The report had just finished.
Fan Wei stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent that seemed determined to win.
He completely disregarded Zhou Zhenguang's past kindness in helping him, and also ignored who had risked their life to shield him from danger when he was being chased by enemy troops.
Perhaps at that moment, he was genuinely grateful, but as time passed and things changed, Fan Wei became more pragmatic and opportunistic, willing to betray Zhou Zhenguang for the wealth and glory promised by Emperor Yan.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Fan Wei laughed triumphantly: "Good, good, I knew Zhou Zhenguang was cornered."
"He has neither food nor winter supplies. How will he survive this winter!"
"It was worth all the effort I put in, even having 40,000 troops retreat ten miles away, just in case Zhou Zhenguang noticed something amiss and cowered inside the city, too afraid to come out."
"Now that the grand plan has been accomplished, Zhou Zhenguang has actually risked his life to break out of Jiangling City."
"A mere rebel, with his army of over 100,000, dares to challenge His Majesty and rebel? He's overestimating himself!"
"Someone come here."
"Immediately light the beacon fires on the watchtowers to send a message to the army hiding ten kilometers away, urging them to rush out in full force and capture Zhou Zhenguang alive at Beidaoguankou!"
In the border region, apart from the undulating mountains, there is only an endless desert.
At each of the four crossroads—east, west, south, and north—Zhang's men were stationed.
Jiangling City is located in the very center and has a concave shape.
All around are endless high mountains.
Beidao Guankou was located not far outside Jiangling City, right at the foot of a mountain.
In order to spread the news as quickly as possible, Deputy General Zhang ordered the army to build hundreds of watchtowers as fast as possible, each about ten meters high, with a beacon tower on top.
Beacon towers are not very useful during the day, but they become very useful at night.
All the sentries inside the tower need to do is light a torch, and in no time the light will be seen by the sentries on the mountaintop...
Once the fire is lit on the mountaintop, the sentries on the second mountain will immediately see it too...
And then it was passed down all the way.
Within an hour, the news would reach all four crossroads in the east, west, south, and north, and they would rush to provide support immediately!
"General Fan has given the order."
"At the northern pass, immediately light the watchtowers and beacon towers!"
"Whoosh—"
In that instant.
The first watchtower was set ablaze.
Zhou Zhenguang and his men hid near the mountain valley.
He rubbed his hands, which were numb from the cold, and gripped his spear tightly again. He said to the soldiers beside him, "There are only three thousand men guarding the northern pass. The court must have a reason for withdrawing its troops so rashly."
"Even if they retreat, they will probably retreat within ten kilometers."
"From the time the message was spread to the time the imperial army arrived here, it only took one or two hours."
"Fellow soldiers."
“I, Zhou Zhenguang, am just a rough man. I should have died because of the slander of Emperor Yan. You have suffered hunger and cold with me. Today, I will live and die with you!”
"If we can seize the official pass in the north and transport grain and supplies back to the nearby towns, then the soldiers in Jiangling City will still have hope. If not, then this battle will not be a cowardly death!"
The veteran general's eyes reddened as he listened to these heartfelt words.
Now that things have come to this, there's no point in blaming or blaming anyone.
He had already foreseen this ending when he made up his mind to follow Zhou Zhenguang, but this day... he never expected it to come so quickly, so quickly that it caught him off guard.
That's enough.
This is the path I chose.
The old general sighed heavily, raised his hand, paused for a moment, and finally placed it on Zhou Zhenguang's shoulder: "So be it. Today's battle, regardless of victory or defeat, has been a clear conscience."
"I don't regret my decision to betray you that day, but I feel sorry for the soldiers who fought alongside me through thick and thin!"
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