In the city lord's residence, Leng Wenyan had naturally heard the huge explosion and the collapse of the gate tower.

Plenty of people at the feast were so startled by that thunderclap of a roar that they knocked over their wine cups.

The musicians and singing girls broke off, trembling.

Leng Wenyan immediately sent men to find out what on earth had happened.

Half an hour later, they came back.

"Report..."

A soldier ran into the hall shouting all the way, dropped to his knees in a panic and said in a shaking voice, "Reporting to King Wen, Ning Chen's men have broken in."

Those words frightened everyone present out of their wits.

Leng Wenyan shot to his feet and banged his knee on the low table. His face twitched with the pain, but he had no time for that now. "What did you say?" he snapped. "Say it again."

He thought he must have heard wrong.

"R-reporting to King Wen... Ning Chen's men have broken in."

Leng Wenyan said angrily, "Impossible, absolutely impossible... However fast Ning Chen marches, he can't be here yet.

Besides, this king has thirty thousand archers posted on the wall. Firearms or not, Ning Chen couldn't break in this fast. Not unless he can fly."

The soldier's voice shook. "My king, it's the ten thousand men Si Xiuyong brought back. They're the Ning'an Army in disguise. They've already taken the wall and are fighting the archer battalion."

Leng Wenyan's head rang, and his vision went dark in waves.

The others went pale too, and panic spread among them.

Archers were fine at range, but hand to hand, how could they ever match the Ning'an Army?

Sweat had broken out on Leng Wenyan's forehead. He roared, his voice cracking, "Pass on this king's order! The cavalry and the infantry battalions are to go to the east gate at once. Anyone who delays dies."

He had to relieve the archer battalion as fast as he could.

If it was wiped out, then when Ning Chen arrived with his army, they could only stand and watch while he…