"So my biological father is Lu Xiuyuan?"
Wei Jingzhuo rested his arms behind his head, gazing at the ceiling: "What Yang Yaozu said may not be true. But that also reasonably explains why Father has been sending people to hunt me down, right?"
The pale moonlight shone through the window lattice into the room and fell on the floor.
Su Wan nestled in his arms, holding him tightly, and whispered, "Actually, whether your surname is Lu or Wei, I don't care. I just want to live a simple life with you. Let's open a clinic, I'll be the doctor, and you'll manage the accounts..."
“No matter what my surname is, my fifth brother will not let me go, and neither will Chu Yi,” Wei Jingzhuo placed his hand on her head and stroked it. “Is my cousin asleep?”
"She fell asleep... She cried herself to sleep, and I comforted her for a long time."
“She only has us now,” Wei Jingzhuo said. “I promised my grandfather that I would take good care of her.”
Su Wan said, "Xi Yue is also a pitiful child. My background is similar to hers, and I can understand the feeling of losing one's parents when one is young. If the war ever ends, I will personally help her find a suitable husband."
Wei Jingzhuo said, "Awan, to be honest, I don't know how to take care of her, and I don't even know how to defend Xiping Pass."
Su Wan said, "No need to say anything, I know our situation."
Scouts have reported that 30,000 Southern Chu troops are advancing towards Xiping Pass and will arrive by noon tomorrow at the latest.
Wei Jingzhuo rescued some soldiers from the Northwest Camp, and together with the two thousand men he brought, they rescued a total of three thousand and a few hundred soldiers. Adding the two thousand wounded soldiers who were still able to fight at Xiping Pass, the total number of people rescued was less than six thousand.
If they leave Xiping Pass and lose the protection of the city, they will be completely annihilated by the enemy. If they stay at Xiping Pass, they are protected by Wei Shao's 30,000 troops to the east and the same number of Southern Chu troops to the west.
He not only had to face an enemy force ten times larger, but also found that Xiping Pass could no longer obtain any supplies.
"Why don't we escape tonight?" Su Wan said. "As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback."
Wei Jingzhuo didn't speak, but turned his head to look at the burning charcoal brazier on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.
Su Wan advised, "Ah Jin, there's no shame in running away. There's always tomorrow."
“There is no future.” Wei Jingzhuo placed his hand on her shoulder. “As the commander, I deserted my post. Even if I don’t care about my reputation, I will lose the trust of my soldiers. No one will ever come to my aid again, and no one will ever support me again.”
Su Wan fell silent.
Wei Jingzhuo is right. If they run away, there will be no future.
This time is unlike when Wei Jingzhuo was exiled. Back then, things seemed difficult, but they had Zhao Xian's Northwest Army to protect them. Now that Zhao Xian is dead, they have no one to rely on.
“I can’t leave,” Wei Jingzhuo said softly, but with an undeniable firmness. “Perhaps I can sow discord between the two families. It’s not over yet. Maybe I can create a miracle, like you blocked the Divine Machine Cannon with your ice wall.”
Su Wan pressed her face against Wei Jingzhuo's chest and said, "Ah Jin, then I'll go with you."
“You should go. Take Xiyue and Yuze with you,” Wei Jingzhuo sighed. “They shouldn’t chase after you. I’ll come to pick you up once I win. Lin Qingfeng can let me know.”
Su Wan smiled and said, "Fool, you just said you couldn't defend Xiping Pass, and now you're saying you can win? Who are you trying to fool?"
Wei Jingzhuo also revealed a smile and said, "Didn't you say I'm unparalleled in the world? Of course I'll give it my all. As the art of war says, 'Place yourself in a desperate situation and you will survive.'"
Su Wan said, "Then I'll stay even more."
Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. In her view, such a couple is nothing more than a facade of harmony.
When Wei Jingzhuo infiltrated the Western Rong camp alone, she knew this man would risk his life for her. She also wanted Wei Jingzhuo to know that she was sincere towards him and worthy of his affection.
Wei Jingzhuo didn't say anything more, but instead held her tighter.
The next morning, scouts reported that the Southern Chu army, after a night of rapid march, had set up a large camp west of the city.
Wei Jingzhuo was eating barbecue when he heard the news. He didn't even frown. He just picked a piece of barbecue with his knife and put it on Su Wan's plate, saying, "Awan, eat slowly. I'm going to discuss countermeasures with the generals."
After seeing Wei Jingzhuo off, Su Wan calmly finished her barbecue before getting up and walking outside.
In fact, she didn't even taste what the meat tasted like; she just insisted on finishing it.
Before dawn, she wanted Lin Qingfeng to escort Su Yuze and Zhao Xiyue away. She decided to stay; there was no need for Su Yuze and Zhao Xiyue to accompany her.
Zhao Xiyue burst into tears on the spot: "I no longer have a grandfather, I am an orphan, and Brother Jin still wants to send me away."
Su Yuze also burst into tears: "I finally reunited with my sister. No matter what happens, I will never leave her."
Su Wan tried everything to persuade them, but to no avail, so she had no choice but to let them stay.
She went to find Meng Ruliu again and told her that the Southern Chu army was about to besiege the city, and it would be too late if they didn't leave soon. Meng Ruliu only replied with eight words: "We are sworn brothers, and we will share life and death."
If it were just her and Wei Jingzhuo left, she wouldn't feel any pressure. Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiyue, Su Yuze, and Meng Ruliu all insisted on staying. One was Wei Jingzhuo's cousin whom he had promised Zhao Xian to take care of, one was her own brother, and one was her sworn sister.
She didn't know what would happen to everyone if the city fell. But since everyone had decided to stay, they would face the consequences together.
She came to the streets inside the city and climbed the west city wall. Leaning on the crenellations, she looked down.
When she saw the Southern Chu army camp, she immediately recognized the difference between Chu Yi and Wei Shao.
Compared to Wei Shaojun's camp, the Southern Chu army's camp was significantly more disciplined and virtually impregnable. No wonder Chu Yi was able to defeat Meng Kuan.
Wei Jingzhuo stood atop the city wall, conversing with Meng Kuan and his daughter. Su Wan approached the three and asked Wei Jingzhuo, "A-Jin, do you have any good plans?"
Wei Jingzhuo shook his head.
Meng Ruliu said, "We just discussed raiding the camp. However, Wei Shao has been terrified by the previous raids and is on high alert at night. As for Chu Yi... His Highness said we won't gain any advantage."
Meng Kuan said, "There is still enough food in the city, so eating is not a problem. However, Youzhou cannot transport supplies to us, and we only have enough arrows for two days."
"So, are we just supposed to sit here and wait for the enemy to attack?" Su Wan asked disappointedly.
“There’s another way,” Wei Jingzhuo said. “I just sent a challenge to Wei Shao. I’ll fight him one-on-one at the city gate. Wei Shao is the army commander. If I can capture him, the army will fall into chaos without a fight. Then we can break out to the east.”
Su Wan sighed, "Wei Shao was so frightened by my husband last night that he will definitely not dare to fight."
Before long, a soldier reported that Wei Shao indeed refused to fight. His reason was that he had injured his shoulder and could not wield his weapon.
Next, Wei Shaojun and the Southern Chu army, as if by prior agreement, simultaneously began to form ranks and attack.
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