Accidentally dressed as an empress

Chapter 225 Returning to Xiling

The setting sun was like blood, shining on the top of Mingxiao Mountain, giving the forest a solemn and murderous look.

The mountain wind whistled through the valley, making a humming sound.

"General, those miners were very cunning. As soon as we approached, they hid in the mountains. The forests here are dense, and we have been searching for them for a long time, but we couldn't find them anywhere!" A deputy general, his face covered in dust, reported to Lin Zichen breathlessly.

Lin Zichen frowned, staring at the deep forest, silent.

There was a hint of helplessness and anxiety in her eyes. Gu Zezhi was kind and said that only the main culprit would be punished and the captured miners would not be killed.

However, kindness cannot be used to command an army.

Captured today, miners escape tomorrow. The miners wandering through the mountains make the already complex situation even more difficult.

After ten days of stalemate, the atmosphere in Mingxiao Mountain became increasingly oppressive, and the air was filled with tension.

Lin Zichen sat alone in the tent, the dim candlelight flickering, illuminating her tired but resolute face.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the tent.

"Report—" A soldier rushed in, knelt on one knee, and presented a military report with both hands, "General, the Xiling Rong people are coming with great force and have begun to attack the city. Our army is in a critical situation!"

Lin Zichen stood up suddenly, took the military newspaper, and after quickly browsing it, his expression became more and more solemn.

She took a deep breath, slammed the military report on the table, and whispered to herself, "We can't delay any longer. We must evacuate Mingxiao Mountain." Lin Zichen's expression was solemn. His eyes slowly swept over the soldiers, finally landing on Lieutenant General Su Qing. He said in a deep voice, "Su Qing, I order you to take two thousand soldiers and stay here. Be sure to keep an eye on the movements of the miners. Wait until the situation eases a little, then look for an opportunity to act."

Su Qing clasped his fists and accepted the order, his posture straight as a pine tree, and responded loudly: "General, don't worry, I will definitely live up to the mission!" His voice echoed in the valley with firmness and determination.

After a moment, she shouted, "Pass my order, the remaining 6,000 people prepare to evacuate!"

The soldiers quickly began packing their bags and dismantling their tents. Though their movements were quick and efficient, a hint of solemnity and reluctance lingered on each of their faces. After all, this unfinished mission had left them simmering with energy. Lin Zichen stepped out of the tent and gazed upon the busy soldiers, feeling a mixture of emotions.

"General, are we just going to let those miners go? All our efforts for the past ten days will be wasted." A young lieutenant walked up to Lin Zichen and whispered.

Lin Zichen shook his head slightly, looking into the distance with a deep gaze: "As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Now that the Xiling Rong people are invading, it is a threat to our country. We must first solve the urgent problem. We can make plans for these miners later."

Lin Zichen immediately turned around, jumped on her horse, and looked at the army behind her. She whipped her horsewhip and galloped towards Xiling. The sound of horse hooves and dust flew behind her. The army followed behind her in a mighty force. Under the cover of night, the army began to slowly withdraw from Mingxiao Mountain.

The sound of horse hooves and footsteps intertwined, breaking the silence in the mountains.

Su Qing and a group of soldiers watched the large army gradually disappear from everyone's sight.

Su Qing looked at the direction where Lin Zichen was leaving and stood there for a long time. He didn't turn around until the flying dust completely dissipated in the sky. He then turned around and faced the thousand soldiers who were left behind.

With a determined gaze, she shouted, "Soldiers, the general has entrusted us with this important mission. Although it is extremely difficult and dangerous, we must defend this land! From now on, we must remain vigilant and not slack off even for a moment."

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the mountains and forests, and their morale was high.

Su Qing immediately arranged patrols and divided the thousand people into several small teams, stationed them at various key mountain passes, set up secret sentries and lookout points, and closely monitored the movements in the mountains and any disturbances in the surrounding areas.

Night fell quietly, and Mingxiao Mountain was shrouded in darkness. The cries of night owls could be heard from time to time in the forest, adding a bit of eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Su Qing led a team of patrolmen through the mountains and forests. The moonlight shone through the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows, as if hiding countless unknown dangers.

