Zhang Cheng couldn’t go to the front line and fight against the enemy himself. Rather, he directed the operation from the rear.
Similarly, Zhang Yun had someone escort him in a wheelchair, and he watched the situation of the siege from a distance.
Zhang Cheng didn’t look very good; he hadn’t expected that after attacking for two hours, the soldiers inside Nanping City would employ one cunning tactic after another, causing some losses for the Jibei Army without budging the city gate a single inch.
Zhang Yun kept a poker face. He had prepared for Nanping City’s robust defence, and although he was concerned about the casualties, what mattered to him more was seizing control of Nanping City as soon as possible.
So, he turned to Zhang Cheng, "Uncle, it was a bit late to siege the city, don’t you think?"
Zhang Cheng agreed. His initial hesitation had given Zhou Gu the opportunity to sneak into the military camp and launch an attack on them. Not only had they lost Zhang Xing, but, unexpectedly, Nanping City had also proven tricky to conquer.
"Let the soldiers fight harder, Nanping City won’t hold out forever," Zhang Yun ordered loudly. "Beat the drums hard."
Following his command, the sound of drumming thundered.
Ning Chi personally defended the city gate, fighting alongside the soldiers. Ning Ze, inferior in martial arts skills, was continuously busy moving supplies to the city gate.
Although Jiang Zhu looked like a scholar, he was not as weak as he appeared. His actual abilities were not weak at all, and he was highly skilled. To Ning Chi’s surprise, his martial arts were even superior to his own.
The Marquis of Nanping also went up on the city wall, standing with Ning Chi and the rest.
After a short while, the Marquis of Nanping got injured due to his habituated privileged life. He nearly got stabbed with a sword, but luckily, Ning Chi saw it and extended his left arm to block the strike for him in the nick of time.
As a result, Ning Chi also got injured.
However, as his left hand was injured, it didn’t matter much, so he merely ordered that the Marquis of Nanping be sent back to his residence.
The Marquis of Nanping’s complexion was pale. Not only was he saved by Ning Chi from the sword, but he had also got injured in the chest, and truly couldn’t afford to fight further. So, he let others carry him back.
Seeing the Marquis carried back in a weak state, the Marquise was terrified and burst into tears, "My lord, what has happened to you... Lord..."
"Don’t cry, I’m fine. It wasn’t for the heir apparently saving me, my injuries are serious, but they won’t take my life," the Marquis of Nanping said, feeling a sense of regret. He hadn’t expected himself to be so weak that he couldn’t kill many on the city wall. He got seriously injured and caused his own son to get hurt while rescuing him.
Upon hearing this, the Marquise managed to swallow her tears and immediately asked for a doctor.
While laying in the bed, the Marquis of Nanping held the Marquise’s hand, "I’m inferior to our two children. As for our heir, it goes without saying. Ze may appear weak, but he can really stand up to the occasion when things get tough. When I was returning, I saw him covered in dirt, personally pulling a cart and moving firewood towards the city gate."
The Marquise was afraid, "My Lord, can we withstand it? I am scared...’
"Don’t be afraid, fear is useless. If the city really falls, we won’t be a burden to the Imperial Court, nor endure any humiliation—we will simply take our own lives," the Marquis tried to comfort his wife. "At the time, if we die, at least we die together as a family."
The Marquise: "..."
She didn’t want to die either.
The Jibei Army attacked the city for an entire night, yet they still failed to seize Nanping City.
Zhang Cheng’s face had even turned black. Regardless of how vigorously the drum was beaten, the soldiers were already fatigued. The attacks became slow, and it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to seize Nanping City anytime soon.
Zhang Yun also realized this, "Uncle, sound the retreat order. Allow the troops to rest for half a day before launching another attack."
Zhang Cheng nodded in agreement, and ordered the troops to retreat by sounding the gong.
Seeing the Jibei Army retreat, Ning Chi, gripping his sword, leaned against the wall as his body staggered. He and Jiang Zhu exchanged glances and simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief—this meant that, at least, they could rest for a while.
Both were smeared in blood, especially Ning Chi, covered all over in his own blood and the blood of Jibei soldiers. The most serious injury he sustained was taking a hit for the Marquis of Nanping. After all, he was his biological father. Although his dad hadn’t been kind to him in the past, he wasn’t heinously bad either, he simply couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
The pair got off the city wall and allowed the soldiers to have some reparations.
Ning Ze ran over to support Ning Chi, "Brother, are you okay? You’re amazing. I heard that you saved Father. Where did you get hurt?"
Ning Chi wanted shake his arm off, but he didn’t have the strength. He just let him hold him up into the carriage and didn’t feel like talking to him.
Ning Ze chattered away nonstop, "Big brother, I was amazing too today. Since we were short on hands, I called upon the women and children to help me push carts and carry firewood and oil. Look at my hands, they’re all worn out. I’ve never experienced this kind of thing before. I was both scared and exhausted."
Ning Chi glanced at his hand. The severed fingers were raw and he was moved enough to finally say something, "You’ve done well."
A smile spread across Ning Ze’s face and made him look like he was beaming. It was hard not to look.
Jiang Zhu found Ning Ze quite interesting. He didn’t seem to have any exceptional qualities and was a bit thick, but in actuality, he did have quite a few merits. It was apparent that Lady Su Qi had agreed to marry him and take him to Nanchu because she too had noticed these remarkable traits.
A master who can see the good qualities in people like this was quite rare, making him even more committed to following Su Rong.
Ning Ze turned his head and saw Jiang Zhu smiling at him, making him feel a little uncomfortable. He quickly pulled his hand back, "Ji, Jiang brother, what are you smiling at?"
Jiang Zhu said: "I am smiling because I believe the future holds immense opportunities for you, second young master."
If someone like him could have a bright future, surely, by following Lady Su Qi, his own prospects would be even brighter.
"Uh..." Ning Ze scratched his nose, "Is that so..."
Being praised made him feel delighted. He also wished for his future to be limitless.
Upon returning to the Marquis residence, the doctor was already waiting. He treated the wounds of Ning Chi and Jiang Zhu. After they were bandaged up, Ning Ze extended his own hand to the doctor, "You see, my hand hurts a lot too."
The doctor paused briefly, then nodded, quickly applying medicine to Ning Ze’s hand.
Looking at her son who was seemingly in good condition return safely, the Marquise was relieved. They managed to withstand the first siege from the Jibei Army, her son was fine, and so was her heart. But seeing him seek treatment from the doctor for his merely scraped skin—much less severe than his elder brother’s injuries which were already healing—she felt somewhat indignant on his behalf, as though she were the one being humiliated.
She couldn’t figure out why there was such a big difference between the son she had given birth to and the son born to the previous wife, even though both were fathered by the same Marquis of Nanping.
Was it because she, as the mother, was inherently afraid of death and pain?
Looking at the Marquis of Nanping, despite the cut on his chest, he wasn’t whining or complaining. The doctor bandaged him up and he only groaned a couple of times. As for his son, the crown prince Ning Chi, who got back after fighting hard despite his injuries against the soldiers of the Jibei army, he kept a straight face and didn’t moan at all during the dressing.
Everyone was worn out. Taking advantage of the pause in the Jibei Army attack, they all hurriedly rested.
Ning Chi couldn’t sleep because he had to manage and prepare for the second attack by the Jibei army.
Ning Ze observed Ning Chi, hesitating to speak for a long time, and finally said with determination, "Big brother, you should rest. Leave it to me, I’m not tired."
Ning Chi looked at him skeptically.
He nodded confidently, "I, I can do it."
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