After a night of fierce fighting, the general's mansion successfully repelled the enemy, but at a considerable cost. The bodies of both enemy and friendly soldiers lay scattered haphazardly beneath the city walls, the air thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder. The morning sun shone on the battlefield, but brought no warmth, only the desolate silence and sorrow that followed the carnage.

Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er led their generals on a patrol of the battlefield, assessing casualties and the extent of damage to the city walls, gates, and other defensive structures. Soldiers were clearing the battlefield, carefully carrying away the bodies of their own soldiers for proper burial, while the enemy corpses were being disposed of. Every soldier's face was etched with exhaustion, yet their eyes still held a resolute determination.

"We need to tally our casualties and make sure to provide proper compensation. These soldiers gave their lives for the General's Mansion; we can't let their families down," Xiao Yichen said solemnly.

"Yes, General." A general accepted the order and left.

Lin Wan'er walked among the wounded soldiers to check their injuries. The medical team was busily bandaging and treating the wounded. She said to the medical team members, "Do your best to save them. If you don't have enough medicine, go to the warehouse immediately."

“Miss Lin, please rest assured, we will do our best,” the medical team leader replied.

During the inspection of the defensive facilities, cracks were found in several places on the city wall, and the city gate was also loosened by the impact of the enemy's battering ram.

"Immediately organize manpower to repair the city walls and gates and strengthen the defenses. The enemy may attack again at any time," Xiao Yichen ordered the general in charge of the project.

Inside the general's mansion, servants were busy preparing food and hot water for the soldiers so they could recover their strength after the battle. The kitchen was bustling with activity as cooks worked overtime to prepare meals, striving to ensure the soldiers were well-fed and satisfied.

In the council chamber, Xiao Yichen convened a post-war meeting with his generals.

"Although we repelled the enemy in this battle, we also exposed many problems. We need to learn from our experiences and adjust our strategies and tactics," Xiao Yichen said.

A general stood up and said, "General, the enemy's siege capabilities are stronger than we expected, especially their siege weapons, which pose a great threat to our city walls and gates. We need to strengthen our defenses against their siege weapons."

“That’s right. We can set up some obstacles around the city walls to prevent the enemy’s siege engines from getting close. At the same time, we can increase the number and power of the catapults to destroy their siege equipment in advance,” another general suggested.

Lin Wan'er thought for a moment and then said, "We found that the enemy's offensive rhythm and tactics are quite varied during the battle, and our response is not flexible enough. We need to strengthen the soldiers' adaptability training so that they can react quickly to different situations on the battlefield."

"Furthermore, intelligence work needs to be strengthened. We must learn about the enemy's movements and tactical arrangements as early as possible," Xiao Yichen added.

The generals nodded in agreement, and the meeting proceeded in a tense but orderly atmosphere. They proposed a series of improvement measures to address the problems that arose during the battle and began to implement them.

While the general's mansion was actively adjusting its preparations for war, the enemy generals in the enemy camp were also discussing their next steps.

"This attack failed to capture the General's Mansion, which was a real miscalculation. We can no longer underestimate them," the enemy commander said, frowning.

"General, we can employ a flanking maneuver. We can feign another attack to draw their attention, then send an elite force to raid from the rear of the mountain. The defenses behind the General's residence are relatively weak, giving us a chance to break through," suggested an enemy strategist.

“That’s a good idea, but we can’t let them realize our intentions. We need to create some illusions so they think we’re just adjusting our forces, preparing for the next frontal attack.” The enemy commander nodded in agreement.

Therefore, the enemy began frequently moving troops around the camp, making it appear as if they were preparing to launch another frontal attack on the general's mansion. At the same time, they sent small groups of troops to harass the area around the general's mansion and probe its defenses.

The spies from the general's mansion discovered these movements of the enemy army and immediately reported them to Xiao Yichen.

"General, the enemy is moving around the camp frequently, seemingly preparing for another attack. They also have small groups harassing us in the surrounding area," the scout reported.

