Qin Feng received a letter from "Ruby" the moment it arrived. Without hesitation, he immediately led his troops to reinforce Gengnan City.
Far away in the Protectorate General's Mansion, Qin Huaiqiu also received the news that Huyelü was leading his troops to attack Qiuci City again. At the same time, news came from various northern regions that the Xiongnu were leading their troops southward to launch an attack. All of a sudden, there were conflicts all over the border of the Great Sheng Dynasty, including Gengnan, Qiuci, the Hetao region, and the northwest. However, compared with the areas guarded by Han Yushan, Sikong Chen, and Zhu Bu, the Protectorate General's Mansion was the real battlefield.
After all, everyone understood that the Xiongnu's attack was just to hold back the troops from other parts of the Great Sheng Dynasty so that they couldn't support the Protectorate General's Mansion. The allied forces that the Protectorate General's Mansion was facing were the real main force of the enemy.
Because of this, it was completely impossible for Qin Huaiqiu to transfer troops from other places. If the Protectorate General's Mansion really needed support, they could only pin their hopes on Sikong Ting.
"Master, the situation in Gengnan City is very bad. Somehow, the people of Loulan sneaked in through the Kunlun Mountains and are advancing straight towards Gengnan. General Feng Zuo has been seriously injured and is in a coma!" Qin Lan rushed in, gasping for breath as he reported to Qin Huaiqiu.
"What? How could this happen!" Qin Huaiqiu suddenly stood up and asked, "How could Feng Zuo be seriously injured?"
"The letter said that General Feng Zuo was ambushed. Two kids pretended to be mountain hunters and were let into the city by General Feng. But unexpectedly, they stabbed him in the back." Qin Lan replied.
"Damn it!" Qin Huaiqiu slammed his fist on the table and said, "I've always said that Wan Chengyan should follow him. He's too straightforward and doesn't understand these dirty tricks. Didn't Wan Chengyan remind him?"
"General Wan was checking the armory at that time and wasn't by General Feng's side." Qin Lan shook his head.
"How's his injury now?" Qin Huaiqiu asked anxiously.
Qin Lan frowned and said, "The letter said... the knife stabbed straight into General Feng Zuo's chest... I'm afraid..."
"Crash!" The cup in Qin Huaiqiu's hand was crushed by him.
"Master!" Qin Lan called out worriedly.
Looking at the bloodstains on his hand from the broken porcelain, Qin Huaiqiu's eyes were filled with rage: "Damn Loulan and Xiongnu!"
"Pass on my order!" Qin Huaiqiu said, "The enemy's main breakthrough this time is Gengnan. Order Nie Rong to continue defending Qiuci City and hold back Huyelü. Qin Lan, you lead 80,000 troops to garrison the Protectorate General's Mansion. The rest of the soldiers, follow me to Gengnan City immediately!"
"Yes!"
"Report—! General, someone from the palace has come!" A young soldier rushed in in a hurry, followed by a young eunuch.
The young eunuch quickly stood still and took out a yellow scroll from his bosom.
Another imperial edict? Qin Huaiqiu frowned. He exchanged a look with Qin Lan and then knelt down together.
"By the mandate of heaven, the emperor decrees: Now, the Protectorate General's Mansion is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the enemy is very powerful. I'm afraid General Qin will be in a difficult situation. Therefore, I intend to lead my troops on a personal expedition to the Protectorate General's Mansion on the 20th to help General Qin. So it is decreed."
"What?! The emperor is coming? What for..." Qin Huaiqiu suddenly came to his senses and quickly shut his mouth.
He never expected that Sikong Ting would really lead his troops on a personal expedition. He felt both sweet and bitter in his heart. After all, he hadn't seen Sikong Ting for half a month. At night, when he was alone, he missed him so much that he would even masturbate while thinking about the person in the capital. But thinking was one thing, and the current situation here was extremely critical. Sikong Ting had never been on the battlefield before. How dangerous it would be for him to come here?
Seeing Qin Huaiqiu's gloomy face, the young eunuch wiped the sweat off his forehead nervously and said, "General Qin, please accept the edict quickly?"
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned for a moment and quickly reached out his hand and said, "Your subject accepts the edict."
"General Qin, the emperor also asked this servant to tell you that he will arrive on the 27th. He told you to wait for him obediently in the Protectorate General's Mansion."
Qin Huaiqiu stood up. He glanced at the young eunuch, thought for a while, and said, "I understand. Thank you, father-in-law, for delivering the message."
The young eunuch bowed to Qin Huaiqiu and said, "Then this servant won't bother you anymore. Farewell."
"Farewell, father-in-law."
The young eunuch was then led out by the soldier.
Looking at the heavy imperial edict in his hand, Qin Huaiqiu's face turned extremely gloomy.
Qin Lan slowly walked up to him and murmured, "The 27th. Isn't that tomorrow?"
