Years turn into wind

That night, Ling Xiaotian summoned all his trusted aides for an emergency meeting in the secret conference room of the Grand Marshal's Mansion. A few dim oil lamps flickered in the room, illuminating the solemn expressions on everyone's faces.

"Lu Sheng's conspiracy won't stop here," Ling Xiaotian whispered in a cold tone, "Although his spy network has been destroyed by us, he definitely has other tricks up his sleeve."

Cheng Yuwei stood beside him, frowning slightly. "Lu Sheng probably won't resort to small-scale warfare this time. He's likely to launch a large-scale military operation. Perhaps he's trying to take advantage of our internal divisions to completely crush us."

Ling Xiaotian nodded: "We must make arrangements in advance to prevent his next move."

One of the generals stood up, his expression firm. "General, we have arranged spies to monitor Lu Sheng's movements at all times. If he makes any unusual movements, we will take immediate action."

"Very good." Ling Xiaotian waved his hand. "However, we can't just wait for the enemy to make a move. If we want to completely control the situation, we need to take the initiative."

Cheng Yuwei's eyes flashed with a hint of contemplation: "Xiaotian, can we use this opportunity to do the opposite? Since they think we are internally divided, why don't we continue to pretend and make them think that the division is more serious, thereby inducing Lu Sheng to speed up his actions."

Ling Xiaotian pondered for a moment and nodded slowly: "Indeed, this is a good idea. As long as Lu Sheng reveals a flaw, we can counterattack and completely defeat him."

The next day, undercurrents surged throughout the Marshal's residence. Cheng Yuwei and Ling Xiaotian continued their "cold war" drama, deliberately displaying conflicting attitudes in front of the soldiers and servants. Ling Xiaotian's outward attitude towards Cheng Yuwei grew increasingly cold, while Cheng Yuwei feigned gloom and even deliberately avoided Ling Xiaotian.

All this soon reached Lu Zhirou's ears.

"It seems like a rift has indeed appeared between them." Lu Zhirou said to her subordinates with a smile, "Now is the time for us to take action."

She and Lu Sheng met secretly again to discuss how to speed up the action. Lu Sheng decided to mobilize the army to attack Ling Xiaotian in the shortest possible time, while secretly instigating more internal personnel to rebel.

"Brother Xiaotian's trust is about to be broken. When that happens, I will definitely stand by him and become the only person he trusts." Lu Zhirou's eyes flashed with ambition. What she longed for was not only Ling Xiaotian's love, but also the power in his hands.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuwei had noticed Lu Zhirou and Lu Sheng's increasing pace. She worked closely with Ling Xiaotian, their "cold war" designed to draw out their enemy's next move. However, amidst this political showdown, she felt a tinge of unease.

Cheng Yuwei stood on the city wall, looking at the army in the distance, her brow furrowed. At this moment, she felt unprecedented pressure. This battle not only concerned Ling Xiaotian's future, but also the fate of the entire country.

Ling Xiaotian walked up to her and asked in a deep voice, "What tactics do you think Lu Sheng will adopt?"

Cheng Yuwei's eyes were sharp as she said calmly, "He will first send out a vanguard to test our defenses. Once he finds that our defenses are lax, he will send his entire army forward to capture the Marshal's Mansion."

"Very good." Ling Xiaotian nodded. "Since they want to test our strength, let them do it to their heart's content."

He quickly issued an order, having some troops feign a retreat, creating the illusion of a defensive gap and drawing Lu Sheng's army to attack. Meanwhile, the elite troops lay in ambush in the rear, ready to launch a fatal attack if the enemy entered the ambush.

Late at night, Lu Sheng stood among the army, his gaze fixed on the distant Marshal Ling Xiaotian's residence. A cold light flickered in his eyes, as if victory was just around the corner.

"We have found out that the internal conflicts in Ling Xiaotian are becoming increasingly intensified. Now is the best time to attack." A staff officer whispered.

Lu Sheng sneered, "Very good! Order the vanguard to march out immediately to test their defenses. Once a flaw is discovered, the entire army will immediately attack."

Soon, Lu Sheng's vanguard troops surged towards the Marshal's Mansion like a tide, and the sound of weapons gradually broke the silence of the night.

Cheng Yuwei stood on the city wall, closely watching the enemy's movements. She gripped her sword tightly, silently calculating every detail. At this moment, she was not only a doctor of chemistry, but also Ling Xiaotian's most important strategist.

The enemy army quickly approached the defense line outside the Marshal's Mansion. As if they saw that the defenders were indeed retreating, they quickened their pace in an attempt to break through in one fell swoop.

A hint of coldness flashed in Cheng Yuwei's eyes, and she said softly, "Okay."

