Chapter 154

Xiao Xue continued to fall intermittently, the sky still a dull gray expanse. Following the lake water toward the distance, the hills connecting to the lakeshore faintly revealed their continuous, undulating outlines, the whole suffused with a deep gray‑blue hue.

After sending the wounded one by one onto the island, they lost a considerable amount of time.

Luo Fo continued to worry, at one moment speaking of the number of soldiers wounded and killed, at another of the exhausted warhorses unwilling to run; when he stepped out from under the fish‑ladder wood again and saw that Xiao Xue had already dusted a white layer outside the fish‑ladder wood's perimeter, he grew irritable once more.

"Snow has piled on the road; I fear it will be hard to travel." He glanced at Mei Yi. If he were not a council member recommended by the Earl of Deepforest, Mei Yi would even think he was sowing discord in her army: "If the snow gets heavier later, we'll be trapped to death between the castles, and those hundred of us who survived will have to answer for it!"

"If we do nothing, it's only a matter of time." Mei Yi felt that if the little furry dog hadn't howled unexpectedly, perhaps her warriors wouldn't have died so many. At least, the enemy wouldn't have formed a counter‑force so quickly after the ambush.

The little furry dog, just like her brother Rikken, was a willful pup; even during the crucial period of growth, its master had not taught it how to cooperate with the army in battle.

Put bluntly, this is also her responsibility; she never should have pinned part of her hope on a wild beast.

Perhaps she should look higher at Robb; he is even more outstanding than people realize.

"I know you are all exhausted, especially after battle, but ripe opportunities are few. Our proud enemy, Lord Rikard, has already written up the victory report in advance; how could we not give Earl Rodrik a surprise?" She deliberately walked past Lord Luo Fo with a cold expression; if he remained passive and shirking, she could act even colder, wishing this important officer and his subordinates would understand her attitude—at least, he should study the mercenary Bolon well: "We are in a death trap; resting on this island, we could at any moment be sealed off by enemy forces from all quarters; lingering on the vast plain likewise means facing harsh environmental challenges—our goal has always been Long Creek City, never changed, and now this opportunity lies right before us; as long as we hold out until we reach Long Creek City's gates, I guarantee you that tomorrow morning everyone will sleep in a spacious castle."

Their forces were too few; after one battle, although they won a great victory, they were already battered, which differed from her original expectation.

This is not a mobile war; it is more like a war of attrition. She is not qualified to fight a war of attrition.

"Your Highness, although the seven hundred cavalry sent out from Long Creek City have been annihilated, the city still won't be lacking troops inside. I thought the precondition for a successful sneak attack on Long Creek City was that its garrison had been fully mobilized." Luo Fo earnestly pointed out the problem, firmly rejecting her view: "Now we have merely fought a first battle in the field against them, far from achieving any mobilization."

Only Mei Yi is to blame for explaining the strategy to him too clearly; although he opposes it, his reasoning is not bad.

"Lord Luo Fo, I can't say I'm absolutely certain, but my confidence is not low," Mei Yi said, not wishing to argue with a senior officer in front of the soldiers, but now there was no alternative, so she could only display full confidence and have plans in mind: "I believe there are three reasons why we need not worry about the city's garrison:" each point is an adventure, "First, I am among our troops. You won't forget that standing before you is the tournament champion, the one who defeated Sir Barristan and the kingslayer—the 'Queen of Love and Beauty'?"

She didn't want to boast about this; everyone thinks a thirteen‑year‑old girl defeating the foremost swordsman of the Seven Kingdoms on horseback and on foot is a fantasy tale, but Mei Yi felt no surprise—once she became familiar with Sir Rodrik's and her father Lord Eddard's traditional routines, their tournament tricks amounted to nothing, whereas the threat posed by the Kahor of the plains was even greater.

The soldiers burst into genuine laughter, but Lord Luo Fo was not pleased.

"As long as I can enter the castle, I can lead people straight to Lord Rodrik's bedchamber and those of his two remaining sons—my sense of direction has always been excellent, my lords; after this long march, this little ability of mine ought to have been proven, right?"

The soldiers nodded, some about to start clapping and cheering.

Mei Yi suppressed her fatigue, pulled at the corners of her mouth, smiled, and felt that what followed would be easier for her to say.

