Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Chapter 604 Battle of Anqing
Drive, drive, drive...

"Cough cough..."

A defeated army was marching forward. Prince Ruyang, riding on his horse, was now somewhat hunched over, a body he had never stooped in his entire life. He coughed incessantly. The great defeat the day before had seriously injured him. If it weren't for Wang Baobao stabilizing the situation, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Cough cough..."

Prince Ruyang was coughing when Wang Baobao came up from the rear guard and asked, "Father, are you alright?"

Prince Ruyang waved his hand and said, "They're not dead yet. By the way, how many usable troops are left in the army?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao immediately replied, "Reporting to Father, there was great chaos the day before yesterday, and now there are only 30,000 troops available in the army."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang's eyes reddened. In just one day, he had lost more than 40,000 men—a defeat he had never suffered before!

Wang Baobao then said angrily, "If it weren't for that bastard Zhang Shicheng..."

Prince Ruyang waved his hand and said, "It was my poor judgment in choosing a person that led me to employ such an ingrate."

“Father, this is not your fault. Zhang Shicheng was really good at hiding his true intentions. Who would have thought that he would turn against his own side in the face of battle and even manage to win over two commanders of ten thousand in one fell swoop?”

Prince Ruyang said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. The Baoxiang Army marches slowly. If we get to Anqing Prefecture, we can still organize a counterattack and buy some time for your sister. Cough cough cough..."

"Father, your...your health..."

The Prince of Ruyang waved his hand and said, "It's alright, I won't die. Although there are only 30,000 White Deer soldiers, I can still let Boluo know how powerful I am."

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao looked at Prince Ruyang and said, "Father, if it doesn't work, let's ask Ya Ya and the others for help. Chen Jiu Si came back to kill the Iron Sword Master who was at the second level of the Melting God Realm. I suppose his strength can also reach the second level of the Melting God Realm, or even higher."

"Shut up!"

The Prince of Ruyang directly rebuked Wang Baobao, saying, "How could I, the Prince of Ruyang of the Great Qian Dynasty, ask a court rebel for help? Moreover, he is my father-in-law. It is impossible for me to ask him for help!"

The Prince of Ruyang shouted, "He has been proud all his life. How could he ask Chen Jiu Si for help? A father-in-law asking his son-in-law for help? That's going against the natural order. Who's asking whom?"

Besides, he only ended up in this situation because he was trying to help Chen Jie. Instead of coming to his rescue himself, Chen Jie made him beg him. Does he have any shame? Does he have any shame at all?
Chaghan Temur lived his life with a strong sense of pride, and he absolutely could not lose that pride.

Wang Baobao knew how stubborn his father was, so he shook his head helplessly and said to the Prince of Ruyang, "The defenses of Anqing Prefecture are almost complete. Father, you can rest assured now that you have arrived in Anqing Prefecture. I will take care of the rest. Boluo's pursuers should arrive by noon tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang nodded slightly and said, "Ahem, then I'll leave it to you, Kuokuo. I trust you with your work."

Wang Baobao nodded upon hearing this, and then Ruyang Wang immediately lay down on his horse, coughing incessantly.

He was seriously injured in the battle the day before yesterday. If he is not treated properly, he may suffer from chronic illness. Moreover, his combat strength has also decreased significantly. Tomorrow's battle will likely be difficult.

I hope I can buy Ya Ya and the others some time. As long as they can bring Peng Yingyu to Huangzhou Prefecture, things should be fine.

Yes, news of Peng Yingyu's drop in cultivation level has not yet spread, so this fourth-level Molten God still holds prestige. If Peng Yingyu were to arrive in Huangzhou Prefecture, then Boluo Timur would have to think carefully before deciding whether or not to attack Huangzhou Prefecture.

This is why the Prince of Ruyang wanted to take another precaution in Anqing Prefecture.

Finally, they arrived at Anqing Prefecture, which was under complete martial law. Ordinary people were not allowed to enter or leave at will, in order to prevent the enemy's spies from entering Anqing Prefecture and causing damage.

"Commander of Anqing Prefecture, Chakhan Temu, greets Your Highness!"

When the army of Prince Ruyang arrived at the city wall of Anqing Prefecture, the city gate opened. The Anqing Prefecture garrison commander, whom Prince Ruyang had personally promoted, immediately stepped forward to salute. Prince Ruyang waved his hand and said, "Temu, no need for formalities. How about you make the preparations I asked you to do?"

Temu immediately replied, "Your Highness, we have completed all the preparations you requested. We have stockpiled enough grain and fodder to meet the needs of the entire city's military and civilians for six months. In addition, the city walls have been reinforced, and the soldiers are ready for a fierce battle."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ruyang said, "Very good, cough cough... Kuokuo, you and Temu go and inspect the city's defenses!"

