SEC Chapter 223 Taking the Head Remotely, Utterly Defeated
Chapter 223 Taking the Head Remotely, Utterly Defeated
The imperial city was left with only the remnants of the Wei family army and the imperial guards, who had suffered heavy losses in the battle with the Hu people, totaling about 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers.
Normally, such a situation might have intimidated the soldiers before the battle even began, but this time was different. Everything proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner, and before long, the imperial city was in a state of preparation for war.
It was only at this time that Xie Jin realized that the people of Shengjing almost worshipped Meng Fuqing as a god.
Without Meng Fuqing needing to speak, he could roughly guess that the other party had begun to openly reveal his abnormality, and that he had completely won the hearts of the people by dispelling the cold wave and persuading the refugees to retreat from the city attack.
In such a short time, Xie Jin could never have imagined gaining a foothold in Shengjing, a city teeming with powerful and wealthy families.
However, powerful and influential families would not tolerate a woman overshadowing them. Their current silence might not be a sign of compromise; they needed a sufficient number of troops to intimidate these people. Fortunately, he had brought quite a few with him.
Meng Fuqing was certainly no match for the ancient generals in military strategy, so she entrusted the matter to the only two capable people under her command—Xiao Linyuan and Xie Jin.
One was the commander of the Imperial Guards, and the other was General Xie's only son; both were trusted figures among the soldiers.
The only point of contention is Xie Jin's status as a wanted criminal—how could military power be handed over to someone wanted by the court for treason? It seems like internal strife is brewing before external enemies are even quelled!
These words came from a civil official, who was also thrown out of the main hall by Meng Fuqing.
Those who still can't see the situation clearly at this point are probably not very bright either; they'll just be incompetent officials who hold positions without doing any work.
When the 100,000-strong army arrived at the city gates, Meng Fuqing stood on the city wall and saw the leading general in the distance.
"Does this general named Wu Xin have any past relationship with your parents?" she asked Xie Jin.
Xie Jin shook his head. "This man was a frontier general, just like my Xie family, but we never crossed paths. He is arrogant and conceited, brave but lacks strategy. He is good at using cavalry charges, which may be the reason why he occupied the north."
He said with some concern, "Wu Xin has rich combat experience. If we only defend the city, it will not be easy to kill him from a distance."
Meng Fuqing turned to look at him, and with a flick of her finger, a vine quietly wrapped around Xie Jin's wrist.
Feeling something was wrong with his wrist, Xie Jin looked down and saw the green vine when he raised his hand. One end was tied to his wrist, with a coil at the end, and the other end was growing from Meng Fuqing's fingertip.
He took a deep breath, slowly lowered his hand, and looked up at the profile of the person in front of him, his eyes flashing with a strange and uncertain light.
Previously, he could explain all the strange things that happened to Meng Fuqing by the space, but now he felt confused—could the person he loved really be a goddess?
However, the situation was so critical that he could no longer think about it. Soldiers below the city were shouting in front of the battle lines, saying things like demanding that the people in the capital surrender.
Meng Fuqing looked around but did not find Yan He standing beside the enemy general. He wondered if Yan He had already escaped in time or had not been assigned to the battlefield.
At the same time, at the forefront of the 100,000-strong army, Wu Xin's eagle eyes were also scrutinizing the two people on the city wall.
He stared at Meng Fuqing and asked his most trusted deputy, "Is that young lady the legendary goddess?"
The deputy replied cautiously, "At a time like this, the only one who would dare to show herself is that goddess."
"I thought she was some kind of all-powerful being who could go to heaven and earth, but she doesn't have three heads and six arms. She's quite good-looking, though. If we can take the capital city and use the goddess to reward the soldiers, this would be a first in history."
After saying that, he burst into hearty laughter.
Immediately, someone flattered, "It is truly a blessing for us that the General thinks of his subordinates at all times!"
"The general is right. Just as Miss Yan said, it was nothing more than some underhanded tricks from the martial arts world that managed to fool everyone in the capital. Aren't we afraid of being laughed at if word gets out!"
The deputy couldn't help but remind him, "Those noble families are very cunning; this goddess might actually have some skill in deceiving people..."
Wu Xin waved his hand dismissively, "No matter how capable she is, how can she withstand our massive army? Prepare to attack the city!"
At a command, the soldiers rushed to the city walls with siege ladders, battering rams, and other equipment.
"Soldiers! Do you see that young woman on the city wall? That is the legendary goddess. Whoever can capture her alive will be rewarded with her, and after we take the capital, he will be made a marquis and a prime minister!"
These words greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers, who then attacked the city with even greater zeal.
The soldiers defending the city originally believed that with the protection of the goddess and the command of Commander Xiao and General Xie's only son, they would surely win a great victory in this battle, so they were fearless.
However, faced with wave after wave of fierce attacks, they gradually lost confidence.
Their knowledge of the goddess's miraculous abilities was mostly hearsay; they had never witnessed them firsthand. Naturally, they were filled with apprehension—no matter how powerful the goddess was, the enemy was an army of 100,000…
Just as the morale of the army was wavering, an arrow was shot towards Wu Xin.
Wu Xin picked up his longsword and swung it, snapping the arrow in mid-air. He smiled disdainfully, "That's all the goddess is capable of..."
Before he could finish speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and the next moment his eyes widened in anger, almost popping out of their sockets.
In the final moments of his life, he heard only a gasp and an incredulous scream of terror.
Before everyone's eyes, Wu Xin, a general, was decapitated. And that wasn't all; Wu Xin's head flew through the air, over the soldiers of both sides, and landed in the hands of one person amidst everyone's shocked gaze.
With obvious disgust, Meng Fuqing held Wu Xin's still-bleeding head high in the air, where it hung suspended on the city wall.
"Soldiers, listen to my command! The enemy leader is dead. Slay the enemy's head, and rewards will be given after the battle!"
After he finished speaking, the gates of the imperial city swung open, and Xie Jin, clad in armor, led a group of soldiers out.
The cavalry raised countless clouds of dust, and the soldiers' morale was astonishing.
"rush!"
"Fight for the goddess! Charge!!"
……
At this moment, morale had reached its peak.
What had just happened was beyond the comprehension of Wu Xin's soldiers.
Faced with the general's head hanging on the city tower and the slender woman standing on the city wall, many of them were already mentally broken. Their actions were either to drop their weapons, kneel on the ground in surrender, or run away in the direction they had come from.
Without their commander, the 100,000-strong army quickly fell into disarray, with only a small number still obeying the orders of their deputy and preparing to retreat.
However, Xie Jin had no intention of giving them a chance to retreat. Taking down the demoralized enemy forces was almost effortless.
After this battle, Meng Fuqing's title of "Goddess" was confirmed, and those who had previously questioned her identity had nothing more to say.
The day after the battle, Yan He escaped from the enemy camp. She had been with the logistics soldiers, and when the army was in disarray, she managed to stop the soldiers who wanted to flee with her words, and led them to pretend to surrender to Xie Jin.
After becoming a prisoner, Yan He was brought before Meng Fuqing by Xie Jin.