Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 293 Yes, I was acting.
Zhao Wenguang stood by the battlements, his brow furrowed. He shared the same thought: "Your Highness, I also feel that these guys are definitely plotting something. The intensity of their attacks is getting weaker with each attack, which is very strange."

His voice was filled with confusion as he glanced at the scattered Northern Di army below the city.

A fierce wind swept sand and dust across the city walls, carrying the distant neighing of warhorses. Even soldiers of the caliber of the Northern Di cavalry were ultimately influenced by their commander.

Although Bautu did not explicitly state his attitude, his desire not to attack too aggressively and suffer heavy losses was naturally reflected in his offensive actions.

The Northern Di officers below the city kept shouting orders, but to little avail. A centurion brandished his scimitar, threatening his soldiers, while he himself remained hidden behind his shield.

"This is actually quite interesting." Chu Shizhao narrowed his eyes.

He had absolutely no idea what the attackers were thinking.

Judging from his attire, he must be an important general in the Northern Di army.

The gold-threaded wolf head pattern on the man's body glittered in the sunlight; his status was probably even higher than that of Murong Ze, whom they had killed.

Chu Shizhao recalled the Northern Di general he had killed, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The guards surrounding the enemy also looked extremely fierce; even before they joined the attack, they exuded considerable pressure. Their eyes were as ruthless as wolves, yet they remained motionless.

Everything suggests that the Northern Di people took this attack very seriously.

However, their behavior was completely different. The ladders were being erected on the city wall at a much slower pace, and the soldiers climbing were less aggressive than before.

Those Northern Di cavalrymen who attacked the city were like machines that only knew how to follow orders step by step.

Such a huge contrast left Chu Shizhao completely baffled. He rubbed his temples, feeling that the siege was shrouded in mystery.

Zhao Wenguang had even stopped the crossbow carts and greatly reduced the firing frequency of the catapults to save ammunition.

Several soldiers operating the catapults took the opportunity to rest against the wall, their faces covered in soot and sweat.

"I'll leave this to you for now. If the situation changes, have someone notify me," Chu Shizhao instructed Zhao Wenguang, patting him on the shoulder. The young general immediately straightened his back, his armor clanging crisply.

Chu Shizhao decisively turned around and descended the city wall, his black cloak fluttering in the autumn wind.

He really doesn't need to worry too much about the current battle.

Such a perfunctory attack could not possibly break through the united defenses of Xueyuan Pass.

Near the city wall, there was a room that had long been prepared for Chu Shizhao to rest in.

Pushing open the door, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out. The room was clean and tidy, a stark contrast to the chaotic battlefield outside—it was like two different worlds.

Fresh fruit was laid out on the low table by the window, and the bedding on the bed smelled of sunshine.

"Keep an eye on the door for me. Don't let anyone in. If there's any special situation, come and let me know in person." His voice was low and tired, like a bowstring that had been stretched too long.

Huo Qinghuang clasped her hands in acceptance of the order, the tip of her spear gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Her sharp gaze swept across the surroundings, making sure there were no unauthorized individuals present.

After giving instructions to Huo Qinghuang, Chu Shizhao went into the house, turned around, and closed the door. The heavy wooden door made a dull thud, shutting out the noise of the battlefield.

The scent of incense in the room helped him relax his tense nerves.

"Well then, let me see what you're really up to," Chu Shizhao muttered to himself.

I sat cross-legged on the bed and started the [Emperor Growth Plan].

With the Northern Di cavalry's offensive prowess waning, Chu Shizhao deduced that they were plotting against Xueyuan Pass.

Chu Shizhao placed full trust in the defending general Zhao Wenguang. Under Zhao's leadership, the entire Xueyuan Pass united as one and successfully repelled fourteen attacks by the Northern Di chieftain Ba Wutu, ultimately defeating him.

Commander Ba Wutu was defeated and beheaded by Tuoba Lie, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Barbarians. His head was displayed throughout the army as a deterrent. The entire Northern Barbarian army then launched a full-scale attack…

After finishing the simulation, Chu Shizhao was even more confused: "It doesn't seem like they're plotting anything."

He rubbed his temples, his forehead stray hairs sticking to his face with sweat.

The results of the deduction were far from what was expected, which was what Chu Shizhao found most incomprehensible.

