Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 258 Raid
Arrows were running low, and the archery team didn't need many men. At this critical juncture, there was no distinction between bandits and light cavalry; everyone shared a common goal—to fight for Huainan!

"Alright! Zhang San, select three hundred men to leave the city. The rest, as long as they still have the strength to fight, will follow me out of the city to feign an attack and create an opportunity for them to leave." Su Qingwan quickly issued the order.

"Yes!" Zhang San answered the order in a loud voice.

Orders were swiftly relayed, and the soldiers immediately seized the time to rest and prepare for the even more brutal battle to come. At this moment, Zhang Huaining stood on the city wall and slowly played a flute imbued with the rich flavor of Huainan. The flute's melodious sound pierced through the clouds, both stirring and tragic, as if telling the story of Huainan's indomitable spirit and resistance.

The entire city wall fell silent instantly, everyone immersed in the flute music, lost in silent grief. Taking advantage of the flute music, Zhang San lit fireworks, signaling the nearby bandits to assemble.

As the flute music faded, Zhang Huaining wanted to leave the city with Zhang San, but Zhang San firmly refused: "Aning, you stay with the princess. I promise you, I will definitely come back alive to see you!"

Zhang Huaining's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up. She knew in her heart that her older brother was trying to comfort her; this trip was likely fraught with danger, and he probably wouldn't come back.

Zhang San gazed intently at General Xiao Ning; in that instant their eyes met, a thousand words were conveyed.

General Ning understood immediately and nodded emphatically. He knew that Zhang San was entrusting his younger sister, Zhang Huaining, to him. The bond between men often transcends a single glance. From the moment he decided to marry Zhang Huaining, he had vowed in his heart to never betray her in this life.

Su Qingwan mounted her horse with a graceful and determined air, her eyes resolute as she resolved to personally lead the troops out of the city to fight the enemy. General Xiao Ning knew that the princess's mind was made up, and there was no point in trying to dissuade her. Moreover, in these difficult times, the soldiers' morale was low, and the princess was their pillar of strength; her presence would greatly boost morale.

Zhang Huaining remained at the city wall, methodically arranging manpower to prepare for the return of the troops leaving the city. Su Qingwan and General Xiao Ning could only take a limited number of troops out of the city this time, and the Xilin army would definitely launch a full-scale counterattack. Therefore, leaving enough manpower for defense and support was crucial.

Su Qingwan knew that this feigned attack outside the city would arouse the enemy's suspicion, so she had to be fully prepared. At the critical moment, she thought of her "secret weapon"—poison.

Su Qingwan is a master of poisons, with in-depth knowledge of various poisons. Green Bamboo and Green Cloud possess a specially made poison called "Spring Breeze."

The name sounds beautiful, but it hides a sinister secret. It's not a deadly poison, but it can cause weakness in the limbs, vomiting, and diarrhea. More importantly, this poison can spread through the air with the wind, and there is no antidote. The symptoms can last for more than four hours. Previously, Su Qingwan had developed this poison to make things difficult for Lu Jing, and it had never been used on a large scale in the army. She wasn't sure how effective it would be. But now, the situation was critical, and she could no longer hesitate; she had no choice but to take this gamble.

Coincidentally, a northwest wind was blowing today, perfect for spreading poison. The timing and circumstances were both on her side.

With everything prepared, Su Qingwan, General Xiao Ning, and Zhang San led their men out of the city. Chen Feng, Lü Zhu, and Qing Yun followed closely behind Su Qingwan, their gazes unwavering, their hearts and minds solely focused on her, determined to protect her at all costs.

At this moment, General Zhuge was meticulously planning the afternoon's attack in his tent. The soldiers took turns eating and resting, and the camp was a scene of bustling activity.

Suddenly, a soldier rushed in to report: "General, something terrible has happened! The gates of Huainan are wide open, and a small squad of soldiers has left the city!"

Upon hearing this, one of Zhuge Liang's generals sneered, "The military supplies in Huainan City are already critically low, and there are very few soldiers left capable of fighting. If they leave the city now, are they just going to their deaths? Perhaps they want to take advantage of the chaos to repair the city gates."

General Zhuge was nearly forty years old and had fought on the battlefield for many years. He was a radical advocate of war in the Xilin Army.

From the very beginning, he opposed peace talks with Dayuan, and was determined to take Huainan as soon as possible, lure troops from the southwest to come to its aid, and then launch a full-scale war on the southwest front.

His ideal scenario was to occupy the southwest and Huainan regions, and then use this as leverage to force Dayuan to renegotiate. Since the death of the King of Huainan, he had increasingly despised Dayuan, and this military expedition was the result of his strong advocacy for war.

"Ignore them. Let the soldiers eat and drink their fill, rest well, and then launch a full-scale attack on the city this afternoon!" General Zhuge's voice was loud and clear, exuding an unquestionable authority. "The Princess of Huainan is just a woman. How long can she hold this city?"

The words had barely left his lips when a whistling sound of arrows pierced the sky, accompanied by sparks, as several fire arrows shot straight into the tent. A messenger rushed in again, his voice trembling: "General, General, something terrible has happened! The Huainan army has launched a surprise attack! It's the young princess herself leading the troops out of the city!"

"What? She actually dared to leave the city!" General Zhuge was shocked and immediately rushed out of the tent, leaping onto his horse. However, the scene before him horrified him: a large number of soldiers inside the tent collapsed, their bodies limp, convulsing and groaning in pain.

General Zhuge shouted sternly, "What's going on here?" Before the army doctor could even step forward to treat the injured, Su Qingwan and General Xiao Ning had already led a troop of light cavalry into the camp like a whirlwind. The light cavalry, wielding sharp blades, killed anyone they saw. This was originally a feint attack, so Su Qingwan and General Xiao Ning had deliberately chosen highly mobile light cavalry for a swift and decisive victory—arriving quickly and leaving just as fast.

The Xilin camp instantly descended into chaos. The light cavalry, all masked with white cloth, stood guard. Su Qingwan, sword in hand, pointed directly at General Zhuge and angrily denounced him, "You Xilin have broken your promise! You signed a ceasefire treaty, yet you ambushed and killed Xilin Yongxuan on the border, and now you're trying to frame Huainan! Your intentions are despicable! General Zhuge, you've miscalculated. Reinforcements from Zhongzhou are on their way. Xilin's lack of integrity will only lead to their own destruction!"

Before General Zhuge could respond, Su Qingwan and General Xiao Ning had already charged in with their swords. In an instant, the soldiers began to show symptoms of poisoning, and chaos erupted within the camp.

General Zhuge was thrown into disarray, fearing a large-scale poisoning attack by Su Qingwan, and was greatly alarmed. He instinctively wanted to order a retreat while fighting, but upon closer inspection, he realized Su Qingwan had only led a thousand men out of the city; this couldn't possibly be a large-scale poisoning attack. By the time he regained his composure and tried to organize a counterattack, Su Qingwan had already decisively given the order, leading her light cavalry at breakneck speed back towards the city.

"Men, chase after her!" General Zhuge roared in fury, his anger reaching a fever pitch. "That woman is indeed vicious! She dared to use poison and even feint! My Xilin military camp is not a place she can come and go as she pleases!"