Chapter 297: Victorious (1/2)

Jun Huang nodded. She knew Nan Xun's urgency was also for her sake. She coughed. “I'd like to write a letter to rea.s.sure him that I'm alright.”

“But you - ”

“I'm fine.” Jun Huang knew what he wanted to say. She touched her eyes without thinking, a bitter smile tugging her lips. Nan Jihan swallowed his words. He ordered the maid to retrieve the writing instrument and helped Jun Huang to the desk. He guided her hands to the brush and the sheet of paper.

Although Jun Huang couldn't see, her handwriting was still graceful. She told Nan Xun to take care of himself and think before he acted.

Nan Xun had reached the border when he received Jun Huang's letter. He stood atop the fort, looking at the city they'd lost from a distance. He clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes in deep thought.

“This subordinate is to blame,” the officer in charge said, kneeling on the floor. “My carelessness cost us the city.”

Nan Xun looked down at him, his expression frigid. The others froze, thinking that Nan Xun would have the officer pay with his life.

After a long stretch of silence, Nan Xun finally said, “If you know you are to blame, pick yourself up and fight! The next time Eastern Wu invades, we're going to not only send them fleeing, but also to reclaim what we've lost.”

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but his eyes were cold and his voice piercing, making everyone's blood boil. They were soldiers with great courage and will. They came to the border armored and wielding spears to defend their homeland. They were one, and they fought as a united front.

“Please give me another chance, general. This subordinate will not disappoint you.” The officer cupped his hands and declared with great conviction. The other soldiers echoed his words. Nan Xun's expression didn't change, but it was clear he was pleased by their devotion to their country.

Nan Xun's second in command returned with a letter addressed to Nan Xun. Nan Xun smiled at the familiar handwriting. The others widened their eyes at their commander. They had never seen the stoic general smile so gently. For a moment, no one dared make a sound.

The second in command cleared his throat. Nan Xun only realized then how quiet they'd become. He schooled his expression into one of indifference and left with his second in command. Behind him, the soldiers erupted into surprised exclaims, but he was in too good a mood to care. He returned to the camp.

“When does the general think Eastern Wu will strike again?” The second in command asked, trying not to stare at Nan Xun's smile.

Nan Xun took a seat and tapped the table with his finger in pace with his heartbeats, the sound calming rather than aggravating.

“Tomorrow morning,” Nan Xun said with great confidence.

The second in command frowned. “Why are you so certain, general?”

“We've fought Eastern Wu before. They were able to gain an upper-hand this time only because I wasn't around. They must have heard about my arrival already. They'll think they stand a better chance of winning if they launch an attack as soon as possible before we can get prepared.”

The second in command was still a little lost. He wasn't a particularly clever man, and he wasn't good at keeping his doubts to himself. “General, did you and His Majesty deliberately let Eastern Wu take the city?”

Nan Xun arched an eyebrow. “Why would you say that?”

“We did lose people at the later stage of the battle, but to my knowledge, most of the civilians out of the city had been evacuated beforehand, and many of the dead were prisoners waiting for execution. They're sent their as part of a plan, I just don't know what the plan was.”

The second in command laid out his observations.

Nan Xun chuckled and said casually, “We have to give Eastern Wu something to lure them in. Since the ancient times, people have deliberately let go of smaller fish in order to get the big one. We're just following our ancestors' example.”

Someone called out for the second in command before he could say anything. He walked away. Nan Xun looked at the young man's back, his smile dropping.

He hadn't been informed of the plot beforehand and had believed the city was truly lost. He only noticed the signs when he arrived at the border. Then Ji Bo's letter arrived, describing his plan in detail. Nan Xun didn't know how he should feel. Ji Bo was indeed both brave and clever. On the surface, Eastern Wu had slaughtered many of Northern Qi's civilians unprovoked, which gave them justification to destroy Eastern Wu.

Ji Bo had deftly put Northern Qi on the moral high ground, enabling them to enjoy both the glory and the gain.

As Nan Xun predicted, Eastern Wu struck again the next morning. Seemingly intimidated by Nan Xun's spotless track record, they deployed as many as fifty thousand people this time.