Chapter 263
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Chapter 263: Tricking Open the City Gate (1)
The night was deep, and Songhe City was brightly lit under the cover of darkness.
A soldier on duty on the city wall squinted, watching the gradually expanding torchlight outside the city.
His face changed slightly, and he quickly rang the copper bell beside him.
The on-duty soldiers, hearing the commotion, quickly gathered on the city wall.
Looking at the approaching group carrying torches outside the city, Zhang Dapeng, one of the two captains of the East Gate defense unit, raised his hand, signaling the archers to be ready to fire, and then called out.
“People outside the city, listen!”
“Don’t come any closer, or I’ll order the archers to shoot!”
Perhaps his shout worked, as the group outside the city slowly stopped advancing.
Their cooperation slightly eased Zhang Dapeng’s expression, and he called out again.
“Whose troops are you? State your affiliation and names!”
As he shouted these words, a figure slowly walked out from the troops outside the city and called out loudly.
“I am Zhou Yi, under General Zhen Dong.”
“East Frontier City was attacked by the enemy and breached.”
“We barely managed to escape, and the brothers in the city, quickly open the gate!”
“Many of us are seriously wounded and urgently need medical attention!”
As he spoke, Zhou Yi deliberately raised the torch in his hand, letting the light illuminate his face so that the people on the city wall could see clearly.
To play this scene well, Zhou Yi had truly put in the effort.
The group of 50 or 60 people were all covered in blood and grime, their leather armor tattered.
Each one looked as if they had barely fought their way out of an enemy encirclement, full of convincing detail from head to toe.
However, since the messenger had just arrived during the day, Songhe City had already closed its gates and entered a state of martial law.
They naturally wouldn’t open the gate casually and let others in.
Thinking of this, Zhang Dapeng couldn’t help but ask loudly again.
“Where is your general then?!”
Hearing this, the soldiers following Zhou Yi felt a jolt in their hearts, while Zhou Yi, as the main character, remained remarkably calm.
“After breaking through, to evade the enemy’s pursuit, the general ordered us to split up.”
“He led another group of brothers to withdraw towards Songshan City!”
“I don’t know his current situation.”
The Eastern frontier region of Zhou Dongnan’s civilization had three cities: East Frontier City, Songhe City, and Songshan City.
These three cities formed an iron triangle formation, capable of supporting each other in case of an emergency.
This layout was actually excellent, but Zhou Dongnan himself probably never imagined that one corner of the iron triangle would be crushed that very evening, before dark, leaving them no time to react.
Zhou Yi’s reply left Zhang Dapeng unable to find any immediate fault, but he still hesitated.
“You wait. I need to report to the general first…”
The other party’s indecisiveness made Zhou Yi’s mood sink slightly.
Zhao Hu, the defending general of Songhe City, was a fierce general.
If he came over, it might be difficult for them to seize the city gate.
For a moment, Zhou Yi’s mind raced with thoughts.
Just as he was pondering whether to change the plan, new developments occurred on the city wall.
“The general just married his third concubine yesterday and is quite busy right now.”
“If we disturb the general’s good time now, have you thought about the consequences when he blames us later?”
The speaker was Chen Mingrui, the other captain of the East Gate defense unit.
He walked up, glanced down at Zhou Yi, and then said to Zhang Dapeng.
“That’s indeed Zhou Yi, from under General Zhen Dong. I’ve seen him.”
“Then, let them in?”
Zhang Dapeng looked hesitant, but Chen Mingrui’s words were indeed reasonable.
Given their general’s fiery temper, disturbing him now might truly bring trouble.
“Otherwise?”
Zhang Dapeng was speechless for a moment, then called out again.
“Brothers below, wait a moment, we’ll open the gate now!”
Zhou Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He couldn’t hear what the two above were saying, but as long as they could trick open the city gate, it was fine.
The waiting time was exceptionally grueling for Zhou Yi, feeling like an eternity.
Zhang Dapeng and Chen Mingrui, who were walking towards the city gate at this moment, clearly couldn’t understand this.
Zhang Dapeng, on the way, didn’t forget to ask a few more questions.
“That Zhou Yi outside, do you know him?”
“Not exactly. He was originally a centurion, but he’s a fool. He contradicted the general for a few commoners and was demoted to a mere soldier. Given General Zhen Dong’s character, he’ll probably never make it anywhere in this life.”
As he spoke, Chen Mingrui openly expressed his disdain for Zhou Yi.
What good was popularity among soldiers and a bunch of dead commoners?!
Getting along well with superiors was the true path to promotion and wealth.
As they spoke, Songhe City’s tightly closed gate slowly began to rise.
The torchlight illuminating his face allowed Zhou Yi to slightly relax, then he quickly tensed his nerves again.
This was only the first step, the key was to seize control of the city gate.
“Quickly come in!”
After the city gate opened halfway, it didn’t rise any further.
Zhang Dapeng’s voice came from inside.
He was worried that keeping the gate open too long would cause unexpected trouble, while Zhou Yi was worried that delaying too long would make the other party detect something unusual.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yi naturally didn’t dare to waste any more time.
As he walked forward, he quickly signaled with his eyes towards his companions behind him, using the torchlight.
The people behind him immediately understood, helping each other as they poured into the city.
“Chief, they’ve gone in.”
In the distance, Luo Yong, hidden in the darkness, still had a worried expression on his face.
Even now, he still doubted Zhou Yi’s words.
“Shouldn’t we act now while the city gate is open?”
“Don’t rush.”
Luo Ji said calmly.
“Employ people you trust, and trust people you employ.”
“Since I’ve chosen to trust Zhou Yi this once, I’ll trust him completely.”
“How much time does it take for the other side to close the gate?”
“Even if we suddenly rush out now, at this distance, can we be faster than them closing the gate?”
At this point, Luo Ji paused slightly, looking utterly calm and unhurried.
“Rushing out suddenly would only disrupt Zhou Yi’s plan.”
“Rather than that, it’s better to take a gamble.”
“If we win, Songhe City will naturally be ours.”
“And Zhou Yi will have proven the sincerity of his surrender.”
“If we lose, we’ll just continue according to the original plan.”
“Either way, I won’t suffer much loss.”
