The Prodigal Son

Zhu County.

When the battalions were on roll call, the cooks had already started preparing breakfast.

After each battalion finished their roll call and assigned their tasks for the day, the cooks had almost finished preparing breakfast.

Breakfast in the military is basically the same old thing every year.

Millet porridge, multigrain pancakes, vegetable dumplings, and pickled vegetables.

Every now and then there would be coarse flour steamed buns, sorghum rice, and the like.

Although the food was poor and lacked variety, the soldiers in the camp ate very enthusiastically.

If anyone doesn't like these things, they don't have to eat them; there are plenty of people who will eat your breakfast for you.

Compared to ordinary soldiers, the food of generals like Zong Zhao was much better.

You can eat as much white steamed buns as you want with lean meat and rice porridge, plus a few other dishes (both meat and vegetables).

However, Zongzhao had little appetite for this breakfast.

"General, is the food not to your liking?"

Seeing that Zong Zhao hadn't touched his chopsticks much, the deputy general sitting at the same table couldn't help but ask him.

Zong Zhao shook his head slightly, his expression grave, and said, "I don't know why, but I had a feeling of unease when I woke up this morning, like something big was about to happen..."

Upon hearing Zong Zhao's words, the deputy general immediately replied, "I will personally lead men to inspect the camp shortly!"

He didn't make fun of Zong Zhao.

People in the military sometimes have to trust their intuition.

He knew that a few years ago, after the Yan state launched a surprise attack on Da Ning, it was met with a major counterattack from the armies of Da Ning and Min.

Zongzhao saved his own life by relying on his intuition.

Zong Zhao thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Don't go patrolling the camp! Eat quickly, then come with me to check out the fortress ahead!"

They were only about twenty miles from the fortress ahead, and it wouldn't take them long to go back and forth.

The lieutenant's brow furrowed instantly. "General, are you worried something might have happened to the fortress at the front?"

"Um."

Zongzhao nodded slightly.

The lieutenant was surprised. "General, aren't you worried that the Ning army will launch a surprise attack on us?"

No way?

Da Ning and Bei Qi have already started fighting, and His Highness the Crown Prince has just signed an agreement with Qin Yu.

At this point, would they still dare to launch a sneak attack on Great Yan?

Even if the sneak attack succeeds, Empress Da Ning probably won't let them off the hook, right?

"That's not it."

Zong Zhao shook his head and said, "Before His Highness the Crown Prince arrived, the soldiers at the fortress ahead were already behaving quite badly. After I gave them a good talking-to, they became more restrained. Now that His Highness the Crown Prince has been gone for so long, I'm afraid they've fallen back into their old ways."

That's it!

The lieutenant said no more and ate quickly.

Yes, he knows about this too.

Not far from the fortress were the markets of the two countries.

Although there are fewer merchants coming and going here than in Changping, there are still quite a few.

The merchants carried all sorts of goods. The soldiers had endured too much hardship, and seeing so many good things, it was inevitable that they would be tempted.

Before Yan Li arrived, there had been incidents of soldiers looting merchants' goods.

For this matter, Zong Zhao personally beheaded a thousand-man general who led the looting of goods.

The lieutenant quickly finished eating.

Zong Zhao ate a little something and then left with his deputy and personal guards.

Just as Zong Zhao stepped out of the general's mansion, he suddenly heard a rapid and piercing sound.

"Clang clang clang..."

Upon hearing the warning bell from the city wall, Zong Zhao and his deputy were both stunned for a moment.

Enemy attack?

Where did the enemy come from?

Could it be some damn idiot randomly ringing the alarm bell for no reason?

Ringing warning bells recklessly can cost you your head!

After a brief moment of distraction, Zong Zhao quickly mounted his horse and shouted with a dark face, "Let's go see!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zong Zhao immediately jerked the reins and charged off.

The others quickly followed.

Just as they rushed toward the city gate, they suddenly heard the sound of ten thousand horses galloping, and the entire city seemed to tremble under their iron hooves.

