Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 163 Recuperation Base

Nothing happened that night, until the early hours of the morning when a soldier suddenly heard a slight noise from the east, as if a tree branch had been broken.

The soldiers immediately sounded the horn, and Chen Meng rushed over upon hearing the sound, leading a group of men to quickly proceed, holding torches to illuminate the surrounding open space.

When he discovered that it was just a few wild rabbits foraging for food, Chen Meng breathed a sigh of relief, but remained serious.

He glanced at the rabbits, then suddenly had a brilliant idea. He waved to the soldiers to come forward and catch them.

Chen Meng laughed and said to his men, "I didn't expect these rabbits to come to our doorstep! We can catch them and eat them, so the wounded soldiers can recover and it'll be a treat for our teeth."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately caught several wild rabbits and skillfully skinned and cleaned them with the small knives they carried.

As Chen Meng ordered a fire to be lit, he instructed, "These past few days everyone has been drinking thin porridge and lacking meat. Today, we can borrow some rabbit meat to make a soup for the wounded to nourish their bodies."

In no time, a fragrant rabbit soup was simmering in the pot over the fire.

Chen Meng had his soldiers cut up several rabbits, throw them into a large pot, add a few wild vegetables they had picked from the mountains, and some salt.

The aroma of rabbit meat rose with the steam and wafted around the camp.

The soldiers swallowed hard, but knowing that this was reserved for the wounded, they refrained from saying anything.

After the rabbit soup was cooked, Chen Meng had the soldiers serve out several bowls and hand them to the seriously wounded soldiers in the camp.

The wounded soldiers, holding steaming bowls of rabbit soup, looked on with delight and nodded gratefully to Chen Meng and the other soldiers.

The wounded soldiers were invigorated by the comforting rabbit soup.

Chen Meng stood aside and laughed heartily: "Wild game that fell from the sky saved our defense line and also filled the brothers' stomachs. It's a win-win situation!"

However, such "deliciousness" cannot be enjoyed every day. We must remain vigilant and not give the enemy any opportunity to exploit the situation.

Laughter broke out among the wounded, and the atmosphere immediately lightened considerably.

At daybreak, Gu Zining came to inspect and found that the camp was surrounded by protective measures such as wooden stakes, spikes, ditches, and earthen walls.

He couldn't help but give Chen Meng a thumbs up: "Chen Meng, your protective measures are so well-organized that not even the slightest disturbance can escape."

Chen Meng cupped his hands and said, "General Gu, there is no need to worry. With us here, this recuperation camp will surely be impregnable!"

As the missions unfolded one by one, the entire camp gradually became more organized and orderly.

After several days of hard work, the rehabilitation center has taken initial shape.

The wooden beds inside the sheds were simple, but they sheltered the wounded from the cold wind; the porridge was bland, but it filled their stomachs; and the medicinal soup was bitter, but it saved the lives of many soldiers.

Under Gu Zining's meticulous arrangements, the wounded soldiers gradually recovered their strength.

As she watched the camp gradually come together, she finally smiled with a sense of relief.

He not only healed the wounded soldiers, but also instilled in the defenders of Hesha City the hope to persevere.

As dawn approached, the firelight illuminated the sky above the camp.

As the deputy commander of Hesha City, Gu Jinyan shoulders heavy responsibilities, but recently he has been feeling the unusual shortage of supplies in the army.

She had repeatedly requested supplies from her superiors, but her requests were ignored.

At the same time, a secret message came that someone was deliberately withholding military supplies to isolate Hesha City.

Gu Jinyan felt uneasy and decided to investigate further. He took advantage of the patrol to go to the prisoner-of-war camp in order to find some clues from the enemy's prisoners.

Upon arriving at the prisoner-of-war camp, Gu Jinyan noticed several prisoners gathered in a corner of the camp, their expressions seemingly unusual.

She approached casually and noticed that one of the prisoners was thin, with a furrowed brow, and kept looking around.

His expression betrayed unease, as if he were waiting for someone or something.

Based on her experience, Gu Jinyan keenly sensed that this person might be carrying a secret, so she signaled the soldiers beside her to keep a close eye on him.

As night fell, the prisoner suddenly convulsed and collapsed.

Gu Jinyan rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, only to find the prisoner's face sallow and his lips blue, as if he had died from poisoning.

The soldiers wanted to dispose of the body, but Gu Jinyan stopped them, instructing them to leave the body in place temporarily so that the cause of death could be thoroughly investigated.

She ordered the soldiers to step back and personally went forward to examine the body.

The prisoner's hand clenched into a stiff fist, with a corner of yellowed letter peeking out from between his fingers.

Gu Jinyan pried open the prisoner's fingers little by little and took out the letter from them.

The envelope had some traces of wax sealing, and the writing was faintly visible, indicating that it had been hastily hidden in the palm of one's hand.

She carefully tore open the letter, unfolded it, and her expression changed slightly—the handwriting was unfamiliar, but the words revealed some secrets of the imperial court.

The letter mentions the names "Du Chengliang" and "Wang Chengyi".

Both of them were high-ranking officials in the imperial court, and the phrase "Tiger Clan" and "exchanging goods" were mentioned.

The passage subtly implies that certain high-ranking officials of the court were colluding with the enemy and intentionally isolating Hesha City so that it would surrender without a fight.

A storm raged in Gu Jinyan's heart.

This was not an ordinary military exchange, but a clandestine transaction, and more likely a prelude to a power struggle within the court.

The "flow of supplies" mentioned in the letter points to the root cause of the shortage of supplies in Hersha City.

Moreover, the contents of the letter were clearly not something ordinary soldiers could access.

It seems that this prisoner was likely a spy responsible for delivering intelligence, but was secretly poisoned and silenced before he could deliver the message.

