Chapter 131: Chapter 127: Long Time No See

The army values speed, and in less than half a month, Shen Jingxian and her large army were already close to the front line.

The closer they got to the front, the more chaotic the security became.

There might even be enemy spies lurking around.

Shen Jingxian’s troop encountered a spy.

Our scouts and the enemy scouts met face-to-face in the bushes, and with big eyes staring into small eyes, they both understood each other’s intentions and reached a consensus.

Instead of harming each other here, it was better to part ways, report their own news, and wish each other well, without interference.

They exchanged glances and agreed amicably, but the enemy scout was a sly one. He pretended to leave, then chose another bush to hide in, determined to gather more intelligence.

Soon, he saw the grand cavalry, each well-equipped and robust—clearly elite troops!

Indeed, the people at Jiangkou County were just a distraction; this was the real key force.

The spy hid and roughly estimated the numbers, and was shocked—there were at least 30,000!

He immediately held his breath, wishing he could meld with the bushes.

If he were discovered here, he’d be done for.

Once the elite troops moved far away, the scout breathed a sigh of relief, emerged from the bushes again, and quickly ran into the woods to find the commander hidden underground to report the situation.

After hearing the report, the commander felt the situation was grave.

This time, they had only brought 30,000 troops, thinking victory was assured, not expecting Jiangkou County to hold out so long.

The strategist suspected that Jiangkou County had some hidden cards for holding out so long. They must infiltrate and uncover and destroy these cards.

Originally, they thought these hidden cards were dispersed troops totaling about 10,000 in the north, but now it seems the situation is not optimistic. They must hurry and report back and plan for the long term.

As they were about to leave, they noticed more commotion in the distance. From the sound, it was people approaching in large numbers, but their steps were irregular, not sounding like an army.

This area was originally forest, but for merchants’ passage convenience, an official road was forcibly opened through the forest. Besides the road, there were lush, leafy trees with thick trunks everywhere.

Gradually, such a group of people appeared.

They did not have uniform attire, and most didn’t look robust, yet wherever they went, not a shred of bark remained on the trees—it was shocking!!

“Princess, the Princess is just ahead, hang in there, brothers!”

“We’ve held on this long; just a bit further and we’ll see the Princess, we can’t give up here!”

“Hurry and eat the bark, for there’s none after this place, replenish strength to keep up with the Princess’s pace!”

“Swear to see the Princess!!”

“Hey brother, save some bark for me.”

In just a quarter-hour, the nearby trees turned white, stripped of their bark.

The enemy commander was left flustered in the wind—what a fearsome troop, driven not by discipline but by conviction.

Having fought many battles, he knew that soldiers with conviction could fight five men at once!!!

If these people would unhesitatingly gnaw bark, how would they show mercy to an enemy?

Even more terrifying was that these people numbered in the thousands, meaning they were worth 50,000 troops!

The commander immediately felt a little dizzy.

“Commander! Commander! What’s wrong! Is it… poison!!”

The people instantly released their grip on the commander and covered their noses.

Without support, the commander thudded to the ground, regaining clarity.

“There’s no damn poison! Quickly go report back, Jiangkou County must be captured soon, or we’ll surely lose!”

Shen Jingxian lazily yawned in the carriage, her eyelids heavy and yearning for sleep.

But after closing her eyes, she suddenly reopened them. She had slept enough today, sleeping more would mean sleeplessness at night.

She lifted the curtain to see the scenery and feel the wind to wake herself up. Unexpectedly, the leader noticed immediately, went to the carriage, and asked, “Does Your Highness want something to eat?”

Shen Jingxian: …

Do I look like a foodie?

“Nothing to eat, I just want to see the scenery.”

“Does Your Highness want to play nine linked rings?”

“Not interested, I just want to see the scenery.”

“Shall I send someone to chat with Your Highness?”

“No need, I just want to see the scenery.”

“I’ve caught a rabbit, does Your Highness want to see it?”

Shen Jingxian showed a bit of interest, and had the leader bring the rabbit over, but didn’t take it, just observed it in the leader’s hands.

The fur was nicely colored, the meat looked ample, and it had an exclusive wild rabbit air—excellent.

“Roast it.”

“Yes!” The leader immediately set off to roast the rabbit.

While Shen Jingxian ate the rabbit, the spy returned with news. Shen Jingxian listened and wasn’t overly concerned, “How far are we from Jiangkou County?”

“Your Highness, if traveling overnight, we’ll arrive early the day after tomorrow.”

“Travel overnight.”

“Yes!”

…

On the other side, Wen Ranchen also received news that the Princess was approaching.

The Princess’s arrival implied reinforcements were near.

But unlike others, Wen Ranchen felt only worry. How could the Princess come to the perilous front line?

Wen Ranchen principledly ignored the 40,000 troops guarding the Princess. To him, the Princess merely touching anything to do with the front line was dangerous.

He was thinking of delaying, but now it seemed it was impossible.

“General Wen, where are you going!”

“Assemble the troops, prepare for battle.”

“But aren’t the reinforcements coming soon with the Princess? Shouldn’t we wait to unite with the Princess…?”

“By the time the Princess’s troops join us, all credit will be theirs, making your recent defense and efforts meaningless.”

When all soldiers had assembled, Wen Ranchen stood at the front and asked, “Reinforcements won’t arrive until tomorrow, but Jiangkou County can’t hold out that long. Is it survival, trading the lives of Jiangkou County’s people for yours, or a desperate battle creating a chance for the people? What is your answer?”

“Kill!!!”

Before leaving the city gates, someone yelled, “Charge!! Take the enemy commander’s head as a gift for the Princess!”

That call invigorated everyone; despite being only 3,000, they marched with the presence of 30,000.

“Strategist, must we really retreat?” The commander didn’t want to retreat after sharing the news, hoping the strategist would find a way to win, not just advocate retreat.

The strategist didn’t mince words, directly stating, “Staying leads only to defeat; the commander should decide.”

In the end, Dongwu decided to retreat.

Yet as they departed, the gates of Jiangkou County, once undefeatable, suddenly opened, and a troop caught them off guard.

(“We were retreating, and you attack us, sob. Face beaten and bruised.jpg”)

3,000 men chased and attacked the 30,000-strong enemy—no one foresaw this scene.

Thus, when Shen Jingxian arrived, the battle was over.

Dongwu Country, defeated.

When Shen Jingxian alighted from her carriage, she saw Wen Ranchen standing outside the city gate, smiling at her gently, just like before.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep