knife

Chapter 722 The arrival of the army
The weather is excellent today.

The bright sun hung high in the azure sky, and the white clouds drifted with the wind, being carelessly kneaded into various shapes by the unruly cold wind. The light fell on the white snow, which was particularly dazzling, but when it fell on people, they could feel a rare touch of warmth.

Good weather means better visibility.

As far as the eye could see, the Cui family's old house was already clearly in sight.

On a vast, white plain, it lay there like a giant, bluish-gray beast, with towering city walls, ramparts protruding from the walls, arrow towers standing at the corners, banners fluttering in the wind, and patrols that could be vaguely seen.

The Cui family's old residence covers an area of ​​over a million acres, with mountains and water within it. Although it is called an old residence, it is actually the largest city in Boling County. The city is home to more than 100,000 people. It has mountains, water, and fields, and countless highly skilled craftsmen and farmers. In the event of war, such a place could be completely self-sufficient.

Once the gate is closed, a world of its own begins.

Of course, this is all predicated on the premise that outsiders cannot breach the city walls.

Over the years, the Cui family's old house has actually been continuously reinforced.

The trees outside the city had long been cut down to avoid obstructing the view.

The once flat fields have been dug out here and there, creating many ponds. In many places, rows of low shrubs called thorny shrubs have been planted. These shrubs are covered with hard thorns, and even the edges of their leaves are serrated, making them extremely sharp.

Seeing this, Li Guohua suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart.

These facilities were all implemented by Linghu Zhishu when he served as the prefect of Boling.

The purpose was to build a natural defensive line against the iron cavalry from beyond the Great Wall.

The Cui family's old residence was built entirely according to Linghu Zhishu's plan.

But now, Linghu Zhishu has already passed away.

The Cui family's old residence has been built up over a thousand years. While its defenses may not be as impregnable as those of the city, they are certainly much stronger than those of Boling County.

"General, instead of focusing our resistance against the Northern Protectorate's territory, we should use this place as our center!" Yang Rong said, looking at the enormous creature lying on the plain. "As long as we have enough troops, even if the Northern Protectorate launches a full-scale attack, it will likely be a fruitless effort!"

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Li Guohua nodded. “Moreover, this place is located at the very center of Boling County, with convenient access in all directions. It’s a true strategic location. When Cui Ming was in power, we couldn’t easily take over, but now it’s different. We need each other, so what else can we do but help each other?”

Yang Rong laughed heartily. Since Li Guohua had said so, he had naturally made up his mind and there was no room for Cui Shu and the others to object.

No wonder Li Guohua brought his most elite troops with him to pay his respects to Cui Ming this time.

"Let's go, it's freezing cold, don't keep Cui Shu and the others waiting outside!" Li Guohua spurred his horse and galloped forward.

Cui Tu, wrapped tightly in his cloak, stood atop the city wall, watching the cavalry force rolling in from afar. His expression changed slightly. As a former ally of the Militia, he naturally knew the origins and strength of this army.

Li Guohua is indeed someone with ill intentions; those with good intentions don't come here!

Are they here to pay their respects?
This is a coup attempt, isn't it? Looking left and right at the heavily armed soldiers on the city walls, and then at the tightly closed city gates below, Cui Tu took a deep breath, flicked his cloak, and strode down the city walls.

The low door opened, and Cui Tu led a group of people out through it.

The sound of horses' hooves drew closer.

Looking at the tightly closed city gate and the small door behind Cui Tu that could only allow two or three people to enter side by side, Li Guohua's smile slowly faded, his lips pursed tightly and drooping downwards, and his anger naturally revealed itself.

Cui Tu hurried forward a few steps, reached out and took the reins of Li Guohua's horse, and said, "It is a matter within the Cui family that has troubled the General to come through wind and snow. The Cui family is deeply grateful. If the patriarch knew in the afterlife, he would be gratified by the General's sincere intentions. Cui Tu has come to welcome the General on the orders of the new patriarch."

Li Guohua did not dismount, but coldly observed the heavily guarded army on the city wall. Although the swords, spears, and halberds were all covered with white cloth, the soldiers' hostility was unmistakable.

"Is it possible that the city gates will not be opened when someone from the family comes?" he asked in a cold voice.

Cui Tu looked rather alarmed, wiping the cold liquid from his forehead, and whispered, "Of course it should be opened, but right now the Cui family's old residence is not safe. As you know, the armored men are all gone, and the old patriarch has passed away. To be on the safe side, my second brother—no, the new patriarch—ordered that the main gate of the residence be completely sealed off. You'll see once you go in. Not only the gate, but even the city gate archway has been filled in. If we had known the General was coming in person, we wouldn't have done this. But right now, we can only ask the General to enter from here!"

"They're going in from here too?" Li Guohua pointed to the thousands of troops behind him.

Cui Tu wiped the cold sweat from his face again and said, "General, please forgive us. The Cui family's old residence is in a state of panic right now. The army really cannot enter the city at this time."

Li Guohua sneered: "Are you saying we should make these young men lie in the ice and snow outside?"

"Of course I wouldn't dare!" Cui Tu bowed and said, "Please rest assured, General, before nightfall, the Cui family will make sure that everything the army needs for setting up camp is prepared. We will not dare to be negligent in the slightest. All the needs will be borne by my Cui family!"

"The Cui family is really rich and powerful!" Yang Rong said with a smile.

“General Yang, we have no other choice. In this battle, too many members of the Cui family have died. At the Cui family’s old residence, almost everyone is in mourning, and every household is holding a funeral. The resentment and anger are too strong, and everyone is on edge. One wrong move and something could happen. If a large army were to suddenly enter at this time, I’m really afraid something might go wrong. Right now, we must prioritize stability!” Cui Tu explained.

Yang Rong nodded slightly; that made sense.

In the army, a mutiny within the camp is a very frightening thing; what Cui Tu is worried about right now is a mutiny in the city. This is the Cui family's most important territory, so it's good that they are more vigilant and cautious.

He glanced back at Li Guohua. Although he had brought a large army with him today, the army's main purpose was still to exert pressure. The focus remained on negotiations with key figures. As long as Cui Shu was sensible, then force would not be important.

Besides, judging from the setup on the city wall, they are clearly on guard!

Cui Shu didn't appear outside the city, probably because he was still wary of capturing the leader first.

"Please forgive me, General. The patriarch has prepared a banquet and said he will definitely apologize to you later!"

Li Guohua stared at the other person for a moment, then smiled and said, "That won't be necessary. Let's go through the side gate then! Let's go pay our respects to Lord Cui first. We can talk about some things later!"

(End of this chapter)