The crescent moon hung in the indigo night sky, a few scattered stars following the wailing night wind, dispersing the clouds across the sky.
Moonlight shone over the entire High Castle City, draping the layered towers in a thin veil of white.
The river rushed in the darkness, and on the hill, the red flag with the Golden Finch Badge representing Prince Kongdai coincided perfectly with the Hemashi Stone Army’s banner on the distant city walls.
Behind this banner was an open leather tent, where all the high-ranking nobles and high-tier knights for this siege on High Castle City were gathered.
They huddled together, shoulder to shoulder and forehead to the back of the head, so tightly packed that no one dared to speak, quieter than quails.
At the front of the tent, a giant nearly two ters tall sat in a velvet wooden chair.
He lowered his head, clutching tightly in his hands a letter decorated with gold lacquer and peacock feathers.
Prince Kongdai, who always had a grim face, could no longer maintain his composure; the muscles on his cheeks trembled, and his teeth clattered incessantly.
His chest heaved violently, and the chair’s armrest creaked under his grip.
"Lingya Knight, you’re damned!" Prince Kongdai crushed the golden letter into a ball with his massive hand, "I lost two imperial companies under you! Two hundred good knights, you’re damned!"
The sound that leaked from Prince Kongdai’s throat was ghostly, and despite the hottest weather, the knights below seed to huddle closer as if seeking warmth.
"You continue to siege, I’ll take three imperial companies south to attack Rapids City! Wipe out those short-haired ones!"
"Your Highness, I must speak frankly, but I’m afraid that’s not possible." Despite knowing Prince Kongdai’s current anger, Hamr Knight Airene, being the highest-ranking attendee, was pushed forward by the others.
With his head wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, Airene kept his head down, feeling chills run from his crown downwards.
"Are you speaking for those short-haired ones? Do you know whose dog you are?"
"Your Highness, once we head south, abandoning the assault on Shangruifo County is equivalent to wasting our previous efforts."
"Indeed, if we attack the Salvation Army, the Hemashi Stone Army would attack our rear from the south, and if we head north to attack the Hemashi Stone Army, the Salvation Army would attack us from the north."
"If we split our forces, we’ll be divided and attacked from both north and south, not to ntion that the worst fear is being cut off from our supply lines."
With Airene leading, the remaining knights and priests all voiced their support.
Being cut off from supplies was what knights feared the most. An Extraordinary Knight required nearly double the daily food of a normal person to maintain combat effectiveness.
As for the high-tier knights, they needed to consu monster at daily to maintain their peak condition on the battlefield, not to ntion the consumption of potions and holy water.
Prince Kongdai, leading the imperial companies in frequent clashes with the Hemashi Stone Army in Shangruifo County, was now stalled before the walls of High Castle City, unable to advance.
Although the Hemashi Stone Army also suffered heavy losses, they managed to hold the defense.
"What do you an?" Prince Kongdai bent forward, his right elbow on his thigh, squinting at the knights before him.
"Your Highness, our imperial companies have suffered heavily, and the local knights’ service terms have exceeded, and now it’s the season for sowing soybeans and barley..."
Under Prince Kongdai’s fiery gaze, the knights’ voices grew smaller and smaller.
"Are you saying not only can we not stay in High Castle City, but we should also retreat?" Prince Kongdai stepped off the elevated platform, descending step by step until face-to-face with Airene.
His chin nearly poked Airene’s forehead.
"Are you saying I should abandon High Castle City and retreat to Hotam County like a coward?"
"The gold-lacquered letter from Bishop Banifus can serve as a reason for retreat; no one would think you’re a coward," Airene argued, "Retreating doesn’t necessarily an being a coward; a heroic retreat is also..."
"Courage my ass!" Prince Kongdai grabbed the cloisonné bottle on the table and hurled it at the heads of the cowardly knights before him, "Oh, they killed Mizam, killed over a hundred of my loyal good knights, should I thank them?"
His thunderous roar shook the tent as the knights huddled together once more, trembling.
Everyone knew the cause of Prince Kongdai’s anger—two weeks ago’s events in High Castle City.
Back then, the citizens of High Castle City sent out letters, secretly offering to surrender. Against the counsel of many knights and priests, Prince Kongdai accepted with joy.
But upon entering the city on horseback, he was attacked by citizens with a thousand-pound anvil; although he managed to dodge, his horse was killed.
If it were another city, he wouldn’t be so broken, might even laugh it off, mocking the honor-bound knight for being too trusting and falling into a trap.
But the problem was, High Castle City was Prince Kongdai’s second ho; although not born there, it was where he grew up and learned his craft.
One reason he sought to beco the Prince of Thousand River Valley was that this place was like half his hotown, familiar with its geography and customs.
During his ti at High Castle City, to protect his reputation among the citizens and locals, he even made the imperial companies camp outside.
The Leia Royal Capital Changge City never received such treatnt!
It was precisely because of his trust in his reputation at ho that Prince Kongdai arrogantly accepted the glaring deception.
He firmly believed that in a choice between Grand Duchess Moliat and himself, the citizens of High Castle City would choose him.
But the one ti Prince Kongdai showed genuine emotion, reality defeated him utterly.
Since that breakdown, Prince Kongdai beca crazed, relentlessly assaulting.
