Love Lock

Chapter 317 Deceptive Strategies Are Ultimately Not the Best Way
Late at night, on the East Gate city wall, torches flickered in the night wind, illuminating the tired faces of the patrolling soldiers, and the open space outside the city wall was also lit up and darkened.

The soldiers, exhausted after a day of fighting, were too tired to continue and were sitting in the shadows behind the battlements, dozing off with their rifles in their arms.

A dozen or so dark figures moved silently along the shadows at the base of the city wall, like phantoms of the night, each step treading in the darkest corner.

Finally, the group quietly gathered at the south gate.

Each of them carried a wooden bucket and held a shovel.

The water in the wooden bucket was carefully poured onto the soil in the shade, and the water seeped into the soil.

After repeated soaking, the originally hard soil became soft and sticky.

The shadowy figures immediately began to move, carefully inserting shovels into the mud, each dig being extremely gentle.

The soil was removed shovel by shovel, and a tunnel that could only accommodate one person at a time was quietly taking shape.

As flashes of light occasionally streaked overhead, they immediately pressed themselves against the city wall, holding their breath and focusing intently.

The shadows perfectly swallowed their figures, and only their heavy breathing, made from labor, betrayed their presence.

Once the firelight had faded, the shovel began to wriggle again, like a nocturnal creature gnawing at something.

As night deepened, the soldiers guarding the city walls grew increasingly weary.

Just then, a strange sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out outside the East Gate.

The horseshoes of the Dongming cavalry were all wrapped in rags, and they were not discovered by patrolling soldiers until they rushed into the firelight, but it was too late.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Arrows hurtled through the air, their sharp whistling sounds piercing the night sky.

A soldier who was dozing off was suddenly awakened. He sat up in a panic, but before he could grab his weapon, an arrow shot him in the chest. He groaned and fell to the ground.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Panic-stricken shouts erupted on the city wall, and alarm drums were pounded loudly.

The surviving defenders frantically grabbed at the rolling logs and stones. In their panic, some of them knocked over oil canisters, and the viscous liquid spread across the city bricks and stones.

Arrows rained down from the darkness, striking the crenellations with a sickening thud.

Chaos erupted on and off the city wall, while the digging sounds at the base of the wall grew even more urgent under the cover of the commotion.

Having just returned from inspecting the wounded soldiers' camp and had only recently rested, Marshal Li Jianyong heard the commotion outside and immediately got up, putting on his coat and hurriedly walking up the city wall at the east gate with a solemn expression.

As expected, the Eastern Ming Empire's army did not cease its activities at night. Instead, under the cover of darkness, it launched a long-planned and fierce night attack.

Unfortunately, by the time the Da Jing soldiers discovered the sneak attack, a tunnel had been dug in the shadows on the west side of the city wall.

Behind the raiding cavalry was the main force of the Eastern Ming, whose offensive was far more ferocious than during the day.

Despite their desperate resistance, the exhausted Dajing soldiers were already demoralized, and their weapons and armor were inferior to those of Dongming. Under the relentless onslaught of the desperate soldiers, the city's defenses began to crumble.

"Quickly! Reinforce the right flank!"

"Pour oil and set it on fire."

"Hold on, everyone must hold on."

Faced with the increasingly fierce offensive of the Dongming army, Marshal Li Jianyong wiped the sweat from his forehead as he issued one order after another, feeling immense pressure.

Just then, flames suddenly shot up from the south side of Dongguan City, and shouts of battle surged over the city walls like a tidal wave.

Marshal Li Jianyong, who was directing the battle on the East Gate city wall, suddenly grabbed the crenellation, his white beard and hair trembling violently in the night wind.

"South Gate! The signal fire has been lit at the South Gate!" Amidst the panicked shouts of his personal guards, the old marshal grabbed the rammed earth beneath his hand and cracked it open.

Outside the East Gate, the battering rams of the Eastern Ming army were pounding against the city gate, each loud bang causing the city walls to crumble and rubble.

"Marshal! The garrison of the southern city has sent a letter in blood requesting reinforcements!" The messenger knelt and presented the silk cloth covered in soot. As the old marshal unfolded it, he glimpsed a dark red fingerprint in the corner.

The lieutenant said urgently, "These elite soldiers at the East Gate are already barely holding on. If we divide our forces further..."

"Foolish!" The old marshal suddenly threw the command flag onto the battlements. "If the south gate falls, what difference does it make whether the east gate or the south gate falls? The entire city's inhabitants will still be at our mercy!"

He gazed at the endless rows of enemy torches outside the city, then suddenly coughed violently, revealing a slight hunchback in his shoulders beneath his armor.

After catching his breath, he suddenly raised his black gold spear and pointed it south: "Deputy General Liu, immediately dispatch three hundred crossbowmen and two hundred swordsmen and shieldmen! Also, bring twenty thousand soldiers to provide support."

