After sitting down, his hands were still trembling slightly, a deep fear in his heart.
The former Emperor handed him the flourishing Jin Xia.
If Jin Xia were to fall under his watch.
He would be the guilty one of the entire Tuoba Clan.
No amount of deaths could atone for his sin.
Sweat appeared on Tuoba Hui’s forehead, caused by massive mental pressure.
"Great Khan, the Queen has arrived."
At this moment, a eunuch quickly came to him, respectfully saying.
Tuoba Hui forced a smile and gathered his energy; he didn’t want Wanyan Ya to see him in his current state.
"Great Khan, I prepared your favorite spicy beef."
Soon, a woman in a bright red brocade robe walked in quickly, wearing a smile on her face.
The brocade robe was crafted luxuriously and exquisitely, perfectly outlining the beauty of the woman’s curves. Under the robe were long slender legs that sparked a hot impulse within.
Her entire being exuded enchanting allure, and she placed the food box next to Tuoba Hui. Her long and narrow peach blossom eyes gazed at him, tenderly saying, "Great Khan, what’s wrong? You look so unwell."
Her voice was like a cat’s paw scratching, and for men, she was a creature stirring inner desire, hard to resist.
But at this moment, Tuoba Hui felt no interest whatsoever.
"Er Ya, you’ve seen right through me." Seeing he couldn’t hide from Wanyan Ya, Tuoba Hui sighed, saying, "General Xia Ji... has died in battle."
"What!"
Wanyan Ya’s expression changed, greatly shocked, with disbelief slowly climbing onto her face.
Aside from shock, there was only shock in her heart.
Though she too bore the name Wanyan, she wasn’t truly a member of the Wanyan Tribe. On the contrary, she initially was merely a slave of the Wanyan Tribe; her beauty caught the eye of the previous Queen, who took her in as an adopted sister to vie for favor with the former Emperor, changing her name to Wanyan.
Thus, Wanyan Ya didn’t have a particularly strong sense of belonging to the Wanyan Tribe; lacking belonging meant a lack of deep emotion. Regarding Wanyan Xia Ji’s death, it was merely akin to an acquaintance known for a long time but not deeply connected leaving.
Shock arose because she knew Wanyan Xia Ji was highly powerful and held a prestigious position in Jin Xia.
Now that he had died in battle, anyone who had heard of Wanyan Xia Ji would feel shock.
"Great Khan, what about the Wei Army..."
"They’ve already occupied Jinshuang City and will soon arrive at the capital." Tuoba Hui said.
"Then... then..."
Wanyan Ya was just a pretty face uninvolved in politics; even though she knew the situation was critical, she stuttered for a while, not knowing what to do.
"Don’t worry, Er Ya, as long as I am here, I won’t let anything happen to you."
Tuoba Hui tightly gripped Wanyan Ya’s hand, though his mind couldn’t help but recall the nightmare he had before.
...
October 21st.
The Wei Army captured Yiling Pass; the guard there fled without a fight upon seeing Wanyan Xia Ji’s head.
October 26th.
The Wei Army seized Lianghe City, the second major pass defending Yuxi.
End of October.
The Wei Army took Lou Wang, the last major pass defending Yuxi.
Thus, the Wei Army was now less than a hundred miles from Yuxi.
...
November 4th.
Just as the Wei Army was nearing Yuxi,
the troops of Jin Xia’s Tie Mu Tribe and Gogou Tribe launched a surprise attack on the Wei Army’s left-wing camp.
While the Wei Army was engaged in battle with these two tribes, the Rongyan Tribe launched a night raid from sixty miles away, circling the mountain to unexpectedly strike the Wei Army’s logistics convoy.
The four thousand direct troops of the Tuoba Clan in Yuxi seized the opportunity to sortie and engage the Wei Army head-on.
Unexpectedly.
The Rongyan Tribe’s attack on the logistics convoy was merely Chen Mo’s blinding technique, and the convoy wasn’t transporting food.
Though the logistics were real, crucial weapons like the Red Coat Cannon and Pottery Bombs weren’t present.
The Rongyan Tribe’s forces were annihilated by Chang En’s ambush.
Of course, Chen Mo wasn’t infallible.
Like when the Tie Mu Tribe and Gogou Tribe attacked the main army’s left wing, the army was caught unprepared.
But strength disparity is evident; the Wei Army was well-equipped, all soldiers armored with compound bows. Once they reacted, the situation quickly reversed.
