The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1038 - 1038 499 Big Brother is Here (Second Update)_2

Chapter 1038: 499 Big Brother is Here! (Second Update)_2 Chapter 1038: 499 Big Brother is Here! (Second Update)_2 Wounded soldiers were plentiful, yet no one was in a panic or at a loss; everything proceeded in an orderly fashion under Gu Jiao’s arrangements.

It wasn’t that they weren’t anxious.

It was just that whenever the doctors turned their heads, they could see Gu Jiao working calmly with the chaos of war raging behind her, herself unmoved by the proximity of danger.

In that moment, their hearts seemed to calm down as well.

The army of Zhan Country did not launch an attack during the day on the second day.

No one knew whether they were intimidated or seriously strategizing something; if it were the latter, the situation for Yuegu City would be extremely unfavorable.

The first defeat of the Zhan army mainly stemmed from underestimating the enemy; they did not take the few thousand defenders of Yuegu City seriously, thinking they could break through the city gates even with their eyes closed.

If they truly began to respond with full force, Yuegu City would be in danger.

“Grand Marshal Tang!” Deputy Commander Cen walked into a barracks under the city tower and, seeing Gu Chengfeng as well, he paused and also greeted, “Lord Gu.”

Tang Yueshan was conducting a sand table exercise, trying to predict from where the Zhan army would attack next.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Deputy Commander Cen hesitated, “The, the provisions are running out…”

“Are they… already finished?” asked Gu Chengfeng in surprise.

Deputy Commander Cen nodded with difficulty.

The Governor’s Mansion had very little provision to begin with; they had even borrowed some for the battle in Lingguan City. Although Gu Chengfeng had emptied the shops in the city the previous day and received donations from some civilians, it still wasn’t enough for the seven thousand-strong army to eat for two hours.

Tonight, they would start to run out of food.

“First give it to the wounded soldiers,” Gu Chengfeng said.

Tang Yueshan’s Adam’s apple moved, he clenched his fist, and made a very difficult decision, “Give to the soldiers who can go to battle.”

Gu Chengfeng fell silent.

His conscience told him he should support the weak and injured, but reason reminded him that the weak and injured could no longer fight; only if the able-bodied soldiers were well-fed could they kill more enemies, could they defend the city.

The lives of wounded soldiers are also precious.

But more important than life was the mission to protect and defend the homeland.

Deputy Commander Cen’s throat felt tight; what he did not say was that even if they only fed soldiers who could go to battle, there still wouldn’t be enough…

Deputy Commander Cen left the barracks.

Gu Chengfeng was immersed in inexplicable regret.

Tang Yueshan frowned, “What are you thinking about?”

Gu Chengfeng remarked morosely, “I’m thinking about why I used to waste so much food.”

He never knew how tough it was for the soldiers at the border pass, nor how dire warfare could be.

After a while, Deputy Commander Cen brought in a few steamed breads and two bowls of rice soup, saying to Tang Yueshan and Gu Chengfeng, “Grand Marshal Tang, Lord Gu, please have something to eat as well.”

“I don’t need any,” Tang Yueshan said.

He knew his own condition; he could hold on.

“I won’t eat either! Take it down and give it to the soldiers!” Gu Chengfeng said, “I’ve had enough on the way here; going hungry for a few days won’t hurt me.”

Deputy Commander Cen was about to persuade them, but suddenly there was a commotion outside the barracks. Deputy Commander Cen went to look and immediately froze.

The civilians of Yuegu City had come again with food to offer.

Last time, they had given their own reserves; this time, they had directly skipped their own dinner.

The soldiers, of course, wouldn’t accept it!

Deputy Commander Cen also stepped forward, intending to persuade the civilians to leave.

But Tang Yueshan, his body tense, holding back a surge of emotion, came out and with raised arms, bowed deeply to all the civilians in gratitude.

Then he turned around, the tall and burly man with sharp yet moist eyes, and said to all the soldiers, “Eat!”

The soldiers cradled the steaming bowls, feeling a painful swelling in their throats, choking back tears as they began to eat with gusto!

In the next three days, the army of Chen Country launched a total of three minor attacks and one major assault on Yuegu City.