His spear tip gleamed coldly in the firelight: "Deputy General Liu, remember this: if even an inch of the south city wall collapses, don't come back to see me!"

As Deputy General Liu rushed down the city wall, the old marshal suddenly called him back, took off his gleaming bronze wrist guard and handed it to him: "Give this to the commander of the South Gate, and tell him that I will live and die with the East Gate. Please ask him to guard the South Gate at all costs!"

Deputy General Liu accepted the order and left. The old marshal turned back and looked intently at the battering ram pounding against the city gate below, then focused on directing the battle once more...

The fierce fighting lasted from the darkest hour before dawn until sunrise.

The morning light, like blood, intertwined with the raging fires in the city, staining the ruined outline of Dongguan City a desolate crimson.

At the crenellations of the city wall, the last few remaining defenders of the Great Jing army, who were putting up a stubborn resistance, fell one after another like harvested wheat stalks under the enemy's ferocious blades.

Finally, with a deafening roar of despair, the gates of Dongguan City were smashed open by a giant log, and a tidal wave of Dongming soldiers poured into the city.

On the city wall, the stubborn defenders of Dajing fell one by one, and the tattered "Li" character banner was cut in half and fell to the dust.

Instead, the ferocious black bird battle flag of the Eastern Ming Empire was arrogantly planted on the highest point of Dongguan City amidst the interplay of dawn and firelight.

The black bird's outstretched claws and sharp beak trembled wildly in the wind, as if it wanted to devour someone.

The flag bearer's face was contemptuous with a sneer of both fervor and conquest as he struggled to plant the flag, a symbol of conquest, into the charred wooden stake at the highest point of the city wall.

The flag was finally raised firmly, fluttering wildly amidst the interplay of dawn and beacon smoke, announcing the complete occupation of Dongguan City by the Eastern Ming Empire.

Meanwhile, fierce street fighting raged in the city.

Marshal Li Jianyong has long since transformed from a commander who issues orders into a seasoned soldier with bristling hair and beard, ready to fight to the death with a gun.

His silver-white beard and hair were matted together with blood and sweat, and his heavy armor was covered with marks from swords and axes. The armor plates groaned as if they were about to fall apart from the violent movements.

Each swing of his spear carried a whistling sound as it cut through the air, accompanied by the heavy force of his strength, as he cleaved the charging Dongming soldiers to the ground.

"Everyone hold your ground! Move closer to me!" The old marshal's voice was hoarse, but he was still trying to rally the dwindling number of his personal guards.

The loyal and valiant guards formed a fragile wall with their bodies, deflecting weapons thrust at them from all directions while protecting their commander as they retreated into the city's narrow alleyways. Each step back was taken over sticky pools of blood and cold corpses.

However, in this desperate retreat, from the depths of the streets and alleys to the south, another, even more turbulent and surging shout of battle came like a boiling tide, rapidly approaching their location.

Li Jianyong swung his gun to deflect a slash, the impact splitting his hand. He took the opportunity to glance south.

But in that one glance, all the courage and perseverance seemed to vanish in an instant.

He understood; the South Gate... had also been breached.

The last resort has been cut off.

The situation left him no time to think; he continued to fight, brandishing his gun. But his personal guards fell one after another.

Finally, the exhausted old marshal was forced to surrender his weapon by several spears.

The sun was rising higher, but the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated.

Inside Dongguan City, embers flickered, corpses lay strewn about, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and burning.

A moment later, a squad of Dongming cavalrymen in gleaming armor escorted the two men across the ravaged street and slowly approached Li Jianyong, who was being temporarily detained.

The horseshoes struck the blood-stained flagstones with a crisp, cold sound.

The man walking in front wore a bright red brocade robe, but no armor. His face was fair, and his eyes held a smug and confident air. This man was none other than Dongfang Jiming, the Grand Commander of the Dongming Intelligence Bureau.

He turned his head to look at Murong Tai, the commander of the Eastern Ming army, who was fully armed and had a gloomy expression.

Dongfang Jiming smiled faintly, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone around him to hear clearly.

"General Murong, you should understand now whether it was your previous 'cautious' use of troops, or whether my intelligence and strategies were truly effective. If I hadn't offered a plan to break their will and then divided my troops for a surprise attack, how could this fortified city of Dongguan have changed hands overnight? Look, once this city fell, we had so many prisoners."

Murong Tai's facial muscles were tense as he glanced at the terrified prisoners of the Great Jing being herded together, especially some of the wounded Great Jing soldiers with vacant eyes.

He scoffed, his voice loud but filled with suppressed anger.

"Grand Commander of the East, you used prisoners of the Great Jing as 'vanguard' to force them to turn around and attack their own homeland. Such behavior is contrary to heaven and human ethics! Even if you win, I will feel that the victory is dishonorable and shameful! Soldiers should fight with righteousness. Such methods... Hmph!"

Dongfang Ming smiled dismissively, as if he had heard some outdated view. He raised his finger and pointed to the fluttering Black Bird Flag.

