Zhao Xiheng was not happy.
Under these circumstances, Wei Li would most likely die.
If he dies, his child will be born without a father, which is quite pitiful. Yes, Wei Li is also quite pitiful. But abandoning the fight halfway through is definitely not an option; this is the only path left for him.
If he were to die with himself, that would be even worse. In that case, his death wouldn't be pitiful; it would be a deserved punishment.
She rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
The maidservant exclaimed with delight, "Madam, let's send this good news to our lord!"
"No." Zhao Xiheng shook her head. "The situation on the battlefield is urgent. Don't let him get distracted."
"What you say is true, Madam. You are so thoughtful. We'll give the Lord a surprise when he returns."
Zhao Xiheng gave a stiff smile; he probably wouldn't be coming back.
Anyway, Wei Li doesn't like children. If she happily passes on this as good news, only to find that the other person isn't happy at all, it would be embarrassing for her to have put in all that effort.
Although Zhao Xiheng was worried, she still gave everyone in the household an extra six months' worth of monthly pay as usual.
The missing grain in Liu Huan's camp was found in Wang Zhiyao's camp. They also found a tunnel near the granary leading to both camps. The tunnel was half-buried, and the other half had not yet been covered.
Liu Huan was already a suspicious and distrustful man, and he was wary of Wang Zhiyao at every turn. Now that the grain supplies had been stolen, the suspicion and conflict between the two of them were undoubtedly brought into the open.
But with a major battle imminent, it wasn't worth ruining things over such a trivial matter. Liu Huan put up with it for the time being and only asked Wang Zhiyao for twice the amount of the stolen grain as compensation.
Wang Zhiyao was also seething with anger. He clearly hadn't done it, yet now he was being forced to sacrifice his reputation and possessions. It was utterly disgusting, and the two parted on bad terms.
On the day of the siege, the two drew lots. Wang Zhiyao was unlucky, and his soldiers from Qingzhou went first.
Wei Li stood on the wall, watching the battle below, and casually gave orders: "Don't engage them head-on, try to minimize casualties."
He's no match for a direct confrontation; he's not stupid.
Dandong City focused on defense, but would occasionally harass Wang Zhiyao's men, only to retreat afterward. Wang Zhiyao was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged and his heart and lungs felt like they were about to explode.
This is not Wei Li's usual style. The two had fought a long time ago, and Wei Li fought like a madman back then. His actions today are nothing but mockery, which is an utter disgrace!
"Attack the city!" He drew his sword and swung it with a flourish.
"Reporting, my lord!"
Wang Zhiyao was already furious. When he was interrupted, he kicked the soldier who came to report on the head while still on his horse, yelling, "Speak!"
"My lord, the border defenses of Qingzhou have been attacked, and six of our granaries have been burned." Winter is here, and grain and coal are crucial.
Wang Zhiyao's anger had reached its peak. "Who did it! Who did it! Who did it?!"
"According to the brothers who survived, those people concealed their identities, but they fled to the west. We tried to subtly question Hua Shangle, but he was hesitant and dared not speak."
"To the west, to the west is Hua Shangle's Jizhou, and beyond Jizhou is Liu Huan's Youzhou! Even if Hua Shangle had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare touch my Qingzhou! We're all subservient to him, who else can make Hua Shangle so subservient!" Jizhou has been thoroughly scoured by them, and anyone can come and go as they please.
Wang Zhiyao gritted his teeth in hatred, and after much thought, he pieced everything together.
"Sound the retreat!" Even with the advantage, Wang Zhiyao didn't want to fight anymore.
I'm working myself to the bone here, hurting people and wasting money, and I'm just getting ripped off! Who knows, Liu Huan might be secretly laughing behind my back, thinking about how to take advantage of me! If the news hadn't come in time, I would have been doing all the work for someone else!
Liu Huan was originally observing the situation ahead with great pleasure from the rear. He was happy to see either Wang Zhiyao's men or Wei Li's men die, but unexpectedly, he heard the signal to retreat a moment later.
"What exactly is that old bastard Wang Zhiyao trying to do?! He's backing down after such a short time? What's the point of fighting if not a single person died?"
Before long, the tent flap was flung open, and Wang Zhiyao stormed in, grabbing Liu Huan by the collar, his eyes blazing with fury. "You brat! How dare you launch a sneak attack on my Qingzhou! We are supposed to be partners, how dare you betray us?"
"Who betrayed us? You old fool, don't spout nonsense! When did I ever launch a sneak attack on your Qingzhou? You stole our army's provisions a few days ago! I haven't even bothered with you yet, and you're already making false accusations!" Liu Huan naturally denied it and started cursing at him.
Wang Zhiyao tore at him, "Fine, I know now. The loss of grain a few days ago was probably just you crying wolf, so you could justify attacking my Qingzhou granary and refusing to compensate me!"
Upon careful consideration, it turns out that Wang Zhiyao was the one who suffered the most.
The two men started fighting, and the people around them rushed forward to break it up, saying, "My lord, my lord, peace is the most important thing, peace is the most important thing."
"Don't fall for someone's attempts to sow discord!"
At least they managed to separate the two people.
Liu Huan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Who told you that the people who attacked your Qingzhou were from Youzhou?"
"Our soldiers saw those people set fire and then ran west!" Wang Zhiyao was also bruised and swollen.
