Why is Your Highness laughing?

"Reporting to the Commandery Duke, This humble general has already established contact with my former subordinates in the city. At the hour of the Ox tomorrow, they will open the South Gate to welcome the main army into the city."

After five days of siege, Mu Shun finally managed to send someone into the city to contact his subordinates.

Gao Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

"Good. Let the army rest first. Prepare to enter the city tomorrow, but stay vigilant to prevent any enemy sneak attacks."

Feng Chengdao had not expected Xian Xing and Mu Shun to surrender directly, which placed him in an exceptionally perilous situation.

What worried him most was that his direct lineage in Haikang County consisted of only five hundred troops; the rest were all Mu Shun's former subordinates.

At a loss for ideas, he hurriedly summoned his maternal uncle, Xian Feng.

"Uncle, the situation is critical now. What do you think we should do?"

"Second Prince, in the current situation, we only have two paths left to take."

"Please speak plainly, Uncle."

"The first path is to persuade the troops in the city to defend to the death and wait for reinforcements, until the King's main army returns to support us."

"Even... even if the troops in the city submit to me, there are less than two thousand men. Can we hold out?"

Xian Feng actually didn't want to defend either. He knew that defending a city without any preparation was most likely a dead end.

"Then there is only one other path: abandon the city and break through the siege!"

Upon hearing Xian Feng's strategy, Feng Chengdao shook his head repeatedly.

"Break through? No, no. Haikang is a strategic town. If I abandon it without a fight, how will Father let me off?"

"The enemy is powerful, and with the betrayals of Xian Xing and Mu Shun, Your Highness only has five hundred troops. The disparity in strength is too great..."

"No, no. Father has grand ambitions. Now, before a single city has been conquered, two prefectures have been lost instead;"

"Furthermore, if I abandon the city and flee back, I'm afraid my elder brothers and the others won't let me off."

Xian Feng revealed a mysterious smile.

"When did Your Highness abandon the city and flee? Your Highness broke through after a bloody battle that you could not win..."

Feng Chengdao reacted immediately and slapped his forehead.

"Exactly, exactly! Xian Xing and Mu Shun rebelled and joined Gao Yuan. I led five hundred troops in a bloody breakthrough to reorganize the defense line at Duan Prefecture."

Xian Feng expressed great satisfaction at his nephew's ability to draw inferences.

"Your Highness truly possesses a heavenly talent. This subordinate is filled with admiration."

"There's no time to lose. While the enemy has yet to secure their position, assemble everyone and break through tonight."

During the fifth watch, when everyone was so tired they could barely keep their eyes open, the East Gate of Haikang City suddenly opened.

A group of people filed out and, without stopping, quickly departed toward the east.

The east was the only side Gao Yuan had not surrounded, but it was a trap.

Lying in ambush here was a unit of fifteen hundred men from the Third Division of the Beiwei Army.

"Brigade Commander, do you think anyone will actually come this way?"

The Brigade Commander's ox-like eyes glared as he struck his subordinate's helmet with the hilt of his blade.

"Why so much nonsense? The Master ordered us to ambush here, so just stay put quietly."

"It's been so many days, and there hasn't been a single stir."

"What do you know? This is the Master's 'surround three sides and leave one open' tactic. If those people in the city want to escape, they will definitely come through here."

"Heh heh, I'm just a crude man, how would I understand such things? As long as I can earn some merit to get a bit of money, grain, and a foreign wife, that's enough..."

The soldier suddenly seemed to see something; his eyes lit up, and he tugged at his superior beside him.

"Brigade Commander, Brigade Commander, look! Is someone coming?"

The Brigade Commander was also stunned. He rubbed his eyes and then excitedly whispered instructions.

"Indeed, there are people, and quite a lot of them. Quick, quick, wake the brothers! Our merit has arrived;"

"Xiao Wu, go quickly and report to the Division Commander. Tell him the enemy is breaking out and request reinforcements."

Feng Chengdao and Xian Feng had not stopped since leaving the East Gate, running five miles in one breath.

Seeing that they were safe, Feng Chengdao breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha!"

"Why does Your Highness laugh?"

"I laugh at that Gao Yuan's lack of strategy. When others 'surround three and leave one open,' they always ambush a unit at the gap, yet he only did it for show;"

"Hahaha, what 'Jade-Faced Yama'? He can only bully those foreign monkeys. In my view, he is nothing more than someone with an empty reputation."

