A sickly fellow ridiculed by the entire army? I'll be the most beautiful woman in the barracks!

Zhao Daxuan frowned and said softly, "Village Chief Qin, please don't be impatient, tell me slowly."

Qin Lide sniffed and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"When we arrived three miles outside Zhenbei City that day, we parted ways with Captain Fu Bao. We took the Tartar's head, weapons, and warhorses and went back to Zhenbei City first to deliver the message to the city guards."

"But who would have thought that when we got to a spot not far outside the city, we would encounter a cavalry force returning from another direction."

At this point, Qin Lide's face turned furious.

"When the cavalry saw the warhorses we were carrying, they immediately surrounded us. Then, without saying a word, they seized the horses!"

"During the looting, they also discovered the several Tartar prisoners, as well as the heads and weapons of hundreds of Tartars, which they then took as well!"

Zhao Daxuan's face darkened, and he asked in a cold voice, "Are the cavalrymen wearing black armor? Do you know who is leading them?"

"Yes, the entire cavalry unit was wearing black armor. I think they said it was some kind of Black Armor Battalion."

Qin Lide pondered for a moment and said, "The leader is a burly man; I heard his men call him Commandant Wang!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of anger crossed Zhao Daxuan's eyes. "Village Chief Qin, did you inform them that these things belong to us?"

Qin Lide immediately nodded emphatically.

"Of course! During the looting, I shouted to them that these were all your spoils, Lord Zhao."

"But to their surprise, after hearing your name, they all looked at you with disdain, saying that a sickly man leading a team could possibly kill so many Tartar cavalry!"

"What's most infuriating is that they actually claimed they personally killed these Tartars and told us not to talk nonsense!"

Zhao Fubao, who was standing to the side, was already furious, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Unable to suppress his anger, he drew his long sword from his waist and slashed at the ground beside him.

"How dare they bully us like this!"

The other soldiers beside him, their faces also contorted with rage, shouted, "Sir, let's fight them!"

Zhao Daxuan raised his hand and pressed down, and the angry shouts around him immediately disappeared.

"Village Chief Qin, this isn't your fault. Don't worry, I'll handle this myself. No one can take what's mine!"

Zhao Daxuan spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice firm and resolute, his eyes unwavering.

Then, with a grave expression, he looked at Qin Lide and said, "Village Chief Qin, what's more important than this is the news of the Tartars' attack. Has it been relayed to the city guards?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Lide nodded, then shook his head, somewhat uncertain.

"I informed that black-armored cavalry of the news, and the city gates were closed shortly after they entered the city. I also saw that patrols on the city walls were increased."

"Yesterday, Chen An came to Zhenbei City and met me at the city gate. He wanted to pass on more accurate information into the city, but unfortunately the city gate was closed and we could not communicate."

Zhao Daxuan frowned.

"You can't get into Zhenbei City?"

"Yes, the city guards refused to let us in because we looked like refugees. Not to mention that later when the city gates were closed and patrols were increased, they wouldn't even communicate with us."

Qin Lide sighed deeply, his face full of helplessness.

Zhao Daxuan shook his head. It seemed that the specific situation could only be clarified after he returned to the city to investigate.

"Village Chief Qin, if you can't enter the city, what about the others?" Zhao Daxuan asked, puzzled.

Qin Lide pointed south, "We found a suitable place to settle down about five kilometers away to the south. We'll stay there temporarily."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Daxuan nodded. "Village Chief Qin, once I return to the city, I will inform the high-ranking military officials of the situation, and then we will see how to properly settle you."

He then turned and pointed to the hundreds of villagers who had just migrated back from the north, and continued speaking.

"These villagers are people I brought back from Youyun Beiting. If the place where you settle them is suitable, then let them go there together."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lide's eyes lit up. Looking at the hundreds of villagers behind Zhao Daxuan, he breathed heavily, as if he had seen long-lost relatives.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is the first time in all these years that I've seen so many Han Chinese return to Great Xia alive!"

Upon hearing Zhao Daxuan mention them, Uncle Li squeezed to Zhao Daxuan's side in the crowd, awaiting his instructions.

Zhao Daxuan looked at Uncle Li, who had come closer, and nodded to him.

"Uncle Li, this is Qin Lide, the village chief of Wangbei Village. They have found a suitable place to settle down. You can go back with him later."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li's face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Village Chief Qin."

Qin Lide waved his hand repeatedly, "Don't be so polite. We're from the same hometown. I also fled from Youyun Beiting."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Li became even more eager.

Zhao Daxuan then told them to go back with Qin Lide to settle down first, while he led his soldiers to the city gate.

"Open the door! Open the door now! We are the city guards stationed in the north, and we have a situation to report."

Li Erlong stood in front of the city gate and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the city wall.

However, the soldiers on the city wall remained unmoved, and simply lowered a basket containing a note with writing on it.

"Only one person is allowed up!"

Li Erlong picked up the note, looked at it with a furious expression, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the ground.

"I'm risking my life out there, what tricks are they playing now?"

Zhao Fubao tugged at Li Erlong and said, "Never mind, Brother Li, I'll go up and explain."

Then Zhao Fubao sat in the small basket, held tightly to the rope, and was pulled up to the city wall along with the basket.

As soon as Zhao Fubao climbed the city wall, he followed the soldiers guarding the side into a gatehouse on the city wall.

Then they saw a centurion-dressed officer sitting in an official's hat chair inside the city gate, legs crossed, leisurely drinking tea.

Only when Zhao Fubao walked up to him did the centurion look up at him and speak in a calm tone.

"Which team are you on? What's the matter?"

Zhao Fubao gave a solemn military salute before speaking.

"Sir, I am a soldier under Centurion Zhao Daxuan. We have important military intelligence to report back!"

"Furthermore, many of our brothers are seriously injured and urgently need to enter the city to recuperate. Please open the city gates and let us in!"

The centurion's face turned cold the moment he heard the name "Zhao Daxuan".

He glanced at Zhao Fubao out of the corner of his eye, then lowered his head and slowly sipped the tea in his hand.

"Tell me what urgent military situation you have!"

Looking at the other party's posture, and thinking of his compatriots outside the city who were injured and in dire need of rest, Zhao Fubao felt a surge of anger.

But he held back and informed the other party of the latest military intelligence he had gathered, and then spoke urgently.

"My lord, the brothers below the city gate are eager to enter the city to rest. Please open the city gate immediately!"

The centurion scoffed, "Who are your brothers? As for entering the city, wait outside until I report to my superiors before opening the city gates."

Zhao Fubao's expression changed, and he was about to speak again.

"Sir, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the centurion waved his hand, and the soldiers waiting nearby stepped forward and carried Zhao Fubao out of the city tower.

After Zhao Fubao was carried out of the city wall, a trusted soldier hesitated and asked the centurion, "Sir, he's one of our own, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

The centurion waved his hand dismissively, "It's alright. The commander of the Black Armor Battalion specifically instructed that we must not let that sickly troop into the city."

Then he let out a sneer.

"I can't afford to offend the leaders of the Black Armor Camp, but surely I can afford to offend that sickly fellow?"