Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 114 Marching in the Dark

The truth is that 'Chasing Night' had been holding back his anger at Shen Lizheng and had nowhere to vent it. This time, as soon as Ma Zheng mounted him, he pushed off with his front legs and stood up, using all his strength to throw him outwards.

Even though Ma Zheng was gripping the reins tightly with both hands, he was still thrown off the horse and his legs were lifted off the horse's back. He was about to fall off.

"Zhuiye, be good." Shen Li said upon seeing this.

The horse reluctantly steadied itself upon hearing Shen Li's voice, while Ma Zheng, on its back, was already sweating profusely. He had just felt his center of gravity shift, and without Shen Li's voice, he would have surely fallen off.

The soldiers' gazes towards Shen Li changed; they truly hadn't expected that it wasn't a coincidence, but that she had genuinely tamed this wild horse.

But they still don't understand how she could be tamed. They haven't seen her do anything.

Ma Zheng dismounted and walked towards Shen Li, bowing with admiration in his eyes: "Thank you for saving me, Madam."

"It's alright, it's just fate that brought us together. It is the general who is truly valiant and commendable." Shen Li's eyes showed appreciation, and her words were very sincere.

She had a clear and honest look in his eyes; she had made a good impression.

"I am ashamed. I am only a centurion and cannot be called a general."

"At such a young age, you've already become a centurion. If you've chosen the right person and fought well, your future is limitless." Shen Li said this while sizing him up, her expression somewhat probing.

"Thank you, Madam. If given the opportunity, I will certainly serve the country with utmost loyalty." Ma Zheng's eyes darted around, realizing that Madam Gu might be hinting at something.

Shen Li smiled faintly, and the first thing she said after returning to the central command tent with Xiao Zhan was: "Grandpa, I want him to take two hundred more men and set off tonight."

“I think this young man is clever and has good skills, so he’s a good fit.” Xiao Zhan said, then looked at Shen Li with some concern: “But Li’er, have you thought this through? If there really is a spy, the situation will be extremely dangerous.”

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about you." Shen Li added with concern, "You promised that you wouldn't rush to march after waiting for my news."

"Grandpa has fought so many battles over the years and knows what's going on. Right now, the most urgent thing for the Northern Territory is not support but supplies. Grandpa will personally collect and escort them, and as soon as your message arrives, we can deliver them to the front lines as quickly as possible." Seeing that she was determined to go, Xiao Zhan stopped trying to persuade her.

Shen Li was still not entirely at ease, so she gave some instructions and finally left Lian Qiao and Doctor Zou to take care of the old man.

Peony was overjoyed to learn that the young lady had only taken her with her. She must have become more cautious recently to have earned such an important position.

You should study even harder from Miss in the future.

Ma Zheng did not expect to have an assignment that very night. The Duke ordered him to lead 23000 troops and Madam Gu as the vanguard to the border.

He accepted the order, but he was also confused. Did he, a mere centurion, have the qualifications to be the vanguard? The task wasn't difficult, so it wasn't impossible, but he also had to bring a woman along?

Although he witnessed the lady's horse-training ability, having a good horse does not necessarily mean traveling quickly. Putting aside whether it is appropriate for a woman from the inner quarters to live a life of hardship, can her body keep up?

If someone gets sick or can't endure hardship, they'll need to be accommodated and cared for. If this delays the trip, who will be responsible?

However, military orders are absolute, and although he questioned them, he had no choice but to obey.

So a force of two hundred men quietly left the camp that night. Among them were Ma Zheng, a centurion, three squad leaders, and the remaining one hundred and seven were elite soldiers.

The Three Thousand Battalion was known for its mounted archery. They carried bows and arrows on their backs, and their horses were loaded with simple luggage and a small amount of dry rations. After leaving the camp, they let their horses run freely, moving in a neat and fast formation like an arrow in the night.

Shen Li had always believed that the most important thing about riding a horse was not the rider, but the horse. Now it seems that her understanding was correct. Even in front of the Three Thousand Battalion, whose riding skills were the best, Zhuiye was the fastest horse. So it was only natural for her to take the lead.

However, others did not think so. Although Shen Li could take the lead by chasing the night, the bumps and friction caused by incorrect posture were unbearable for a person.

She would be in pain all over her body within half a day and wouldn't be able to continue.

What impressed the soldiers was the maidservant beside the lady. At only fifteen or sixteen years old, she was already a very skilled rider, and her horse was of the highest quality, so fast that it could almost keep up with Madam Gu.

The one suffering the most was Shadow. He had been sleeping soundly in the tree when he suddenly saw the lady begin a forced march. He could move faster than a horse in a short time, but his stamina couldn't keep up.

The military camp was heavily guarded, so he couldn't steal a horse. He could only follow behind as best he could, hoping to get a good horse as soon as they reached the town.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Yuebei Pass is located north of Yuezhou City. It is a natural barrier, with a mountain range stretching for thousands of miles on both the east and west sides. Only the pass in the middle is passable.

This pass is the fastest route for the Great Liang to move south. If they cannot break through this pass, they will have to go around the mountains and borrow the route through the Mobei and Rongdi tribes to attack the western border of the Great Zhao.

