Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 883 - : Mutation
Chapter 883 -883: Mutation
Di Yelei furrowed his brows, staring at Nan Tianzong’s departing figure, and stood motionless for a long while.
Liu Sisi was also heavy-hearted. Even though she noticed that Di Yelei’s expression was amiss, she did not bring it up.
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“Let’s go! The day has already broken, we’ll talk more after we get back.”
Di Yelei led the horse over, helped Liu Sisi onto its back, and then swiftly mounted himself. With a light kick to the horse’s belly, the horse reared up, neighing and blowing through its nostrils before turning and trotting back the way they had come.
After crossing over two hills, they quickly met up with the people who had come to meet them.
Zhang Peng hurried over: “Old Master Marquis, something has happened!”
The couple was immediately taken aback, “What happened?”
“Just after you left, those bandits attacked the camp. A good thirty thousand of them launched a sudden assault. Marquis Yongwu was caught completely off guard, only realizing what was happening when those people had already reached the fronts of their tents, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. This subordinate only just received the news and didn’t have time to inform the Old Master Marquis.”
When discussing official matters, Zhang Peng and his men clearly distinguished between public and private matters, referring to themselves as subordinates.
Color drained from Liu Sisi’s face as she remembered how Marquis Yongwu had personally escorted them to the crossroads before leaving, his face brimming with smiles. A surge of guilt immediately welled up inside her.
Yet Di Yelei remained much calmer: “What’s the current situation of the battle? How many are dead or injured? Can Marquis Yongwu still hold on?”
“This subordinate only has the information from the reports sent from the front; the specifics are unknown. However, I did hear that Marquis Yongwu is falling back while fighting. He has already led the army to retreat towards the western parts of Yingchang Prefecture City.”
Di Yelei nodded repeatedly, “Yingchang Prefecture is currently under the control of Provisional Governor Dong, with complex terrain to the west of the city. There’s a depression surrounded by hills on all sides, a natural fortress that’s easy to defend and hard to attack. Marquis Yongwu’s decision to fall back there is actually a good move.” It was evident that he very much agreed with Marquis Yongwu’s decision.
“Ye Lei, what should we do now?” Liu Sisi stood upright, though her lips were slightly pale.
Zhang Peng glanced at the two and hesitated to speak.
Di Yelei, quick-eyed, flicked the horse whip he held lightly, “Brother Zhang, if you have any good strategies, just speak up.”
Zhang Peng hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, “Ye Lei, Sisi, I’m speaking from a personal stance here. If I say something wrong, don’t blame me.”
“Brother Zhang, you jest. How well do we know each other after all these years? Do you still have doubts? Just speak freely, I, Di Yelei, will not be angered,” Di Yelei guaranteed, patting his chest confidently.
“Alright, I’ll speak frankly then.”
Zhang Peng looked at Liu Sisi with a meaningful expression in his eyes, “His Majesty is well aware of Sister-in-law’s relationship with Zhao Heng. No matter how this battle turns out, if this issue is brought before His Majesty, I’m afraid none of us can come out unscathed. Ye Lei, you may need to make arrangements soon. Even if not for yourself, for the sake of the entire Di Family, and the lives of the soldiers under your command, they all depend entirely on you now.”
Liu Sisi’s complexion turned pale with a hint of cyan, recalling that their journey to meet Nan Tianzong from the capital had been a secret mission. They had only brought a thousand cavalry and hadn’t informed His Majesty. If someone with ulterior motives were to manipulate this, they would indeed be at a loss for words.
They were being cornered to a deadly situation!
Nan Tianzong’s tactic of pulling the rug from under was used to perfection!
“According to Brother Zhang’s view, what should we do now to resolve the current dilemma?” Liu Sisi straightened her back, showing not the slightest sign of retreat.
“This matter will depend on the Old Master Marquis’s decision…” Zhang Peng looked meaningfully at Di Yelei but said no more.
Di Yelei looked around, then shook the reins decisively, “Let’s go! We’ll talk more after we get back.”
The horse’s hooves lifted suddenly, and it began to run swiftly, with Zhang Peng and the others hastily following behind.
The howling wind was buzzing in their ears, and everyone was rushing back with a burning desire to return as fast as possible.
It wasn’t until they reached the place where Marquis Yongwu had originally set up camp that Di Yelei gradually slowed his pace.
Looking up, everywhere around was in utter chaos and desolation. Dead bodies were everywhere, from both sides, and every now and then, tragic moans could be heard, adding a few more shades of melancholy to the already dismal scene in front of their eyes.
“Ye Lei, I’m afraid we need to prepare for both possibilities.” Liu Sisi’s voice was very soft.
Di Yelei didn’t speak but instead pulled on the reins and stopped his horse.
“Big brother… he… has changed a lot…”
Her words were full of hesitation.
“A few years apart, it’s normal to have changes. Besides, his status is there for all to see; many things are probably beyond his control.”
Di Yelei gently patted the slender arm wrapped around his waist and didn’t say anything more.
“Yes, beyond our control.”
Liu Sisi moved the corners of her mouth, pulling a forlorn smile. Wasn’t big brother afraid that upon his return to the capital, His Majesty would decree his death for the crime of conspiring with the enemy?
“Ye Lei, what do you think we should do now?”
After pondering for a moment, Di Yelei quickly formed a strategy, “On this mission, we’ve only brought my thousand elite troops. Zhang Peng said that the enemy consists of thirty thousand cavalry who ambushed the Marquis Yongwu’s army, which is mainly infantry. I’m afraid they won’t be able to withstand it, so I plan to prepare for both possibilities.”
“Firstly, I plan to send out a group leading eight hundred elite cavalry to strike directly west of Yingchang Prefecture, to coordinate with Marquis Yongwu’s army from the inside and outside and defeat Zhao Heng’s thirty thousand cavalry. Secondly, another group will take two hundred elite cavalry to Yingchang Prefecture to meet with the Provisional Governor Dong Xian, and we must plead with him to send troops for support, to hold off Zhao Heng’s follow-up forces.” Di Yelei analyzed meticulously.
“The Marquis’s plan is excellent! But we need to act fast!”
Zhang Peng immediately nodded in agreement, “Zhao Heng mobilized thirty thousand cavalry last night to attack Marquis Yongwu, which shows that he had already scouted an escape route. To the west of Yingchang Prefecture, although there are mostly hills, once past the hills, it’s a vast plain, perfect for Zhao Heng’s troops to fight.”
“Unless we can trap his entire force in the hilly area. However, Zhao Heng will definitely not give us such an opportunity, so, we must compete with him for time. As long as we can take a few high points ahead of him, we won’t end up utterly defeated! Zhang Peng’s analysis is excellent!”
Di Yelei immediately affirmed Zhang Peng’s opinion.
After a moment of thought, Liu Sisi suddenly jumped off her horseback and looked up at Di Yelei.
“Ye Lei, why don’t you lead the eight hundred elite cavalry to reinforce Marquis Yongwu. I’ll take two hundred elite cavalry to Yingchang Prefecture. Don’t worry, I will surely persuade Dong Xian to send troops!”
Her eyes were exceptionally bright.
If this Dong Xian truly refused to send troops, she would simply eliminate him!
“No!”
Di Yelei and Zhang Peng spoke out at the same time, obviously both disapproving of this seemingly good idea.
