From the moment the water source was cut off, the defenders of Biluo’en Castle launched frantic assaults to retake it.
It could be said that those standing on the walls were mostly hastily conscripted militia; the slightly trained veterans had almost all been thrown into the counterattack to reclaim the water source.
Unfortunately, even the veterans who had training and combat experience were merely cheaply equipped militia with low morale and poor organization.
Their loosely formed ranks fell apart as soon as they charged, hardly a match for the rigorously trained regular army.
Alicia led a hundred soldiers to repeatedly repel enemies several times their number.
Over two days they fought several battles, with only a dozen wounded, mostly lightly.
Most importantly, not a single EDF soldier was killed!
What a joke!
The EDF’s equipment was top-notch even among Lai En’s limited regular forces.
A plate armor coat with chainmail hauberk and visored helmet—this set of armor was not cheap!
If they had been stabbed to death by militia wearing only cotton-padded jackets and at most leather armor, wielding spears, that would have been truly shameful!
In any case, from the afternoon of the second day onward, the enemy essentially stopped attacking.
Maybe her laxatives had actually worked.
Alicia handed command over to Andrew, and accompanied Mosuosi and a few cavalrymen back to Lai En’s main camp.
Besides reporting on the battle situation, she had another task—guarding Lady Shipu Aisi.
After all, aside from the lady, she was the only woman in the camp.
Some guard and contact tasks were indeed more convenient for her to handle, reducing unnecessary trouble.
On the morning of the third day, figures on Biluo’en Castle’s walls grew fewer and fewer.
From the outside, the entire castle was eerily quiet.
“It’s already the third day, isn’t it?”
In the camp not far from the castle, Lai En leisurely sat on horseback, gazing at the walls.
“It seems the enemy collapsed faster than expected. Maybe Alicia did something when she cut off the water supply.”
“What a dishonorable trick! Nothing but cheap, underhanded moves! War relies on uprightness, on a knight’s courage and glory! Not these… gutter tactics!”
Dike Xiaote’s face was full of contempt.
He deliberately raised his voice, as if afraid that Alicia, who was lazily leaning against a tent pole with her eyes closed a few steps away, might not hear.
But the carefree girl couldn’t be bothered to respond to such low-level provocation.
She continued to rest with her eyes closed.
That bastard Dike Xiaote had specifically rushed over on the second day of the siege—the night before last—with two hundred militia, shamelessly acting as Lai En’s reinforcements, completely ignoring the fact that Lai En hadn’t even called for him in this operation.
Then he brazenly asked the Elder Lord Enlaike for military provisions.
Truly, he contributed nothing except increasing Lai En’s logistical burden.
This guy’s little schemes were crackling like firecrackers!
Anyone with eyes could see that this battle to retake Biluo’en Castle was almost certain.
By rushing over to “assist” now, he avoided the risk of storming the castle while still earning a “participation” slot on the merit roll, showing Lai En a posture of “loyal and eager for battle.”
More importantly, his few hundred men could legitimately eat Lai En’s food and drink Lai En’s soup, saving himself a huge expense!
It was a no-cost, high-profit, sure-win deal!
His declared banner was assisting the lord in suppressing rebels, so there was no way to send him and his men packing.
This guy kept hovering around like a fly, popping up every now and then to assert his presence.
Anyway, he annoyed Lai En to no end.
But Lai En couldn’t be too tough on him either.
This guy was the representative of fence-sitters in Lide’an City.
He had been one of the first to side with Lai En back then.
He was less a noble or general and more a speculator; family and glory were just business to him.
General Keleiduosi silently shot Dike Xiaote a glance, then bowed and stepped forward to suggest in a low voice.
“The other side is about at their limit. Shouldn’t we send an envoy to urge surrender?”
He turned his head, his gaze landing on the small figure a short distance away, leaning against a tent pole as if she had fallen asleep standing up.
His face twitched involuntarily.
Lai En suddenly raised his voice, urging impatiently.
“A—li—ci—a! Sleeping soundly, are you?! Drool is almost dripping onto your armor! Hurry up and go fetch the lady!”
“Yes, yes! Your subject will go at once!”
Alicia jolted, instantly “waking up.” She quickly bowed toward Lai En, her face showing no embarrassment at being caught red-handed, and dashed to the lady’s tent in three long strides.
Lady Shipu Aisi had already risen.
She was dressed neatly and properly, her hair even combed into a meticulous bun, sitting quietly on the simple camp cot.
In her hands she held a cup of water that had long gone cold, her eyes calmly fixed on the tent entrance.
“Has the time come?”
She didn’t seem surprised by Alicia’s arrival, and her voice revealed little fluctuation in emotion.
“Yes, my lady. We are about to urge surrender at Biluo’en Castle.”
The girl nodded, expression unchanged, but inwardly she sighed.
Yang Pigu being able to marry such a wife must be the blessing of his ancestors.
She wondered if today’s surrender negotiation would go smoothly.
Yang Pigu was cornered, and his feelings had been cruelly betrayed by Lemeng.
He was probably irritable and sensitive now.
If the lady accidentally said the wrong thing, the negotiation would fail.
Alicia looked at the lady’s resolute expression, her heart inexplicably softening.
She asked in a low voice.
“My lady, we’ll probably be leaving soon. Have you… prepared for the surrender negotiation?”
“Preparation?”
The lady revealed an unfathomable smile, mixed with sorrow, resignation, and reluctance.
“Mm… I’m… ready.”
