Chapter 176 Baby in your womb, be careful someone doesn't see you. ...
The muffled thud of horses' hooves on the ground echoed through the night until the last rays of sunset were completely swallowed by the deep darkness, at which point the noise gradually subsided.
Five hours after the entire army set out, messengers from each camp rode back to the main tent to report on the battle situation, working almost non-stop day and night.
After returning to the central army camp with Huan Xun, Yu Nie rejoined the medical team. She didn't rest, focusing instead on producing more alcohol. Occasionally, she would glance up and see flames raging in the distance; the battle showed no signs of abating.
It wasn't until noon the next day that the smoke of battle finally dissipated somewhat, allowing her to catch her breath and stretch her stiff neck.
Through the makeshift gate erected in the camp, she saw Huan Xun and Xie Cheng riding back from outside, followed closely by squads of soldiers rotating off from the front.
They advanced with unstoppable momentum, and no one truly rested.
Huan Xun's goal was clear: to capture the capital within three days.
As Cuiwei tidied herself up, she came to her side and said, "Princess, you haven't eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night. Please go and eat something first."
Hearing this, Yu Nie turned around and said, "Don't worry about me. You go and eat quickly, and then lie down for a while. You'll be busy this afternoon."
"Where is the princess going?" Cuiwei could tell from her words that she must have something to do.
Yu Nie turned his gaze toward the direction of the main tent, where figures moved about, and Huan Xun's figure could be vaguely discerned.
“I’ll go to Huan Xun and ask him about the specific situation at the front.”
As she was about to step forward, a rapid sound of horses' hooves broke through the air from the direction of the gate.
She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dusty messenger abruptly stop his horse, holding a secret letter aloft. His voice pierced through the noise of the camp: "A letter from Jiangling, may I ask where Lady Rong is?"
Upon hearing that the letter came from Jiangling, Yu Nie realized that it could only be the work of Gu Xiangzhi.
Since she left Jiangling to follow the army, she and Gu Xiangzhi agreed that a letter would be sent every few days, detailing the operation of Leiyaofang.
It was not the usual day for correspondence, and the letter arrived so urgently that she wondered if something had happened to Leiyaofang.
Thinking of this, she immediately ran towards the messenger: "I'm here!"
When she arrived, the messenger dismounted and handed her the letter, saying, "Lord Gu asked me to give you two messages. He said that he has handed over Leiyaofang to Lady Xia to manage, and asked you to stay in the army and serve without worrying about Leiyaofang."
The Xia Niangzi mentioned by the messenger was one of the people who learned to make bamboo fire bombs the fastest. She was honest, kind, and very thoughtful.
Yu Nie felt at ease entrusting the management of Leiyaofang to her.
The messenger said, "I have delivered the letter. I have other tasks to attend to, so I will go ahead."
Yu Nie took the envelope: "Thank you for your trouble, please be careful on your journey."
The messenger, a shy smile on his young face, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and left.
Only after Yu Nie and the others left did he lower his head and open the envelope.
"What's wrong, my lady?" Cuiwei, who came with her, asked.
“It was an imperial decree that forcibly summoned him back,” Yu Nie explained.
Gu Xiangzhi was able to stay in Jiangling to assist her under the guise of helping with military affairs. Now that the great victory in Beiye has come first, he has no reason to continue to stay in Jiangling.
However, Zhao Yunfu's eagerness to summon her back reminded her of the secret letter that the palace eunuch had secretly slipped to her during Yan Yue's funeral.
In the letter, Zhao Yunfu expressed his extreme dissatisfaction with Yan Yue for handing over military power to Huan Xun without consulting him, and he was even more resentful and annoyed that Huan Xun had not reported the matter in a timely manner afterward. Every word revealed his suspicion of Huan Xun. He ordered her to secretly monitor Huan Xun and report any suspicious activity immediately.
But that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that Langxi has sent her a message by carrier pigeon, hinting that she and Qi Xun are about to take action.