The Northern Di people made such a big show of it, even sending out a commander of ten thousand men to attack the city.

Chu Shizhao got up and walked to the window. Through the window paper, he could barely see the busy figures of the guards on the city wall.

Not only did they fight so weakly, but they actually just attacked the city without using any tricks. This unusual behavior was like the opponent suddenly making random moves in a carefully arranged chess game.

However, Chu Shizhao did not come away empty-handed from this deduction. At least he learned the name of the Northern Di commander and the name of the commander in charge of the siege.

Of course, this amount of information alone is certainly not helpful in the current battle situation.

So Chu Shizhao immediately began to continue his deductions. He felt that he had overlooked some particularly important information.

After the final simulation, Chu Shizhao slapped his forehead in frustration.

"So that's how it is. I'm so stupid. I didn't even understand such a simple principle."

He was too clever for his own good. He had considered all aspects, but he hadn't thought that Batu, the commander of ten thousand men who was taking over the siege, didn't want to fight at all.

Chu Shizhao shook his head with a wry smile, recalling the Northern Di soldiers below the city who were only going through the motions. There wasn't a trace of fighting spirit in their eyes; they were clearly just going through the motions.

If they were to defeat Ba'utu in a simple and brutal manner, it would only thoroughly enrage Tuoba Lie, the commander of the Northern Di cavalry.

This guy would behead Bautu to intimidate the entire army, and then order the other commanders to attack the city. Xueyuan Pass, which was already short-handed, obviously couldn't hold out.

Despite his efforts, the results were less than satisfactory.

"It's not ready yet. In that case, let's do it this way." Chu Shizhao muttered to himself, his face full of sighs.

After racking his brains for a long time, Chu Shizhao finally came up with a solution.

Back at the city wall, the stalemate, tinged with a cruel tension, continued. The soldiers on the watchtowers mechanically repeated the motion of nocking and drawing their bows, their eyes already numb.

Several Northern Di soldiers had just climbed onto the battlements when they were stabbed off by the defenders with spears, screaming as they fell into the pile of corpses below.

Because of their large numbers, the Northern Di cavalry were sometimes able to occupy a small section of the city walls.

However, Zhao Wenguang would soon organize his forces to annihilate or drive away these Northern Di cavalry, preventing them from using these areas as a base to expand their gains.

Chu Shizhao noticed several new sword marks on Zhao Wenguang's armor, left from when he drove away the Northern Di cavalry. Even with such a relatively weak attack, the sheer number of enemies still resulted in some gains.

Thanks to Zhao Wenguang's command, everything seemed to be in good order, and they were always able to quickly thwart the attacks of the Northern Di cavalry.

After so many battles, Zhao Wenguang's rapid growth has greatly pleased Chu Shizhao.

"How is the situation?" Chu Shizhao asked only after the battle was over.

Zhao Wenguang turned and bowed, the bloodstains on his face unable to conceal the gleam in his eyes. He smiled confidently and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, if the Northern Barbarians are only of this caliber, even if the court doesn't send us a single soldier, I am confident that I can defend Xueyuan Pass."

"If that's all there is to it, then the Northern Di are nothing to fear." Chu Shizhao smiled bitterly, his gaze fixed on the Northern Di army that was gathering in the distance.

Watching the Northern Di cavalry launching a new attack, he lowered his voice and whispered instructions to Zhao Wenguang.

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Wenguang couldn't help but gasp: "Your Highness, is this really going to work?" His pupils dilated slightly, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on his sword.

It wasn't that he didn't believe Chu Shizhao, but what Chu Shizhao said was simply too absurd to him.

The sound of war drums below the city suddenly became rapid, as if urging him to make a decision.

"Nonsense! War is a matter of national importance, a matter of life and death. Would I, Your Highness, joke about such a thing?"

The messenger's horse, foaming at the mouth, galloped up, the withered grass rustling under its hooves: "Report! General, the commander-in-chief orders you to launch a full-scale attack. If you dare to hesitate and fail to advance, you will be subject to military law."

As he knelt on one knee, the armor made a screeching sound, and his face showed the weariness of his journey.

