Chapter 300 I caught up!
The sound of horses' hooves echoed incessantly, carrying dust that covered everyone on board.
The armor clashed, and the entire army stretched as far as the eye could see, a dense, dark mass. This elite force had already marched ten days north, daring not to stop for a moment, but their speed was by no means swift; rather, it was rather slow.
Lieutenant Fu Jiu, with a volatile temper, hastily gulped down a mouthful of icy water from his water bag. The chill seeped into his lungs, but it did little to quell the anger simmering in his chest. He glanced back at something, grumbling impatiently:
"General, this thing is far too cumbersome! I know military regulations forbid me from asking too many questions... but even regular cannons don't move this slowly!"
General Mingwei carried a heavy object in his arms, not daring to take it out even for a glance the entire way. He was equally unsure, but recalling the object's strange appearance, and looking at the craftsmen who had come with several supply wagons behind him… it was said to be extremely precious, and could not be damaged in the slightest, otherwise others wouldn't be able to calculate the 'angle' and wouldn't know how to use it…
The envoy was carrying His Majesty's secret decree, and these items were secret weapons capable of changing the entire war situation. He had to escort them to the Youzhou camp as quickly, safely, and secretly as possible.
Mingwei had a vague premonition, so he didn't dare to be negligent at all. He glared at him and said, "If they still want us to escort it, it means it's good stuff! Don't ask any more questions. We're just here to do the work. Knowing too much won't do us any good."
With the banners of the Sai army flying high, they set up camp and built cooking pots in the wilderness. Despite his complaints, Fu Jiu still invited the precious craftsmen over for a meal. As for safety, no place was safer than the one where he, the general, and his personal guards stayed.
In the middle of the night, Mingwei suddenly woke up with a start and looked down at his chest.
The object, neither gold nor wood, that he had been carrying in his arms... began to buzz and light up! A string of mysterious symbols appeared on it.
"This is……"
What is this?!
Mingwei swallowed hard, waited stiffly for a while, and then tapped the green circle with his finger. His finger was trembling. He tried to tap it but failed. He mustered up his courage and tapped it again.
The envoy's words still echoed in his ears: "...There should be no surprises, but if something unexpected happens, and the items you are escorting show unusual movements, remember, you must avoid people, and then 'press the green circle'! After you escort these items to the Youzhou camp, tell him this confidential message exactly as it was..."
Mingwei didn't understand a single word.
At the time, he felt that His Majesty's secret escort mission was strange in every way, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried, but when the moment came...
Mingwei then understood what it meant for "the item he was carrying to move" and what it meant to "press the green circle".
The glowing object changed its appearance, and then a voice, both unfamiliar and familiar, rang out: "General Mingwei—"
It's Your Majesty!
He was absolutely certain that he recognized the voice. The person should be thousands of miles away in the palace, but now it was as if the voice was speaking right next to his ear!
Mingwei was terrified. His knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, holding the object and listening respectfully, not daring to breathe.
His mind was filled with various rumors surrounding His Majesty's ascension to the throne, and his expression became even more serious.
"Youzhou Prefecture is in trouble. I hope you will lead the army to its aid immediately." His Majesty's voice was heavy and rapid. He briefly explained the situation in Youzhou and then gave his instructions.
"...The new firearms and cannons that your army is escorting can all be used. Including...the most important 'fire arrow shell,' which I have approved in the event of a last resort. But that thing is extremely powerful, and if it is not used properly, it will hurt others and yourself. How you and the generals of Youzhou use it must be in accordance with the instructions of the Dongfeng gunners. You cannot act on your own."
Mingwei's expression changed drastically. All his surprise and speculation were cleared away, leaving only this terrible news. His heart was burning with anxiety as he replied, "...Yes! This subordinate will immediately order the men to set off. We have already reached the border of Youzhou. We can reach the prefectural city in another fifty miles!"
Once the object stopped moving, Mingwei tucked it into his pocket, then, disregarding everything else, leaped up and called out to his guards and lieutenant: "Fu Jiu, Fu Jiu!"
Although it's only fifty li away, they could only travel during the day, and with the 'fire arrows' that severely slowed them down, it would have taken them two more days to reach the Youzhou camp.
But if we change direction now and speed for fifty miles at night, we can reach the prefectural city to provide support by tomorrow.
"What?! Tomorrow?!" Fu Jiu was both anxious and in pain. They were all from Youzhou; how could they know that barbarians were rampaging in their heartland and wait until tomorrow to arrive? He couldn't help but clench his fists and hurriedly explain.
"General, the Di people have already circled around and launched a surprise attack on the city. It will be too late for us to arrive tomorrow! At our speed, with one person and two horses, I guarantee we can arrive within three hours! We can make it tonight!"
"Nonsense! What about the goods being transported?" Mingwei scolded him sternly.
His parents and relatives also lived in the prefectural city area, but Fu Jiu's suggestion...
From the moment he mentioned one man and two horses, Mingwei knew that Fu Jiu clearly intended to divide his forces. By abandoning the cumbersome cannons and the most important "secret weapon" being transported, and leaving the rest of the main force to proceed slowly, he meant to send the rest of the main force to rescue the prefectural city first.