She wasn't sure if Zhao Yunfu's urgent summons of Gu Xiangzhi back to the capital was also related to his sense of crisis.
At this moment, holding the letter in her hand, she vaguely sensed that the storm in Jian'an City was not far off.
The situation in Jian'an is about to change, and the same is true on her side.
She handed the letter to Cuiwei: "Just like the previous letters, dispose of them."
Cuiwei accepted it with both hands and hummed in agreement.
"I'll go check on the prince consort. Once you're done here, go have your meal."
Cuiwei responded again, watching her figure disappear into the direction of the main tent.
*
Inside the large tent, Huan Xun, still in his armor, paced back and forth in front of the map.
Several key generals stood solemnly and took turns reporting on the current battle situation.
Outside the tent, Yu Nie could vaguely hear that everyone had basically arrived at their planned positions, but Nan Yin, taking advantage of the terrain, was still holding on. The left vanguard was stuck at Yanbi City, and due to the terrain, they had been unable to break through for a long time, suffering some heavy losses.
Huan Xun listened to all the news, his face remaining calm throughout.
Behind every number lies a life lost, but a merciful general cannot command an army. He must crush all obstacles faster and more ruthlessly to appease the departed souls.
After thinking for a long time, he did not comment on the left flank vanguard, but instead looked at Jiang Ling on the left flank and gave him a solution: "I will give you two hours to let the brothers of the vanguard battalion eat and drink their fill and rest in place. At three-quarters past noon, I want to hear your troops' war drums sound again and attack Yanbi City."
He said, "The commander of Qibi City is Peng Huan. He is strict in managing his troops, but because of this, his subordinates all act according to his fixed rules and regulations, and are not good at responding to changes."
He walked back to the map and pointed to an inconspicuous spot behind Qibi City.
"This is the Ibis Marsh. Half of Peng Huan's food supplies depend on the waterway transported from here. In order to guard against our army, he has deployed most of his troops in the front defense of the city, and has only sent a naval battalion to this place as usual."
"I want you to immediately select one hundred skilled swimmers from your ranks, and have them infiltrate the Ibis's transport fleet with bamboo fire bombs to blow up all the ships."
After issuing the first order, he then pointed to another official road southwest of Qibi City: "Send people to spread rumors that Peng Huan has secretly contacted our army and intends to surrender Yanbi in exchange for a future position in the new dynasty. The rumors must be true, and you can decide the details yourself, but in short, they must be convincing enough."
Finally, he pointed to a mountainous area near Yanbi City: "Have your main force on the left flank move in large numbers to this area, making it appear as if you intend to bypass Yanbi City and head straight for their important rear town of Lanxi."
Huan Xun: "Peng Huan is a suspicious and cautious man. With his supply lines disrupted, rumors spreading at the front, and his flanks at risk of being cut off, he will surely divide his forces to investigate and shrink his defenses. At that time, cracks will appear in the ironclad front he faces."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people in the tent exchanged glances, a gesture that indicated they were not entirely convinced.
However, this disbelief was not a matter of opinion against Huan Xun. These people were all tasked with assisting him and would strictly guide him in his words and deeds.
Zhang Dianjun, a seasoned veteran and a burly man, was the first to speak up and ask, "What the general said makes a lot of sense, but there are three points that I feel are not quite right."
He pointed his finger in the air to the location of the ibis on the map: "The bamboo fire bombs need to be transported by boat. If a hundred people carry the bombs and sneak in, they will be easily exposed if they are checked. Could we split them into three groups and disguise them as fishing boats and merchant ships to provide cover for each other?"
"Furthermore, if the garrison at Yanbi does not advance but instead attacks when our army feigns a move towards Lanxi, and takes the opportunity to cut off our retreat, how should the vanguard on the left flank respond? Should we fight or retreat? Please advise, General."
Zhang Dianjun's concerns represented the thoughts of some veteran generals in the tent, and several gazes focused on Huan Xun, awaiting his decision.
