The brush in Xu Yi-qin's hand moved swiftly, as if all the answers were already in her mind. There was no hesitation. All sorts of trivial matters came one after another, but Xu Yi-qin remained calm and wise, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor. It seemed like nothing in the world could trouble her.
"Haaa, I wonder how he's doing?"
After some time, Xu Yi-qin suddenly sighed, raised her wrist, and put down her brush and chopsticks.
In the clash at Deflecting Blade Manor, she had once more lost to Wang Chong and even been humiliated by Wang Chong. She, who had always been proud and arrogant, had no choice but to lower her head and agree to Wang Chong's request. Logically speaking, she should have hated this scoundrel to the bone, but for some reason, when she thought of the situation in the southwest and how Wang Chong could face the combined army of Mengshe Zhao and Ouzan, Xu Yi-qin's mind was in a mess.
For some reason, Xu Yi-qin recalled the four words Wang Chong had said to her on the day he left.
I believe in you!
Wang Chong had said these four words with extreme solemnity.
In the final moment, Xu Yi-qin had seen Wang Chong's resolute and determined figure, leading countless clan experts down the mountain and disappearing into the southwest. At that moment, he had clearly understood something, but he had still chosen to leave without the slightest hesitation. He was like a moth flying into the sparks of a bonfire.
At that moment, Xu Yi-qin's eyes were wide open, her heart moved like never before.
In Xu Qiqin's mind, Wang Chong had always been a selfish and smug person who didn't know what was good for himself, an unforgiving, extremely conceited person who only knew how to oppose her. This was the first time Xu Yi-qin had seen this other side of Wang Chong, this other side of herself that had been buried deep in his bones.
This side of him was so alluring …
"Haaa, don't die! No matter what, don't die! … "
Xu Yi-qin turned her head and looked through the window at a map on the wall. On the map, several places were marked conspicuously with needles and red ropes. The map was left behind by Wang Chong before he left. Other than Wang Chong, only Xu Yi-qin knew what those marks represented.
All the merchant caravans, horse caravans, and camel caravans had already set off. All the merchant caravans in the capital had been mobilized by her, not to mention the local clans and wealthy families. Only she, Xu Yi-qin, could do all this and handle everything in an orderly manner. War equipment, rations, everything had been set out.
Hundreds of merchant caravans, packed densely together like ants. Day and night, they surged towards that place without stopping. Judging from the time, the first batch of supplies should have already arrived at the location designated by Wang Chong.
"From now on, you can only rely on yourself!"
Xu Yi-qin took a deep breath, turned her head, and continued to work on the documents on her desk.
… …
In the southwest of the empire, the sky was gloomy.
The clip-clop of horse hooves was accompanied by flying grass and mud on the official road.
"Warning! Counting down. There is still half a day left. If user cannot reach the destination on time, he will be obliterated, and the trial mission will be a failure!
"Warning! The Annam Protectorate has suffered heavy damage. Twenty points of Destiny Energy have been deducted from user!
"Warning! User must increase his speed as quickly as possible. If the speed is less than twenty kilometers per hour, fifteen points of Destiny Energy will be deducted for every two hours!
"Warning! … "
A string of messages flowed through Wang Feng's mind like a waterfall. As the army headed south, everything seemed calm, but only Wang Feng knew that this was far from being the case. In just a few short days, eighty points of Destiny Energy had been deducted from Wang Chong. He had defeated Batunlu, defeated Bachicheng, and broken through the pass to the south, but to Wang Chong, the undercurrents were even more turbulent.
Wang Chong did not understand what had happened to Lion City. The city was clearly fortified, so why had so many points of Destiny Energy been deducted from him in such a short period of time? The situation in the southwest was still worsening, and the constant deductions of Destiny Energy in his mind were reminding him that this was far from the end.
The Stone of Destiny was still tightening the pressure on him.
But at this moment, Wang Chong was far from worrying about himself. Rather, he was worried about the Annam Protectorate in Lion City.
Father has already reached that place. I hope I can make it in time!
Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
His goal in this journey was not to protect himself, but to save the Annam Protectorate in the southwest. If the Annam Protectorate was destroyed, then everything would be meaningless.
