novel bin Chapter 153 Dividing the Troops
Chapter 153 Dividing the Troops
Peng Lianhu chased after Lan Fenghuang. Zhao Yu saw this from afar but did not panic.
After arranging for everyone to continue sprinkling realgar powder, he headed towards the direction of the blue phoenix.
When she got closer, the snakes had completely dispersed. Lan Fenghuang put her hand to her forehead, a few drops of cold sweat appearing on her brow.
Not far from her feet lay Peng Lianhu, his eyes wide open, not dead, but his body stiff and unable to move, clearly poisoned by Lan Fenghuang.
"So you finally decided to come over." Seeing Zhao Yu arrive, Lan Fenghuang stood up and glared at him. "That guy's Judge's Pen is incredibly sharp. I almost got close to him just now. Aren't you worried about me getting hurt?"
Zhao Yu stepped forward and took her hand: "If you had practiced the martial arts I gave you, even if you couldn't defeat this person, you would have been able to protect yourself. Now it seems that's absolutely true. If I had come earlier, how would I have seen our Phoenix Girl display her skills?"
"You're so sweet-talking."
Lan Fenghuang rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile.
She looked down at Peng Lianhu on the ground and sighed, "Speaking of which, this man looks rough and reckless, and was even used as a pawn by his companions and tricked into being a scout, but his martial arts skills are truly impressive. If he were in the Divine Cult, with these skills, he would be qualified to be an elder. I never expected that a mere brute would have such high martial arts skills."
"Your martial arts have declined, so naturally you seem unremarkable. This man has roamed Hebei and Shanxi for many years and is a notorious outlaw with countless lives on his hands. If his skills weren't solid, he would have been chopped up long ago. How could he have survived until now?"
Lan Fenghuang proudly raised her chin: "So what if your martial arts are strong? You still fell into my hands. After being hit by my muscle-softening powder, even the toughest man would have to lie there obediently."
"Yes, yes, our Phoenix is the best." Zhao Yu smiled and ruffled her hair, his tone doting.
After a brief moment of tenderness, Lan Fenghuang nudged Peng Lianhu and asked, "What should we do with this guy? Just kill him?"
Zhao Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Take him back first and hand him over to Qiu Qianren for proper interrogation. We can pry information out of him about the Jin camp's troop deployment, food reserves, and the backgrounds of those martial arts masters. If we cooperate well, we might be able to spare his life."
He spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Peng Lianhu to hear.
Sure enough, Peng Lianhu's eyes twitched on the ground, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his previously rigid gaze.
Zhao Yu saw it clearly and chuckled inwardly.
It's not his toughness that's scary, it's his fearlessness. Give him a glimmer of hope, and a sensible person will speak up.
At this moment, Zhao Yu's personal guards also arrived and carried Peng Lianhu like a dead dog.
Zhao Yu put his arm around Lan Fenghuang's shoulder and walked into Xiangyang City.
Upon returning to the city, Peng Lianhu was handed over to Qiu Qianren for disposal.
Seeing that Lan Fenghuang was dressed in Miao ethnic clothing and was behaving intimately with Zhao Yu, the others tactfully took their leave and left in a short while.
"Let's go, I'll take you home," Zhao Yu said.
Lan Fenghuang's smile faded slightly, and she looked at him with feigned grievance: "What? Am I really that much of an eyesore to the official? You're already in a hurry to get rid of me as soon as I get back?"
"Didn't you say that the Ming Dynasty can't be left unattended? The excuse of seclusion won't last long." Zhao Yu smiled helplessly.
"Just kidding, you actually took it seriously." Blue Phoenix chuckled.
Then, her eyes flickered, and she leaned closer, her voice soft and low: "But... the night is still long, and I can leave early tomorrow morning anyway. Don't you Han people have a saying, 'The spring night is too short'?"
"That's not how you say it," Zhao Yu subconsciously corrected, but he realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.
Staring blankly at Lan Fenghuang, he noticed the tips of her reddened ears and felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Miao women have always been known for their passionate love and hate, but it takes immense courage for them to say such things.
Lan Fenghuang's smile faded slightly as she looked up at him: "What? You look down on me? Or do you think I'm not good enough for you, the emperor?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Zhao Yu sighed softly, and before she could say anything more, he bent down and picked her up in his arms.
Lan Fenghuang exclaimed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Then, her silvery laughter rang out, tinged with a hint of triumphant smugness.
"Woman, you have successfully caught my attention." Zhao Yu deliberately put on a stern face, pretending to be fierce.
Lan Fenghuang laughed even harder, her fingertips hooking around his collar, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "So, how does Your Majesty intend to deal with me?"
Zhao Yu didn't say anything, but carried her and strode towards the room in the inner courtyard.
Moonlight streamed into the room, red candles flickered, and the night was filled with romance and tenderness.
The next morning, Zhao Yu saw Lan Fenghuang off and then devoted himself wholeheartedly to the city's defense preparations.
In the following days, the Jin army finally began its siege of the city.
However, Wanyan Kuang was extremely cautious and did not go all out.
Each day, only a few thousand soldiers were sent out to launch probing attacks with ladders and battering rams. If any setback occurred, the troops would immediately withdraw, never being greedy for merit or advancing rashly.
Arrows rained down from the city walls, logs and stones pelted down in succession, and shouts of battle never ceased throughout the day.
But it seemed as if both sides had agreed to stop short of going all out.
At first, the Song soldiers were somewhat flustered. Many new recruits were so frightened by the Jin soldiers' fearless appearance that their hands trembled.
But after several days, seeing that the Jin soldiers were nothing special and that their attacks on the city were repeatedly repelled, the fear in everyone's hearts gradually dissipated.
The soldiers standing on the city wall straightened their backs, and their movements of shooting arrows and moving stones became more and more skilled, with their morale visibly rising.
"Wanyan Kuang has other plans."
From the watchtower atop the city wall, Zhao Yu gazed at the endless Jin camps outside the city and made a judgment: "The attacks over the past few days have only been probing. If this continues, the Jin people cannot afford to wait."
The Jin army had come from afar, and if they continued to probe like this, the Jin people would be the first to give out, not the Song army that was waiting in comfort.
Sure enough, on the fifth day of the siege, the area outside the city suddenly became quiet.
For the entire morning, the Jin army did not leave their camp, and even their usual shouts of battle ceased.
The soldiers on the city wall were all talking about it, finding it strange.
Upon receiving the news, Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow and immediately sent someone to inquire with Hong Qi to see if any of the martial arts figures had made any discoveries.
Not long after, Hong Qi arrived in person, but his expression was somewhat solemn.
"Everything has been investigated and clarified."
Hong Qi said in a deep voice, "The Jin army has divided its forces. Wanyan Kuang is still in the main camp with more than 10,000 troops, while the remaining main force has split into several groups and headed towards the surrounding counties. Judging from their direction, they intend to attack the strongholds outside Xiangyang one by one and completely surround us."
He paused, his tone heavy: "The surrounding small towns don't have many garrisons, and they probably won't be able to stop the Jin army. The people in the towns... are likely to suffer."
Upon hearing this, the generals in the hall all looked worried and began to speak.
Some advocated sending troops to provide relief, while others advocated holding out to the death, and the debate raged on.