Eleven thousand troops had encircled all exits of Jincheng, leaving no room for escape.
The defenders of Jincheng watched the dense formations outside the city walls, their hearts filled with trepidation.
Ten thousand Jiangnan iron cavalry, and twelve thousand of the northern Da Gan iron cavalry, were arrayed to the south and north of the city respectively, their formations grand and their might irresistible.
Those left behind in Jincheng by the Helian family were filled with regret.
Especially Helian Xun and Helian Jun, who, upon learning of the siege, knew their fate was sealed and the fall of the city was merely a matter of time.
At this moment, Shi Liuyun arrived at Liang Xiao's military camp and prostrated himself.
"Thank you, Marshal, for saving the people of Xichuan!"
As a descendant of the Shi clan, whose ancestors hailed from Xichuan, Shi Liuyun was acutely aware of the suffering of its people.
Liang Xiao helped Shi Liuyun up and sighed, "The common folk are innocent. After Xichuan is pacified, they will require comforting."
After expressing his gratitude, Shi Liuyun mingled with the generals.
Upon hearing that Nan Jiyun had infiltrated through Yinping, Shi Liuyun exclaimed, "As expected of the Conqueror of the West General!"
Nan Jiyun humbly replied, "You flatter me. General Nie often praises General Shi's martial prowess and character!"
Yue Qingtian, Yue Yun, and others also introduced themselves to Shi Liuyun and his retinue.
Liang Xiao, listening to his generals engage in mutual praise, ascended a raised platform alone, gazing at Jincheng with profound emotion.
The once 'Land of Abundance' was now so impoverished.
Undoubtedly, the wealth of the populace, including land, was concentrated in the hands of these local magnates.
The Helian family alone controlled over twenty million mu of farmland, effectively making them the emperors of Xichuan.
In those days, Da Gan faced invasions from the barbarian tribes and obstruction from the powerful clans within. Only now did it possess sufficient strength to pacify Xichuan.
Even so, the nation still needed to prepare vast quantities of supplies and equipment, which also required time.
An assault on the city would result in heavy casualties on both sides, and even among the Jincheng defenders, there were many soldiers fighting against their will.
Liang Xiao hoped that Jincheng would, like Fucheng and Jiange, surrender without a fight.
The unstoppable advance of Zhuo Ying and Shi Liuyun, with local garrisons surrendering at the mere sight of them, was the best testament to this.
The people of Jincheng had no reason to collude with the Helian family; they were likely coerced.
The Helian family clearly would not surrender willingly, but Liang Xiao had his methods.
"Even if the Helian family refuses to surrender, we must severely demoralize the enemy!"
With his mind made up, Liang Xiao immediately dispatched someone, along with Helian Heng, to the northern gate of Jincheng.
"Helian Heng is under our control! Surrender the city now!"
Hearing Yue Qingtian's roar and seeing Helian Heng with his mouth gagged, Helian Xun nearly collapsed.
"Big brother has been captured by Liang Xiao..."
Helian Xun turned to his assembled generals and anxiously asked Helian Jun, "What about the Huichun Sect and the Sun Moon Army? Have they fled?"
"Their forces suffered heavy losses north of Jiange. King Jinpao and Chan Master Longyue have long since disappeared!"
Helian Xun's trembling hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Continue to hold out, and negotiate with Liang Xiao!"
The Helian family sent an envoy to request a parley with Liang Xiao.
The envoy knelt before Liang Xiao and pleaded, "Our Helian family is willing to surrender, but we implore the Marquis of Anguo to announce to the world that the rest of our kin will be pardoned, and our property shall not be confiscated!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding generals glared, "You dare to dream!"
Liang Xiao's expression was grim. "You wish to surrender? Very well, but you must surrender your property to be used for the welfare of the people. Your Helian family may retain only one-thousandth of it. Furthermore, your entire clan must recall all members who have fled Jincheng and proceed to the capital to accept state surveillance until the nation is convinced of your genuine repentance."
"Impossible!" the envoy cried, flustered. "I hear the Marquis of Anguo cherishes his soldiers like his own kin. If you insist on a direct assault on Jincheng, you will incur at least ten thousand casualties! If you choose to lay siege without attacking, the grain reserves within my city can sustain us for three years. You will never hold out!!"