Ling Xiaotian stood beside her, his eyes as cold as ice: "Kill!"

Following a command, the archers who had been lying in ambush unleashed a barrage of arrows, raining down upon the enemy vanguard like a torrential rain. The enemy, who hadn't yet reacted, were instantly engulfed in the hail of arrows, screaming in agony.

Immediately afterwards, Ling Xiaotian's elite cavalry rushed out from both wings, like a tiger descending from the mountain, and attacked the enemy camp directly.

Lu Sheng's vanguard troops were instantly thrown into chaos, and before they could offer any resistance, they were overwhelmed by Ling Xiaotian's army. On the battlefield, swords clashed, blood staining the ground red.

Lu Sheng stood in the rear, his face changing dramatically as he watched his vanguard troops being routed. He had never imagined that Ling Xiaotian had already seen through his scheme and had set a trap, waiting for his army to fall into it.

"Retreat!" Lu Sheng gritted his teeth and ordered, attempting to withdraw his troops back to the camp and retreat temporarily.

But at this time, Ling Xiaotian had already led the main force to charge in, cutting off Lu Sheng's retreat. On the battlefield, the sound of fighting was endless. Lu Sheng's army was surrounded by Ling Xiaotian and gradually fell into a desperate situation.

Ling Xiaotian rode to the center of the battlefield, his eyes blazing as he said in a cold voice, "Lu Sheng, do you think these conspiracies and tricks can defeat me? Today is the day of your destruction!"

Seeing the situation was irreversible, Lu Sheng was filled with rage. He gripped the hilt tightly and gritted his teeth, saying, "Ling Xiaotian, you're lucky today! But one day, I will personally defeat you!"

After saying that, Lu Sheng took advantage of the chaos and led a few trusted cavalrymen to flee in panic, disappearing into the night.

The battle ended quickly. Ling Xiaotian's army defeated Lu Sheng's troops with absolute advantage. Only Lu Sheng's defeated remnants and broken battle flags were left on the battlefield.

Cheng Yuwei stood on the city wall, looking at all this, and breathed a sigh of relief. Although the battle was temporarily over, she knew that the war was far from over.

Ling Xiaotian rode his horse to her side, reached out and held her hand, and said softly: "This time, we won."

Cheng Yuwei smiled slightly and nodded: "However, Lu Sheng will not give up easily, he will come back again."

Ling Xiaotian's eyes became deep: "It doesn't matter, as long as you are by my side, I have nothing to fear."

The two looked at each other for a moment, as if the exhaustion from the battle had transformed into silent understanding and trust.

A few days later, the post-war Marshal's Mansion returned to peace. Cheng Yuwei and Ling Xiaotian finally had a moment of peace. They decided to temporarily put aside the shadow of war and enjoy their time.

That evening, Ling Xiaotian took Cheng Yuwei to the small garden in the mansion. In the garden, autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom, and the breeze was blowing, filling the air with a faint floral fragrance.

"You've been exhausted these days, so I prepared a dinner specially for you today." Ling Xiaotian looked at Cheng Yuwei with a gentle smile.

Cheng Yuwei was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "You can actually prepare dinner? Let me see."

Ling Xiaotian smiled without saying anything, and led her to the stone table in the garden. The table was filled with a variety of exquisite dishes and a pot of warm wine. He poured her a glass with his own hands and said with a smile, "Try it."

Cheng Yuwei picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and raised the corner of her mouth slightly: "Not bad, I didn't expect you to have such skills."

Ling Xiaotian smiled and shook his head: "I didn't make this. It was prepared by the chef in the mansion. I was only responsible for choosing the dishes for you."

Cheng Yuwei couldn't help but laugh out loud, but she felt a warm feeling in her heart. These days, they have been fighting in the midst of swords and sabers, and it is rare to have such a relaxing moment.

However, just as the two were immersed in this brief warmth, a personal soldier suddenly ran in hurriedly, looking nervous.

"Marshal, we have discovered a spy who has been lurking for a long time."

Cheng Yuwei and Ling Xiaotian exchanged a glance, and the warm atmosphere was instantly broken. Ling Xiaotian's eyes immediately turned cold: "Bring him to see me."

The spy was escorted to the garden, looking disheveled, but with a hint of defiance in his eyes. He looked at Ling Xiaotian and sneered, "You think you can stop Lu Sheng's plan by arresting me? You're too naive."

Cheng Yuwei walked forward calmly and asked in a low voice: "What other plans do you have?"

The spy snorted coldly and fell silent. Ling Xiaotian looked at him, a cold glint in his eyes. "Whatever your plan is, it's doomed to fail. Take him away and interrogate him strictly."

Cheng Yuwei watched the spy being taken away and felt alert in her heart: Lu Sheng’s conspiracy was far from over.