Wang Baobao immediately replied, "Yes, Father."

Wang Baobao then asked, "Tiemu, is the quiet room I asked you to prepare ready?"

"Everything is ready, and the doctor is also ready. Your Highness and the young prince can rest assured, there will be absolutely no problem."

Wang Baobao said, "Father, you should go into the city and rest. There will be a fierce battle tomorrow. As for here, don't worry, Commander Tiemu and I can handle it."

The Prince of Ruyang was truly on the verge of collapse. He nodded and handed the place over to Wang Baobao, then turned and went into the city to treat his injuries.

Seeing the Prince of Ruyang in such a state, Temu asked, "Is Your Highness alright?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao replied, "It's just a minor injury. Father has been through so many battles in his life; this little injury is nothing to worry about."

Thinking this, Wang Baobao continued to say to Tiemu, "Let's go and see how your preparations are going."

Upon hearing this, the group went directly into Anqing Prefecture and inspected the prefecture to check its preparations. They first checked the city's defenses, which were not in great condition. Wang Baobao then summoned the three commanders of the remaining 30,000 White Deer Army. These three were all pure Mulan people and had been promoted step by step by the Prince of Ruyang, making them among the most loyal of the group.

The mutiny the day before yesterday was prevented from escalating to an uncontrollable level only because of the presence of these pillars of support.

Therefore, Wang Baobao trusted them quite a bit and directly assigned them to relatively important positions.

After finishing these tasks, Wang Baobao inspected the city's garrison and found that the elite level of the soldiers under Tie Mu's command was far from sufficient. Therefore, he ordered these soldiers to retire to the second line and take charge of logistics and auxiliary work.

After making the arrangements, Wang Baobao then went to make arrangements for the city's security. Security is extremely important. If the two armies were to clash and the city caught fire, it could lead to the defeat of many armies. Therefore, if you want to win a battle, the city must not catch fire.

Tomorrow will be a fierce battle, and they must be fully focused. If they make even the slightest mistake and the enemy takes advantage of their weaknesses, the result could be the defeat of the entire campaign. Wang Baobao is also on high alert.

After inspecting the security situation, Wang Baobao pointed out some loopholes. Then, Wang Baobao personally inspected the granary. Temu said that the granary was full and enough to feed the entire city's soldiers and civilians for half a year. However, this was only Temu's side of the story, and Wang Baobao did not believe it.

Now that the situation is extremely urgent, it's no exaggeration to say it's a matter of life and death. At this point, it's only right to be cautious. Finally, after a thorough inspection, the grain was indeed as Temu had said, enough to feed the entire city for half a year.

"Oh, and there's a well."

Wang Baobao immediately ordered the discovery of thirty wells within the city, all of which were to be guarded by soldiers to prevent theft and poisoning. All 30,000 soldiers were to be supplied with the designated water, and all other water sources were to be strictly prohibited.

After finishing these tasks, Wang Baobao looked at Tiemu and said, "You did a great job. You will be rewarded once this is over."

"Young Prince, what are you saying? It's my honor to serve you and the young prince. By the way, is Your Highness alright?" Wang Baobao glanced at Tie Mu and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. Your Highness has experienced countless minor injuries like this in your life. What's the big deal? Hehe..."

Upon hearing this, Temu laughed and said, "Yes, Your Highness is naturally blessed with great fortune."

After saying that, Wang Baobao looked at Tie Mu and said, "That's all for now. As for the specific arrangements for tomorrow, follow my instructions."

"Yes, I will certainly follow the young prince's lead."

As Temu spoke, Wang Baobao glanced at him but said nothing, so Temu naturally took his leave.

Soon, Temu returned to his residence. At this moment, a person emerged from the shadows and said, "How about it? I told you that the Prince of Ruyang was already at his last gasp, but you didn't believe me. Now it seems you're prepared to die with him in Anqing Prefecture?"

Upon hearing this, Tie Mu said, "The young prince said that the prince only suffered a minor injury."

"A minor injury? Heh, you've been following Prince Ruyang for quite some time now. If it were just a minor injury, given Prince Ruyang's personality, would he have gone into seclusion to recuperate when a major battle was imminent?"

"He's the kind of person who does everything himself."

After hearing the man's words, Temu fell silent. After a long silence, he looked at the man and asked, "What do you want?"

“I am very simple. I told you my purpose yesterday. A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Prince Ruyang has betrayed the Great Qian and joined forces with the rebels. This is a path to death. His Majesty will not let him go, the Grand Preceptor will not let him go, and my military lord will not let him go.”

