Chapter 250: Rest and Recovery - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 250: Rest and Recovery

After hearing these words, Xiao Ji suddenly realized.

They had been so focused on dealing with the Northern Di that they had completely forgotten the latent dangers surrounding them.

Liangzhou was the foremost city in the northwest of Great Jin, bordered by several small countries.

In times of peace, everyone was friendly, but if Liangzhou were to fall to the Northern Di or if both sides were to suffer mutual defeat, it was likely that others would take advantage of the situation. At that point, Liangzhou would have no strength left to resist and could easily be defeated.

The thought made him shiver.

He thanked the leader again, saying, “General, I will remember your great kindness. In the future, I will personally express my gratitude to Prince Ding for saving the city!”

“General Xiao, you are too polite. The prince has said that the lands of Great Jin will not allow any foreign invasion! Just as with the Southern Yue in the past, the Northern Di today must also be driven away with no return!”

The words, though spoken softly, echoed in everyone’s hearts.

For a moment, the distant Prince Ding held great prestige in their minds, and both those who had seen him and those who had not admired and respected him deeply.

This was admiration and submission to absolute power!

After saying this, the leader of the Iron Eagle Squad nodded slightly at Xiao Ji and hurriedly departed with his troops.

No one knew their names or even remembered their appearances. As the sun set, they gradually disappeared into the twilight of the vast land.

The Iron Eagle Squad continued their legend, never having been defeated and no one able to stop them.

From the beginning of the year until now, nearly four months had passed. After being besieged and then subjected to a fierce attack, Liangzhou City finally welcomed its first peaceful night!

Everyone was exhausted. The cheers of victory seemed somewhat tragic and desolate amidst the battlefield strewn with corpses.

If possible, they would have preferred that none of this had ever happened.

That night, after a brief rest, Xiao Ji finally had a full meal and then discussed with others how to restore the livelihood of Liangzhou’s people.

Fortunately, the city had not fallen, and once the people returned, everything could return to order.

However, the defending troops had been severely reduced. Originally over fifty thousand, now fewer than twenty thousand remained. The reinforcements from Jizhou had also been reduced from thirty to forty thousand to only a few thousand.

Seeing former colleagues and subordinates falling in battle, he felt both sorrow and regret.

Among the Jizhou soldiers who had come to aid, many passionate individuals declared they would not return to Jizhou but would stay in Liangzhou to protect the safety of its people.

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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com

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When one person shouted, thousands followed, and the sight moved both Xiao Ji and Xiao Mu Qian deeply.

The few Ding Wang army generals who had previously held prejudices against the Jizhou troops were now deeply impressed by them.

They may have seemed somewhat weak before, but after this period of training, their martial skills and mental strength had significantly improved. They cooperated well with the original city defenders and developed a sense of mutual respect.

Unfortunately, Colonel Cheng, who led the Jizhou troops, had perished in the battle. Xiao Ji ordered a grand burial for him in the Northwest Loyal Bones Mausoleum, honoring him with the highest respect!

Deputy General Zhen was also in poor condition, having been attacked and severely injured by the Northern Di from behind. He was now being treated in a medical facility.

Xiao Mu Qian felt somewhat guilty towards General Su. When he left, he had entrusted Deputy General Zhen to his care, and now he was in a life-or-death situation.

Xiao Ji, noticing his emotions, patted his shoulder and said, “As a military officer, one’s life is always at risk. You need not blame yourself excessively. Deputy General Zhen was a good man, and General Su and his family would surely be proud of him!”

“Mm.”

While Liangzhou was cleaning up the battlefield after the disaster, General Su had already led his troops to work tirelessly on constructing a bridge across the Lanshui River.

This place was about twenty miles from Liangzhou City, and ordinarily, it would be out of sight and sound.

But for some reason, General Su could hear the sounds of Northern Di soldiers stabbing Great Jin soldiers and smell the blood-soaked battlefield even with his eyes closed. He could even see the fire-scarred city walls.

After so many years of military service, it was the first time he felt utterly helpless!

“General, these craftsmen have been working on the bridge continuously for several days without rest. If not for the quick reflexes of the nearby people, they might have fallen into the river by now. Could we let them rest for a while?”

The speaker was one of his subordinates, a trusted officer who had been with him for years. With Liangzhou under siege and the stone bridge destroyed, he was worried and anxious, but this wasn’t a solution.

Even if they worked the craftsmen to death, they wouldn’t be able to fly across.

General Su knew this was a drop in the bucket, but without doing anything, he felt even more uneasy, as if he were abandoning his brothers who had fought and died together.

He regretted not joining Xiao Mu Qian in aiding Liangzhou, which would have spared him from dealing with the Ninth Prince and his hypocritical subordinates.

Thinking of them made him feel sick.

The situation in Liangzhou was unknown to them. One was the Grand Marshal of the Western Campaign, and the other was the Governor of the Northwest. They had troops, supplies, and military equipment, yet it seemed as if Liangzhou was no concern of theirs.

The two of them pretended to be deeply distressed, but in reality, they were thinking of how to completely distance themselves from any responsibility for the delay in military affairs.

The Ninth Prince had even fallen ill from overthinking, now surrounded by a large number of doctors. If someone who didn’t know the situation saw this, they might think he was being treated after a battle with the enemy.

Despite all the fuss, only two thousand men were sent to help with the bridge construction.

They even claimed it was to preserve strength for future use.

Future use, my foot!

If Liangzhou couldn’t be saved, these people would eventually become the Northern Di’s casualties.

General Su couldn’t help but recall the Southern Yue war years ago, feeling deeply regretful. Such a talented person had met his end in the southwest. If he were in charge of the central army, he would never let Liangzhou face such a calamity!

Even if he had to tie people together and swim across, he would never just wait idly!

He prayed fervently towards Liangzhou, hoping they could hold on!

At dawn, the sun rose again on the horizon.

The same sunlight illuminated Liangzhou City, but it was no longer as solemn as before. Instead, it was a scene of reconstruction and renewal.

About ten miles from Liangzhou City, in an open area, graves were being dug.

With tens of thousands of soldiers and enemies having died in the battle, improper handling of the bodies could lead to a plague before the city could recover.

Therefore, Xiao Mu Qian was tasked with burying the dead and managing their aftermath.