For some reason, Alicia felt that the lady didn’t seem to be simply planning to urge surrender.
Her demeanor made it seem as heavy as preparing for death.
It shouldn’t come to that, right?
After all, Xipuaisi’s legitimate son was still in Lide’an City.
Although his betrayal would surely be severely punished, Lai En had given his word, so it shouldn’t cost him his life.
At any rate, living peacefully with his wife and children was better than dying!
“Lady Alicia.”
The lady stood up and came to the girl’s side.
“During this time, my son and I have been greatly indebted to your care. This kindness and sentiment, I hold in my heart, and I am very grateful.”
As she spoke, she even slightly bowed, performing a solemn salute to Alicia.
“Ah, please don’t say that.”
The girl became a bit embarrassed.
“As they say, one who practices benevolent governance under heaven does not cut off another’s ancestral sacrifices!”
“Benevolent governance…”
The lady smiled at the girl’s embarrassment.
“Don’t keep His Highness waiting. Please lead the way, my lady.”
When the two returned to the main tent, they saw Mosuosi and Dike Xiaote arguing.
Apparently both were vying to be the envoy for surrender negotiations.
Well, of course!
Persuading the enemy commander to open the gates and surrender was a great achievement—it could even be considered the foremost merit of this campaign!
However, Alicia had a bad feeling about this.
After reporting back to Lai En, she took her position.
“Oh, Alicia, you’re just in time. I want to hear your opinion.”
Lai En nodded to the lady, then unhesitatingly dragged the girl into the water.
“Tell me, who do you think should be the envoy for this surrender negotiation?”
The girl frowned.
Almost at the same time, everyone in the tent’s gaze focused on her.
“Uh… something like this, a mere sergeant major like me shouldn’t get involved, right?”
The girl put on a smile, ready to extricate herself.
“Enlaike and I think that Lord Mosuosi, though young, is eloquent and should suffice as envoy. But General Hess and General Keleiduosi believe that Lord Dike Xiaote has more authority and is more familiar with Xipuaisi. The two sides are deadlocked.”
Lai En completely ignored the girl’s attempt to withdraw, even pressing further.
“So, your opinion is crucial!”
‘Damn! Isn’t this putting me on the fire? Lai En, you bastard really don’t think this is big enough! No matter who I choose, I’ll offend the other side to death!’
Actually, the girl was wronging him.
Lai En also believed Xipuaisi’s surrender was a foregone conclusion.
Sending someone was more of a formality, and also to assign this foremost merit.
By “giving” the choice to Alicia, he was in a way giving her the power to allocate this merit.
But the girl was uneasy, so she simply answered.
“In that case, my lords! Since we are here to urge Xipuaisi to surrender, then the one who knows Xipuaisi best is his lady. How about letting her decide?”
This proposal was quite abrupt.
The people in the tent fell silent for a moment, their gazes turning to the ever-silent Lady Shipu Aisi.
A flash of disappointment quickly passed through Lai En’s eyes, but since it had come to this, he couldn’t force a choice.
“What does the lady think?”
The lady raised her eyelids, her gaze calmly sweeping over Mosuosi and Dike Xiaote’s faces.
Without almost any hesitation, she chose Dike Xiaote.
And so, the smug Dike Xiaote set off confidently with Lady Shipu Aisi.
…
Originally, Dike Xiaote thought this surrender negotiation was as easy and pleasant as Ximen Qing seducing Pan Jinlian.
But unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the city gate, he was greeted not by flowers and smiles, but by swords and clubs!
The lady was naturally unharmed, but he himself was tied up like a dumpling.
The two were brought before Xipuaisi.
At this point, Dike Xiaote was a bit panicked, but he still pretended to be calm, using his best bluff, putting on a victor’s arrogant attitude, completely unaware of the flash of resolve in the lady’s eyes beside him.
Before they had exchanged even a few words, the arrogant Dike Xiaote made Yang Pigu’s blood pressure surge.
Seeing that the time was ripe, the lady, like offering a brick to attract jade, steered the topic to his younger son, Di Mi An, who was still under house arrest in Lide’an City.
Indeed, Dike Xiaote immediately seized the opportunity.
“That’s right! Your legitimate son is right now in Lide’an City! His safety hangs by a thread of your decision! As long as you open the gates and surrender immediately, our Lord Lai En, being merciful and magnanimous, will naturally keep his promise and release the hostage. But if you remain stubborn and resist… then, hmph! Your son’s fate will be more than you can bear!”
The more he spoke, the more he felt he had hit the vital point.
His words grew sharper, full of threat and self-righteousness.
Unfortunately, he was used to throwing his weight around and completely failed to realize how jarring this seemingly powerful coercion was to the desperate and sensitive Xipuaisi.
“You want my answer? You want me to surrender?”
Extreme anger, the humiliation of betrayal, the despair of being cornered—like boiling magma, they crashed wildly in Xipuaisi’s chest.
His eyes turned a terrifying bloodshot, his pupils filled with savage red threads, as he glared at the bound but still arrogant Dike Xiaote.
“Fine——!!!”
He shot up, and without a word, drew his sword.
In Dike Xiaote’s terrified gaze, he ran him through.
Then, he personally dragged the poor bastard’s corpse to the city wall and threw it down like trash.
Dike Xiaote might have still had a breath left, but now he was completely smashed into a pulp, dead beyond dead.
“Surrender? This is my answer, Lai En! Hypocritical villain! I, Xipuaisi, will never surrender——!”