Chapter 421
Chapter 421
On the fifth day since the battle began, Wu Mu's grand army had suffered heavy losses, with casualties reaching seven thousand. However, the Jin Clan's casualties likely numbered around two thousand as well. This battle was different from the one at White Night Commandery. Unlike White Night Commandery, the fortress walls of Raging Tide City were far sturdier, making them easier to defend and harder to breach. But unlike Zhang Chong, who could continuously recruit new soldiers from within White Night Commandery, Raging Tide City had no such pool of recruits. For the Jin Clan, every soldier lost was a permanent reduction in their fighting strength.
Wu Mu was extremely exhausted, but inwardly, he was confident he would take Raging Tide City. There was no fortress in the world that could not be taken, and even Raging Tide City, as tough as a tortoise shell, was no exception. Besides, a person's stamina was not infinite; eventually, it would reach its limit. The Jin Clan's defending army would be no different. That was why the Wu army was employing a war of attrition, sending in fresh waves of troops to attack in rotation. But the smaller Jin defending force could not do the same; they had to defend the city from morning till night. The moment the defenders, who were not made of iron, could no longer hold on would be the moment the fortress fell.
Wu Mu wore down the Jin Clan's army with his relentless wave attacks, assaulting Raging Tide City nonstop from dawn till dusk each day. Under Wu Mu's fierce offensive, the Jin Clan's defenders were utterly exhausted, staggering atop the fortress walls as if they might fall at any moment. Though Wu Mu was still young and leading a large army into battle for the first time, he was undoubtedly a commander with formidable leadership. He was conducting this battle flawlessly.
* * *
Rumble.
The army of Wu relentlessly attacked the main fortress of Raging Tide City. Commander Wu Mu ate a hasty meal and, for a rare moment, used the remaining time to drink a cup of tea.
“For five straight days, she hasn't slept, remaining constantly on the battlefield. Jin Mulan is truly remarkable. To think a mere woman could hold out this long.”
Wu You, looking utterly haggard and distracted, pretended not to hear him.
“Why hasn't Jin Shiying made his move yet? Could he have deceived me?”
Her voice even trembled.
“No. He probably hasn't had the chance. Jin Mulan hasn't rested for a moment and holds the city's military authority in a tight grip. As her top general, Jin Shiying is always by her side in battle, so he would have had no opportunity.”
“Is that really it?”
“I firmly believe Jin Shiying will betray them. So, we must create an opportunity for him—a chance for him to open the fortress gates so we can break through without having to assault the walls.”
“How do we create an opportunity?”
“We've been attacking the fortress relentlessly for days and nights, so Jin Mulan hasn't rested at all. Even if she's an iron woman with superior martial arts, she can't keep this up forever. So, what we'll do is suddenly halt our attack one night, as if we can't push any further. When that happens, Jin Mulan will surely use that precious time to rest. And when she rests, command of the army will naturally fall to the second-in-command within the fortress, Jin Shiying. That will be his chance to open the gates and let us in with ease!”
Wu You caressed her belly and said,
“He has to. He must! If not for me, then for the child in my womb, he will do it!”
* * *
After that, Wu Mu's army attacked the city with even greater frenzy. They paid no heed to day or night, nor to the number of casualties. After another two days and nights of this assault, both armies were on the verge of collapse. Even with rotational attacks, the besieging side consumed far more stamina and supplies, so Wu Mu's army had also reached its limit. The Jin Clan's army inside the fortress was even more exhausted, looking as if they could collapse at any moment. Having defended the battlefield for seven consecutive days, Mulan's eyes were sunken and bloodshot, a sight painful enough to break one's heart.
And so, on the night of the eighth day of the battle, Wu Mu declared a temporary halt, sounding the gong to end the fighting and recall his troops. Upon hearing the sound, both armies, inside and outside the fortress, simultaneously went limp, slumping to the ground, unable to even lift the weapons in their hands. But even then, Jin Mulan, still uneasy, remained at her post on the city wall for four more hours. However, after confirming that the Wu army outside the walls was sound asleep, she too could finally hold on no longer and decided to rest.
“Jin Shiying, I'm entrusting the defense to you. I'm going to get some sleep.”
“Rest assured. I will take full responsibility!”
After entrusting him with the duty, Jin Mulan left the wall to sleep, and in an instant, the defense of the entire fortress fell into Jin Shiying's hands. Six thousand of Wu Mu's elite soldiers had not participated in the battle at all. They had been conserving their strength, ready to unleash their full combat power like fierce tigers bursting from a cage when the time came. As Wu Mu's greatest fighting force, they were lying in wait inside the barracks, silently preparing for battle. If Wu Mu's predictions were correct, late this night, when everyone was sound asleep, Jin Shiying would open the fortress gates.
Wu You spoke in a trembling voice.
“Grand Marshal, will Jin Shiying open the fortress gates? Will he really betray the Jin Clan?”
Before Wu Mu could even answer, Wu You continued to mutter to herself.
“He has to. He would never abandon me and our child. He'll make the right choice. What I'm offering him is a promising future, a family. No one wants to live their whole life as another family's slave. He will open the gates. He will not disappoint me.”
Wu Mu sighed.
*'Emotion truly is a double-edged sword. It can harm others, and it can harm oneself.'*
Wu Mu patted his cousin's shoulder and said,
“Don't worry. Jin Shiying is a smart man; he won't disappoint you!”
