The Slender Waist-Chapter 190 - 135: Lie Down Together_2

Feng Yun pondered.

The Jin and Qi armies had no differences in weaponry.

It then came down to the strength of each side.

More men naturally meant greater strength.

But siege warfare had always been the most difficult.

The trenches of Bingzhou were over ten feet deep and three feet wide, with the bottoms filled with sharp caltrops and the moat notoriously broad. The Qi Army wouldn’t even be able to touch the city gates without filling in the trenches and the moat...

Therefore, even with a force several times the size of the Beiyong Army, it was wishful thinking for the Qi Army to take Bingzhou City in a short period of time.

Moreover, in a siege, the attackers would suffer far greater casualties than the defenders.

It was for that reason Xiao Cheng waited so many days at Hengqu Pass, besieging without attacking.

As Feng Yun listened to the soldiers discussing tactics, comparing them with what she had read in books, she secretly marveled at Pei Jue’s and Xiao Cheng’s strategies.

Pei Jue holding firm in Bingzhou, could it be he planned to lure Xiao Cheng out from Hengqu Pass to fight?

If Xiao Cheng failed to take Bingzhou, and once the Tiger Guard and Dragon Cavalry Army arrived, combined with the main force from Xinzhou, they would deal a heavy blow to Xiao Cheng.

Diving into the analysis of the battle for the first time, Feng Yun finally understood the awe-inspiring feat of Pei Jue taking down five cities, and gradually she understood why he hung the body of the respected Wanning on the city walls for all to see...

Ferocity could deter and break the enemy’s spirit.

To subdue the enemy without fighting and reduce casualties was the greatest act of mercy a commanding officer could aim for. Otherwise, a protracted back-and-forth would cost both sides dearly...

Feng Yun silently analyzed and learned in her heart.

Bingzhou didn’t have the kind of barbican described in books, but there were towering watchtowers on either side of the city gate.

As Feng Yun left the infirmaries, Pei Jue was on the watchtower.

She didn’t go up, just looked from a distance.

A soldier, not recognizing Feng Yun, called out to her.

"What’s a girl doing here? Go home!"

"With the Qi Army attacking, civilians should not linger in the city!"

"Back off!"

"Go back now!"

Feng Yun stood under the eaves, actually quite far away.

Upon hearing them, she made a bow and turned back.

Along the way, she saw soldiers pushing trebuchets up the horseway. Her mind was filled with images from her mother’s books of what ballistae and trebuchets looked like.

"Miss, let’s go."

Xiaoman was terrified and kept urging Feng Yun.

Daman was much calmer, looking up at the watchtower without a word.

"Let’s go." Feng Yun didn’t want to cause trouble, having glimpsed the layout of the Beiyong Army, she returned to the barracks to get paper and ink from Ye Chuang and started drawing and writing.

What she was drawing, Xiaoman did not understand at all.

The tea was changed for the third time, the girl still did not sleep, causing her some concern.

"Daylight is approaching, miss, please rest now."

Feng Yun watched as the faint light began to dawn outside the window.

"This battle is about to end."

Xiaoman looked surprised, "How do you know, miss?"

Feng Yun said, "Even oxen and horses get tired, how much more so humans? After fighting for so long, the soldiers are exhausted, naturally, there will be a ceasefire to rest and regain strength before launching another round."

Xiaoman looked at Feng Yun admiringly.

"Miss, you know so much..."

Daman also smiled, "If you were in command of the troops, you would not lose to the General."

Feng Yun shook her head, "It’s all armchair strategizing."

If a woman who had never been on the battlefield, just by reading a few books and making some guesses, could outperform a general who had survived the harsh realities of combat, that would be the real joke.

Feng Yun glanced at them.

"Go to sleep. Don’t stay up for me, it affects my thinking."

Daman and Xiaoman complied and left.

Feng Yun continued to sketch on paper, analyzing the situation based on terrain, weather, the two sides’ strength, but she did not propose any strategy. Instead, she expended most of her effort on suggestions for the creation and improvement of the Beiyong Army’s trebuchets and ballistae...

Play to their strengths, avoid their weaknesses. She understood well the measure of things, and what Pei Jue truly needed...

When the daylight began to brighten, Pei Jue returned.

By then, Feng Yun had slumped onto the wooden console, asleep.

Locks of her hair dangled down, leaving a powder mark on her lotus-like face pressed against the sharp edges of the console; her fair skin, under the dim light, appeared all the more delicate and vulnerable due to fatigue...

Pei Jue’s eyes burned.

Descending from the front lines, his body still pumped with excitement. The energy stored in his chest remained unreleased. Suddenly encountering such an unexpected beauty, his heart skipped a beat as if struck by something.

He approached silently.

The girl was still sound asleep, utterly unaware of the change in the air around her, let alone that she had caught the attention of a wolf...

Pei Jue remained still.

He looked down at her from above.

She was too delicate.

The sleeping girl didn’t have the edges of her waking self. Her dark hair hung down, partially covering her small face. The warm breath from her nose left a damp patch on the wooden console, wet and glistening...