Jiao Tai rubbed his temples. “They’ve worked together before, so there’s nothing strange about them cooperating again. I suspect their collaboration has grown even closer.”
Mu Qi thought for a moment before saying, “I don’t think we need to worry too much. When they joined forces to attack Qu Zhao before, they used repeating crossbows. They aren’t using them now, which means that even if they are cooperating, it isn’t a deep alliance.”
Then, remembering something, he added, “Didn’t Ji Jun say earlier that Princess Jinyang launched a surprise attack on Wenxia City? They don’t have the energy to interfere in Daqing right now.”
“Besides, the troops we’re redeploying are only those attacking Daqing. The various counties are staying put.”
“Let alone whether Daqing has the strength or courage to counterattack our cities—even if they do, we have the city walls to rely on. It won’t be easy for them to attack.”
Du Qing nodded. “We should speed up the harvest and have the soldiers help with it as well. We can finish in a few days. Even if Daqing attacks our cities, we’ll still have time to return and reinforce them.”
Jiao Tai kept his eyes closed. After a long while, he finally nodded in agreement.
The night was pitch-black, and the rain in Sizhou grew increasingly violent.
In a village in Tao Commandery, a family of six huddled in a corner, their eyes dull as they listened to the rainwater pouring through the roof. None of them could sleep.
It was raining heavily outside, and it was raining just as heavily inside. There was hardly a dry spot anywhere in the house. Water had risen past their ankles and reached their calves.
The elderly woman murmured, “It’s all gone. Everything’s gone. All the grain in the fields is ruined. Damn this cursed heaven—does it want us dead?”
The rice had been on the verge of ripening, but the rain had continued for nearly half a month. These past few days in particular, the downpour had been torrential, and almost all the crops in the fields had been submerged.
“What are we going to do? What will we use to pay the rent? What will we eat? Boo-hoo…” the old woman sobbed softly.
Rain pounded against the thatch, which was leaking like a sieve, producing a sharp pattering sound that drowned out her muttering.
The middle-aged woman shouted, “Husband, the rain’s getting heavier! If this continues, our house might collapse!”
Though she was indoors, she was soaked from head to toe. In the summer night, her lips had turned blue from the cold.
A thunderclap boomed, frightening the two children into screams.
The woman quickly pulled them into her arms and soothed them. “It’s all right, it’s all right. It’s only thunder.”
The middle-aged man wiped the water from his face. “Father, what should we do?”
A flash of lightning illuminated the old man’s deathly pale face for an instant. Trembling, he said, “Go… go find the village chief.”
The man’s voice shook. “All right. I—I’ll go.”
He fumbled his way out into the darkness. Rain struck his face like flying stones, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.
He could only shield his forehead with both hands and struggle to make out the direction, wading through the rushing water on the ground as he headed toward the village chief’s home.
He had taken only a few steps when a tremendous crash rang out. Terrified, he turned around. In the pitch-black night and the pouring rain, he could see nothing.
But he had a premonition that something had happened, because the crash had come from his own home.
He ran back without hesitation. Another bolt of lightning tore across the sky, and at last he saw it clearly: his house had collapsed!
His eyes bulging with panic, the man sprinted back. In only a moment, he reached the ruins.
With a splash, he fell to his knees, sending muddy water flying.
He desperately clawed at the mud and thatch, shouting, “Father! Mother! Wife!”
He sobbed and screamed, unable to tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears. Again and again, he called out his family’s names, helplessly digging at the collapsed ruins with all his strength.
His callused hands were scraped open by cut after cut, but he felt none of the pain.
In the darkness, he couldn’t tell where his family had been trapped.
All he knew was that he had to keep digging with every ounce of strength he possessed. Despair filled his heart as he cried, “Help! Somebody, please save us! Father! Mother!”
Another deafening crash sounded, accompanied by terrified shouts.
The man mechanically raised his head. When lightning illuminated the distance, he saw a raging flood surging toward him.
His pupils contracted.
Had the river burst its banks?!
Before he could understand what was happening, the furious torrent, laden with sand, rocks, and uprooted trees, completely swallowed him.
Scenes like this unfolded throughout countless places in Sizhou, turning the land into a living hell.
Morning sunlight spilled down, shining on the bloodstained, filthy city walls and scattering golden light across the ground.
Jin Feng stood atop the southern tower of Nanjiao City, watching the soldiers in the Jiao Army’s encampment move into position in the distance.
The Jiao Army was redeploying troops?!
“What’s going on?” he asked Li Zan beside him.
Li Zan stroked his beard. “Perhaps the opportunity our lord mentioned has finally arrived.”
He sighed with admiration. “Our lord truly is a heaven-gifted genius.”
Who could have imagined that when Jiang Jin appeared to magnanimously spare Qu Zhao back then, he had actually planted a hidden bomb within the Jiao Army?
Jiang Jin had not only planted the bomb—he had also lit its fuse.
That fuse was the burning of the grain.
And a bomb with its fuse already lit was bound to explode!
With Qu Zhao’s food supplies gone, he would certainly seize the Jiao Army’s grain.
That was Daqing’s opportunity—the opportunity to reclaim all of Daqing.
Jin Feng didn’t quite understand what “the opportunity” referred to, but he agreed wholeheartedly that their lord was a heaven-gifted genius. “Of course. Our lord is the chosen one.”
As he spoke, he grew excited. “Our lord recovered Pu’nan and Shangjing Commanderies in such a short time and captured the Great Chanyu of the Ji alive. Such achievements are unprecedented!”
Li Zan’s face likewise revealed his excitement. “Let’s just hope the handover proceeds smoothly.”
Jin Feng, however, was completely confident. “It will definitely go smoothly. The Great Chanyu of the Ji is still in our lord’s hands. They wouldn’t dare try anything underhanded.”
Li Zan said nothing. He gazed deeply at the distant Jiao Army encampment, where the troops were being redeployed.
Jin Feng turned to him. “What should we do now?”
Li Zan did not answer the question. Instead, he asked, “Has Commander Xie set out?”
Jin Feng nodded. “He should be arriving soon. It doesn’t take long to travel from Feng’an to Daqing by water.”
Li Zan smiled. “Then let’s make our preparations. It’s time to see how effective the soldiers’ recent training has been.”
Xie Nanxiao sat in the cabin, devouring a large slice of watermelon. “This is so good! Perfect for cooling off!”
Qiu Wu chuckled. “It would’ve tasted even better chilled, but there’s no ice cellar on the ship. The ice we brought melted too quickly.”
Xie Nanxiao laughed heartily. “You should be grateful for what you have.”
After finishing another slice of watermelon, he wiped his mouth. “We’ll be reaching Daqing soon. I wonder whether Qu Zhao has gone to seize the Jiao Army’s grain.”
He had only set out after receiving word that his lord had taken Shangjing and Pu’nan Commanderies.
Before Jiang Jin left, she had worked with Zhou Sui and the other military commanders and strategists to anticipate all sorts of possible developments in the war and had prepared several tactical plans.
If Jiang Jin had been unable to peacefully take Shangjing and Pu’nan Commanderies, and it remained uncertain whether fighting would break out at Wenxia City, then even if the Jiao Army withdrew troops from Daqing to surround and destroy Qu Zhao’s forces, Daqing would not launch a counterattack.
Its troops had to remain ready to attack Shangjing Commandery at any moment, thereby easing the pressure on Jiang Jin at Wenxia City.
As it happened, Jiang Jin’s side had gone relatively smoothly, and she had peacefully reclaimed the two commanderies.
That meant Daqing could finally make its move.
