Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2675 Hidden Arrow
The night before the first battle is always exceptionally dark.

Strictly speaking, this was not Gui Chen's first time leading troops into battle. His first battle was when he led the Gui family army to support Ying Baoyue at the Epang Palace. After that, he followed Ying Baoyue in many battles.

If there's anything different about this time, it's that it's the first time he's served as the vanguard for the entire team.

His victory in this battle against Meng Shi was crucial to the morale of the entire Northern Expeditionary Army; he could only succeed and could not afford to fail.

Because it was a night raid, the entire army had to keep a low profile; even the horses' hooves were covered with thick felt to avoid making too much noise. Although with a high-level cultivator in charge, it was inevitable that they would be discovered beforehand.

After inspecting the equipment of all the assault teams, Gui Chen walked towards the city wall to bid farewell to Ying Baoyue.

Ying Baoyue and Ji Jiashu would inspect from the city tower and watch them set off on their expedition.

He had just reached the stone steps when he suddenly saw Meng Shi coming down from above and making a shushing gesture at him.

"What's wrong?" Gui Chen asked in a low voice.

In less than half an hour, Meng Shi would have to part ways with him, and the two groups would head towards Yanggao County.

“Her Majesty is asleep,” Meng Shi said. “It’s rare for her to get a good night’s sleep. If you want to say goodbye, then say goodbye to her like this.”

Gui Chen was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Ying Baoyue to fall asleep just before they were about to go into battle.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled again, "It seems His Majesty trusts the two of us quite a bit."

“If I can’t even take Yanggao County, I’ll have no face to go back to Northern Wei,” Meng Shi raised an eyebrow. “Of course, we can’t underestimate the enemy.”

Gui Chen looked at the young queen and asked, "Has Guanghua sent a message?"

No matter how small the battle, it was a matter of life and death. Yelü Hua was probably the first Northern Wei king in history to send his queen to fight in a war.

Meng Shi touched her earring and smiled slightly, "He sent a message from Lord Tuoshan Ghost, warning me to be careful."

For a couple who have faced life and death together, saying just this is enough.

"Oh, by the way, he also said that he envies you."

Gui Chen was surprised that Yelü Hua would bring him up, and his eyes widened. "The King of Northern Wei envies me?"

Are you kidding me?
“Because he is now the King of Northern Wei,” Meng Shi laughed, “he can no longer be my bodyguard.”

Hiss... Gui Chen then remembered that back in the Southern Chu Initial Ceremony, Yelü Hua had once used the alias Mo Hua to serve as Meng Shi's bodyguard.

So Yelü Hua envied him for being able to serve as Ying Baoyue's Iron Guard?

Gui Chen suddenly felt his teeth ache.

The two were smiling at each other when Meng Shi suddenly changed her expression and gave a bitter smile, "His Majesty has woken up after all."

"Are you going up to say goodbye?"

Gui Chen nodded, and the two climbed the stone steps, where they saw Ying Baoyue and Ji Jiashu sitting together against the city wall.

Ying Baoyue's eyes were still closed, but her eyelashes trembled slightly; she had indeed woken up.

Ji Jiashu looked at her tenderly, his eyes filled with such heartache and unusual affection that it was almost impossible to look directly at him.

What a terrible thing...

Gui Chen sighed inwardly, then stepped forward and bowed to Ying Baoyue.

"Your Majesty, I have set out on the expedition."

Ying Baoyue opened her eyes, her gaze immediately becoming clear. "I wish you great success in your martial endeavors."

Gui Chen and Meng Shi nodded and walked down the stone steps at the same time.

Ying Baoyue and Ji Jiashu stood up and watched the two cavalry squads that were launching a night raid depart.

The two cavalry units shot towards Yanggao County like two black arrows.

……

……

Ying Baoyue did not go to war with them; this would be a battle in which she would not participate at all. But that did not mean she could rest.

"Master's wife, how is the situation?"

Ying Baoyue stood on the city wall, gazing in the direction of Yanggao County. An hour after the two teams left, she held her breath and used wind magic to summon the mountain spirit.

"Both teams have arrived and are attacking the city gate."

The mountain spirit's voice was somewhat intermittent. Using wind magic to probe the situation from a distance on a fierce battlefield was extremely taxing. If she and Ying Baoyue were both proficient in wind magic, they simply wouldn't be able to communicate like this.

"We have superior troop strength, the city gates have been opened, and the enemy forces in Yanggao County number no more than three thousand."

Ying Baoyue breathed a sigh of relief. As she had expected, there were not many troops in Yanggao County.

"Do you have backup?"

The reason why Yanggao County did not abandon the city in advance was that it was already close to the Great Wall area occupied by the Western Rong people.

“Yes, but they’re not here fast enough. They seem to be observing,” the mountain spirit said in a low voice. “Wait, there seems to be the aura of a high-level cultivator in that group.”

Ying Baoyue frowned. "Seems?"

Given the level of the Mountain Spirit, he shouldn't have given such a vague answer.

"That person's aura is strange; I can't confirm whether they are a high-level cultivator."

Are they practitioners who have been poisoned by Gu or who practice evil arts?
Ying Baoyue felt uneasy. "Is the other party observing?"

“Probably,” said the mountain spirit, “They want to see how the battle unfolds here to decide whether Yanggao City is worth saving.”

Ying Baoyue's gaze sharpened. "This city was never worth saving."

From a military perspective, a small county like Yanggao is not worth using as the front line in a confrontation between the two armies. The Western Rong army will eventually retreat to the Yongye Great Wall, so there is no reason to defend this small town.

Even so, the Western Rong army still sent reinforcements to Yanggao County. Why was that?
"Hug the moon?"

Ji Jiashu, who had been by Ying Baoyue's side, keenly noticed the change in her aura. "How is she?"

Ying Baoyue broke free from the wind magic and took a few quick breaths.

"We have the upper hand in the battle, but the Western Rong people have sent reinforcements from the north."

"Reinforcements?" Ji Jiashu frowned. He and Ying Baoyue had analyzed the situation a couple of days ago, concluding that the Western Rong people had no reason to defend Yanggao County to the death. The reason they hadn't retreated was simply to test their fighting strength.

If you can't win, you should retreat. Why did you send reinforcements?

Does this small town really have that kind of value?

"Wait a minute," Ying Baoyue felt a chill in her heart as she remembered that the mountain spirit had said that there were evil creatures among the enemy's reinforcements.

"Could it be that they're targeting our people?"

Yanggao County was indeed not worth defending to the death, but the people she sent to attack it were extremely valuable.

It's Meng Poetry!
The queen of Northern Wei was more valuable than the small town of Yanggao.

“Jia Shu,” Ying Baoyue felt a chill run through her body, “I shouldn’t have sent A Shi.”

Those who chose to go and provide assistance to Yanggao County at this moment clearly anticipated her judgment.

The person behind the scenes had long anticipated that she would send Meng Shi to reclaim the territory of Northern Wei.

What kind of person could anticipate her thoughts and send out evil creatures to attack Meng Shi?
"Is that you, Chunyu Ye?"

Ying Baoyue gritted her teeth and reached out to grab Ji Jiashu's arm.

Ji Jiashu was also terrified by Ying Baoyue's speculation, his whole body went numb. "Baoyue, I'll go right now..."

"It's too late," Ying Baoyue murmured. Since the other side had this plan, they would naturally be faster than them.

"Hug the moon!"

Ying Baoyue heard the mountain spirit's alarmed cry, "There's a hidden arrow attacking Miss Meng!"