Outside the border city, the camp of the third Tatar prince.
With a "bang," the earthenware pot fell to the ground instantly, making a crisp sound.
As Wuqi entered the camp through the wind and snow, she saw a scene of utter devastation.
Ajitai sat on the stool with bloodshot eyes, looking extremely resentful.
The confidant knelt on one knee, not daring to speak, for fear of saying the wrong thing and displeasing the third prince, who would then take his anger out on him.
Uqi bowed to Ajitai, but received no response. Instead, Ajitai turned his face to the other side and didn't even look at her.
She straightened up, looked down at her confidante, and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
The confidant looked up and examined Ajitai's expression. Seeing that Ajitai did not intend to stop him, he repeated what he had just said.
He said, "Our army of 100,000 attacked the Great Jin last night, but lost 30,000 brave warriors."
All the catapults used in the siege were destroyed by the enemy.
Heavy snow fell in the latter half of last night, and more than a thousand people froze to death.
Wu Qi was very puzzled, "With a dozen or so catapults leading the charge and the army climbing ladders to the city walls, why did it turn out so tragically?"
The confidant recounted how the Great Jin Dynasty had unleashed a barrage of arrows the previous night, how the fire oil stones had precisely destroyed the catapults, and how Ajitai, relying on his 100,000-strong army, had not used any tactics at all, but instead had his troops use their bodies to block the rockets.
Upon hearing this, Wu Qi was somewhat speechless.
She knew that Ajitai was always reckless and thoughtless, as if all his brains were in Sudiya's body, but she never expected him to be so stupid.
The deed is done, and retreating is not an option.
Uchi came here because she was worried that Ajitai might withdraw his troops out of fear of the king's wrath, thus disrupting the plans of the eldest prince, Tadar.
She came here specifically to offer advice and suggestions to Ajitai and to cooperate with Tadar's plan.
She said, "Third Prince, there is no need to worry. Our army still has 70,000 brave warriors."
Previously, the princess had sent word that the camp had only 30,000 soldiers.
Our army has more than twice the number of warriors of the Great Jin. Once the Third Prince captures the city, the King will certainly not pursue this matter.
With just a few words, Wuqi dispelled Ajitai's concerns.
Yes! As long as he captures the city, why should he be afraid of his father's wrath?
Absolutely not!
If he were to retreat now and go back to tell his father that he had lost 30,000 soldiers in one night, then his father would truly skin him alive.
After figuring it out, Ajitai's face lit up with joy, his clear eyes revealing a hint of foolishness and an uncontrollable excitement.
His worried expression vanished, replaced by a smile. He instructed his trusted confidant, "Quickly, assemble our forces. This time, we must take the city in one fell swoop!"
The trusted confidant hesitated. It was still snowing heavily outside, and the army had been exhausted after a night of marching several miles to attack the city.
Now, troops need to be assembled again. Although he has participated in few battles, he has never seen anyone lead troops into battle like this.
For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
Wuqi sighed inwardly, but she didn't show it on her face. She said, "Third Prince, there's no rush. The army was exhausted from attacking the city last night."
"Let's rest briefly, and after the main army has had a few days to recuperate, we can capture the city in one fell swoop."
As she spoke, she smiled and said, "Besides, the war drums that the princess had previously ordered to be made have already been sent over by my men and will be delivered today."
drum?
Sudiya's tastes are different from ordinary people's; she likes to make bracelets out of her spoils of war, including human bones and eagle claws.
Ajitai looked at Wuqi with a puzzled expression. The two exchanged a glance, and he instantly understood what Wuqi was talking about.
He gave a mocking smile and instructed his trusted confidant, "Do as Wuqi says."
After receiving the order, the confidant followed Wuqi out of the tent.
......
"Thump~"
"Thump~"
"Thump~"
Upon hearing the sound of war drums, An Yi walked to the city wall and stood behind Song Yanqing, saying, "The Tartars have been beating the war drums for three consecutive days, but they have yet to show any intention of attacking."
"Your Highness, what are the Tartars trying to do?"
Song Yanqing looked at a war drum standing in the distance. The Tartars had chosen a tricky distance, and the sound of the drum could be heard everywhere, but the arrows could not reach it.
He squinted slightly, looking at the distant war drums and the red robes hanging beside them.
War drums are usually hung next to battle flags, but the Tatars' battle flags are always yellow, and what's next to the war drum is clearly not a flag, but rather what looks like a battle robe.
Suddenly, a bad feeling crept into his heart.
He looked at the red robe floating in the air and said, "Go, find a soldier who used to be in Feng's army."
An Yi suddenly turned his head to look at Song Yanqing, and in just a moment, his pupils widened.
He then glanced at the red-robed figure outside the city gate, whispered his acceptance of the order, and took his leave.
Before long, An Yi brought a veteran who was nearly forty years old.
"Greetings, Crown Prince."
Song Yanqing hummed in agreement and said calmly, "Do those red flags hanging outside the city look familiar to you?"
The veteran had been stationed in the border town for many years and had fought alongside General Feng on the battlefield for many years. He had long remembered General Feng's battle robe.
Although he was nearly forty, his eyesight was not failing due to old age; on the contrary, his eyesight had become extremely sharp from fighting on the battlefield.
He carefully observed the splash of red outside the city; a gust of wind blew, causing the red flag to flutter.
Suddenly, the black totem on the red flag came into view.
He recalled that when they set off on the expedition, the red robe worn by the commander-in-chief was exactly the same as the red flag before him.
The veteran's pupils dilated, and he shouted urgently, "Commander-in-Chief!"
The sound was loud and heart-wrenching, drawing the attention of the soldiers stationed on the city wall.
Seeing his reaction, Song Yanqing understood everything. He whispered to An Yi, "Take him away."
The Tartar army is at the city gates, and General Feng's battle robe is still hanging there as they beat the war drums.
This was intended to provoke the soldiers' anger and force them to open the city gates and engage in battle.
An oar stuffed a cloth into the old soldier's mouth to prevent him from disrupting the morale of the troops. He grabbed the old soldier by the back of his neck and led him down from the city wall.
The drumbeats continued for three days, then suddenly stopped.
Looking down from the city wall, Song Yanqing saw a Tartar riding a fine horse, arriving alone at the city gate.
The soldiers on the city wall lay prone along the edge, looking down at the city.
The burly Tartar man tightened the reins, raised his head, and gave a mocking sneer.
He then pulled a red robe from his horse, waved it vigorously, and shouted loudly towards the city wall.
"Crown Prince of the Great Jin Dynasty, do you recognize the battle robe in my hand?"
Song Yanqing naturally wouldn't shout back at him. He lowered his eyes, wanting to see what other moves he might make.
Seeing that there was no sound from the city wall, the Tatars unfolded the red robe in their hands and showed it to the public.
The flame-like totem instantly caught everyone's eye.
Many veterans recognized the owner of this totem as General Feng, the previous commander-in-chief!
"Hahaha, you cowards, open your eyes and take a good look. This is the battle robe of the commander-in-chief of the Feng family army."
The soldiers on the city wall watched him go mad without taking it seriously. Losing one's battle robe on the battlefield was not a common occurrence, but it did happen.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd found a brocade cassock!
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