Just then, an officer beside him reported with excitement.
“Grand Marshal, the fortress gates are open! They're open!”
His voice was trembling. It had been a truly difficult journey. The gates of the impregnable fortress were finally open. Commander Wu Mu looked to the sky, let out a long breath, and trembled all over with emotion.
*'Jin Shiying, you truly did not disappoint me! I've finally succeeded! I will capture Raging Tide City and achieve immortal merit. Your Majesty, your servant is about to succeed!'*
Wu Mu said,
“Now is the time to earn our merit. Enter the fortress and take Raging Tide City!”
At Wu Mu's command, the six thousand elite soldiers who had been conserving their strength charged into the main fortress of Raging Tide City like a black tide.
*'This is the moment to achieve greatness! The Jin Clan's army will be annihilated!'*
The person who opened the gates of the Raging Tide City Lord's fortress was none other than Jin Shiying himself. The adopted son of Count Jin Zhuo and the nominal Lord of Raging Tide City. As the elite soldiers of Wu poured into the fortress like a wave, Jin Shiying also trembled with excitement.
“My Lord, Young Master Shen Lang, I will never disappoint you! Now is the moment to crush the Wu army!”
There is no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world. When the rewards for loyalty are less than those for betrayal, almost no one can remain loyal. There may be no absolute loyalty, but the reason most people do not betray is that the conditions for betrayal have not been met. These conditions are not merely about money or power; they can also be about life and emotions. Jin Shiying was no exception.
He was certainly loyal to the Jin Clan and had never even considered betrayal. So, would he truly be willing to die for the Jin Clan? Perhaps. Because the Jin Clan was the home he had lived in since childhood, the only place he could rely on in his heart. But let's assume he was offered a new home, a woman who loved him deeply, a promising future, and even his own child. In that situation, would he still be willing to die for the Jin Clan? Not necessarily. Therefore, the scheme Wu Mu designed for Jin Shiying was one that would absolutely stir his heart—a potent strategy. Had they not prepared for it in advance, that is.
Shen Lang's specialty was thinking about problems from the enemy's perspective. So he often thought: If I were the Crown Prince, how would I eliminate the Jin Clan? If I were from Wu, how would I destroy the Jin Clan and seize Raging Tide City? If I were the Third Prince, how would I destroy the Jin Clan and seize Raging Tide City? After considering it from various perspectives, all answers pointed to one person: the nominal Lord of Raging Tide City, Jin Shiying.
With Shen Lang gone from Raging Tide City, Jin Shiying was the second-in-command of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate and Raging Tide City. However, his current status did not match the power he held at all. Jin Shiying was the top general leading the private army of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, but he had no true official rank granted by the court. In a way, he was no different from a slave of the Jin Clan. King Ning Yuanxian of Yue had appointed him as the Lord of Raging Tide City, but the title was purely nominal. Everyone knew the gap between the title and the actual power he wielded. Therefore, any enemy seeking to eliminate the Jin Clan and seize Raging Tide City would inevitably focus on Jin Shiying, seeing him as the biggest weakness and the most significant opening to exploit.
So, what kind of scheme would be most effective against someone like Jin Shiying? Money? Impossible. He had been raised by Count Jin Zhuo since childhood and had very upright values, so he had little desire for money. Official rank and authority? Such things don't stir much emotion until they are in hand, and a mere promise of a position wouldn't be enough to decisively move his heart. At least, that alone wouldn't make Jin Shiying betray the Jin Clan. Then it had to be a woman, emotions, a home, and a family!
Jin Shiying had been in unrequited love with Jin Mulan until he turned thirty, so he had remained unmarried, having never been with a woman in his life. In the end, Mulan married Shen Lang, leaving him heartbroken. How does one heal a broken heart? With a new love, of course. If a man who had never been in a relationship at his age were to fall in love, it would be utterly consuming. He would be willing to pour everything he had into it for his partner. Therefore, if Shen Lang were trying to break through Jin Shiying's defenses, he would definitely use a honey trap—one that would prey on Jin Shiying's genuine emotions.
If the enemy were clever enough, they too would use a honey trap, just as he had thought. This wasn't so much a case of Shen Lang and the enemy thinking alike, but rather that such a method was simply the most effective. So, how to prepare for it? First, vaccinate Jin Shiying. He had to be made wary, so he wouldn't unwittingly fall into the enemy's emotional trap. Simply warning him not to fall for the enemy's honey trap wasn't enough; practice runs were needed. So, before he met Wu You, Jin Shiying had already fallen for two honey traps.
Two beauties of completely different types had approached him consecutively, using all sorts of methods to try and make him a prisoner of love. The honey traps set by the two beauties were very tempting, but not well-executed, and were eventually exposed. Furthermore, once exposed, the women became incredibly cold, unsightly, and blatant.
Shen Lang wasn't certain if a honey trap would be used against Jin Shiying, but he believed that an active offense was better than an impenetrable defense. For example, the common cold is a disease that cannot be completely cured and is unavoidable for anyone who goes outside every day. So, if you make someone catch a cold a couple of times first, by the time the third cold comes around, they might have developed antibodies. Thus, after experiencing the temptation and subsequent humiliation of two honey traps, Jin Shiying's heart had become much stronger than before. He had developed sufficient wariness to be suspicious of every woman who appeared before him.