"In short, the first point is: as long as we can get into the city, we can capture all the Lannisters—no matter how many thousands of soldiers they have inside, what can they do? Don't forget, my name is Stark, I am the lord of Winterfell, the legitimate ruler of the North."

She raised her voice so every soldier heard clearly; were it not for her steadfast gaze, Mei Yi felt they would surely have begun cheering.

Only the face on the fish‑ladder wood curved into a long grin; at this moment it was impossible to tell whether it was a smile or a sneer.

Mei Yi felt those eyes fixed on her; she only wanted to glare back fiercely.

Stark, Stark, isn't that so? Don't you see King Robert's promise?

"Lord Luo Fo, it looks like you're still not convinced," Mei Yi gazed at him; she needed not only to convince the soldiers—which seemed already done—but also to have them see that she had convinced Lord Luo Fo, otherwise they'd harbor doubts, be unable to overcome fatigue, and willingly follow her on further adventure: "It seems I must now give the second reason."

Mei Yi used a light tone to tease, also hoping Luo Fo would slightly cooperate by nodding; if he kept that sour face, she would have to label him "hard to work with."

Mei Yi glanced around; it was clear everyone was eager, which made her fairly satisfied.

"The second point: originally I wanted to say we had ravens and that ridiculous triumphant letter from Rikard Lannister, which could confuse Lord Rodrik. But now I have something better," Mei Yi withdrew her smile, "that head, Rikard's head." The head lay on a stone block, its face still bearing the astonished expression of death; Mei Yi could not guess what he had been thinking in his final moments, but the expression was vivid enough, sufficient to convey the enemy's terror, and that was enough.

"Night is our camouflage; when we take Long Creek City, even if we are only one‑tenth of a hundred men, they will think we number ten thousand—only such a force could so easily defeat his cavalry, right? In this short half‑day! Night, everything is night—that's why we almost must set out at once."

"Yes!" The soldiers exclaimed in excited whispers of agreement and shouted loudly.

Lord Luo Fo wore a solemn expression, uneasily glancing at the surrounding soldiers; Er let out a sigh, as if already sensing his own failure.

Mei Yi lifted her gaze from his face, slightly raised her head, swept over the soldiers with a smile, then turned to the fish‑ladder wood and made a provocative expression.

Mei Yi's voice was loud enough; the soldiers began to clap.

"It seems I don't need to give a third reason after all!" Mei Yi chuckled, casually tucked her disheveled hair, picked up a fish‑ladder wood branch, and quickly tied her hair back, restoring her warrior's bearing.

A few boys began to giggle.

"To put Lord Luo Fo at ease, Your Highness, you'd better not keep us in suspense!" Lord Kong Qi stepped from the crowd, speaking loudly, as if he were the final arbiter of strategy, delivering his closing remarks: "No matter what the third reason is, I will stay by your side, scaling walls, breaching forts, seizing tokens and plundering formations. What's two nights without sleep? I guarantee I won't fall from my horse."

The soldiers cheered for his spoken representation.

Victory gave them much courage.

Mei Yi gave him a slight nod. Along the way he had become quite honest, and also rather "clever."

"Yes, to put Lord Luo Fo at ease," Mei Yi fixed Luo Fo with a smiling gaze—this was all for the soldiers to see—"I'll just outline the third point."

"Your Highness..." Lord Luo Fo finally began to look somewhat embarrassed.

Mei Yi finally relaxed: he had still not chosen to be a stubborn mule, obstinately clinging to his own views under her "offensive," making the scene ugly beyond repair.

"The third point: I will try to make contact with the White Harbour cavalry." Mei Yi withdrew her smile, looked solemnly at the soldiers; this point was the most difficult and exhausting part—she had to direct the troops, control the ravens to fly to specific locations, and simultaneously watch the nearby scattered cavalry; fortunately, this was the area she was most confident about, though it would be tiring.

"You……"

Mei Yi reached out, stopping Luo Fo's words.

"I guarantee you all that when we take Long Creek City, the White Harbour cavalry will also appear outside its walls." The soldiers inside Long Creek City, at that moment, would have no choice but to surrender meekly.

Can Luo Fo understand?