He Yunxiao carried Xiaoxiao to the edge of the Yan army camp.
He stood on the trunk of a large tree, gazing into the distance towards the Yan army camp.
Two days ago, the Qi army launched an offensive, and today the Yan army's camp is still a scene of scorched earth. Most of the large siege engines previously placed in the camp have been burned, but a small number of those with minor damage, and a few that can be repaired, remain piled up in the camp. (M.cascoo.net)
Soldiers were busy around, seemingly still trying to repair or build siege equipment.
He Yunxiao had no intention of acting rashly. After receiving the intelligence, he immediately returned to his original spot and rode away. He needed to get closer to Yin Jingcheng so he could summon Hongshao to deliver the intelligence to Mengbao, although Mengbao might already know about it from other sources.
As noon approached, He Yunxiao rode his horse to the outskirts of Yinjing City. Chu Chu was about to wake up, and Xiao Xiao dared not pester He Yunxiao any longer, so she sullenly rode her horse by herself.
He Yunxiao blew the whistle to summon the Red Whistle, and while waiting for the Red Whistle to arrive, he wrote letters to Mengbao and Nanzhu.
The red whistle is a small bird that can carry little paper and cannot fly far. When He Yunxiao writes letters, he cannot say many things and must be very concise.
Mengbao, Nanzhu, Yinyun... the faces of the three female protagonists appeared before He Yunxiao's eyes, stirring up his memories.
Sigh, I miss them a little.
I never missed home this much when I was away at university, but now I miss the heroines after just two days apart. The saying "a hero's grave in a gentle embrace" is absolutely true.
He Yunxiao came up with a bunch of reasons to try to excuse his simple lust.
The wind blew across the grass, pressing the already sparse weeds low.
Chu Xiaoxiao's temperament changed completely, transforming from a melancholy young girl into a domineering queen.
Chu Chu asked, "He Yunxiao, how did we get here?"
Xiao Xiao excitedly explained to Chu Chu that she and He Yunxiao had come out to scout the Yan army's situation. Because of concerns about unforeseen circumstances, He Yunxiao had specifically invited her, a woman of high martial arts skills, to accompany them. They maintained that there was absolutely no intimate relationship between them in private.
Chu Chu nodded and stopped worrying about it.
After gathering information and delivering the message, He Yunxiao rode his horse back slowly, carrying Chu Chu in his arms.
They were passing on their skills while enjoying the scenery – what a delightful experience!
...
Upon returning to Black Tiger Stronghold, He Yunxiao immediately informed Ruobao and Zhang Hu of the news.
"Not completely destroyed?" Fan Ziruo was looking at a topographical map of the area surrounding Yinjing. This map was a detailed version that He Yunxiao had captured from the Yan army. After hearing He Yunxiao's words, she immediately looked up at him.
"Hmm. What should we do next?"
How much equipment is left?
"At least half of it is still usable."
Fan Ziruo did some mental calculations and said, "With the remaining supplies and subsequent production, we can barely afford to attack the city."
"That……"
"The Qi army's losses are likely to be significant, and Yinjing City is the main target of the Yan army's defenses. We need to find a way to destroy the remaining siege equipment as well."
He Yunxiao nodded.
Building siege equipment is difficult, but destroying it is easy. Since they are all made of wood, a single fire can burn them all down if the timing is right.
Fan Ziru thought for a moment and said, "Although the Qi army's sneak attack did not destroy all the siege equipment, it did damage most of it and delayed the Yan army's attack."
Ruobao called He Yunxiao to her side, pointed to the map and earnestly instructed him: "Husband, Ziruo knows you want to destroy the siege equipment, but you can't rush it. Because destroying the equipment alone is not enough. You have to nip it in the bud. While destroying the equipment, you must also destroy the forests where you can get timber."
He Yunxiao followed Fan Ziruo's finger and saw that her slender, jade-like finger was pointing to a large forest marked on the map. Compared to the forest, He Yunxiao preferred Ruobao's pink, translucent, and exquisitely beautiful nails.
