204: Chapter 204 The Storm is Brewing, the Mountain is Full of Buildings

Just like that.

No one mentioned tomorrow, and no one mentioned the enemy army outside the city.

Even less did anyone mention the outcome that was destined to arrive.

Everyone carefully maintained this false peace.

As if it were a tacitly understood moment of stolen pleasure.

In this period of tranquility, an omnipresent sorrow overflowed.

Like incense, it seeped silently into their very bones.

They all knew that this calm was but a brief slumber before the cauldron boiled over.

But precisely because they knew, they were even more greedy to grasp it.

Wanting, in these final moments, for each other and for themselves...

...to leave behind something that belonged to "them."

Warm memories.

However, the wind would eventually come.

The cauldron cooking the porridge would always have its day to boil.

One and a half months later.

It was even nearly ten days earlier than expected.

The morning silence of Chaoge was completely shattered.

Originally, there were only thin trails of beacon smoke and the sounds of the Chaoge defenders' drills.

But this time.

Su Chen truly smelled the scent of blood and heard the sounds of slaughter within the palace.

Early morning.

Queen Jiang held a battle report, her face expressionless.

She read it word for word to Su Chen and the other.

"Last night at the Hour of the Rat, Sishui Pass fell."

"Your humble servant already issued the order to retreat, yet the commanding general still chose to defend to the death."

"He said..."

"His entire family has already gone ahead to the Jiang State."

"This final remnant of his body shall be offered to the Great King and the Great Yin, who gave him almost everything."

"Thus, General Lu Xiong has fallen in battle."

Su Chen listened quietly.

Lu Xiong was precisely the general who had been the first to speak up for him that day.

"Furthermore..."

"The vanguard of Xiqi, has already reached Mengjin."

"It is only half a day's journey away."

"Chaoge... is already within their sight."

The hall was deathly silent.

Only the sound of Su Chen's coughing remained.

He coughed for a long time before covering his mouth with a handkerchief and slowly steadying his breath.

He looked up, glancing at Jiang Li, then at Su Daji, whose pretty face had lost its color.

In truth, they had all long since prepared themselves mentally.

It was just that they hadn't expected...

...it would be so soon.

"Finally... it's here,"

Su Chen murmured.

"Pass the order."

He leaned on the desk and slowly stood up.

"All defenders at the four gates, except for necessary sentries, are to retreat to the Inner City."

"Assign people... to make secret arrangements at the West and South gates."

"When the enemy vanguard approaches, fire a symbolic volley of arrows to resist, then immediately open the gates."

"Remember, it is just for show."

"The arrows must miss, the battle cries must be loud, and the retreat must be panicked and disorganized."

"If any general insists on defying my command and playing out some drama of foolish loyalty..."

"...their subordinates may choose to knock them unconscious or injure them to bring them back."

"And... they will receive a handsome reward from me."

"We must let the people of Xiqi, see clearly."

"That in our Great Yin's Chaoge, everyone has turned against me."

"The army has no will to fight, and the gates open of their own accord."

Queen Jiang said nothing, only nodding slightly in silent agreement.

She had known for a long time what Su Chen intended to do.

This was the first step of Su Chen's plan.

To create the illusion that King Zhou had completely lost the people's hearts and that the defenders were surrendering at the first sight of the enemy.

This was not just to lure the enemy, but also to provide a way out for the soldiers and civilians of Chaoge who would "leave the darkness for the light."

To pave a path for their survival.

The army of the Ji Clan of Xiqi, had come under the banners of "Benevolence" and "Ridding the World of a Tyrant."

At least, if they put on a show of surrendering.

They would not make things too difficult for these Chaoge defenders.

The defenders who surrendered on the surface would later be sent to the Jiang State in batches under Queen Jiang's arrangements.

"Your humble servant... obeys your decree."

Jiang Li lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion.

Su Daji stood there in a daze.

Looking at Su Chen's calm, emotionless profile, then at Jiang Li's expression as she suppressed her tears to accept the order.

It seemed as if a certain tacit understanding had been reached between the two that she was unaware of.

Moreover, seeing them like this,

Her first reaction was not jealousy.

But rather a vague feeling.

That something she didn't know about was rolling forward along a predetermined track.

And her newlywed husband...

...was standing at the center of that track.

Calmly welcoming everything that was to come.

The orders were quickly relayed.

Chaoge, the royal capital that had carried centuries of glory.

In its final moments.

It chose a silent way to welcome its terminator.

That afternoon.

The vanguard flags of Xiqi, finally appeared on the vast plains outside Chaoge.

The dark mass of the army surged forward like a tide.

As for Chaoge.

Only a few scattered arrows were fired from the city walls.

And most of them fell weakly and crookedly outside the moat.

Clumsy, symbolic battle cries rose along with the sounds of soldiers "fleeing in rout."

Some soldiers even cried out Su Chen's name as they fled, denouncing his inhuman crimes.

However.

The reason these soldiers were crying probably differed from what the people of Xiqi, guessed.

Seeing the people of the Ji Dynasty arrive.

The two heavy gates to the west and south were pushed open from the inside by Yin Shang Dynasty soldiers in full view of everyone.

Some even waved white cloths toward the Western Zhou army outside...

This scene quickly spread through the allied forces of the vassal lords via the magical treasures of the cultivators accompanying the Western Zhou army.

And it would surely spread throughout the world by word of mouth.

The soldiers and civilians of Chaoge, under the oppression of the tyrant Su Chen, "surrendered" without a fight.

Su Chen stood on the highest terrace of the palace, the cold wind whipping his wide sleeves with a snapping sound.

He gazed at the boundless enemy army outside the city, at the forest of "Zhou Dynasty" banners and "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" flags.

There was no expression on his face.

Most of that army had even originally been the people of his Yin Shang Dynasty.

It was just that...

...now they wished for nothing more than their original lord to die at the hands of the enemy.

Su Chen's eyesight was excellent.

He could clearly see that the first batch of surrendered Chaoge defenders had already received orders from the Ji Clan and were settling in the city.

Everything was exactly as he had envisioned.

The Ji Dynasty, which used "Benevolence" as its banner.

Though they might not truly be benevolent.

But under the gaze of the entire world, they would absolutely never slaughter prisoners of war.

Queen Jiang stood quietly slightly behind him, also looking out of the city.

"They have entered."

"Mhm."

Su Chen responded, slowly turning around to look at Queen Jiang.

"According to the plan, next, it's your turn."

Queen Jiang's delicate body trembled.

She knew what Su Chen meant.

In the brief chaos caused by the disorganized army entering the city, she had to act immediately.

She had to send the final group of Yin Shang Dynasty core personnel and records, who would never be forgiven by the Ji Dynasty, out of the city through the secret passage that had already been cleared.

Seeing her hesitation.

Su Chen naturally took her slender waist in his arm.

"Go, proceed according to the original plan."

"After this last batch is withdrawn, it will be time to instruct your contacts in the Jiang State to begin transferring the defenders within Chaoge."

"Remember, prioritize those who have families with them."

"I..."

She wanted to say something but could not make a sound.

Su Chen looked at her.

"Lier, take care."

(Chapter 201 has been released, feel free to check it out...)

(Damn shenhe, I wrote a bit of smut and they locked my book in the dark room for almost a day, making me lose yesterday's four thousand words and my six hundred yuan attendance bonus. I really need to deal with you!)