The soldiers kicked Prince Dan to the ground, slowly drew their swords from their waists, and began to torture him by slow slicing. They had been holding their breath for a long time, no less so than Erniu.

Despite the pain, Prince Dan wore a distorted smile, his voice still firm: "The tyranny of Qin is unjust. We, the people of Yan... will remember this humiliation. One day, we will make you pay the price you deserve."

"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!!!" This scene enraged many people, who roared in fury.

The soldiers on the city walls gritted their teeth until they bled, roaring, "Your Majesty, we urge you to fight...we urge you to fight!!!"

King Xi of Yan was overwhelmed with pain at the sight before him. Seeing his own son being subjected to such brutal torture, he could no longer bear it.

“General, even if Yan Dan is guilty, he is still the Crown Prince of Yan, my own son. How can he be subjected to such cruel torture?” King Xi of Yan’s voice was low, but full of helplessness and pain.

Erniu sneered, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes: "King Yan, you should know that the man before you is the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Grand Commandant of Qin. Are you really so sure... he is still your Crown Prince of Yan?!"

The threat was clearly evident in his words.

As Crown Prince Dan endured the pain, he looked firmly at King Xi of Yan: "Father, gentlemen, do not act rashly. Please fight for the future of Yan. Do not abandon the safety of the country because of my death."

King Xi of Yan took a deep breath, gripped the hilt of his sword, and said firmly, "Silence! Do not betray Yan Dan's trust, and remember this humiliation..."

King Xi of Yan's current display of paternal affection is merely an act for others to see. He is ultimately a weak man; how could he dare to truly fight to the death?

With the nation in peril, it would be better for Prince Dan to die than for the country to fall and for him to perish.

If he truly cared about protecting his son, why would he be so conflicted and hesitant, and why would he choose to let Prince Dan leave the city? At least, without the wicked husband in charge, the Black Dragon Armored Army would find it difficult to break through Ji City.

Seeing this, Chun Ning sneered repeatedly and said in a low voice, "Crown Prince Dan, Crown Prince Dan, haven't you figured it out yet? If your father really had any intentions, would he have let you leave the city?"

Prince Dan gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, cold sweat streaming down his face, yet he remained silent. The Black Dragon Armored Army soldiers around him intensified their movements, each strike laced with agonizing agony.

Chun Ning's voice suddenly rang out, laced with mockery: "See that? This is your so-called father. He doesn't even dare to leave the city gates, he can only wail there—how can such a weak ruler stand against my Qin state?"

Prince Dan did not respond, but simply looked up at the gray sky, as if using his last strength to bury the pain in his chest.

As intelligent as he was, how could he not see that King Xi of Yan was afraid of death? But at this point, whether he was conflicted or not was no longer important. As long as the people of Yan could be enraged and awakened by this bloody scene, his death might have meaning.

On the city wall, Prince Xi of Yan watched his son being slowly sliced ​​to death below, his brows furrowed, his grip on the hilt of his sword turning white, yet he did not give the order to charge. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a long, sorrowful sigh.

Among the civil and military officials behind him, some had tears in their eyes, some clenched their fists and glared angrily, while others lowered their heads and remained silent, their faces ashen.

"Stop...stop!" On the city wall, someone finally lost control of their emotions, drew their sword, and leaped onto the crenellations, only to be firmly stopped by their comrades. Everyone knew that acting rashly would only hasten the destruction of the nation.

“Father…” Crown Prince Dan raised his eyes through the pain, his voice hoarse but still resolute, “Please… cheer up… this is my last wish.”

King Xi of Yan was slightly taken aback, his eyes revealing sorrow and conflict. He certainly knew what Crown Prince Dan was thinking; otherwise, he wouldn't have died trying to persuade him to be wary of Qin. But if they were to completely break ties now, Ji City would be doomed.

He lost both the country and his son.

Erniu looked at the reaction on the city wall with disdain: "See? This is the Yan Kingdom you've been protecting. What can they do besides cry and wail?"

Having said that, he kicked Prince Dan away, forcing him to stagger and kneel down facing Ji City again. Prince Dan was already covered in blood, but he still managed to straighten his back, turning his head to stare intently at Er Niu, his eyes filled with endless hatred.

Chun Ning approached with a cold smile and whispered in Crown Prince Dan's ear, "You'd better hold back. When the wicked husband arrives, even more severe tortures await your Yan Kingdom. It won't be that simple then." Her words were filled with murderous intent and showed no mercy.

Prince Dan slowly closed his eyes, enduring the pain, took a deep breath, and spoke with difficulty: "The people on the city walls... will never forget this bloody shame... We must unite as one and defend... the last dignity of the Yan Kingdom."

When he uttered the word "dignity," his face turned deathly pale. In that instant, many Yan soldiers on the city wall trembled and gripped their weapons even tighter.

The hearts of those within the city were breaking with grief, seeing Prince Dan teetering on the brink of collapse, they were filled with immense anguish. Yet, Prince Xi of Yan did not order an attack—despite their profound sorrow, they dared not act rashly.

Erniu glanced back at Chun Ning, then raised his voice towards the city wall: "Prince Yan, have you seen clearly? Five days from now, if you want to prevent this bloody scene from unfolding everywhere in Ji City, have your army lay down its arms and surrender, otherwise—"

Before he could finish speaking, he plunged the knife into Prince Dan's shoulder blade. Prince Dan shuddered, blood instantly staining his chest, but even his scream was reduced to a muffled groan.

On the city wall, Prince Xi of Yan clenched his fists, cold sweat sliding down his temples. His current appearance was not due to heartache for Crown Prince Dan, but rather because he was frightened by Erniu's words of surrender!

"Let's go. Let him live for now, and wait a few days until the Grand Commandant arrives in person. Let him see how the State of Yan can withstand the wrath of the Grand Commandant and the State of Qin." Erniu sheathed his knife, casually wiped the blood off the blade, and gave Chun Ning a wink.

Upon receiving the order, the Black Dragon Armored Army immediately stepped forward to perform simple bandaging and stop the bleeding for the dying Prince Dan, just to prolong his life by a few more days.

Chun Ning looked up at the city wall and sneered indifferently: "You have five days left. If you do not surrender, when the army arrives, the whole city of Ji will be like this."

After speaking, the Black Dragon Armored Army detachment assembled, escorted Prince Dan away, leaving the people on and off the city wall speechless for a long time.

King Xi of Yan slumped against the wall, the words of Chun Ning and the other man before they left echoing in his ears. He had no idea what to do, only a wave of fear washing over him.

"The nation...must rise up..."

Atop the city wall, all was deathly silent. No one spoke, only the howling wind whipped up dust, as if whispering a lament to this ancient city battered by storms.