The Lord Of Blood Hill

Outside the capital, a royal estate now serves as Nangong Ying’s temporary command center.

Civil and military officials gather here to report various updates to Nangong Ying.

Today, the estate is particularly lively, every official who can make it is present.

The main hall clearly can’t hold over two hundred people, so the largest courtyard is used for the meeting. Even then, many military officers perch atop the walls to listen.

Nangong Ying sits in the center of the courtyard under a sunshade canopy, while Henwell and his companions secure the most comfortable pavilion nearby.

Standing beside Nangong Ying is Lucy, clad in full battle armor.

Since Nangong Ying cannot lead the battle personally, Lucy commands the one hundred thousand Forbidden Army troops from the South Regions, as well as over eighty thousand standing troops who have pledged allegiance.

Including the forces Lucy has personally cultivated, she now commands two hundred thousand soldiers. It’s the largest force among all the generals present.

Nangong Ying rises and scans the crowd.

“The pretender emperor has been fleeing the capital for ten days now. During this time, I have issued multiple decrees demanding his voluntary surrender. Out of brotherly goodwill, I promised to spare his life. Yet he remains obstinate, ignoring my warnings and determined to resist to the end.

“At this point, I have no choice but to launch the final assault.

“Generals, hear my command: the siege begins tomorrow!

“If any enemy soldiers surrender before or during the assault, I will pardon them.

“If they open the city gates to us, they will receive further rewards.

“But if they only surrender after the city falls, I will punish these stubborn traitors severely.”

The capital has eighteen gates, with a general assigned to each direction.

Everyone feels tense about the upcoming siege. After all, the capital’s walls are high and strong.

The defenders are numerous and well-equipped with siege defenses.

Even with many siege engines on their side, the attackers face a daunting challenge.

Except for Henwell, who commands over ten thousand cavalry, Liu Mang and the others each lead twenty thousand troops, choosing different city gates to assault.

The seven gates chosen are not all adjacent, and while the others have infantry, Henwell’s force is exclusively cavalry.

The next day, by noon, the army has already drawn near the capital.

Drums beat fiercely beneath the walls, horns blare continuously from above.

Banners flutter, messengers dash about, scouts and cavalry patrol ceaselessly.

Though it’s the height of summer, the cold, tense atmosphere can be felt from over ten miles away.

As the troops form their battle lines preparing to attack, Henwell leads his cavalry, circling and accelerating around the formations.

The generals watch in confusion. What use are cavalry in a siege?

Could Henwell really be planning to charge the city gates with his horsemen?

Before they can fully grasp his intent, Henwell’s cavalry finishes their acceleration and charges straight toward the gates.

When the riders are still a few hundred meters out, the main gate, two side gates, and two auxiliary gates begin to slowly swing open.

As all five gates open fully, Henwell’s cavalry bursts through.

The horses surge to full speed, and in the blink of an eye, over a thousand riders flood inside.

Henwell leads his troops deep into the city, where the cavalry splits into more than ten units of a thousand each, charging down the city’s broad main streets.

Enemy soldiers rush about in panic, utterly unprepared for the sudden cavalry assault.

Those quick enough dive into nearby homes for cover; the slower ones become nothing but piles of flesh.

Henwell’s cavalry moves like massive, hungry serpents, rampaging through the capital’s wide thoroughfares.

For the past ten days, Henwell has drilled his officers repeatedly, running through battle routes laid out along the city streets.

His goal isn’t slaughter but to block reinforcements from reaching the gates.

As for how Henwell managed to bribe the gate guards, that’s simple.

Having served as Warden of the Prison Department for two years, Henwell holds plenty of leverage over these officers.

Everyone knows Nangong He’s cause is lost, and Henwell offers these officers a chance to surrender honorably. They accept without hesitation.

Is it a trap? Possibly. But the gate officers are closely watched by the Prison Department’s Soul Locksmith.

Using this method, Henwell successfully turns over three city gates.

ZhangChe is no stranger to strategy either; he has his own network within the court and manages to turn one of the city gates as well.

Lucy has spent years cultivating influence in the capital. If she couldn’t place trusted allies at key gates, it would speak to her incompetence.

So, she too controls three gates, but one of those is actually a Yuwen Family arrangement.

Fang Yuan and Nathan handle logistics and finances for the team, making it easy for them to bribe others.

Before the brutal siege even begins, half of the capital’s eighteen main gates have already been turned.

Before the defenders at other gates can send reinforcements, tens of thousands of troops have poured into the city.

Some units have already scaled the walls, preparing to assault along the ramparts.

In a siege, once any gate falls, the defense is effectively over.

Though the defending generals planned to fall back and mount layered resistance within the city once the gates were lost, the rapid breach leaves little time.

Henwell’s cavalry still roams the main streets, making any retreat from the walls a deadly gamble.

Seeing the tide turn so drastically, Nangong Ying ignores protests and rides forward to personally urge the remaining defenders to surrender.

Faced with Nangong Ying’s offer, most soldiers and officers lay down their arms.

Only a small, desperate few continue to resist, knowing survival is unlikely.

But their defiance is little more than a minor irritation given the situation.

By evening, Nangong Ying’s forces control every part of the capital except the palace itself.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Prison Department, Divine Detective Department, Evil-Catcher Department, Wind-Catching Guard, and others, lead troops in rooting out remaining pockets of enemy resistance.

As lanterns light up the night, Nangong Ying arrives before the palace.

This is the final hurdle before claiming the throne. Inside are Nangong He’s most loyal followers, and surrender talks have little effect.

One palace gate has already been opened, and not all of the four palace wards fully support Nangong He.

Despite prior purges, the rushed timing left many secret agents behind.

Of the four palace gates, one is open, and holding the rest no longer makes sense.

Now, some must prove their loyalty by taking the lead.

The various departments that once supported Nangong He now assemble elite squads to storm the palace and eliminate the die-hard enemies.

Surprisingly, Fu Sifang volunteers to capture the renegade Dragon Guard leader Nangong Yaoyun.

Nangong Ying, worried about this task, immediately promises Fu Sifang full credit whether or not he succeeds.