Even Zhao Wei, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore.
"Father!"
She stepped on Zhao Feng's instep, giving him a warning look.
What does it mean that "the Lord is not human"?
This sounds disrespectful to the superior.
Zhao Feng gasped, his face turning from pale to ashen. He swallowed the pain that was stuck in his throat after a long while, and said with great distress, "Dawei, you didn't even look at your own physique before you kicked him. Your father didn't even suffer such a serious injury on the battlefield."
This kick made the father-daughter relationship shatter.
He hopped two steps away from his daughter on one foot, using Liao Jia as a human crutch: "This is the news coming back from the Northern Desert front, literally—the Lord might not be human. Whether he's human or not, it's good that he's not dead. Since the thief star descended to earth so many years ago, haven't we seen plenty of supernatural and ghostly things? You don't need to be so surprised. If there really was a national mourning, things would have been in chaos long ago."
Zhao Feng accepted this readily.
Zhao Wei is still too young and easily startled.
Liao Jia calmed down and looked at Gu Chi, who was still unconscious, and asked, "How much damage has been suffered since the fall of Shexing Pass?"
There are three key passes along the border between Kangguo and Beimo.
While Shexing Pass's geographical location isn't the most crucial, its fall into the hands of the Northern Desert, coupled with the fact that their lord was severely wounded on the battlefield by an enemy 20th-rank Marquis, has likely caused a significant drop in morale. With the situation on the Northern Desert battlefield dire, how could the Gao Kingdom possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by? The pressure on He Yin will likely increase several times over.
Zhao Feng shook his head with a worried expression: "It hasn't been taken back yet."
Liao Jia recalled the terrain around Yao Ri Pass, Zhu Yue Pass, and She Xing Pass, as well as the deployment of their own troops, and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly. Zhao Wei also said, "Taking She Xing Pass alone won't be of much use to the Northern Desert, will it? Unlike us, they can't break free from their dependence on supply lines in a short time. If the lord's troops block the Northern Desert's supply to She Xing Pass, and then send Kunzhou troops to implement a scorched-earth policy within their territory, cutting off the Northern Desert's possibility of replenishing its supplies from Kunzhou, then with a pincer attack, wouldn't the Northern Desert be surrounded?"
The most important thing in war is logistics.
Even if the Northern Desert forces capture Shexing Pass, they risk falling into a dilemma. Part of their main force is stationed at Yaori Pass, while another part is stockpiling at Tuocheng. These three key passes are distributed along a long defensive line, with Tuocheng roughly equidistant from Zhuyue Pass and Shexing Pass, facilitating support. If they discover Northern Desert troops transporting supplies to Shexing Pass, they can intercept and destroy them. They wouldn't even need to deploy a large force to retake Shexing Pass; the Northern Desert won't be able to hold out for long.
However, this would be a war of attrition.
Kangguo cannot afford to fight on two fronts.
Liao Jia frowned deeply, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes: "The situation Dawei is talking about is based on the premise that the Northern Desert troops cannot break through the encirclement. The Northern Desert currently has a 20th-rank Marquis in charge, so it will not be easy to cut off their supply lines."
Even though Lin Feng burned down two and a half of the five granaries in the Northern Desert.
Unfortunately, the third attempt was not entirely successful; their whereabouts were discovered beforehand, and they were ambushed. Fortunately, the troops sent by Shen Tang to meet Lin Feng arrived in time. After the battle, the losses of the elite Wuzhou garrison led by Su Shiyilu were still within acceptable limits.
Thus, the Northern Desert still has two and a half granary camps remaining.
These provisions could last a long time in the northern desert.
If we can conquer Kangguo before our food supplies run out, the food crisis will be resolved and all previous losses can be recovered.
Zhao Wei gritted her teeth in anger.
He wished he could fly to the front lines in the northern desert right now and kill people to vent his anger.
Zhao Fengdao said, "That would put us in a passive position."
