A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Liu Wei was completely bewildered. What was going on? He knew absolutely nothing about it!

If you want to fight, can't you wait until he leaves?!

No wonder Wang Xuance looked at him so strangely back then; it turns out he had already made plans all along.

That despicable Wang Xuance! He's using him as bait to lower the guard of the Song state!

On the other side of the battlefield, Wang Xuance sneezed and looked towards the palace with a smile.

"Brother Liu, I'm sorry, but for the sake of the Tang Dynasty's reputation, I have no choice but to sacrifice you. Your sacrifice will bring about the destruction of the Song Dynasty, which is absolutely worthwhile."

"This general will definitely recommend you for merit!"

If Liu Wei, who was in the palace, could hear Wang Xuance's inner thoughts, he would definitely curse inwardly.

You let him take on such a good opportunity; your heart must be black.

Why don't you do this yourself?!

That damned Wang Xuance!

Moreover, you didn't even notify him beforehand. If you had, he might have hidden himself and avoided this undeserved misfortune.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Wang Xuance kept sneezing at the city gate.

Are you sick?

Jiang Shiren asked with concern, "Now is a critical moment in the war, Wang Xuance cannot fall ill."

"No, my nose is just a little itchy. It must be Brother Liu talking about me!"

Wang Xuance smiled and said nonchalantly.

Jiang Shiren also touched his nose, admitting that he and Wang Xuance had indeed acted somewhat immorally in this matter.

"If Brother Liu is not dead, I will treat him to a drink as an apology."

Wang Xuance said.

Count me in!

Jiang Shiren also said.

"Now that we've secured the city gates, the next step is the royal palace."

"After this period of negotiations, I have figured out several routes from the city gate to the palace."

"The nearest road is probably swarming with Imperial Guards. If we go there now, we'll definitely run into them head-on. This isn't our territory. They have the advantage of terrain and manpower, so it's not advisable to fight for a long time."

"I will lead my troops around to the palace via this road. You will lead your troops to guard the city gates and hold off the Song army's counterattack."

Wang Xuance looked at Jiang Shiren and said, "This is also a huge gamble. If Wang Xuance can capture the palace before Jiang Shiren is defeated, they will win this war."

If the Song army had assembled quickly enough, defeated Jiang Shiren, and then surrounded Wang Xuance, they would have lost the war, and the two of them would have perished here.

"Don't worry, they absolutely cannot break through."

Jiang Shiren said confidently, "Now that they have breached the city walls, how could they possibly take them back?"

"Um."

Wang Xuance nodded slightly; he also didn't think the Song state had the ability to take the city walls back from Jiang Shiren.

"Today is the day to make a name for yourself and achieve great things!"

Wang Xuance and Jiang Shiren both had burning ambition. If they could conquer the no-longer-weak Song Kingdom without using a single soldier from their own country, they would surely be appointed as generals and marquises, and even go down in history.

There might still be a sliver of a chance for them to enter the Temple of Martial Arts and be worshipped by future generations.

Even Wang Xuance found it hard to resist the temptation of such enormous benefits.

"It's a bit of a pity about Brother Liu."

Jiang Shiren sighed with emotion.

"To have made such a great contribution to the war that destroyed the country, Brother Liu must have no regrets in this life."

"If Brother Liu could know this in the afterlife, he would surely be pleased."

Wang Xuance said without batting an eye.

Jiang Shiren nodded. He agreed to the plan. Moreover, for these envoys who had traveled from afar, risking their lives for fame and fortune was absolutely worthwhile.

Sacrificing one's life for righteousness aligns with contemporary moral values.

Liu Wei was just a small merchant who risked his life to save a nation, earning a place in history and securing titles and honors for his wife and children. This was a good thing.

Liu Wei: Why didn't you tell me about this good news beforehand? You don't care, but I do! What's the use of fame and fortune if I'm dead?!

Unfortunately, Liu Wei can't hear Wang Xuance and Jiang Shiren's conversation now, and there's a high chance he won't be able to in the future either.

After the two parted ways, Wang Xuance led his troops toward the palace.

A head was hanging at the entrance of the palace. Wang Xuance looked at it and saw that it was Liu Wei's.

"Ah! Brother Liu, you died such a tragic death!"

Wang Xuance cried out in grief and indignation, "They killed my brothers and slaughtered my compatriots! This hatred is irreconcilable!"

"Whoever breaches the royal palace first will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and promoted three ranks!"

"Soldiers, follow me and fight!"

Although the numerous allied forces were not Tang people and could not empathize with each other, they could see the Song Dynasty's royal palace before them and hear about Wang Xuance's rewards: ten thousand taels of gold and a promotion of three ranks. What a temptation that was!

"kill!"

Many soldiers charged toward the palace without fear of death, while the royal guards held firm, for their king was behind them.

The battle raged until dusk, with blood flowing like a river and corpses strewn everywhere at the entrance to the palace—a truly horrific sight.

Wang Xuance was panting heavily. He had led his troops to charge in several times, but they were driven back each time.

As expected of the most elite imperial guards in the country, their strength is indeed remarkable.

Unfortunately, he was only leading a coalition of various countries, not the elite soldiers of the Tang Dynasty; otherwise, they would probably have already stormed in.

In particular, the Xuanjia Army, the most elite force of the Tang Dynasty, was invincible and could probably break through with a single charge.

If they wait until nightfall, their advantage will be gone. He must find a way to take the palace before dark.

But without external help, how easy would it be?

Just as Wang Xuance was pondering, a troop of soldiers charged toward them from afar.

Upon closer inspection, Wang Xuance realized it was Jiang Shiren.

"The Song army has been annihilated, reinforcements have arrived, soldiers, follow me and fight!"

Wang Xuance didn't know whether Jiang Shiren had won or lost, but he claimed that Jiang had won and had come to provide assistance.

If they really win, then that's a fact.

If they lose, they can use this last bit of energy to try again. If they succeed, they can turn defeat into victory. If they fail, they can join forces with Jiang Shiren to break through the encirclement and escape from Songjing.

Upon hearing that reinforcements had arrived, the morale of the city's defenders plummeted, while the morale of the allied forces led by Wang Xuance continued to rise. Wang Xuance once again drew his Tang sword and charged towards the city wall at the forefront.

Both sides fought fiercely for a whole day and were already exhausted. However, one side received reinforcements, which boosted their morale, while the other side knew that the enemy had added fresh troops and began to retreat.

With the rise and fall of the city, Wang Xuance finally led his troops to capture the capital.

After the city fell, apart from a few loyal followers of Song Zhong, the other soldiers scattered and fled. Some even looted the palace, leaving it in chaos.

"The palace has fallen; those who surrender will not be killed!"

Wang Xuance raised the Tang Dynasty's military flag high and shouted loudly to those around him.