Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

But what they didn't know was that Jia Yi had already emptied the city of its inhabitants several days earlier.

Now, apart from the remnants of soldiers and broken armor, even the mice in the entire city are probably starving.

"Ugh—!!!"

The bugle call ripped through the sky, and the charge began once more!

This time, the Later Jin soldiers, with smiles on their faces, charged straight at the city walls, stepping over mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"They're here!"

Xiong Ke suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting sharply.

The enemy troops, densely packed like ants, surged forward, their armor rumbling and their war drums deafening.

"Brothers!" he roared, drawing his sword and charging up the city wall. "Let's fight these sons of bitches!!!"

With the general personally taking the lead, morale exploded!

The surviving Daqian soldiers roared in anger, grabbed broken blades and spears, and fought fiercely with the enemies who had climbed the wall.

The blade flashed, blood mist rose, limbs flew, and cries of agony filled the air.

"Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well take someone down with me!"

A young soldier, pierced through the back by a spear, suddenly sprang up, grabbed the Jin commander who had just scaled the wall, and leaped into the air—

"Bang!!!"

The two corpses crashed heavily to the ground, their brains splattered, and blood stained the scorched earth.

The Eight Banner soldiers below the city were stunned, their pupils dilating violently.

This is the same Daqian army that used to be so terrified of cavalry that they would wet their pants at the sight of them.

Is this the same southern barbarian who flees at the mere sound of a voice and collapses at the sight of a flag?

Immediately afterwards, more of the critically wounded and dying defenders stood up.

Some leaned on their swords with one hand, some dragged themselves by their broken legs, and some, their faces covered in blood, grinned as they pounced on the next enemy climbing the city walls.

Each of them grabbed one and jumped off the city wall together!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each fall felt like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the Later Jin soldiers.

"This...this guy is even human?"

Standing on the high platform, Nurhaci looked at the figures resolutely facing their deaths, his spine turned cold, and cold sweat poured down his face.

If every city in the Great Qian Dynasty had soldiers like this...

If every general were willing to fight to the death like this...

Let alone 100,000, even a million troops wouldn't be able to set foot in Liaodong!

Fortunately... this is just an exception.

"Pass on my order!" His voice suddenly rose, almost a roar, "Kill! Leave no one alive! The people of this city are all unforgivable!!!"

The killings continued atop the city walls.

"Pfft!"

Xiong Ke cleaved an enemy soldier in two with a single blow, still catching his breath, and looked around—

All his comrades fell, their corpses littering the field.

The number of Daqian soldiers standing on the entire city wall could be counted on one hand.

He staggered, leaning against the broken wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and let out a bitter laugh:

"Cough... I, Xiong Ke, have lived a cowardly life, always currying favor with the powerful, kneeling before heaven, earth, and my superiors..."

"I never thought I'd be able to be a hero before I die."

Even if... it was because Jia Yi forced her to do it.

It was worth it...

Just as Xiong Ke was about to say a few more words,

A long spear, gleaming with a chilling light, pierced through the air and plunged into his chest, causing blood to splatter and pinning him to the ruins.

"Charge—!"

The city wall of Jin County collapsed with a roar!

The Later Jin cavalry surged into the city like a black tide bursting its banks, their hooves shattering the morning mist and splashing blood and mud everywhere.

They came to claim a share of the victory feast.

But after searching the streets and alleys, the smile gradually froze—

The entire city was deathly silent, like a graveyard.

No one survived, nothing was left behind. Even an iron pot was scraped away.

Upon hearing the battle report, Nurhaci's face darkened like iron, and he personally went to Jin County.

With his feet on scorched earth and ashes, and his gaze sweeping across the empty streets, his heart suddenly clenched, and he almost vomited blood!

What was gained at the cost of tens of thousands of lives was just an empty shell, completely hollowed out?!

The soldiers around them fell silent, none daring to look directly into those eyes burning with fury.

