Chapter 373: Chapter 13: Strategic Withdrawal (First Update)
The sound of slapping kept ringing in her ears, and Susu was instantly dumbfounded.
"Hong Sheng, you actually dare to hit me?"
Where’s the touching tears we talked about? What the heck, why aren’t you playing by the rules!
And it was a slap on the buttocks, it didn’t hurt, but it was too embarrassing!
Susu felt humiliated, angry, and wronged. This was too much bullying!
Hong Sheng slapped ten times or so, but he couldn’t bring himself to really hit his wife, so he controlled the force so that it didn’t hurt or itch.
However, at first Susu struggled a little, but eventually fell silent.
Hong Sheng hurriedly picked her up and saw that his wife was biting her lip, tears dropping.
The tears fell on Hong Sheng’s hand, making him feel a burning pain, heart aching terribly, and he wanted to apologize immediately.
But he thought Susu was too bold. If he backed down now, he would have no way with her later!
"You’re too bold! Do you know where this is? A place you can just come to?"
Susu was livid, well look at that, you’re brave now!
She stood up from Hong Sheng’s lap and pushed him hard, acting as if she were a weak chicken.
"If I didn’t come, you were planning to abandon our kid and me! Tell me, don’t you have a sweetheart outside? You probably even have a love child. Do you think our kid and I are interfering with your good deeds? Speak up!"
Hong Sheng: ...
Oh geez, this is off track!
The people outside listening, just recovering from the embarrassing "slap slap" sound, heard this explosive news and looked at each other: They hadn’t heard anything like this!
Ruan Yu, though focused on defeating the Tartars and rescuing his loved one, was also exasperated by his sister’s words: Why didn’t I know you had such a peculiar thought process!
Ling remembered a sentence from his little cousin and shook his head, sighing: "Women, your name is foolishness!"
Susu knew from the breathing that there was a group of nosy guys outside, her grip on Hong Sheng’s ear loosened, then she opened the door with a gentle smile, "How about coming in for some tea?"
Everyone: ...
Mamma mia, please sister-in-law (sister/aunt) don’t smile, it’s terrifying!
Yang Xiaoshan was at the front, seeing the flower-like smile on his sister-in-law’s face, almost kneeling, "Room, room, there’s no tea!"
A gasp sounded from behind him.
Everyone admired Yang Xiaoshan: Brother, you are the true brave act of courting death!
Yang Xiaoshan cried stupidly to himself: Pleading, sister-in-law, spare me!
Hong Sheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, glanced at Yang Xiaoshan, and clasped his hands behind Susu’s back: Thanks, buddy!
Yang Xiaoshan: ...
I have an expression, don’t know if I should say it...
Susu turned back to give Hong Sheng a look: Don’t think you’re off the hook; I’m saving your face because there aren’t many people here.
Hong Sheng touched his nose. Oh well, admitting defeat to his wife wasn’t a loss for him; in the army, fearing one’s wife wasn’t shameful!
Susu also felt that the right and wrong now couldn’t be distinguished. She initially thought of separating from Hong Sheng temporarily for everyone to calm down because she was tired.
But after knowing Hong Sheng’s desperate fighting style, all anger and resentment became unimportant. If Hong Sheng really died in this battle, Susu thought she would hate Hong Sheng and herself.
Love is not easy, cherish it while you can.
"Since everyone is here, I’ll speak on behalf of the military families: Your unwavering defense is like throwing eggs against a rock, it’s righteous of you, but what about us?
No one was born from a rock. Don’t soldiers have parents, relatives, wives, and children?
Behind you is the nation, you defend righteousness and loyalty, but should we bear the misery of being widowed?"
Susu’s words made the generals present misty-eyed.
They were human too, also afraid of dying, but behind them were not only civilians but also their relatives and friends.
If they abandon Heiyuan Castle, not to mention the stigma of fleeing before the battle afterwards, it might even implicate their families.
Might as well die here on the battlefield, which would still count as martyrdom.
Ruan Yu secretly glared at his sister, saying nonsense! Then he glared at Ling: Must have been you who called her here.
Ling secretly shrugged, he just didn’t want to die for that lunatic’s kingdom.
Leng Xiao wiped off his cold sweat, his sister-in-law really dared to say! Fortunately, they were all Boss Hong’s loyal followers, otherwise she might be accused of disrupting military morale.
"Sister-in-law, it’s not that we don’t want to survive, but you know the penalty for fleeing before battle!"
Hong Sheng lowered his head and was thinking about something, Susu didn’t look at him, just looked at Leng Xiao who asked the question, "It’s not about giving up Heiyuan Castle, it’s just a strategic retreat, to hold Puli, preserving the fighting force.
Wait for reinforcements, and then bravely ’Feast on Tartar meat and drink Xiongnu blood with laughter, for reclaiming the land once lost will be the greatest glory.’
Haven’t you heard that trees die when moved, people thrive?"
Hong Sheng looked up at his now ’noble-hearted’ wife, this was Susu!
"What about the civilians along the way? The people of Heiyuan Town haven’t evacuated yet, and there are five or six village strapping lads acting as militia. Without them, we’d have reached our limit now. And the Tartar side might attack tonight, we’re not confident in holding out tonight."
What Hong Sheng said felt like an iron hammer pressed on the hearts of the soldiers present. If there were no reinforcements, perhaps this time next year would be the anniversary of their deaths.
Susu smiled, "As long as you order a retreat to Puli, I have a way to move all the civilians safely to Puli along the way!"
...
Sometimes, silver really is omnipotent.
Susu had hurried overnight from Ningxia Guard to Heiyuan Castle, with horse changes all taken care of by designated people at the posta.
And overnight, Susu’s commands had almost mobilized all the clandestine forces in the Northwest.
Power, plus silver, and highly capable talents, by the time Susu reached Heiyuan Castle, everything was in place.
Two thousand warhorses, hundreds of wagons quietly sent to the outskirts of Heiyuan Town.
And five hundred guards and bailiffs with some martial arts led by Long Jiao assembled at Puli.
The mayor of Heiyuan Town, from its founding eight generations ago, rode on a tall horse. "Folks, Commander Hong says, it’s like visiting relatives in the city, living well, eating well, and in no time we’ll be back."
After Mayor of Heiyuan Town finished speaking, he heard villagers tease each other.
"With Commander Hong as a relative, folks from ten towns and nine villages within a hundred miles are envious of us!"
"Hey Er Gouzi, why are you bringing that thing? Which house visits relatives carrying a manure sieve?"
"Well, since there’re more horses and cattle in the city, I’m thinking of collecting more manure to fertilize the field!"
Mayor of Heiyuan Town: ...
Darn, do you have a field!
But that’s beside the point, seeing the commander’s wife on the horse beside him, her veil-covered face obscuring expression, the mayor felt his face flush, "Sorry to make you doubt us!"
Susu waved it off, seeing these people trusting Hong Sheng, full of hope for the future, Susu felt it was all worth it!
