Chapter 428: The Strongest Fortress Is Often Breached from Within!
Three consecutive sharp questions, ringing in the ears! These martial artists carefully thought about it and realized that it was indeed the truth. Right now, they are resisting the foreign invaders on the front lines, but their own country’s common people are suffering in the rear, enduring displacement and misery. Some, in order to survive, have had to take up arms in rebellion. The longer they resist, the longer the common people behind them suffer. Some couldn’t help but doubt, “Are we doing the right thing?”
“Don’t listen to Lin Beifan’s nonsense; he’s just trying to argue!” A sharp voice rang out, “Certainly, we are resisting on the front lines, and the people in the rear are suffering! But if we really let the allied forces in, can the common people behind us live in peace? You must know that they are invaders! How can invaders treat our common people kindly? At that time, the common people behind us will undoubtedly suffer even more! So, everyone must hold on and not be swayed by them!”
Upon hearing this, they once again felt it made sense, and their determination grew stronger. Lin Beifan chuckled, “Invaders? Why do you speak so harshly? Do you know that since the ice disaster, how many Great Xia common people have fled to our Great Wu for their livelihoods?”
They all looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion, unable to answer.
Lin Beifan raised a finger, “At least a million!” Everyone was shocked. “How is that possible? Are you lying to us?”
“A million! So many?”
Lin Beifan raised his voice, “Would I deceive you for no reason? Go and inquire within the borders of Great Wu, go and see for yourselves, and you’ll know if there are so many people! If the Great Xia common people could survive, why would they leave their homes and come to Great Wu? You must understand that our Great Wu and Great Xia have hostile relations; the border between the two sides is very tense! I didn’t hold a knife to their necks, but they still ran to our side!
“It shows that our Great Wu is better than Great Xia!”
“It shows that our Great Wu is peaceful, and in our land, they can make a living! It shows that Great Xia is not peaceful; they have no future here, so they can only come to our side!”
“This is their own choice, they genuinely recognize Great Wu, so they are willing to serve Great Wu!”
“Here, they live better than in Great Xia, and they have dignity!”
“Let’s talk about the Darro Kingdom and the White Elephant Kingdom!”
Lin Beifan smiled and said, “These two countries only joined Great Wu in the past two years! Look at their common people now, they are living well, with fields to cultivate, stable food supplies, clothes to wear, cement houses to live in – their lives have improved many times over!”
“Not joining our Great Wu would be their loss! So, when it comes to the latecomers, do you think we will treat the common people well?”
Lin Beifan confidently spread his hands and asked, “Isn’t all of this clear evidence? Do I need to say more?”
After listening to Lin Beifan’s words, their hearts wavered once again. As Lin Beifan pointed out, if the Great Xia common people could survive in Great Xia, why would they leave their homes and seek a livelihood in a distant enemy country?
Truth be told, if they were Great Xia common people, they might also choose Great Wu because, looking around the world, Great Wu is relatively peaceful and stable. In other countries, the common people have even fewer opportunities, and they can only run there to have a glimmer of hope for survival.
Moreover, the common people of Darro Kingdom and White Elephant Kingdom seem to be doing well now. Despite experiencing the ice disaster, life is still tough, but they are at least better off than the common people in Great Xia. Could it be that they are wrong, and Great Wu is truly the popular choice?
Seeing this, the Marshal of Great Xia couldn’t help but feel uneasy and shouted, “Don’t listen to Lin Beifan’s deceptive words; don’t be swayed by him! He’s an invader, and his words can’t be trusted…”
Under the reassurance of the other side, this group of martial artists once again settled down. Lin Beifan rode his horse and moved back into the midst of the alliance’s army.
Zhao Kuo couldn’t help but ask, “Commander, what do we do now? Attack the city directly?” Lin Beifan smiled and shook his head, “No rush! The strongest fortresses are often breached from within! We will now implement the People’s Heart Plan!”
“Yes, Commander!”
So, the alliance’s army camped.
They made fires, cooked food, and reorganized their troops, but they didn’t attack the city. The Great Xia side was the defending side, and since the alliance’s army didn’t attack, they naturally didn’t initiate any attacks either, dragging each other along.
Because the other side had 2 million troops, logistics supply was a massive problem. If the other side was willing to drag it out, they were even more willing to drag it out, slowly wearing them down.
They could also seize the opportunity to cut off their food supply lines. Meanwhile, within Great Xia, a wave of public opinion arose.
“The alliance’s army has already arrived and is facing off against the Great Xia army in the White Tiger Mountains!”
“It is true that the alliance’s army is a force of justice, and wherever they go, they do not harm the common people!”
“Is that so?”
“How could it be false? Lin Commander is the recognized contemporary military genius, and he governs the military strictly!”
“Moreover, he is also the Prime Minister of Great Wu! Under his efforts, Great Wu is thriving, and the national strength is rapidly recovering! The common people in Great Wu are living better and better! Many of us Great Xia common people have gone there to seek a livelihood, and life is not bad!”
“And the recently annexed common people of Darro and White Elephant, they are also doing well now! You must know that they were like us before, exploited by the court, and their lives were difficult. But now, they have found a better life in Great Wu!”
