Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 139 You are the greatest contributor to this battle.

Seeing that no one responded, the man frowned slightly, appearing somewhat hesitant.

He looked down at the incense burner in his hand, seemingly pondering whether he should continue.

However, just as he hesitated, Liu Yao suddenly appeared from the shadows, his short knife gleaming coldly, aimed directly at the man's vitals. The man reacted instantly, leaping backward in an attempt to escape.

But he clearly underestimated Liu Yao's speed.

Like a black lightning bolt, Liu Yao forced the man into the narrow alleyway with a few leaps.

A chilling killing intent flashed in his eyes as he hissed, "Don't even think about escaping. Hand over the information!"

Seeing that he was cornered, a ruthless glint flashed in the man's eyes. He suddenly raised his hand and abruptly dispersed the smoke inside the incense burner.

Suddenly, a strong, pungent odor filled the air. The soldiers around them were caught off guard and quickly covered their mouths and noses, trying to avoid inhaling the smoke.

Liu Yao also quickly stepped back, covering his mouth and nose with his arm in an attempt to avoid the poisonous smoke.

"It's poisonous!" Liu Yao shouted, alerting the other soldiers.

At the same time, he quickly pulled a cloth bag from his waist, covered his mouth and nose with the wet cloth, forced his way through the smoke, and continued to chase the man.

At that moment, taking advantage of the smoke, the man quickly fled to the other end of the alley.

His steps were disordered and hurried, clearly indicating that the toxic smoke had also had some effect on him.

However, he continued to push forward desperately, trying to break out of the alley and escape to the enemy's hiding place.

Gu Jinyan had already laid a trap at the end of the alley on the other side. She coldly watched the man flee, having already made up her mind.

She whispered an order to one of the archers beside her: "Shoot his legs, but don't take his life."

The archer immediately drew his bow, pulled back the string, and shot an arrow.

The arrow, with a sharp whistling sound, struck the man's right leg with precision.

Caught off guard, the man was struck by an arrow, his legs gave way, and he fell to the ground.

He tried to get up, but the intense pain made him unable to support himself, and he could only struggle to crawl forward on the ground.

Liu Yao arrived quickly, pinned the man to the ground, pressed a short knife against his throat, and asked coldly, "Tell me, what is your plan?"

The man, panting, gritted his teeth and replied, "You...you won't get any information from me!"

His eyes were filled with hatred, as if he were determined to die.

Gu Jinyan slowly stepped forward, his expression indifferent yet full of authority.

She crouched down and calmly said to the man, "You can choose not to speak, but you must understand that dying here will mean nothing to you or your master."

The man was intimidated by Gu Jinyan's cold gaze. He knew he had nowhere to escape, but he held on for the last glimmer of hope.

He tentatively began, "If you spare my life, I can tell you the enemy's plans."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinyan smiled slightly: "A way out? If you confess honestly, you might still be able to save your life."

Her voice was devoid of any emotion, and her tone exuded an undeniable coldness.

The man finally realized that the female commander in front of him was not an easy opponent to deal with.

After a brief hesitation, he chose to compromise: "Okay, I'll say it... Our army is indeed preparing to launch a surprise attack within three days."

They planned to attack in three columns, while the outer troops would feign a retreat, actually waiting for spies lurking inside the city to coordinate a coordinated attack.

Hearing this, Liu Yao's eyes showed a hint of tension. He looked at Gu Jinyan and said, "Commander Gu, the enemy's deployment is clear. We must act immediately."

Gu Jinyan nodded and quickly ordered: "Immediately dispatch a reconnaissance team to track the enemy's movements along the city's perimeter, and at the same time capture all the spies hiding in the city. We cannot give the enemy any chance."

With Gu Jinyan's order, the defenses of the entire city of Hesha were rapidly upgraded.

The city walls were reinforced with vigilance, the soldiers were fully equipped and ready to go, and the deep and powerful war drums echoed through the city, as if foreshadowing an impending great battle.

Inside the military tent at dawn, the wind and snow outside lashed against the tent with a chilling aura. Gu Jinyan stood in the center of General Zhao Lingfeng's tent, his expression resolute and his brows furrowed.

She had just learned that the enemy would launch a surprise attack within three days, and the situation was critical. Knowing that this battle was of utmost importance, she requested to personally lead the army into battle.

General Zhao Lingfeng sat at his desk, carefully reviewing the intelligence, his brows furrowed.

He raised his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over Gu Jinyan, but with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

He slowly spoke: "Jinyan, although I admire your strategies, you have never led troops into battle before. The battlefield is extremely dangerous, and the enemy is coming in strong this time. I cannot take this risk."

Gu Jinyan bit his lip, suppressing his dissatisfaction, and said firmly, "General, the enemy's movements are clear this time, and we need a decisive counterattack."

Although I have no experience in personally leading troops, I am very familiar with the enemy's situation and know their weaknesses.

"If I could command this operation, I would definitely be able to turn the tide."

Zhao Lingfeng waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of consolation: "I know you have courage and wisdom."

But the battlefield is not just theory. You are, after all, a woman, and it will be difficult for you to gain the respect of the troops.

Wu Qi has been in the army for many years and has extensive combat experience; it is the most reliable option for him to lead the troops.

Gu Jinyan clenched her fists. She knew this was a chance to turn the tide of the battle. If she didn't personally lead the charge, the enemy's weaknesses might be missed.

However, General Zhao Lingfeng's decision could not be easily shaken, and she had to persuade him with more compelling reasons.

“General!” Gu Jinyan stepped forward, a glint of fire in his eyes. “If we let General Wu lead the troops into battle, although he is experienced, he will be able to achieve great things.”

However, we are unfamiliar with the enemy's tactics, and the enemy is cunning and unpredictable; we fear we will find it difficult to deal with them. I urge you to reconsider!