Xian Feng also couldn't help but feel some contempt for Gao Yuan, but he still reminded him:

"Your Highness, we are not out of danger yet. Let us continue our journey as quickly as possible."

"Right, right, let's hurry."

After speaking, Feng Chengdao glanced back at several carriages in the middle of the group and ordered again:

"Slow down a bit. Don't jostle my little beauties too much."

While fleeing today, Feng Chengdao had not only brought the two concubines he had taken in Haikang but also all his wealth, which filled five whole carriages.

In the woods, He Fei, the Division Commander of the Beiwei Army's Third Division who had just arrived, heard every word Feng Chengdao said.

He spat fiercely and pointed at the mounted Feng Chengdao.

"You guys keep a close eye on him. We absolutely cannot let that fellow who spoke so arrogantly and insulted the Master get away."

Several Brigade Commanders nodded in unison.

"Rest assured, Division Commander. We definitely won't let that scoundrel escape."

When a little less than half of the convoy on the official road had passed, He Fei finally waved his hand.

*Swish swish swish...*

In an instant, a large number of arrows suddenly shot out from the dark woods, instantly piercing through the unprepared soldiers.

It also startled the gloating Feng Chengdao and Xian Feng, who cried out almost in unison:

"Ambush! Enemy attack! On guard!"

As the arrows from the woods ceased, soldiers of the Beiwei Army clad in full iron armor rushed out.

Xian Feng immediately realized they couldn't hold them off and hurriedly pulled back Feng Chengdao, who was preparing to fight to the death.

"Your Highness, the enemy is numerous and we are few. Let's break out quickly."

"But..."

"No more 'buts'! If you hesitate any longer, you won't even keep your life. Let's go!"

Feng Chengdao glanced back and saw that his soldiers had already begun to scatter. Knowing the situation was hopeless, he stopped struggling.

"Withdraw! Withdraw to the east! Go, quickly!"

After shouting, Feng Chengdao slapped his horse's rump and galloped away with his men.

The Beiwei Army was heavy infantry; although their combat strength was high, their mobility was relatively poor.

While Feng Chengdao's horses weren't legendary steeds, they were proper warhorses. If they fled with all their might, the infantry truly couldn't catch them.

Watching the dozen or so people vanish into the night, He Fei slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Sigh, what a pity. If the Master's Personal Guards Cavalry were here today, we could have certainly wiped this lot out."

While clearing the battlefield, He Fei discovered the three carriages of gold, silver, and treasures, as well as two delicate women.

After some questioning, he learned that the one who escaped was Feng Pu's second legitimate son, Feng Chengdao. This time, he truly slapped his thigh until it was bruised.

Gao Yuan not only did not blame his subordinates but also rewarded them with plenty of gold, silver, and treasures.

As for the two women, Gao Yuan had no interest; he rewarded one to He Fei and left the other for Ma Song.

He Fei was overjoyed and went to share the treasures with his brothers, making the soldiers of the other armies extremely envious.

With Feng Chengdao gone, there was no need to wait until night to take over Haikang City. Gao Yuan entered the city that morning.

With this, the objectives of this expedition were complete. Not only had he occupied Lianzhou Prefecture and Leizhou Prefecture, but he had also conveniently brought the eight prefectures under the jurisdiction of Governor Wang Chuan and Wang Fu into submission.

What excited Gao Yuan even more were the twelve thousand elite border troops, as well as the four thousand-plus local soldiers under the rule of Xian Xing and Mu Shun.

Gao Yuan immediately expanded the Beiwei Army's organization to eight divisions, totaling twenty thousand men.

Then, by selecting some scouts and mounted sentries, he expanded his Personal Guards Cavalry to five hundred men.

He selected two thousand five hundred men from the local soldiers to form a division of the Xuanjia Army.

He appointed Ma Song as the Governor of the Region Governors Office, with Mu Shun and He Fei as Deputy Governors, and Xian Xing as chief clerk, leading five thousand Beiwei Army and seven thousand five hundred Xuanjia Army troops to garrison the line from Region to Leizhou.

In the main hall of the Chenzhou Governors Office, Feng Pu, who had just conquered Chenzhou, was in high spirits.

However, before he could even warm his seat, an urgent report was delivered to his desk.