Take Cloudridge City into Our Possession

About five li outside Yunji City.

Deep in the dense forest, eight hundred elite soldiers were fully armed and ready to move out.

Hidden in this place, they waited for the sound of the whistling arrow, upon which they would shoot forward as swiftly as arrows released from a bowstring.

Given this short distance and the fact that their vanguard was equipped with warhorses, it would only take the time to drink a cup of tea to reach the walls of Yunji City and initiate combat.

They were just waiting for the signal!

These eight hundred men were already quite familiar with such deployments and battles. Several guerrilla generals among them routinely fought against small bands of infiltrating barbarian forces, making them veterans of a hundred battles.

Yet at this moment, they were all sweating with nervousness like mere novices.

Sun Xiang, in particular, muttered repeatedly.

"The Great General has been gone for a long time. Will he be alright?"

"Why hasn't the signal come yet? Didn't he say he would send the signal once he tricked them into opening the city gates? Why is there no movement at all?"

"Please let nothing happen to the Great General. If something happens to him, we will become a plate of loose sand."

...

Seeing him like this, the guerrilla general beside him, Zhang Shi, sneered, "Hmph, this is all your fault. If you had let me perform a divination, would we have so much to worry about right now?"

Sun Xiang immediately rolled his eyes at him.

He thought to himself, Could I really let you steal the top credit?

I have always maintained such a good relationship with the Great General. At a critical moment like this, the top credit must belong to me.

Divination? Dream on!

Just then, they suddenly sensed movement ahead. Because the dark night was devoid of light, they could not see very clearly. However, having fought night battles for years, their nocturnal perception far exceeded that of ordinary people.

They were completely able to determine that it was a single rider galloping wildly on a horse.

"Why did someone come out?"

The guerrilla generals were instantly alarmed.

Ren Tianye was still at the walls of Yunji City, yet someone had come out from the city. No matter how they thought about it, this situation felt wrong.

They all rested their hands on their blades, ready to strike at any moment.

However, someone with sharp eyes recognized the rider.

"Why do I feel like that's Zhan Shubai?"

"Yes, yes, yes, it looks like him to me too. I met him once and can recognize his build. But why did this guy come out?"

"I also think it's Zhan Shubai, but this isn't right. Doesn't Zhan Shubai value Yunji City extremely highly? He's always either training soldiers or repairing the city walls, holding Yunji City at the very tip of his heart. Now, with a great battle about to begin, why did he run away?"

"Strange, truly strange. On the eve of a major battle, Zhan Shubai abandoned Yunji City, the flesh of his heart. What the hell?"

"It's too bizarre. As far as I know, Zhan Shubai was ordered by the Female Emperor to guard Yunji City. It seemed to be an assessment from the Female Emperor. What? Is the assessment complete?"

...

The guerrilla generals could not wrap their heads around it.

Everyone in the Northern Frontier knew how much Zhan Shubai valued Yunji City; to say he treated it as his very lifeblood would not be an exaggeration at all.

Yet at a time like this, he ran away?

Was this freaking normal?

Nevertheless, Zhan Shubai running away like this actually eased their minds a bit. After all, it was a good signal for them.

Since the defending general of Yunji City had fled, Ren Tianye shouldn't be in any major trouble. Therefore, they continued to follow the military orders Ren Tianye had issued before leaving and stayed where they were.

They waited for the better part of an hour.

Until Lieutenant Wang Ming came over with a few men, holding torches.

"How is it? How is it?"

"Where is the Great General? Were the city gates tricked open?"

"We saw what looked like Zhan Shubai running away. Has the situation changed?"

Wang Ming still had a somewhat bewildered expression on his face, clearly not having fully recovered from the scene just now.

After being surrounded by the crowd, he finally said, "I know you might not believe me when I say this."

"But it is true."

"Yunji City has been taken by the Great General without a single drop of blood being shed!"

Instantly, a chorus of gasps erupted.

Wang Ming still looked as if he were in a dream, but his eyes held a bit more devout admiration. "The Great General is no ordinary man; he is the true Son of Heaven!"

The crowd quickly continued to ask questions, figuring out the process. Then, they looked at each other, all of them wearing dumbfounded expressions.

Yunji City, an impregnable fortress with abundant military supplies, defended by Zhan Shubai as solidly as a stronghold of metal and boiling water, like an uncrossable chasm... was it really just acquired like this?

Wasn't that too easy?!

And that Zhan Shubai, who had always enjoyed an excellent reputation in the Northern Frontier army... was his head full of water?

Someone couldn't help but start teasing, "Hey, the Female Emperor entrusted Yunji City to Zhan Shubai, but Zhan Shubai lost it. I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing what expression Zhan Shubai will have once he realizes what happened."

