Vol 9 Chapter 161 (1/2)

Chapter 161

VOLUME 9 CHAPTER 161: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS THE SIEGE OF XINYE (10)

Liu Bei POV

“Wu…”

“Un? … Feng Xian?” I asked when I saw Feng Xian standing there in a daze with her eyes bulging from what Zi Long said.

“Ah… We were heard…” Feng Xian began to regain her senses and started muttering while her face reddened. But soon after, Feng Xian did not react shyly or ashamedly like I imagined and merely held her chin as she began giggling.

“Feng Xian?”

*w.a.n.g*!

“Uwaa!”

I was wondering why something seemed missing. So Red Hare had been hiding in Feng Xian’s plate all this while and had not made a single sound until now that surprised me.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Don’t mind it.” Feng Xian seemed to have detected that her expression was different from normal and said this as she reached up to touch her face. When her hands fell to her sides, her expression had returned to how it normally was.

She then caressed Red Hare’s little head before stuffing it back into her breastplate. After that, she picked up her halberd that was lying nearby and swung it about, giving off a majestic feeling from her smooth and swift movements.

“Well then, we can start preparing our troops now.” Feng Xian said as she turned around, “Umm, Wen Yuan– Ah….” She only realised that Wen Yuan was not around halfway through and a lonely look flashed across her face before she turned to look at me, “Ahem, well then, Xuan De.”

“I’m here.” I said, smiling stiffly inside but did not reveal it.

“Let’s go to the general’s office.”

“Alright.” I answered as I followed Feng Xian into the main tent where Yi De had been for a while now, “Ah yes, Feng Xian, who are the main officers under you apart from Wen Yuan?”

“There are another 6-7 officers apart from Wen Yuan. I’ll introduce them to you later when we return, Xuan De.”

“Why not now?”

“They’ve already been deployed to their individual units… By the way, where are we attacking?”

“Attacking where?” I did not know whether to laugh or cry at Feng Xian’s question, “We aren’t attacking anywhere. We’re staying right here.”

“Just staying here?”

Yes, right here. We will be waiting for them right here.

Li Dian POV

As our horses began taking our first steps out, the orders given by officers of various levels could be heard from behind us, and the entire army soon moved together.

Today, the attacking force numbered 15,000 in total. Apart from the 1,000 or so troops remaining in the city, we have deployed all other available troops. Shen Pei had chosen not to cooperate and had many doubts about it but after we decided to attack, she has shown full support and even offered to come along with us.

We rejected her offer however, as a battle was the job of a warrior general. An administrative official should only take the field if there are possible changes to our strategy or if we are cornered. Otherwise, it’s better if she stays in Fan city.

And so at this time, the sound of many boots. .h.i.tting the ground together was beyond thunderous. This is not the first time I am leading a force numbering in excess of 10,000. I had led a 10,000 strong force in the first battle after all and this time, there are just 5,000 more men.

But the feelings one has during a battle cannot be determined with numbers. It is impossible for me to be completely relaxed or calm in such a large-scale battle, especially in a battle like this where

circ.u.mstances are not yet clear.

I turned back slightly and looked at the encampment behind us where we stayed at for about 20 days or so. It’s been difficult getting to this point where we were able to advance again. By the way, Shen Pei is currently in the encampment now and not in Fan city. She said something along the lines of ‘strategists can at least follow behind close enough to watch the battle’. Well, she is free to do as she wants as long as she does not partic.i.p.ate.

I looked up ahead and saw Xinye city, a place which aroused complicated emotions in me. I have thought about it a lot but I still have yet to figure out if the defections were genuine. But now that we have chosen to deploy our troops, our decision to attack is set in stone and we cannot turn back.

“Lord Li Dian?”

“Ah, is there anything, Lord Cao Ren?” I saluted as I replied Cao Ren who had called out to me as I was engaging in my melancholic thoughts.

“There’s no need to be so formal. You’re so stiff.” Cao Ren said as she frowned and patted my shoulders, “There’s still a while before the battle begins. What are you going to do if you’re this nervous now?”