Siege
"Fire!" At Zhao Youyi's command, the well-trained Zhao family army unleashed a barrage of arrows at the guards on the city gate. The women of the women's army remained expressionless as they steadily released their arrows. Seeing their menacing approach, the guards on Guazhou City immediately fired a signal into the sky.
Zhao Youyi naturally wouldn't give him that chance. He nocked an arrow, raised the bow, drew the string, aimed, and released the arrow in one smooth motion, killing the guard on the spot.
Seeing that most of the guards on the city wall were dead, Zhao Youyi made a gesture, signaling the Zhao family army behind him to break down the city gate. "No harm is allowed to be done to the people in the city, and no one is allowed to take a single penny from them!"
After Zhao Youyi finished speaking, Zhou Yaqing led the male and female soldiers of the Zhao family army to rush forward. There were people holding back the gate, but they couldn't withstand the superior numbers of Zhou Yaqing's group. The stalemate didn't last long before the city gate was smashed open. Seeing the soldiers scatter and flee, Zhao Youyi smiled and said, "Brothers and sisters! Take Guazhou City!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers of Zhao Family Army drew their blades and rushed forward to kill the enemy. Zhao Youyi dismounted and joined the battle, shouting, "With a tyrannical ruler in power, the people are suffering! You all have parents, wives, and children. If you surrender, I will spare your lives!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers, whose resolve had wavered, knelt down and surrendered. The general who had rushed over from a short distance saw this and his blood boiled: "Daughter of the Zhao family! Your Zhao family is truly of one lineage! This is treason!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi smiled. The soldiers around her surrounded her to prevent an ambush. Zhao Youyi aimed at the general and released an arrow without hesitation, her speed catching everyone off guard. "Ignorant brat! This old lady is acting on behalf of Heaven! Brothers and sisters! Let's go!"
The group charged toward the city center, while civilians fled in all directions. But when they saw the "Zhao" on the military flag, they stopped. "It's the Zhao family army! General Zhao has come to save us!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped in their tracks. Guazhou was not far from the border region, and the Zhao family army was renowned throughout the area. They did not care who sat on the throne; they only knew that General Zhao was a great general who fought for the country and its people.
"Fellow villagers! I am Zhao Youyi, the twenty-ninth head of the Zhao family, and also the commander of General Zhao! The current emperor cannot distinguish between loyalty and treachery! He is a foolish and tyrannical ruler! Today, my Zhao clan will act on behalf of Heaven to restore peace and stability to Guazhou City for our fellow villagers!" Zhao Youyi shouted to the people.
The people, who were initially somewhat afraid of them, had their doubts greatly reduced upon hearing Zhao Youyi's words, and they all knelt down and shouted, "General, you are wise!"
Zhao Youyi knew that the title "General" was more a call to Zhao Youli, and to every son and daughter of the Zhao family who had fought for the country. The borderlands had become the burial ground for their children, but the people had not forgotten them. Every bit of trust they placed in the Zhao family army contained the blood and tears of every generation of Zhao family members.
The people were no longer panicked; in fact, they lined the streets to welcome them. Zhao's army marched all the way to the prefect's mansion. Upon hearing the news, the prefect had just gotten off the bed of some concubine, his clothes disheveled and his expression flustered.
"Keep the prefect here! Execute him and display his head!" Zhao Youyi knew that this was the perfect time to establish the prestige of the Zhao family army. Once this news spread, the prefects of other prefectures would naturally be afraid.
The soldiers obeyed orders and detained the prefect. The rest of the men stormed into the prefect's mansion, killing countless soldiers along the way. When the soldiers who arrived later saw their ferocious appearance, they were so frightened that they dropped their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.
In just one afternoon, Zhao's army massacred the prefectural governor's mansion, imprisoning all three thousand soldiers. Zhao Youyi stood at the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion, looking at the desolate city of Guazhou, and couldn't help but sigh.
Even if she wins the world, the lives of these people won't immediately improve, and how many more years can her body hold up?
The future heir... Her body was not suitable for bearing offspring, and Chu Chanyin was even more determined not to allow it, so he made her drink the infertility medicine early on, saying that her body could not withstand it, and he could not watch her go to the gates of hell.
I wonder which of Zhao Zhile and Chu Muqing has more imperial talent? But seeing how good their relationship is now, perhaps they can rule the world together like she and Huai Cong.
Zhao Youyi shook her head, realizing she was thinking too far ahead.
“My lord.” Zhou Yaqing walked over and, seeing her inscrutable expression, assumed she was worried about the King of Chu. “His Highness the King of Chu’s Chu army is seasoned in battle and will surely be able to take Yuanzhou with ease. My lord need not worry.”
Zhao Youyi tapped her on the head: "Of course I'm not worried about him, I'm just thinking about the future. We'll rest in Guazhou for a few days, and then leave some people here to guard the area. Go and send a message to your brother, asking him to send a trustworthy person with two thousand men. One thousand will stay here, and one thousand will go to Yuanzhou."
"Yuanzhou? My lord doesn't trust His Highness Prince Chu?" Zhou Yaqing was somewhat surprised. She had assumed that the two were truly devoted to each other, judging from their affectionate demeanor, but unexpectedly...