Although the casualties of the soldiers from Chen Country were heavy, the military officers of Yuegu City also suffered severe losses. By the time of the last major assault, the city had fewer than two thousand troops fit for battle.

The scaling ladders of the Chen Country’s army were firmly set against the city walls, as countless soldiers from Chen Country fought their way onto the ramparts. Below, the city gate was breached by the battering ram.

This time, they didn’t use men to deal with the flaming oil, but sturdy oxen instead.

As the city gate broke open, innumerable cavalry from Chen Country flooded into the city like a tidal wave.

Gu Chengfeng was seeing red as he fought!

On the city wall, Tang Yueshan’s right arm had taken a sword hit. Without hesitation, as if he had already forgotten the pain, he continued to fight valiantly amidst a sea of blood!

Atop the central tower of the city wall, Rong Can, the deputy general of Chen Country, wounded two soldiers from Zhan Country with a single blow. He leaped onto the roof, grabbed his long sword with both hands, and chopped down the flag of Zhan Country!

Thrilled, he threw Zhan Country’s flag into the inferno. The morale of the soldiers from Chen Country soared as they let out triumphant cries!

Rong Can picked up the flag of Chen Country and fiercely planted it atop the city tower of Yuegu City. “Yuegu City belongs to us…”

Before he could finish his statement, a Red-Tasseled Spear rushed towards him with a sharp whizzing sound. The fighting all around was so intense that it muffled its approach. By the time Rong Can felt a chill on his back, it was already too late to block it.

The Red-Tasseled Spear pierced through Rong Can’s shoulder, slamming him against the flagpole of Chen Country’s flag.

The flagpole couldn’t withstand such a violent blow and snapped instantly!

Rong Can also tumbled down from the roof of the city tower.

“General!”

A soldier from Chen Country cried out in alarm.

He rushed towards Rong Can, but before he could get close, he was grabbed by the collar by a pale hand and violently thrown away!

Gu Jiao pulled out the Red-Tasseled Spear from Rong Can’s shoulder and kicked him off the city wall!

Gu Jiao sprang onto the city tower with a push off the inner wall of the city wall with the tip of her foot.

With one hand holding the Red-Tasseled Spear and the other unfurling the flag of Zhan Country, she firmly planted it atop the city tower!

The battle raged on for the entire night, and the city walls of Yuegu City were enveloped in a blaze of fire.

Under the vast expanse of the sky, this city was ablaze!

At a barracks a hundred miles away, a scout hurried down from the hills and reported to the man inside: “General Gu! It looks like the city ahead is on fire!”

“On fire?” Gu Changqing glanced at the hourglass by his feet, “At this time? Which city?”

“Yuegu City!” the scout said.

Gu Changqing had memorized the maps of the border on the way and certainly understood the current strategic importance of Yuegu City. If the army of Chen Country and the remnants of the previous dynasty wanted to continue invading the territory of Zhan Country, the next target would be Yuegu City.

Gu Changqing stood up: “Take me to have a look.”

The scout led Gu Changqing to a vantage point on the hill. From there, he could only see a line of fire, due to the great distance, but in reality, this meant that the entire city wall was ablaze with firelight.

“It’s battle fire!” Gu Changqing frowned, the light flickering in his pupils as a powerful aura suddenly burst forth from him, “Wake the soldiers, prepare to march!”

The distance to Yuegu City was about a hundred miles, not a straight line but including the winding official road and mountain paths.

Ordinarily, infantry could march thirty to fifty miles per day, sixty to ninety miles for a forced march, and up to one hundred and fifty miles for an extreme march.

To preserve their fighting strength, the Gu Family’s army had always been moving at a forced march on the way here.

An extreme march would take a severe toll on their combat power and was not to be considered unless absolutely necessary.

But now was the time when it was absolutely necessary.

As Gu Changqing descended the mountain, all the barracks and baggage had been packed up, the soldiers were fully armed and ready to depart, showing no signs of having just been roused from sleep.

This was the most disciplined and formidable, swift and fierce army of Zhan Country, nearly instantly ready for battle!

Gu Changqing mounted his horse, his cloak billowing in the cold wind.

He gripped the reins tightly, looking in the direction of Yuegu City, and commanded aloud, “All officers heed my command, march at full speed!”