Huan Xun listened to the question from an elder who was much older than him and calmly replied, "The commander's concerns are reasonable, but the fact that merchant ships still dare to sail at this time is too suspicious."
“If we’re going to do it in batches, we’ll use captured enemy supply ships and messenger boats.” He looked around at everyone. “The ships should have battle marks on their hulls and their flags should be half-destroyed, to make them look like remnants of soldiers retreating from the front lines. Each ship will be equipped with three scouts who can speak the local dialect. If they are stopped for questioning, they should lie and say that their flanks have been breached.”
Zhang Dianjun nodded at the answer, clearly very satisfied.
Huan Xun then answered his second question: "As for turning to Lanxi, this is not a feint, but a real attack."
His words shocked everyone present, leaving the others astonished: "A real attack?"
“Yes.” He said with certainty, “The vanguard on the left flank is not a feint, but a real weapon. If Peng Huan stays put, we will make the feint real, take Lanxi, and cut off his base. If he dares to come out of the city to intercept us, that will be the opportunity we have been waiting for to annihilate the enemy in open field. Therefore, if the enemy comes out, we will fight. We must hold the enemy at all costs and create an opportunity for the main force to launch a strong attack on the main gate of Yanbi.”
As soon as he finished speaking, whispers arose inside the tent.
This series of combined attacks prioritizes psychological warfare while using sowing discord as a secondary tactic, employing a blend of deception and reality to directly target the enemy's core weaknesses.
Huan Xun's countermeasures were all logically connected, so Zhang Dianjun had no more questions and bowed, replying, "This subordinate obeys!"
After some planning, no one else had any further objections.
After all the reports were finished, the generals rose and left to receive their orders.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, silence returned to the tent.
He was left alone to face the overwhelming military affairs on his desk.
At this moment, Xie Cheng stepped forward and said, "It is already noon. General, you have been busy for most of the day. Why don't you have some food and rest for a while?"
Huan Xun seemed not to hear him, and asked without turning his head, "When is the next round of attack scheduled?"
Xie Cheng was taken aback, but immediately composed himself and replied, "At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), according to your military orders, the army is taking a break. Tonight, the vanguard must advance to the second line of defense of Shangjing."
In that day and night, they had just breached the first line of defense built by the capital, and the main force of the central army was driving deep into enemy territory at a speed far exceeding that of the left and right wings.
This achievement is truly remarkable.
Huan Xun stared at the arrow on the map: "What time is it tonight?"
Xie Cheng: "Early morning of Yin hour."
Just as Huan Xun was about to say something more, the curtain was silently lifted.
Yu Nie walked in carrying a wooden tray and continued their conversation: "There are still several hours until the hour of Yin. The battle is in progress. You should at least eat and rest. It won't make a difference if you wait a little longer."
Huan Xun turned around at the sound and saw that it was her. He walked around the table piled with military reports and was about to reach out to take the wooden tray from her hand when Xie Cheng, who was standing next to him, took the tray first and placed it on the low table next to him.
Xie Cheng looked at the two of them with a smile, said that he was also going to eat, and then left the tent, closing the tent flap tightly behind him.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained in the tent.
Huan Xun reached out and took her hand.
He lowered his eyes as his fingertips touched the fresh calluses on her palm: "You've been up since last night?" He looked at the calluses, one of which was tinged with red.
Huan Xun took her hand in his, his fingertips clearly feeling the newly formed calluses, one even slightly red and burning hot. He looked down at it, his voice deep: "You've been up since last night?"
Yu Nie tried to pull her hand back to hide it: "You guys are charging into battle at the front, and I'm just fetching some alcohol for healing from the rear. It's just a small contribution, nothing serious."
Without giving her a chance to back down, he gripped her hand as she tried to escape and led her to sit down at the low table.
He got up and rummaged through the box for a while, then took out a small bottle and returned to her side.