Retaining only one-thousandth of their wealth meant leaving them with a mere tens of thousands of taels, a fall from the heavens to hell for the Helian family, which was utterly unacceptable.
Liang Xiao's soft laughter echoed through the military tent.
"Go back and tell the second Helian that I am giving you three days to consider. If you refuse, Jincheng will fall within a month!"
The envoy looked at the stern Liang Xiao in terror, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and fled the military camp.
"This is too much!"
Upon learning of Liang Xiao's terms, Helian Xun was enraged.
"In the art of war, if the enemy is tenfold, surround them; if fivefold, attack. If Liang Xiao has the ability, let him attack! Otherwise, with eleven thousand troops, he only has five times our strength. How can he surround the city! Reinforce the walls immediately! If it comes to a fight to the death, we can take hundreds of thousands of civilians down with us!"
"Marshal! Your humble servant volunteers to lead the charge and break through the city!"
In the military camp, the soldiers vied to volunteer for battle.
Liang Xiao suppressed their requests and did not rush to attack. Instead, he made detailed arrangements within the army.
Six months prior, a large contingent of潛狼衛 (Qián Láng Wèi - Hidden Wolf Guards) had infiltrated Xichuan and lay dormant in various prefectural cities.
Now, over a hundred Qián Láng Wèi were gathered in Jincheng, along with twenty Shadow Guards arranged by Xiao Qing. It was thanks to their clandestine efforts to disseminate information to the populace that they were aware of the nation's affairs and eagerly awaited salvation.
Now, at this final stage of pacifying Xichuan, these Qián Láng Wèi and Shadow Guards would prove invaluable.
A hasty assault would inevitably lead the Helian family to desperation, which was not what Liang Xiao desired.
However, granting the Helian family amnesty and allowing them to escape justice was out of the question.
The wealth of the Helian family was all plundered from the people's sweat and toil; they had no right to dispose of it!
As for movable assets like banknotes and precious jewels, a portion of the Helian family had likely already taken them to Jiaozhou.
News of Liang Xiao's capture of Jiange and Fucheng had spread throughout the entire nation.
Whether it was Lü Yi in the western regions, Gongsun Ye in Jiangnan, or the civil and military officials in the capital, all were overjoyed.
In everyone's eyes, the pacification of Xichuan was a foregone conclusion.
After the news spread throughout the Jiangnan region, merchants from the Great Liang Kingdom were shocked and sent messages via carrier pigeon to Great Liang.
The king and his ministers of Great Liang were equally stunned!
"It has only been less than two months since Liang Xiao's forces reached Jiange, right? Jiange has fallen? And he's already at Jincheng? This must be false news!"
The Left Prime Minister, Yan Liu, lamented with a pained expression.
Even Qin Feng looked bewildered.
How could Jiange, defended by Helian Heng's troops, have surrendered?
A two-month siege of Jincheng…
However, it was true that some landlords and magnates who had fled Xichuan were holding secret talks with merchants from Jiangnan, seeking to join Great Liang.
This indicated that the situation in various parts of Xichuan had indeed been resolved.
"What do all my esteemed ministers believe, and how long will it take for Jincheng to fall?" asked Mu Cheng.
"We hear that Jincheng, having been fortified by the Helian family's century of efforts, is impregnable. As long as the Helian family refuses to surrender, holding out for a year or so is not a problem!"
The crowd chimed in with their opinions.
Qin Feng sighed, "Liang Xiao was able to capture Jiange, a strategic pass of paramount importance. The mere city of Jincheng will fall within a month at most."
The others expressed disbelief.
However, Great Liang could only watch as Liang Xiao pacified Xichuan, daring not to act rashly. Mu Cheng continued to dispatch envoys to the capital of Da Gan, to convey greetings to Xiao Qing and to discuss Liang Xiao's mission to Da Gan.
The people of Jincheng were filled with anxiety.
While they longed for the Marquis of Anguo to capture Jincheng, they were currently under the Helian family's dominion and faced their threat. A single misstep could lead to the annihilation of their entire families!
And the Helian family continued to reiterate, "When the city falls, we all die, and the people die with us."