Let's not forget that before the war with the Northern Desert, a granary theft scandal broke out in Jinli County, Kunzhou. Given the Northern Desert's long-standing presence in Kunzhou, it's hard to say they didn't have other backup plans. For example, someone might be secretly supplying them with provisions...
Zhao Wei was worried about something else.
"Father, who is the commander of Shexing Pass? Is he alive or dead?"
Zhao Feng: "It is Yun Yuanmou, whose fate is currently unknown."
"Is the commander General Yun? And General Xianyu?"
These two fellow disciples were always inseparable, supporting each other. Military generals forming cliques was a sensitive matter; normally, Zhao Wei and Zhao Feng would avoid any appearance of impropriety. However, these two disciples were an exception. This was because they came from humble backgrounds, lacked deep connections in the court, and had few relationships with others. Being close as fellow disciples made them less vulnerable to being bullied.
The Lord turned a blind eye to this.
Yun Ce is at Shexing Pass, and Xianyu Jian is most likely there as well.
Zhao Feng shook his head with a deep expression: "His fate is uncertain."
Seeing Zhao Wei's worry, Zhao Feng then shared his guess.
"The chances of survival are greater."
When a military general is defeated, there are generally only three possibilities.
First, they refused to surrender and were beheaded;
Secondly, they refused to surrender and became prisoners.
Third, they accepted the enemy's offer of surrender to the Northern Desert.
Ordinary prisoners are worthless, but Yun Ce and Xianyu Jian are different. Both are young and promising, and have been loyal to their lord for a long time. Even if the Northern Desert cannot recruit them, they can be used as bargaining chips to negotiate with their lord for money and provisions. Alternatively, they could demand exorbitant sums from Northern Desert prisoners captured by Kang State, perhaps even exchanging the two for one or two counties. Zhao Feng leans towards the second theory.
The first one has the lowest return value.
Even if the Northern Desert killed them, it would still hurt.
Liao Jia suddenly asked, "Is that 20th-rank Marquis of the Northern Desert the real person who was the incarnation of the 18th-rank Grand Chancellor?"
Zhao Feng nodded: "Mm."
The conversation between the two ended there.
Although Zhao Wei was one of their own, information concerning the relationship between Yun Da and Yun Ce, the two brothers, remained classified, and their lord forbade anyone with knowledge of it to divulge it without authorization. If it were inadvertently leaked to the lower ranks of the army, and given that the Star-Shooting Pass had been lost in the hands of Yun Da and Yun Ce, it was inevitable that some people would maliciously speculate and slander their stance. Zhao Wei, standing to the side, instinctively felt that there was a secret involved, but she also understood the importance of discretion.
Liao Jia: "I hope both generals are safe and sound."
Rumors circulated among the people that Shen Tang had allowed himself to die, and before Bei Mo had even taken the bait, Gu Wangchao had already bitten him. He remained unconscious for three days and three nights. During this time, the medical practitioners came seven or eight times, but they couldn't understand why he hadn't woken up. Liao Jia repeatedly pressed the medical practitioners, "Physician, is the Imperial Censor in mortal danger?"
The physician was very certain: "No."
Liao Jia suppressed her anxiety: "That's good."
He decided to keep Gu Chi's vomiting of blood and fainting a secret.
The front lines are in chaos right now, and the emperor's exact condition is unknown. He has sent letters to inquire over the past two days, but the replies have only been "all is well," with no further details. Rumors of the emperor's passing are growing stronger among the people. Qin Li, located in the capital, is currently able to maintain stability, but if the royal court doesn't step in to explain, other court officials and powerful families across the country will likely become restless.
The lord established his kingdom by stepping on powerful families.
Many people harbor resentment over this matter.
It's perfectly normal for these people to take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.
Unfortunately, during this turbulent time, the Southwest Branch also got involved, and upon returning to Fengluo, they had to send people to investigate.
Arrest one, kill one!
Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!
