Chapter 234: Only a Glimmer of Hope

The doctors knelt down with a thud, and the leader, with tears streaming down his face, said: "Three days at the fastest, five days at the slowest... If there is no antidote, even the gods cannot save you! General, the most urgent task is to gouge out the rotten flesh; perhaps that can delay it..."

"Gouge out the flesh?"

The Prince of Zhenbei glanced at his swollen, blackened arm and shook his head.

If he gouged out the rotten flesh, he would surely lose most of his combat power, and the commotion would be too great to hide, which would affect the soldiers' morale.

"No need! Wash it with the strongest burning liquor, apply the best golden sore medicine, and wrap it tightly with clean cloth! Prescribe some medicine that can boost strength and suppress pain, and be quick!"

"General! You cannot! This is drinking poison to quench thirst!" The group's faces changed drastically, and they hurriedly kowtowed to dissuade him.

"Do as I say!" The Prince of Zhenbei's tone was unquestionable, carrying the determination of a dying man.

"Uncle... Uncle..."

Wei Xikang turned his head, wiped his face hard, and forcibly suppressed the sob in his throat.

He was not stupid; he had already heard some clues from the Prince of Zhenbei's words. He was looking for the most valuable place for his own death.

The doctors dared not persuade him further and, with tears in their eyes, washed the wound with strong liquor.

When the strong liquor was poured onto the rotten flesh, the Prince of Zhenbei trembled violently, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, but he bit down hard on a cloth towel and did not make a sound.

After the cleaning was finished, the medicine powder was applied, and it was wrapped in layers of clean linen. The stench seemed to be temporarily covered up, but the swelling and black-purple color of his left arm did not subside.

After taking the decoction that Wei Xikang had personally brewed, which had numbing and refreshing effects, the Prince of Zhenbei felt that the severe pain and chill in his body seemed to have lessened, replaced by a floating dryness and an abnormal clarity.

"Your Highness!"

"Uncle, I am here, you should rest in peace!"

The fatigue and worry on Wei Xikang's face were not faked; ever since the Prince of Zhenbei came down from the city wall, he had been by his side.

Not only had he not eaten, but he didn't even trust others to brew the medicine; he had to control it personally!

The Prince of Zhenbei slowly opened his mouth and said: "Your Highness, there are currently two things that need to be done!"

"Uncle, tell me!" Wei Xikang gritted his teeth, feeling immense heartache for the Prince of Zhenbei.

"First, strictly seal off the news! Tell the outside world only that I was hit by an arrow in the arm, a flesh wound, and need to rest for two days. Military affairs will be handled by Your Highness for the time being, but important military intelligence must be reported to me immediately.

Second, send more scouts to keep a close eye on the movements of the Xiongnu main camp; I want to know their troop strength and what they plan to do next.

Especially... whether they are celebrating and whether they are relaxed!"

Wei Xikang instantly understood the Prince of Zhenbei's intention; he wanted to take the Xiongnu down with him while he hadn't completely fallen yet.

Words of dissuasion were on the tip of his tongue, but Wei Xikang couldn't say them at all; he knew...

This was the best choice!

"Good!"

For the next two days, a strange calm prevailed inside and outside the city.

Inside the city, the soldiers silently cleaned up the remains of their comrades and repaired the city walls; the atmosphere was oppressive.

The news of the Prince of Zhenbei being "wounded" had spread, but he still forced himself to patrol the city defenses every day, supported by his personal guards, only his face looked exceptionally ugly, and his left arm was always covered by a cloak.

His appearance barely stabilized the morale of the army.

Although the soldiers felt that the Prince of Zhenbei's complexion was not right, they just assumed it was due to excessive blood loss and did not dare to ask more.

Wei Xikang, on the other hand, was suffering in despair. The Prince of Zhenbei's high fever would subside and then rise again, and the stench of the wound, even when covered with multiple layers of cloth and masked with incense, gradually became difficult to completely hide.

The injury not only showed no signs of improvement but was getting worse!

