Do Not Offend the Reborn Wicked Wife

Chapter 655: Let’s Retreat!

"Cousin Anxing!"

Long Yue watched them bound and kneeling on the ground, growing more anxious. She tightened her grip on the long knife, wishing she could leap down from the city walls to battle and rescue Cousin Anxing.

But that was impossible!

Long Yue could only bite her red lips, angrily staring at the distant Liang Army below.

Leading them was a man entirely clad in armor.

The man wore a silver mask, his true face hidden, and his age indeterminable. However, his deep dark eyes were mesmerizing with just one glance.

Long Yue initially just wanted to see what kind of scoundrel led the enemy, but the moment she saw those deep, dark eyes, she shivered!

An unfamiliar emotion suddenly surged into her heart!

Her breathing even quickened!

Those eyes... she knew them all too well, even turned to ashes she would recognize them!

How could it be?

No, that’s impossible!

Had she seen it wrong? Or missed him so much that seeing those eyes made her think it was him?

As Long Yue was distracted by her own thoughts, a commotion arose on the city walls. The armored man rode forward, flanked by two officers, one calling out loudly: "My Palace Commander demands you retreat thirty miles! Otherwise, these two will be executed by slicing!"

Slicing means a death by a thousand cuts, with a very small knife making a thousand cuts on a person, the final cut piercing the heart to kill.

Such a death is too cruel, too horrific, akin to being in the deepest of hells, so most people stiffen in fear at the mention of slicing.

Cao Anxing and Chang Zhen were no exception.

Yet they still clenched their jaws, uttering not a sound.

"My Palace Commander only waits three incense sticks’ time. Once time is up, execution follows immediately. Consider well!"

The Liang Army officer delivered his ultimatum and retreated to the back.

On the city walls, the generals couldn’t hold back. Some cursed, "You bastard, born without a hole, too cowardly to fight head-on, only knowing underhanded tricks, ptooey! You’re a ball-less coward, a weakling!"

"Yeah, a useless coward, not a real man!"

"..."

The noisy curses formed a vicious spell, echoing relentlessly on the city walls, the sound seemingly shaking the very ground.

The distant Liang Army couldn’t bear it. Lu Zhi came to Li Qingmu’s side: "Eldest Young Master, these Zhou Army troops are so vulgar, daring to curse the prince like this. I request we sacrifice a hostage immediately!"

Li Qingmu said calmly: "They are merely venting their frustration. The fiercer they shout, the more uncertain they are. Let them curse. It shows they’ve lost their composure. I believe we’ll soon have a result."

"Eldest Young Master, I’m afraid if the Dazhou Army doesn’t comply, these two will still be doomed!"

"Hmm, then the execution proceeds."

Li Qingmu spoke lightly, his gaze subtly shifting.

"Clang!"

A long knife was drawn. Lu Zhi held it and brought it to Chang Zhen’s side, placing the blade against his neck: "Silence! Otherwise, his throat gets slit!"

With Lu Zhi’s words, the city walls fell silent immediately.

Everyone stared intently at Chang Baitu and Cao Yin.

After all, these two were the leaders. The decision was theirs to make.

"Retreat thirty miles, General, doesn’t that mean giving up the Valley Pass?"

"Exactly, how is that different from surrendering? We can’t retreat!"

"But if we don’t retreat, what will happen to Young General Chang and Young General Cao? Are we really going to watch them be executed by slicing?"

One question after another was fired, and the city walls plunged into arguments and clamor again.

"Enough, stop arguing, everyone calm down!"

Chang Baitu, irritated by the noise, shouted angrily at those around him, then stared, eyes bloodshot, at the two young men below the city walls.

One of them was his descendent, the one he was proudest of. Was he really going to be lost here?

Unwilling, he was truly unwilling!

"A shen!"

Chang Baitu pressed his hand hard against the city wall, so forcefully that it left an indentation.

What to do, what should be done?

Should they retreat thirty miles to save them or stand their ground?

In his moment of indecision, Long Yue suddenly clenched Cao Yin’s hand from behind, saying, "Grandfather, retreat! We must retreat!"

Her words, leaving Cao Yin dumbfounded: "Girl, you’re not joking?"

Cao Yin was protective, but also loyal and patriotic.

With heaven, earth, ruler, teacher, and kin, ruler comes before kin. He was even prepared to give up his grandsons, yet Long Yue spoke the words he most wanted to hear deep down.

He gazed at her kindly, though with some bitterness: "No, doing so lets the Supreme Emperor down..."

"Grandfather, withdraw! We should retreat, avoiding harm to both armies!"

"Casualties are part of warfare. We can’t avoid battle out of fear. Should we just watch the enemy invade our beautiful homeland?"

A general was displeased with Long Yue’s decision, angrily stating.

Long Yue said calmly: "It’s settled! They kneeling there aren’t your family. Of course, you don’t care, but they’re ours! We can retake the pass if lost!"

"Hmph, such a woman’s perspective!" The general sneered with mockery, "Losing Valley Pass means higher casualties and costs to regain it. Don’t our brothers’ lives matter?"

"Indeed, General Zhou is right, we can’t give up Valley Pass!"

"..."

Amidst the surrounding commotion, Long Yue said: "If we don’t retreat, won’t they attack? Is there no death in siege warfare?"

"Haha, then according to you, what should we do?"

"Withdraw!" Long Yue glanced below the city walls, through the crowd once more spotting those starry black eyes, "Behind Valley Pass lies Qingjian Road, seeming flat but full of potential layouts! Besides, over there, I have a way to handle the Daliang Army!"

She knew how to handle it because that Daliang Army Commander was...

She took a deep breath, her gaze resolutely on Cao Yin: "Grandfather, trust me. If I fail, I’m willing to die to atone!"

The seriousness of her words prompted Cao Yin to quickly signal her to quiet: "Alright, Grandfather... trusts you! Brother Chang, we will retreat!"

Chang Baitu’s gaze sharpened, taking a deep breath.

He turned, looking at the woman behind him, and seeing her resolute eyes, he nodded almost against his will: "Alright! Withdraw!"

Gao Chi felt uneasy, yet being life-and-death brothers with Cao Yin, considering Cao Anxing his junior, couldn’t wish for their deaths.

"So, we retreat. If the Holy Emperor blames us, we’ll bear it together!"

This was the spirit and responsibility of these military generals!