Bawutu squinted, gazing at the towering city walls in the distance, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

"Easy for you to say. If you're so capable, why don't you do it yourself?" he muttered under his breath, the muscles at the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Knowing these southern barbarians are tough to fight, they dare not use their own elite troops, so they just know to send my men to fight."

However, when Bautu raised his head, his face had changed to a respectful smile, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had formed a flattering curve: "Please go back and tell the commander that I was just testing the enemy's strength. This time I will definitely attack with all my might."

As the messenger mounted his horse, Bawutu stared at the wolf-head banner on his back, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes.

The bugle call to attack sounded weakly, and the soldiers dragged their feet forward, looking more like a flock of sheep being herded than an army.

Bautu spat, his spittle creating a small crater in the dust. He summoned his captain of the guard, a burly man with a scar on his face.

He lowered his voice and instructed, "Remember to tell them... just pretend, don't actually rush in."

The captain of the guard gave a knowing smile, his mouth, missing a front tooth, stretched wide.

This attack, like the previous ones, was so perfunctory that it was almost unbearable to watch.

Just then, a deafening sound of war drums suddenly rang out from the city walls.

Batu suddenly looked up, his pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the reins, causing the warhorse to shake its head in pain.

"What's going on?" The sudden turn of events left Bautu bewildered, unable to comprehend what had happened.

In the distance, in front of the Northern Di central army tent, Tuoba Lie's sharp gaze pierced through the battlefield dust, seeing the fierce fighting on the city wall. He nodded in satisfaction: "This Ba'utu, if he wanted to, could do a very good job."

Although Bautu's army's offensive did not appear to be very successful.

But the defenders' performance told him everything. The current attack was putting much more pressure on the defenders than before.

On the city wall at that moment, Zhao Wenguang was coldly wiping his sword. He had deliberately withdrawn the guards from several conspicuous positions, leaving the gaps where his most elite Ice Wolf Riders were lying in ambush.

The Ice Wolf Riders, personally trained by Huo Qinghuang, were carrying out the plan to lure the enemy in an orderly manner.

These elite warriors deliberately controlled the force of their sword swings, ensuring the blades just grazed the armor of the Northern Di soldiers, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound.

They exchanged glances, as if unable to withstand the attack of the Northern Di cavalry, and slowly retreated.

Unbeknownst to him, Bautu had already approached the edge of the arrow's range.

However, this guy still retained his last shred of rationality and did not easily enter the range of the arrows.

He was so excited that his breathing became rapid. His rough face was flushed red, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the setting sun: "Three hundred meters to the left, that's where the defenses are weakest. Attack from that direction."

He directed the battle in a hoarse voice, his excitement barely concealed.

"Everyone under the city wall, spread out a bit. Do you want to be targets for the catapults?" Bautu continued to issue orders, completely unaware of the worried glances exchanged between his trusted generals.

Chu Shizhao stood in the shadows of the arrow tower, coldly watching Ba Wutu's approaching figure, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Just as I predicted."

Zhao Wenguang's hands trembled slightly. Although his face remained expressionless, the worry in his eyes could not be concealed: "Your Highness, how much longer should we hold on?"

"Now the tide has turned, and the enemy's morale is rising. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

The battlefield is a terrifying place, no matter how many people or how much fighting power they have left.

Once the enemy gains control of a certain area, it could very well lead to a complete rout, and there would be no way to recover from it afterward.

Because of the advantages gained in this battle, the morale of the Northern Di cavalry, which was originally low, soared, and their combat power became stronger and stronger.

Zhao Wenguang was worried that if there was a place on the city wall that was not inhabited for various reasons, Xueyuan Pass might be affected and eventually collapse completely.

Bautu was completely intoxicated by the false victory and even began to plan how to claim credit for himself from the Great Khan after the battle.

Originally, they just wanted to get by, but no one expected the situation to change so dramatically.

With just one attack, he left Xueyuan Pass riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.

Just as Bautu was so excited he was almost out of his mind, the sound of an arrow slicing through the air rang out, growing louder as it approached.

Before Bawutu could make a move, an arrow whistled and pierced his saddle.

The archer was very skilled; half of the arrowhead was embedded in the saddle.

Judging from the direction of the arrowhead, it must have been someone from Xueyuan Pass who made the move.

He pulled out the arrow and was about to throw it away when he noticed a small note on it.

(End of this chapter)