Clearly, the Great Liang has not yet opened up that road, and can only choose to confront it head-on at the Dazhao Pass.

The Yuebei Pass is a long defensive line consisting of four city gates. It was built at the founding of the dynasty and is easy to defend and difficult to attack. As a result, even though the country has weakened in recent years, the Great Zhao has not been conquered.

A strong fortress is most afraid of internal problems, not external enemies. Among these problems, the most intractable is the issue of food and supplies.

Although it was late at night, the cannon fire from Daliang continued unabated. The moat had long been filled in by Daliang with stones, wood, and the corpses of soldiers. Under the cover of cannon fire, the army charged up, some ramming the city gates, others climbing ladders.

There were also many cannons on the walls of the northern border city, and they were the more powerful red-coated cannons than those of the Liang Dynasty. However, compared to the fierce artillery fire of the enemy, the enemy could only fire a cannonball every now and then.

The enemy's attack was stopped by the soldiers throwing wood and stones from the city walls, as well as arrows and pouring molten gold.

But this meant that the soldiers would inevitably be targeted by the enemy's arrows and cannon fire, falling one after another.

"Boom!"

The cannon fire from Daliang almost turned one side of the long city wall into daylight. The soldiers on the city wall were replaced wave after wave, and the casualties were heavy.

In the central command tent, General Lin Xiao, who was in his early forties, had a heroic appearance and had been imbued with a murderous aura by years of battlefield combat.

He was covered in blood after coming down from the city wall, and was now pacing back and forth in front of the commander's desk, holding the long sword at his waist.

Standing beneath the general's desk were Ninth Prince Li Rui, his son Lin Ao, Deputy General Xiao Qi, and Lin Wan'er, who was also clad in armor.

Everyone looked worried.

The interior has not received any supplies for nearly a month. The supplies that were supposed to be delivered twenty days ago were intercepted, and now food and ammunition are in short supply.

"General, even with this kind of artillery fire, we only have enough shells for three days, and arrows can barely last two days," Lin Ao said. "If this continues, the soldiers will have to use their bodies to block the enemy's shells."

“The cotton-padded clothes are far from enough. Even if everyone on defense wears them and then takes them off and wears them again after they die in battle, it still won’t be enough.” Xiao Qi said solemnly, “We are very grateful to Miss Lin, otherwise the food for the men and horses would have run out a few days ago.”

Li Rui's phoenix eyes fell on the letter in Lin Xiao's hand, and he asked, "Did Governor Xu say when the new military supplies will be delivered?"

"Ten days." Lin Xiao handed the letter to Li Rui.

"Ten days?" Lin Wan'er frowned. Even if the supplies could be delivered in ten days, there would still be a shortage of ammunition and arrows for seven or eight days.

The northern pass of Vietnam is no ordinary city; it is a bulwark of the country with a long battle line. Once any part of it is captured, the enemy will have a breakthrough and will be unable to hold it any longer.

Moreover, the soldiers didn't even have enough winter clothes, so how could they withstand the fierce attack from the other side?

Moreover, in her judgment, the governor might not be able to arrive smoothly.

Those bandits were capable of robbing such a large amount of supplies in the first batch, so it will be difficult to keep this batch safe.

"If the supplies can be delivered smoothly, the governor's 20,000 men can solve the immediate problem. As long as we can hold out for another half a month, we will have nothing to fear once the old Duke arrives with his three elite battalions."

Lin Ao clenched his fist and said, "At that time, I must lead my cavalry and muskets to charge them head-on and see who is stronger."

"I'm afraid the situation isn't so optimistic," Lin Xiao said with a solemn expression. "That bandit group has vanished without a trace, and there may be unforeseen events in the rear. That's why I summoned you here."

"What are your instructions, General?" Xiao Qi asked.

"I have decided to send men to meet the Governor-General's troops and supplies." Lin Xiao glanced at the group: "Who is going?"

“Father, leave it to your daughter.” Lin Wan’er stood up: “I have dealt with the governor of Yuezhou before when I was procuring grain, so I am more familiar with him.”

No one else objected; after all, although the situation in the rear was hard to judge, it was still safer than having the enemy at the gates.

"Alright, then take five thousand men and set off immediately." Lin Xiao looked at his daughter with a mixture of relief and affection: "Don't worry, Dad will go."

His daughter is far more talented in military affairs than his son. If she were a man, she would definitely be a great general. It's a pity that his daughter can't experience the battlefield. It's good that she can have a taste of it by chance.

Lin Wan'er shook her head: "Father, the war is urgent. Two thousand cavalrymen are enough for me."

"Alright, but don't be careless, be careful," Lin Xiao instructed.

"Yes," Lin Wan'er replied, her eyes glancing at Xiao Qi to the side before she left.

"You must be careful." Xiao Qi looked at her immediately, his eyes clear and bright, but there was some worry between his brows.

As they spent more time together, Xiao Qi and Lin Wan'er became much more familiar with each other, and their admiration for each other deepened into a friendship.

Lin Wan'er smiled and said, "Okay."

Being able to fight alongside him on the battlefield in this life, I've truly lived a worthwhile life.

Thinking of her past life, she could think of Shen Li. Hearing that Shen Li had come with the army this time, she was determined to show her the scenery of the northern border and the battlefield.