Love Lock

Chapter 263 Safe Distance
Xiao Zhengfei grabbed the walkie-talkie and slammed his thumb down on the call button. The black casing gleamed red in the firelight. "Your Highness is here. Report immediately what's happening!"

"Report—!" The voice that burst through the walkie-talkie was clearly urgent. "Urgent report from Yinshan outpost! A dark mass of Turkic cavalry is approaching Yong'an City. The cavalry column stretches for several miles, and there are at least... at least tens of thousands of iron cavalry!"

"what?"

Xiao Zhengfei's pupils contracted, and he immediately looked at Zhao Zun. The air inside the tent suddenly froze.

Zhao Zun also stood up abruptly. He quickly met Han Lei's gaze, and a cold, sharp glint flashed in both of their eyes.

"Damn it!" Zhao Zun's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "How dare the Turks be so treacherous!"

Before an incense stick burns—

Heavy snow was falling in Tuomugou, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. The biting wind whipped up snowflakes that lashed against the armor of the soldiers guarding the city, making a soft, rustling sound.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Beiguan, the sun shone brightly, and the cement walls of Yong'an City's fortress gleamed with a light gray luster under the sunlight.

The newly appointed Marshal of Beiguan, Pingchuan, held an M16 rifle in one hand and gripped the blue bricks of the bastion's battlements with the other.

His brows were furrowed, and his deep eyes were fixed on the depths of the grassland, where a cloud of dust was rising, obscuring the sky.

The cold wind ruffled his scarlet cloak, revealing a walkie-talkie clipped to his waist, which was now crackling with static.

"Report—!" A soldier rushed up the watchtower in three strides and knelt on one knee: "Marshal, urgent report from Niuweipo outpost: We have spotted about two thousand Turkic light cavalry vanguard, less than ten miles from Yinshan!"

Pingchuan gripped the crenellations tightly and said in a deep voice, "Order the entire army to prepare for battle. Archers and crossbowmen are to stand by at the crenellations, and the city defense team is to fire in three columns. Send all the guns and ammunition from the warehouses to the west city wall."

His voice was like ice, but he suddenly paused, "Wang Hu, you go to the beacon tower yourself and light three beacon fires."

At this moment, Pingchuan's deputy general rushed over, his temples already damp with sweat under his helmet.

"Reporting to the Marshal, the No. 1 outpost in Yinshan just sent a message via walkie-talkie that tens of thousands of cavalry are currently crossing the Yinshan Gorge! This... this doesn't make sense. Our outpost didn't detect any enemy scouts beforehand. Why would the Turks suddenly launch a large-scale southward offensive?"

Pingchuan suddenly turned around, his cloak fluttering in the wind.

His gaze turned serious. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and switched it to another channel.

"Immediately notify the Qingshui County communications station. This is Pingchuan, Yong'an City. It's extremely urgent. Find a way to report to the Prince immediately. The Turkic army is marching south. Tens of thousands of cavalry have already passed the Yinshan outpost and are approaching Yong'an City. Should we attack or defend? Please decide, Your Highness."

This was Pingchuan's first battle after being promoted from Zhao Zun's personal guard to Marshal of Beiguan. Faced with such a large-scale enemy attack, Pingchuan was somewhat uneasy.

It wasn't that he was incapable of leading troops into battle, but rather that King Zhao Zun of Cangzhou had donated a large amount of supplies and provisions to help the Turks survive the winter. The policy towards the Turks was one of appeasement; they only needed to be on guard.

The Turks had previously promised that they would not attack and plunder southwards once they accepted the provisions and supplies, but now they have gone back on their word and suddenly launched an attack southwards without sending any scouts to gather intelligence.

Therefore, he had to first consult Zhao Zun on whether to continue appeasing or to directly confront the enemy.

A hissing response came from the other end of the walkie-talkie, mixed with faint sounds of discussion in the distance.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed from beneath the bastion. Looking down, Pingchuan saw squads of soldiers running through the passageway, carrying ammunition boxes.

A young soldier tripped and fell, but an old soldier pulled him up: "What's the panic! Back when the prince led two thousand of us in a surprise attack..."

Before the words were finished, a horn sound suddenly came from the distant grassland, like the howl of a wolf piercing the sky...

Heavy snow was falling in Tuomugou, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.

Inside the council chamber of the fortress, the honeycomb briquette stove burned brightly, keeping out the chill. Zhao Zun was sitting around the stove with Han Lei, the King of Jingzhou, and others, discussing the matter of having the King of Jingzhou return to his palace.

Xiao Zhengfei's walkie-talkie suddenly rang, which led to the scene just now.

Upon hearing the report of the Turkic invasion, Zhao Zun's pupils contracted, and he abruptly stood up. "How dare the Turks be so treacherous!"

The council chamber erupted in chaos.

