Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 222 Unusual Movements on the Frontier, Preparations for War

News of unusual activity came from the border again, suggesting a large-scale enemy troop buildup. This news was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in the capital.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling immediately realized that this could be a huge crisis. Inside the Marquis's residence, they urgently summoned their advisors and generals to discuss countermeasures.

Xiao Ling advocated immediately requesting permission from the court to lead the Marquis's army to the frontier to resist the enemy. Su Jinxiu, however, believed that this matter needed to be handled cautiously, and that the enemy's true intentions and strength must be ascertained before sending troops.

After a heated discussion, they decided to take a two-pronged approach. Xiao Ling led a team of trusted confidants to the frontier to investigate the situation, while Su Jinxiu remained in the capital to negotiate with the court and secure more support and resources.

Xiao Ling traveled tirelessly, overcoming numerous hardships, and finally arrived at the frontier. He discovered that the enemy army was indeed large in scale, well-equipped, and highly trained. Worse still, the frontier garrison, due to a long-term lack of supplies and training, was extremely weak in combat.

Knowing the situation was critical, Xiao Ling sent intelligence back to the capital while actively organizing the local military and civilians to prepare for defense. He personally trained soldiers, set up defensive lines, and mobilized the masses to collect food and supplies.

In the capital, Su Jinxiu argued forcefully in court, outlining the dire situation on the frontier and demanding that the court send reinforcements and provide ample supplies as soon as possible. However, some ministers in the court dismissed this, believing that Xiao Ling was deliberately exaggerating to expand his own power.

Despite these doubts and difficulties, Su Jinxiu did not back down. She cleverly exploited the conflicts between various factions and won the support of some ministers. In the end, the court reluctantly agreed to send troops, but the supplies provided were far less than Su Jinxiu had requested.

On the frontier, the enemy began to launch probing attacks. Xiao Ling led the defending troops in a valiant resistance, repelling several enemy assaults. However, due to the disparity in strength between the two sides, gaps gradually appeared in the defensive line.

Just then, Xiao Ling received a message from Su Jinxiu. The Marquis's mansion had exhausted all its resources to gather a batch of supplies, which were being transported to the frontier. However, these supplies needed to pass through a dangerous mountain road and might be attacked by enemy troops.

Xiao Ling decided to personally lead a team of elite soldiers to receive the supplies. They encountered an ambush by enemy troops on the mountain road and engaged in a fierce battle.

Xiao Ling led from the front, fighting bravely against the enemy, and finally succeeded in repelling the enemy army and protecting the supplies. However, he was also seriously wounded in the battle.

The arrival of supplies temporarily alleviated the crisis on the frontier, but the enemy's offensive became increasingly fierce.

Su Jinxiu was extremely anxious in the capital. She decided to risk going into the palace to ask the emperor for help directly.

The imperial court began preparations for war, and Xiao Ling volunteered to go to the frontier once again. Su Jinxiu remained in the capital to assist the court in allocating supplies and troops.

Xiao Ling led the Marquis's elite troops, traveling day and night to the frontier. Along the way, he constantly pondered strategies for dealing with the enemy, while also worrying about the situation on the frontier.

Upon arriving at the border, Xiao Ling discovered that the situation was worse than he had anticipated. The enemy's camps stretched endlessly, their morale high, while his own troops were exhausted and filled with anxiety.

Xiao Ling immediately rectified military discipline and intensified training, while also sending out scouts to gather intelligence on the enemy. He knew that knowing oneself and one's enemy was the key to victory in every battle.

Thanks to Xiao Ling's efforts, the morale of the defending troops gradually recovered, and the fortifications were reinforced. However, the enemy did not give him much of a chance to catch his breath, launching wave after wave of fierce attacks.

Xiao Ling led from the front, charging into battle and repelling enemy attacks time and again. However, the prolonged fighting resulted in heavy casualties among the soldiers, and supplies began to run out.

In the capital, Su Jinxiu faced immense pressure. Some officials in the court made things difficult for her in every way, deliberately delaying the allocation of supplies and even secretly leaking intelligence to the enemy.

Su Jinxiu became aware of these conspiracies. On the one hand, she skillfully dealt with these officials, and on the other hand, she secretly investigated evidence of their collusion with the enemy.

After much effort, Su Jinxiu finally obtained crucial evidence and brought those traitorous officials to justice. The allocation of supplies gradually became smoother, but the transport was hampered by bandits and severe weather.

Su Jinxiu personally organized a group to escort the supplies. On the way, they were attacked by bandits. Undeterred by the danger, Su Jinxiu commanded her men to fight back bravely, and they finally repelled the bandits.

After a difficult journey, the supplies finally arrived at the border. Xiao Ling was overjoyed to see the supplies arrive, and the soldiers were greatly encouraged.

However, the enemy seized this opportunity to launch a large-scale attack. Xiao Ling led his soldiers in a desperate resistance, but the enemy's offensive was as overwhelming as a tidal wave.

At a critical moment, Xiao Ling discovered a weakness in the enemy's defenses. He decisively led a squad of elite troops in a counterattack. After a thrilling battle, they finally disrupted the enemy's plans and forced them to retreat.

However, Xiao Ling was also seriously injured in the battle and fell into a coma.

Panic gripped the army as the enemy, upon learning of Xiao Ling's injury, prepared for their final assault.