The deafening sound of iron hooves was mixed with the sounds of fighting.

Although most of the sounds of fighting were drowned out by the sound of iron hooves, they could still hear the sounds of battle.

The sound was like a heavy hammer blow to Zong Zhao's chest, almost suffocating him.

Enemy attack!

It really is an enemy attack!

If it wasn't their soldiers who mutinied, then it could only be the Ning army attacking!

If the Ning army were to attack, the fortress ahead would surely have already fallen!

"Enemy attack! Order all units to organize defenses!"

Zong Zhao roared with bloodshot eyes, urging his warhorse to its limit as it charged desperately toward the city gate.

At this moment, Qin Yu personally led five hundred elite soldiers to seize the city gate.

They donned the armor of the Yan army, launched a surprise attack as they approached the city gate, and quickly took control of the gate and drawbridge.

Despite being outnumbered, Qin Yu and his men showed no fear in the face of the endless stream of soldiers charging towards them.

Their army is already on its way!

If they can hold out for even half an incense stick's time, the army will be able to storm into the city.

If these five hundred men, plus Ning Huang, can't even hold out for this short time, they might as well all slit their own throats.

Qin Yu continued to swing his sword, slashing and hacking, blood splattering all over his body.

The strong smell of blood made his blood boil, and he felt as if he had inexhaustible strength.

In the lull of the fighting, Qin Yu saw Qi Dachui charging through the swarming enemy ranks like a god of war.

With a single sweep of his hammer, a large number of enemy soldiers fell.

Judging from his posture, it seemed as if he wanted to compete with Grandmaster Ning Huang to see who could kill more enemies.

"Sledgehammer! Don't charge out! Hold the drawbridge!"

Qin Yu charged forward while roaring loudly.

Upon hearing Qin Yu's order, Qi Dachui, who was caught up in the killing frenzy, quickly retreated to the vicinity of the suspension bridge, watching helplessly as Ning Huang fought valiantly among the enemy troops.

At this moment, Ning Huang is like a virus on the battlefield.

Wherever he went, the enemy troops retreated in panic, not daring to provoke this god of war.

But Ning Huang clearly lacked the dignity of a grandmaster.

The top expert of Daning actually chased after a group of terrified Yan soldiers with his sword.

The thousand Yan soldiers guarding the city originally wanted to order their men to hold the line, but upon seeing Ning Huang, who resembled a god of death, they swallowed back their words, fearing that if they opened their mouths, Ning Huang would target them.

Meanwhile, the vanguard led by Yuan Dingguo had already arrived at the suspension bridge.

"kill!"

Yuan Dingguo took the lead, shouting loudly as he led his troops into the city.

Finished!

We can't hold on any longer!

The Yan general let out a wail in his heart, his will to resist instantly shattered. He hurriedly leaped off the city wall and fled in a panic.

He had barely run a hundred paces when he encountered Zong Zhao, who had rushed over in a hurry.

"stop!"

Zong Zhao, his face contorted with murderous intent, blocked the general's path. "You dare desert your post in the face of battle?"

Qian Jiang looked at Zong Zhao with a face full of despair: "General, the enemy has a Grandmaster in command, and a large group of experts! Their main force has already broken in! We can't hold out any longer, let's run!"

As if to prove Qian Jiang's words, a large number of Wudang Flying Army soldiers roared and charged into the city.

Looking up, all I saw was enemy troops!

"fart!"

Zong Zhao roared with eyes blazing with fury, "I don't care what kind of grandmaster he is! In my Great Yan, there are only generals who die in battle, not deserters..."

Bang!

Before Zong Zhao could finish speaking, the commander of the personal guards suddenly attacked, striking him on the neck with a palm strike.

As Zong Zhao collapsed to the ground, the commander of his personal guards grabbed him and pulled him onto his warhorse, shouting, "Quick! Cover the young general's retreat!"

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

In an instant, the sounds of retreat spread...