Chapter 110

Chapter 110

It was still dark when Tong Sui got up, quickly finished her grooming, and retrieved the money pouch hidden in the wardrobe by her and her husband. She placed it gently beside Lin Ningfang's pillow.

Tong Sui didn't know how much a leather armor would cost, but she couldn't let Lin Ningfang pay for it. The pouch contained over five taels of silver, and she would make up any shortfall later.

The old man was waiting, so Tong Sui quietly left.

Xiao Mu had been getting up early recently. Last night, he had returned unexpectedly, so Aunt Xiao hadn't gone to the back room to instruct the firewood woman. This morning, she also got up early and brought out two bowls of hot soup and a plate of leftover stuffed pies from yesterday evening, which she had reheated.

Tong Sui: "Why aren't you eating with us, Aunt?"

Aunt Xiao patted her head: "It's too early; I'm not hungry. Eat quickly; you have a busy day ahead."

Tong Sui, who had just woken up, wasn't feeling particularly hungry either, but she needed to eat to maintain her strength throughout the morning.

The old man had already started eating and clearly didn't intend to chat at this moment. Tong Sui drank two sips of soup before lowering her eyes to eat.

The palm-sized stuffed pies were consumed: the old man ate five, while Tong Sui managed two and a half. She estimated she wouldn't finish the third one, so she tore off half.

Xiao Mu: "Not finishing this half?"

Tong Sui: "Yes, I'm full."

Xiao Mu then quickly finished the half pie and drank the remaining soup in one go. Standing up, he said, "I'll go to the study to fetch something. Aman, put on the cloak that the second son gave you. It's warm, and don't freeze yourself; we can't afford delays."

They were used to getting up early in winter, their bodies strong and resistant to the cold. Even if the granddaughter-in-law was strong, she might not withstand the chill of dawn.

The old man didn't give Tong Sui a chance to be polite. She ran to fetch the cloak, fastened it, and followed the old man out.

Since the Xiao family took over Wei City, they had closed the eastern, western, and northern gates, leaving only the southern gate open for civilians and travelers. However, with the chaos in the north, fewer merchants ventured out, and fewer people entered or left the city for leisure. One gate was sufficient and not crowded.

The old man decided to conduct the training for defending the city near the eastern gate.

On the way there, Xiao Mu told his granddaughter-in-law, "Grandfather will try to teach you as much as possible, but with many things going on, he won't be able to explain everything in detail. Just stay close to me and observe carefully. When fighting outside, tactics need adjustment, but defending the city is like tempering wood; once you see it done, you'll learn most of it."

Of course, someone slow-witted might need several repetitions, but the old man knew Tong Sui was clever.

Tong Sui had been reminded by Lin Ningfang last night and was prepared for today. Any skill learned through observation didn't intimidate her.

They arrived at the eastern gate.

The training time hadn't yet arrived, and the two thousand city guards were still asleep. The old man led Tong Sui up to the city wall first, showing her the weapons needed for defending the city.

Tong Sui saw a four-wheeled wooden cart with a high horizontal beam above it, suspended by ropes in the middle, and a thick, long log tied below. At the front end of the log was a conical iron piece.

Xiao Mu: "This is a battering ram. The log is called the battering beam. The enemy's most common siege weapon is the cloud ladder, a long ladder that can reach the city wall. The ladder is heavy, and once it's filled with enemy soldiers, it's hard to push it away with human strength. Then, you push the battering ram towards the ladder, aim the beam, and push it forcefully to destroy or topple it."

Tong Sui tried it herself and found that at least two soldiers were needed to push the battering beam.

Xiao Mu continued walking forward, pointing to a row of three-pronged weapons. Each had a sharp crossblade at the front and iron forks shaped like bull horns on the sides.

Xiao Mu: "These are fork poles, which can be used to topple cloud ladders and kill enemy soldiers approaching the wall."

Tong Sui tried it and found she could manage it.

Xiao Mu: "Wei City is small, and the armory has only eight battering rams and twenty fork poles. We don't have time to make more. Our main reliance will be these stones and logs."

No explanation was needed; dropping heavy stones and logs would certainly kill enemy soldiers.

The first two iron weapons could handle cloud ladders, and Tong Sui could imagine their use. But seeing the stones and logs, her mind conjured a bloody scene.

As dawn approached, Xiao Mu noticed his granddaughter-in-law's pale face.

He led her to the edge of the city wall and looked into the distance. "Aman, tell me, in times of continuous warfare, what distinguishes humans from beasts?"

Tong Sui shook her head.

There was no difference; everyone fought for food and territory, with clear distinctions between the strong and weak. The strong acted without restraint, while the weak fled in panic, dying in blood.

Xiao Mu touched the bricks of the city wall: "Just this spot has seen the blood of countless soldiers. To avoid death, you must be ruthless with your enemies. Defending the city is difficult, but attacking is even harder. Is climbing a cloud ladder easy? Those at the forefront usually face certain death, but with generals pushing from behind, retreat means death too. They fight for their lives on the path to death, and if they make it up, they unleash their fury on the city guards, earning top honors afterward."

With a few words, Tong Sui could imagine the savagery of both attackers and defenders.