"All soldiers, hear my order! Everyone, advance at full speed!"
Wang Song brandished his longsword and took the lead in charging forward.
The three hundred thousand Mengshe Zhao soldiers and the two hundred thousand Ouzan soldiers were like a mountain weighing down on Wang Chong's chest. The closer they got to the south, the deeper they went into the Erhai, the closer they were to danger and death. The victories they had won earlier did not mean that the situation had improved. On the contrary, it meant that they were under even greater pressure.
This rapid march of several thousand li had never been a simple rescue mission. If they weren't careful and were discovered by Mengshe Zhao, then the ten thousand soldiers led by Wang Chong could be crushed like eggs at any moment.
Whoosh!
Dark clouds gathered in the sky. At some point, a gust of wind had blown in from the south, carrying with it the thick scent of blood. This was the scent of the southwest battlefield.
It seemed that this place was already not too far from the Erhai.
Wang Chong stopped. Seated on his horse, he raised his head to glance at the sky. Dark clouds hung low in the sky like waves. The air was suffused with an oppressive smell, as if something would sweep down at any moment.
This was the smell of a storm.
"It's going to rain!"
Wang Chong looked at the sky and muttered to himself.
He was no stranger to this smell. Unsurprisingly, the southern plains had already welcomed a storm, and this storm was rapidly approaching from the south to the north.
"Milord, our brothers can't hold on much longer. Should we rest here for a while?"
As Wang Chong was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a voice at his ear. Amidst the clattering of hooves, Xu Shiping and Xu Andun rode over from behind.
"Milord, our brothers have already been on the road for several days. I know that Milord is anxious, but without sufficient information, I'm worried that even if our brothers reach the Erhai plains, they won't be of much help. "
Xu Andun clasped his hands and bowed his head.
"Brother Xu is right. Our brothers truly do need information."
Xu Shiping glanced behind him and echoed his words.
The soldiers of the army were all typical martial artists, and they were definitely much stronger than ordinary people. But no matter how strong they were, they weren't made of steel. After so many days of constant travel, the army was already exhausted. A casual glance behind them would reveal the weariness of the army. This was a very dangerous situation.
The two commandants had clearly reached an agreement on this point.
"No! Now's not the time to rest! "
Wang Chong turned his head, his tone firm and unquestionable.
The army truly was very tired. He didn't even need to think to know this. But now was not the time to rest. A person's potential was limitless. On the battlefield, one could not wait for one to eat their fill, have enough strength, and rest before fighting again. This was what war meant. In the dynasties of the Central Plains, a war would last for several days and nights, and there were many battles without rest.
Would they have to retreat halfway through the battle?
What Wang Chong was worried about was not whether the army would rest or not, but that Lion City would fall by the end of the day. If the Southwestern Protectorate army was completely wiped out, then even if they had enough rest, it would be meaningless.
"Boom!"
Before Wang Chong could finish speaking, a bolt of lightning flitted across the sky, slithering through the dark clouds like a silver snake. With a plop, a bean-sized drop of rain fell onto Wang Chong's face. Turning his head, Wang Chong subconsciously wiped away the raindrops on his face. Xu Shiping and Xu Andun also shut their mouths and subconsciously looked up at the sky.
This was the first rain the pair had encountered since their journey south.
Plop! Plop!
At first, it was just a few drops of rain, but as more and more came, they grew larger and larger. In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour began to descend from the sky. The rain droplets were as dense as a curtain, and as they fell on the armors of everyone, they produced a continuous metallic clanging sound, like a musical movement.
It was raining!
One, two, three … the soldiers raised their heads to look up at the torrential rain, and all of them were left dumbfounded.
This heavy rain was definitely not within everyone's expectations. No one knew what this heavy rain meant.
Wang Chong, Xu Shiping, Xu Andun, and all the others were dumbfounded.
"Heavy rain, heavy rain, three days, three days, the city is breached …"
Wang Chong muttered to himself as he gazed at the sky. A thought suddenly flashed through Wang Chong's mind, and his body trembled in understanding.