"Disgrace! Utter disgrace!" He gritted his teeth, his voice forced out like a wild beast's growl, "Go! Dig up the corpse of Jia Yi, the one who killed Dai Shan! I want to whip his body three hundred times to appease my son's soul!"

"yes!"

The crowd immediately began digging up the city walls and the ground, searching high and low to find the corpse.

They searched the entire city, but found neither the living nor the dead.

The air suddenly turned cold.

Someone's heart skipped a beat—

Could it be... that Jia Yi didn't die at all?

Just as suspicions were building, a scout rushed over, knelt down, and urgently reported:

"Master! A large enemy force has been spotted thirty miles away! It's all Great Qian troops, about 100,000 strong, and they're rapidly approaching!"

Before he finished speaking, Nurhaci's pupils contracted, and a surge of murderous intent rose within him.

To fight or to retreat?

The revenge for Daishan remains unavenged, yet all the wealth of Liaodong has been transferred away... Is it worth risking everything for this ruined city?

He was about to order a full retreat when he suddenly heard a clear, melodious voice:

"Father, wait!"

Dorgon strode out, carrying a blood-soaked Daqian soldier in his hand.

"Your son has captured this man and interrogated him thoroughly—Jia Yi led his troops to retreat several days ago and has already withdrawn to Shanhaiguan!"

After saying that, he knelt down with a thud.

The generals followed closely behind, all prostrating themselves on the ground to beg for forgiveness.

"What?"

Nurhaci's eyes widened, bloodshot, as if he had gone mad.

So all that I risked my life to conquer this ruined city was just to guard someone else's tomb?

We haven't even seen a shadow of our enemy?

"Report—!" Another scout came rushing in, his voice like thunder: "We've found out! It's Niu Jizong's 120,000 elite troops from the Beijing Garrison, plus Jia Yi's 20,000 loyal and brave soldiers!"

Upon hearing the name "Jia Yi," Nurhaci's eyes flashed with fierceness, and his previous intention to retreat vanished instantly!

"Issue the order—" he commanded coldly, each word like a knife carving stone, "The entire army will enter the city to rest for the night, and leave tomorrow morning to annihilate the Great Qian rebel army in one fell swoop!"

At the same time, the Daqian army had also halted their troops in front of the battle lines.

The scout knelt and reported: "General, Jin County has fallen. The defending general, Xiong Ke, was killed in battle, and none of the soldiers in the city survived. The main force of the Later Jin has now entered the city."

Jia Yi, sitting in the tent, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

I thought that coward Xiong Ke would just kneel down and surrender, but I didn't expect him to have the guts to fight to the last moment.

If Xiong Ke's spirit could hear this, it would probably jump out of its grave and strangle him.

Do you think I'm not afraid of death? If you, Jia Yi, hadn't driven me to the brink, who the hell would want to be a hero?

"Order the army to set up camp where it is and fight again tomorrow," Niu Jizong said in a deep voice.

After days of marching, the soldiers were exhausted; engaging in battle at this time would be tantamount to suicide.

Jia Yi got up, stretched, and prepared to find a corner to take a nap and recharge.

Over there, Niu Jizong and his generals had been working on tactics all night under the lamp, flipping through sand tables and crossing command flags.

He gazed into the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Indeed, playing dumb is the number one secret to survival in chaotic times.

Wang Ziteng leaned back lazily in his chair, looking completely indifferent.

Tomorrow, all I need to do is follow Jia Yi around with my personal guards.

If they win, they grab the credit; if they lose, they turn around and run away, since Jia Yi, the "cannon fodder vanguard," is always there to take the fall for them.

A sure-fire way to make money.

Silent all night.

As dawn broke, bugles ripped through the sky.

On the desolate plains, two armies faced each other, banners fluttering and killing intent soaring into the sky.

"Hmph, these stupid Daqian soldiers dare to engage in field battles with our army?"

A Jurchen centurion grinned maliciously, raising his blood-stained scimitar. "I'll cut off ten heads and hang them on my waist later!"