"Hahaha, I want to see that too, but what I want to see even more is how Zhan Shubai is going to explain this to the Female Emperor when he runs back to the capital."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, he'll definitely have to admit that he's a Weakling first, and then say that a Weakling couldn't hold Yunji City!"

"Hahaha, Zhan Shubai's situation is like taking first place in the military competition year after year, only to fail when the barbarians invade."

"What do you mean fail? That's a zero! A Weakling bringing a zero to see the Female Emperor!"

...

The crowd mocked him mercilessly.

Lieutenant Wang Ming interrupted, "The Great General has another order..."

"Send men to kill Zhan Shubai."

The guerrilla generals immediately accepted the order. Sun Xiang went to arrange the men. Being clear-headed, Sun Xiang directly dispatched ten expert archers and gave them detailed instructions.

"This Zhan Shubai possesses extraordinary martial skills. You must not get close to him. Just harass him from a distance and look for an opportunity to kill him in a single strike."

After making the arrangements, he led the eight hundred brothers surging into Yunji City. Several guerrilla generals rushed together to the General's Manor.

There, they saw Ren Tianye with his right hand resting behind his back, listening to the report of the Yunji City defenders: "There are a total of seven thousand soldiers in the city. The rosters are all here. Please review them, Lord Imperial Envoy."

Seven thousand soldiers!

Hearing this number, Ren Tianye felt both joy and worry.

The joy was that this move had expanded his forces tenfold. From having only eight hundred men, a bandit-like force that only dared to engage in mobile warfare, he now possessed nearly ten thousand men, allowing him to finally make a bold stand.

The worry was...

These seven thousand troops did not yet belong to him.

These seven thousand men were different from the eight hundred men currently under his command.

The eight hundred men under his command all had deep affection for the Chifeng Army. Like him, they faced the crisis of potentially being slaughtered by the Female Emperor, so they had no choice but to rebel.

The idea of rebellion had already deeply rooted itself in their hearts.

They were completely at his disposal.

But these seven thousand men were alienated from him in heart and mind.

He could mobilize and control them under the guise of an Imperial Envoy, but if he dared to shout a slogan like "purge the emperor's corrupt advisors," it might trigger a mutiny on the spot.

Then, blades would immediately be placed at his neck.

They would use his head to exchange for overwhelming wealth and status.

However...

After all, they were nominally under his command now. He still had many methods to force these seven thousand soldiers into his camp.

It was much better than fighting them head-on!

After thinking for a moment, he did not hesitate. He first gave some instructions to guerrilla generals like Sun Xiang and Zhang Shi. Immediately after, he had someone summon the high-ranking officers of Yunji City.

The men quickly assembled.

Their speed was even faster than Ren Tianye had anticipated.

Ren Tianye sat high upon the general's chair and said in a cold voice, "You must already be aware of the great fire outside Shanhe City. Even if you don't know the details, you should have noticed the anomaly."

"I, the Imperial Envoy, will not hide the truth from you."

"That is the burial ground of the seventy thousand soldiers of the Chifeng Army."

"The elite of the Great Yu, the seventy thousand-strong Chifeng Army, is gone!"

Ignoring the sudden uproar of panic and chaos that erupted at the scene, Ren Tianye's voice rang out like a great bell as he continued, "With the total annihilation of the Chiyan Army, the border is bound to fall into turmoil."

"In such times of crisis, harsh measures must be implemented."

"I, the Imperial Envoy, have several orders. All of you, listen closely."

The people of Yunji City did not know the specific details regarding the Chifeng Army. However, given the large number of merchants and travelers in the city, many rumors had been circulating over the past two days, only to be heavily suppressed by Zhan Shubai.

Now that the Imperial Envoy, Ren Tianye, had arrived so suddenly and revealed such shocking news, they subconsciously felt that everything made perfect sense. Daring not to make the slightest mistake, they all knelt to receive his commands.

"First, seal the city gates and cut off all communications. Starting today, Yunji City will only allow entry; no one is permitted to leave!"

"Second, I shall establish a disciplinary squad. Bearing His Majesty's token, they will patrol the city day and night. Anyone found harboring treasonous intent will be executed on the spot without pardon!"

"Third, Yunji City is to enter a state of war immediately. All military equipment, rations, and fodder will be centrally allocated. Anyone, be it a common soldier or a general, must present my official writ and ration vouchers to receive their provisions, wages, and weapons."

Ren Tianye's orders grew increasingly strict, even draconian.

His true objective was nothing more than sealing the city, using his eight hundred men as overseers, and simultaneously seizing tight control over the economic lifelines of these soldiers.

In doing so, he would soon be able to take complete control of these seven thousand men.

Of course, in addition to these harsh decrees, there was one final, absolutely crucial order.

Ren Tianye smiled faintly, knowing exactly what to say next: "Lastly, the wages of all soldiers and generals within Yunji City shall be doubled!"

...