He was a junior, having arrived late, and was unaware of the situation inside the city. Therefore, he could not act rashly and could only use this method to get through first.
The messenger received the order and mounted a fast horse, rushing toward Yanguan City.
Those few tribes amounted to no more than twenty thousand people, so they could not possibly surround such a large city completely; there were bound to be vulnerabilities.
Even if there were none, that small squad of messengers would find a weakly defended spot and tear open a breach to enter. They were elite soldiers chosen from the Three Great Camps under Commander Xiao’s command, each capable of matching three ordinary soldiers. Thus, such a trivial task would certainly not stump them.
And sure enough, in less than a Shi Chen, this squad of messengers successfully appeared inside General Fan You’s tent.
By rights, General Fan should have been pleased to receive reinforcements. However, that was not the case; General Fan was not pleased. On the contrary, he was infuriated.
The Emperor sent so few men. Is he trying to send me to my grave rather than save me!
Those Grassland Tribes... every one of them is a tiger general!
The soldiers of the Central Plains are no match for them!
Five thousand men... Heavens, what can five thousand men possibly do!
My own tens of thousands of men are already helpless, aren’t they?
So, when that small squad of messengers said, "Our Commander wishes to discuss the battle plan with General Fan, aiming for coordination from within and without..."
At that moment, General Fan directly interrupted them.
"Coordination from within and without? Hah! Sorry!"
"The soldiers under my command have fought over a dozen battles, big and small!"
"We’ve suffered heavy casualties; there are no able-bodied men left in the city, only the old, weak, sick, and disabled!"
The implication was clear: I have no men at my disposal. If you want to fight, go play by yourself. This old man still wants to live a few more days.
The messengers looked at each other in dismay. Just as they were about to say more, General Fan drove them out.
"Be gone!" Go find your damn incompetent general!
He just didn’t believe it. A greenhorn who had never seen war, barely in his twenties, leading a mere five thousand men—what could he possibly do! The Emperor is simply fobbing people off!
Having no choice, the messengers had to withdraw and return the way they came.
「Fifty li outside Yanguan City.」
Xia Tingfeng was shocked after hearing what the messengers had to say. "Did he... really say that?"
The messengers nodded their heads.
Xia Tingfeng narrowed his eyes, his gaze suddenly sharp, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a cold smile. What does he mean by that? Could he be considering surrender?
If he had any warrior’s spirit left, he should be joining forces with me now, fighting with our backs to the wall. After all, isn’t waiting idly for death still waiting? It’s all death! Most generals would prefer to die in battle! But this General Fan...
"I understand. You may stand down for now. Without my orders, no one is permitted to act without authorization!"
"Yes!"
A few soldiers cupped their fists in salute and then withdrew.
Xia Tingfeng’s frown deepened, his fists beneath his sleeves clenched tighter, and the glint in his eyes grew sharper. Judging by General Fan’s attitude, he has no intention of cooperating. So, am I supposed to use these five thousand elite troops to rescue Yanguan City? "How troublesome!"
He slammed a fist onto the map, his gaze turning frosty. Ultimately, he had no choice but to rally his spirits and continue studying the map.
「After nightfall.」
The camp gradually quieted down. Even Yanguan City, enveloped by siege, settled into an uneasy calm. The thick darkness of the night concealed everything.
Just then, a pitch-black figure suddenly darted out of a tent and, with astonishing speed, raced toward Yanguan City.
Before long, the figure reached the towering city wall. SWOOSH! A grappling hook shot out and bit firmly into the wall. Like a spider dangling from a thread, the figure swung a few times against the city wall before scaling it in the blink of an eye. Then, with a leap, he vanished.
Indeed, this person was Xia Tingfeng.
His destination was General Fan You’s tent.
He claims I’m not worthy of cooperating with him? Heh! I have my ways to deal with him, to make him cooperate. If all else fails, I’ll seize the Commander’s Seal and detain him. I’ll find a trustworthy lieutenant to command from within. There are at least twenty to thirty thousand people in the city. Combined with the five thousand elite troops outside, that will be enough.
Since I have the Emperor’s secret decree, I can do all this with a clear conscience. I don’t care whose luck runs out; my only responsibility is to protect the civilians in the city. That old fool who doesn’t appreciate kindness when it’s offered—just you wait! My years as a ruffian weren’t for nothing. What kind of dirty tricks haven’t I seen? Everyone loves to play the upright gentleman. But sometimes, when forced, one has to be despicable. Besides, I don’t think I’m being that despicable! Xia Tingfeng thought slyly.