"Alright, let's prepare for battle. The Dragon and Phoenix Guards will lead the charge." Xiao Jue made the decision, and no one present had any objections.
"Oh? The enemy actually dares to come out of the city to meet us in battle?" The Sixth Prince, sitting on his six-wheeled chariot, was somewhat surprised when he heard the scout's report.
"Sixth Prince, we should be more cautious," Xu Ci suggested again.
Jiang De also spoke up, "Some soldiers should be left in the camp to guard it."
Ming Siqing sneered, "General Jiang, do you think the Sumeru army still has the strength to launch a surprise attack on our camp?"
He glanced at Jiang De casually, his disdainful look igniting a fire in Jiang De's heart, but he swallowed it back.
Xu Ci pulled Jiang De back from speaking and shook his head at him.
Jiang De relaxed his clenched fist again. "It's good that the Sixth Prince knows what's going on."
The Underworld official said in a cold voice, "I know perfectly well that they have less than two million troops. The outcome will be clear by tomorrow morning."
Xu Ci and Jiang De said in deep voices, "Then we will wait for the Sixth Prince's good news."
Ming Siqing turned to look ahead and stopped talking to them.
"They've really come out! Attack!" Ming Siqing saw the Sumeru army emerge from the city gates and immediately ordered an attack.
The bugle sounded, the banners fluttered, and the war drums beat.
The war drums of Sumeru sounded again, but this time the sound was completely different, more intense and inspiring than before.
The two armies are locked in a standoff, and war is imminent.
"Kill them!"
"We swear to defend the territory of Sumeru to the death; those who invade the territory of Sumeru shall be killed!"
The orders from both armies have been given, and both sides have launched an attack.
Two hours later, the sixth prince narrowed his eyes.
Xu Ci and Jiang De, who were standing to the side, had already noticed that something was wrong, but they held their breath and deliberately gritted their teeth, remaining silent.
The Sixth Prince sneered, "It's a waste of effort and all for naught. I've already sent people to investigate, and there are no reinforcements from Sumeru within a hundred miles. They're just fighting like cornered beasts."
The fact that the Dragon and Phoenix Guards took the lead was something they had long anticipated.
However, the Dragon and Phoenix Guards' attacks were not as reckless and desperate as yesterday's; instead, they seemed to be deliberately conserving their strength, only defending and not attacking.
Xu Ci and Jiang De exchanged a glance and then understood why the Sixth Prince insisted on launching an attack. It turned out that he had already thoroughly investigated the situation.
Ming Siqing knew that Xu Ci and Jiang De harbored resentment, but he also knew that they dared not speak out against it.
So he didn't try to explain these past two days; he just wanted them to experience how he felt back then.
Ming Siqing said slowly, "I also can't bear to sacrifice so many soldiers, but if we don't go all out this time, we will lose the initiative and fall into a passive situation."
Xu Ci and Jiang De asked in unison, "What does this mean?"
Ming Si coldly uttered two words, "We're running out of supplies. If this stalemate continues, we'll only find ourselves on the defensive."
"Sixth Prince, did the two million troops you sent not escort any grain?" Xu Ci was shocked and raised his voice suddenly, but Jiang De grabbed his arm. Xu Ci quickly lowered his voice, but the coldness in his voice was not concealed at all.
The sixth prince frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
Originally, the provisions could have been sufficient, but due to the obstruction of those good brothers, by the time the provisions were settled, there was only enough for one month. Along the way, the two million soldiers had already consumed more than half of them during the march, and that was under the condition of saving resources.
If they don't fight this battle now, the problem of food supplies will become their fatal weakness.
That's why he launched the attack first. This matter must not be known to the Sumeru army, otherwise if the Sumeru army really only defends and does not attack, they can wear them down in less than ten days.
This land of sunset clouds was originally a wild and desolate place.
The people within a hundred miles had long since evacuated, and the village was completely empty. Even if they wanted to plunder the local grain and fodder, there was nowhere to steal.
Xu Ci and Jiang De clearly felt the cold aura emanating from Ming Siqing. After a little guess, they vaguely guessed what was going on: the princes were fighting for power and cutting back on provisions.
The two tacitly stopped asking questions and silently took a step back, keeping their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
The sixth prince was pulled back to his senses by the sound of war drums. Seeing that the two were sensible enough not to ask any more questions, he felt a little relieved and also kept his eyes on the battlefield.
One hour later.
"This can't go on. It's been almost four hours, and the Dragon and Phoenix Guards are still full of energy, while the Ever Victorious Army hasn't even entered the fray yet. This won't do," Xu Ci said anxiously.
Jiang De looked at Ming Siqing, "Sixth Prince, you need to think of a solution."
Ming Siqing sneered, "What's the rush? Only two million troops went into battle just now. Issue the order to have those two million soldiers retreat and replace them with another batch of soldiers. All the remaining soldiers will then attack."
“In that case, I refuse to believe that the Ever Victorious Army can remain indifferent.” Ming Siqing looked at the Dragon and Phoenix Guards on the battlefield with eyes that seemed to regard them as dead men.
"This is bad. They've discovered our intentions and have replaced our army with four million." Strategist Murong Zirui frowned as he observed the changes on the battlefield.
The Dragon and Phoenix Guards, who originally had plenty of strength, gradually became strained in the face of an exponentially increasing number of energetic enemies.
"Send out the Ever Victorious Army to battle, giving the Dragon and Phoenix Guards half an hour to rest." Xiao Jue immediately gave the order when he saw the enemy's four million troops mobilize.
Eunuch Wu leaped from the war drum onto the chariot and declared, "The Dragon and Phoenix Guards cannot retreat. With swords drawn, we must not retreat until the enemy is dead."
Xiao Jue glanced at Eunuch Wu, wanting to explain, but Eunuch Wu said, "General Xiao should understand the principle that one should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will weaken and eventually be exhausted."
"Secondly, if the enemy realizes we want to give the Dragon and Phoenix Guards a rest and bring back the two million soldiers we just faced, then we'll be in trouble. We're already struggling with these four million." Eunuch Wu was unwilling to give up, but his worried face said it all.
If reinforcements don't arrive, they really won't make it through the night.
In this battle, the enemy's human warfare and relentless attacks plunged Xiao Jue's heart into despair.
Xiao Jue looked into the distance. Where the sky met the earth, the sunset painted half the sky red. The blood-red sunset and the blood-red soil on the ground formed a desolate contrast.
Xiao Jue stepped off the chariot with heavy steps.
Eunuch Wu called out to him, "I will fight alongside you to kill the enemy."
Xiao Jue turned to look at Eunuch Wu and smiled, "I thought you would stop me."
That's why he didn't say a word just now.
Eunuch Wu smiled back, "Kill one, kill one. This old body hasn't been used for many years. I couldn't be happier to be able to use it now."
Murong Zirui frowned, wanting to say something, but not knowing what reason to use to stop him.
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