"General Murong, it's war! Why so much adherence to righteousness? Warfare is based on deception. This is a battlefield where two nations clash, not a school for you to preach benevolence and morality. The process and methods are merely paths to the result; only the result matters. Look, we are the ones standing here now, and we are the ones who captured their commander. History will only remember that Dongming captured Dongguan City of Dajing; who will care about the specific methods used?"

His gaze shifted to Li Jianyong, who was being escorted, and his tone carried a hint of mockery, "Aren't you right, Marshal Li?"

Although Li Jianyong's arms were bound, his posture remained upright.

He raised his head, his cloudy yet sharp gaze sweeping over Murong Tai, and nodded slightly, seemingly approving of what Murong Tai had just said.

Then, his gaze lingered on Dongfang Jiming's alluring face, his voice hoarse yet resolute.

"Hmph, trickery is never the way of the king. How can a temporary victory be judged by the merits and demerits of a thousand years? Although Dongguan City has fallen, the will of the people and soldiers of our Great Jing to resist the enemy has not been extinguished. Today you use such despicable means, you will surely suffer the backlash in the future! I was defeated by the decline of the nation and the exhaustion of the soldiers, not by your trickery!"

Dongfang Jiming, however, didn't seem to care. Instead, he clapped his hands and chuckled, "What a fine display of undiminished spirit! Even a defeated general has some backbone. But... I wonder if you'll still be able to maintain this backbone when you're chained up and paraded through the streets of Dongming's capital?"

As he spoke, his tone suddenly turned cold, "Take him away and keep him under strict guard! This is a precious gift we are offering to the Lord!"

The soldiers roughly shoved Li Jianyong away.

The old marshal staggered a step, but tried his best to steady himself. He looked back one last time at the blood-soaked ruins of the city, and also gave Dongfang Jiming a deep look.

The old marshal's gaze held a probing look. He seemed to have seen this Grand Commander of the East somewhere before, but for a moment, he couldn't quite place him.

The night has long since passed; now only the lingering smoke of war and the rising sun outline the ruins, a scene both tragic and desolate.

Murong Tai watched Li Jianyong's departing figure with a furrowed brow and said to Dongfang Jiming, "Grand Commander, this Li Jianyong is a renowned general of the Great Jing Dynasty. Even though he has been captured, he should be treated with courtesy. Why humiliate him?"

Dongfang Ming glanced at him sideways: "General, put away your unnecessary pity! When dealing with an enemy, especially one like this, destroying his dignity is far more valuable than killing him. This will make all the people of Jing understand that resistance is futile."

He paused, his tone softening but still carrying an undeniable air, "The city has fallen. The task of pacifying the people and pursuing the remaining enemy forces will now fall to the General. I must immediately send the news of victory back home."

Murong Tai watched Dongfang Jiming leave proudly under the protection of his guards, then looked around at the devastated battlefield, the wailing wounded soldiers, and the terrified prisoners. He felt little joy in victory, but rather a heavy heart.

While Dongfang Jiming's methods were highly efficient, they also made him feel a deep unease and disgust.

The war seems to be sliding into an even more brutal and bottomless abyss.

……

At the same time, the devastating news of the fall of Dongguan City and the capture of the marshal was being delivered by a few surviving soldiers who had fought their way out, carrying wounds and boundless grief, as they staggered toward the heart of the Great Jing Kingdom.

Wherever the news reaches, it will undoubtedly cause enormous panic and shock.

Meanwhile, in the more distant capital city of Dajing, a fragile tranquility still prevailed.

Deep within the imperial city, the young emperor may be deeply worried about the war at the front, while in the court, the ministers may still be debating whether to make peace or fight, and how to send reinforcements.

They were unaware that the situation in Dongguan had already changed.

The fall of a tattered battle flag signifies the end of a difficult era, and perhaps also foreshadows the beginning of an even bloodier one.

After crushing Dongguan, the iron hooves of the Eastern Ming Empire will continue to advance step by step toward the vulnerable heartland of the Great Jing.

A gentle morning breeze swept across the top of Dongguan City, causing the black bird flag to flutter like the triumphant roar of a beast.

Below the city, Murong Tai stood silently for a long time before finally sighing.

He solemnly ordered his deputy general: "Collect the remains of all fallen soldiers, whether ours or those of the Dajing Army... Properly resettle the people in the city, and do not kill the innocent indiscriminately."

"General, what about... the Eastern Commander?" the deputy general asked hesitantly.

"Execute military orders!" Murong Tai's tone was resolute. "We are soldiers, not butchers. Go now!"

"Yes!"

The lieutenant nodded emphatically, then accepted the order and left.

Murong Tai gazed at the horrific scene before him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Marshal Li was right; cunning is never the way to victory. This victory is indeed unsettling.

But once the wheels of war are set in motion, no one can easily stop them.

Thank you all for your votes, it's so great to have you all!