The King of Jingzhou slammed his fist on the table, causing the teaware to jump up.

"These heartless bastards! They're truly unteachable. They just accepted the grain and supplies gifted by Cangzhou, and they immediately dare to plunder southwards!"

Han Lei's pretty and sweet face instantly turned ashen, and her slender fingers unconsciously clenched.

She persuaded Zhao Zun to propose sending grain and supplies to the Turks as a temporary measure to appease them, and to establish trade relations with the Turks after the spring.

But now that this has happened, how can she bear it?
She was too hasty!

It was with her kind and virtuous heart that she understood the minds of those uneducated and petty people.

She thought that by treating others with sincerity, she would eventually earn their honesty in return. However, she ended up attracting even more hungry wolves.

She glanced at Zhao Zun unconsciously, her eyes filled with self-reproach and frost, only to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Zhao Zun. We gave them enough food to get through the winter, but I never expected them to..."

Han Lei's voice was filled with guilt, "The Turks are trying to kill the people on the border!"

Zhao Zun took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. His warm hand gently touched her cheek, and he said softly, "This is not your fault. We have done everything we could."

"What a bunch of ingrates!" Carbon Head punched the cement wall, scraping his knuckles, but his face was full of anger, as if he didn't feel any pain.

Xiao Zhengfei drew his sword from his waist with a "whoosh," the cold light reflecting on his face, which was contorted with anger.

"Your Highness! This humble general requests permission to immediately lead troops to reinforce Yong'an City! I, Xiao Zhengfei, swear I will not rest until all these Turkic dogs are slaughtered!"

Charcoal Head tugged at his collar and immediately replied, "Your Highness, send your men! I have gained enough experience from the battle of Tuomugou. I will make sure they don't return alive!"

Zhao Zun's face was ashen as he paced back and forth in the hall.

The wind and snow howled outside the window, as if roaring in anger at this sudden betrayal.

Zhao Zun gripped the back of the chair tightly with his hands. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with a murderous intent.

"Send the order: the entire army at Beiguan is to prepare for battle. Since the imperial army has already retreated, we should focus on dealing with the Turks."

His voice was deep and powerful, "Zhengfei, you immediately lead the garrison of Qingshui County to reinforce Yong'an City. Remember, this time you must cripple the Turks to prevent future troubles!"

"Yes!" Xiao Zhengfei clasped his hands in acceptance of the order: "This subordinate understands! We will not allow the Turkic dogs to set foot in Yong'an City!"

Han Lei quickly walked to Zhao Zun's side, wanting to make amends for her decision-making mistake.

“Zhao Zun, let me go with Commander Xiao! If they run out of ammunition, I can provide it at any time.” As she spoke, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. “It’ll be a good opportunity for the Turks to taste the power of artillery.”

Charcoal Head stepped forward: "Your Highness, what about me? I'm familiar with the terrain of Yong'an City, let me go too!"

Zhao Zun raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, his gaze sweeping over each angry face. "I understand your feelings. But there must be something fishy about the Turks' actions. We cannot afford to panic." He turned to Tan Tou, "You will lead your troops to continue guarding Tuomugou. You are not allowed to go anywhere."

Charcoal Head was taken aback, somewhat disappointed, but he still nodded heavily: "Your Highness, rest assured, with me here, Tuomugou will never be lost!"

Zhao Zun then looked at Han Lei and gave her a reassuring look. He knew Han Lei felt guilty and sad, so he assigned her a task as well.

"You should immediately contact the border towns and mobilize reinforcements, and at the same time send people to investigate the movements of the Turks in the rear."

He drew a line on the map with his finger. "I suspect that this Turkic operation is not as simple as it seems."

Han Lei quickly jotted down the instructions, then suddenly remembered something: "Then...should we send a message to the imperial court and ask them to send troops?"

Zhao Zun sneered: "What can those officials in the court do besides talk?" He clenched his fist. "This time, the Turks broke their promise first, so don't blame me for being ruthless."

Xiao Zhengfei couldn't wait any longer and clasped his hands in greeting again, saying, "Your Highness, this humble general will depart immediately!"

Zhao Zun walked up to Xiao Zhengfei and personally adjusted his shoulder armor: "Remember, protecting the people of Yong'an City comes first. At all costs..."

A flicker of pain crossed Xiao Zhengfei's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute expression: "This subordinate understands!"

Xiao Zhengfei received the military order and was about to turn and leave when his walkie-talkie suddenly rang again. A voice came through—

"Wait a minute!"

These four simple words caused the air in the council chamber to freeze instantly.

Zhao Zun's half-closed eyelids suddenly snapped open, his gaze like a dagger shooting towards the walkie-talkie in Xiao Zhengfei's hand.

Everyone's gaze turned to the walkie-talkie in Xiao Zhengfei's hand. Xiao Zhengfei stood rooted to the spot.

