Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1184 The Flames of War Erupt, Sparking a Civil War!

Lu Qi walked to Gao Yao's side and whispered, "My lord, everything is going smoothly. The main force of Northern Qi has discovered the battlefield, and our 'evidence' should have been found."

Gao Yao nodded and closed his eyes to rest. He didn't need to see it with his own eyes to imagine the reaction from the Northern Qi—anger, shock, and then a thirst for revenge. The border conflict would escalate rapidly, and a full-scale war between the Northern Qi and the Qing Kingdom would be almost inevitable.

And this is exactly the result he wanted.

The Qing Kingdom's court is currently embroiled in infighting, with various factions openly and covertly vying for power. However, in reality, the country remains stable, and its national strength is still secure. Therefore, it is necessary to allow this conflict to escalate further.

"Have you prepared all the Northern Qi military uniforms that I asked you to collect?"

"We're ready!"

"Just wait. After today's bloody battle, it's time to make our move against Nanqing!"

Gao Yao didn't waste any words and led his men back into the woods. Meanwhile, the garrison in Nanqing was still unaware of what was happening.

The pre-dawn darkness, like thick ink, enveloped the entire valley. In the vanguard battalion of the Southern Qing Army, Wang Hu, the sentry on night duty, forced himself to stay alert; his eyes ached from staring into the darkness for so long. A few distant barks drifted by, quickly swallowed by the night wind. He rubbed his eyes, his right hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the stillness of the night as the sound grew louder. Wang Hu's heart tightened, and he squinted in the direction of the sound. Three blurry figures emerged from the darkness, the riders on horseback swaying precariously.

"Enemy attack! It's the Northern Qi army!" the leader shouted hoarsely, before he tumbled off his horse.

Wang Hu immediately rang the alarm bell. The urgent sound pierced the night sky, and the vanguard camp was instantly illuminated. The camp gates swung open, and several soldiers rushed out to drag the wounded scout back into the camp. The scout was covered in blood, his left arm hanging limply at his side, and his armor was covered in knife marks.

"Report...reporting to the general," the scout gasped, "The Northern Qi...50,000 troops...are rushing towards our army..."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers all gasped in shock. Li Wei, the commander of the vanguard battalion, strode forward, his face ashen: "What did you say? Fifty thousand troops?"

"It's absolutely true... They're... gathering in Dragon Tooth Valley... They'll arrive here in two hours at most..."

Li Wei gripped his sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white. He turned to his deputy, Zhao Ming, and ordered, "Immediately request reinforcements from the main camp! All troops, prepare for battle!"

Five thousand against fifty thousand—it was almost a foregone conclusion. But Li Wei understood that they had to hold out until reinforcements arrived, otherwise a fatal gap would appear in the entire Nanqing defense line. The soldiers sprang into action, reinforcing their fortifications and checking their weapons; tension and determination were written on every face.

As dawn broke and the mist began to rise in the valley, the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds, revealing the massive army of Northern Qi on the horizon. A dark mass of soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave, banners obscuring the sun, war drums thundering. The 50,000-strong army, arrayed in several square formations, advanced slowly, their synchronized steps causing the earth to tremble.

On the watchtower of the vanguard battalion, Li Wei and his deputy Zhao Ming stood side by side, their faces grave. Zhao Ming put down his binoculars and whispered, "General, judging from this formation, they've come out in full force. We can only hold out for three hours at most."

Li Wei nodded, his eyes sharp: "Three hours... it all depends on whether reinforcements can arrive in time. Send the order: archers prepare, crossbows stand by. We must make them pay the price for every step they take."

In the Northern Qi army ranks, Commander Yuwen Tuo, mounted on his warhorse, gazed at the Southern Qing army's camp from afar, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge. Just last night, he received an urgent report that three thousand elite soldiers of the Northern Qi vanguard had been completely annihilated, and all the clues left at the scene pointed to the Southern Qing army. What enraged him even more was that fragments of Southern Qing army arrows and battle flags had been discovered near the battlefield.

"General, the Southern Qing Vanguard Battalion only has five thousand men. Should we...?" the lieutenant asked cautiously.

Yuwen Tuo coldly interrupted, "No, Nanqing is cunning; they must have an ambush. Charge with the entire army, leaving no room for retreat. I will make the people of Nanqing pay for their crimes in blood!"

As the war drums sounded, the vanguard of the Northern Qi army began to accelerate. Thousands of infantrymen, shields raised, formed a moving wall and slowly approached the Southern Qing army camp. Behind them, archers drew their bows, waiting to enter firing range.

"Archers, fire!" The commander gave the order on the Nanqing army's position.

The first volley of arrows flew out like locusts, tracing arcs through the air before landing among the Northern Qi army. Screams rose and fell, but the Northern Qi army's formation remained intact. The wounded and the dead were quickly dragged to the rear, and the gaps were immediately filled. This is the difference between a well-trained army and a rabble.

Yuwen Tuo stared expressionlessly at the fallen soldiers before him, then waved his hand and ordered, "Archers, return fire! Prepare the siege ladders!"

Arrows from both sides clashed in the air, forming a dense web of death. The Southern Qing army, benefiting from its superior fortifications, suffered relatively fewer casualties, but the Northern Qi army's overwhelming numerical superiority began to emerge. After several rounds of exchange, the Northern Qi army's ladders had reached close to the camp walls.

"Roll logs and smash stones!" Li Wei shouted.

Southern Qing soldiers pushed the prepared logs and stones down the camp wall, and amidst screams, dozens of Northern Qi soldiers fell from the ladders. But more soldiers surged forward, like a tireless swarm of ants. A Northern Qi soldier finally climbed to the top of the wall, but before he could even stand firmly, a spear pierced his chest. But before he fell, he also dragged a Southern Qing soldier off the wall.

The battle quickly intensified. The sounds of clashing swords, shouts of battle, and screams mingled together, blood staining the camp walls and corpses piling up at their base. Yuwen Tuo continuously redeployed his troops, trying to find a weak point in the Nanqing defense line. Li Wei, like a chess player, nervously maneuvered his limited forces to fill each breach that had been made.

Time ticked by, and the Southern Qing army's arrows and logs gradually ran out. Although the Northern Qi army suffered heavy losses, it continued to reinforce its troops. Breaches appeared in several places in the camp walls, and close-quarters combat unfolded on the walls.

"General, the east wall is about to fall!" A captain with a bloodied face ran up to report.

Li Wei gritted his teeth and said, "Send two hundred men from the reserves! Hold out for another hour, and the reinforcements will arrive!"

However, the Northern Qi army seemed to have realized the weakness of the eastern wall, and Yuwen Tuo decisively ordered: "Concentrate your forces and launch a fierce attack on the eastern wall!"

Hundreds of elite Northern Qi troops surged towards the east wall like a tidal wave, and the Southern Qing army's defenses began to crumble. Just at the critical moment, a bugle call suddenly sounded in the distance—Southern Qing reinforcements had arrived!

Yuwen Tuo's expression changed, then he sneered: "Perfect timing! Send orders to send 20,000 troops to intercept the Southern Qing reinforcements, and the rest to continue attacking the vanguard!"

The Southern Qing reinforcements numbered about 30,000, led by the veteran general Zhang Huaiyuan. Seeing the Northern Qi army splitting its forces to meet them, Zhang Huaiyuan did not hesitate and ordered his entire army to charge. The two armies clashed on the plain, warhorses neighing, swords flashing, and the battlefield instantly expanded several times over.