21: Chapter 21 The Empty City Stratagem

Heavy breathing, the sound of torches burning.

Many soldiers, who could be considered battle-hardened, cast their gazes toward the young girl in white sitting in the main seat.

Just as Su Chen had said, this was an open conspiracy.

Given that the Great Qian's military strength was far inferior to the Guo Clan, who occupied the eastern plains.

To suppress the rebellion, it was impossible not to capture Jianging City.

Otherwise, the rebel army could fully utilize the geographical advantages of Jianging City to block the entire Great Qian army before Flat Gourd Pass.

Even if Great Qian really captured Jianging City, they would be like a little lamb placed into a nest by a vicious wolf.

Whether they chose to advance and attack Xinzhou, or hold Jianging.

They would have to face the desperate situation of being pincer-attacked by the rebel army from the east, south, and north, while also having Flat Gourd Pass blocked.

Heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony.

Great Qian held neither of the first two; two of the three were already lost.

All that remained was...

Zhuge Jinyu, in her white robe and white hair, covered her face with her vermilion bird feather fan to conceal the nervousness and panic in her heart.

She had to admit that no matter how much she tried to escape.

Whenever she encountered a problem, the first step she thought of was always to seek help from Sir.

Although the mirror surface was foggy, she seemed to be able to feel Sir gazing at the map, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Xiao Yu, convey the order like this..."

The expression on Zhuge Jinyu's pretty face shifted from nervousness to shock, then to panic.

"Sir, is this really feasible...?"

"In Jinyu's view, this is no different from suicide..."

"Trust me."

"When has Sir ever set you up?"

Su Chen's voice remained steady and confident.

Zhuge Jinyu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Su Chen knew that in doing this, the one who needed to take the greatest risk was not Zhuge Jinyu.

It was himself.

【"Host, the energy value that Tongzi recharged for you in the mirror has only 70% left, you need to use it sparingly..."】

"There aren't many big battles to fight anyway. If this battle is won, the east will basically be reclaimed."

Su Chen said indifferently.

After a brief silence, Zhuge Jinyu's cold, clear voice echoed in the tent.

"Pass the order."

These two words made all the generals perk up, holding their breath and focusing.

"Starting from today, the four gates of Jianging City are closed, the heavy portcullis is dropped, and without my handwritten order, no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"However, apart from this, everything in the city remains as usual."

"The markets can open, and the people's routines remain the same. The patrol frequency is halved, but they must act relaxed."

"The garrison on the city walls... reduce by 90%."

"Those who remain should preferably be the old, weak, sick, or disabled, and also put on a posture of sunbathing for This Prime Minister."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked.

Not to mention those generals, even Huang Ying, who had served Zhuge Jinyu since she was a child, opened her mouth in shock.

That was an attack from the rebel army coming from three directions!

And there was Flat Gourd Pass behind them, where who knew how many enemies were hiding.

This Prime Minister Zhuge, even if she started deploying troops quickly right now, might not be able to save Jianging City from the attack.

And right now, hearing her meaning, she was even planning to "give a holiday" to the defenders of Jianging City?

"Prime Minister, this must not be done!"

For a time, voices of opposition rose and fell within the tent.

They all followed Zhuge Jinyu to seek fame and fortune, not to follow her to their deaths.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhuge Jinyu's previous record of defeating a Nascent Soul stage cultivator with one wave of her fan on the training ground was too terrifying, this group of people would probably have mutinied on the spot.

"Quiet!"

"This matter is settled, do not discuss it further."

"Those who dissent will be dealt with by military law!"

"Three days later in the morning, This Prime Minister will go up to the eastern city wall alone, carrying a zither."

The generals in the tent looked at each other.

If they didn't know that this young white-robed Prime Minister's plans were foolproof, everyone would have almost thought she had gone mad.

With a great enemy at the gates, the commander running to the city wall to play the zither—this was simply unheard of!

"This Prime Minister has made up her mind, do not discuss it further; just proceed according to my layout."

The soldiers in the tent dispersed one after another.

According to Su Chen's instructions, Zhuge Jinyu only kept a few of her confidants, led by Huang Ying.

To be honest, she herself felt very puzzled about Sir's plan.

If this battle was a crushing defeat, she, Zhuge Jinyu, would probably have no place left in this army!

"You five, act alone three days later; at that time, someone will be responsible for leading and guiding you."

"The target is Flat Gourd Pass; annihilate all the rebel soldiers stationed there."

"Going there is a life-and-death ordeal, do you understand?"

Zhuge Jinyu ordered sternly.

The person responsible for guiding them was naturally Su Chen.

They shuddered and whispered in unison.

"We are willing to die for the Prime Minister!"

These five people were all secret guards above the late Golden Core stage that she had trained since she was a child.

They obeyed her orders completely.

With these people following Sir, she also felt much more at ease.

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The fourth day, early morning.

East of Jianging City, the city wall.

The morning mist had not yet completely dispersed; on the city wall, the flag symbolizing Great Qian hung limply.

And the soldiers in the city were just as Zhuge Jinyu had ordered.

The garrison was sparse and scattered; only a few old soldiers leaned on their spears, dozing off against the battlements, looking completely unguarded.

And at the highest point of the city tower, in the center of the platform, a plain white figure appeared.

It was Zhuge Jinyu.

She was not wearing armor, only a wide white Prime Minister's robe, her sleeves fluttering gently in the breeze.

Her snow-white hair was unadorned, loosely tied behind her head with a simple ribbon, with a few strands falling beside her cold and stunning face.

She sat cross-legged with an ancient zither across her knees.

The zither body was pitch black, the strings were plain white.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then she transformed this breath into crisp musical notes, falling from her fingertips.

"Ding—dong—"

The sound of the zither rang out, ethereal and distant, piercing through the thin mist and spreading far away.

It was "Liangfu Yin".

This was also what Su Chen had instructed.

The melody was elegant and melodious, magnificent and expansive.

Between the clanging of the strings, it seemed to depict both a monarch of great talent and strategy, and a wise Prime Minister of deep foresight.

There were no thousands of troops or horses, no swords drawn or bows bent.

Only one person, one zither, facing the rolling iron cavalry that was about to arrive.

In the distance below the city, smoke and dust gradually rose.

The dark rebel army surged forward like a tide.

It was the rebel army coming from the east, south, and north of Jianging City.

Weapons crossed, the murderous aura was chilling even from a great distance.

At the head was the rebel leader Guo Wenzhuo.

He sat upright on a jujube-red steed, his eyes looking down with disdain, determined to win.

"Vanguard troops, go ahead first to scout the situation ahead."

"Understood!"

However, when the vanguard troops approached the city wall and saw this scene on the city wall.

They couldn't help but rein in their horses, and a ripple of commotion appeared within the ranks.

Arrows like rain? Rolling logs and boulders?

None of the conventional city defense methods appeared.

What about the large number of cultivator troops?

Also none.

Only the sound of the zither.

And a white-robed Prime Minister, as beautiful as a woman not of the mortal world, playing the zither peacefully on the city wall.