Chapter 112

Chapter 112

This night, Xiao Zhen hardly stopped at all, holding Tong Sui with particular force each time.

The rebel king had not yet arrived, and the five infantry battalions would continue to guard the city. Only the cavalry regiment was stationed thirty miles away, making this the last night before the battle that Xiao Zhen would spend at home.

After the war, both of them might still be alive, one might be gone, or neither might survive.

No words were spoken; only an intertwining like vines.

In the distance, the sound of roosters crowing could be heard.

Xiao Zhen lay down, his long arms wrapping around Tong Sui, pulling her onto him.

Xiao Zhen, the second master of the Xiao family, standing over eight feet tall, had broad shoulders and solid muscles, providing a comfortable place for Tong Sui to rest.

He stroked her hair gently, recalling, "On our wedding day, as soon as I lifted your veil, I was already looking forward to nightfall."

A clean and delicate little girl, like fresh mountain spring water.

Tong Sui was still catching her breath, slowly saying, "I only saw your face clearly the next day."

Xiao Zhen: "Did you like it?"

Even after being married for so long, Tong Sui still felt uneasy talking about it, but she nodded.

Xiao Zhen didn't believe her: "You liked me right then?"

Tong Sui remained silent.

Xiao Zhen didn’t press further, moving her up slightly so their faces were facing each other, looking into her moist eyes: "Say that you like me."

Tong Sui found it hard to say.

Xiao Zhen touched her face: "If you don't say it now, in the future, even if you want to, I might not be able to hear it..."

Tong Sui covered his mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks: "I like you, I like you."

Xiao Zhen held her hand tightly: "Then live well and wait for me to come back."

---

On the third day of the eleventh month, in the afternoon, scouts reported that the rebel king's army had set out from Huai County at dawn, numbering about fifty thousand troops, including two thousand cavalry.

With such a large force, their speed was limited. Xiao Mu predicted that the rebels would reach Ding City on the sixth and arrive at the gates of Weicheng on the seventh.

Xiao Mu was responsible for defending the city, while outside, the cavalry regiment under his second grandson would act according to circumstances.

"Report to the second master."

"Yes."

Xiao Mu then summoned the five infantry battalion commanders, giving them instructions. The five armies remained stationary, closing all four city gates and prohibiting civilians from entering or leaving.

At dusk, Tong Sui returned to the eastern courtyard with her elder brother, Tong Gui.

Tong Youyu had just returned and was talking with Zhou Qing, Jiang Shi, and Zhou Gui. As for the three members of the Zhou family, they had been living in the military camp, busier than ever with preparations for the upcoming battle.

Seeing her nephew, Zhou Qing pretended to be angry: "General Tong still remembers how to come home? I thought you had forgotten where the door is."

Tong Gui laughed: "Everyone is training soldiers. As a hundred-man commander, I can't leave my post."

Tong Gui had not been able to join the cavalry regiment and instead joined Sun Dian’s unit because Sun Dian was least likely to give him special treatment due to the marriage alliance between the Xiao and Tong families.

Sun Dian indeed did not show any favoritism. He selected ten hundred-man commanders based on physique, including Tong Gui, and allowed other dissatisfied soldiers to challenge them.

Tong Gui defeated six challengers in succession, securing his position as a hundred-man commander. Later, when training began, some hundred-man commanders were replaced by those skilled in archery, spear techniques, or strategy, but Tong Gui remained in his position due to his excellent martial arts skills.

Zhou Qing was proud of her nephew and wouldn't really blame him.

"The food is ready; sit down and eat."

Tonight, the kitchen prepared noodle soup, and a few leftover pancakes from noon were also brought out.

Tong Gui tore the pancakes into small pieces and soaked them in the noodle broth, a habit he had since childhood.

Zhou Qing added another ladle of soup to her nephew's bowl.

As Tong Gui ate, two golden nuggets fell from his eyes, landing on the table.

Last year, after his uncle lost an eye on the battlefield and returned, his aunt started hoping that his elder brother would come back soon. She waited until New Year's Eve without any news of her elder brother and finally cried bitterly, never mentioning his return again.

Tong Gui wasn't afraid of dying on the battlefield; he feared causing his aunt more pain.

The others at the table noticed his tears but asked no questions, pretending not to see.

What was there to ask? It was surely because of the impending battle, fearing they might never have another chance to eat together like this.

Zhou Qing was smart; when her daughter went to practice on the city walls, she guessed how difficult this defense would be.

Since her daughter and nephew were capable and willing to stand at the forefront, she wouldn't stop them.

After dinner, once Jiang Shi and her daughter left, Tong Gui knelt on the ground and bowed three times to his uncle and aunt.

Zhou Qing finally shed tears, her voice trembling: "Won't you come back before the battle starts?"

Tong Gui raised his head, his black eyes shining with tears: "Yes, I will return to report the victory."

Zhou Qing laughed through her tears: "Good, then Auntie will cook you some delicious dishes herself."

Tong Gui looked at the courtyard; night had already fallen. He stood up and said, "You two should rest early. I need to return to the camp, so I'll be on my way."

After saying this, Tong Gui turned around and left resolutely.

Zhou Qing chased after him to see him off, standing at the gate, watching eagerly as Tong Gui rode away on his horse and disappeared at the end of the alley in a blink.

Tong Sui supported her mother and advised, "It's windy outside; let's go back inside."

Zhou Qing tightly held her daughter's hand: "And you, won't you be back tomorrow night either?"

Tong Sui smiled, "I will. From now on, I'll come to see you before I leave in the morning and spend some time with you when I get home. Don't worry."

