Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1683: Good News
Previously on Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fire stones struck again, causing the entire Long’an Prefecture to tremble.
Xu You stood in heavy armor on the city tower, looking ahead, "Why panic? If the magistrate dies, let the government office’s assistant officer take over."
As long as the city remains unbroken, even if hell descends within its walls, it does not count as defeat.
The staff dared not make a sound after hearing this.
Xu You asked about the matter he cared about, "How many insects have been bred?"
The staff paused, recalling those insects kept in water tanks, paled and replied, "Eight large tanks have been bred."
"Still not enough, have them breed more. If the antidote can’t be made, are they so slow in breeding insects?" Xu You, who could rise to the position of Kangrong General, was never a man of compassion, and in such a great war, using some methods was expected.
This method was delivered by the Rong people, it mustn’t be wasted.
"Yes, I will urge the doctors again." The staff replied, before he could leave, the son of the magistrate arrived risking his life, knelt before Xu You, and pleaded while crying, "General Xu, please save my father, he has contracted a strange illness and won’t last long."
Xu You looked at the magistrate’s son and spoke frankly, "I really wish I could save your father, but you know well, this strange disease has no cure."
There is an extreme method though, which involves cutting open the body to remove the insects.
But the doctors say, for those who faint and convulse, the insects typically enter the cranium... if the brain is opened up, how could one possibly survive?
"General Xu, please think of a method..." the magistrate’s son cried painfully on the ground.
As he cried even more, Xu Fang, stationed at Xu You’s residence within the city, suddenly arrived with soldiers, carrying a cage with two messenger pigeons, "General! Celebratory news, celebratory news!"
Celebratory news?
Xu You’s pupils widened as he looked at Xu Fang.
At this moment, there shouldn’t be such a thing as celebratory news, but Xu Fang was his servant, later gaining an official position as a steward, a confidant among confidants, familiar with his temperament, and daring to announce celebratory news amidst the battle, it must be a huge surprise.
Yet, Xu You did not anticipate such a grand surprise.
"General, the strange illness can be cured now!" Xu Fang pointed at the messenger pigeons in the cage, "Two messenger pigeons have delivered a message and insect attractant."
The message and insect attractant were already taken out, currently being presented to Xu You by Xu Fang with utmost care.
Xu You quickly took a look, the message was from Vice General Ma, briefly detailing the situation in Xing’an Prefecture with the poisonous insect disease and how the medicine was used to lure and kill the poisonous insects.
Xing’an Prefecture indeed has such capable individuals.
One created the insect attractant, the other slew Leimuqin, excellent, he must win over these two for his own use.
Knowing the poisonous insect disease has a cure and reinforcements have arrived, Xu You was delighted but first asked about the messenger pigeons.
Xu Fang replied, "The messenger pigeons were from a batch taken by Vice General Ma, there should be nine, only two were seen, others are being sought within the city."
Xu You: "Make sure to find all the messenger pigeons, continue using them to transport the insect attractant."
Messenger pigeons are tricky, only recognizing specific places, now, Vice General Ma’s group hiding in the mountains, the pigeons bred here haven’t been to their hideout, hence can’t locate them, only those that flew in can be used.
Xu Fang replied, "Yes."
Xu You looked at the magistrate’s son, "There is medicine now, take them to the government office to save your father immediately."
This insect attractant’s effectiveness is unknown, just right to test it on the magistrate.
The magistrate’s son was stunned for a moment, then reminded by Xu You’s staff, he broke into a smile and quickly rose, "Thank you General Xu, follow me everyone!"
Xu You did not go himself, he needed to oversee the battle from the city tower.
An hour later, after testing the medicine, Xu Fang rode back to report the results, "General, the insect attractant works, the insects from the magistrate and Squad Leader Lu’s bodies were all lured out."
"Very good." Xu You was very pleased, clutching the insect attractant, his eyes reflecting the flames, coldly laughing at the Rong soldiers still tormenting them in the siege.
Ha, after tonight, it’s you who will wish for death over living!
...