After hearing the report, Xiao Yichen fell into deep thought. He knew that the enemy's actions might be a bluff, or they might be concealing other conspiracies.

"Strengthen patrols and closely monitor enemy movements. Don't be misled by their appearances," Xiao Yichen ordered.

Lin Wan'er said from the side, "General, I think the enemy may have other attack plans. They won't be satisfied with just a frontal assault; we must be careful of them launching surprise attacks from other directions."

“I feel the same way. We need to re-survey the terrain around the General’s Mansion, especially those places we usually overlook,” Xiao Yichen said.

Therefore, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er led the soldiers to conduct a detailed survey of the terrain surrounding the General's Mansion. During the survey, they discovered that some vegetation on the back mountain showed signs of human damage, and in some hidden places, there appeared to be new footprints.

"There's something wrong here. The enemy might really be planning a surprise attack from the back of the mountain," Lin Wan'er said warily.

"Immediately strengthen defenses on the back mountain, set up traps and sentries. We cannot allow the enemy to take advantage of the situation," Xiao Yichen ordered.

The soldiers of the general's mansion sprang into action, setting up defensive fortifications on the back mountain. They dug traps, setting spikes and mechanisms within them, and simultaneously deployed numerous sentries hidden in the woods. These sentries, concealed in branches, bushes, and other concealed locations, were able to promptly sound the alarm when enemy troops appeared.

However, the enemy was also very cunning. They sent out a feint attack force to launch another small-scale attack on the front of the general's mansion. This feint attack force fought fiercely, with shouts of battle deafening, attracting most of the general's mansion's attention.

Just as the general's mansion was concentrating its forces on dealing with the feint attack from the front, the enemy's elite assault troops quietly advanced towards the rear mountain. They carefully avoided the general's mansion's patrols and approached the defensive line on the rear mountain.

As the enemy raiding force approached the rear mountain defense line, a sentry spotted them. The sentry immediately sounded the alarm, and the defense forces on the rear mountain quickly went into battle mode.

"The enemy is coming! Prepare for battle!" shouted the commander of the defense force on the back mountain.

The soldiers of the General's Mansion, relying on their fortifications, engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy's raiding force. The enemy raiding force had originally thought they could break through the rear mountain defense line by surprise, but they did not expect that the General's Mansion was well prepared, and they fell into traps and a barrage of fire.

"Fire!" The archers of the defense force on the back mountain fired arrows at the enemy, and many enemy soldiers fell to the ground, struck by arrows.

The enemy's raiding force attempted to break through, but their attacks were repeatedly repelled by the fierce resistance of the soldiers in the general's mansion.

Hearing the shouts of battle coming from the rear mountain, the enemy troops who were feigning an attack on the front line realized that their surprise attack plan might have been exposed. They began to intensify their attack, trying to break through the front line and create an opportunity for the surprise attack force in the rear mountain.

The General's Mansion faced a perilous situation, attacked from both sides, but Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er remained calm. They quickly adjusted their deployment, stabilizing the frontal defenses while sending reinforcements to the rear mountains. In this fierce battle, the General's Mansion once again demonstrated its tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding adaptability, engaging in a desperate struggle with the enemy.

The general's mansion was plunged into an unprecedented crisis. Enemy troops, attacking from both sides like a pack of ferocious wolves, were attempting to break through the defenses. On the main battlefield, the enemy's attacks grew increasingly fierce. They used siege ladders to scale the city walls, surging wave after wave towards the soldiers on the walls. The soldiers gritted their teeth and fought back with spears, stones, and scalding hot oil.

Beneath the city walls, enemy corpses piled up like mountains, yet their reinforcements continued to pour in. A young soldier from the general's mansion, watching the enemy surge below, felt fear, but his eyes remained resolute. He gripped his spear tightly and thrust it towards the climbing enemy soldiers, each strike filled with unwavering resolve.

"Brothers, we cannot retreat! This is our home, the place we must protect!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield, inspiring his comrades around him.