Qin Huaiqiu let out a soft "hmm". He frowned, as if he was struggling and suffering inside. After a long while, he seemed to have made a decision. He put away the imperial edict and said to Qin Lan, "There's no time. Feng Zuo is in a coma, and Gengnan City is in great danger... We still don't know how the people of Loulan sneaked into the Kunlun Mountains, but I always have a bad feeling... I have to go there!"
Qin Lan was stunned for a moment and said, "But what about the emperor..."
"You stay here. If Sikong Ting comes, tell him that a general on the battlefield may ignore the imperial order. Ask him to wait for me." Qin Huaiqiu quickly put on his armor and said in a deep voice, "The plan remains unchanged. Qin Lan, go and help me assemble the troops."
On the battlefield, the situation changes in an instant. Sikong Ting didn't know that by the time he arrived at the Protectorate General's Mansion, Qin Huaiqiu's room had already lost its warmth. Yaze Bu didn't know that even though they had dealt with Feng Zuo early on, Gengnan City still held firm under Wan Chengyan's command. Half a day was almost up, but the city gate still hadn't been breached.
During this period, Wan Chengyan directed the soldiers to use kerosene, throw down boulders, and even cut down trees and throw them down horizontally. The corpses under Gengnan City were piling up higher and higher. During this time, Qian Shuyu even led the remaining soldiers to charge out several times, catching the enemy by surprise.
The majestic Gengnan City stood like an impregnable fortress.
Yaze Bu's face became more and more ugly. Looking at the Loulan soldiers who retreated again, he recalled what Qin Huailian had whispered in his ear, and his eyes turned sinister and venomous.
Although the city wall still hadn't been breached by the Loulan soldiers, the people inside the city could no longer withstand the relentless attacks of the Loulan soldiers. Moreover, their numbers were much smaller than those of the enemy. Not to mention that most of the soldiers in the city had been stationed in Gengnan City for a long time. Because of the excellent geographical location of Gengnan City, many of them had never even been in a battle before. Coupled with the fact that General Feng Zuo was injured before the battle, the soldiers' confidence had been severely damaged. Now, although the city hadn't been breached yet, Wan Chengyan knew that they were almost at their limit.
The Loulan people retreated again.
Wan Chengyan let out a sigh of relief and quickly got off the city wall. He ran all the way to the medical clinic. Several doctors were scurrying back and forth in the clinic. Feng Zuo was lying on the innermost bed. His chest wound was wrapped in thick bandages. His eyes were closed, his face was pale, and even his lips had lost their color. From a distance, he looked like a dead man.
Wan Chengyan felt a sharp pain in his heart. He quickly walked up to the bedside and squatted down. He grabbed Feng Zuo's hand and felt his pulse.
Thank goodness, there was still a pulse, but it seemed too weak.
Wan Chengyan's eyes turned cold. He turned to a doctor and said, "Hey! You! How's General Feng now?"
The doctor was startled and quickly trotted over. He sighed to Wan Chengyan and said, "General Feng's injury is in a critical position. We've done everything we can. The bleeding has stopped. Now, it all depends on General Feng's fate..."
Wan Chengyan's heart sank. He quickly asked, "Then... how can he recover?"
The doctor thought for a while and said, "Actually, as long as General Feng can sense the outside world, it means there's still hope for his recovery."
"What do you mean?"
"That is to say, if you call General Feng and he can show some reaction to your call - like moving his fingers - it means he's recovering." The doctor replied.
"I understand." Wan Chengyan forced a bitter smile.
"Feng Zuo, Feng Zuo, hey, you stupid fool." Wan Chengyan lay beside Feng Zuo and tried to call him a few times, but Feng Zuo didn't show any reaction.
"Whoosh—" In the distance, the sound of the Loulan's attack came again.
Wan Chengyan was stunned. He reached out and grabbed Feng Zuo's hand and gritted his teeth and said, "General Qin sent me here to assist you. What do you mean by lying in bed pretending to be dead! Tsk..."
He slowly stood up and said softly, "You'd better wake up quickly. I'll come to see you later. Don't worry. The city won't be breached before you wake up. Aren't you still counting on making meritorious deeds and being granted the title of marquis with ten thousand households? I'll save the last battle for you." With that, he walked out without looking back.
Wan Chengyan stood on the city wall and coldly looked at Yaze Bu, who was standing alone in front of the Loulan army in the distance. A flash of hatred flashed in his eyes.
Yaze Bu was riding on his horse. He held the reins in one hand, took a deep breath, and shouted in a loud voice, "People inside Gengnan City, listen up—!"
"You've seen our attack just now. You're no match for us! This Gengnan City will be breached sooner or later!"
Everyone on the city wall was listening quietly.
"But I've decided to give you a chance to live!" Yaze Bu grinned and said, "I want Feng Zuo's head!"