The Tie Mu Tribe and Gogou Tribe were defeated, suffering heavy losses and fleeing in disarray.
As for the troops that sortied from Yuxi, to be honest, the timing was well-chosen.
But the Wei Army’s formation wasn’t disrupted; while the Tie Mu and Gogou Tribes attacked, they faced Yuxi’s forces head-on.
After defeating the Tie Mu and Gogou Tribes, the Wei Army leveraged their superior equipment and strength to decisively annihilate the sortieing Yuxi garrison.
That meant leaving no one to escape, no accepting surrender.
Jin Xia’s actions failed to effectively impact the Wei Army.
It only managed to slow the Wei Army’s advance, delaying them by one day.
November 6th, afternoon.
The Wei Army reached the walls of Yuxi.
That day, the Wei Army didn’t immediately assault the city but instead issued calls to surrender, promising no killing to those who yielded.
After all, they had reached the capital but only Wanyan Xia Ji, a Second-Grade Divine Transformation Realm Martial Artist, had appeared.
Yet the "power" holding back Wanyan Xia Ji hadn’t shown itself; a forceful assault would certainly cause significant casualties.
If they could persuade surrender, it would be ideal.
That evening, turmoil spread within Yuxi City; though official soldiers sealed and guarded the city, some people took advantage to loot.
Late at night, civil and military officials were still in the court, discussing whether to surrender or fight.
"Your Majesty, General Tuoba Ai has arrived at Yi Nan and will soon reach the capital. By then, our capital garrison and General Tuoba Ai can launch a pincer attack, surely defeating the Wei Army."
"Great Khan, we must not surrender. Though our forces and the Tie Mu and Gogou Tribes were defeated the day before yesterday, the Wei Army suffered significant losses as well. Moreover, the Wei Army is deep in enemy territory; as long as you order the border army and Gao Liao garrison to return, not only can the siege be lifted, but the Wei Army can be completely annihilated."
"Great Khan, distant water cannot quench present thirst; the Wei Army is already at the gates, their Strange Thunder fierce, and Yuxi City is difficult to defend. It can’t hold out for General Tuoba Ai’s rescue. Why not feign surrender and buy time, biding for an opportunity?"
"Great Khan."
"Great Khan..."
The court was also in chaos; since Tuoba Hui hadn’t made his stance clear, the surrender faction spoke of surrender indirectly, advocating "circumstantial surrender."
Tuoba Hui’s gaze was deep, he declared loudly, "Four hundred years ago, was not Song Taizu a divine figure? Yet he couldn’t swallow Jin Xia, ultimately retreating. Chen Mo is just a mere child; how can we fear him."
Tuoba Hui’s determination was firm; he would not surrender.
Moreover, he had a final trump card.
This trump card was why the Tuoba Clan had held the Jin Xia Khan title for hundreds of years, it was the foundation for Tuoba Hui, a Third-Grade Martial Artist, to rise above Wanyan Xia Ji.
Seeing Jin Xia remain unresponsive.
November 8th, morning.
The Wei Army shelled Yuxi’s city gates.
An hour later.
The gates were breached.
The wailing horns sounded, the Wei Army soldiers already eager, charged into Yuxi City with high morale.
"The Wei Army is breaking in."
"The Wei Army is coming, run!"
After entering the city with the Imperial Guard, Chen Mo immediately dispersed them to allow subsequent troops to enter and prevent the Jin Xia Army from blocking the breach.
But in this regard, Chen Mo overthought.
Once the gates fell, all the Jin Xia garrison inside retreated toward the Imperial City.
"Chang En, take some men to seal off Yuxi City, the others follow me to the Imperial Palace to capture Jin Xia Khan alive, he mustn’t escape." Chen Mo declared loudly.
They were too deep in enemy territory, since Jin Xia wouldn’t surrender, he must capture the Jin Xia Khan to force Jin Xia to yield.
Otherwise, once troops from all over Jin Xia converged on the capital, they would be trapped inside.
"Understood." Chang En responded.
"Swear to follow Your Majesty to death!"
"Kill!"
The Wei Army soldiers shouted in unison.
...
Meanwhile.
Jin Xia Imperial Palace.
Tuoba Hui was dressed neatly, wearing a crown, with the Emperor’s Sword at his waist, making his way to the Grand Ancestral Temple surrounded by the Inner Guard.