The Blood Crown - Chapter 217

Feng Changyue was secretly redeploying 20,000 troops from Datong. To avoid arousing suspicion, they only carried provisions and moved lightly, traveling by day and resting by night. This way, they would quickly merge with the rest of their forces.

Feng Changyue also wanted to send Nade Khan’s daughter along, but Feng Ye had always strictly prohibited women in the camp. He deferred the matter, suggesting they address it after taking Yan Prefecture or Taiyuan.

Yuan Nanyu was waiting for the right moment to capture the small cities of Pingliang and Fengxiang. He had already sent spies to bribe officials and sow discord, spreading rumors that the enemy was seeking to surrender, hoping to capture the two cities without a fight.

The Wolf King’s camp appeared unusually calm. For three months, aside from farming and military drills, they had done nothing else, giving the impression of preparing for a long-term campaign. In reality, this was meant to deceive the enemy, relaxing their vigilance and showing that the army had ample provisions.

However, there was an exception. General Cao Yu, who had been punished with a whip for rashly requesting to fight, had recently been acting out again. Naturally combative, he was frustrated by the enemy being so close yet not engaging in battle. He often led his troops to the gates of Taiyuan to provoke and insult. Cao Yu, once a mountain bandit before being recruited by Feng Ye, spoke in coarse and vulgar terms, making someone like Luo Ruoxin, a noble young master, seethe with anger. Despite this, Cao Yu was not an ordinary person. Though he was angry, he was still unperturbed and resolute not to fight.

When Cao Yu returned, Feng Ye was furious. Everyone knew that the commander-in-chief most abhorred those who disobeyed orders, and such insubordination would be punished severely. It was said that Feng Ye was so enraged that he nearly had Cao Yu devoured by his one-eyed wolf, Feng Hun. Fortunately, the other generals interceded, and Feng Ye only punished Cao Yu with a military cane and demoted him three ranks, making him a mere hundred-man commander.

As a result, no one dared to speak of battle anymore.

When Feng Ye punished Cao Yu, Yan Sikong was nearby. When Feng Ye called out “Hun’er,” Feng Hun’s fur stood on end, its body hunched forward, and its fangs bared, with a fierce, cold light in its single eye. Even Yan Sikong, who was very familiar with it, could not help but feel a twinge of fear. The soldiers present were all tense, fearing they might witness a bloody scene of the wolf eating a person.

Previously, Feng Ye had kept Feng Hun hidden. Although many people knew of it, it was rarely seen to avoid scaring others. Since Yan Sikong suggested that Feng Ye put light armor on Feng Hun and keep it by his side, it had become much freer, and Feng Ye’s reputation in the army had grown even more fearsome. Rumors about him had become increasingly sinister, with some saying Feng Ye was a wolf transformed, which explained his fierce battle prowess.

Back in the tent, Yan Sikong patted Feng Hun’s head and asked, “Hun’er, did you really scare people just now? Have you ever eaten a person?”

“Have bitten people,” Feng Ye replied. “But I don’t let it eat human flesh.”

Feng Hun, who followed Feng Ye day and night, sometimes seemed like a guard dog to Yan Sikong. He momentarily forgot its impressive stature as a wolf king, and today it reminded him of their first meeting with Feng Hun, and inevitably, thoughts of Feng Ye at that time surfaced as well.

Yan Sikong cast aside his extra thoughts. “This ploy of yours, will Luo Ruoxin fall for it?”

“Cao Yu is reckless by nature but not foolish. When the time is right, as long as Luo Ruoxin has the desire to win, he should take the bait.”

Feng Hun bit Yan Sikong’s arm gently and shook it. As Yan Sikong played with it, he said, “Actually, to make Luo Ruoxin believe it, especially to make any potential spies in the camp believe it, we should add another trick.”

“Oh?”

“Go hunt a male wolf from the mountains, disguise it to look like Hun’er, and on the night of the attack, have Cao Yu present its head to Luo Ruoxin. He killed the wolf king’s wolf in his rage and defected to the court. Doesn’t that sound more convincing?”

Feng Ye nodded. “Feasible.” He sat down next to Feng Hun, rubbing its thick fur. “However, a common wolf can’t match the majesty of Hun’er.”

“Fortunately, they haven’t seen Hun’er’s majesty.”

