Knowing the danger, the generals exchanged glances and immediately dispatched troops.
Liu Ping hesitated, then said, "Then Madam—"
Chu Changning interrupted his concerns, "As long as we can hold out until the people in the city are safely evacuated, we will also withdraw."
"Send the left and right vanguard generals to strengthen the city's defenses. Send all the troops. The people of Mo Nan don't know how many troops are in the city, so they will be wary."
As she spoke, she glanced at the ground outside, where the rain was pouring down, and her face turned slightly cold.
"God is on our side, isn't he?"
Attacking the city walls in bad weather would not only deplete troops but also make it very difficult to capture them.
Ashileyan understood this principle well, but she had no choice. If she didn't quickly capture Luzhou, it would be difficult to kill Chu Changning once Yan Beimo received the news and returned.
Hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry from the southern desert attacked the northern You, but he outmaneuvered them. She could not quell her hatred without killing Chu Changning.
He dared to put his wife and children in danger, and she would make him never forget her.
"Attack the city."
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, a cold wind howled, and torrential rain poured down from the sky. Taking advantage of the situation, the troops from the southern desert stormed into the city in a mighty and imposing manner.
Even though Chu Changning lived in the city lord's mansion, he could hear the sounds of swords, spears, and halberds outside, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth was splitting, with shouts of battle filling the air.
She lay on the small couch, her gaze fixed on her still-flat stomach, her expression calm.
Shuangyue stayed by her side, quietly without saying a word.
"Are you so wary of me because you're afraid I'll abort this bastard child?"
"I dare not."
Chu Changning sneered, "Yan Beimo isn't afraid of losing the child, so why are you looking at me like that?"
Shuangyue's expression remained unchanged, and she kept her head down without saying a word.
"Perhaps, we will all die here today."
"Rest assured, Madam, the assassins will protect their master to the death."
Chu Changning remained silent, his eyes flickering slightly, lost in thought.
Outside the city walls, a dense mass of soldiers launched a fierce attack, their banners fluttering in the wind, the yellow sand whipping up the crimson flags, and countless shields and heads climbing the walls, the sounds of battle echoing through the sky.
Ashileyan stood atop his chariot, his gaze turning sinister as he looked at the general guarding the city from the city wall.
"Fight again, go again."
The drums suddenly sounded, a strong wind howled, and the river north of the city suddenly swelled. Soldiers rushed over and reported the news loudly.
"Princess, the Eastern Camp has been attacked."
Ashileyan was startled, and immediately snatched the telescope from the vanguard's hand, looking towards the northeast.
There are still soldiers left in the city who dare to launch a sneak attack?!
The generals of the southern desert were greatly alarmed.
"Princess, what is that?"
War is raging in the northwest.
Someone shouted, "The grain supplies have been burned!"
Such heavy rain still managed to burn the grain and fodder.
"The reinforcements must be from the imperial court."
Ashleyan was furious, "Quickly send reinforcements!"
"Princess, if it really is the imperial reinforcements arriving, we cannot attack in such terrible weather; we will suffer heavy losses."
"Impossible. How could the imperial reinforcements arrive so quickly? It must be a trick by the enemy."
Ashleyan's face was grim. Although she was not sure if they were reinforcements, she was always fierce on the battlefield and refused to retreat.
"General Li, General Wang, lead your troops back to defend the city. The rest of you, continue the siege."
The armies on the east and west flanks returned to defend and provide support, and the attackers began to retreat. Those on the city walls breathed a sigh of relief when they saw a large number of troops leaving.
The offensive of the troops in the southern desert gradually faltered. Due to the heavy rain, they could not see the road ahead, and huge rocks rolled down, causing countless casualties among the southern desert troops.
The assassin who had been observing the battle leaped down from the city wall and returned to the city lord's mansion to report.
"We can hold out for at most tonight. Once Ashleyan realizes that it's not reinforcements, he will attack the city at all costs. We must take the lady and leave Luzhou as soon as possible."
Shuangyue stood at the bottom of the stone steps, her brows furrowed.
"Madam is stubborn; she probably won't listen to us."
The assassin's voice was cold and flat, "Knock him out and take him away."
Shuangyue had long had this idea as well. Their duty was to escort the lady to Lizhou City, and the matter of Luzhou was none of their concern.
She nodded. "Go and get ready."
Chu Changning had no internal energy and couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew they wouldn't stay calm.
As soon as Shuangyue entered, she saw that the lady, who had been sleeping, had woken up, holding a fire hook to pick up the incense in the incense burner, and looking at her indifferently.
She paused slightly, then lowered her eyes.
"You drugged me, what are you trying to do?"
Shuangyue immediately knelt on the ground, "I know I was wrong."
Chu Changning raised an eyebrow, "Trying to take me away while I'm asleep?"
Shuangyue remained silent, lying prone.
"Do you know that if it weren't for our arrival, the people of Luzhou City would not have suffered this calamity, and the soldiers here would not have been injured or killed?"
Chu Changning looked out the window at the wind and rain, his voice calm and indifferent.
"Since you, my lord, have chosen to keep me here, you need not worry too much. Whether I live or die is up to fate."
Shuangyue was taken aback, and said with difficulty, "It is my fault for failing in my duties. My lord has no intention of abandoning his wife."
Chu Changning remained silent, his gaze indifferent and calm.
What does it matter if he once gave her a broken bone nail, forced her to kneel in the rain, humiliated her, or abandoned her?
A man as cold-blooded as him would be a qualified monarch.
"Go out."
Shuangyue paused, looked up at the slender woman by the window, and silently withdrew.
She walked outside, glanced at the gloomy sky, and took out a signal flare.
With a bang, smoke exploded in the sky.
Chu Changning noticed the signal from Li Bei and raised an eyebrow slightly.
She closed the window, extinguished the candle, listened to the sounds of gunfire outside, and slowly closed her eyes.
The city and its surroundings were exhausted after a whole night.
Ashleyan was furious when he learned that he had fallen into a trap. However, he had suffered heavy casualties the night before, and now that the rain had just stopped, it was not advisable to continue the siege.
"It was pitch black last night, and we don't know how many troops were inside the city. Such a strong attack would be disadvantageous for us."
Ashileyan said coldly, "How could such a small city like Luzhou have so many troops? It must be a scheme."
The others looked ashen-faced, never expecting that attacking a small city would result in such heavy casualties.
"Continue the siege."
The strategist stood up and said, “Princess, don’t worry. The people we sent to investigate have returned. Youzhou has just been captured, and Marquis Yan is still in the northern territory of Youzhou. He can’t return for a while, so there’s no rush.”
"Oh, really?" Ashleyan sneered. "The kings of the North are truly useless."
"Where is Emperor You?"
"The corpses were exposed on the city wall, and the people from the north have occupied the entire Youzhou."
Ashleyan said, "Send scouts to investigate again and find out exactly how many troops are inside the city."
"promise."
After learning of the retreat, Chu Changning went to the military camp.
When the generals saw her, their faces no longer showed the frustration of the previous day; instead, they all wore expressions of joy and even a hint of respect.
"Your Excellency is wise and resourceful; I admire you greatly."
In fact, with the world in turmoil, even without Chu Changning's arrival, Luzhou would have been ravaged by war soon, a fact Liu Ping was well aware of.
Chu Changning nodded. "I'm afraid the troops from Mo Nan will attack the city again tonight."
The generals knew in their hearts that once Mo Nan realized what was happening, they would attack the city at all costs.
"Lord Liu, how are the people in the city faring?"
"That's about it."
"Yes, let's prepare to leave too."
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