Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

As he spoke, Lin Mo's hand slowly reached for the buttons on his clothes, much to Chu Mengyao's sudden widening of eyes.

One, two...

"What...what are you doing?!"

Chu Mengyao finally realized what was happening, and her whole body tensed up in the water.

Lin Mo smiled at her, but didn't stop what he was doing.

"Didn't you say that you were the one initiating things last night?"

He unbuttoned the last button, deftly took off his inner garment, and casually tossed it onto the sandalwood clothes rack beside him, which conveniently covered the bodice embroidered with orchids.

"Then tonight."

"It's my turn to take the initiative."

Pfft!

A loud splash.

Lin Mo's tall figure barged directly into her world!

"ah--!"

Chu Mengyao let out a sharp exclamation.

The warm pool water was squeezed outwards and splashed all over the ground.

She herself was also slammed against the cold, hard jade barrel behind her by this brute force.

"Wait, wait a minute! Not here!"

Chu Mengyao panicked completely, placing her hands on Lin Mo's chest, trying to push this uninvited guy away.

However, Lin Mo gave her no chance to resist at all.

He forcefully stretched out his arms and pulled her soft body into his embrace.

Their warm, smooth bodies pressed tightly together, separated by a thin layer of water, they could clearly feel each other's intense body temperature and pounding heartbeats.

"The strategist of Chu."

Lin Mo lowered his head, his hot breath spraying onto her earlobe, making her tremble uncontrollably.

"Now, are you ready... for our real 'water battle'?"

Chu Mengyao let out a sob, and the hand she had pressed against his chest had lost its strength at some point.

Splash... splash...

Water splashed everywhere, and the ambiguous sound of the water played a symphony.

Pink petals floated and sank in the surging water, clinging haphazardly to the two bodies that were tightly joined together.

The air was filled with steam, and the candlelight flickered.

A charming room.

……

The night was dark.

On the vast Gobi Desert, the cold wind whips up sand and gravel, howling like a ghost's wail.

The long marching column resembled a dying black dragon, slowly crawling in the dim moonlight.

The forced march over the past few days had already exhausted the last bit of energy and spirit of the 100,000-strong army.

Everyone hung their heads, moving mechanically, and the air in the ranks was thick with the deathly silence and oppression brought about by defeat.

Inside an extremely luxurious carriage, the atmosphere was deathly still.

Yuwen Biao's obese body was buried in soft fur. With each bump of the wheels, his broken chest bones would twitch, sending a sharp pain through him that made his face contort.

With his eyes closed, the scene at Iron Wall Pass kept replaying in his mind.

That damn woman.

That damned arrow.

And that damn horse that broke his ribs!

What a shame!

"That idiot Guo Feng deserved to die!"

Yuwen Biao forced out a curse through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse.

Although he had personally killed the strategist who was more trouble than he was worth, his anger had not subsided in the slightest.

This expedition resulted in him losing both his wife and his troops!

Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but they also became the laughingstock of the entire army!

He could even sense that the guards outside the carriage were looking at him with a hint of pity and mockery.

When I get back to Zhenbei City, the first thing I'll do is kill all those guys who look at me suspiciously!

And that Lin Mo!

Don't think you can rest easy just because you're hiding inside the Iron Wall Pass!

Once I've recovered from my injuries, gathered all the siege equipment, and obtained the reinforcements and military pay sent from the capital, I'll crush your broken pass into dust!

Yuwen Biao will definitely take back the face he lost today, tenfold or even a hundredfold!

Thinking of the capital city calmed Yuwen Biao down a little.

His urgent letter requesting assistance, which he sent to the capital, should already be on the Third Prince's desk.

Judging by the timeline, the first batch of military pay might already be on its way.

As long as he has money and supplies, he can quickly regroup.

"General."

A deep voice came from the corner of the carriage, interrupting his thoughts.

It was his deputy, Zhang Meng.

"speak."

Yuwen Biao did not open his eyes, but only let out a muffled groan from his nose.

Zhang Meng hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to speak.

"General, the provisions... are running low."

"The brothers have been drinking only thin porridge for two days in a row, and the horse feed is almost gone. If this continues, I'm afraid... trouble will break out."

"trouble?"

Yuwen Biao suddenly opened his eyes, and in the candlelight, his small eyes were filled with violence.

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble? I'll be the first to chop them down!"

"General, please calm down." Zhang Meng bowed.

"What I mean is, the brothers are exhausted and hungry, and their morale has plummeted. Shouldn't we... find a place to rest?"

"Even if it's just for half a day, it's better than enduring this like this."

"Resting?" Yuwen Biao sneered.

"Are you stopping now to wait for the pursuers from Iron Wall Pass to come and collect our corpses?"

"Pass on my order: the entire army must speed up! We must return to Zhenbei City before nightfall tomorrow!"

"But General..."

"Get out!"

Yuwen Biao grabbed the pillow next to him and smashed it hard across Zhang Meng's face.

Zhang Meng dared not say another word, picked up the pillow, and silently left the carriage.

The carriage fell silent again, with only Yuwen Biao's heavy breathing remaining.

He tugged at his collar in frustration, the pain from his broken bones and the pent-up frustration in his heart driving him almost insane.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats and the shouts of guards came from outside the carriage.

"Who goes there! Stop right there!"

"Urgent military situation! I need to see the General!"

The carriage came to a sudden stop.

Yuwen Biao frowned, about to get angry, when the carriage curtain was lifted and a guard peeked in.

"General, urgent military intelligence has been reported from the scouts at the front!"

"Tell him to get over here!"

Soon, a scout, covered in sand and dust, rolled to the front of the carriage, knelt on the ground, and trembled violently.

"General..."

"Spit it out!" Yuwen Biao said impatiently.

The scout trembled at his shout, lowered his head even further, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed fear.

"Reporting to...Reporting to General, I...I captured a group of...a group of deserters about twenty miles ahead."

"Deserters?" Yuwen Biao paused for a moment, then snorted disdainfully, "Remnants of the Shaking Mountain Army? They'll never amount to anything."

"No...no..."

The scout's voice was already tinged with sobs.

"Not from the Mountain-Shaking Army..."

He looked up, his face filled with the horror of seeing a ghost.

"They're...the soldiers from our city..."

"They are the garrison troops of our Zhenbei City!"