Without time to think, Terunhe immediately spoke with a righteous tone!
“But Chief Ke Bineng is absolutely right; only by breaking through this city can we expand our gains.”
“After returning to our tribes, everyone will be able to have a good winter.”
“Therefore, my Terunhe Tribe fully supports Chief Ke Bineng in sending troops to attack Gaoliu City.”
After saying this, Terunhe’s gaze drifted to the other tribes, a cold smile appearing on his lips.
He immediately shouted loudly!
“Duan Bu Yu, Qifu Chong, I’m sure both of you also strongly agree with Chief Ke Bineng’s words, right?”
Duan Bu Yu and Qifu Chong, sitting in the crowd, gnashed their teeth upon hearing this.
They hadn’t expected Terunhe to drag them into this as well.
They wanted to pretend not to hear, but Chief Ke Bineng, sitting in the main seat, swept his fierce gaze over them.
They felt cold sweat trickling down their backs and their hearts fluttered.
The two dared not pretend not to hear and quickly stood up, declaring loudly!
“The Duan Bu Tribe and the Qifu Tribe are willing to follow Chief Ke Bineng’s strategy and send troops to attack Gaoliu City.”
As several large tribes stepped forward and bowed in agreement to send troops to attack Gaoliu City, the other smaller tribes dared not object.
After all, you can’t twist an arm that’s bigger than your leg. If anyone dared to stand up and oppose, they would likely be made an example of by Ke Bineng to deter the other tribes.
Seeing that everyone agreed, Ke Bineng’s fierce expression slowly subsided, though he was still very displeased.
It seemed his prestige was still insufficient; he didn't have the power to make final decisions.
But thinking about it, it made sense. Although the Xianbei Royal Court was already fragmented and its power was not what it once was, he also had the right to contend for the position of King.
However, precisely because of this, many leaders of large tribes gradually grew ambitious, wanting to compete for this position of King.
Furthermore, these small and medium-sized tribes were all fickle, trying to play both sides and not wholeheartedly pledging allegiance to him.
As soon as they fell slightly behind or didn't gain any benefits, these people would probably immediately pack up and leave, beginning to side with other leaders.
Displeased as he was, he still had to rely on these leaders under his command to contend with others for the position of Lord of the Xianbei Royal Court.
Looking at the crowd, his clear voice slowly came out!
“Since you all agree to this, let us begin to decide on a strategy.”
“The Terunhe Tribe, Duan Bu Tribe, Qifu Tribe, and Tufa Tribe will each dispatch one thousand infantrymen.”
“The other tribes will dispatch five hundred men, totaling eight thousand infantrymen. Tomorrow, we will begin to attack Gaoliu City. I hope all of you can work together to break through this place as soon as possible.”
Many tribal leaders looked somewhat displeased upon hearing this.
Many tribes had barely scraped together one or two thousand soldiers, and now they had to dispatch half of them, and for a siege battle at that, where casualties were extremely heavy. It was likely a losing battle.
But everyone had already agreed, and despite their displeasure, no one dared to object. They could only swallow this bitter pill.
They hoped that after breaking through Gaoliu City, they would obtain a large amount of grain and slaves, making up for their losses as soon as possible, and then everyone would continue to follow Ke Bineng.
If they didn't get the benefits they wanted, and instead suffered heavy losses, they probably wouldn't wait for the war to end before packing up and running off to immediately pledge allegiance to another great leader.
As for following Ke Bineng, that was a joke. After all, who could endure going hungry for three days out of nine?
Seeing that everyone agreed, Ke Bineng waved his hand, instructing everyone to prepare for the attack on Gaoliu City tomorrow morning.
The many tribal leaders bowed in unison and slowly left the central army tent.
After seeing everyone leave, Ke Bineng let out a slight cold snort!
They truly were a bunch of ungrateful people. He had led them south to raid the borders, already plundering a good deal of money, grain, and slaves.
Even so, when asked to put in some effort, they were reluctant and pushed back.
Thinking of this, Ke Bineng couldn't help but sigh. If he wanted to contend for the position of King of the Royal Court, relying on these people from his subordinate tribes was probably not an option.
One must be strong oneself. He still had to rely on himself to continue strengthening his power.
A determined look appeared in his eyes. As long as he broke through Gaoliu City, he would sweep across the entire Dingxiang Commandery. The wealth he plundered would be enough for him to continue increasing his strength.
As long as he could unify the entire Xianbei Royal Court and become a figure like Chief Tan Shihuai, his words would be law, and no one would dare to object.
The next morning!
In the Xianbei camp outside the city, horn calls and drumbeats resounded loudly!
The leaders of the various tribes gathered their soldiers, then integrated them into several formations.
Ke Bineng, clad in a long robe with a sharp blade at his waist, arrived at a makeshift high platform, surrounded by his Generals.
He addressed the several thousand soldiers before him, instructing them loudly!
“My Xianbei warriors, I hope you can show courage and break through this city!”
“I, the Chief, promise you that whichever tribe is the first to breach the city, I will grant their tribe three days of unrestricted plundering. The money, grain, and people in the city will be yours to take as you please.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the several thousand Xianbei soldiers below the high platform gleamed with excitement, and their breathing quickened.
Even the tribal leaders standing on both sides showed avarice in their eyes.
There were tens of thousands of common people living inside the city, and the money and grain within were countless. If their tribe could break through, they would not only suffer no losses but would also gain immensely.
Everyone raised their blades and shouted loudly!
“Chief Ke Bineng is mighty! Chief Ke Bineng is mighty!”
The deafening sound echoed for several miles around, and the morale of the Xianbei soldiers could be said to have reached its peak.
Seeing the high morale before him, Ke Bineng's face showed satisfaction. He waved his hand and declared loudly!
“Attack the city!”
The several thousand Xianbei army, led by the various tribal leaders, formed several formations, completely surrounding Gaoliu City.
Horn calls and drumbeats resounded, and then, pushing some simple siege weapons, they launched a fierce assault on the city.
On top of Gaoliu City, Zhang Fei, holding his Eighteen-Foot Snake Spear, watched the vast numbers of Xianbei soldiers charging towards the city walls.
His eyes glowed with fervor, and he constantly rubbed his palms, then roared loudly!
“Han warriors, guard the city well for me, resist these Xianbei scoundrels, protect the people within the city, and do not let these people breach the city!”
“Whoever dares to retreat in battle or show fear, don't blame my spear for piercing them to death!”
The two thousand soldiers defending the city wall all raised their blades and shouted loudly!
“We obey the General’s command! We will not retreat!”