“They couldn’t survive! It wasn’t until the Great Wu army arrived and turned them all into prosperous Great Wu citizens, allowing them to live the dream life they had longed for!”
“It sounds so admirable. Can we do the same?”
“Of course we can! As long as we become Great Wu citizens, we can also lead a stable and happy life! Let’s open the city gates and welcome the alliance army into the city!”
“Open the city gates, welcome the alliance army into the city!”
With the guidance of those with ulterior motives, this public opinion continued to escalate. The common people saw a new hope and rose up one after another, heading towards the White Tiger Mountains.
Finally, this growing crowd gathered into a million-strong army, arriving at the White Tiger Fortress and shouting loudly.
“Open the city gates, welcome the alliance army into the city!”
“Open the city gates, welcome the alliance army into the city!”
Inside the White Tiger Fortress camp, a soldier rushed in nervously. “Marshal, something big has happened; the enemy army is coming!”
The Marshal of Great Xia was shocked. “The alliance army is coming?”
The other person vigorously nodded, urgently saying, “Marshal, it’s not the alliance army; it’s our Great Xia rebels! They’ve formed an army and are coming right outside the fortress. They want us to open the city gates and welcome the alliance army into the city!”
The Marshal of Great Xia was dumbfounded. “Our Great Xia rebels want us to open the city gates and welcome the alliance army into the city?”
What kind of situation was this? He had never encountered such a thing before! There was no logic in having one’s own people open the city gates to let invaders in!
“Marshal, this is how it is…”
After listening to the soldier’s explanation, the Marshal of Great Xia was furious. “They’ve really gone mad!”
Filled with righteous indignation, he went to the city wall and indeed saw a massive crowd of common people below. They were loudly demanding to open the city gates and welcome the alliance army into the city.
The Marshal of Great Xia was furious. “These rebels! We are shedding blood on the front lines to defend our homeland, and they are hindering us from behind, and they want to open the gates for the enemy… It’s simply outrageous! Immediately, release arrows to drive them away!”
At this moment, a great hero intervened. “Marshal, they are all Great Xia’s common people, just temporarily misled! Using arrows to kill them will result in massive casualties, which is not appropriate. Please think twice!”
The Marshal of Great Xia angrily said, “Hero Guo, our soldiers are fighting on the front lines, and they are betraying us from behind. If we don’t deal with this promptly, we’ll be vulnerable from both sides, and the country will be in danger! In turbulent times, we must use severe measures. Please understand my predicament!”
Hero Guo glanced at the million common people below the city, then at the determined Marshal of Great Xia, and thought about the current situation. Finally, he sighed and made a decision.
“Release the arrows!” The Marshal of Great Xia shouted.
“Swish, swish, swish…” Countless arrows were fired.
Numerous Great Xia common people fell in a pool of blood.
The martial artists who had come to defend their homeland on the city wall felt a chill in their hearts when they saw this scene. Their own people had not died at the hands of the invaders but indeed at the hands of their own government.
Everything they were doing now…
Was it right?
They were utterly confused!
On the other side, Lin Beifan had already received the news. He immediately ordered his three armies and shouted, “I’ve heard that a million Great Xia common people have gathered on the other side of the city gate to welcome us! We cannot disappoint the Great Xia common people! The entire army, follow me and cut through the White Tiger Mountains, into Great Xia!”
“Charge!!!” The entire army moved.
More than fifty innate experts under Lin Beifan’s command were the first to charge!
On the city walls.
A Great Xia soldier rushed over anxiously. “Marshal, something big has happened! The million-strong alliance army is on the move, heading towards our border fortress! Among them, their innate (led by Zhao) experts are about to reach the city walls!”
The Marshal of Great Xia was shocked. “What? They’re coming at a time like this?”
This was truly a situation where they were vulnerable from both sides!
If they couldn’t hold on, this defensive line would collapse! The Marshal of Great Xia was in a state of urgency and quickly said to the martial artists around him, “I implore all the heroes to lend a hand and resist the alliance’s innate experts! I thank you all!”
Hero Guo arched his hand and said, “Marshal, this commoner is currently in a state of confusion, not knowing whether the convictions and justice I’ve been holding are right or wrong! So, I won’t participate in this battle. Please understand, Marshal, and bid farewell!”
The Marshal of Great Xia was dumbfounded. “Ah? Hero Guo, you…”
Hero Guo arched his hand once more and then left.
Following him, the second hero stepped forward, arching his hand respectfully, “Marshal, I also have doubts in my heart, and until I clear my thoughts, I’ll take my leave!”
The third hero said, “I am powerless in this battle. I have to go!”
The fourth hero said, “Farewell, Marshal!”
Other heroes also left, disregarding the Marshal’s attempts to stop them.
Two-thirds of the innate experts left, and other justice-minded martial artists, witnessing the imperial army’s harm to their own people, felt disappointed and silently departed. The Marshal of Great Xia looked at the innate experts of the alliance who had already reached the city walls, their eyes filled with despair.
“It’s over! Great Xia is finished!”
