Chapter 58: The Horses Are Here

It looks like this meal won't be eaten in peace.

After quickly biting into a couple of steamed buns, Shen Ruojin donned her armor and led her generals up to the city walls.

As night fell, Xichang soldiers outside the city charged toward the gates brandishing torches, creating a blazing inferno with an overwhelming aura.

Shen Ruojin had already made up her mind not to sally forth. No matter how viciously the enemy generals hurled insults, she would respond solely with archers and catapults.

Every defender braced themselves, united against the enemy.

Yet the Xichang army came quickly and retreated just as fast.

Acting like annoying pests, they stirred up a commotion and then withdrew. Despite making such a grand display, they showed no immediate intention of breaching the gates.

Sitting on horseback, He Tuo shouted toward Shen Ruojin, "Beauty, don't be afraid. I just missed you and came over for a look. I won't trample Xizhou City quite yet."

"Cut the crap, you bastard! If you don't have the guts, stop barking like a dog! Trample Xizhou City? Save your breath! If you want to fight, then fight. What's with playing the ruffian here?"

Shen Ruojin paid him no mind, but General Li could not bear it and immediately cursed his ancestral lineage back eighteen generations.

His mastery of regional profanity was so exquisite, and his language so "refined," that the Xichang army could barely comprehend a word of it.

Shouldering his blade, He Tuo sneered, "You surnamed Li, once I march into Xizhou City, I'll cut out your tongue to go with my wine!"

General Li retorted without the slightest weakness, "Once I come out and beat you until you're crawling on the ground looking for your teeth, I'll chop off your head to use as a chamber pot!"

Shen Ruojin had roughly guessed the enemy's intentions.

Xizhou City's one hundred thousand troops against Xichang's two hundred thousand meant that even with half their numbers, a real fight would only result in a pyrrhic victory for Xichang. They would likely end up mutually crippled, allowing neighboring nations watching from the sidelines to reap the benefits.

Thus, He Tuo was playing the boy who cried wolf.

He feigned attacks to keep the defenders on high alert, only to withdraw swiftly.

Then he would come again.

No one could guess when he would stir up trouble, nor could they predict which time would be the real assault. This strategy exhausted the defenders mentally while wearing down their resolve.

As the Xichang troops retreated, Shen Ruojin shared her deductions with the generals.

Furious, General Li said, "He Tuo, that barbaric little pup, is actually trying to play military tactics with us?"

Wei Qinghan remarked, "Although He Tuo is young, he is deep and calculating. He cannot be underestimated."

Shen Ruojin stated, "We must not underestimate the enemy, nor can we panic too much. The city gates must be defended, new recruits must be enlisted, and daily drills must not be neglected."

"Understood!"

Everyone chorused in response.

Over the next two days, true to Shen Ruojin's predictions, the Xichang soldiers periodically shouted about storming the city, coming three or four times a day. Each time they made a massive spectacle, only to retreat after half an hour.

It was infuriatingly akin to pulling down one's trousers only to let out nothing at all.

They came eight times in two days—charging before dawn, during meal times, and even after nightfall.

The defending soldiers were harassed to the point of utter vexation. Fortunately, orders had been issued long ago to pacify the troops, so instead of panic, annoyance was the prevailing sentiment.

Moreover, the rotation of guard shifts had been increased compared to before.

If they were being harassed during meals by the Xichang troops and didn't have time to eat, how well off could the Xichang soldiers be?

With two armies facing off, the forced marches before the city gates exhausted the enemy even more than the defenders.

By the third day, He Tuo finally realized that his strategy had not only failed to work, but it seemed Shen Ruojin had turned the tables on him.

Consequently, He Tuo halted the harassment of the defenders, ordered his army to rest for a day, and prepared to officially storm the city the following day.

Scouts rushed this intelligence back to Xizhou City.

Upon hearing the news, the generals, whose hearts had only just relaxed slightly over the past two days, immediately jumped back into their throats.

Wei Qinghan said, "The Xichang people excel at riding and archery. Their horses are not only numerous, but they are also fast and possess great endurance. If we sally forth to meet them in battle tomorrow, I'm afraid we will suffer greatly in that regard."

Shen Ruojin asked, "Haven't the newly purchased horses arrived yet?"

General Li replied, "Warhorses are expensive, and private transactions are prohibited. Two days ago, I sent men to the Qiao family, but they wouldn't even let us through the gates and flatly refused."

The Qiao family was a renowned horse-breeding lineage that remained neutral among various nations, selling horses when appropriate and refusing to interfere otherwise. Because they handled matters with extreme discretion, their family had survived for centuries and was only growing more prosperous.

Some said the Qiao family was clever, while others cursed them as snobs.

At this, the generals in the room began to argue over the matter.

"If warhorses are insufficient, we shall think of another way."

Shen Ruojin calmed her mind and began to study the sand table.

The generals' gazes shifted back and forth with her hand movements, and they instinctively quieted down.

After analyzing the sand table, Shen Ruojin arranged the battle formations alongside them.

Meeting setbacks never discouraged her; she faced difficulties head-on. Inspired by her attitude toward the impending battle, the troops' morale gradually recovered, restoring a measure of confidence.

Right at that moment, a soldier outside cried out in alarm, "Horses! Horses are coming! So many horses!"

"What's going on? Why is he yelling about mothers out of nowhere? And so many mothers!"

General Li was utterly baffled.

"It sounded like he was shouting 'horses.' For no rhyme or reason, where would horses come from?"

Wei Qinghan's hearing was sharper than his, but he was equally puzzled.

"Let's go take a look." Shen Ruojin was also somewhat surprised.

They had just been discussing the inability to procure warhorses.

And now horses had arrived?

"Let's go, let's go... go take a look!"

Abandoning the sand table, all the generals headed outside toward the East City Gate.

The day was clear, with afternoon sunlight blanketing the earth.

As Shen Ruojin and her entourage stepped onto the city wall, they saw countless fine steeds galloping toward them. At the very front, a young woman in red rode an Akhal-teke horse, swinging a small riding crop as she led a multitude of warhorses against the pale golden sunlight, crossing the vast expanse of land to reach Xizhou City.

"Shen Shi! Do you still want these warhorses or not? Hurry up and come out to welcome me!"

The young girl's voice was crisp, bright, radiant, and full of vitality. Countless jade ornaments were woven into her braids, and a red gemstone was suspended between her brows.

"Qiao Xia!"

Shen Ruojin recognized the newcomer at a glance—Qiao Xia, the eldest daughter of the Qiao family.

While the Qiao family had refused to sell horses to the Shen army, Qiao Xia had brought this massive herd of warhorses straight to Xizhou City.

This was truly a sudden turn of events, a glimpse of hope amid despair.

"The eldest Miss Qiao has brought us warhorses! Open the city gates!"

Overjoyed, Shen Ruojin nearly leaped off the city wall to greet her.

Retaining her composure, she hurried down the stone steps and went out to meet them.

Wei Qinghan and the others were similarly ecstatic at the sight of so many warhorses. Mumbling "Heaven aids our Xizhou City," they rushed forward as well.

Tens of thousands of horses gathered outside the city gates. Her eyes gleaming with excitement, Shen Ruojin had just stepped through the gates and before she could even reach Qiao Xia, she heard cries of alarm from nearby.

"Are these horses managed or not? If someone gets run over and injured, who takes responsibility?"

The chaotic herd of horses blocked her line of sight, making it impossible to see who was speaking.

Hearing that someone had been trampled and injured, Qiao Xia instantly dropped her smile and rode forward to investigate. "Who's there?"