Chapter 353: Unexpected
Xiao Zhuo's army took advantage of their rest and waited for Xiao Beiheng to come and fight.
The first group to start fighting was the Qianglin group.
On the first day, Shen Yuexi drank old hen soup in the morning, had roasted chicken at noon, and ate a chicken rack in the evening. She licked her lips and smacked her lips while eating, feeling unsatisfied.
Scouts reported: "King Qianglin led the Western Rong army to set up camp at Baixiu Mountain. That day, an enemy vanguard of approximately 20,000 men arrived. A fierce battle ensued. The Western Rong army, taking advantage of the high ground, defeated the enemy, killing 2,000. A great victory! Please take credit for it!"
Shen Yuexi was very happy. Xiao Zhuo ordered the chief clerk of the army to record the merit of King Qianglin and Chen Lan.
The next day, Shen Yuexi drank old hen soup in the morning, had roasted chicken and rice at noon, and had stewed chicken nuggets at night. For some reason, she felt that the taste was just average.
The scouts reported: "The enemy vanguard attempted to bypass Baixiu Mountain, but was pelted with rocks by the mountain defenders, forcing them to retreat. We killed over a thousand enemies in this battle. A great victory! May I take credit for it!"
Xiao Zhuo also asked the chief clerk to record it in the merit book.
On the third day, Shen Yuexi drank old hen soup in the morning and had stewed chicken legs at noon, which she barely finished.
Scouts report: "The main enemy force has camped at the foot of Baixiu Mountain and is shouting and cursing. King Qianglin and Military Advisor Shen Lan are holding their ground. The enemy has attacked twice, but both times were unsuccessful, with over 3,500 casualties. Please take credit for this great victory!"
Xiao Zhuo called the chief clerk and gave King Qianglin and Shen Lan a third credit.
As the chief clerk walked out of the tent, Xiao Zhuo picked up the pen and looked at the list in front of him with a frown in thought, when Shen Yuexi came in from outside the tent, looking very angry.
"Husband, who arranged this menu? Why do you serve me chicken soup and chicken every day? It's so uncomfortable to eat."
Xiao Zhuo blushed, avoided her gaze, and put down the list in his hand: "Me."
Shen Yuexi asked: "Why?"
"Wouldn't it be good for the baby to drink more chicken soup and eat more chicken?"
Shen Yuexi walked over to Xiao Zhuo and glanced down. Xiao Zhuo had just put down a list, a whole page filled with writing, titled "My Beloved Wife Yuexi's Recipe." Without thinking, she snatched it up and glanced over it, her eyes filled with cocks, cocks, cocks, cocks... She was completely obsessed with chickens.
Xiao Zhuo is a blockhead. No matter how delicious the chicken is, he can't eat it every meal. At least he can change the taste.
She didn't waste any time and directly snatched the pen from Xiao Zhuo's hand to make the changes herself.
Forget about the chicken soup in the morning; it's really nourishing. I need something different for lunch. Grilled fish is good, I'll write it down. Roasted lamb is also good, or stewed beef brisket... I think someone in the army went fishing and caught a soft-shelled turtle, so I'll have to try that too... I don't want anything too greasy at night; I'll try some light porridge with some vegetables and fruit.
She was writing furiously at her desk, while Xiao Zhuo was sitting opposite her, reading and asking questions.
"Yuexi, what do these words say?"
"Roast lamb. Don't add chili peppers. Chili peppers can cause acne."
"What about here?"
"When stewing beef brisket, remember not to add star anise."
"Can eating star anise cause acne?"
"My husband is an idiot."
A soldier entered the tent and reported, "Prince An, the enemy's vanguard of 50,000 men has arrived in front of our army and is setting up camp. The rear guard is only ten miles away and can arrive today."
Xiao Zhuo nodded and said to Shen Yuexi, "Yuexi, the enemy has arrived. I'll go out and see how they are coming."
Shen Yuexi was writing enthusiastically when she heard the enemy approaching. She dropped her pen and said, "Husband, I'll write the recipe later. I'll go with you to see it."
The two men left the tent and went to the watchtower.
Mei Dai and Qiu Liming were already on the watchtower watching the enemy troops setting up camp. Seeing Xiao Zhuo and the others approach, Mei Dai said, "Prince An, look at the other side. They're setting up their camp quite methodically."
Xiao Zhuo looked at the flag opposite without saying a word, but his brows gradually furrowed.
Shen Yuexi noticed Xiao Zhuo's expression and raised her palm to shield her eyes from the midday sun, looking across. After a long glance, she saw nothing worth frowning about.
She put down her hand, and Xiao Zhuo said, "That person opposite is not Xiao Beiheng."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone on the watchtower was stunned.
Mei Dai asked, "Why does Prince An say that?"
Qiu Liming was also puzzled and asked, "Aren't all the flags on the opposite side Xiao Beiheng's? How could the lord say they weren't?"
Xiao Zhuo clapped his hands on the guardrail, turned around and said, "Let's go back to the commander's tent."
Seeing his serious expression, everyone came down from the watchtower and followed him into the general's tent.
"The layout of the camp across the street isn't Xiao Beiheng's style," Xiao Zhuo said. "Flags can be changed at will, but a person's style of doing things won't change."
Shen Yuexi asked, "Who is the commander of the opposing army?"
"Zhao Mu." Xiao Zhuo said.
