Chapter 769: These Japanese Destroyers

Xiao Er hurried into the tent, clasped his fists and said, "National Preceptor, the Prince has ordered a full retreat of thirty li."

Wang Jingning heard this, placed a hand on his chest, and let out a long sigh, "No battle?"

Tuan Tuan looked up at Xiao Er, puzzled, "Uncle Er, why retreat? Aren't we supposed to besiege the city?"

Xiao Er's Adam's apple twitched.

How could that bloody scene on the city wall earlier have been known to the Miss?

He forced the fire rising to his throat back down, shook his head, "Miss, don't ask."

Chu Yuan gave Xiao Er a look and thought, "My little disciple really asks 'why' about everything."

He smiled faintly, intending to help Xiao Er out of the bind: "Retreat if you must; today, in any case, is not an auspicious time for battle."

Tuan Tuan blinked, tilted her little head, and looked at her Master: "Master, you have to consider the calendar for war?"

She rolled her eyes: "Then Master, must my lessons also wait for an auspicious time before you can teach me?"

Chu Yuan: "…"

He glared at his disciple, set his face in a scowl, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up: "You're the one with all the mischievous ideas!"

Tuan Tuan grinned broadly.

Wang Jingning couldn't help but laugh along, and the fear in his heart finally eased a bit.

Outside the tent, soldiers were taking down tents, bundling loads, fitting horse gear… Their work never lessened, yet not a single word was spoken.

The main army silently broke camp.

Tuan Tuan rode together with Xiao Er on one horse, sitting steadily in front of him.

She curiously watched squads of soldiers pass by her side.

Those uncles who had laughed and greeted her this morning now hung their heads, the blue veins at their temples faintly pulsing.

"Uncle Er," Tuan Tuan gently tugged Xiao Er's sleeve, "What happened to them? Weren't they happy this morning?"

Xiao Er remained silent.

He looked ahead; the red battle flag had just been slowly lowered by the soldiers, then he glanced down at Tuan Tuan's little face looking at him, and finally spoke.

"Those Japanese…" he hesitated for words, "they captured many Goryeo civilians and tied them to the city walls."

"If we were to besiege the city, they would kill those civilians."

"Miss, the Prince knows you never harm the innocent, so you ordered the retreat."

Tuan Tuan's brows knit into a small knot: "These Japanese destroyers!"

At dusk, a new Main Camp was set up.

Campfires lit up in clusters, cooking smoke curled, the iron pot on the stove gurgled with steam, yet none of the soldiers seated by the fire lifted their chopsticks.

Each wore a despondent expression.

Inside the central army's big tent, candlelight shone brightly.

On the commander's table lay a map, where the city walls were outlined with ink lines, and countless red lines were strikingly alarming.

Each red line represented a Goryeo civilian that could not be bypassed, densely covering the walls.

Xiao Yuanhang sat upright behind the desk, his fingers lightly tapping the corner of the desk.

The generals sat on both sides, and the atmosphere in the tent was oppressive, like the sky before a storm.

When the tent curtain was lifted, two tiny figures ran in.

Tuan Tuan trotted on her short legs, pattering to the commander's desk, and leapt into her father's arms: "Dad! Are you discussing how to deal with those destroyers?"

Wang Jingning shyly stepped before Wang Jingzhao, fingers tightly gripping his collar.

Xiao Yuanhang reached out and scooped his daughter onto his knee.

"Good girl," he patted his daughter's crown, "Dad and the uncles are discussing military matters; let's go back to the tent to play, okay?"

"No!" Tuan Tuan shook her head, "Uncle Er told me those destroyers tied the old Goryeo civilians to the city walls, so we can't besiege the city, right?"

"That's right," Xiao Yuanhang lowered his head, gave his daughter's cheek a gentle kiss, "Then sit here with Dad and listen to what everyone says."

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Okay."

Xiao Ningchen was the first to speak: "Father, can we use the Heavenly Fire Tube?"

"There are no civilians on the North City Gate wall, so we can concentrate all the Heavenly Fire Tubes there, burn a hole and charge in!"

"Second brother, not allowed." Xiao Ningxun shook his head, "Although the North City Gate has no civilians, the Japanese daring to leave that spot for us must have already set up a heavenly and earthly net."

"They've already seen the Heavenly Fire Tubes; they won't let us exploit this opening."

Zhang Wu'an punched his own leg and said, "How about sending someone in to sneak through at night?"

"I can select a hundred or so of the most skilled brothers, find a way to climb over the wall, and open the gate from inside!"

Xiao Ningxun shook his head again: "These ordinary siege methods, the Japanese have surely already thought of."

"The archers on the wall are waiting for you to show yourself; then a torrent of arrows will rain down. Not to mention opening the gate, you won't even be able to protect yourselves."

"What about concentrating forces to assault a single gate?" Zheng Wucheng stood up.

He pointed to a spot on the map: "There are ambushes at the North City Gate; we should abandon this."

He moved his finger: "Concentrate all forces on one of the other three gates, disregarding the civilians on that wall, to minimize casualties."

"Not allowed." This time, it was Xiao Er who shook his head, "Behind the gate are already piles of timber, rolling logs, and sandbags; even if we breach it, we can't push it open."

"The last time Second Young Master and I did this, we captured the gate, but the obstacles blocking it couldn't all be cleared even after the city fell."

"If the gate can't be opened wide, the main army can't enter the city, and the brothers who charge in first become targets."

Zheng Wucheng stood blankly for a moment, then slowly sat back down.

Wang Cheng'an stared at the map, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, and sighed, "This won't work, that won't work; must we just watch the Japanese act so arrogantly?"

No one answered him.

The tent fell into silence.

Tuan Tuan glanced left and right: "Why do we have to smash the city gate? Isn't it those walls that are in the way?"