Romance of the Four Kingdoms

Chapter 103

Luna returned to the city and reported to Zhang Yan and Jinzha of the failed ambush to them. There was only silence in main hall. Jinzha didn't seem to be phased but Zhang Yan was clearly annoyed. She lost more troops needlessly and this was her idea in the first place! Now he's down even more troops than he lost in the initial siege. He growled quietly at this news, this serpent of theirs is proving a lot more troublesome than he thought. And now she's on her way here to slay him...HIM!? The black mountain bandit king!? He seriously doubts the ability of his so-called allies. Though if what she says is true then the enemy won't be in that great of a number. Yes...at the siege they had the defendable position. Now that the positions are reversed, even if he didn't have that many troops comparatively speaking, they should still be enough to hold off this rather small force. Though this serpent is still an unknown variable. Reports say she is a very capable fighter but he's yet to lay eyes on her. If she's fearsome in battle as he fears, it may be wise to not allow his ally to take the frontline role of the defender. Just in case she managed to slither past his defences.

A week later Mitsuko arrived outside of the city with her army. They saw a great wall, even greater than Zheng Jiangs. Penetrating it won't be easy however that is why they brought catapults. Gyuki also would be able to penetrate the gates if need be. As the camp was setup outside of the city Mitsuko communed with her officers in her tent with Gyuki poking his head in the entrance. They're all huddled around a table with a map of the city in the middle along the outside plains. The rest of the officers were sitting down on stools.

'Alright, so we're finally here. I hoped we would have more troops but...it seems that's no longer an option. Thoughts on how we proceed from here?' Mitsuko asked. Her voice carried a trace of sadness due to the absence of Zheng Jiang but what else can she do?

'We should attack as soon as possible and give them no chance to prepare their defences.' Diamondback suggested as he hissed. He slammed his fist on the table. Dodomeki shook his head.

'Disagree, it's probably best not to act at least until we have an idea of how much their garrison is.'

'He is right my lady, plus the men have been constant marching for a while. They will need a rest first before they're able to be in fighting shape.' Pang Tong chimed in.

'Hmm, quite. We can't be too aggressive. We only have so little troops.' Mitsuko nodded.

'But does the fact we have so little troops mean we could be susceptible to a counterattack by the enemy if they sallied forth?' Gyuki questioned. It was a valid concern to have.

'Quite true my friend, however you forget something, I suspect Zhang Yan to have his forces depleted. He put all his troops on the offense on the failed siege. Even though he may have more than us I believe it may not be enough to risk a full-frontal assault.' Pang Tong reminded him.

'Plus not to mention the morale of the enemy must be low after consecutive by our smaller force.' LingQi mentioned.

'However, we do not know about how many mystics are inside the settlement. I do not believe they may be as foolish as Zhang Yan's men in throwing their lives away.'

'Maybe, maybe not. Though I think its fair to say we may need more information before our minds seem to be put to rest it seems, I suggest we deploy scouts in the city to analyse their defences. My Phoenix guards would be up for the task.'

'That may be strategist but those warriors at their present level cannot stand to a mystic, particularly one like the one we faced. Not to mention their speed. I on the other hand would be able to stick to the shadows and escape with ease.' Dodomeki nominated himself.

'That may not be the wisest suggestion. Last time you were at deaths door when you went out on your own.'

'She caught me off guard and there was two of them!' Dodomeki slammed his fist onto the table, feeling infuriated at being reminded of his failures. Silence filled the tent before he sighed and continued.