Liao Jia set off for Fengluo the next day.
The emperor appointed Qin Li and Gu Chi to oversee the state, but now that Gu Chi is in a coma, Qin Li alone may not be able to control the situation. Liao Jia did not take Gu Chi with him; the physician said that his body needed rest and should be kept relatively stable, so he could only entrust him to Zhao Feng.
"well--"
Zhao Feng also visits Gu Chi when he has time.
"Why aren't you awake yet?"
Little did anyone know, it wasn't that Gu Chi didn't want to wake up; rather, during his unconsciousness, he had an extremely bizarre dream. He "saw" what Shen Tang had experienced. After vomiting blood that day, his consciousness plunged into a long period of darkness, with no sound around him, and he couldn't even feel his own body.
After an unknown amount of time, suddenly everything became bright and clear.
I was startled to find myself in a simply decorated tent.
His gaze fell directly on the map inside the tent.
This map is...
The location of Yaori Pass, Zhuyue Pass, and Shexing Pass was clearly marked, and the annotations looked familiar. Before Gu Chi could wonder how he had ended up in the Northern Desert battlefield, he heard footsteps outside the tent. There were three sets of footsteps, and three people entered one after the other.
Gu Chi was about to step forward with a smile: "My lord."
But the Lord ignored him.
Bai Su, standing behind the master, ignored his presence.
Gong Xichou even passed right through his body.
Gu Chi's smile froze, and he looked down at his hands and body in disbelief: [Is this a dream? I didn't come to the Northern Desert battlefield, but dreamt of...]
Just as she was wondering why she had such a dream and how to wake up, she heard Bai Su say: "[Lingde's injuries are not life-threatening. The medical professionals are doing their best to treat him, and he should wake up in two days at most. Su Shiyilu's injuries are more serious, and he will need to recuperate for a while...]"
Gu Chi then noticed that his master's clothes were stained with blood.
Dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, the blood didn't seem to be from killing enemies. Could it be Ling De's? Gu Chi's guess was quickly confirmed; the blood was indeed Lin Feng's. Bai Su led troops to support Lin Feng based on intelligence, just in time to find Lin Feng ambushed.
Despite Lin Feng's extreme caution, her target was the lifeblood of the Northern Desert—the granary camp. Caught off guard, she and her men burned down two of the granary camps, and the remaining three were placed on high alert. Lin Feng had no specific intelligence on these three camps. After setting the fires, they were ambushed by enemy forces on their retreat. Su Shiyilu didn't want to engage them in a direct confrontation; that would be tantamount to suicide.
Lin Feng took charge of the command and flew kites with the pursuers.
Unable to withstand the enemy's multi-pronged encirclement, the encirclement gradually narrowed.
In close combat, they fought desperately from the start.
Bai Su emerged at this time.
The two armies finally met with difficulty and worked together to break through the encirclement.
"That old man Su Shiyilu..." Shen Tang muttered something, his voice unusually soft, then added, "His behavior is unexpected; I thought he would take the opportunity to retaliate."
At the critical moment, Su Shiyilu helped Lin Feng.
His own injuries were so severe, which was also related to this.
Bai Su: [He denied saving Ling De, only saying that Ling De's head couldn't be taken by the Northern Desert. The original plan was to kill the last few people, kill Ling De first, and then self-destruct to clear the area.]
When Su Shiyilu was rescued, he still clung tightly to the doctor's hand, roaring: "Regardless of whether I live or die, there must be no mention of saving Lin Lingde in the military awards! Absolutely!"
Saving Lin Feng was not what he truly intended.
Because of this pent-up anger, Su Shiyilu's injuries were severe, but her will to live was so strong that even the medical professionals were astonished.
Shen Tang waved her hand, her smile becoming more wicked: "Alright, alright, I won't praise him. I'll have Wu Hui come and thank him later."
My child was rescued.
Regardless of the rescuer's motives, the outcome is the most important.
