The Grand Secretary's Pampered Wife

Chapter 499.2: Eldest Brother Is Coming

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S T E L L A R C L O U D

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O R A N G E S T A R

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T H E S U N

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Gu Jiao tapped her toe and used the inner wall of the city wall as a foothold to leap onto the city tower.

She held the red-tasseled spear in one hand and unfurled a State of Zhao’s flag with the other, then she planted it firmly on the tower.

The fierce battle continued throughout the night, and flames raged across the city walls.

Under the vast sky, the city was burning!

In a camp a hundred miles away, a scout came down from the mountain at breakneck speed and reported to the man inside the tent, "General Gu, it seems like the city ahead is on fire!"

"On fire?" Gu Changqing looked at the hourglass by his feet, "At this time? Which city is it?"

"Yuegu City." The scout answered.

Gu Changqing had already familiarized himself with the maps of the border regions during the journey. He knew the strategic importance of Yuegu City and understood that it would be the next target if the State of Chen's army, along with the remnants of the previous dynasty, continued to encroach on the State of Zhao's territory.

Gu Changqing stood up and said, "Take me there."

The scout led Gu Changqing to a high point in the mountain. From that vantage point, they could only see a burning line of flames, as the distance was too great.

However, in practical terms, it meant that the entire city wall was ablaze.

"Flames of war!" Gu Changqing furrowed his brows as the firelight flickered in his eyes. A powerful aura suddenly erupted from him, "Wake up the soldiers and prepare to move out!"

The distance from their current location to Yuegu City was approximately a hundred miles, taking into account the winding official roads and meandering mountain trails.

Generally speaking, an infantry could march around 30 to 50 miles in a day, 60 to 90 miles with a rapid march, and it could go up to 150 miles with a forced march.

During their journey here, the Gu Family Army had been conducting rapid marches to conserve their combat strength.

Forced marches imposed significant strain on the troops, so it should only be employed when absolutely necessary.

But it seemed they had reached a point where it was absolutely necessary.

When Gu Changqing descended from the mountain, all the tents, supplies and equipment had been packed up, and the soldiers were fully prepared, showing no trace of having just been awakened.

This was the most well-trained and powerful army in the State of Zhao. Almost in an instant, everyone had entered a state of combat readiness!

Gu Changqing mounted his horse, and his cloak fluttered in the chilly wind.

Gripping the reins tightly, he gazed in the direction of Yuegu City and ordered, "All soldiers, listen up. March at maximum speed!"

……

The battle of Yuegu City resulted in significant losses for both sides, with the State of Chen's forces suffering even greater casualties. However, due to their larger numbers, they were able to replenish their losses promptly.

Perhaps the conquest of the three previous cities had been too easy, so when Rong Fu led a force of twenty thousand to attack Yuegu City, he felt that the force was excessive.

Rong Fu was well aware of the troop deployment in Yuegu City.

The combined forces of guards and constables from various government offices in the city amounted to just over two thousand. Including the temporarily conscripted able-bodied men, the total force was around five thousand. Tang Yueshan had also rescued two thousand five hundred people from Ye City, bringing the total to over seven thousand.

Among these seven thousand, Rong Fu carefully calculated.

The two thousand five hundred imperial soldiers were captured and had gone three days and nights without food, resulting in severe depletion of their physical strength. Furthermore, they were forced to march for several tens of miles. As a consequence, their combat capabilities plummeted significantly.

Additionally, the over two thousand temporarily conscripted able-bodied men lacked the martial skills and qualities of seasoned soldiers and were essentially cannon fodder on the battlefield.

It was no exaggeration to say that compared to the robust and strong army of the State of Chen, these few thousand seemed like nothing more than a group of old, weak and disabled!

Yet, this group of " old, weak and disabled" managed to withstand several attacks from the twenty-thousand-strong State of Chen army for three consecutive days and nights!

Just where did these people get their strength?!

It wasn't just a matter of fearlessness.

It was as if they harbored an unshakable and powerful belief. Even if they were reduced to mere corpses, they were determined to block the advancing State of Chen army at the city gate and on the city walls!

Rong Fu, as the commander of this campaign, had been observing the siege from his horse below the city walls. The city gates had long been breached, and their army was advancing, leaving the State of Zhao forces unable to hold out much longer.

On the other hand, the city tower surprisingly posed a challenge.

Rong Fu had always been aware of Tang Yueshan's capabilities, but he didn't expect him to be this skilled.

Among the three renowned great generals of the State of Zhao, Old Marquis Ding'an, Gu Chao, excelled in military strategy; Marquis Xuanping, Xiao Ji, was the most shameless and unpredictable; and the bravest and fiercest was the Supreme Commander, Tang Yueshan.

To be honest, both Rong Fu and his father, Rong Yao, were surprised when they heard that Tang Yueshan had become the Supreme Commander of the army.

Being the bravest and fiercest wasn't exactly a flattering description. It essentially meant he was courageous but lacked strategic acumen, a serious flaw in military leadership.

However, a few days ago, Tang Yueshan unexpectedly used a strategy to lure the tiger down from the mountain—— spreading false information about the arrival of army provisions from the imperial court on the official road of Huaqing.

This led the State of Chen’s army to dispatch a large force to seize the army provisions. In the meantime, Tang Yueshan took this opportunity to infiltrate the enemy camp and fought his way out with the two thousand troops.

While the plan seemed simple, every step had to be calculated down to the smallest detail. If the State of Chen forces hadn't gone for the army provisions, or if they hadn't taken enough troops, even if Tang Yueshan managed to infiltrate their camp, he wouldn't have been able to escape with his men.

Even the route chosen by Tang Yueshan and others to escape was meticulously planned by Tang Yueshan himself, resulting in their cavalry being unable to catch up with the enemy infantry.

How infuriating was that? Let's just say it was quite infuriating!

This incident made the people of the Rong Family realize that Tang Yueshan wasn’t someone who had bravery but lacking in strategy. It was just that his excessive bravery caused people to overlook his strategic thinking.

However, how far could his bravery get him?

In the end, he was still a man made of flesh and blood, and there would inevitably be a time when his strength ran out.

The State of Chen's vast numbers meant an endless supply of troops, while the defenders of Yuegu City were dwindling with each casualty.

Tang Yueshan was probably reaching his limit.

Rong Fu's prediction was accurate. Tang Yueshan was indeed struggling, but not because he was physically exhausted, but rather his leg was injured.

The injury happened to be in the same place where the Imperial Son-in-law had once shot him through. Blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath him.

"Supreme Commander Tang!"

Deputy General Cen, covered in blood, approached Tang Yueshan. He too had suffered some injuries, but not all the blood on him was his own.

"Don't mind me!" Tang Yueshan supported himself on a broken battering ram behind him, the pain shooting through his leg. He raised his hand and slashed at a State of Chen soldier, then tumbled down again.

Deputy General Cen gritted his teeth, "Understood!"

Deputy General Cen turned away, his eyes welling up with emotion. He swung his sword to continue fighting the enemy.

Tang Yueshan was already at the end of his strength; he could barely even stand. Being killed was just a matter of time.

Compared to Tang Yueshan who posed little threat at this point, there was that youth defending the State of Zhao's flag with one spear and one person…

Raz P.'s Thoughts

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