He unleashed without restraint, attempting several tis to take the city by climbing the siege tower personally, only to be repelled by two titled knights and Grand Duchess Moliat herself.
A small High Castle City, defended by three titled knights, humiliated Prince Kongdai repeatedly; now, news ca from the south of disaster, adding to earlier losses of two hundred imperial knights.
This was Prince Kongdai’s cherished elite; losing these three imperial companies was tantamount to Horn losing three legions.
Given the succession of blows, his blood fury was only natural.
Positioned at the forefront of this tempest, Airene struggled to withstand; he lowered his head, desperately gesturing to another knight, Earl Knight Ecoran from Hotam County.
This Ecoran was the key instigator behind the group eting, and his wife was from the Oslar Clan, with blood ties to the Leia Royal Family of the Lanfeng Dynasty.
Ecoran sighed and stepped forward, "Your Highness, please calm down."
"You’re advising to be a coward too? Ecoran!" Prince Kongdai restlessly paced back and forth.
"Your Highness, under current circumstances, continued battle could lead to dissension; rather than pursuing an assault, it might be better to consolidate our forces."
"Consolidate forces, asking to give up High Castle?" With heavy, hurried steps, Prince Kongdai moved like a fighting cock, until face to face with Airene.
His chin almost pointed at Airene’s forehead.
"Are you saying I should give up High Castle, retreat to Hotam County like a coward?"
"Bishop Banifus’s gold lacquered letter should suffice as a reason; no one would think you’re a coward," argued Airene, "Retreat doesn’t always an cowardice; sotis a heroic retreat is just as..."
"To hell with your heroism!" Prince Kongdai grabbed a cloisonné enal wine bottle from the table and fiercely smashed it over the heads of the craven knights, "Oh, they killed Mizam, killed over a hundred of my loyal good knights; should I thank them?"
The thunderous roar even made the tent quiver, and once again the knights huddled together, trembling.
The cause of Prince Kongdai’s anger was known to all present; it was the event from two weeks prior in High Castle City.
At that ti, the citizens inside High Castle City had sent out letters offering a secret surrender, and Prince Kongdai, against the advice of many knights and priests, had gladly agreed.
But when he galloped into the city, he was attacked by the citizens with a thousand-pound anvil; although he managed to dodge, his horse was killed.
If it had been a strange city, he might have not broken his guard this way, might even have laughed at himself for falling so easily into the trap.
But the issue was that High Castle City was a second ho to Prince Kongdai, although not where he was born, it was where he grew up and trained.
He even had the imperial companies camp outside to protect his reputation among the citizens and villagers.
The Leia Royal Capital Changge City never enjoyed such treatnt!
It was his trust in his reputation at ho that emboldened Prince Kongdai to accept this blatant trap.
He thought the citizens of High Castle City would choose him over Grand Duchess Moliat.
However, the rare mont of genuine emotion from Prince Kongdai only led to his ultimate defeat in reality.
Since that breach, Prince Kongdai unhinged, recklessly attacking.
He unleashed himself completely, even trying several tis to personally lead the siege tower to take the city but was thwarted by the two titled knights and Grand Duchess Moliat herself.
A small High Castle City humiliated Prince Kongdai repeatedly, and news from the south brought further bad tidings, adding to the previous losses of two hundred imperial knights.
These were Prince Kongdai’s precious elite forces; losing these three imperial companies was as severe as Horn losing three legions.
Given the succession of blows, his blood fury was only natural; everyone could sense it clearly.
Facing this tempest, even Airene felt overwheld and bowed his head, desperately signaling to another knight, Earl Knight Ecoran of Hotam County.
This Ecoran was indeed the main instigator behind this collective counsel, moreover, his wife hailed from the Oslar Clan, and he himself was of the Leia Royal Family’s Lanfeng Dynasty bloodline.
Ecoran sighed deeply and stepped forward, "Your Highness, please calm down."
"Are you suggesting I act like a coward too, Ecoran?" Prince Kongdai paced anxiously back and forth.
"Your Highness, under the current situation, with continued fighting leading to discord, it might be wiser to consolidate our forces rather than pursue the attack."
"Consolidate forces, asking to abandon High Castle?" With heavy and fast strides, Prince Kongdai moved like a fighting cock, pacing back and forth.
"Most of the knights are both physically and ntally exhausted, continuing to fight would lead to unpredictable consequences."
"Within ten days, I will take High Castle!"
Seeing Prince Kongdai’s resolve, Ecoran cursed silently, resorting to his trump card, "Your Highness, I have two letters here, one from the new Pope Puliano, and one addressed to Rose Castle Duke Os."
He handed over the two letters.
Unfolding the letter in his hand, Prince Kongdai glanced through it swiftly, suddenly extending his neck with an undignified look, squinting at the paper intently.
A flicker of shocking disbelief crossed his eyes, even suppressing his previous fury altogether.
Carefully tucking the Pope’s letter away, Prince Kongdai opened the second letter addressed to Rose Castle.
"Duke Os has always been stubborn, are you sure he’ll obey?" he asked suspiciously after reading it.
"Your Highness, don’t forget." Ecoran reminded, "I have two letters here, one from the new Pope Puliano and one addressed to Rose Castle."
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