Mid-April in the twelfth year of Jingyuan, a strange disease suddenly erupted in Long’an Prefecture, insects grew inside the people, with countless deaths.
Three days after the onset of the strange disease, Da Rong Tian Khan personally led a force of 600,000 to besiege Long’an Prefecture, its walls at the brink of collapse.
Kangrong General Xu You led his generals and fought to the death, defending the city for nearly ten days, when the magistrate’s illness became critical, reinforcements and effective medicine arrived just in time.
Next day, General Xu turned defense into offense, leading his army out of the city, with the reinforcements attacking Rong soldiers from both sides, annihilating the right-wing, then retreated back inside the city after the forces reunited.
Rong soldiers laughed, mocking Xu You’s undeserved fame, foolishly pulling reinforcements inside the city to lock them in.
However, that night the Rong Army camp suffered a surprise attack, with poisonous insects rampant within.
Two days later, the strange disease in Long’an Prefecture City was resolved, while the Rong Army camp was overrun by insect infestations.
Da Rong Tian Khan was furious, ordered all witch doctors to treat and eliminate the poisonous insects, but after several days without success, he burnt soldiers to kill insects.
King Rong burned soldiers, causing chaos in the army, General Xu led tens of thousands of his soldiers in a sudden assault on the Rong King’s camp, yet Great Chu’s soldiers were weak compared to Rong soldiers and returned defeated.
General Xu was infuriated, employed more remarkable tactics, causing renewed insect infestation in the Rong camp, as fear spread among the Rong soldiers, the army attacked again, winning a small victory.
Da Rong Tian Khan was enraged, sent reinforcements, and attacked Long’an Prefecture again, General Xu and his commanders defended desperately for several days, Central Plains Commander Wu Mang led troops to reinforce, securing Long’an Prefecture.
Late May in the twelfth year of Jingyuan, after over a month of battle, the Rong soldiers’ supplies were destroyed, horses and livestock poisoned by the insects, losing thirty percent of their forces, the army morale collapsed.
Within Long’an Prefecture, medicine and food dwindled, over half the soldiers dead or wounded, no firewood left to cook, forcing troops and civilians to eat raw beans and chew herbal medicine.
...
Late May in Great Chu Capital, amidst the coming scorching heat, the sound of cicadas grew, disturbing everyone without peace.
Emperor Jingyuan detested the noise, under normal circumstances would have angrily executed Palace Attendants, yet today was overjoyed from the good news from the frontier, Xing’an Prefecture was secure, Kangrong soldiers in the south killed an enemy general!
Though the methods used were somewhat inappropriate, they greatly boosted the entire army’s morale.
"Who says southern soldiers can’t fight? Look at our soldiers who went southward, haven’t they the head of the royal general from the Rong bandits?" Emperor Jingyuan, in Mingwei Palace, said to several cabinet ministers, had the good news not arrived untimely, he would have summoned all ministers into the palace and held court at dawn once more.
Minister Dai was also delighted, the past few months saw Great Chu lose three cities in succession, many Kangrong soldiers in the south died along the way, the Emperor was furious and berated him daily during court.
Not able to withstand it, he intentionally feigned illness to avoid court, yet the Emperor sent men to carry him to the palace to continue berating.
Minister Dai almost perished from the rebukes, but as soon as the good news reached the Ministry of War, he fainted from happiness, was revived by the Imperial Physician, and promptly delivered the news to the Emperor.
The Emperor indeed was overjoyed.
However, the cabinet ministers were not as jubilant as Emperor Jingyuan, because accompanying the good news was the report of Rong bandits using poisonous insects to plague Xing’an Prefecture, warning that the insects could spread throughout Great Chu.
"Your Majesty, this time the Rong bandits’ poisonous insects are formidable, if they spread in Great Chu, it’s feared humans and livestock alike will perish."
Emperor Jingyuan enjoyed the celebration, upon hearing this, his face darkened, angrily stating, "The good news mentioned that the insect attractant is made, the formula has been presented to me by Duchess Yuan already, why are you worried?"
Are you intentionally spoiling my joy?!