"Xu Shiping, Xu Andun, I'll only give you fifteen minutes to rest. The Eagle, Zhao Jingdian, take all the cavalry and follow me! "
"Yes, Milord!"
Rumble!
Before many people could react, Wang Chong, The Eagle, and Zhao Jingdian had led the remaining two-thousand-some cavalry into the rain like a bolt of lightning, quickly vanishing.
"What are you waiting for? Didn't you hear? Rest where you are and eat some rations. Prepare to follow at a moment's notice! "
After a long pause, Xu Andun suddenly turned his head and sternly said.
Although he didn't know what had happened, the change in Wang Chong's expression made Xu Andun certain of one thing. Something had definitely happened.
Even though he still didn't understand.
… …
Plop!
In the torrential rain, Wang Chong and his two thousand cavalry formed a long line as they galloped through the rain. Thunder rumbled in the sky, but the voice in Wang Chong's mind was even louder than the thunder.
Three days!
Three days!
Wang Chong had never understood why the Stone of Destiny had given him three days to get within one hundred li of Lion City, until Wang Chong saw this majestic downpour. If everything went as expected, the war in the southwest was about to undergo a massive change. It wasn't that Lion City was breaching, but that the Annam Protectorate was breaking through.
The rain continued to pour, casting the world in a hazy haze. Not even Wang Chong's eyes could see very clearly.
From ten-some meters away, it was impossible to tell whether it was a mountain or a tree, a road or a person.
If the Annam Protectorate wanted to break through, today would be their best chance!
It seems like they're running out of rations!
Wang Chong lowered his body as these thoughts flitted through his mind.
Lion City is sturdy, but its biggest problem is rations. If they run out of rations, Lion City will be building a cage of its own. Thus, the Annam Protectorate must break through. Xianyu Zhongtong definitely won't have this sort of courage. He's a general who defends what he has, and if he can defend it, he won't leave so easily. To be so determined to break through, unless …
As this thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind, he thought of his father and brother.
If Xianyu Zhongtong was alone, he definitely wouldn't break out of the encirclement. But the Annam Protectorate still had his father and brother, Wang Yan. With them around, the situation would be completely different. This was especially true for his brother, Wang Fu. Although Li Zhengyi was hailed as one of the younger generation of the Tang dynasty, and death was the most important thing, no one could say anything about it.
But in terms of strength, strategy, and skill in the art of war, Wang Chong had always firmly believed that his brother, Wang Fu, was the true number one.
Compared to Xianyu Zhongtong, his brother was more daring and meticulous, and he was definitely more adventurous and enterprising. If it were him, he would definitely be able to do it. Moreover, this rain was a heaven-sent opportunity. Wang Chong was confident that his brother, Wang Fu, would not remain unmoved by such a downpour.
"It's not the city breaking, it's not the city breaking! It's the initiative to break through! … "
As he looked at the curtain of rain, Wang Chong's heart trembled with excitement.
"The Eagle, lead the way with the giant eagle. In addition, send another giant eagle to contact Commandant Xu and the others at any time!"
Wang Chong suddenly said.
His body was already completely soaked. Rainwater seeped in through the gaps in his armor, then seeped out through the gaps below. Even his boots were covered in deep puddles. But Wang Chong no longer cared.
"Hyah!"
Squeezing his horse's abdomen, Wang Chong charged forward with all his might. Almost at the same time. "Screech!" Two giant eagles flew diagonally through the curtain of rain and soared into the sky. One headed south, the other north, and they quickly disappeared into the curtain of rain.
… …
Wang Chong would never have imagined that Lion City would break through much earlier than he had imagined!
"Gallop gallop!"
The sound of hurried hooves could be heard amidst the torrential downpour. In just a few moments, an Ouzan scout rushed into Huoshu Huizang's line of sight.
"How is it?"
Huoshu Huizang's gaze was like lightning as he swept his gaze over the scout from atop his horse. Around him, the rain was as dense as a curtain, but all of the rainwater was bounced off when it was still ten zhang away from him. Even now, the ground beneath Huoshu Huizang's feet was still dry and impatient.
