Way of Overlord
Chapter 153: Needing A Win

Chapter 153: Needing A Win

In any other region, such mistreatment might have ignited a rebellion, akin to the Yellow Turban uprising in the Central Plains and the South.

But Nurshira, situated on the fringes of the Yan Dynasty, seemed to exist in a realm where the suffering of the people could be conveniently overlooked.

Qiao Meng’s actions had sown the seeds of discontent among the populace.

The common people, burdened by the weight of their oppressors, bore their suffering in silence.

But it would not be for long

"Barbarians inside the city" this is the word that he keeps obsessing about

The word "barbarians inside the city" echoed relentlessly in Qiao Meng’s mind.

Xu Bai’s words had cut deep, and anger surged within him like an uncontrollable tempest.

Xu Bai words, isn’t it referring to them?

How could Qiao Meng not get angry?

The indignation gnawed at his core, stoking the fires of his rage.

The tension in the room escalated as Qiao Meng’s fury reached a crescendo.

BOOM!

Suddenly, he struck the wooden table with a resounding crash, his clenched hand delivering a deafening proclamation of his anger.

Everyone was shocked and look at the source of that sound and then they were surprised to see Qiao Meng hand on top of the wooden table, clenched hard

The source of the sound is Qiao Meng slamming his hand on the wooden table beside him

"Xu Bai. You are going too far!"

The generals all frowned.

The room crackled with tension as the two men, both fueled by anger and pride, faced off.

Qiao Meng’s voice, laced with fury, rang through the chamber, accusing Xu Bai of crossing a line.

"Qiao Meng!" Xu Bai shot back, his own voice tinged with incredulity and exasperation.

He couldn’t comprehend how, after providing comprehensive details of their city’s weaknesses and proposing a solution, Qiao Meng could react with such aggression.

Qiao Meng instead of thanking him, is shouting at him.

In the midst of this confrontation, the other generals and officials in the room shifted uncomfortably, frowning at the escalating discord.

Xu Bai is also a person of great influence, and he also has his own temper like any other young man so how could he allow Qiao Meng who he always disdain shout at him like this.

But the angrier he is, the more Qiao Meng could not trust him.

Xu Bai is doing this to save the city but that does mean that Qiao Meng sees it like that

What he sees is Xu Bai eroding his authority and even wanting to put other people over him?

And how could Qiao Meng, who has always had a high opinion about himself let such thing happens?

Xu Bai and Qiao Meng locked eyes, their faces etched with determination and stubbornness. It was a battle not just of words but of egos, where neither man is willing to yield an inch.

"Hmph" Qiao Meng snorted and he immediately waves his hand and said " Remove him from the city walls"

"My lord" General Xi Yan cupped his hand; his face is visibly shocked.

And some other military officials also cupped their hand and wanting to plead. They all wanted to intercede for Xu Bai

but before they could even speak Qiao Meng glares at them and spoke

"When did someone who have no official title could run around his mouth here"

General Xi Yan and the other frowned and then sigh. It is true the reputation of Xu Bai is high and famous but after all, he is not appointed and are not an official.

Xu Bai shakes his head. He could see now that no matter how useful his advice is, if the lord doesn’t want to accept it, he could not show his brilliance

He snorted and spoke

"What a stupid lord. I have given you wise advice but you don’t want to listen" Xu Bai did not allow the military to escort him down the city wall, instead, he walk down the city walls himself. When he reach the bottom he looks at the city gate and sighed

General Xi Yan and the other military officials could only watch in dismay as Xu Bai was banished from the walls.

They knew the city needed every bit of help it could get, even from an unofficial source as knowledgeable as Xu Bai. But they were powerless in the face of Qiao Meng’s authority.

"The barbarians would tear that gate and there will be hell on earth" he sighed and then he jump into his horse and ride to his home

He could see the fate of this city. And the fate of the city is bleak. And so, he needs to prepare

The people on the city walls is preparing and Xu Bai is also preparing. He rides his horse to his home and then quickly gather his clan.

And then in a matter of days, they left the city under the guise of night, riding towards Bingzhou.

The Xu family left the city!

The departure of the Xu family, renowned for their wisdom, is a clear sign of the dire straits Nurshira found itself in.

As they left, uncertainty and fear gripped the city, for it was now left to face the impending threat of the barbarian horde with its own divided leadership.

