Chapter 82 Tonight I can cherish you properly
Lu Jinlan peeked out, Xiang Ruzhen turned to the side, and the strategist Wen Ji entered from outside the door.
Lu Jinlan smiled slightly and said to Wen Ji, "The general seems somewhat disappointed to see me."
"How could that be? The strategist is overthinking it."
"The commander-in-chief was worried, so he sent me here to assist the general."
Lu Jinlan nodded, and everyone discussed the defense of the city gate before dispersing at dinner time.
Lu Jinlan returned to the room, and his arms wrapped around her from behind, his warm body pressing against hers.
A barely perceptible smile flashed in Lu Jinlan's eyes as she turned and closed the door tightly.
Xiao Heng looked at her, his expression quite nervous. "I only came with the commander's permission. I'll just stay in your room and won't interfere with your battle."
Lu Jinlan sighed, "Didn't I tell you to stay in your tent?"
Xiao Heng grasped her hand, his eyes lowered sadly, "I'm worried about you."
"With a major battle imminent, I will send someone to escort you back."
"I'm not going back," Xiao Heng said stubbornly. "Either you come back with me, or I'll stay here with you."
Lu Jinlan smiled helplessly, "I am the commander-in-chief, and it is impossible for me to leave here."
"Then don't make me go back." Xiao Heng hugged her, his thick eyelashes brushing against her neck, making her feel ticklish.
“I’m worried about you. Why don’t we leave? Let’s abandon everything here and forget about everything else. I won’t be my little master, and you won’t be your great general. I’d rather follow you to farm and hunt, and live the life of a poor man.”
Lu Jinlan gently stroked his ear with her warm fingertips. "As long as the war continues, the poor will never have a peaceful life."
“But it’s too dangerous here. I heard them say that Prison Dragon Pass is unlucky, that it’s the tomb of a heroine and a general, and that even flying dragons have fallen here.”
Lu Jinlan smiled calmly, "This place has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times, and many people have died here, but you don't need to be afraid."
"Imprisoned dragon, imprisoned dragon! I am not a dragon, how can this place imprison me?"
"The dragon is not me; what can trap it may not be able to trap me."
Lu Jinlan kissed the corner of his mouth, "Don't overthink it."
Xiao Heng didn't say anything more. He knew he couldn't persuade her, so he could only do his best to take care of her daily needs and pray that the war would end soon.
The next day, General Suo Hongzhu of the Jiang Kingdom personally led a large army to the city.
When the enemy came to challenge them, Lu Jinlan only led a few trusted generals and eight hundred elite soldiers out of the pass to meet them.
Wearing a mask, Xiao Heng gazed out from the pass. The enemy troops were densely packed and stretched as far as the eye could see, making him tremble with fear.
Lu Jinlan sat upright on her horse, but remained calm. She knew that no one believed she had a good chance in this battle.
The defeat was expected. A lucky victory would be the Ling family army's first since the start of the war. She could use it to win hearts and minds and solidify her position. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation.
Outnumbered, she did not intend to fight a direct confrontation. Although she had few soldiers, her generals were quite capable, especially her classmates from the capital, who were all eager to make a name for themselves on the battlefield.
Their opponents were all renowned generals, while their own side consisted of nobodies. As the saying goes, those with nothing to lose have nothing to fear. Winning even one round would be a victory.
In the first battle, the enemy's vanguard general challenged them. Xiang Ruzhen volunteered to go into battle, and Lu Jinlan instructed her, "Be careful, retreat if you can't win, Wu Xin and I will help you with the formation."
Xiang Ruzhen nodded, picked up her spear, and went into battle. The two exchanged blows for no more than three moves before Xiang Ruzhen stabbed the enemy general off his horse with a single thrust of her spear.
"Good!" A clamor of cheers immediately erupted from the city gate.
Seeing that his strategist Wen Ji breathed a sigh of relief, Xiao Heng said softly, "Having won a battle, General, you can be considered victorious today."
Xiao Heng hurriedly asked, "Then can we call it a day?"
Wen Ji smiled and shook his head, "No rush, we're winning right now, why should we call it a day?"
As they were talking, Xiang Ruzhen stabbed another enemy general to death.
"Excellent!" Wen Ji clapped his hands excitedly and shouted, "Someone! Quickly report the battle situation here to the commander-in-chief!"
