She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

Cao Xiong was deep in thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armor on his leg, producing a light "tap tap" sound.

The allied forces of two countries, clearly coming aggressively to attack Ling’an City, he had already prepared to defend Ling’an City to the death.

The city walls were now piled with various defense supplies, including logs, arrows, and tung oil, all readily available.

He also sought help from the court urgently, prepared to hold out until the reinforcements arrived.

Yet unexpectedly, Ala and Meng Country just retreated? Has this battle ended already?

"Impossible!"

Cao Xiong crossed his arms, stroking the stubble at his lips, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Since the two countries have allied, their cavalry is almost at the foot of Ling’an City, how could they suddenly turn around and run? There must be something fishy!"

The scout listened to his muttering, bowing his head, not daring to speak.

Cao Xiong took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, then waved his hand and said to the scout, "Investigate again, make sure it’s thorough!"

The scout withdrew at his command, leaving Cao Xiong alone in the tent.

He paced back and forth in the tent, the soles of his boots rubbing against the ground with a slight "squeak" sound.

His mind kept filtering through the intel of the past few days, trying to find any clues.

"Ala and Meng Country allied forces... Turkic attack on Yong’an City... Zhao Zun’s mysterious weapon..."

Cao Xiong muttered to himself, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. Suddenly, he halted his steps, a flash of realization in his eyes.

"Could it be... Ala and Meng Country allied forces were impersonated by Turkic people?"

Cao Xiong’s voice was filled with uncertainty, yet he subtly felt this speculation was quite reasonable.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

It’s said that there is a princess on the Turkic Grassland who is always cunning, skilled in tactics.

Perhaps it’s the Turkic people impersonating Ala and Meng Country’s forces, feigning an attack on Ling’an City, to actually hold him back, covering for the Turkic main force attacking Yong’an City.

"What a brilliant feint to the east!"

Realizing this key point, Cao Xiong felt overwhelmed, his heart a mix of anger and regret.

He was furious at the Turkic people’s cunning, yet regretted not identifying their scheme sooner.

"It’s over, it’s over..."

Cao Xiong walked back to the desk, dejectedly sat back on the chair, covered his face with his hands, his mind in disarray.

By the timing, the court is likely already scrambling to prepare supplies and send troops to support Beiguan.

Yong’an City still might be explainable.

After all, the Turkic truly attacked Yong’an City, only Zhao Zun managed to repel them with his two thousand strong Vanguard Camp.

But for Ling’an City, it’s harder to say.

A feigned attack from the opponent put him on edge. If the court’s army arrives to find Ling’an City without any battles, wouldn’t he, as the Marshal, become a joke?

"Alas! How foolish am I! Why did I only realize it now?"

Cao Xiong slapped his cheek harshly, filled with extreme vexation.

As the military commander, failing to accurately gauge the enemy’s intent, he rashly requested reinforcements.

Does this count as falsely reporting military intelligence?

With Emperor Jing’s suspicious nature, he’d definitely perceive him as incompetent. If the court investigates, how could he explain?

At that moment, a rush of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the tent. Immediately after, a guardsman lifted the tent curtain and quickly walked in.

"Marshal, a reply from General Li Gang has arrived!" The guardsman held up a carrier pigeon with one hand, his tone filled with excitement.

Upon hearing this, Cao Xiong immediately stood up from the chair, took the pigeon, and retrieved the letter.

His eyes quickly scanned the letter, his expression gradually shifting from vexation to shock, finally turning into a hint of enlightenment.

"So that’s how it is..."

Cao Xiong murmured softly, a complex look in his eyes.

The letter mentioned, Hua Tianyou boastfully claimed, during the surprise attack on Yong’an City, that Zhao Zun’s military physician Han Lei used a mysterious weapon called a "pistol."

This weapon boasted tremendous power, capable of killing from afar, and the Turkic commander was killed by the "pistol," causing the Turkic army’s morale to collapse, forcing them to retreat.

"Pistol."

Cao Xiong softly chewed the word, feeling both shocked and curious.

He had never heard of such a weapon, nor did he know where the female military physician acquired it, but regardless, the appearance of the pistol indeed altered the battle’s outcome.

Cao Xiong scratched his head, a new thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Perhaps Ala and Meng Country also received news about Zhao Zun using pistols to repel the Turkic, which scared them into retreating at the last moment.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!