The horn sounded, and officers led the two thousand city guards rushing in, surprised to see Tong Sui beside the old man.

Xiao Mu didn't explain why he had brought Tong Sui along; doing so now would reveal the strategy for defending Wei City.

He simply said, "Second Lady is as capable as any man. She has already observed the drills of the infantry and cavalry camps. For the next few days, she will stand with me on the city wall to watch the defense drills. Treat her as you would Deputy Commander Xiao Zhen. Understood?"

The city guards responded in unison: "Yes!"

Xiao Mu: "Begin! Treat every drill as a real battle and give it your all!"

At the old man's command, the city guards divided into two groups. One group pretended to attack using the ladders below, while the other defended from the city wall.

To avoid injuries during the drill, two types of ladders were used. One was a fake cloud ladder made of thicker branches, which the soldiers below would immediately move away from, allowing those above to practice pushing the battering ram or using the fork poles. The other was a real siege ladder, where soldiers climbed up holding wooden sticks and knives, pretending to attack. The defenders also held wooden replicas of weapons to familiarize themselves with the angles of attack and defense.

Officers stood both above and below, giving tips and constantly reminding everyone to be careful.

Soldiers below supported the ladders to prevent them from slipping, while those above watched to prevent the mock attackers from falling.

Chaos, yet orderly.

Xiao Mu walked back and forth on the city wall with Tong Sui, guiding the soldiers and exchanging progress with the officers. He introduced each officer to Tong Sui, praising them in front of others and then quietly telling her about their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.

During the midday break, Xiao Mu selected eight bodyguards for Tong Sui.

He also had eight bodyguards. According to the old man's wishes, these sixteen men were loyal and reliable. If anything happened to him, his eight bodyguards would continue to support Tong Sui.

In the afternoon, these eight guards followed Tong Sui as she inspected the drills in various areas.

Tong Sui had to observe these eight men, familiarize herself with the officers, and not neglect her inspection duties, making her eyes, ears, and mind constantly busy.

A fast horse suddenly approached from a distance.

The area outside the eastern city wall was open, and everyone noticed the rider. When they got close enough, Tong Sui realized it was Xiao Zhen.

The surrounding soldiers burst into laughter.

In that moment, Tong Sui recalled Lin Ningfang's expression when facing the sarcastic mother-daughter duo, and also Xiao Zhen's authority in front of his three younger brothers.

She looked at those who were laughing without any expression on her face.

She didn't know how she looked, but the soldiers immediately stopped laughing and went back to their training.

Below the city wall, Xiao Zhen had come here to find the old man. His gaze swept over the top of the wall and suddenly paused on a woman's figure.

He stared intently at the person, but the person did not look in his direction once, causing Xiao Zhen to doubt for a moment if he had made a mistake.

Xiao Mu had already descended from the city wall and waited inside the gate for his grandson.

As soon as Xiao Zhen dismounted, he approached and asked, "Grandfather, why is Xiaoman up there?"

Xiao Mu: "I called her to learn how to defend the city."

There was no need for further explanation between grandfather and grandson; one sentence made Xiao Zhen understand the old man's concerns and plans.

If something happened to the old man and they were not around, the city gate would surely be breached by the rebels. At that time, even if Tong Sui stayed inside with her aunt and others, she would only be safe for a few more minutes.

Defending the city was dangerous but could potentially turn the tide after the old man's departure, benefiting both the family and the city.

However, there was another possibility: if nothing happened to the old man and everyone in the city was safe, Tong Sui might die under the enemy's arrows or swords.

Even though it was the old man's idea, Xiao Zhen's face was quite grim.

Xiao Mu hummed, "Why didn't you change your face when I decided to defend the city myself?"

Xiao Zhen: "How can she compare to you? You've been through countless battles, while she has only killed a few bandits."

Xiao Mu: "Then go tell her to go back. We don't need her here."

Xiao Zhen glanced at the city wall and said, "Let me discuss the important matters first, and I'll persuade her tonight."

Xiao Mu: "Alright, how are the preparations in Ding County going?"

---

The sun was about to set, and the drills on the eastern city wall finally ended.

Tong Sui stood on the city wall, still eager, waiting for all the soldiers to leave before she departed.

The wind picked up, but Tong Sui felt no chill, lost in thought as she gazed at the magnificent sunset in the west.

Suddenly, a sound of footsteps broke the silence behind her.

Tong Sui turned around and saw Xiao Zhen, holding the light blue cloak she had left in the room below.

She smiled at him.

In the distance, the sky was painted crimson, and her cheeks were flushed, her eyes clear and bright.

Xiao Zhen draped the cloak over her shoulders, tying the front while looking at her. "You're really brave to dare defend the city. Do you know how fast the arrows fly up from below? With thousands of arrows, some will inevitably reach you."

Tong Sui patted the parapet wall beside her, which was taller than she was. "When they shoot, I have a place to hide. But when we set up our arrow formation, they have nowhere to hide."

Xiao Zhen pursed his lips.

Tong Sui suddenly understood his concern and smiled. "If everyone were afraid, who would defend the city?"

The city guards are not afraid, so neither am I.