Chapter 351: A Hidden Move

In the later night, the enemy forces launched no further harassing attacks, yet this quiet night only made Chen Wuji feel extremely uneasy.

He was certain that Xu Zengyi's judgment must be accurate.

If the enemy's four consecutive Shìhòu probing attacks were not meant for a later full-scale assault on the city, then their earlier sacrifices would have been meaningless.

Unless the enemy commander is a total fool, who dares only to Shìhòu bit by bit, with no real strategy.

But such a situation is rare.

Chen Wuji hopes the enemy's main commander is such a person, which would save him a lot of trouble.

But he also knows that such a thing is unlikely.

Dawn was approaching, and a hazy glow had already begun to appear in the east.

At the moment when yin and yang intersect, the air between heaven and earth is especially clear and refreshing, instantly reviving Chen Wuji's somewhat weary spirit.

The soldiers were seizing the time to rest and recover their strength, while he and Xu Zengyi had not slept at all.

They dared not relax in the slightest.

"If nothing unexpected happens, the enemy should arrive soon." Xu Zengyi walked over holding a pot of steaming hot tea, placed two teacups on the city wall, and said, "Drink some hot tea to perk up; we're about to fight desperately."

"Lao Yang's side has agreed, but for now I haven't let them come. If the Qin County Magistrate cannot recruit enough Young Strongmen from his side, they can only serve as a last-ditch special force, rushing to reinforce while also boosting our army's morale!" Chen Wuji said.

These matters were settled last night.

But he never found a chance to discuss this with Xu Zengyi.

Last night, that brief period, he was busy, Xu Zengyi even busier, with too many things requiring them to handle personally.

"The arrangements are very thorough." Xu Zengyi nodded, lifted the kettle and poured boiling water into the teacups.

"With over a thousand troops against a ten-thousand-strong army, this battle will surely be extremely tough. In a siege, there's no other way to Shìhòu; we can only hold, grit our teeth and hold. Fortunately, this isn't the soldiers' first battle—they've already experienced bloody slaughter and have transformed."

"If this unit had just been formed when this battle arose, defending the city would be mere fantasy; I would certainly advise the Commandant to abandon Yunan City and seek other plans."

Chen Wuji took the tea Xu Zengyi offered and took a sip.

The scalding tea slid down his dry throat, instantly giving Chen Wuji's weary body a touch of warmth.

"You didn't bring anything to eat?" Chen Wuji asked.

Xu Zengyi shook his head. "I've already eaten."

Chen Wuji stared, "... I haven't eaten."

Xu Zengyi laughed heartlessly, "Then have a drink first, we'll eat later."

Chen Wuji:...

This guy...

"There's nothing in this world more beautiful than the morning sun." Xu Zengyi, holding his teacup, suddenly sighed.

"Every time I see the morning sun, it gives me a deeper insight into life; life's greatest beauty is nothing but the morning sun."

Chen Wuji didn't want to pick up that topic.

A toxic strategist suddenly started adopting the airs of a literati scholar.

Never mind what he says; his appearance just doesn't fit, whether you look at him horizontally or vertically.

"You have time for this—why not consider whether there are any other ideas?" Chen Wuji asked.

Xu Zengyi raised his teacup with his right hand, offered a toast to the morning sun, turned and said, "Commandant, I'm neither a deity nor omnipotent; we're trapped inside one city with limited forces—what other options could we possibly have?"

"The enemy doesn't care at all about their own clansmen's lives, so we've lost even this last threatening measure."

Chen Wuji remained silent and let out a soft sigh.

Actually, he felt no fear at all and never feared this battle.

But he truly couldn't bear to see this just‑begun venture meet a collapsing end.

If this battle is lost,

the Chen clan's ancestors would likely tear him apart.

He has staked the fate of his entire family!

Xu Zengyi laughed, "However, there's no need to be overly pessimistic; the situation isn't that bad."

"Yunan City may be small, but its walls are high and thick; as long as our troops get sufficient rest, we can definitely win this fight, or even wear them down."

"We are clearly facing the morning sun—how could the Commandant's heart be as dead as dusk?"

"I'm not that fragile." Chen Wuji retorted angrily.

"I just want to make as many preparations as possible while we still have a breather, to increase our chances of victory."

His heart has never been pessimistic.

One who has died once, whose time‑travel beginning was such a disastrous sky‑falling start, having gone through so many terrible things, how could he easily produce those unwarranted negative emotions?

Xu Zengyi laughed, raised another cup of tea to the eastern morning sun, "Indeed, there's really nothing left to prepare. Now, Commandant, just peacefully go eat breakfast, then take a nap. This battle will surely be fought; if I can't hold out, I'll send someone to fetch you."

Chen Wuji set down his teacup, "Makes sense, I'm going to get something to eat."

"You're trying to make me drink this strong tea first thing in the morning—your heart's a bit black, it's awful."

After two cups of tea, that warm feeling had vanished, replaced by an indescribable discomfort in the stomach.

It feels like eating undercooked mushrooms—slightly nauseous, yet without the urge to vomit.

Xu Zengyi burst out laughing, "Commandant, this can't be blamed on me—I never said you had to drink."

Chen Wuji curled his lip and descended the city wall.

At one side of the city gate, a dozen or so Provincial Troops soldiers were boiling porridge, while on the other side there was a large chunk of cooked meat.

The fragrant aroma of the porridge and the meat mingled, spreading thickly through the air.

The soldiers who had woken up were lining up to get porridge.

Although they had slept only a few hours, the soldiers' energy and spirit had largely recovered.

Upon seeing Chen Wuji, everyone stood to attention in unison, shouting the Commandant's title in uneven voices.

Chen Wuji smiled and greeted each person, then fell in at the end of the line.

This startled the soldiers who were queuing up.

Everyone ahead of him instantly swirled around to stand behind Chen Wuji.

In just a moment, Chen Wuji, who had been the last in line, became the first.

Chen Wuji gave a helpless smile and said to the provincial troops ladling porridge ahead, "Give me a bowl of porridge, keep it light."

Although he had already mixed in with the soldiers, they soldiers, they could not ignore the hierarchy.

"Yes, sir, Commandant, please wait a moment," the provincial troops replied loudly and sprang into action.

Chen Wuji's personal troops currently have no Huotou Army.

As the provincial troops were the weakest and most unruly element of the whole force, they were given the important task of handling logistics.

The Huotou Army are they, and they are also the ones who haul rolling logs and stones up to the city wall.

After breakfast, once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they would also take on the important task of boiling the golden broth.

The more than three hundred provincial troops were divided into several shifts, each with its own chores to attend to.

The logistics of the siege defense were as busy as the soldiers defending the city wall.