Xiang Ruzhen won three rounds in a row, and Yan Wuxin went up to her and said, "Take a break and let me take over."
Yan Wuxin replaced Xiang Ruzhen and, wielding her Phoenix Cry Longsword, also won a round.
Chu Yishu was initially quite scared, but then she saw that Yan Wuxin could win? So her martial arts skills were about the same as Yan Wuxin's, and if Yan Wuxin could win, so could she.
She immediately volunteered to fight, and Lu Jinlan allowed her to replace Yan Wuxin.
Just as Chu Yishu spurred his horse forward, he saw Suo Hongzhu riding a black horse slowly emerging from the formation.
Chu Yishu was stunned. She knew she was no match for Suo Hongzhu.
She hesitated between turning around and leaving or hitting him and then running away. With so many people watching, she ultimately didn't have the heart to run away immediately.
Suo Hongzhu truly lived up to her reputation as the legendary number one general of the Jiang Kingdom. Her hair had turned completely white, yet she remained vigorous and strong despite her advanced age.
As a spear thrust at him, Chu Yishu hurriedly blocked it with his weapon, cursing under his breath as he made a hasty retreat.
Lu Jinlan anticipated that she couldn't be stopped, so he rode his horse to meet her.
Chu Yishu turned around and saw Suo Hongzhu chasing after him, so he quickly shouted, "General, save me!"
Lu Jinlan hurriedly fired an arrow, but Suo Hongzhu dodged backward. The arrow struck a soldier in front of her and killed him instantly.
Suo Hongzhu frowned, reined in her horse, and asked, "Who are you?"
Lu Jinlan cupped his hands in greeting, "This junior is Lu Jinlan, the General Who Guards the North of Hua Kingdom."
Suo Hongzhu pondered for a moment, "I thought you were a scholar."
Lu Jinlan smiled, "I am skilled in both literature and martial arts."
Suo Hongzhu nodded, "Very well, I won't kill nobodies." Lu Jinlan said, "If I kill you today, I will no longer be a nobody."
The two were locked in combat as they spoke, their red-tasseled spear and jeweled longsword clashing together, sparks flying everywhere.
Xiao Heng held his breath nervously, not daring to blink. Seeing that the two had fought for more than thirty rounds without a winner, he said anxiously, "Strategist, please think of a way to help her."
Wen Ji shook his head repeatedly, "They're already locked in combat. Even if we beat the gong now, the general might not come back. Don't rush, don't panic. General Lu's ability to fight Suo Hongzhu for so long proves her profound skill. If she's no match for him, she'll definitely be able to escape in time."
In fact, both sides were terrified during this battle.
Lu Jinlan sighed inwardly at Suo Hongbao's shrewdness; the sixty-year-old veteran was still agile and composed in her fight against a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, and every move still carried immense power.
What kind of physical attributes is this? Is he a reincarnation of Qin Liangyu?
Lu Jinlan had originally thought that fighting a sixty-year-old would be unfair, as using drugs would make the victory seem dishonorable. She believed she had improved significantly recently and would be a sure win. Unexpectedly, the match turned out to be evenly matched.
She couldn't help but secretly regret not taking some medicine; otherwise, the outcome would have been very uncertain.
No wonder the outside world speaks of Suo Hongzhu as so extraordinary; she truly is a remarkable person. An elderly person, yet she possesses abilities comparable to someone with superhuman powers.
Fortunately, she was old. Lu Jinlan thought that as long as she persisted until after a hundred rounds, she would have a better chance of winning.
At the same time, Suo Hongzhu was also secretly alarmed.
She hadn't encountered such a formidable opponent in about ten years. The last time she was surprised was by Song Jingxiao, but Lu Jinlan and Song Jingxiao were clearly not on the same wavelength.
Lu Jinlan's moves were unpredictable and varied, leaving even a seasoned veteran like Lu Jinlan feeling overwhelmed. She was truly a force to be reckoned with!
She remembered that this person was Song Jingxiao's son, and sighed inwardly that Song Jingxiao was lucky. Why couldn't her son marry such a daughter?
The two sides fought for more than eighty rounds, and the morale of the Hua Kingdom side was high, as if they had already won.
After all, no general in the world has ever been known to be able to fight Suo Hongzhu for eighty rounds.