“Following him means you are going against the Great Qian Dynasty, against His Majesty, against the Imperial Advisor, and against our Commander. Why not abandon the darkness and embrace the light, and you will have a better end?”

Upon hearing this, Temu looked at the man and said, "But the prince has been kind to me!"

"You've been kind to me, hehe, yes, the Prince of Ruyang has been kind to you, so there's nothing more to say. I'm leaving now. When the army of Lord Boluo arrives at the city, I hope you'll live and die alongside your prince!"

"stop!"

Just as the man was about to leave, Temu suddenly called out to him. The man looked at Temu and said, "What, are you going to arrest me and take me to see the Prince of Ruyang?"

What do I gain from doing this?

Temu looked at the man and spoke. The man glanced at Temu and said, "Heh, what can I get? If that's how you put it, there's no point in us talking anymore."

"The military commander said that once the Prince of Ruyang is defeated, his power will be stripped away, and then there will be a power vacuum in the five routes and eighty-one prefectures. Anhui needs a Grand Councilor, and you seem to be quite good."

"The Minister of State Affairs of Anhui Circuit!"

Temu's eyes widened, and he looked at the man with great excitement, asking, "Is what the Commander says true?"

Upon hearing this, the man laughed and said, "Would a dignified military commander lie to you for no reason? What do you have that would make Lord Boluo lie to you?"

"You don't really think that Lord Boluo of Anqing Prefecture's Baoxiang Army can't be crushed, do you?"

"Lord Boluo only wants to minimize casualties. After all, those on the field are all soldiers of Mulan. To fight among our own people is a disgrace to our ancestors!"

Temu said, "Lord Boluo has the world in his heart; we are far inferior to him."

The man looked at Temu and said, "You do seem to have some knowledge."

Temu asked, "My lord, what is Lord Boluo's purpose in seeking my advice?"

Upon hearing this, the man looked at Temu and then said, "Lord Boluo said that if you can do this tomorrow, then you will be considered to have successfully pledged allegiance!"

"Uh-huh!"

Upon hearing this, Temu nodded repeatedly and then said, "Understood. Go back and report to Lord Boluo. I, Temu, am willing to serve Lord Boluo to the death."

The man looked at Temu and said, "Alright, I will pass on your message. Judging from your appearance, you seem to be a smart fellow. There's a saying among the Han people that goes, 'A wise man submits to circumstances.'"

"Yes, yes, although Temu isn't a hero, he still knows right from wrong!"

Seeing Temu's expression, the man said with satisfaction, "Hmm, very good. Congratulations in advance, Brother Temu, on your upcoming promotion to Pingzhang Zhengshi of Anhui Circuit!"

Upon hearing this, Temu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I dare not, I dare not. Aren't I just an assistant to Lord Boluo? How could I have such a great honor as to be appointed as a councilor? Please tell Lord Boluo that Temu will definitely do his job well."

"well!"

The man was very happy and immediately went out to report to Boluo.

At this time, Wang Baobao inspected the military camp several times and made proper arrangements on the city wall. This way, even if the entire Baoxiang Army attacked, they would not be able to break through in a short time, and he was finally at ease.

Now it all depends on whether my sister can get Peng Yingyu to come.

Although the Prince of Ruyang forbade Wang Baobao to send a message to Zhao Ya, Wang Baobao had already passed the information to Chen Jiu Si through other channels. They were the ones who shielded Chen Jiu Si from the disaster, so why should Chen Jiu Si ignore it?

Unlike the Prince of Ruyang, who cares about saving face, he is more pragmatic. Now that things are urgent, Chen Jiu Si can't stay out of it.

Wang Baobao thought that if Chen Jiu had three or five days to arrive, he should be able to get there. As long as he could hold off Boluo's attack for five or six days, things would surely turn around.

Having figured this out, Wang Baobao encouraged his soldiers: "Brothers, as long as we hold out for three to five days, reinforcements will arrive. Hang in there, everyone."

"Yes!"

The soldiers echoed loudly, and Wang Baobao and his men spent a safe night in the city. The next day at noon, smoke and dust billowed on the horizon, and a force of about 10,000 men was seen approaching Anqing City in the distance.

Boluo was truly remarkable. In order to besiege the Prince of Ruyang, he left behind a large number of slow-moving elephant troops, while sending 10,000 lightly armed infantry to attack. He was really overconfident.

Wang Baobao then addressed the soldiers on the city wall: "Cheer up! If we win this battle, everyone will be rewarded."

Even so, the White Deer Army, which clearly had a numerical advantage, was somewhat apprehensive. At this moment, looking at the approaching Boluo Army below, they gripped their weapons tightly, extremely nervous.

The person opposite is none other than Bolotemur, the God of War of the Great Qian Dynasty and a fourth-level Molten God!

(End of this chapter)