As Huan Xun opened the bottle, he explained, "This ointment is excellent at clearing heat and removing blood stasis. Applying it for a short while will relieve the burning pain." As he spoke, he took a small amount of the white ointment and gently applied it to her reddened area. The cool touch immediately soothed the slight burning pain under her skin.
Gazing intently at his focused expression, feeling the delicate coolness from his fingertips, Yu Nie asked, "Is the battle at the front going well?"
Huan Xun carefully applied the ointment to her, then rubbed the reddened area with his fingers before saying, "It's nothing serious." His gaze shifted, noticing the steaming food on the low table: "You've been standing outside for half a day with this bowl of food in your hands?"
Yu Nie: "When I came over, I heard you and Zhang Dianjun discussing something. I listened for a while and then didn't come in. I thought you hadn't eaten yet, so I went to the kitchen and prepared some food for you."
Since she got together with him, she has paid extra attention to his diet. As the saying goes, illness can be caused by what we eat, and she didn't want him to repeat the mistakes made in history.
Hearing this, he looked up at her with a gentle expression: "You've already done enough for the treatment of the wounded and the extraction of alcohol. These trivial matters of serving tea and meals will be taken care of by specialists. You don't need to do everything yourself, and you don't need to wait outside the tent."
He gazed at her sleepless face and said slowly, "More than that, I hope you can get some rest when you have time."
Yu Nie smiled nonchalantly: "It's really nothing. Look at me, I'm still full of energy." She pushed the bowl of fragrant rice towards him: "Don't just talk about me. You should eat it while it's hot, or it'll get cold."
Huan Xun didn't move, but looked at her and asked, "What about you? Have you eaten?"
"...I ate it." She answered hesitantly.
He clearly didn't believe her, so he took a clean bowl, scooped out half a bowl of rice, and placed it in front of her: "Eat some more with me after you've eaten."
She wanted to decline, but when she looked up and met his gaze, she swallowed the words she was about to say and nodded, "Okay."
The food prepared in the kitchen was quite good, with vegetables and meat, four dishes and a soup, especially the fish soup, which was exceptionally delicious.
During the meal, as he lowered his head to drink the soup, Yu Nie moved his chopsticks back and forth in the bowl, as if he had something to say.
However, Huan Xun also had a question for her, and spoke first: "Just now I heard the messenger say that there is a letter for you from Jiangling. Is it from Gu Xiangzhi?"
Yu Nie hummed in agreement and then told him everything that Gu Xiangzhi had written in his letter.
He was fully aware of Zhao Yunfu and Lang Xi's actions. They were of one mind regarding Jian'an, so she saw no need to hide anything from him.
Huan Xun disagreed with Lang Xi and Qi Xun's plan to kill Zhao Yunfu.
According to his and Qi Xun's previous plan, it was indeed true that Zhao Yunfu was to die from taking too many elixirs. However, Langxi's child had not yet been born, and they would have to wait until the child was born and became the crown prince before Zhao Yunfu could die.
Langxi is now Zhao Yunfu's most favored concubine, and all their sexual encounters are recorded. At that time, the court officials will have nothing to say.
Yu Nie asked, "Should I write a letter back immediately?"
Huan Xun put down the soup bowl in his hand and replied, "No need, I will explain this matter to Qi Xun."
Hearing his words, she lowered her eyes.
Noticing that something was on her mind, he asked, "You look so worried, what's troubling you?"
Yu Nie sighed and recounted the worries that had been weighing on her mind over the past ten days.
Previously, they had been worried about choosing a crown prince, but unexpectedly, more than three months ago, Langxi sent a letter saying that she was pregnant.
There is no doubt that the child in her womb is not Zhao Yunfu's. As for who Langxi chose to establish this bloodline, Yu Nie actually had a vague guess in her heart.
Langxi didn't say it explicitly, but he told her that this child would not be at risk of betraying them, that he belonged to them, so they could rest assured to assist him in ruling the world.
Although they no longer needed to worry about the selection of the person in charge, Yu Nie was thinking about how to silence public opinion and help her take the throne if the child was born to be a girl.