"Then why didn't you say it was from Ji Province?"
"Even if Hua Shangle had a hundred times the courage, would he dare? What else does he have besides money?"
"Then why don't you say you're Wei Li's man, just trying to sow discord between us?"
"Bullshit, the people didn't come from the north!"
Liu Huan and Wang Zhiyao sat facing each other, their alliance now hanging by a thread.
“I’ve taken the lead today, it’s your turn tomorrow!” Wang Zhiyao glared at him fiercely.
Liu Huan took a deep breath. Wang Zhiyao fought a battle today, and not a single person died. What kind of battle is this? Tomorrow it will be his turn, and who knows what will happen? But if he endures it, things will be peaceful. Maybe they will fight amongst themselves, and Wei Li will be the one who benefits.
He gritted his teeth and nodded, "Okay, it'll be my turn tomorrow."
Wei Li stood on the wall, a blade of dry grass between his teeth. His silver armor made him appear even more handsome and imposing, highlighting his majestic and dignified bearing.
Several small braids were tied tightly around the rest of her hair, making her eyes and eyebrows appear even more upturned. Her already single-lidded, slightly slanted phoenix eyes now looked even more menacing. General Song bowed to him, "My lord, what should we do next?"
"A thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle, Pingzhou is truly a wonderful place, everyone wants it. Wang Zhiyao is really willing to endure for Pingzhou." Wei Li took the withered grass out of his mouth, his expression indifferent, and ran his fingers through it.
Liu Huan is cautious and cunning, while Wang Zhiyao has a violent temper. However, they are both wary of each other and can cooperate temporarily for the sake of interests, but their relationship is very easy to fall apart.
"I don't know which philosopher once said: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' To take something in advance, you must first give it to them. They want Pingzhou, so give it to them. Once the firewood is piled up enough, light the fire, and then..."
He shrugged and exclaimed, "Bang! It exploded!"
General Song was startled by his rambling and couldn't help but take a half step back. Wei Li tilted his head and looked at him, unable to help but laugh. His laughter was extremely flamboyant and unrestrained, and his whole person was as mysterious as a shaman.
Zhao Xiheng looks thin, but she can eat and drink a lot and is very strong. She can easily pin young women of the same age to the ground and beat them.
The doctor came to check her pulse every three days, and the maid asked nervously, "Should I take some medicine to prevent miscarriage or eat some supplements?"
"No need for medicine, as all medicines have some side effects, but you must ensure your nutrition is adequate. Your health is good, and you will give birth to a strong baby." The doctor waved his hand and advised, "You can walk around more; it's good for your health."
Zhao Xiheng nodded. When she first got pregnant with this little one, she was very nervous, afraid that she might accidentally hurt or lose it. But as she gradually got used to it, she found that the little guy was quite resilient. Even if she jumped around, it didn't matter. This child must have taken after her, so worry-free.
Although the father of the child was no good, Zhao Xiheng never thought of aborting the child.
Because this child is not only Wei Li's, but also Zhao Xiheng's own. Her parents have been gone for many years, and she has no brothers or sisters, no blood relatives. Once this little guy is born, he will be her closest relative.
Upon closer inspection, Wei Li found him to be quite handsome. Even if the child were to resemble him in the future, he wouldn't be ugly.
In mid-December, Liu Huan captured Dandong. Most of the city's inhabitants had already been evacuated, and the rest had surrendered, so there were no casualties.
When Zhao Xiheng first heard about this, she was greatly shocked, but she managed to remain calm. She secretly ordered people to pack up the valuables in the mansion and settle the monthly wages of the servants in order to release them from the mansion in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Liu Huan and his men were acting on the emperor's orders to kill the rebels. They had announced early on that they would not harm the common people, so the people in the city were not panicked and did not need to be appeased.
The next day, news came that Liu Huan had captured Ji'an County.
Zhao Xiheng settled the accounts and released most of the people in the mansion.
The next day, Wang Zhiyao and Liu Huan's army arrived at the gates of Tiangang City, which was in imminent danger of falling.
Liu Huan was riding high, having acquired the first two cities, while Wang Zhiyao looked gloomy and his expression was not good.
He suffered all the bad things this time, while Liu Huan got all the benefits.
The last news was that Wei Li was unfortunately hit by a stray arrow during a battle with Liu Huan, Wang Zhiyao, and others, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Liu Huan has already planted the flag of Youzhou on the city wall of Tiangang City.
Zhao Xiheng released almost everyone she could from her residence. With Tiangang City breached, Wei Li's forces were clearly doomed, and Liu Huan and his men turned their attention to attacking Buxian City.
Several loyal maids were unwilling to leave, but Zhao Xiheng comforted them, "I am, after all, the emperor's cousin, so they won't kill me. But you are indeed people from Wei Li's household, and they might slaughter you."
After much persuasion, they finally agreed to leave.
Zhao Xiheng naturally did not want to fall into the hands of Liu Huan and others, and waited for them to hand her over to Zhao Mingjin. However, the soldiers guarding outside the palace were determined not to let her out, as they were there to protect her on Wei Li's orders.
She thought to herself, "How can such a small number of people withstand a massive army pressing in? Protect them? They're more like a target for her."
Zhao Xiheng stopped dawdling, walked around the mansion, and chose a low wall.
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