Gu Jinyan knew that this matter was of utmost importance.

If we were to report this to General Zhao Lingfeng rashly, it might not only be difficult to gain his trust, but it could also alert the enemy.

She made up her mind and decided to conceal the matter for the time being, taking the opportunity to verify the "traffic channels" and "flow of supplies" mentioned in the letter.

Gu Jinyan carefully put away the letter, his gaze steady, and secretly made up his mind: this matter concerns the safety of Hesha City, and even the loyalty of the high-ranking officials in the court.

She must observe secretly without alerting the enemy, and seize the opportunity to gather more evidence to expose the traitor lurking in the court.

As night deepened, she pondered for a long time before turning and leaving the prisoner-of-war camp.

In the days following the discovery of the secret letter, Gu Jinyan carefully examined the clues within it.

It was confirmed that the abnormal flow of materials involved did indeed exist.

However, this matter involves powerful figures in the imperial court, and a single secret letter is insufficient to resolve the issue within Hesha City.

She needed the help of her father, Gu Yuande, a prestigious minister in the court, to expose this conspiracy.

Therefore, Gu Jinyan decided to send the secret letter back to the capital through clandestine channels.

Gu Jinyan chose a trusted follower to escort the secret letter as a special envoy.

She instructed, "After this letter is handed to my father, tell him to destroy any related traces immediately after reading it, without any hesitation."

The attendant nodded emphatically, hid the secret letter in his personal clothing, and set off in secret.

Outside the eastern wall of Hesha City, war drums resounded as the enemy army advanced steadily, and the defensive line was in grave danger.

Gu Jinyan stood atop the city wall, gazing at the soldiers being oppressed by the enemy in the distance, his heart heavy.

Once the enemy forces breach the defenses, the people and soldiers in the city will suffer annihilation.

She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes blazing, and she made a firm decision in her heart: only by going all out now could she win a chance for survival for Hersha City.

Back in his tent, Gu Jinyan spread out a map and carefully considered the enemy's attack route and the terrain around the city.

While studying the map, she pondered for a moment and decided to use fire to lure the enemy to the dense forest outside the city, then set fire to the prepared firewood to cut off their retreat.

This plan is dangerous; if the fire is not controlled properly, it could very well spread to their own side. But now that the situation has come to this, she has no other choice.

Gu Jinyan took a deep breath, his eyes resolute.

She used charcoal to mark the locations of the planned bonfires on the map and envisioned several retreat routes to ensure her soldiers could evacuate safely.

After making the arrangements, she calmly rolled up the map, already prepared to fight the enemy with her back to the wall.

Gu Jinyan selected several loyal and battle-hardened soldiers and summoned them to his presence.

Before the soldiers could even ask a question, they noticed that Gu Jinyan's expression was solemn, with an undisguised sorrow and determination in his eyes.

They were uneasy and awaited her instructions.

Gu Jinyan said in a low voice, "Brothers, the enemy army is approaching our city gate."

If they succeed, the city of Hersha will cease to exist.

Now, I have devised a plan, though it is extremely risky, it may give my city a glimmer of hope.

She explained the fire attack plan to the soldiers in detail, and concluded by saying, "The fire attack may severely damage the enemy, but we may also be affected by the fire."

If something unexpected happens... perhaps, I will go to the battlefield with you all.

She paused, looked down at the soldiers, and said with a hint of self-reproach in her voice, "It was my poor command that prevented me from stabilizing the situation."

"Only now, out of desperation, do I need you to share my fate."

Upon hearing this, tears welled up in the soldiers' eyes, but their faces remained fearless.

The leading veteran stepped forward, choking back tears, and said, “General, why blame yourself! If we can hold the city in this battle, we will go through fire and water for you.”

"We only ask that our burning passion can protect the people of Hesha City!"

Gu Jinyan looked at them intently, his voice firm and powerful: "You are all warriors of Hesha City. Regardless of life or death in this battle, the people of the city will remember your names!"

If this plan succeeds, we will inflict a heavy blow on the enemy and save Hesha City.

If we fail to return, I hope this city will gain a little more strength to stand guard.

She paused for a moment, placed her hand on her chest, and bowed solemnly to the soldiers to show her respect.

With tears in their eyes, the soldiers accepted her salute, then knelt down in unison and said, "We swear to follow the general to the death, and are willing to live and die with the general!"

At this moment, the soldiers' tears reflected on each other's resolute faces. They knew the danger of this battle, yet not one of them retreated.

Seeing this, Gu Jinyan's eyes also welled up with tears, but she quickly concealed her emotions and solemnly said, "Tonight's operation must not let the enemy discover our plan."

Everyone is fully prepared to defend Hersha City!

As night fell, the soldiers nervously and methodically set up bonfires at designated locations, holding torches and waiting with bated breath.

Gu Jinyan stood at the front of the group, gazing at the stars gradually rising in the night sky, silently praying for the safety of Hesha City.

This night will be her and her soldiers' last stand in defending their homeland.

She looked down at the soldiers beside her and said softly, "If you are unfortunately trapped in the fire, you must prioritize evacuation."

"In this battle, I stand with you all." The soldiers all nodded, took a deep breath, their eyes resolute, and had only one thought in their hearts—to protect Hersha City and defend their homeland, even at the cost of their lives.

Just then, they heard the sound of enemy footsteps coming from afar.

A cold glint flashed in Gu Jinyan's eyes. He took a deep breath, raised the torch, and awaited the moment that would decide his fate.

The night was deep, and mist swirled in the dense forest.

The faint moonlight from afar dappled through the shadows of the trees, casting mottled patterns of light.

Gu Jinyan led the soldiers of Hesha City in a retreat, their steps light and silent.