"This is a military order," Mingwei said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly. "It is our mission to rush to the aid of the prefectural city, but the escort must not be lost. This order is even more important than rescuing the prefectural city!"
not to mention……
Mingwei recalled the speculation His Majesty had just told him about the Youzhou camp, and a look of pain and sadness flashed in his eyes.
To uncover the anomalies within the Youzhou camp, they'll need to use the "fire arrows" they brought as bait. The Youzhou camp is the bulwark of the entire north against external enemies; it cannot afford to remain in turmoil! If forced to choose between the stability of the prefectural city and the camp…
Mingwei's heart was breaking, but he hardened his heart and ordered, "Other supplies can be abandoned, but the escort wagons must be taken. The entire army sets off now, without rest or sleep, to provide support to the prefectural city!"
With tears in his eyes, Fu Jiu replied, "...Yes!"
...
The air was thick with gunfire, billowing black smoke, and screams of agony, creating a nightmare for the day.
The prefect of Youzhou, his face blackened by soot, stood imposingly on the city wall, personally directing the operation. Soldiers from other directions kept coming to report: "Sir, the west gate is about to fall!" "We're running out of oil...and our archers are almost gone!" "Sir, a new batch of able-bodied men has arrived with rolling logs!"
"Move the logs to the west! How much timber is left in the city? Not enough? Go and urge Jinshui to hurry up!"
The prefect of Youzhou kept giving orders, his throat so dry he could barely speak. A servant seized the opportunity to hand him a pot of water: "Sir... have some. There's still plenty of time!"
The servant was also secretly relieved.
If it weren't for the alert soldiers guarding the city who saw the billowing dust in the distance and reluctantly closed the city gates in time, then relayed the order to the other gates, the Di heavy cavalry would have truly broken in. No one expected that, in broad daylight, the Di would dare to invade the heart of the territory.
Those people who were stranded outside the city and did not have time to enter the city, as well as the villages along the way, are estimated to have suffered heavy casualties... But once the city falls, the fate of all the people in the prefecture will be in imminent danger.
Now, the people sent out to seek help have risked their lives and left. As long as they can hold out for a while... they will be able to find the Youzhou camp and resolve the crisis!
The prefect of Youzhou, his eyes red and swollen, couldn't utter a single extra word. He gulped down half a pot in one go, but before he could swallow the last mouthful, a commotion arose in the distance: "Jinshui is here! Jinshui is here!"
Along with the moving crowd came a pungent, steaming stench.
But the archer with the best eyesight on the city wall suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Sir! Something's wrong! They've retreated!"
The servant's eyes lit up, and he was about to be happy when he realized something was wrong: "The people from the main camp couldn't have arrived so quickly, so why would they retreat?"
The prefect of Youzhou turned pale and swayed slightly as an even more terrifying thought occurred to him: "Damn it! They're cavalry... They're not good at sieges, and now that they see we can hold our ground, they're unwilling to continue the stalemate. They're going to bypass us!"
In the dead of winter, the Di people are probably raiding for winter food. Since they can't capture Youzhou Prefecture, their biggest target, they might as well change direction and just try to fill the gaps... After all, there are several towns and many villages behind the prefecture city!
Without the Youzhou camp, and without them staying to fight to the death in the prefectural city, who can stop the roaming Di people from raiding the enemy's territory?
The cheers from the city walls gradually subsided, and the soldiers and the later able-bodied men realized this as well. Their smiles turned somber, and they could only watch helplessly as the city retreated.
At this critical juncture...
On the distant road, a massive army appeared silently. They arrived with such composure, their banners fluttering high bearing the words "Jingsai Army," and their cannons were silently aimed in their direction, perfectly blocking their path.
That is—
The prefect of Youzhou was speechless for a moment, his dry eyes wide open, almost unable to believe his eyes, "Jing Sai Army...wasn't Jing Sai Army transferred away by His Majesty?"
The Jingsai Army was originally an elite force in Youzhou, skilled in swift rescue operations. However, His Majesty urgently transferred them away, so the Prefect of Youzhou did not place his hopes on them. Instead, he sent men to the Youzhou main camp and nearby camps to request reinforcements, and another team went to the post station to report the urgent situation to the capital, which was eight hundred li away...
On the other end.
Half an hour ago—
General Mingwei, who received His Majesty's order last night, led his army to rush to the capital without rest after getting up in the middle of the night. He gritted his teeth and didn't even have time to catch his breath. Along the way, he looked back anxiously at the heavy escort carts many times, fearing that something had already happened in the prefecture and everything was beyond repair.
But... what did the scout who went first say? What's the situation now?
General Mingwei, refusing to believe it, personally walked a short distance forward. Hidden in the woods, he stared blankly at the Di army in the distance, who seemed to have abandoned their attack and turned to leave, now completely surrounded. Although the area in front of the city was a scene of carnage, even the city gates hadn't fallen yet; it seemed the fighting hadn't even been going on for very long…
The timing of their arrival seemed to be just right?
How did His Majesty know this in advance? Was he a prophet?
Mingwei's mind had never worked so fast. He grinned maliciously, "Brothers, bring out the cannons! It's time to show them what's what!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com