Conversely, morale in the Jiang Kingdom was low. They stormed the pass with great momentum, only to suffer defeats in four consecutive battles and lose four generals.
In order to stabilize the morale of the troops, Suo Hongzhu personally took to the field. Everyone thought she could win in no time, but they did not expect that one of the enemy's young generals would be so capable.
Could it be that Huaguo is full of hidden talents, and the Ling family army was just feigning defeat before?
Everyone hoped that Suo Hongzhu could defeat her, otherwise she would become a stepping stone for Lu Jinlan to become famous, and morale would be greatly damaged.
After 101 rounds, Lu Jinlan sensed that Suo Hongzhu's attacks were starting to slow down.
She seized the opportunity and thrust her sword at her neck, but Suo Hongzhu bravely blocked it, the tip of her sword knocking off the armor on Suo Hongzhu's shoulder.
Both sides of the spectators gasped in surprise as Lu Jinlan thrust his sword several times, finally knocking Suo Hongzhu off her horse.
But just as she was about to take her life, she caught a glimpse of the countless scars hidden beneath her battle robes.
Knife wounds, sword wounds, gunshot wounds... scars of different shapes are imprinted on her aged skin, forming the image of a world-renowned general.
Lu Jinlan's eyes flashed, she picked up the Overlord Red Tassel Spear in her hand, raised it high, and returned victorious amidst a thunderous roar of cheers.
This was the first victory since the start of the war with the Jiang Kingdom, a resounding one. And a victory so earth-shattering it would be etched in history.
As soon as she returned to the city, Wen Ji greeted her with great joy, "Congratulations, General, on your great victory! You are a hero! I will immediately draft a report of victory and send it to the capital by express courier. The Emperor will surely be overjoyed."
Lu Jinlan handed her the Overlord Red Tassel Spear, saying, "Send this to the Emperor along with the spear, lest some people in the court not believe that we have won a great victory."
Wen Ji hurriedly said, "There is something I don't understand. Why didn't you take the opportunity to kill Suo Hongzhu?"
Lu Jinlan said, "I have already wounded her, she was defeated and dismounted, and I even took her weapon. I have already won, why must I take her life?"
Wen Ji thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "It is rare for a general to have such a broad mind at such a young age. I was narrow-minded. I will go and write the battle report."
Yan Wuxin said happily, "As soon as the good news arrives, our rewards will be on their way. The Jiang people suffered a crushing defeat today, and I don't think they'll be in the mood to attack the city for a while."
Xiang Ruzhen also said, "Since Suo Hongzhu is injured, the Jiang Kingdom may have to replace their general. If more people come, they probably won't dare to challenge us. If they attack the city directly, they might have a better chance of winning."
Everyone laughed. Sun Le said, "Didn't you guys notice? After this battle, the way the Ling family army looks at you has changed. Their eyes are shining, like they've seen a god of war."
Lu Jinlan smiled and nodded, "No one wants to lose a battle. Today's victory is a way to wipe away the shame for the Ling family army here. We still can't relax. We need to strengthen the city's defenses and prevent the enemy from launching a direct attack."
"yes!"
A group of people went out to carry out their orders, and only then did Lu Jinlan notice Xiao Heng standing at the door with red eyes.
Yan Wuxin pursed his lips. "Sigh, let's go, Ruzhen. Let's not waste her time here. Let's go to my room and have a drink to celebrate."
Xiang Ruzhen hesitated for a moment, "I need to go back and write a letter home to tell Xueqing the good news."
Yan Wuxin was taken aback. "What about me?"
"Why don't you write a letter too? Come on, let's go outside and discuss this." Xiang Ruzhen pulled the person away and considerately closed the door behind her.
Lu Jinlan waved, and Xiao Heng strode over and hugged her tightly.
Now I know why you look down on me.
"Um?"
"You have extraordinary abilities, so naturally you won't care about my feelings."
Lu Jinlan curled the corners of her lips. "Feeling like your life is miserable again?"
Xiao Heng was puzzled. Lu Jinlan stroked his Adam's apple, her eyes full of meaning, "What I mean is, if you feel your life is miserable, I can take good care of you tonight."
Xiao Heng's face flushed, and he took the initiative to kiss her.
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Author's Note: Don't you guys like watching war movies? It's almost over!
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