vstars Chapter 296 On the Eve of the Great Battle
Chapter 296 On the Eve of the Great Battle
Chapter 296 On the Eve of the Great Battle
Shi Nuanyu touched the tip of her nose shyly, walked to the bedside, sat down, and picked up a letter to read.
"It's a letter from A-Yu," I continued reading. The letter was simple: he was short of money and needed money.
"Why is A-Yu asking you for money? Isn't Qinghe in the court?"
Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've heard from Qinghe. I wonder how he's doing.
“Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Dongchen has joined forces with more than a dozen small countries to launch a war, and other small countries also have their own intentions. It’s not just the southern border that’s at war.”
The Southern Moon Kingdom comprises sixteen states, occupying the central position between the Northern Lin, Eastern Chen, and other smaller states. The Southern Frontier is the main battlefield, while battlefields also exist in the Western, Eastern, and Northern Continents. No matter how much silver the Ministry of Revenue has, it cannot withstand the repeated requests for money from various states.
Tao Huiyan put the letter she had written into a bamboo tube, blew the whistle on the table, and a carrier pigeon flew in through the window and landed on the table.
"Tao has some assets in southern Xinjiang and can help General Shan relieve his worries."
Shi Nuanyu's eyes gleamed, and she looked at him as if he were a money-spending boy.
"Ah Yan, have you ever calculated how much silver you actually have?"
No wonder Qinghe and Changfeng in the book, with his support, were able to launch a swift attack on Nanyue, as they had no shortage of money and supplies.
Tao Huiyan shook her head. "I've never calculated it. I used to love traveling. When I arrived at a suitable place, I would settle down and do business. There are many capable people in the Tao family who are also fond of expanding their businesses."
"Wow," Shi Nuanyu cupped his face and kissed him, "Ayan, you are such a treasure."
He's practically her lucky charm.
Feeling a ticklish sensation in her heart from the kiss, Tao Huiyan's eyes sparkled with an irrepressible smile.
"Nuan Nuan must protect her precious husband."
Hearing him call himself her husband, Shi Nuanyu smiled and pinched his ear playfully.
"I will definitely protect you, my precious treasure."
Another carrier pigeon flew in through the window, and she took out the mail tube first.
"Huh, why does Changfeng also want to borrow money from you?"
Didn't she remember that Changfeng still owed Ayan a lot of money?
Tao Huiyan wrote back, “The money in the Northern Court has been squandered by the former king and corrupt officials, leaving the national treasury empty. In times of war, he can only borrow money.”
He then took out a letter and gave it to her, saying, "Warmth is essential. I have already ordered someone to bring supplies from the shops in the north."
Shi Nuanyu was overjoyed. "Ayan, you are my lucky star. You rest well, I'll be right back."
He didn't eat, and he wasn't hungry anymore. He went to discuss government affairs with the prefect.
For three consecutive days, Shi Nuanyu left early and returned late, keeping herself extremely busy every day.
Finally having half a day of free time, she walked to the streets of Yuecheng and looked at the pedestrians coming and going. Most of the shops were closed, and the places for receiving food and conscription were full of people, including the elderly, women and children, as well as young men and women.
Their eyes were numb; perhaps they had grown accustomed to being abandoned and were not optimistic about this battle.
In her previous life, she had never experienced war. Her powerful motherland protected them well, and she only thought about how to make money and make a living every day.
The little girl standing in the crowd stared curiously with her big, round eyes, then broke free from her mother's hand and ran over to grab her clothes.
"Sister, will we die?"
The little girl's mother knelt down in fear, terrified that she had offended the important person.
Shi Nuanyu felt a tremor in her heart, exhaled, walked over to help the woman up, and squatted down in front of the little girl to pat her head.
"None of us will die; we will live on."
How many wars must a young person have experienced to say things that are inappropriate for their age?
The little girl tilted her head and said, "Mother said that my sister is a celestial maiden who will make sure that Niu Niu and Niu Niu are well-fed and not hungry."
Niu Niu's words were incoherent. She stared with innocent eyes, then let go of the hem of her dress. Seeing the stains on her clothes, she timidly hid her hands behind her back.