Qiu Liming disagreed and said, "What's the big deal? Both sides have 100,000 troops. It doesn't matter which one we attack."
Shen Yuexi also felt that what Qiu Liming said made sense. They had to fight anyway, so they would just fight back when the enemy came and block when the water came.
The other generals in the tent all nodded, and Feng Zhang patted his chest and said, "My lord, it doesn't matter if it's Zhao Mu who's here. We will definitely defeat this old fellow."
Only Mei Dai didn't agree. She frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "Oh no."
Xiao Zhuo also looked at Mei Dai and said, "The Queen is right."
Shen Yuexi was confused by these two clever people and interrupted, "What are you talking about? What's wrong?"
Mei Dai said, "Sister, this is Zhao Mu. Where is Xiao Beiheng?"
Shen Yuexi said: "Needless to say, with only two enemy armies, Xiao Beiheng is naturally in favor of Xiushan."
Mei Dai said, "Sister, Prince An originally sent Qiang Lin to worship at Xiushan in order to keep him away from Xiao Beiheng. Xiao Beiheng hated him for killing his wife. Prince An and I discussed this and transferred him away because we were worried that he might lose his cool. But we didn't expect..."
After Mei Dai's explanation, Shen Yuexi also understood.
Although Pei Jingyun had poisoned Madam Li and her daughter, Qiang Lin considered it a blood feud. As the King of the Western Rong, Qiang Lin wasn't Xiao Zhuo's general, nor was he Mei Dai's subordinate. He was an ally, and therefore couldn't be commanded according to military law. If he made a rash decision out of revenge, it would be troublesome.
Xiao Zhuo had said before that Baixiushan was the key to the entire battle. Once Baixiushan was lost, the enemy would be able to encircle Xiao Zhuo's army from behind. In that case, Xiao Zhuo's army would be attacked from both sides and would be in danger of being wiped out.
Unfortunately, Qiang Lin happened to meet his enemy Xiao Beiheng.
The tent fell silent for a moment. Shen Yuexi, observing the heavy expressions on Xiao Zhuo and Mei Dai's faces, knew something was amiss. But remembering the battle reports from the past few days, she held onto a glimmer of hope and said, "My dear, didn't the scouts say that Qiang Lin and my sister have been staying under strict observation? Shouldn't there be any problems?"
Xiao Zhuo shook his head without saying anything, his expression grim.
Mei Dai bowed and said, "Prince An, time is running out. It may be too late to mobilize the infantry. I will lead the Xiliang cavalry to rescue Bai Xiushan as soon as possible."
Xiao Zhuo shook his head and said, "No, we only have about 50,000 troops here. If we withdraw more troops, I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand the enemy's attack. The most urgent thing is to let Qiang Lin defend the camp. Don't be impulsive."
Shen Yuexi took two quick steps forward and stood between Xiao Zhuo and Mei Dai. "Husband, let me go. Xiaobai is a very capable horse and can reach Baixiu Mountain very quickly."
Xiao Zhuo's eyes lit up, but when they fell on Shen Yuexi's abdomen, he shook his head again and again, "No, it's too dangerous for you to go."
Mei Dai also advised: "Sister, you are pregnant, don't take risks."
Shen Yuexi said, "Only I can do this. The little white horse is faster. And Qiang Lin has sworn allegiance to me before, so he will listen to me."
Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly gravely and said, "Indeed, among the people here, only Yue Xi can stop King Qianglin's impulsiveness."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Shen Yuexi turned and ran out of the tent, "Come here, quickly prepare the horse for your princess."
The military situation is urgent and we cannot delay for a moment.
Everyone rushed out of the tent. Xiao Zhuo held her shoulders and said, "Yuexi, this matter concerns the survival of the entire army. King Qianglin doesn't have much experience in commanding, and your intelligence is not enough to match Xiao Beiheng. When you rush to Baixiu Mountain, make sure King Qianglin holds the camp. The fate of the entire army depends on you."
The soldiers brought over the jade lion Zhaoye, and Shen Yuexi stepped on the saddle and stirrups and jumped on the horse.
Although she knew that this trip was a heavy responsibility, she was also a person who had experienced many storms. She waved to Xiao Zhuo with a smile and said, "Don't worry, my husband. You know my ability. Just leave it to me."
The camp gate opened wide, and everyone raised their hands to bid farewell to Shen Yuexi. Shen Yuexi knocked on the stirrup and said, "Xiaobai, let's go to pay our respects to Xiushan."
Xiaobai neighed loudly and turned her horse. The parrot Liuli flew out from the tent, folded its wings, and landed on her shoulder, calling out, "Yuexi, good luck!"
Shen Yuexi raised her hand and patted Liuli's head: "Okay, then come with me. But don't fly around."
A man, a horse and a bird, escorted by a team of cavalry, left the camp of Prince An's army and sped away in the direction of Baixiu Mountain.
Mei Dai stood beside Xiao Zhuo, watching Shen Yuexi's figure turn into a black dot. She placed her hands on her chest and said, "Sister, you must return safely."
Several cannon shots were heard in Zhao Mu’s army camp, which was the signal to send troops out.
Xiao Zhuo withdrew his gaze, and although his face was reluctant, he still said in a firm tone: "The enemy troops have left the camp and formed a battle line. Soldiers, prepare to fight."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com