"Sir, it's pitch dark in these deep mountains. Will the miners sneak out under the cover of night?" a young soldier asked in a low voice with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Su Qing gripped the spear tightly in his hand, glanced around vigilantly, and whispered, "Everyone, be alert. If there is anything unusual, send a signal immediately. They are in the dark, and we are in the light. We must not take it lightly."

At this moment, a clear bird song suddenly rang out from the distant sentry post. This was the signal they had agreed upon beforehand, indicating that something was about to happen. Su Qing's eyes flashed, and he immediately led his soldiers to rush in the direction of the sentry post...

Su Qing led the soldiers and quickly ran towards the sentry post, her steps light but quick, trying not to make any noise. When she approached the sentry post, she raised her hand to signal everyone to stop, crouching down and sneaking forward under the cover of trees.

Not far ahead, I saw a few furtive figures swaying among the woods. In the moonlight, I could vaguely make out a few ragged miners.

They seemed to be talking in low voices, holding simple tools in their hands, and occasionally looking up in the direction of Su Qing and the others, their eyes full of vigilance and uneasiness.

Su Qing thought to herself that these miners dared to come out in such a dangerous situation. There must be something hidden behind it. She winked at the soldiers beside her, and they understood and slowly dispersed, forming a circle and slowly approaching the miners.

When they were close enough, Su Qing stood up suddenly and shouted, "Stop! Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The miners were frightened by the sudden shouting and trembled all over. One of the older miners said tremblingly, "General, we...we are just very hungry and wanted to come out to find something to eat. There is nothing else to do."

Su Qing looked at them with a cold gaze: "Where can we get food in this deep mountain? Don't try any tricks!" The miners looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Su Qing was about to continue asking questions when suddenly, a noisy sound of footsteps and shouts came from the depths of the forest. It seemed that a large number of people were rushing towards this side...

Su Qing was startled and realized that the situation had changed. He immediately gave the order: "Stay alert!"

At this time, the noisy sound was getting closer and closer, and Su Qing could hear that there were quite a few people.

As soon as they retreated back to the camp, they saw a team emerging from the mountains and forests. Leading the team was a burly, bearded man, followed by a group of men who were also dressed in tattered clothes but had fierce eyes, holding various homemade weapons in their hands.

"Who are you? Why did you break into our military base?" Su Qing stood in front of the camp and asked loudly.

The big man sneered, "We used to make a living mining in these mountains, but you've chased us around and forced us to hide. Now you want to kill us all, don't blame us for being rude!"

Su Qing understood a little bit in his heart. It seemed that these miners were forced into a desperate situation and wanted to fight to the death.

She gripped her spear tightly, her eyes determined as she spoke, "We are following orders. If you cooperate, we will not harm you without cause. But if you persist in your wrongdoing, don't blame us for being merciless!"

The two sides confronted each other, and the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment.

The soldiers in the camp were on full alert, with their arrows drawn and their swords drawn.

The miners also had determined looks on their faces, holding their weapons tightly. A conflict was inevitable.

Su Qing's eyes flashed with coldness. Without saying anything more, he suddenly waved his hand and shouted loudly: "Kill!"

In an instant, the soldiers in the camp rushed towards the miners like tigers pouncing on their prey.

A rain of arrows whizzed towards the miners, and screams were heard everywhere.

The miners were terrified, but at this point, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and wield their crude weapons to fight the enemy. The two sides immediately engaged in a melee, with swords flashing and sabers flashing, and the shouts of killing shook the mountains and forests.

Su Qing took the lead, with the spear in his hand like a dragon, knocking away several miners who were rushing in front.

The soldiers also fought bravely, and their well-trained coordination and sophisticated weapons and equipment gradually gave them the upper hand.

However, the miners were not without resistance. Relying on their familiarity with the forest, they sometimes dispersed to avoid attacks and sometimes attacked the soldiers' flanks.

But as time went on, their numbers dwindled and their defenses gradually collapsed.

The blood dyed the land of the mountains and forests red, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood.