Who put the yellow robe on me?

Chapter 152 Watching with eager eyes

The night was dark, and the Western Region camp looked gloomy and solemn under the light of the bonfire. General Mammon and General Xianyu were sitting at an old wooden table, brows furrowed, and occasionally looked up at the distant Liangzhou City, where the lights on the city wall were looming.

Outside the tent, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out. A sentry rushed in, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head to report: "Report! There's new movement from the direction of Liangzhou City. The enemy's Generals Zhong and Mi and others have led their troops out!"

"Zhong Wenbin? Mi Chunhong? These two are the main generals of Liangzhou City! Is the enemy attacking with all their strength?" General Mammon frowned and suddenly looked up to ask the sentry, "So, is Daliang attacking with all his strength?"

The sentry's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head, replying, "No, the enemy doesn't seem to be attacking with all their strength, and is still engaging us."

General Mammon was clearly impatient, a hint of doubt and uneasiness flashing in his eyes. He slammed the table hard and said in a deep voice, "What are they up to?"

General Xianyu sat calmly by the side, his arms folded across his chest, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. He smiled faintly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes: "Brother Mammon, the enemy is clearly not fighting a war of attrition. Their true purpose has not yet been revealed... They are waiting!"

"Wait? Waiting for what?" General Mammon asked in confusion, his brows twisted into a knot.

General Xianyu shook his head, a hint of alarm in his eyes. "I don't know what they're waiting for, but I have a guess—send someone to check the flanks to see if there are any reinforcements to rescue the two trapped young generals of the Zhong family."

The sentry took the order and left in a hurry. The atmosphere in the tent became more depressing. The crackling of the campfire and the neighing of war horses intertwined together, making it even more tense.

General Xianyu pondered for a moment, his eyes deep, and suddenly spoke, "Go and explore other fronts to see if there are any other unusual movements. If the enemy isn't attacking with all their might, they must have a backup plan."

"Yes!" The two lieutenants immediately obeyed, turning and quickly leaving. The tent curtains fluttered slightly in the wind. Outside, the footsteps of soldiers and whispers from within the camp could be heard faintly. General Mammon paced uneasily, his eyes occasionally glancing at General Xianyu.

General Mammon clenched his fists, his tone filled with anxiety. "Brother Xianyu, what is the current situation? The enemy is not attacking with all their strength. Do they have any deeper plans?"

General Xianyu's gaze was solemn as he replied in a deep voice, "I'm not sure yet, but one thing is certain—the enemy is merely engaging us, not launching an all-out attack. They're likely waiting for an opportunity, or perhaps... trying to trick us into making a fatal mistake."

General Mammon was stunned and frowned as he asked, "If we attack with all our strength, can we take the opportunity to capture Liangzhou City?"

General Xianyu sneered, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes. "Brother Mammon, think carefully with your feet! Liangzhou City is a natural fortress that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The mechanical crossbows on the towers are extremely strong. Although our troops are small, they can repeatedly dismantle our attacks. Now the enemy is engaging us. If we rashly attack with all our strength, I am afraid we will only bring about our own destruction!"

When General Mammon heard this, his expression changed slightly, and the anxiety in his heart became more difficult to control.

He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "But didn't the Liang courtiers sent by the king steal the tower design drawings for Liangzhou City?"

General Xianyu's expression suddenly turned gloomy, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke.

He shook his head, his tone thick with sarcasm. "Don't even mention it. That piece of rubbish is completely useless. He wasn't even able to pass on the stolen tower blueprints before he was caught! He was beheaded in public long ago. I heard that the Sixteenth Prince of Daliang personally planned his arrest."

"The Sixteenth Prince?" General Mammon's eyes suddenly widened, as if he had recalled something, and his expression suddenly became solemn. "You're talking about the Sixteenth Prince?!"

General Xianyu raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw this: "Why, do you know this person?"

General Mammon swallowed, a hint of shock in his eyes.

He said slowly, "Lord Ji once contacted an informant in Liangzhou City through letters and learned that the defense of Liangzhou City is not as impenetrable as the outside world says.

However, everything changed when the Prince of Yan arrived in Liang Province. Although he wasn't a general, he seemed to be born with the talent to lead a general, and he was able to break up our attacks every time.

General Xianyu was puzzled: "Who is this His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan?"

General Mammon stared at General Xianyu and said word by word, "This Prince of Yan! He is the Sixteenth Prince of Daliang!"

General Xianyu's expression changed slightly, and a chill passed through his heart.

He stood up from his chair and sneered, "I thought it was your poor command that allowed the enemy to defeat our attacks time and time again. Turns out it was the Sixteenth Prince behind all this."

General Mammon's face was filled with shame, and there was a hint of guilt in his eyes, but he did not dare to refute.

He knew that General Xianyu had always been dissatisfied with his eagerness for quick success and instant benefits, but now with a powerful enemy at the door, any dispute seemed insignificant.

General Mammon's anger replaced his fear. He slammed the table and stood up, "What a Sixteenth Prince! The old and new grudges between the Western Regions and Daliang are now settled!"

Just as the two were still discussing countermeasures, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the tent. A deputy general hurried in, his face anxious, and reported with a fist clasped, "Report! No reinforcements have appeared from the flank. The two young masters of the Zhong family are still under our control and are facing off against our General Huangfu Zegang!"

"Good! Very good! Explore again! Report again!" General Xianyu gave an order, and the deputy general hurried away.

"Yes!"

……

The mountain forest on the flank was quietly shrouded in the night, the mountain breeze blew, and the leaves rustled. Zhong Xiaodan, Zhong Dalu and the Thirteenth Princess Jiang Sirou were trapped on the top of the mountain, and a depressing atmosphere filled the air.

Jiang Sirou's face was full of anxiety. She looked at Zhong Xiaodan and Zhong Dalu with apology from time to time, and her heart was full of self-blame.

Her palms were already wet with sweat, her brows were furrowed, and her voice was filled with uneasiness: "Brother Xiaodan, Brother Dalu, it's all because of me that we were ambushed by the enemy."

Her voice was soft, but it was filled with immense regret. She knew in her heart that she shouldn't have insisted on going with them, otherwise she wouldn't have been a burden to them.

Zhong Xiao was wearing armor alone. Although there was some fatigue in his eyes, his face remained calm.

He looked at the dark forest around him, then turned to comfort Jiang Sirou: "Princess Rou, don't blame yourself. This is not your fault. The enemy is cunning and treacherous. We were accidentally ambushed, but there is still a chance to break out."