“Of course not,” Zhao Youyi glanced at her and suddenly missed Liu Zhiming, who was left to guard the border. She wouldn’t be as foolish as Zhou Yaqing. “The Chu army is a big target, and the emperor also sees them as a thorn in his side. I discussed it with him, and in the early stages, the Zhao family army will leave people behind. You should really learn from Zhiming. With such a stupid brain, how will you lead troops into battle in the future?”
After saying that, she affectionately tapped Zhou Yaqing's forehead. Zhou Yaqing chuckled twice and scratched his head: "Isn't it because the lord is here? What would I need such a good brain for? Besides, the lord trusts me more, otherwise why would he only bring me and not strategist Liu?"
Zhao Youyi shattered her illusions without hesitation: "The main problem is that Zhimo's skills are mediocre. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. Yaqing, after this matter, I will arrange for you to go to school to learn properly, so that you don't just grow older but not smarter."
Zhou Yaqing's face froze upon hearing this... School? She hadn't attended school since she was twelve! Now, after several years, she was supposed to go to school with teenagers? She'd rather run laps!
"Yaqing, if you want to become a good general, it's not enough to just know how to kill the enemy; you also need to master military strategy," Zhao Youyi said earnestly, patting her on the shoulder.
Zhou Yaqing wished she could just smash her head against the stone lions in the prefectural governor's mansion and die!
“Your older brother will go with you then,” Zhao Youyi added.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yaqing immediately became excited, telling Zhou Huaiyuan that he always acted like the eldest brother in front of her, but now he still had to go to school with her!
"Thank you for your kindness, my lord." Zhou Yaqing immediately accepted the offer with a smile.
Zhao Youyi could tell what she was thinking from the mischievous look on her face, and couldn't help but smile. But as she smiled, she suddenly thought of Zhao Youli.
Her brother... The two of them used to bicker and play around like Zhou Yaqing and Zhou Huaiyuan, but they always thought of each other. Now her brother is gone, and she has no brother anymore.
But her brother did leave her something: the Zhao family army and their reputation among the people... as well as a will entrusting her with his orphan, allowing her to reunite with Chu Chanyin after six years.
A fine drizzle suddenly began to fall from the sky. Zhao Youyi stood under the eaves and reached out to touch the spring rain. A year had passed since her brother left. She finally had the power to avenge him.
The raindrops were fine and dense, and the feeling of them falling on her hand was so gentle, like her brother's murmur. Zhao Youyi couldn't help but look up, and tears welled up in her eyes. Zhou Yaqing had already stepped back when he saw her reach out to catch the rain, knowing that she was thinking of Zhao Youli, and he also felt sorry for this talented young general who was killed by heaven.
Zhao Youyi lowered her head, her tears mingling with the rain, as if trying to blend her longing into the rain. Her brother... wouldn't even come to her in her dreams.
Suddenly feeling a warmth, Zhao Youyi subconsciously turned her head to look, only to see that the person who came was Chu Chanyin. He draped a cloak over her shoulders and knew what day it was, which was why he had rushed to Guazhou without stopping. Seeing her tearful eyes, he knew that she was missing Zhao Youli.
Chu Chanyin embraced her, a faint sadness rising in his heart. When the three of them were young, they lived in Yongliu Manor. Zhao Youli took good care of him and treated him like a younger brother. He would also share the little trinkets and snacks that Zhao Youyi had. Compared to Chu Yongxi, his older brother whom he had only known for a few years, Zhao Youli was the only true older brother in his heart.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to write to Zhao Youli asking if he wanted the position. He often thought that if he had been more persistent back then, if Zhao Youli had rebelled against the emperor with him, would he have survived? And would Awan have shed so many tears?
Unfortunately, none of them expected the emperor to act so quickly and without regard for the consequences, targeting Zhao Youli behind the Empress Dowager's back and bribing Zhao Youli's most trusted deputy general.
“Brother will protect us, and we will surely bring peace and prosperity to the people of the world,” Chu Chanyin said softly, embracing her.
Zhao Youyi's tears flowed uncontrollably in his arms as she hugged him tightly, saying, "Brother Huai Cong, you must never leave me in this lifetime."
"Yes, I, Chu Huai Cong, will never leave A Wan, whether I live or die," Chu Chanyin kissed her forehead. "From now on, I will love you with the same love that your brother had for you. I said before that I am your husband and also your brother."
“From the first time we met as children, when you stole the carrot I was feeding the little white horse, you called me brother. At that moment, I made up my mind to protect you for the rest of my life and be your brother,” Chu Chanyin said.
Listening to his steady heartbeat, Zhao Youyi gradually calmed down: "Why are you here? Has everything been settled in Yuanzhou?"
"Yes, it went very smoothly," Chu Chanyin said, trying to amuse her. "They were so frightened when they heard that I was the husband of Lady Zhao that they ran away in terror. Your fame must have spread far and wide."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi burst into laughter through her tears and pinched his cheek: "You're talking nonsense. It's clearly His Highness the Prince of Chu who has a great reputation. Who doesn't know that His Highness went to the battlefield at the age of fifteen and is known as the Jade-Faced Rakshasa?"
Chu Chanyin gently pinched her nose: "How do you know about me when I was fifteen? Didn't you not read those letters?"
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