That night, after all the townspeople had gone to sleep, five armies quietly gathered in front of the North Gate.

Xiao Shouyi, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Qiao Changshun, and Sun Dian each led nearly a thousand infantrymen, lining up neatly before the old man.

Xiao Mu patted each of these five men on the shoulder, then saluted all the soldiers, saying, "We must defend the city and defeat the rebel army. It is all thanks to your efforts!"

To prevent the civilians from hearing any commotion, the soldiers simply raised their spears and struck them heavily on the ground.

Their resolve was like iron, causing the earth to tremble.

Xiao Mu moved aside by the city gate.

Xiao Shouyi led his troops out first.

Xiao Mu stood beside the gate, holding a lantern, his gaze sweeping over the faces of every soldier leaving, as if trying to remember each one.

Nearly five thousand people dispersed like a tide, vanishing completely in a moment.

---

On the fifth day, Li Gang's massive army marched toward Ding County.

Every time they passed through mountainous terrain, even if it was just a low range, Li Gang would send a detachment to scout the mountains, to prevent another ambush by the Ding-Wei alliance.

"Reporting to His Highness, there are no hidden troops on the left side of the mountain."

"Nor on the right!"

Li Gang laughed heartily from his horse and said to Mr. Fan, "He Lianqing and the old Xiao only have fifteen thousand troops combined. If they don't ambush us beforehand, how can they possibly win in a direct confrontation? Doesn't the old man understand this?"

Mr. Fan replied, "Ambushes rely on surprise. We've already fallen for that once. The old man knows we won't fall for it again."

Li Gang scoffed, "Move out. We must reach within ten miles of Ding City before nightfall."

Although more than half of the fifty thousand soldiers were conscripted against their will, the sheer number boosted morale. Many who were initially reluctant were now fired up at the prospect of plundering the cities. Only the timid and honest ones feared they might die in the chaos.

Early on the sixth day, the scouts Li Gang sent out returned and reported, "His Highness, the walls of Ding City are bustling with activity, fully prepared for defense. There are no other reinforcements outside the city."

Li Gang sneered, "What alliance? It seems He Dog-Official's supplies were given away for nothing. The Xiao family doesn't even have enough troops to defend themselves, let alone send reinforcements to Ding County."

Mr. Fan stroked his goatee and said, "Your Highness, do not underestimate them. Perhaps the Xiao family is waiting for us to attack first and then strike from behind."

Li Gang replied, "They'd have to be able to manage it first. Second brother, take two thousand troops and stay here. I will lead three thousand soldiers to Wei City. We'll attack simultaneously tomorrow morning and see who can support whom."

Li Zhen agreed enthusiastically.

Mr. Fan smiled. This was the advantage of having a large army. The Xiao family's methods of winning hearts and training elite troops were better suited for peaceful times. In this chaotic era, it was crucial to recruit enough troops first, expand territory during the turmoil, and then build an elite force.

Just like now, if the Xiao family set an ambush halfway, they would be well-prepared. Even if the Xiao family deployed all their troops, they couldn't escape the encirclement of three thousand soldiers.

If the Xiao family defended Wei City with only six thousand troops, how long could they hold out?

After organizing the troops, Li Zhen stayed behind in Ding City, while Mr. Fan accompanied Li Gang eastward to Wei City.

Passing the hill where they were previously ambushed, Li Gang ordered a thorough search. Finding no ambush, he smiled confidently.

---

On the evening of the sixth day, Tong Sui stayed with the old man in the southern camp, in Xiao Zhen's previous quarters.

Near the second watch, a thunderous roar echoed outside the city: "King Xing has arrived! The people of Wei City, open the gates quickly to welcome him!"

The same words were shouted for a full quarter of an hour by King Xing's army.

Tong Sui, already dressed in armor, followed the old man on horseback to the city gate and climbed onto the wall.

From the city wall, she could see lights flickering throughout the city, as almost all the sleeping civilians were awakened. Outside, torches formed a continuous line, resembling a dragon.

"Commander, is King Xing planning to attack tonight?"

Xiao Mu shook his head slightly, "According to the scouts this morning, they just arrived at Ding County. They must have rushed here non-stop to arrive at this moment, exhausted. They wouldn't dare launch a night attack."

The defending soldiers on both sides breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Mu said, "Assign ten men to patrol each gate tonight. The rest should go back to sleep."

The soldiers received the order and quietly descended from the wall.

Xiao Mu gazed at King Xing's army and said, "It's a pity we have too few troops. Otherwise, we could arrange a surprise attack tonight and inflict heavy losses on King Xing."

Tong Sui responded, "The rebel king knows his troops are tired. He should also be on guard tonight, right?"

Xiao Mu smiled, looking at his granddaughter-in-law, who barely reached his shoulders, "Very good. You're starting to look like a general."

Tong Sui lacked the old man's composure, her eyes reflecting the menacing glow of the torches.

She didn't know what tactics Xiao Zhen had arranged outside, but she knew that by dawn, Wei City would be embroiled in a life-or-death battle.

Returning to the house, Tong Sui lay down fully clothed, her entire being in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

The next dawn, after Tong Sui had just washed her face, the bells at all four city gates rang simultaneously, signaling to all the citizens to return to their posts and prepare for the city's defense.

Tong Sui listened intently, but there were no sounds of marching troops outside the city yet.

She quickly made her way to the old man's side.

Xiao Mu was seated at a low table, and upon seeing his granddaughter-in-law, he smiled and said, “Come, eat your fill before you leave.”