Eternal City, Dawn.
Zhao Muyun received Yang Chao's final reply agreeing to the terms of their meeting, along with Yang Chao's personal "reminder."
He stood atop the city wall in the soft morning light, softly recited the phrase "the bow is put away when the birds are all gone," and smiled—a faint, cold smile.
"Grand Commander, everything is ready according to plan," Lin Feng said in a low voice.
Zhao Muyun nodded and looked eastward. The sky was beginning to lighten, the darkness was receding, but heavier clouds seemed to be gathering on the horizon.
“Let’s begin,” he said.
Below the city, bugles sounded from the Fengtian Army camp, but not with the fervor of an attack; instead, they carried a sense of melancholy and restlessness.
The city gate slowly opened a crack, and fifty Fengtian soldiers, led by two trusted lieutenants, headed toward the designated Xingshun Ward.
On the city wall, the defending soldiers warily aimed their crossbows at them.
Inside the city, well-disguised elite troops blended into the gradually awakening streets.
Further to the east, the dust and smoke raised by the Longyou army appeared on the horizon as expected.
The morning light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the bloodstains and new marks on the ancient city walls, and also revealing the ambition, fear, and murderous intent hidden deep in the eyes of every player on this land.
As dawn broke, the subtle tension that permeated the market remained undiminished.
The streets, which would normally be bustling with activity at this time, are rather deserted today.
The vendors set up their stalls as usual, offering a full range of goods including rice, vegetables, meat, and cloth, but their calls to sell were much quieter, and their eyes kept glancing towards the entrance of the neighborhood.
There were fewer people than usual, and most of them were young and middle-aged men with calm expressions. They gathered in twos and threes in front of tea stalls and warehouses, seemingly chatting idly, but their eyes were sharp.
Inside the wall, a temporary squad of armored soldiers carrying halberds was dispatched. The leader of the squad was holding his sword hilt, expressionless.
In an even less conspicuous corner, several peddlers carrying loads on shoulder poles and pushing carts swayed slowly, their loads seemingly exceptionally heavy and their cart axles creaking.
At exactly 9:00 AM, the gate of the neighborhood opened on time.
Fifty soldiers of the Fengtian Army, led by two adjutant generals, filed in.
The leading lieutenant was surnamed Wang, with a sallow complexion and shrewd eyes; the deputy was surnamed Zhang, a burly man with a face full of scars.
The soldiers behind them, though trying their best to maintain their formation, could not hide the curiosity, vigilance, and even a hint of barely perceptible apprehension in their eyes.
"Gentlemen, this way please!"
A clerk dressed in the uniform of a city magistrate greeted them with a smile, followed by two men who looked like office clerks. "By order of the Grand Commander, we are here to facilitate your army's procurement. All the necessary items have been prepared. Please follow me."
General Wang glanced at the somewhat empty street and the "commoners," his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:
"Thank you for your help. Our army urgently needs 500 shi of rice, 200 jin of cured meat, 30 dan of salt, and some wound medicine."
He handed over a list and added, "Also, the brothers have been marching for a long time and would like to purchase some wine, cloth, and daily necessities. Is that alright?"
"Naturally, naturally."
The clerk took the list, glanced at it briefly, and said with his smile unchanged, "Rice, grains, cured meat, and salt have already been prepared and are in the granary ahead. As for the medicine..."
"The Grand Commander, showing his compassion for your army, has specially allocated a batch of top-quality wound medicine and hemostatic powder from Xijing, and has ordered the pharmacy to prepare them."
"As for wine, liquor, and cloth, all the shops in the neighborhood have them. The soldiers can choose to purchase them themselves at market prices..."
"Oh, the Grand Commander also has an order to support the military and their families, and all purchases made by your army will be subject to a 10% discount."
10% off?
Wang and Zhang exchanged a glance, but instead of feeling pleased, their suspicions deepened.
Would Zhao Muyun really be so kind?
The group was led to the front of Fengyu Warehouse.
The warehouse door was wide open, and inside, sacks were piled up like mountains, with the fresh aroma of rice mixed with the salty and gamey smell of cured mutton wafting out.
Wang Bi gave a signal, and two soldiers immediately stepped forward, drew their short knives, and casually pierced several burlap sacks, from which white rice and finely ground salt flowed out. They then cut open a package of cured meat to check its quality.
"They're all top-quality goods," the soldier reported in a low voice.
Wang Bi nodded and said to the clerk, "In that case, load the rice, grain, salt, and meat into the carts according to the required quantity."
"No problem."
The official waved his hand, and the laborers and soldiers who were prepared began to move the goods.
They moved swiftly and in an orderly manner.
During the break while loading the trucks, Wang Bijiang strolled around casually, his gaze sweeping over the warehouse's interior structure and guarding situation, before looking towards the back of the warehouse.
There were many objects covered with tarpaulins piled up there, of various shapes, vaguely resembling...
Damaged crossbows, siege towers, and even the charred remains of several siege ladders.
Zhang, the subordinate general, also noticed it and whispered, "Brother Wang, look at all that junk..."
"Um."
General Wang's eyes flashed. It wasn't unusual to pile up damaged military equipment, but to leave it like this in the backyard of a warehouse near the market—was it an oversight, or was it deliberately placed there for them to see?
If it was intentional, was it to show weakness and imply that the defending troops had also suffered heavy losses?
Or is it just a deliberate attempt to create a false impression?
"Sir, the medicine for wounds is over here at 'Renjitang'," the clerk interrupted their observation at the opportune moment.
Inside the pharmacy, the resident doctor personally greeted me and explained the prepared medicine packets one by one:
"This is a top-grade wound medicine, most effective in stopping bleeding and promoting tissue regeneration; this is a detoxifying and heat-clearing powder; this is a calming and tranquilizing pill..."
"The Grand Commander specifically instructed that if your army's wounded need medical personnel, you may send them over to exchange medical skills, and we will certainly share all our knowledge with you." His words were sincere and impeccable.
General Wang inspected the medicine packet and found that the herbs were indeed of good quality and in sufficient quantity.
He felt somewhat relieved; at least Zhao Muyun hadn't tampered with the medicine, so perhaps she was genuinely sincere.
After purchasing the necessities, Wang and Zhang, along with some soldiers, began to "freely" select wine, cloth, and other items in the market.
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