However, Zhao Lingfeng's expression did not change because of her pleading.

He shook his head slightly, his tone firm: "Jinyan, I understand how you feel, but this is not a game."

The battlefield is where men fight to the death; there is no room for sentimentality.

You have no experience in this area; this is not a responsibility you can take on.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinyan felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her heart. She knew that her status in Zhao Lingfeng's eyes limited her authority.

Despite her intelligence and judgment, she was overlooked because of her gender.

This made her feel incredibly angry and powerless.

Zhao Lingfeng's decision cannot be easily changed.

After a moment, she finally stopped arguing and silently withdrew, her stubbornness and resentment evident on her face.

Zhao Lingfeng ultimately appointed his deputy Wu Qi to lead the army in preparation for engaging the enemy.

Wu Qi was a veteran general in the army, experienced, calm and decisive.

After receiving the order, he immediately began to deploy his troops, gather his subordinates, and start analyzing the enemy's attack routes and tactics.

Although Wu Qi was cautious, he did not fully understand the enemy's complex tactics and had never personally experienced the enemy's ever-changing methods.

He decided to adopt a defensive counter-offensive strategy, deploying heavy troops around the city of Hersha in an attempt to encircle the enemy in narrow terrain.

Then rely on holding firm to exhaust the enemy's morale.

Wu Qi stood on the city wall of Hesha City, his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed intently on the distance.

He firmly believed that as long as the city walls were held, the enemy would be helpless.

However, his subordinate Liu Xiao couldn't help but step forward and remind him: "General Wu, the enemy has failed to ambush us many times. I'm afraid they won't just rely on a direct attack."

They've always been cunning; perhaps they have another scheme in mind.

Wu Qi sneered, his tone filled with confidence: "The enemy's momentum this time is huge, but it's nothing more than a bluff."

We only need to hold our ground and wait for their offensive to weaken before launching a counterattack. You can rest assured.

Although Liu Xiao had doubts, he didn't say much and could only silently step back to continue supervising the army's preparations.

The battle arrived as expected, and the enemy, just as Wu Qi had predicted, launched a fierce attack outside the city walls.

Their siege weapons repeatedly struck the city walls, shaking the entire city of Hesha like a lone boat in the wind. Under Wu Qi's command, the soldiers desperately defended the various checkpoints.

Wu Qi stood on the city wall, observing the enemy's movements, and gradually relaxed.

Although the enemy's offensive was fierce, it did not seem to exceed expectations, and the battle situation was temporarily stabilized.

However, just when Wu Qi thought the situation was under control, suddenly, a dark figure appeared on the distant horizon.

Suddenly, a large number of cavalry appeared from the enemy's rear. Like ferocious beasts, they advanced straight towards Wu Qi's rear camp.

At the same time, the enemy's attacking forces suddenly dispersed and retreated rapidly.

It turns out that this was just a feint by the enemy; their real killing move was from the rear!

Wu Qi's expression changed drastically as he realized he had fallen into the enemy's trap.

The rear camp was attacked by cavalry, and the city's defenses were instantly breached.

The enemy attacked from both inside and outside, plunging the entire battlefield into chaos.

Despite Wu Qi’s best efforts to command, the situation was out of control. He sent out troops to attempt a counterattack, only to find that the enemy’s cavalry had already divided and surrounded his forces.

He stood on the city wall, gazing at the flames burning all around, his heart filled with regret and anxiety.

At this moment, Gu Jinyan observed the changes in the battle situation from within the city and immediately realized that Wu Qi's strategy was flawed.

She rushed to Zhao Lingfeng's tent and asked without hesitation to go into battle again: "General, the enemy's trick has succeeded."

General Wu is trapped outside the city; we must send reinforcements immediately, or our rear will be completely lost!

Zhao Lingfeng's face was grim; he knew that the situation had reached its most critical moment.

After a moment's thought, he finally nodded in agreement: "You lead your troops to break out, and I will send troops to assist you, but you must proceed with caution."

Upon receiving the order, Gu Jinyan did not hesitate at all. He immediately summoned his trusted confidant Liu Yao and elite troops and rushed to the front line.

This battle will determine the fate of the entire city of Hersha, and there is no room for error.

Gu Jinyan led the reinforcements in a swift flanking attack on the enemy's rear, catching the enemy cavalry off guard.

Her precise command and calm decision-making quickly reversed the battlefield situation. Wu Qi's troops, who were originally divided and surrounded, gradually stabilized their position and began to launch a counterattack.

At the same time, Gu Jinyan also personally participated in the battle, leading by example. Her courage and wisdom inspired the soldiers and greatly boosted their morale.

Ultimately, with the combined counterattack of Gu Jinyan and Wu Qi, the enemy's offensive was completely crushed, and the remaining troops retreated in disarray.

As evening fell, the smoke from the battlefield gradually dissipated. Gu Jinyan stood in the center of the battlefield, gazing at the ruins scattered everywhere, his heart filled with countless emotions.

This victory was not only a battle for the survival of Hersha City, but also her first testament as a general.

With her wisdom and courage, she won the respect of the soldiers and proved to General Zhao Lingfeng that she was not a "woman" to be underestimated.

After the battle, Wu Qi stepped forward, his face filled with shame, and said in a low voice, "Commander Gu, today's battle was made possible by your timely assistance; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Gu Jinyan smiled faintly: "Vice General Wu, there is no need to blame yourself. The battlefield is unpredictable, and only through cooperation can we overcome difficulties together."

Zhao Lingfeng arrived at the battlefield shortly afterward. Seeing that victory was assured, he walked to Gu Jinyan's side with a complicated expression.

He sighed and patted her shoulder: "Jinyan, it seems I underestimated you. You are the greatest contributor to this battle."