On the mountains behind, the enemy's assault force was also launching a fierce attack. They attempted to break through the defensive line at the rear, but the traps and sentries set up by the general's men proved extremely effective. Enemy soldiers frequently fell into the traps, their bodies pierced by spikes, emitting piercing screams. But the enemy did not give up; under the commander's roar, they continued their charge towards the defensive line.

"Archers, concentrate your fire on the enemy's front ranks!" the commander of the rear mountain defense force shouted. The archers quickly adjusted their direction, and arrows rained down on the enemy's front ranks, causing a large number of enemy soldiers to fall in an instant.

Lin Wan'er paced back and forth on the front of the city wall, directing the soldiers' defense. She was deeply worried as she watched the enemy's fierce attack. Suddenly, she noticed several sections of the enemy's siege ladders clustered together, seemingly indicating their main point of attack.

"General, the enemy is concentrating their attacks on these points. We need to strengthen our defenses here," Lin Wan'er shouted to Xiao Yichen.

Xiao Yichen immediately made arrangements: "Bring a squad of shield bearers over to block these siege ladders. Spearmen, prepare in the rear; once the enemy climbs the siege ladders, stab them down!"

The shield bearers rushed to the scene, forming a formidable barrier with their shields to block the enemy soldiers climbing the siege ladders. The spearmen, meanwhile, extended their spears through the gaps in the shields, felling the enemy one by one.

At this tense moment, a turning point suddenly appeared. It turned out that surrounding towns, upon learning of the attack on the general's mansion again, quickly dispatched reinforcements. The reinforcements stealthily approached from behind the enemy lines, and when they appeared behind the enemy, the enemy was thrown into chaos.

"Kill!" The reinforcements shouted as they charged towards the enemy, rushing into their ranks like heavenly warriors descending from the heavens. The enemy, caught off guard by reinforcements, were thrown into chaos.

Xiao Yichen was overjoyed to see the reinforcements arrive: "Our reinforcements have arrived! It's time to counterattack!" He picked up his weapon and personally led a squad of soldiers out of the city gate and charged towards the enemy.

On the main battlefield, the soldiers of the General's Mansion were greatly encouraged, and together with the reinforcements, they launched a pincer attack on the enemy. Under the attack from both sides, the enemy began to collapse. The soldiers pursued their victory and routed the enemy.

In the mountains behind the enemy lines, the raiding force heard the shouts of battle ahead and knew the situation was dire. They began to panic, disrupting their offensive rhythm. The defending forces in the mountains seized this opportunity and launched a counterattack.

"Charge! Drive these enemies out!" shouted the commander of the rear mountain defense force. Soldiers leaped out from behind the fortifications and charged towards the enemy assault force. The enemy assault force was already at a disadvantage, and now, facing the counterattack of the general's men, they were even more vulnerable. They turned and fled, but the general's men were not about to let them go, and pursued them relentlessly.

During the pursuit of the enemy army, Xiao Yichen noticed a man who appeared to be a general directing the retreat of his remaining troops. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he decided to capture the leader first.

"Follow me! Capture that enemy general!" Xiao Yichen shouted to the soldiers beside him. He took the lead and charged towards the enemy general. The enemy general was terrified when he saw Xiao Yichen charging towards him. He knew how powerful Xiao Yichen was and tried to flee.

But Xiao Yichen was incredibly fast, and he quickly caught up with the enemy general. The two engaged in a fierce one-on-one duel. Xiao Yichen's marksmanship was divine; every move aimed directly at the enemy general's vital points. Although the enemy general fought back valiantly, he gradually found himself at a disadvantage under Xiao Yichen's relentless attacks.

"You're not getting away today!" Xiao Yichen roared, thrusting his spear at the enemy general. The general couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the shoulder, his weapon falling to the ground. Xiao Yichen's soldiers quickly moved forward and captured the enemy general.

With their general captured, the enemy troops completely lost their will to resist and scattered in all directions. The soldiers of the general's mansion and the reinforcements did not pursue them for too long; they knew they had to be wary of enemy trickery and also needed to conserve their strength.

