Chapter 539 Creating a Deliberate Deception
On the morning of the third day, Chang Zhiyuan, dressed in Lin Changning's armor and carrying Lin Changning's sword, got up early with Zhiqi and Wenzhi.
Apart from the 5,000 men left behind to guard the city, the remaining troops were to launch an attack on the Xiang King's camp at the crack of dawn.
Once the fighting reaches the morning, as long as the supply depot is ignited by kerosene, the towering flames will be a signal, and upon hearing this, they will quickly lead their army back to the city.
Even if the King of Xiang reacts by then, with his grain and supplies destroyed, he will certainly not be able to attack the city within three days.
However, Chang Zhiyuan was also a little worried. If his older sister didn't return in three days after today, he would really be at a loss.
They could only rely on the remaining troops in the city to hold out for as long as they could.
Chang Zhiyuan is different from Lin Changning; he is a genuine scholar. Once on the battlefield, he will inevitably be exposed, since Lin Changning's bravery is well-known in Taiyuan.
Chang Zhiyuan, on the other hand, can barely lift a knife to kill people now; the difference between the two is not small.
So this time, Wen Zhi led a large army to feign an attack on the Xiang King's camp, while Zhi Qi led a group of men to flank from the side. When the two armies clashed, they poured oil canisters onto the enemy's supplies and set them on fire.
Once it was determined that the fire had grown larger and could not be extinguished, the group quickly retreated back to the city.
The sky was still dark. Chang Zhiyuan stood quietly in the center of the camp and nodded slightly to Wen Zhi.
After hearing that he had tidied up his men, Wang Qianhu was about to leave when he noticed Chang Zhiyuan standing there and couldn't help but ask, "Assistant Commander? Aren't you coming with us?"
It's no wonder Commander Wang asked that question. In battle, Lin Changning always loved to be at the forefront, chasing the enemy like chickens and dogs. Lin Changning's ferocity was well-known throughout Taiyuan Garrison.
Seeing that Chang Zhiyuan wasn't going to fight, I couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. It was just too fun following Lin Changning into battle; all I had to do was follow behind and pick up the kills.
After Commander Wang finished speaking, Commander Cheng said irritably, "Go where? Look at how pale our Vice Commander Lin is. He rode alone for so long on horseback when he came back. He must be injured. Go, go, go. You want to follow the Vice Commander and pick up the credits again? Don't you care about our Vice Commander's health at all!"
Upon hearing this, Commander Wang suddenly looked at Chang Zhiyuan and noticed that there was a slight difference in physique between Chang Zhiyuan and Lin Changning. He slapped his forehead and said, "Don't mind me, Vice Commander. I'm just a straightforward person. You don't know until you say so. Looking at you now, it's true. You've lost a lot of weight and don't look as strong as before."
Chang Zhiyuan sighed inwardly and smiled at Commander Wang: "Alright, it's getting late. Go on, I'll be waiting for your triumphant return at the garrison!"
Commander Wang quickly knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist salute. The other dozen or so commanders followed suit, kneeling in unison: "Yes, Commander! We will certainly not fail in our mission!!!"
King Xiang's Camp —
King Xiang did not sleep well last night. Two days had passed since the last attack on the city, and there was still no movement from the opposite city. King Xiang couldn't help but become suspicious. If the army had already returned, King Chu would probably not be able to wait that long and would send troops to attack him the next day.
Now, nearly three days have passed, and there is still no movement from the other side, making King Xiang wonder if he had staged an empty city ploy a couple of days ago.
King Xiang rubbed his eyes, wiped his face haphazardly, and looked at his reflection in the bronze mirror, his eyes filled with dark circles. After a long while, he secretly made up his mind that if there was still no movement from the other side by noon today, he would order an attack on the city.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, King Xiang heard the sounds of battle coming from afar. His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly stood up.
The next moment, a guard rushed into the tent in a panic: "It's bad, it's bad, Your Highness! The enemy army is attacking directly!"
The weight that had been hanging over King Xiang's heart finally lifted. Now that the king dared to leave the city and fight him directly, his main army must have returned. As for where they returned from, King Xiang pondered for a moment and concluded that they must have circled around from other parts of Shanxi, quietly avoiding his men's detection. No wonder he was his ninth brother.
King Xiang, regaining his senses, suddenly asked, "How many people are there?"
The guard knelt on one knee and pondered for a moment: "Your Highness, there are about ten thousand men."
Upon hearing the mention of 10,000 men, King Xiang's heart pounded again. He felt there was something fishy about the matter. If reinforcements were to return, there should be more than just 10,000 men to attack.
However, the King of Chu was cunning by nature. In the past two days, the city opposite had already found out that it was the King of Chu's eldest son-in-law who had returned with his troops. He had investigated Lin Changning's life and found that he was born with superhuman strength and used cunning schemes, making him a rather troublesome person.
For a moment, he wondered if this was a trap set by the other side, waiting for their 10,000 men to wear them down before retreating, making them think victory was in sight, and that they could take Taiyuan by following them into the city. Then, the main army would ambush them in the city and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Thinking of this, King Xiang asked, "Should we launch a full-scale attack?"
The guard sighed helplessly, "Your Highness, the fight just started, so it's hard to tell now."
King Xiang stood up, glanced at the guards beside him, and after they helped him put on his armor, he picked up his sword and walked out. His men had already gone out to fight, and he would know whether it was a feint or a full-scale attack once he went out to see.
King Xiang, riding his horse to the front, immediately engaged in combat with Wen Zhi. After fighting for a while, Wen Zhi was clearly no match for him and felt increasingly anxious.
Looking at the 10,000 men they brought, many of them were already injured, and more than half the time had passed, yet the fire still hadn't caught fire. Now that the King of Xiang had emerged, he was facing the King of Xiang directly, and the pressure was immense.
He cursed inwardly, barely dodging the King of Xiang's blade. Just as he was using the hilt of his own sword to block the blade that the King of Xiang was about to thrust in, a sudden gust of wind blew through the King of Xiang's camp and a towering fire burst into the sky.
A flicker of joy flashed in his eyes upon hearing this, and he thought excitedly, "It's done!!!"
Having said that, he no longer wished to fight with the King of Xiang. He reined in his horse, turned around, and galloped towards their agreed retreat point. When he arrived at the agreed place, he happened to run into Zhiqi, who was riding his horse back from afar. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes.
The next moment, his eyes widened suddenly. He saw a general from the Xiang Kingdom behind him, who was biting him tightly. The general had drawn his bow and nocked an arrow. The arrow, accompanied by the sound of wind, made a popping sound as it rubbed against the air.
The arrow shot straight toward Zhiqi's back. Without thinking, Wenzi spurred his horse toward Zhiqi, but the horse's speed was no match for the sword, and the arrow pierced through Zhiqi's shoulder.
He stumbled and fell off his horse.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com