Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Yu stood at the door and listened attentively to the shouts from the city wall. Gu Yu said to Li Yu worriedly, âMadam, do you think these Qi soldiers will go
to Great maple village Câ
âNo, theyâre still busy attacking the city!â
Gu Yu looked in the direction Li Yu was looking worriedly and asked softly,
âMadam, do you think our soldiers can defend Yunzhou City?â
âYes.â Li Yu decided to go to the city wall to take a look. She turned around and strode into the house to change her clothes. She took out the bow from her space and carried the quiver. When she came out, she said to Gu Yu, âGuard the house well. When Ruyi and the others come back, tell them that Iâve gone to the city wall to take a look.â
Gu Yu chased after Li Yu. âMadam, Iâll go with you.ââ
âBe good and stay at home. Iâll be back soon.â Just as Li Yu reached the door, she saw Chu Sihai jump down from the horse.
Chu Sihaiâs eyes lit up when he saw Li Yuâs outfit. It seemed that he had made the right choice to come. Madam Li would not stand by and do nothing.
Chu Sihai cupped his hands at Li Yu and smiled. âMadam Li, I still want to go to your house for a cup of tea. Looking at your clothes, are you going to the city wall?â
Could it be that the secret guard did not succeed in assassinating the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom? Was Chu Sihai seeking her help? Li Yu looked at him and smiled faintly. âHead Shopkeeper, youâre too polite. We can have some tea. Please!â
Li Yu brought Chu Sihai back to the courtyard and sat down in the living room. Chu Sihai bowed to Li Yu and said, âMadam Li, Sihai wants to invite you out of the city tonight to burn the Qi armyâs rations at the Tian family dam. Weâve already received news from the secret guards that the Qi armyâs rations are at the Tian Family Village. Yan Niang will cooperate with you there.â
It turned out that Yan Niang was among the people who went to assassinate the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom. Li Yu looked at Chu Sihai. âBurn the Qi armyâs rations? How do we attack?â
Chu Sihai took out a map and said frankly, âYan Niang and Yun Yi have infiltrated the commoners escorting the provisions of the Qi army. After you and Yan Niang burn the provisions, Yun Yi will find an opportunity to infiltrate the Qi army and assassinate the Crown Prince of the Qi country. The terrain of the Tian family Village not far from Linshan County is wide. Itâs where the Qi army stores the provisions. You can approach the Qi armyâs provisions along the south hill. Yan Niang will meet you there.â
Li Yu nodded after reading the map. âGet someone to bring me some rockets and kerosene. Iâll set off when itâs dark.â
Seeing that Li Yu had agreed to his request without hesitation, Chu Sihai thought to himself that in this chaotic period, most of the officials in the city had fled with their children. The ones left behind had nowhere to go. Only Madam Li was still guarding Yunzhou and secretly helping the Imperial Court do these extremely risky things. Madam Liâs actions in the face of righteousness were really admirable.
Chu Sihai took out a bamboo whistle from his pocket and handed it to Li Yu respectfully. âMadam Li, this bamboo whistle can blow out the cries of turtledove birds. When you arrive, blow two short calls and one long cry. Yan Niang will go back and receive you. The rockets and kerosene will be sent to you later.â
âAlright.â Li Yu took it and blew on it. The bamboo whistle made a cooing sound.
âMadam Li, Iâll go back and get someone to send you the rockets and kerosene. Iâll also send you two bows. Bring one to Yan Niang.â
âAlright, take care.â Li Yu sent Chu Sihai to the entrance of the main courtyard and turned around to go home to lie on the recliner. It turned out that the Qi soldiers had used the Tian family dam as a grain warehouse. According to the distance, it would take twelve to fourteen hours to ride a horse. She had to rest well later.
The two armies were still fighting on the city wall. A tall and strong man who looked like an iron tower had a big saber on his back and a meteor hammer wrapped around his hand. The man was trying his best to climb up the city wall. The soldiers on the city wall pushed the ladder with all their might. The man threw his meteor hammer and hit a soldier on the head. Ji Xiang carried a basket of stones up and saw the soldierâs brain explode and fall to the ground.
Ji Xiang was so angry that he picked up a stone and aimed it at the man on the ladder. The tall and strong man on the ladder raised his hand to block it. With a crack, the manâs arm was broken under the powerful impact of the stone. Ji Xiang immediately raised his sleeve arrow and shot it at the man. The sleeve arrow flew out and hit the manâs neck. The man fell from the ladder.
General Yun Can shouted happily at Ji Xiang, âGood job, young man.â Ji Xiang smiled and turned around with a commoner to carry the injured soldiers off the city wall. He sent the injured soldiers down and handed them to the doctor. He looked at the moaning injured soldiers and walked back with his head lowered.
When he returned to the government office, he told Li Yu about the intense battle on the city wall. She said sadly, âMadam, itâs only the first intense battle today. I heard that many people have already died.â
Li Yu said indifferently, âWar is very cruel and heartless, to begin with. As long as we fight, itâs inevitable that weâll fight to the death. Once we attack, we have to advance bravely. Those who cower will lose their lives.â
âMadam, Iâm worried that after those rolling logs are used up, the Qi soldiers will come to attack the city again. What will we use to smash those Qi soldiers? Iâve been thinking along the way that we can tie ropes at both ends of the rolling logs. After we smash them down, we wonât have to drag them up so quickly.â
Li Yu thought for a moment. âYour method is not bad. Actually, if itâs simpler, you can sharpen the bamboo pole and throw it. However, ordinary bamboo seems to be too light.â Li Yu turned around. âOh! I remember that thereâs a bamboo called a hard-headed spring. This bamboo grows tall and straight. The bamboo joints are thick and hard, and itâs just right for an adult to hold them. In the past, in the village, everyone specially planted it to pick things or repair houses. Go to the bamboo shop and buy some. Cut it and pull it to the city wall to try. â
Ji Xiangâs happy eyes smiled into slits. âAye! Iâll go now.â
Ji Xiang found the hard-headed spring that Li Yu had mentioned in the bamboo shop. He saw that this bamboo was indeed as thick as a bamboo pole as Li Yu had said. It felt heavy in his hand.
When the shopkeeper of the bamboo shop saw that someone was still coming to buy bamboo in the chaos, he happily sold it to Ji Xiang at a low price. Ji Xiang said to him, âShopkeeper, please help me pull these hard-headed springs to the courtyard of the prefectural soldiers beside the government office. Iâm in a hurry to get them.â
âAlright, alright. Iâll send it to you immediately,â the shopkeeper replied politely.
After the bamboo was pulled to the courtyard, the soldiers in the courtyard looked at the bamboo piled up in the courtyard and looked at Ji Xiang curiously. âBrother Ji Xiang, why did you buy so many hard-headed springs?
âItâs very useful. Big brothers, help me cut them all at an angle and cut them into spikes of this length. When theyâre done, weâll move them to the city wall to deal with those Qi soldiers.â Ji Xiang smiled and called out to the prefecture soldiers. The prefecture soldiers asked in confusion, âLittle Brother Ji Xiang, can your thing work?â
Ji Xiang quickly peeled and said affirmatively, âYes, it definitely canât be used to break shields. Itâs still possible to pierce a big hole in those Qi soldiers climbing the wall. If you donât believe me, letâs try.â
Everyone ran to the target and stood in line to throw the bamboo pole at the target in the courtyard. With a bang, the target swayed and the bamboo pole pierced into it and was firmly fixed.
A few prefecture soldiers smiled and said, âAye! Thatâs really good. Then letâs hurry up and cut it and send it to the city wall..â
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