Every day, the dosage of the decoction Wei Xikang brewed became larger and larger, just to keep the Prince of Zhenbei briefly clear-headed and energetic.

Every time he finished the medicine, the Prince of Zhenbei would quickly handle military affairs and listen to the scouts' reports, followed by a long period of unconsciousness, during which he would occasionally spasm due to pain.

Wei Xikang was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring; he had to serve him carefully while strictly guarding against the leakage of news, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken.

At dusk on the third day, the crucial military intelligence finally arrived.

A scout covered in blood was carried before the Prince of Zhenbei and reported with his last breath: "General, it's been verified... the Xiongnu... are holding a great banquet in the valley twenty miles away... their guard is relaxed... they may have... a bigger move tomorrow..."

After the scout finished speaking, he passed out, clearly having suffered too heavy an injury to be saved!

A sickly flush appeared on the Prince of Zhenbei's sallow face, and a sharp light burst forth in his eyes.

This was the last chance!

Adunla believed that he was certain to die; once he died, there would be no one in this vast northern frontier who could stop the Xiongnu's iron cavalry.

Therefore, they were holding a banquet to enjoy themselves and boost morale, waiting for the Prince of Zhenbei to die before launching an attack.

Then their guard must be relaxed, and the terrain of the valley was relatively narrow, which was not conducive to the large-scale deployment of Xiongnu cavalry, but it was a good place for an ambush!

"Beat the drums! Assemble!"

The Prince of Zhenbei stood up abruptly, his body swayed, and he was held firmly by Wei Xikang.

"Uncle! Your body..." Wei Xikang's voice carried a plea.

"It's now! Any later... and it will be too late!" The Prince of Zhenbei roared in a low voice, placed his hand on Wei Xikang's shoulder, took a deep breath, and tried hard to make his steps appear steady.

The Prince of Zhenbei put on his armor neatly, knelt on one knee toward Wei Xikang: "Your Highness! I fear my time is running out, and I will not be able to see the day when Da Qian is restored! I can only use my remaining body to slaughter the Xiongnu and do... my last bit for Your Highness!"

As his voice fell, the Prince of Zhenbei offered the tiger tally with both hands; this tiger tally had been with him for a long time, and today it was returned to its original owner!

This was also the last gift he could leave for Wei Xikang!

Two lines of clear tears flowed down Wei Xikang's face, and he roared: "I do not allow you to die! Uncle... come back alive..."

The Prince of Zhenbei did not respond again, and the sobbing behind him became the last words before the farewell.

The heavy drum sound for gathering the generals rang out in the city, and all officers above the rank of squad leader quickly rushed to the council hall.

Everyone was shocked when they saw the Prince of Zhenbei in the main seat.

In just three days, the Prince of Zhenbei seemed to have aged ten years, his cheeks sunken, his eye sockets blackened, only his eyes were as sharp as blades, carrying a heart-palpitating madness and determination.

"Everyone!" The Prince of Zhenbei's voice was hoarse but exceptionally clear, suppressing all the whispering.

"The Xiongnu are arrogant and reckless, gathering in the valley to drink and revel, treating our Zhenbei Army as nothing. This is the only chance for us to wash away our shame and avenge our fallen brothers!"

"To defend is to sit and wait for death! To strike is to have a glimmer of hope!"

He began to issue orders directly, his speaking speed fast and clear:

"Vice General! You lead 3,000 cavalry, wrap the horses' hooves, set out at the hour of the Rat, and detour along the small path to the north entrance of the valley. When you hear fire in the valley, block the exit; do not let a single person or horse escape!"

"I obey the order!"

"Colonel Zhao! You lead 5,000 infantry, bring plenty of arrows and fire oil, and ambush on the high ground on the south side of the valley. When you see fire in the valley, cover it with a rain of arrows, and then charge down from the high ground!"

"I obey the order!"

"I will lead 20,000 troops to fight the Xiongnu directly in the valley! Setting fire will be the signal!"

"As for the others, led by His Highness the Crown Prince, strictly guard the pass! If... if our army fails, hold the line and wait for reinforcements!" ===== CHAPTER 235 =====