Wu Hui treated Lin Feng like his own son, so it was perfectly normal for him to come and express his gratitude.
Gong Xichou stood to the side like a heartless background figure.
Gu Chi sat down beside him: "How are we supposed to wake him up?"
He didn't know if the scenes he dreamed of were real, about to happen, or just his own wild imaginings; he couldn't linger in the dream world. He needed to see his lord, dead or alive, for the matter of his passing! No matter how anxious he was, or what incantations he used, the surrounding scenery remained as solid as a rock, unmoving. Gu Chi's burning anxiety was futile.
Just as I was worrying, an urgent report came from outside the tent.
[Report—]
Shen Tang: [Come in.]
The messenger brought back terrible news.
It was this news that allowed Gu Chi to confirm the timeline of his dream. Not long ago, scouts discovered traces of a northern army marching through the desert. Judging from the traces, their forces numbered no less than 50,000, and their marching direction was suspected to be towards Zhuyue Pass. These traces were still very recent, less than twelve hours ago.
Shen Tang jumped up: [Are you sure?]
Recently, Bei Mo has been avoiding clashing with Shen Tang's main force.
After a few minor skirmishes, they retreated faster than rabbits; Shen Tang knew that Bei Mo was trying to mess with his mentality. Every day or two, he would receive intelligence about Bei Mo's troop movements. These bastards were quite clever; they disguised the marching tracks of three thousand men as those of thirty thousand, misleading Shen Tang and his men into sending out their main elite force. The next day, they disguised the marching tracks of ten thousand men as those of two or three thousand.
It's a mix of reality and illusion, reality and illusion.
The main theme is deception.
This vividly illustrates what it means to "cry wolf".
Even if Shen Tang doesn't take the bait, repeated attempts will still affect the morale of his troops. Today, they've staged another show involving 50,000 soldiers. She took a deep breath: [This is probably not a feint, a diversionary tactic. The apparent target is Zhuyue Pass, but the real target is Shexing Pass. Those dogs from the Northern Desert, I'll blow their heads off sooner or later.]
Of course, it's also possible that he or she will just stand her up.
This isn't the first or second time that Beimo has done this.
But Shen Tang has her own clever tricks.
Kang Shi is still very useful in times like this.
Shen Tang mustered his troops and had only marched a third of the way when he received devastating news: Shexing Pass had been attacked by the main force of the Northern Desert.
Border barriers have been erected.
The defense line is under immense pressure.
Gu Chi was following Shen Tang when he heard her yelling.
Holy crap, Kang Jishou!
[Send the order back to reinforce Shooting Star Pass!]
Shen Tang knew very well that Bei Mo had been playing a game of deception for so long, probably all for today—to concentrate their forces and capture Shexing Pass. If they failed, Bei Mo's morale would be severely damaged, and Shen Tang's side would be on guard, making it difficult to repeat the same strategy a second time.
Seeing this, Gu Chi clenched his fists at his sides.
The entire army rushed to reinforce.
The speed is undeniably fast.
However, the battle ended much faster in the Northern Desert.
Gu Chi looked at the Star-Shooting Pass defenses, which were already visible to the naked eye in the distance, and the rising border barrier continuously rippled outwards.
Even the ground beneath my feet could feel the tremors from afar.
until--
Dozens or even hundreds of siege boulders, trailing long fiery tails, crashed down, and one after another, heavily armored ice dragons exploded.
The border barrier shattered instantly.
ヾ(ゞ)
Gu Chiru's dream of Tangmei.
P.S.: While writing this, I recalled all those sieges and battles I played back in the day, the pain of having my stronghold and boss stolen... The most painful was when Old Wang was stolen, boohoo. A truly emotional little fighter from my faction burst into tears on the mic. Sigh, thinking about it now... how melodramatic!
P.S.: I'll be adding a three-in-one or four-in-one update tomorrow (open the author's assistant, keep writing, I'll get my royalties tomorrow, I'm motivated!).
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