Chapter 457 Preparations for War
More than an hour later, the twenty-odd water carts were finally filled.
Several soldiers fetching water said thankfully, "This time they loaded it quickly."
"That's right. Usually, it takes half a day to load a dozen or so trucks, but this time, these twenty-odd trucks were a size bigger than the usual water trucks, so they were loaded in no time."
"Isn't it good that it's finished so quickly?"
As everyone chatted and laughed, they became more relaxed and began to mount their carriages and horses, preparing to head back.
Ma Xu mounted his horse and glanced at the opposite bank of the river again. The west bank of the Xiaolin River was just like their side, with a large expanse of lush forest. When the wind blew, the branches and leaves swayed, making it look like countless figures were moving. But after so much time, not a single soldier from Longxi had rushed out.
Therefore, his hopes of encountering Xue Xian's forces and engaging in a major battle on this trip were dashed.
He let out a helpless sigh.
Song Yu, standing to the side, said, "I know you want to fight Xue Xian's men, but our mission today is to go out of the city to fetch water. If everything goes smoothly, that's a good thing. Don't think about anything else. Once we get the supplies back, we'll have the credit for this mission, and then we'll have something to say if we want to go into battle again, right?"
Ma Xu glanced at him and said sullenly, "You're right."
After they both mounted their horses, their troops quickly lined up in neat formation. Because of the more than twenty water carts in the middle, the formation was quite long. Ma Xu thought for a moment and said to Song Yu, "I'll go ahead and clear the way. You follow behind. If anything goes wrong, immediately send someone to tell us."
After saying that, he spurred his horse and galloped forward.
Watching his retreating figure, Song Yu knew that Ma Xu was eager for battle. Even though the matter was now settled, he was still thinking about it. If they really encountered the Longxi army today, he would be able to take the lead. So Song Yu didn't say anything more, just shook his head with a cold smile, and called on the people around him to follow.
So the large group of people immediately escorted the heavy water convoy back along the route they had come from.
Although the carriage was filled with water, it was lighter than the usual water carts, and they walked quickly. However, the sun set even faster. Although the sunlight was no longer scorching, the ground, which had been baking in the sun all day, began to radiate heat. Standing on the ground felt like being baked from above and below, and carrying heavy loads made it even more unbearable.
And so, the group walked for almost half an hour, groaning incessantly.
Finally, as the sun was about to set, amidst the rosy clouds, the towering Fufeng City Tower came into view in the distance.
Meanwhile, those standing on the city wall also looked up and gazed into the distance, but facing the blinding sunset, they could not see much further and could only wait patiently.
However, the almost scorching heat of the setting sun made everyone sweat profusely, especially the archers. Shortly after Song Yu and Ma Xu left the city, Dai Junliang had mobilized the archers in the army to go up to the city wall and guard behind the battlements. They were to react immediately if the Longxi army on the other side of the river crossed the border and started fighting with the people fetching water.
At this moment, these archers, each carrying a quiver and holding a bow, stood facing the setting sun. Sweat streamed down their rough cheeks, eventually dripping onto their feet and forming small puddles.
But not a single person backed down.
Standing aside, Shang Ruyi, who seemed to be there to "watch the show," wasn't much better off. Her cheeks were sunburned and sweat was dripping down her face.
"Young Madam,"
Just as Shang Ruyi was dazzled by the golden sunlight, she heard Yin Changyue's voice behind her. She turned around and saw Yin Changyue and Dai Junliang walking over together. Yin Changyue gave her a simple bow and said, "What brings you here, Young Madam?"
"Let me take a look."
After she finished speaking, she looked at the archers around her.
Yin Changyue thought she was afraid, so he laughed and said, "It's because Lord Dai is worried that Xue Xian's troops will attack the city, so he called all the archers up to the city wall and made such a big show of it."
Dai Junliang, standing to the side, said solemnly, “The military order left by the General before he fell ill is indeed the most advantageous measure for our army at present. However, the city is currently short of water, and opening the city gates to fetch water is a last resort. Xue Xian’s main force has already reached the west bank, and the daily consumption of food and fodder will increase exponentially. He can no longer wait like before and will definitely take this opportunity to attack the city.”
"..."
"We must be vigilant."
Shang Ruyi nodded slightly.
The two exchanged a glance but remained silent. Shang Ruyi leaned against the battlements and looked down at the city gate before saying, "I hope everything goes smoothly today."
Shan Tong'er, who had been standing beside her, blinked and said, "Don't worry, Sister Ruyi, if Xue Xian's men come, I'll take them down one by one with a hammer and send them all back to the West Bank!"
Those around him couldn't help but laugh when they heard him say that.
At this moment, someone on the other side called out to Dai Junliang. He apologized and then turned to leave. Shang Ruyi watched him walk to the other side of the city gate. Several people were holding gongs and seemed to be talking to him. He gave them a few instructions, and the people left without saying a word, only with a slightly hesitant look.
Shang Ruyi watched this scene silently, and in the blink of an eye, a bead of sweat dripped from her long eyelashes.
Feeling a little dizzy, she quickly straightened up. Because she had left in a hurry, she had forgotten to bring a handkerchief, and at this moment she had nothing to wipe her sweat. However, the sweat kept sliding down her cheeks, and she could only carefully wipe the sweat off her face with the back of her hand.
At that moment, a handkerchief was handed to her.
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart trembled slightly. She did not immediately take the snow-white handkerchief with a beautiful golden lotus embroidered in the corner. Instead, she slowly looked at the person holding the handkerchief, following the direction of the handkerchief's fair and strong hand.
Yuwen Qian.
After accompanying her to the city wall, he stood not far behind her, saying little and not leaving. But Shang Ruyi could always feel—or rather, she could feel it since last night—that his gaze was always on her.
It's as if it's observing something, or examining something.
At this moment, meeting those smiling yet meaningful eyes again, Shang Ruyi gently shook her head, wiped the sweat from her chin with her sleeve, and silently declined his "kindness".
Yuwen Qian smiled calmly and said softly, "It seems that my sister-in-law still doesn't quite trust me."
"..."
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment: "There's nothing about my elder brother that I would doubt."
Yuwen Qian said, "I mean, you don't believe what I said."
"..."
I said, I will help you.
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly, but Yuwen Qian didn't say anything more. Instead, he smiled and handed the handkerchief forward again.
Just then, a soldier nearby shouted, "They're back!"
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