When Chen Hai returned, the meeting had already ended. The prefect was engrossed in organizing documents when he heard footsteps. He looked up and glanced at Chen Hai.
"What's the matter, Commander Xiao?"
Chen Hai remained calm as he walked over to help organize the documents, saying, "The garrison commander discovered a group of roaming pirates in Lingshan and wanted to wipe them out, so he sent someone to inform you."
The prefect laughed and said, "Our garrison commander dreams of becoming a general! Well, well, we should teach these pirates a lesson, otherwise the coastal people will always complain about our inaction."
Chen Hai said, "Eliminating the pirates is not just your responsibility, Prefect. The Great Jing has a long coastline. If the pirate threat gains momentum, not only will all the prefects of the thirteen cities in Jingdong bear responsibility, but even the imperial court will..."
The prefect pointed at Chen Hai and interrupted him, saying, "If all the common people were as sensible as Chen Shucheng, it would be much easier for us prefects!"
"By the way, where is the messenger sent by Commander Xiao?"
"He's exhausted from traveling non-stop, so I've already told him to go and rest."
The prefect rubbed his chin and said, "Did you hear that clearly? Did Commander Xiao imply that he needed reinforcements? He's a stubborn man, and he rose up from the ranks of soldiers. Sometimes he's too embarrassed to ask for help directly when he encounters difficulties. Don't overlook his real purpose in sending the message."
"No!" Chen Hai said solemnly, "As the Prefect knows, I am very close friends with Commander Xiao's younger brother, so I have a lot of contact with Commander Xiao and know his temperament!"
"According to the messenger, this group of pirates numbered only about thirty. Commander Xiao led a hundred garrison troops out, which was more than enough to deal with them."
"The purpose of Commander Xiao sending this message is simply to let you know that he is safe, so that you might worry about his safety."
"He still knows I care about him!"
The prefect smiled, stood up and walked out, and said slowly, "Commander Xiao is a talented and energetic man. I am different. I am old and my eyes are getting blurry when I sort out these documents. In the future, Qingdong City can do without me, but it cannot do without Xiao Luofeng."
"Chen Hai, work hard with these two brothers; they're bound to have a bright future."
The prefect patted Chen Hai on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You must strengthen yourself and then serve your country!"
Chen Hai quickly lowered his head, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Prefect!"
...
Upon discovering that the Southern Zhou army had launched a general offensive, Zhao Cheng and Xiao Luofeng did not hesitate or harbor any illusions. They led everyone and ran up the mountain.
The Southern Zhou army advanced up the mountain from the west front, and deployed troops to extend to the south and north, advancing upwards from the north, west, and south, like a large pocket trying to gradually fill the mountain.
Even if Zhao Cheng and his group could cross Ling Mountain, they could only descend from the east side.
To the east is the sea.
Therefore, Zhao Cheng and Xiao Luofeng both knew that if reinforcements did not arrive, even if they could widen the distance between themselves and the Southern Zhou army, they would only be fighting like cornered beasts, ultimately turning into a desperate battle with their backs to the wall.
"They looked angry and were going up the mountain very quickly."
From dawn until dusk, Xiao Luofeng saw that the garrison troops were somewhat tired, so he ordered them to take a short rest.
Xiao Luomu fed his brother a sip of water and said, "Their commander finally couldn't take it anymore."
Zhao Cheng said, "Actually, it's a bit later than I expected. This shows that the commander of the Southern Zhou army is a calm and cautious person, which is not a good thing for us."
Zhao Wu interjected, "The Seven Generals of Yangmen are actually the personal guards of the Grand Commander of Southern Zhou. With so many of them coming at once, could it be that the Grand Commander himself has come?"
"no."
Yang Taozhi put a mouthful of dry rations in her mouth and said, "If the commander down the mountain is that Grand Commander of Southern Zhou, he will attack the mountain that very night after discovering the bodies of the first of the Seven Generals of Yangmen."
Although he didn't know Yang Taozhi's identity, Xiao Luofeng still nodded subconsciously, firstly out of trust in Yang Taozhi, and secondly because he himself thought so too.
The Southern Zhou Grand Commander's combat style was not suited to this kind of infiltration mission deep into enemy territory.
This is why, when Xiao Luofeng discovered the Seven Generals of Yangmen, he never imagined that their commander would be the Grand Commander.
"It doesn't matter who it is."
Yang Taozhi swallowed the remaining dry rations in her hand in one gulp and said, "If we're really driven to the brink, I can go and kill him."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
The battle situation is so critical, and our side is completely at a disadvantage, yet Yang Taozhi speaks of taking the enemy commander's head from among the enemy troops so casually...
What confidence!
“No!” Zhao Cheng immediately said, “Commander Xiao has already determined that the enemy has at least a thousand men. Although your personal combat strength is very strong, it is still too risky.”
Zhou Chuan and Zhou Nuo exchanged a glance and said, "I can help with that too."
Zhou Nuo said, "And me too."
“That’s even worse!” Zhao Cheng said, emphasizing, “They know we have experts here, so protecting their commander will definitely be their top priority. Besides, this commander can mobilize the Seven Generals of Yangmen, which shows how high his status is! I believe you have the ability to assassinate him, but it will be too difficult to escape unscathed.”
Zhao Cheng clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Chuan and his sister, saying, "My two great heroes, please don't encourage my sister! I don't want either individual sacrifice or the death of the whole group. What I want is for every single one of them to be accounted for!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chuan and his sister, as well as Xiao Luofeng, all felt a deep respect for Zhao Cheng.
Xiao Luomu blinked, leaned close to Zhao Cheng's ear, and whispered, "Didn't you say that if things really got dangerous, your sister could protect us and get us out of there, and the garrison wouldn't be able to help us?"
My thoughts haven't changed.
Zhao Cheng said seriously, "But that was in the last resort. Before that, whenever there is a chance, we cannot use their lives to give us hope of escaping."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
