Meng Ruliu was woken up at three in the morning.
She got up, straightened her clothes, and left the tent. Lin Qingfeng and the craftsman in charge were waiting at the door.
After the metal wall was discovered early yesterday morning, all the laborers had evacuated Jinhua Mountain and returned to Yanxun Pass, leaving only 500 craftsmen in the cave to burn the metal wall with flames.
The foreman, a dark-skinned and tall man, reported, "General, the metal wall has begun to turn red."
Meng Ruliu asked anxiously, "It's been burning all day, and it's only just started to turn red?"
The craftsmen told her yesterday morning that they had heated the flames to a pure blue color, at which point any steel would melt. Unexpectedly, progress didn't come until the following morning.
Today we're going to attack the family of divine healers. The metal wall has only just started to turn red; I don't know how long it will take to break through it.
The foreman of the craftsmen hesitated, but Lin Qingfeng interjected, "General, please calm down. The craftsmen are risking their lives to scorch the walls. The temperature inside the cave is too high; nearly a hundred people have fainted from the heat since yesterday."
Meng Ruliu couldn't help but blame herself for being too hasty.
When she was a child, her father had forged a pair of iron hammers for her, and she had visited the blacksmith's shop. Inside, the heat was overwhelming, and she felt she couldn't bear to stay there for long. Nan Chu is located in the southern part of the continent, and even in late November, the weather is still sweltering. Coupled with the fact that these people work in caves, the harsh environment is unimaginable.
She looked apologetic and said, "I'm sorry, I was too impatient. You did your best."
The foreman of the craftsmen smiled憨厚ly and said, "General, I know you are anxious to rescue the Empress. I am just like you. We are willing to risk our lives to rescue the Empress. At the latest, we will break through that wall tonight."
Meng Ruliu was somewhat surprised and asked, "Why are you working so hard?"
She was Su Wan's sworn sister, and they had made a vow to live and die together. These craftsmen were all ordinary people; why would they do this?
The craftsman said, “General, we five hundred men are all locals of Youzhou. Our ancestors have been harassed by the Western Rong people for generations, living in constant fear. His Majesty led the army to fight against the Western Rong, allowing us to live a peaceful life. But Her Majesty the Empress…”
He paused, then changed to a respectful tone and said, "It was Her Majesty the Empress who completely ended the problem with the Western Rong, allowing us to truly live a peaceful and prosperous life."
Meng Ruliu said, "I understand."
Su Wan brought about a reconciliation between the Western Rong and the Great Jin Dynasty, sparing the people of Youzhou from the suffering of being trampled under the iron hooves of the Western Rong. Naturally, they would be grateful to Su Wan.
The craftsman smiled and said, "Our entire Youzhou is grateful for the Empress's great kindness, but we have no way to repay it. This time, His Majesty summoned everyone to build the Star Gazing Platform, and at first we did not know that it was related to the Empress. Now that we know, if we can do our part to save the Empress, we will die without regret."
Meng Ruliu's expression hardened, and she solemnly saluted the craftsman in charge: "Thank you."
The foreman of the craftsmen quickly stepped back and knelt down, saying, "General, please don't do this. We can't accept such treatment. We only hope to rescue Her Majesty the Empress as soon as possible."
Meng Ruliu asked Lin Qingfeng, "Has the Holy Land not sent anyone to interfere?"
Lin Qingfeng said, "They seem to think we can't destroy that metal wall, so they haven't come out to intervene."
“That’s good,” Meng Ruliu turned to the head of the craftsmen and clenched her fist. “Everyone, continue to give it your all for the Empress.”
"For the Empress." The craftsman stood up and replied, then turned and left with Lin Qingfeng.
Meng Ruliu returned to her tent and, without any intention of resting, immediately put on her armor. After carefully tidying herself up, she picked up the double whips on the table and wiped them with a soft cloth.
After the iron hammer was broken by Chu Yi's curved blade, Su Wan had a pair of bronze whips made for her. They were very easy to use, and she cherished them greatly. After wiping them clean, she picked up both whips and carried them out of the tent.
The sky was dark and gloomy, not a single star could be seen, and the moon was nowhere to be seen either. The air was stuffy and humid, as if you could wring water out of it. The large flags in the military camp hung motionless, making her feel somewhat suffocated.
She walked along the path between the tents toward the commander's tent, greeting the patrolling soldiers.
Halfway there, she noticed that many tents were already lit with candles. Many soldiers had risen; some were wiping their swords, others were helping their comrades adjust their armor, and still others were organizing their quivers.
There was still half an hour before the camp's wake-up time.
Curious, she approached a tent. Inside were twenty soldiers, led by a captain. They were all busy, some sitting, some standing, and immediately saluted her upon her arrival.
She returned the salute and said to the captain, "Everyone's up so early?"
The captain said, "General, His Majesty is going to attack the sacred land of the Divine Physician Family today. Many of us haven't slept all night, so we've decided to get up."
Meng Ruliu said, "Is everyone too nervous?"
The captain smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, we're just eager for battle; everyone's impatient."
Meng Ruliu said, "But you need to be well-rested to have the strength to fight."
One soldier said, "The general isn't asleep either, is he?"
Meng Ruliu didn't hide anything, saying, "I'm different from you. Her Majesty the Empress is my sworn sister, and I can't wait to rescue her..."
The captain said, "General, we, like you, are eager to rescue the Empress immediately."
Meng Ruliu asked in surprise, "Even you..."
The craftsmen were willing to go through fire and water for Su Wan, and it's unexpected that even ordinary soldiers felt the same way.
A soldier stepped forward and said, “General, I participated in the Battle of Xiping Pass. At that time, I was shot in the chest with an arrow, bleeding and gasping for breath. I thought I was going to die. It was Her Majesty the Empress who saved my life.”
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