The Blood Crown - Chapter 226

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After multiple discussions, Feng Ye decided to first capture the granaries located on the mountain near Taiyuan.

They had previously made an attempt on the granaries, but that was merely to provide an opportunity for Luo Ruoxin to eliminate Wang Mei. It was just a show, and if they truly intended to capture the granaries, their current troops were far from sufficient. A direct assault would be even more unfeasible.

The granaries were situated in a strategically advantageous location, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. The path up the mountain was narrow and treacherous, with a single narrow gorge providing a formidable defense. Even if they sent more troops, they would likely be defeated in the dark canyon.

However, if they could capture the granaries, it would cut off Taiyuan’s supply lines and significantly replenish their own resources. Once they had the granaries, breaking the city would just be a matter of time.

Taiyuan was naturally aware of this, so the granaries were guarded by 20,000 troops. If they moved to attack, Taiyuan could immediately respond, blocking their retreat in the gorge, which would be akin to catching fish in a barrel.

Capturing the granaries was not necessarily easier than attacking the city itself.

Feng Ye dispatched a large number of scouts to explore the rugged mountains and spent a whole month mapping the area in detail. As expected, there were troops stationed at every checkpoint in the mountains. The only possible route up the mountain was a sheer cliff, so steep and high that even a flying monkey would find it difficult to traverse without wings.

However, if they could climb the cliff, they would directly reach the water source at the top of the mountain. If they captured the Sheng army’s water supply, the granaries would be within reach.

But that cliff was indeed intimidating.

Feng Ye said gravely, “Climbing the mountain may not be feasible, but are there any better options?”

Yan Sikong pondered, “What we can think of, Shen Hexuan can certainly think of as well. He is extremely cautious in his actions. There might be troops stationed atop the cliff, and if I were him, I would definitely do so. The granaries are so crucial, it’s not the fear of ten thousand troops but of one misstep.”

“No matter how capable he is, he can’t anticipate everything we think. Even if there are guards, there will be times when they are lax. If we choose a rainy night to climb the mountain and engage in a fierce battle, there is still a chance of success.”

Yan Sikong thought for a moment. “Currently, this indeed seems to be the only feasible method. Shen Hexuan’s biggest unknown about us is our supplies. Since we’ve made no move since the ambush in Taiyuan, he can’t be certain whether we plan to besiege the city long-term or seize an opportunity to attack. He might guess that our supplies are insufficient for a prolonged siege, though their supplies are certainly more ample, but he can’t know how much longer we can sustain.”

Feng Ye had a flash of inspiration. “What if I have my uncle transport a batch of fake supplies from Datong?”

“Good!” Yan Sikong clapped his hands. “Excellent. Datong must also have imperial spies. General Feng must make sure this is done convincingly.”

“Of course. My uncle is always meticulous in his work. Datong is not far from here, and even closer to Shanfeng Fort. Although there will be some loss in transporting the fake supplies to Shanfeng Fort, it will disrupt Shen Hexuan’s judgment of our situation.” Feng Ye sneered. “Then, we can pretend to besiege Taiyuan while actually capturing the granaries.”

Yan Sikong nodded, his gaze sharp. “We should also increase the number of troops at Shanfeng Fort. That is our supply line, and Shen Hexuan will certainly be watching it closely. However, Shanfeng Fort is also well-defended, and Taiyuan’s troops have been under our surveillance, so it should be relatively safe for now.”

“Agreed. I will send a message to my uncle right away.”

As the weather turned cooler, they not only awaited a shipment of fake supplies from Datong to Shanfeng Fort but also received significant news—Chen Mu, in alliance with Prince Ning’s heir, had repelled the imperial pacification troops.