The scent of green grass and damp earth drifted in from the land north of Cangzhou City.Outside the city, golden sunlight poured across the boundless prairie. A narrow trail led into the distance, and the occasional collapsed thatch hut by the roadside whispered of a past long gone.“After the barbarians took Youzhou, they burned homes and forests, captured civilians. What was once a flourishing land turned into a wilderness of weeds within ten years, now reduced to grazing fields for the Huyan Tuo tribe,” Niu Ben said as he stood on the city wall, gazing across the vast prairie with a voice tinged with melancholy.Ten years ago, he had stood on this very wall, watching barbarian cavalry sweep across the land. Flames had raged for months, painting the sky crimson like fresh blood.Zhan Xingchang stood beside him. After working tirelessly for over two months, he had grown visibly thinner. But with tens of thousands of slaves laboring day and night, a majestic wall had risen from the e

Screams echoed across the battlefield, one after another.Niu Ben’s lips trembled, but the bow in his hand struck like the scythe of death, cold and merciless.With each life he took, a deeper weight of guilt pressed upon his heart. But he knew — behind him stood millions of people from the Great Yu. He could not afford mercy.These conflicting emotions tore through him like brambles around his soul.Xiao Ming’s heart fared no better. Killing one to save ten thousand — in reason, it was right. But to carry it out with his own hands filled him with overwhelming guilt.These were defenseless civilians, once tormented by the barbarians. And now, it was their own brothers-in-arms cutting them down.But Xiao Ming understood: they had to bear this burden. Even if history would spit on their names for a thousand years, they had to endure it.One by one, the slaves collapsed, and the laughter from the barbarian cavalry only grew louder. They were mocking Niu Ben for his futile efforts — anoth

Last night, Xiao Ming fell asleep as soon as he finished eating. All night, his dreams were filled with images of the bloody battle at Cangzhou City—the terrified eyes of slave soldiers, splattering blood, and the crimson mist rising from exploding fire jars.Just half a year ago, he had been a shut-in researcher comfortably working in a lab. Now, he had to face the brutal reality of ancient warfare just to survive.This was a hundred—no, a thousand—times more terrifying than witnessing a street fight. The sheer psychological pressure of seeing a dark mass of roaring enemies charging at you was overwhelming.But he had to endure it. He had to get used to it. Because this might very well be his life from now on.On the city walls, the supplies consumed yesterday had been replenished. The rookie soldiers, who had never experienced war before, seemed to have matured overnight. Yesterday’s victory taught them that as long as they stood united, the barbarians weren’t so fearsome.“Your Hig

“Aim at the Huihui Cannons!”Luo Xin shouted. Every few meters, a soldier repeated his command down the line.Along the 500-meter-long city wall, thirty cannons had been set up—one nearly every ten meters. Orders had to be relayed one by one.Once everything was ready, Xiao Ming nodded at Luo Xin.“Fire!” Luo Xin roared.“Fire!” Voices echoed along the wall.BOOM! BOOM! Thunderous explosions rang out as the cannons shot flames. Black cannonballs flew like dark arrows straight toward the barbarian camp.***Beishan and Gurtai were looking at Cangzhou City while Beishan discussed the next step of their siege.Once the Huihui Cannons were fully assembled, they would launch jars filled with fire oil onto the walls. When those jars shattered, they would ignite entire sections in flames.At the same time, slave soldiers would charge again. One group would dig a tunnel beneath the walls.Once the tunnel was complete, another group would carry in barrels of gunpowder and set them underneath t

When Zhan Xingchang came out of the barbarian camp, the surrounding barbarian soldiers whistled at him mockingly.He had gone to negotiate with the barbarians, but he never got to meet Beishan Taiji himself.Instead, he met a Han man named Liu Xuan.Zhan Xingchang immediately stated Prince Qi’s conditions for surrender: the barbarians must withdraw from Shanhai Pass, give control of You Prefecture and nearby lands to Prince Qi, and in return, Prince Qi would recognize the barbarians as his overlord.Of course, this was an outrageous demand, and just as he expected, the negotiation ended with no agreement.The barbarian side offered their own terms: open the gates of Cangzhou City, and they promised not to harm Prince Qi. They would grant him one prefecture as a fief.Naturally, Zhan Xingchang also refused. But he didn’t reject them outright—he said he needed to return and ask Prince Qi for instructions.“Your Highness, this buys us three to five more days before we need to negotiate a