A celestial maiden?
She was just doing what she could.
“Don’t be afraid, Niu Niu. As long as I live, I will stand in front of you and never back down.”
She couldn't guarantee they would survive, but she could guarantee she would never abandon the people of a city.
The prefect followed behind, secretly shedding tears. Having such an emperor was a blessing for Nanyue and for Yuecheng.
Yuecheng has been abandoned too many times, and its people have suffered too much. This time, it has finally been protected.
He knelt on one knee and shouted loudly.
"This humble official swears to follow Her Highness the Crown Princess to the death."
The people around them knelt down in confusion and joined in the shouting, their eyes gradually hardening, each shout louder than the last.
"I swear to follow Her Highness the Crown Princess to the death."
The people have eyes to see; they are able to eat their fill and are not harassed by the officials and soldiers because they are acting on the orders of the Crown Princess.
Shi Nuanyu stood in the middle and responded calmly and composedly.
"Rest assured, I will never abandon you and will defend the city gate to the death."
This was her mission, her lifelong duty.
Standing at the end of the crowd, Wei Zengshi and Hua Lingyan watched intently, their eyes filled with admiration and respect.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she wiped her face and forcefully suppressed her tears.
"Overwhelmingly domineering, the Poison Woman is increasingly resembling an emperor."
Hua Lingyan, with her sharp eyes, glanced at him sideways and corrected him.
"Nuan Nuan is an emperor."
“You little idiot,” Wei Zengshi retorted irritably, “Take back your murderous aura. I tolerated your innocent act in front of the Poison Woman. I didn’t provoke you, so why are you giving me such a cold shoulder?”
They've known each other for so many years, and things were better before. But ever since he consummated his marriage with the poisonous woman, the little fool has found fault with everything about him and wants to fight whenever they meet.
Hua Lingyan didn't try to hide it and just dryly cursed.
I hate you.
"You silly boy, you want to fight again."
The scouts moved swiftly through the city, their eagle-like eyes searching for something.
"Report!"
He ran to Hua Lingyan and the other person and knelt down.
"Reporting to the general, enemy troops have been spotted twenty miles away."
The two men looked at each other in bewilderment and followed the scout back to the military camp.
Shi Nuanyu and the prefect also received the news and immediately tried to calm the people's emotions. They arrived at the military camp just before nightfall.
"What's the situation now?"
As soon as she stepped into the tent, Nuanyu couldn't wait to ask questions, stopped the generals from saluting, and walked to the sand table to observe.
Without attempting to answer, he said, "Your Highness, according to the preliminary calculations of the scouts, Dongchen has only sent an army of 200,000."
Shi Nuanyu asked in surprise, "Where did the other 100,000 go?"
General Pan frowned, "He must have gone to the southern border."
Going to southern Xinjiang meant that A Yu would be facing an army of 400,000.
The Shan family army had 300,000 men against 400,000, more than double the number.
Shi Nuanyu's breathing trembled slightly as she comforted herself, telling herself that Ayu would be alright.
"Has the northern frontier been deployed to the battlefield?"
When Ayu was initiating the education of the northern border regions, he allocated 50,000 yuan to them. The villages, large and small, in the northern border regions could not be fully educated in just a few months.
"General Shan wrote that the soldiers in the northern frontier cannot be withdrawn. He asked our army to hold out for seven days, and he would find a way to provide support."
Even with 100,000 against 200,000, there's still no chance of winning.
Yuecheng has been under the control of Dongchen for many years, and its military is extremely weak.
Shi Nuanyu's heart trembled. How could she forget that the Shan family army currently has less than 300,000 troops, and there are Shan family troops in both the northern border and Yuecheng.
She clenched her fists tightly to stay calm, and after two breaths her expression hardened.
"Whether it's seven days or a few days, we must defend the city gates to the death."
Shi Nuanyu bowed to the generals, saying, "I hope you will all hold the line and not retreat."
Behind them are hundreds of millions of people. If they retreat, the people will suffer, which means that the southern border will be breached.
Without hesitation, the generals knelt on one knee, declaring, "This humble general swears to fight to the death."