Victor's army had left Hunyuan a week after the mass prisoner release. The army was comprised of ten corps, while General Osten-Sacken and his corps remained at Hunyuan, fortifying their position.
The army had a 2-week march ahead of them to the city of Wuwei. Leading in the Vanguard was General Lasalle and his 14th Corps, while Marshal Lefebvre and 4th Corps were in charge of the rearguard. Victor and his Royal Guard were situated in the middle of the column.
Rhythmic footsteps echoed throughout the land as the Luxenberg soldiers marched towards Wuwei. Once Wuwei was captured, the Luxenberg Army would be poised to attack the Kingdom of Gu's capital city, Xiangyang.
Besieging Wuwei would be a simple task for Victor and his army. The city held no strategic value for the Kingdom of Gu, so only a light militia garrison was stationed there. Wuwei and its surrounding area were slightly above the level of poverty. The people lived simple lives, and the city was not very large.
Wuwei's region did not offer any form of tradeable goods or raw materials that would benefit the kingdom, so it was often overlooked. This oversight would be a grave blunder.
When Victor's army arrived at Wuwei, they were greeted by open gates and white flags fluttering in the wind. The garrison of Wuwei was not stupid; they understood that there was not even a sliver of a chance for them to succeed in defending the city. As a result, they surrendered immediately, hoping to guarantee the lives of their citizens.
The city was not big enough to house the entirety of the invading army, so half the army was forced to camp outside the city's small walls. Victor hoped for his army not to linger too long in Wuwei. He wanted to ride the momentum and push forward to Xiangyang. At most, he would want to leave Wuwei within three days.
Targeting Xiangyang was of the utmost importance. Capturing the capital city and King Gu Tian would fast-track the war significantly. If Victor's plan were effective, most of the continent would abandon the war entirely. There was no love for King Gu Tian, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the continent, so with his capture, many could potentially throw down their arms and swear fealty to Victor as their new king.
With Wuwei conquered, Victor's army continued its march, with days of arriving. General Kan Ki left a detachment of 1 infantry division and 50 guns in the city. His Corps would be crucial in garrisoning the capital city, but they could not leave Wuwei undefended.
When the Luxenberg Army left Wuwei, a message bringing grave tidings from Wuwei had arrived in Xiangyang. A loyalist in the Wuwei garrison wrote a message to alert King Gu Tian of the city's surrender.
Courtesans in the Gu court were beginning to freak out. It was clear that Xiangyang was the next target of Victor's invasion. Some of them rushed back to their homes and started making preparations to depart from the city. They did not want to be caught up in a siege, especially when they were at a heavy disadvantage.
King Gu Tian began to feel the looming threat of Victor's army. His city was now within striking range for Victor. Although his city was the best garrisoned city in the northern part of the continent, it would not be enough to repel the Luxenberg Army, especially their rockets.
In the event of a siege, King Gu Tian knew that the city would not hold out, so he began organising safe passage for his children. His favourite remaining child, Gu Mei, was given priority while the rest would have to wait for arrangements. The king consulted with many courtesans and advisors to thoroughly plan the departure of his children.
King Gu Tian saw to it that his daughter would travel to the continent of Asharan and become a ward of the Hakim Sultanate. As for his other children, they were sent away with their concubine mothers. Gu Tian was the only member of the Royal Family who would remain in Xiangyang.
He was determined to defend his city and maintain what little dignity and honour he had left. For a sly and cunning man, this was quite out of character for him. Many of his advisors urged him to abandon the city and head south to where the remainder of the Gu Army is; however, their pleas were ignored.
By the time the Luxenberg Army had arrived, the city was already prepared for a siege. The garrison had hastily prepared the defences as best they could. Ammunition supplies were brought to the walls, and cannons lined the top of the towering stone walls. The mountains behind the city removed one front from which the Luxenberg Army could attack.
The remaining three fronts were viable options for a full-on assault. They all possessed gatehouses, any of which would be great places to storm the city from. With no particular strategy in mind for this siege, Victor opted for his army to surround the city and begin preparations for a well-fortified siege camp.
If by some miracle, a supporting allied army would come to the aid of Xiangyang, Victor wanted to be prepared to repulse such reinforcements. However, Victor was fairly confident that no one would come to King Gu Tian's aid; nevertheless, it didn't hurt to be overly prepared.
Tents were beginning to be erected, and soldiers were busy at work creating spikes and sudes to surround their camp. A perimeter was swiftly formed, and guard assignments were already being dispatched.
Victor's lodgings were positioned in the middle of the camp. It was a logical place to put his lodgings since it meant he was well protected on all fronts. Assassins would have to meander their way through a myriad of tents to find King Victor.
It took five days for the Luxenberg Army to set up fully. When the sixth day came rolling around, the siege of Xiangyang began.