The fierce battle finally ended, and the general's mansion once again defended its homeland. The soldiers cheered and jumped for joy, embracing and celebrating. The arrival of reinforcements made them feel the power of unity and strengthened their belief that as long as everyone worked together, no enemy was invincible.

In the aftermath of the battle, the general's mansion was a hive of activity. Soldiers were clearing the battlefield, treating the wounded, and gathering and imprisoning enemy prisoners. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, along with their generals, welcomed the reinforcements and expressed their gratitude.

"Thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise we would have been in danger," Xiao Yichen said gratefully to the reinforcements' commander.

"General Xiao, you are too kind. We are allies, and our fates are intertwined. How can we stand idly by while the General's Mansion is in trouble?" the reinforcement general replied.

Looking at the tired but excited soldiers, Lin Wan'er was filled with emotion: "This battle has made us realize that we are not fighting alone. Our allies, everyone in our General's Mansion, are the source of our strength."

In the council chamber, a victory banquet was held to celebrate the triumph in this battle. During the banquet, the soldiers shared stories of the battle, and laughter filled the air. But amidst the joy, Xiao Yichen and his generals were also aware that the enemy would not give up, and they needed to further strengthen their defenses and prepare for the next possible battle.

"Although we won this battle, the enemy's strength should not be underestimated. We need to analyze their tactics, identify our weaknesses, and make improvements," Xiao Yichen said to everyone at the banquet.

“That’s right, we also need to strengthen our ties with surrounding towns and cities to jointly build a stronger defense system,” a general said.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and in the joyful atmosphere, they also mentally prepared themselves for the upcoming war. Having survived this life-or-death ordeal, the General's Mansion had become more united and resilient, like steel tempered in fire, ready to meet new challenges.

The joyous celebrations gradually faded, and the General's Mansion faced the arduous task of post-war reconstruction. The morning sun shone on the ravaged battlefield; the blood-stained earth, the broken city walls, and the scattered weapons all spoke of the ferocity of the previous night's battle.

Xiao Yichen led his generals to inspect all parts of the General's Mansion, assessing the damage in detail. Repairing the city walls was the top priority; many sections of the walls had developed huge cracks and gaps under the enemy's attack, resembling wounds on the General's Mansion's formidable defenses.

"Organize craftsmen to repair the city walls as soon as possible, and ensure that the walls are stronger than before." Xiao Yichen said solemnly to the general in charge of the project. "The fact that the enemy was able to reach the city walls this time shows that our city walls still need further reinforcement."

"Yes, General. We will use stronger stone to thicken the walls and improve their structure so that they can better withstand the impact of siege engines," the engineering commander replied.

The city gate was also severely damaged; the massive gate was deformed from the impact of the enemy's battering rams, and many sections of the iron plating had peeled off. The soldiers were working hard to dismantle the gate and prepare to rebuild a more robust one.

"The city gate is our first line of defense, and it must be built to be indestructible. Not only should the gate panels be thickened, but more supporting structures and defensive devices should also be installed inside the gate," Xiao Yichen instructed.

Besides the city walls and gates, some buildings within the general's residence were also affected by the fighting. A corner of the warehouse was hit by enemy catapults, damaging some of the grain and supplies. Some tents in the barracks were also burned down, affecting the soldiers' living conditions.

Lin Wan'er directed her servants to clean up the warehouse and salvage any usable supplies. "Separate these damaged grains. Process what is edible as soon as possible, and properly dispose of what is inedible. Don't waste them," she told her servants. "And these weapons and equipment, check which ones can be repaired and which ones need to be remade."

In the barracks, soldiers were setting up new tents. An old soldier said to the younger soldiers, "Brothers, we need to get the tents up and running as quickly as possible. Only with stable shelter can we rest and train better." The young soldiers nodded and busied themselves with great enthusiasm.

While the general's mansion was being repaired, the treatment and care of the wounded were also underway. In the medical team's tents, the groans of the wounded soldiers rose and fell. Doctors and nurses were extremely busy, carefully treating the wounds and changing dressings.