Upon learning of her concerns, Huan Xun smiled calmly; for him, this was not a problem at all.
He looked at her and replied, "If it's your wish—to make her the crown prince—I will make her the crown prince; if you want her to be the emperor, I will ensure her ascension to the throne. It's all up to human effort..." He calmly continued, "As for the others, you don't need to include them in the letter."
After saying that, he put down his spoon, took her hand, looked at her and said, "My wife, have you forgotten? I promised you that I would do whatever you wanted to do."
The warmth of his palm instantly dispelled the gloom that had lingered in her heart for days. She knew he wouldn't lie.
She grasped his broad hand in return, her eyelashes drooping slightly: "I haven't forgotten. I remember every promise you made. It's just..." She looked up and gazed into his eyes again: "I feel bad making you do these difficult things against the current."
She spoke softly, and Huan Xun leaned closer, teasing her on purpose: "Since you feel bad about it, why not repay me with your body?"
Just by closing the distance between them, Yu Nie's heart started racing. She couldn't help but think of the night before, his panting, and the strength with which he held her. Her earlobes turned red.
As if he could read minds, Huan Xun tilted his head, his eyes brimming with possessiveness: "What is my wife thinking?"
His words made her ears burn, and she instinctively tried to back away, but he grabbed her wrist.
"In broad daylight..." Before she could finish speaking, he interrupted her with a laugh.
"Who says people can only do this at night?" He traced his fingertips across her burning earlobe, his voice low: "Who was it that whispered in my ear the night before last..."
"Huan Xun!" She hurriedly raised her hand to cover his mouth, but he took the opportunity to grab her fingers and press them against his chest. Through the fabric, she could clearly feel his strong and powerful heartbeat, which made her hand go numb.
His smile deepened, and he finally stopped teasing her, gently pressing his forehead against hers.
"Once we take Shangjing, we'll get married immediately," he said, his voice filled with a solemn promise.
Her breath hitched slightly, her fingers clenched tightly around his, and she softly replied with a "okay".
Hearing her soft yet firm "okay," he felt as if something had struck his heart, and a tremor mixed with heat surged up again, more intense than ever before. Almost instinctively, he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.
Yu Nie trembled, turning her head to look at the direction of the tent curtain like a startled rabbit: "Be careful someone sees you."
"Don't worry." Huan Xun chuckled softly, "They'll let us know before they come in."
Now was not the time for intimacy. He touched her burning cheeks, released her, and picked up the chopsticks, placing them in her hand: "Eat first, they're getting cold."
For some reason, she felt a little disappointed by his restrained behavior, as if she had hoped he could do more.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she realized she might be being too lewd. She quickly coughed, feigning seriousness, picked up her chopsticks, and began rummaging through the rice in her bowl.
Halfway through the meal, remembering his actions that evening, she looked up and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time: "If we can break through the second line of defense tonight, will we be able to attack the capital tomorrow?"
Huan Xun put her favorite dishes into her bowl and glanced at her with his eyelids lifted.
He was fully aware of her thoughts at that moment and knew what she was worried about.
That day, they didn't get to the bottom of the Xiao family's matter at all, and then there was Yan Yue's affair, so they didn't have a chance to bring it up until today.
He replied to her, "It won't be that fast. Although I said in the army that we would take Shangjing in three days to boost morale, given the current situation, it's impossible to take it in three days."
"The battlefield is ever-changing, and things don't always go my way. Sometimes, even if I fight with all my might, I still have to see if fate will be kind to me."
Upon hearing that it wouldn't be that quick, Yu Nie nodded thoughtfully and stopped talking, silently putting the food he had picked up into her mouth.
He continued to gently serve her food, urging her to eat some.
She didn't realize that he was just offering some comforting words.
The reality of the battle was far more brutal than what she had been told.
If he manages to breach the second line of defense tonight, his Red Armor Guards will surely be able to advance unimpeded tomorrow, break through the last gate of the capital, and take Xiao Daozun's head.
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