Enemy troops invade

Since the twenty of them couldn't travel in one carriage, they split into two or three groups and rode separately. However, they didn't rest on the way; they studied the blueprints of the cannon, hoping to unleash its full power on the battlefield, seize the initiative, win the victory, and return to the capital in triumph.

It was unusual for the Emperor to order them to depart immediately, and everyone knew in their hearts that something must have happened to General Wei.

Conflicts between nations have always been frequent. Previously, enemy nations were constantly at odds with each other in the Four Seas, fighting at least ten times a year. However, since the appearance of the Northern Kun, the Four Seas have remained peaceful. Unlike the Four Seas' frequent conflicts, Lanbing City only experiences a major war every few years, or even more than a decade. Compared to the bloodshed in Lanbing City, all the battles in the Four Seas can only be considered minor skirmishes.

Lanbing City is located in the northeast and is heavily guarded, serving as a crucial gateway. If the enemy breaks through Lanbing City, they can then break through Pingwu City, and then split into two routes, one by land and the other by water, to march south, occupy the Central Plains, recruit soldiers, and take advantage of the Central Plains to recuperate and wait for an opportunity to annex the capital, thus changing the dynasty.

Therefore, Lanbing City must not be breached.

Once this city falls, the remaining cities will all be easy to attack but difficult to defend.

Wu Qi guessed that the enemy hadn't attacked Lanbing City for several years because they feared Bei Kun. Bei Kun would not only cut off their waterways but also arouse their suspicions. They didn't know if there were other weapons like "Bei Kun" waiting for them to die on land. However, the enemy's worries were unfounded.

The group that previously developed the Northern Kun had already established a law that they would no longer develop weapons or touch the Liuge. The current emperor is wise and knows that without the Northern Kun, Lanbing City will forever be in dire straits. That is why he made an exception and allowed Wu Qi to develop the Paolin.

Although the Cannon Scale has appeared, Wu Qi is still unsure whether the enemy's visit was due to their knowledge of the "Northern Kun" on the ground, or whether they dared to come despite already knowing of the Cannon Scale's appearance. If it's the former, the battle will be easy; the Cannon Scale will catch them off guard with just a few shots, demoralizing their troops and giving them a high chance of victory. However, if it's the latter, things will be more troublesome, as they still don't know what kind of weapons the enemy possesses.

Ultimately, a battle between two armies is a contest between people and weapons.

In terms of numbers, the two sides are roughly equal. If there are truly skilled martial artists, then the two sides can fight each other. In terms of weaponry, Wu Qi knows the weakness of the cannon. If two hundred cannons cannot defeat the enemy, then they will be at a disadvantage.

The fact that His Majesty is ordering them to leave the capital immediately suggests that the enemy has gained the upper hand.

The group rode at breakneck speed to Lanbing City and, without resting, went to see General Wei to find out what was going on. Now, General Wei not only led his own troops but also had full authority over the soldiers of Lanbing City, while Wu Qi, although possessing a token, had no elite troops.

She had only nineteen classmates and twenty cannon clappers.

General Wei didn't say anything, nor did he seem dissatisfied with Wu Qi's arrival. He did, however, take a few more glances at Yi Shen, whose face was veiled. As if unaware that Pao Lin had already appeared, he dismissed everyone else, leaving only twenty students from the pavilion in the room.

He held up a map and analyzed the current situation with them.

"Our army was not at a disadvantage, but I failed to dodge the stray arrow in time and was unfortunately wounded, which worried the soldiers greatly, so we hastily retreated."

An arrow struck his shoulder, and he was caught off guard and fell off his horse.

And so, his warhorse died protecting him.

Wei Mao didn't explain any tactics to them. Instead, he took out a map of the city and introduced Lanbing City to them. From his description, everyone seemed to see the bustling and peaceful streets, the lively night market, and the soldiers training day after day in the training grounds.

The once bustling world is now filled with unease, and all traces of its former prosperity have vanished.

General Wei Mao said, “You are the children chosen by the Emperor. I believe you can protect Lanbing City, but when you first step into the battlefield, you will see corpses strewn everywhere and blood staining the earth. Countless people will die on that land outside the city, including enemy soldiers and our own soldiers.”

“This is inevitable and contradicts the ‘benevolence and righteousness’ you have learned.”

"But don't be soft-hearted."

"Your soft heart will cause the death of innocent people."

The arrow pierced Wei Mao's shoulder, forcing him to admit he was getting old. In his youth, amidst the clash of swords and horses, even three arrows striking him simultaneously could have allowed him to ride into battle and return victorious. But now, a single stray arrow was enough to break his spirit, causing him to fall from his horse. In his youth, he could only rest for half a month before becoming restless; now, so many days had passed, and the wound showed no signs of healing.

"I'm glad you came," Wei Mao said.

Wei Mao was rarely in the capital. When people mentioned General Wei Mao, they thought of one victorious battle after another, and of a figure rarely seen in the capital. He was always guarding the frontier with his warhorse, galloping across the battlefield, facing the enemy alone, and then encountering the yellow sand again.

However, even heroes eventually meet their end.

Undoubtedly, he is a hero in the hearts of many, and undoubtedly, he has a lawless and arrogant child.

Many people lamented why General Wei had such a son, and speculated that the Emperor had tolerated and spoiled Wei Si without any limits because of General Wei.

Wei Mao handed the topographical map to the students of the pavilion, leaving only Wu Qi behind.