...

Qiao Meng did not know he had just lost his final chance of saving the city. Xu Bai talent is not a false reputation

If he was allowed to show his brilliance there is always a chance for the city to be saved.

As the days passed, Nurshira became a city on edge.

Beyond its walls, the camps of the Great Steppe warriors sprawled across the landscape, a menacing reminder of the impending threat.

Inside, morale among the defenders waned, and the people began to fear the inevitable clash with the barbarian horde.

The fate of Nurshira now hung in the balance, a city divided, its leadership at odds, and a formidable enemy encircling it

from the moment Qiao meng decided not to listen to his advice, the defeat of the city is already written

And outside the city camps of the warriors of the Great Steppe could be seen all over, smokes of war rising toward the heavens

.....

Aeryon arrival at the city gates marked a crucial juncture in his current expedition

he and his loyal warriors established their camp several dozen kilometres from the city walls.

The preparation for the impending siege had been undertaken with meticulous precision, much of it orchestrated by Mayeux, his trusted advisor.

However, Aeryon knew that there remained a host of critical tasks he must personally oversee to maximize their chances of victory.

"I must prevail," Aeryon whispered to himself

Foremost among these tasks was the imperative gathering of intelligence about the city’s defense, a fundamental strategy he had instilled in his generals, including Belarion, his sworn brother.

Scouting and reconnaissance is one of the cornerstones of his military doctrine, and in this regard, Mayeux had dispatched scouts long before their arrival at the city’s outskirts.

Thanks to their diligence, Aeryon now possessed a wealth of vital information about the city’s fortifications, garrison size, and defensive capabilities.

As he perused the detailed reports provided by his scouts, Aeryon keen eyes locked onto a crucial piece of information—a potential weakness along the northern wall of the city.

"I may send a group to test that vulnerability later," he contemplated silently, his mind racing with strategies to exploit this newfound advantage.

Aeryon, with concern for his campaign success, is determined to gather not only intelligence about the city but also crucial information about the surrounding terrain and any potential hazards it might conceal.

He understood that mastering the lay of the land is essential to his strategy and it is essential to win

Mastering the terrain is one of the most paramount importance in any war. Great position could sometimes change the tide of a battle

He waited for a moment, his patience manifesting as a silent vigil.

After what felt like an eternity, someone finally entered his tent.

The scout reported their findings, and Aeryon listened intently.

A knowing smile played on his lips as he absorbed the information, and with a sense of satisfaction, he dismissed the scout from the tent.

"Now, the siege equipment is being assembled," he declared with a joyful laughter that echoed within the confines of his command tent.

The people of the Great Steppe possessed limited knowledge of siege weapon construction,

If he is the native person of this world, Aeryon is confident that he have to do the same thing like Genghis Khan did which is to learn from the captured people on how to create siege weapons

However, Aeryon unique background or is it more accurate to call it a different life, having arrived in this world from a different realm, afforded him a distinct advantage.

In his former life, he had acquired knowledge of siege engineering.

He possessed the skills required to design catapults, trebuchets, and battering rams—formidable instruments specifically engineered for breaching city walls and gates.

This invaluable knowledge set him apart from the conventional strategies of his steppe brethren

And he intends to use such tactics. After all, the Yan people is also very adept at sieging tactic.

But even though he knew the design, he did not know how to construct it. After all, he is not a builder. What he could supply is blueprints of weapons.

Of course, he have some knowledge about how to create things but he is nota computer or a search engine where he would know how to create things just because he could think of it.

because of the lack of competent builder, since building things is not exactly the forte of a nomadic society like them which only would build something that is appropriate for the time and circumstances that they are in Aeryon did not have many sieges equipment

Because of their moving nature, the nomadic societies rarely stay in one place for a long time and such never look at art of building things that favourably.

As long as you could build your tent and build necessary things for survival there is no need to learn so many things about building

But Aeryon uses the people he had captured to quickly bodily a few sieging weapons

"And a few is enough" he mutters to himself as he once again goes to the table and look at the map of the area.

He got the map from one of the scholars of a village he raided. The scholar itself is released from his jail and given a lot more freedom than the other captives.

Aeryon is looking at the map and visualising the terrain.

"This is my first battle outside. And this is the battle against Yan"

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