Feng Hun didn’t understand what they were talking about but seemed very pleased lying between them, half-closing its eyes as if about to fall asleep.

Yan Sikong patted its ears and smiled. “Hun’er, you’d better hide well when the time comes.”

Feng Ye secretly prepared for battle, doing so in a way that was both discreet and occasionally revealing hints of his intentions. For example, he used the cover of night to gather stones from the mountains, tested newly arrived cannons, set up additional tents in the camp, and had the sounds of weapon forging continuously echoing within them. The soldiers’ farming time was reduced, while their training time significantly increased. All of these actions were meant to be observed by scouts or spies.

After some time, the 20,000 troops dispatched from Datong had already split up and taken position in the mountains and forests, lying in wait. Everything was ready.

On a quiet night, Feng Ye suddenly issued the order to attack Yan Prefecture at night.

The soldiers were well-prepared, quickly assembling and setting off in a grand procession.

Since Feng Ye had previously attacked Maoren and the distance to Yan Prefecture was about a night’s quick march, the night raid didn’t seem unexpected. After the army left in an orderly fashion, Cao Yu also sneaked out of the camp with a bloody cloth bag and headed straight for Taiyuan.

Feng Ye actually took only 50,000 men, but the provisions and supplies he carried were enough for 70,000 to 80,000 men. Scouts who assessed the situation would judge the number of troops based on these supplies. Additionally, with the moon obscured and stars sparse, 50,000 men would be enough to create confusion. Feng Ye was confident that they wouldn’t be able to determine the true number of troops.

The remaining 40,000 men, combined with the 20,000 from Datong, were hidden in the main camp and nearby mountains, waiting for the Taiyuan forces to walk into the trap.

As long as Luo Ruoxin believed Cao Yu’s report and thought that Feng Ye had taken his army to attack Yan Prefecture, leaving the main camp defenseless, then tonight would become the first battle of Feng Ye’s assault on Taiyuan.

Feng Ye deliberately kept the marching speed neither too fast nor too slow. Yan Sikong followed closely by his side, feeling a bit anxious. There is no perfect plan in this world; no matter how meticulous their calculations, it was impossible to anticipate every possibility. If Cao Yu’s deception was discovered, or if Luo Ruoxin didn’t take the bait, they would find themselves in a precarious situation.

However, without risks, there are no benefits. They could not remain hesitating forever. Tonight would be a crucial battle!

By the middle of their journey, after the hour of Yin had passed, a signal fire suddenly blazed on the distant Chongxia Mountains. Although the fire was small due to the distance, it was sufficiently bright in the darkness.

The first soldier to spot the signal fire cried out in alarm, and the shouting quickly spread throughout the army. To prevent leaks, at least half of the soldiers were unaware of the situation. The signal fire was a sign that the camp was under attack, and naturally, they were terrified.

The commanders loudly restrained the commotion. Wang Shen, excited, said to Feng Ye, “Wolf King, Luo Ruoxin has indeed fallen into the trap!”

Yan Sikong was overjoyed, his hand gripping the reins trembling.

Wang Shen shouted, “All troops, don’t panic! The enemy has been deceived!”

This was quickly spread throughout the army.

Feng Ye’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit as he declared, “Wang Shen!”

“At your command!”

“You, along with Liu Cong, Yuan Shaoxu, and Zhao Zhiyi, lead 30,000 men to Yan Prefecture. Unless I give the order, just encircle and don’t engage in battle!”

“Understood!”

“Zhang Rong and Qian Cunxi, you two lead 10,000 men to rapidly return to the main camp!”

“Understood!”

“Bu Qing, bring the remaining troops with me to ambush the fleeing soldiers from Taiyuan!”

“Understood!”

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong and was about to speak, but Yan Sikong said, “I’ll come with you.”

A flicker of a smile crossed Feng Ye’s eyes, but his expression remained calm, neither pleased nor angry. “Of course, you should come with me.” Ambushing fleeing soldiers was relatively safe, and he would always keep Yan Sikong in the safest place.

Generals Zhang Rong and Qian Cunxi swiftly led their troops westward, while Feng Ye, with 10,000 soldiers, marched ambitiously towards Taiyuan.

The plan to go to bed early had failed for the nth time, feeling exhausted. (End of Chapter)