"Milord, we've fallen into a trap! The Annam Protectorate didn't charge out from the west gate at all. We followed them out, but there were only a dozen or so Tang soldiers! "
The scout's face was covered in rainwater. It slid into his eyes and blew into his nose. He didn't even dare to wipe it off.
"… In addition, the rain is too heavy. Quite a few of our brothers got lost in the rain!"
"Bastard!"
Huoshu Huizang was furious.
The scout's expression froze. He lowered his head and didn't dare to say another word.
"Milord! Milord! "
Before Huoshu Huizang could get angry, another Ouzan cavalryman galloped over. Before Huoshu Huizang could open his mouth, he shouted.
"There's no sign of the Tang dynasty's main force at the east gate!"
The scouts from the north gate and the south gate had returned, but none of them had found any trace of the Tang army. The Ouzan army had split into four groups to pursue the Tang army from the four gates, but none of them had found any trace of the Tang army.
"Bastard!"
Huoshu Huizang's complexion turned extremely unsightly. There was no need to think too much about it. He was certain that he had been played. Xianyu Zhongtong definitely would not have been able to think of this plan, to open four city gates in succession, and then send soldiers to charge through the city gates while the waterfall was pouring down, forcing him to split his forces into four groups. Moreover, he definitely did not have the courage to do this. Having fought with Zhangchou Jianqiong for so many years, Huoshu Huizang was well aware of his subordinates.
"Milord, is it possible that the Tang army is still hiding in the city?"
An Ouzan soldier cautiously asked.
Huoshu Huizang said nothing, only glared at him. The Ouzan soldier's expression froze. He immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing. If the Annam Protectorate was still in the city, opening the gates like this was no different from inviting thieves to their deaths.
"What about Geluoge? Hasn't their army moved out yet? "
Huoshu Huizang asked, suppressing his anger.
Mengshe Zhao had an army of three hundred thousand soldiers. With their cooperation, the Annam Protectorate wouldn't be able to escape no matter how capable it was.
"Milord, the king of Mengshe Zhao has sent word that his army is currently in chaos. In addition, he sent word that this torrential rain is having an even greater effect on them than on us. Our cavalry are nimble, and the King of Mengshe Zhao hopes that we can lead an army to pursue the Annan Protectorate army and not let them escape! "
"…"
Huoshu Huizang didn't say anything. The surroundings were deathly silent. Only the pitter-patter of the rain and the cracking of Huoshu Huizang's fists could be heard.
At this critical moment, not a single one of Mengshe Zhao's three hundred thousand soldiers could be counted on.
"There's no need to count on him. Gelofeng didn't say anything about this matter. The rain was boundless, and visibility was obstructed. Mengshe Zhao mainly consists of infantry, and the ground is muddy. Right now, they can't even take care of themselves. They don't have the strength to pursue. "
At this moment, a calm voice came from the side. This voice contained a strange power. Like a pond after autumn, it could soothe all the anger in one's heart.
At this moment, only the Prime Minister of the Ouzan Empire's Ngari Royal Lineage, Dalun Ruozan, could say something like this.
"Prime Minister, are you still speaking up for Mengshe Zhao at this time?"
Huoshu Huizang said coldly.
A military general wouldn't understand the other's standpoint. Since Mengshe Zhao wanted to form an alliance with Ouzan and borrow Ouzan's strength, they needed to show that they believed in the strength of their side.
"I'm not speaking up for them. This rain has completely ruined our plans. "
Dalun Ruozan gently put away his white feather fan. As he gazed at the dense curtain of rain in the sky, a strange expression appeared in his eyes. In this battle with the Annam Protectorate, as long as these remnants were eliminated, Ouzan would obtain a complete victory. From then on, the Tang Dynasty wouldn't be able to contend against Ouzan in the southwest for the next few decades.
But this heavy rain was like a bucket of water splashed onto a chessboard. It splashed away the chess pieces, messed up the chessboard, and disrupted his plans.
"Xianyu Zhongtong doesn't have this ability. In Lion City, perhaps only the Wang father and son can be so decisive!"
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