He glanced down at the walkie-talkie, then looked up at Zhao Zun, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. "Your Highness, this..."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the walkie-talkie. The entire meeting room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only the bubbling of boiling water in the aluminum kettle reminded everyone of the passage of time.

and many more!

They stood there dumbfounded for a full minute, but there was no sound from the walkie-talkie.

Xiao Zhengfei couldn't help but look at Zhao Zun again, only to see that Zhao Zun's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

"Ask!" Zhao Zun squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

Xiao Zhengfei quickly brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth, his voice slightly annoyed with tension: "What exactly happened? Report back immediately!"

A confused response came from the other end of the walkie-talkie: "Reporting to Commander Xiao, I am also unaware of the details. It was Communication Station Nine that said 'wait'."

"Damn it!" Zhao Zun's face flushed with anger. He strode up to Xiao Zhengfei, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and shouted in a deep voice, "Get to the bottom of this! Anyone who delays military operations will be dealt with according to military law!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" came a flustered reply from the other end of the walkie-talkie, followed by silence.

Zhao Zun stood with his hands behind his back, anxiously awaiting a reply from the communications station.

The lieutenants exchanged glances, none daring to utter a sound. The rhythmic footsteps of patrolling soldiers outside the window further amplified the tense atmosphere in the hall…

Meanwhile, on the walls of Yong'an City's fortress, a sudden gust of cold wind, carrying sand and gravel, lashed against the armor of the defending soldiers.

Pingchuan stood on the highest observation platform, the metal casing of the telescope burning hot from his grip.

The lieutenant stood beside him, and the walkie-talkie on his waist crackled to life.

"Marshal, Marshal. The Turkic vanguard has passed our last outpost and is less than five miles from Yong'an City. Judging from their formation, they number at least 20,000 light cavalry, all of them elite troops."

Pingchuan narrowed his eyes, calculating the Turkic army's marching speed in his mind.

At the foot of the city wall, laborers were using winches to hoist the last few boxes of ammunition onto the top of the wall, the wooden boxes creaking and scraping against the bricks and stones.

"Have the garrison check the safety on their guns again." Just as Pingchuan was about to put down his binoculars, the rising dust on the horizon was already reflected in the lens.

Hirakawa frowned and brought the binoculars closer to his eyes.

On the distant horizon, a black line is writhing and tearing through the emerald green of the grassland.

As the thunderous sound of hooves drew near, the wolf-head banner gradually came into view through the lenses, and the scimitars of the Turkic cavalry formed a dazzling silver wave in the sunlight.

"Three miles!"

The sentry on the observation tower shouted out the distance, his voice cracking with tension.

The musketeers behind the battlements swallowed hard and clenched their slightly sweaty hands.

They themselves couldn't tell whether they were nervous or excited, after all, Han Lei had said that these bullets were precious and had been bought with a large sum of gold.

Normally, they had only practiced shooting with training rounds, but they had never seen the true power of the M16 assault rifle on the battlefield.

A soldier nervously tapped his finger on the trigger guard, only to have his boot tip stomped on by the captain: "What are you shaking for? Do you think you're setting off firecrackers for the New Year?"

In the distance, warhorses galloped, kicking up clouds of dust, as Turkic cavalry sounded their horns, their momentum overwhelming.

"Two li!"

Amidst the billowing dust, the sentries on the observation tower continued to report their numbers.

Pingchuan could see clearly through his telescope that the Turkic cavalry numbered no less than 20,000.

"All troops, prepare!" He raised his hand and gave the order to prepare for battle.

At Pingchuan's command, a series of clicking sounds erupted around them as M16 bullets were chambered. The defenders' M16s were all aimed at the rapidly approaching Turkic cavalry from the intersection of the bastions.

The M16 automatic rifle has a maximum range of 2,000 meters and an effective range of 800 meters. Two kilometers and one kilometer is already within its effective range.

Just as Hirakawa raised his hand, ready to give the order to fire, he suddenly caught something unusual through his binoculars.

As the Turkic vanguard crossed the two-mile boundary marker, the cavalryman at the forefront, carrying the flag, suddenly began to wave the wolf flag from side to side, and the entire cavalry torrent slowed down abruptly as if it had hit an invisible dam.

In an instant, the dust storm that rose up ahead seemed to be sliced ​​open by a knife, forming a clear boundary more than a mile away from the Yong'an City fortress.

The entire Turkic cavalry slowed down and finally stopped in unison, as if they were about to confront the soldiers of Yong'an City.

Pingchuan was puzzled. Had they witnessed the power of the M16 when they delivered supplies to intimidate the Turks last time, and had they learned to choose a safe distance?
"Wait a minute!" Hirakawa narrowed his eyes. "When did these wolf cubs learn to keep a safe distance?"

Please grant me a dragon, I love you all!