He Yunxiao asked in surprise, "Ruobao, I clearly didn't tell you the location of the Yan army camp, how could you..."
Fan Ziruo explained, "This is a valley with lush forests. If the Yan army wants to obtain a large amount of timber on the spot, they can only camp here."
He Yunxiao clicked his tongue in amazement and exclaimed, "Wonderful!"
Fan Ziruo specifically instructed He Yunxiao: "Husband, we should prioritize the integration of the Chu family army and must not make contact with the Yan army too early, lest we expose ourselves. Furthermore, we must not disturb the Yan army's forests at this time."
Ruobao was just saying he wanted to burn down the forest, so why is he saying he won't let us burn it down now?
"Why can't we burn down the forest?"
Fan Ziruo said seriously, "Because the Chu family army is still too weak. Husband, think about it, if we burn down the Yan army's forests and cut off their idea of attacking Yinjing, what will they do?"
The Yan army was not stupid; on the contrary, they were extremely powerful.
The Yan army was smaller than the Qi army, but compared to the Qi army, they did not have as many local troops, and their equipment and combat strength were superior.
If the Yan army fails to capture Yinjing, it goes without saying that they won't just sit idly by; they'll target the Qi troops outside Yinjing, including reinforcements from various regions like the Chu family army that have come to Yinjing's aid!
The 800,000-strong Yan army, lacking siege equipment, couldn't breach the city of Yinjing. However, if they turned their attention to the Qi reinforcements, it would be a catastrophe for the reinforcements from various regions supporting Yinjing.
Thinking of this, He Yunxiao broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, Ruobao revealed the secret; otherwise, according to his own will, he would have already prepared to burn down the forest.
...
When He Yunxiao sent back news that the Yan army's equipment was still intact, Zhang Hu immediately convened a meeting of his subordinate leaders.
After discussing for a long time, their conclusion was similar to Ruobao's. The Qi army probably wouldn't launch another large-scale attack. If conditions allowed, Black Tiger Stronghold should launch a surprise attack! Destroy the remaining equipment of the Yan army, thus cutting off their plans to attack Yinjing.
This matter doesn't even require a large force; just select a group of skilled individuals and have them carry flammable materials.
With just a hundred or so people and a single fire, Yin Jingcheng could be saved. Who wouldn't be envious of such a low-risk, high-merit opportunity? If this matter is handled well, there is a high chance of receiving a reward from the Princess, and perhaps even a chance to personally enter the palace to meet Her Highness the Princess.
Ancient painting techniques were not sophisticated enough to depict, nor did anyone dare to paint a portrait of the Princess Xiaoyue. However, in folk legends, Princess Xiaoyue, who died and was resurrected to serve her country and people, was a goddess sent to the mortal realm by heaven. Her beauty was said to be unparalleled, her elegance breathtaking, and ordinary mortals could not look directly at her.
Mengbao's reputation has reached the point where anyone who dares to openly slander Her Highness the Eldest Princess will be scorned by the rest of the people. In some places, temples have already begun to be built to offer incense to Princess Xiaoyue.
Listening to their discussion, Zhou Ping suddenly said, "Not only should we destroy the siege equipment, but we should also burn down the forests near the Yan army camp! This will cut off their idea of making more siege weapons!"
Zhou Ping may not be as intelligent as Ruobao, but he excels in understanding his surroundings. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the second-in-command of Black Tiger Stronghold.
Zhou Ping's words caused an uproar in the hall, which was then immediately followed by cheers from everyone present.
"Brother Zhou's suggestion is brilliant!"
"Absolutely brilliant! Why can't we see through this relationship?"
"Alright! Let's do it according to Brother Zhou's plan!"
The Black Tiger Stronghold's council hall was filled with laughter and chatter as everyone thought about what would happen after they had achieved great merit.
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