He said, "You still don't know why His Majesty chose you from among all the generals."

Wu Qi answered succinctly: "Paolin."

Wei Mao nodded and said, "Although we are not at a disadvantage at the moment, if you don't come, or rather, if Pao Lin doesn't come, then we can only lose this battle."

Wu Qi frowned and asked, "Why? What weapons did the enemy use?"

After a long silence, Wei Mao replied, "Artillery. But there should be other hidden weapons that haven't been revealed yet."

Wei Mao recalled the deafening roar of the cannons that day, the painful cries of his soldiers still echoing in his ears. The white steam, the flames, and the blood made his ears ring. As crossbow bolts whistled through the air towards him, all he could see was the relentless barrage of artillery fire. A crossbow bolt pierced his shoulder, and he fell from his horse. As he crashed to the ground, a sudden thought struck him—human beings, living, breathing human beings, are so utterly powerless before weapons, whether swords or cannons.

The flesh and blood body is not an impenetrable fortress.

Wu Qi, on the other hand, possessed a weapon as solid as a fortress.

The arrival of Wu Qi and the other students from the Pavilion School undoubtedly increased the chances of winning this battle; however, she was not yet eighteen.

Wei Mao said, "You are too young and new to the battlefield. It is really inhumane for you to bear this responsibility. Since you are subordinate to me, you can make any decision when I am not around. There is no need to worry too much. I am not dead yet and I can protect Lanbing."

Wu Qi's impression of Wei Mao was not good, firstly because of the name "Wei Mao" on the indictments, and secondly because of Wei Si, Wei Luanhua. But now, looking at Wei Mao's aged yet resolute face, she couldn't help but have some doubts—was the name on those indictments for buying official positions in Zhao Lang's secret room in Pingwu City really General Wei Mao?

Can a person truly fight on the battlefield without fear, yet squander their reputation for money?

Wu Qi asked, "General Wei, you've been away from the capital for many years. Don't you miss your son?"

Wei Mao glanced at Wu Qi and said, "Aren't you at odds with Luan Hua? Why are you asking about his affairs?"

Wu Qi did not answer, nor did he want to tell Wei Mao at this moment that his son was a ruthless killer.

Wei Mao seemed to have known what Wu Qi was thinking all along. He put away the things he had prepared for Wu Qi and said, "Longing is the easiest emotion to arise and the easiest to dissipate on the battlefield. Perhaps I am longing, or perhaps I can no longer long.

Wu Qi found this answer somewhat strange. She had no intention of revealing Wei Mao's past, but she could still glean from his few words that she might have developed some prejudice against him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Wei Mao handed the tidied-up items to Wu Qi and said, "You didn't affect me at all."

Wu Qi took the items and smiled, "Then I should apologize to you. I was being petty and judging you by my own standards. I wish you a speedy recovery."

The students from Gezhong Middle School didn't stay idle after arriving in Lanbing City; they gathered with the soldiers and chatted idly. The soldiers' dissatisfaction with them was clearly written on their faces, but the students didn't care at all. They pulled them aside and asked them all sorts of questions, such as when the last battle started, whether the civilians had been evacuated, and what good food Lanbing City had.

By the end, the soldiers' faces had turned ashen.

They didn't know why the Emperor had sent these delicate and frail people, nor did they understand why the young lady from the Wu family could almost stand on equal footing with General Wei. With General Wei injured, they not only had to obey Wu Qi, but also had to address her as "Young General."

Lin Kuo said, "Thank you for answering all my questions. I'll treat you to drinks another day. See you later."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers, who were always ready to answer any question, turned even more pale, their faces almost as black as the bottom of a pot. Unexpectedly, they turned around and bumped into Wu Qi again. The soldiers, their faces still dark, saluted and greeted Wu Qi, reluctantly calling him "Little General."

Seeing their dissatisfaction, Wu Qi found it amusing and marveled at how well-trained General Wei's soldiers were; despite their discontent with her, they still obeyed her orders.

Wu Qi suppressed a laugh and said to them, "You've worked hard."

After hearing this, the group awkwardly said it wasn't hard work, and then awkwardly took their leave. Only after they had walked far enough away that Wu Qi and the other students from the pavilion could no longer see them did the soldiers finally begin to discuss among themselves.

"Aren't they just making trouble here? If a bunch of pampered kids get hurt, do you think their parents will let us off the hook? Won't they blame us for not protecting their precious children properly...?"

"It's hard to say. After all, their parents are different from our parents..."

"The General was wounded before, much more seriously, so why didn't anyone come to his aid then? A few years ago, the General nearly died on the battlefield; if it weren't for his warhorse's intelligence, that dagger would have pierced his heart. Now that the General has only injured his shoulder, why have they sent anyone over?"

"Perhaps... the general is getting old, perhaps..."

"Even if the general is old, he shouldn't send such young people. Isn't this ridiculous? Or is that high-ranking official trying to use this opportunity to let his child gain military merit?"

"not necessarily."

They were out of touch with the outside world in Lanbing City and were unaware that Paolin had appeared, nor that the twenty students from Gezhong Middle School had been unable to say goodbye to their families, so they hurriedly came to Lanbing City.

The arrival of the students from the Pavilion was like a pebble thrown into water, causing a huge uproar. Everyone kept talking about it, and the ripples grew bigger and bigger until the giant wave silently came. They had no time to talk anymore, hurriedly put on their armor, picked up their swords, and went to meet the battle.

—The enemy has attacked.