dense, double-shot volley of Qin crossbows flew like raindrops into the oncoming Mianzu Rong host.

This tactical alternation between distant bows and close-range crossbows was the optimal strategy devised thus far by Zhao Zheng for dealing with the Western Rong cavalry.

Unable to withstand the dense volleys of the Qin crossbows, the Mianzu Rong cavalry began to break and retreat.

"Charge!"

The stockade gates flew open with a roar. Yuan Long took the lead on horseback, charging out at the head of the Yuan cavalry.

Beholding the Qin cavalry emerge, the Mianzu King was overjoyed. "Wipe them out!"

The Mianzu Rong cavalry, whose morale had already been shattered by the Qin crossbows, assumed this sortie by the Qin horsemen was a golden opportunity to wash away their humiliation.

In their minds, Qin cavalry were utterly vulnerable.

Little did they expect that under the guerrilla coordination of the Qin crossbow-cavalry combined with the ferocious charge of the Yuan Rong horsemen, their proud Mianzu Rong army would be utterly routed, fleeing in complete disorder.

"Recall the troops!" Yuan Long decisively reined in his horse, fighting with steady and prudent maneuvers.

Believing the Qin forces lacked sufficient numbers, the Mianzu King chose to encamp three kilometers outside Mianzu City, surrounding it completely in an attempt to wear down the defenders through attrition.

For them, the grasslands of Mianzu City were too vital—a rare and precious pasture.

Once lost, countless Mianzu Rong people would starve to death over the winter.

As night fell, within the Qin commander's tent, Jian Ping and Yuan Long unanimously resolved to launch a surprise raid on the Mianzu Rong encampment.

That very night, the two men personally led the iron cavalry to strike the enemy camp. Caught in deep slumber, the Mianzu Rong were slaughtered until they wailed to the heavens, abandoning countless supply wagons, cattle, and sheep as they fled for their lives.

Following this battle, not only were the Mianzu Rong completely driven off, but Jian Ping also used the victory as a pretext to systematically eradicate the Western Rong tribes within a radius of a hundred li around Mianzu City.

From then on, within a hundred li of Mianzu City, the scourge of the Rong was no more.

Elsewhere, Zhao Zheng was wined and dined within the Dirong tribe until the plans for attacking Xiqi were finalized, after which he finally returned to Mianzu City.

Accompanying him were numerous Di tribesmen sent by Diyuan to join the State of Qin.

Naturally, he had no intention of letting the Yuan clan reap every single benefit.

Zhao Zheng mobilized five thousand troops from the Yuan King City, which, combined with the original three thousand cavalry of the Yuan, Di, and Qin forces, formed a formidable host of over eight thousand troops marching imposingly toward Xiqi.

Rather than hastily assaulting the city, Zhao Zheng surrounded Xiqi entirely.

The Dirong forces stationed within Xiqi had long since caught wind of Zhao Zheng’s impending siege and had evacuated the city in advance.

Now, within the sprawling city of Xiqi, only the Yiqu people remained to garrison it.

Yet, to minimize Qin casualties, Zhao Zheng implemented a scorched-earth strategy of clearing the fields and fortifying the walls.

To his surprise, those ferocious Yiqu barbarians began slaughtering the inhabitants within the city.

That night, Zhao Zheng walked out of his camp alone, gazing off toward the east as a potent wave of homesickness welled up in his heart.

"What are you thinking about?"

A familiar female voice rang out. Zhao Zheng turned his head to find Dining.

"Home..."

Zhao Zheng uttered a single soft word.

"...So, you will leave in the end, won't you?"

Dining walked over and sat down beside him.

Without denying it, Zhao Zheng cast his gaze far into the distance. "I will... After all, that is where my friends are, as well as..."

"As well as what?" Dining asked with curiosity.

"Nothing..." Zhao Zheng shook his head, recalling the words Wang Kui had imparted to him.

The mortal world is full of bitterness, and one walks it alone.

"I've heard that men of the Central Plains value the three letters and six etiquettes, and formal marriage with a matchmaker."

Dining suddenly raised her head and spoke directly, "If... and I mean if... would you... marry me?"

The suddenness of Dining's words startled Zhao Zheng.

After a long silence, Zhao Zheng chose to treat it as Dining joking around. "Matters of marriage are no child's play; they require careful deliberation before a decision can be made."

"But..."

Just as Dining was about to speak, Zhao Zheng interrupted her.

He stood up and waved a hand. "Little girl, the lifelong matter of marriage is not a game."

He regarded Dining merely as a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of romance, oblivious to the true meaning of love.

Furthermore, unawares even to himself, someone else had gradually taken root in his heart.

That person's position within Zhao Zheng's heart was steadily solidifying, causing him to cast even Wang Kui's admonitions to the winds.

"But..." Anxious, Dining took a step forward.

Waving his hand without looking back, Zhao Zheng said, "Matters of betrothal rely on fate; one must not force it."

Before his voice had even faded, he strode with large steps back into his tent.

Dining watched his retreating figure, biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes complex.

In the dead of night, earth-shattering battle cries jolted Zhao Zheng from his slumber.

"Great General, this is bad! The Yiqu people have gone mad!"

A soldier rushed anxiously into Zhao Zheng's presence.

"What is happening?"

Hurriedly donning his garments, Zhao Zheng looked at the soldier.

The soldier panted, "The Yiqu are attempting a breakout! They were discovered by the Di night patrol, and fighting has broken out."

A nocturnal breakout? Did the Yiqu possess such intellect?

Could it be that bastard Sun Bin again?

Zhao Zheng’s expression stiffened; he refused to believe the Yiqu had the brains for this.

"Why were Di tribesmen on night watch duty?" Zhao Zheng found himself perplexed, as logic dictated that the Qin troops should have been responsible for night patrols.

The soldier pondered for a moment before replying, "It seems... the young chieftess of the Di tribe was in a bad mood..."

"What?" Zhao Zheng felt a jolt run through his entire body.

The young chieftess? Dining?

Oh no! If anything happens to her, how on earth am I supposed to answer to Diyuan?

With a sinking heart, Zhao Zheng dashed furiously out of his tent.

Outside, the din of battle shook the heavens.

Friendly soldiers had already been roused by the patrol guards and were rapidly plunging into the fray.

Mounting his warhorse, Zhao Zheng snatched up his crossbow and long sword, plunging headlong into the chaotic battlefield.

Girl... you had better not come to any harm!