Accidentally dressed as an empress

In a camp thirty miles east of the battlefield, Zhong Rong was anxiously waiting for news from the scouts.

The evening light shone on her, outlining her resolute yet slightly tired figure.

"General, the scouts are back!" A soldier hurried over and reported to Zhong Rong.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Rong immediately stood up and asked anxiously, "How is it? What's the situation in the Chu army camp?"

The scout knelt on one knee and said solemnly, "General, the Chu army camp is heavily guarded, with a large number of troops and numerous traps and sentries. We finally got this information."

Zhong Rong frowned slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "It seems the Chu army has been prepared for this. We should not act rashly."

The scout knelt on the spot and continued, "Yun Nation's troops appeared on the east side of the Chu army camp. I went forward to investigate and found out that they were reinforcements from Xiling."

Zhong Rong thought for a moment. Although Lin Zichen was a daughter of the Lin family, at this critical moment, he should put aside his past grudges and said, "Contact General Lin immediately. This battle concerns the survival of the Yun Kingdom. We must go all out."

"Yes!" the scout responded.

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled like blood on the temporary camping site in the woods, casting a dim halo on every busy figure.

Zhong Rong had just finished discussing the initial strategy for dealing with the Chu army with several generals. He was rubbing his temple, which was aching from overwork, when he saw his daughter Zhong Yuan walking towards him and said, "Mother."

Zhong Rong was slightly stunned. "Yuan'er, this is not the place you should be. The battlefield is changing rapidly and danger is everywhere. Why are you here?" There was a hint of blame in her voice, but more of it was worry about her daughter's safety.

Zhong Yuan did not retreat because of her mother's rebuke. Instead, she straightened her back with determination in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, took a step forward, and said solemnly, "Mother, I am no longer the child who needed your constant protection. This mission concerns the survival of the Yun Kingdom and the safety of countless people. I also long to contribute to the Yun Kingdom and share some of your burdens."

Zhong Rong sighed softly, "I know you've grown up, with your own ambitions and ideals, and a burning desire to serve your country. But the battlefield is no joke, with swords flashing and sabers daring, life and death hanging by a thread. How can a mother not worry about your safety?"

Zhong Yuan bit her lower lip tightly, a stubborn glint in her eyes. She said seriously, "Mother, I have been learning martial arts and military tactics from you since I was young. I have never slacked off, yearning for the day to show my skills on the battlefield and make great contributions to our country. Now that the opportunity is right in front of me, how can I retreat? Please let me stay. I will definitely not let you down."

Zhong Rong stared into her daughter's eyes. From her determined gaze, she seemed to see her younger self, with the same passion and ambition.

After hesitating for a moment, she nodded gently and said, "Since you have made up your mind, Mother will not stop you. But you must remember that on the battlefield, I will treat everyone equally, and you must obey my orders in all actions."

"Yes, mother!" Zhong Yuan responded excitedly, her eyes gleaming with joy. However, at that moment, her expression suddenly became hesitant, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Zhong Rong keenly noticed his daughter's strange behavior and could not help but frown slightly. He asked with concern, "Yuan'er, is there something on your mind? If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't keep it in your heart."

Zhong Yuan took a deep breath and summoned her courage to speak: "Mother, I just received an important piece of news. The mountains surrounding the Chu army are currently occupied will be hit by flash floods in the next few days. If we can find a way to hold them back and prevent them from leaving the mountains, the Chu army will surely suffer heavy losses when the flash floods break out."

Zhong Rong was instantly surprised when she heard this. Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at Zhong Yuan closely and asked, "Yuan'er, this is no small matter. How did you know this?"

Zhong Yuan remembered that in a previous life, when he was on duty at the Imperial History Office, he had recorded that in May of the first year of the Xin calendar, a massive flash flood struck Huanshan, submerging thirteen villages and displacing their residents. His Majesty was not attending court at the time, so it was Emperor Zhong who took charge of government affairs and oversaw disaster relief efforts.

But she couldn't say that to her mother. She gathered herself and slowly explained, "Mother, yesterday on our march, we passed by a small village. There, I met an experienced hunter. He'd lived in the mountainous area for most of his life and knew the terrain and climate there like the back of his hand.

He said that recently all signs in the mountains have been very abnormal. The water level of the stream has suddenly risen, and the birds and animals in the forests are also restless. Based on his many years of experience, he judged that in a few days, a large-scale flash flood would occur in the surrounding mountains.

After hearing Zhong Yuan's words, Zhong Rong frowned and fell into deep thought. She knew very well that the power of a mountain torrent was enormous. Once it broke out, it would definitely bring a devastating blow to the Chu army caught in it.

This is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the enemy, but at the same time, it also hides huge risks.

If we fail to successfully delay the Chu army and force them to evacuate Huanshan in advance, then not only will the plan fail, but we may also be put in an even more dangerous situation.

Zhong Rong quickly thought of a countermeasure in her mind. She led the Chu army to circle around Huanshan, and Lin Zichen could follow behind to try to keep the Chu army inside Huanshan.

However, they would also face the threat of mountain torrents, Zhong Rong thought, then they could use powerful crossbows to launch long-range attacks on the Chu army from the top of the mountain.

She made this plan, quickly wrote a secret letter with special ink, and sent it to Lin Zichen by a carrier pigeon.

Just as the carrier pigeon flew away, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from afar, breaking the brief silence.

A scout arrived at full speed. He dismounted and trotted over to Zhong Rong, breathlessly saying, "General, something terrible is happening! The Chu army seems to have noticed our movements and is mobilizing troops en masse, rapidly advancing towards us!"

Zhong Rong's expression instantly grew serious. She quickly turned, her gaze sweeping across the surrounding soldiers with determination, and shouted an order, "All soldiers, immediately enter combat mode! Prepare to meet the enemy as planned! At the same time, we must do everything we can to delay the Chu army!"

The soldiers acted quickly, picking up their weapons, checking their equipment, and taking their positions, their eyes revealing their determination to die.

Zhong Yuan stood closely beside his mother, holding the sword tightly in both hands. Although he was a little nervous, his eyes revealed a fearless courage.

"Yuan'er, follow me closely." Zhong Rong whispered to Zhong Yuan, then took the lead and led the soldiers to rush towards the enemy.