“This soldier’s injuries are quite serious and require special attention. He has a broken leg, which may affect his future mobility, so we must do everything we can to treat him,” the medical team leader told a doctor.

"Miss Lin, we're running low on medicinal herbs, especially those for treating external injuries," a nurse reported to Lin Wan'er.

"I'll arrange for people to collect and purchase medicinal herbs immediately. We must ensure that the wounded receive timely treatment," Lin Wan'er said immediately.

While busy with reconstruction, Xiao Yichen and his generals did not forget to summarize combat experience and upgrade strategies and tactics. In the council hall, a heated discussion on military strategy was underway.

"In this battle, although we successfully repelled the enemy's attack, we discovered that there is still much room for improvement in our intelligence gathering capabilities. We need to establish a broader and deeper intelligence network," a general said.

“That’s right. We can place more spies near the enemy’s camps and along their marching routes. At the same time, we should strengthen ties with the local people and make them one of our intelligence sources,” another general added.

“In terms of defensive tactics, we cannot limit ourselves to passive defense alone. We can set up some early warning devices around the General’s Mansion, such as beacon towers and bell arrays, so that we can detect the enemy’s attack earlier,” Lin Wan’er suggested.

Xiao Yichen nodded in agreement: "We also need to improve the mobility of our troops. The fact that the enemy was able to launch a surprise attack on our rear mountain shows that our defenses are not flexible enough. We can form some rapid reaction forces that can quickly support the General's Mansion from all directions."

"General, we can also research some new weapons and defensive equipment. For example, we can improve our catapults, increasing their range and accuracy; and manufacture some lighter but more defensive shields to facilitate the movement of soldiers on the battlefield," said a general who was knowledgeable in weapons manufacturing.

After discussion, a series of new strategic and tactical plans were formulated. Xiao Yichen assigned tasks to various generals, placing them in charge of the specific implementation.

This battle has strengthened the relationship between the two sides in terms of cooperation with surrounding towns. Xiao Yichen decided to personally travel to the surrounding towns to further discuss cooperative defense matters with their leaders.

In the town's council hall, Xiao Yichen said, "We have repelled the enemy together this time, but we cannot let our guard down. We need to establish a more comprehensive joint defense system, including intelligence sharing, joint training, and mutual support."

The town's leaders readily agreed. One town official said, "We can hold regular joint defense meetings to exchange information and plans. At the same time, we can set up joint patrols in the border area to strengthen surveillance of the enemy."

“We could also establish a resource-sharing mechanism so that we can allocate resources to each other during wartime to ensure the supply of the army,” another official suggested.

After in-depth discussions, both sides reached a series of agreements on joint defense cooperation. Upon returning to the General's Mansion, Xiao Yichen conveyed the contents of these agreements to the generals and soldiers.

"Brothers, we are no longer fighting alone. We and the surrounding towns are one, and we will protect our homeland together," Xiao Yichen said to the soldiers.

In the days that followed, the entire General's Mansion worked together diligently on the intensive post-war reconstruction and strategic upgrades. The city walls were gradually repaired thanks to the craftsmen's efforts, and new city gates were completed, making them even stronger and more magnificent than before. The barracks were completely renovated, and the soldiers had comfortable living conditions. With ample medical supplies, the medical team successfully treated most of the wounded, and many soldiers gradually recovered and returned to training.

The intelligence network was also constantly expanding and improving, with spies active in various key locations, bringing more valuable intelligence to the General's Mansion. New weapons and defensive equipment were being developed by craftsmen one after another, and soldiers were actively training to become familiar with the use of these new equipment.

Joint defense cooperation between the General's Mansion and surrounding towns is progressing smoothly, with joint patrol teams patrolling the border area and the material reserve sharing mechanism operating in an orderly manner. The entire General's Mansion area presents a positive, united, and prepared atmosphere, ready to meet any challenges that may arise in the future and safeguard this hard-won peace.