She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

"Centurion?" Zhao Zun enunciated every syllable, his previously cold and handsome face instantly darkening. "What is going on here?"

Ma Cheng’s gaze flickered slightly as he lowered his head and firmly changed the subject.

"Prince. You mentioned we should set these matters aside for now. At the moment, Ma Cheng only wishes to request permission to join the battle and aid the Prince in repelling the enemy."

Mr. He, still standing nearby, gave a soft sigh, appearing rather helpless.

"Prince, Ma Cheng is right. The most important thing now is to repel the enemy. Let me accompany you to the central military tent to meet with General Li Gang!"

Upon hearing Li Gang’s name, Zhao Zun immediately understood the situation.

It turned out that after he left the military camp, Cao Xiong purged those who were not his loyalists and replaced the brave and resourceful Ma Cheng with his confidant, Li Gang.

But Ma Cheng had fought his way up through sheer capability, and Zhao Zun had promoted him to the position of garrison commander of Yong’an City.

Ma Cheng used to be one of his most capable subordinates. Even if Ma Cheng had made a mistake and was demoted, with his skills, being a Deputy General or Colonel would still be more than adequate.

But now, he was merely—a Centurion.

Thinking about Ma Cheng’s plight, Zhao Zun closed his eyes in pain; it hurt him more than if he had suffered the injustice himself.

This is a military camp, a place to protect the nation. Yet, those fools like Cao Xiong treated it as a battleground for power and gain.

After a good while, Zhao Zun slowly opened his eyes.

He gazed deeply into the distance, as if the shadow of the Turkic army was already looming before him.

Now was not the time to dwell on such matters but to unite all possible forces to resist the external enemy together.

Thus, he took a deep breath and said to Mr. He, "Very well, let us go meet General Li Gang now."

Mr. He acknowledged, then turned to accompany them towards the central military tent.

Inside the central military tent, Li Gang paced anxiously, his face full of worry and unease.

The approaching Turkic army put an unprecedented pressure on him; he feared he couldn’t protect this city and its people.

When Mr. He led Zhao Zun into the tent, Li Gang’s gaze fell on Zhao Zun, and he immediately felt much more at ease.

Zhao Zun, he actually came.

Zhao Zun was both wise and courageous; with him around, there might be a glimmer of hope in this battle.

Li Gang was about to greet them when Ma Cheng stepped forward with a fist salute.

"Mr. Li, I request to join the Prince’s Vanguard Camp and spearhead the assault with him."

Upon hearing this, Li Gang’s eyes gleamed with delight; this was exactly what he had been hoping for.

Li Gang was fully aware of Ma Cheng’s abilities. If Ma Cheng could also join Zhao Zun’s Vanguard Camp, that would be all the better.

Li Gang first nodded at Zhao Zun, as a form of greeting.

Then, he said to Ma Cheng, "Good! With you in the Vanguard Camp, our chances are even greater."

After entering the tent, Zhao Zun did not question Ma Cheng’s demotion to Centurion but instead sharpened his gaze around the tent and finally rested it on the sand table in the middle of the tent.

"General Li, the enemy is close at hand; we have no time to waste. What does the Vanguard Camp need to do? Just give the orders directly."

Zhao Zun stared at the sand table, his tone icy.

"Oh, right, right. This..."

Li Gang paused at this point. He had intended to refer to himself as "this General," but did not dare to show off in front of Zhao Zun, a former Marshal.

He sneaked a peek at Zhao Zun and, seeing that Zhao Zun seemed not to have noticed this minor detail, hastily changed his phrasing and continued speaking.

"According to the scout’s report, the Turkic army camped last night sixty miles from us and is about to reach Niuwei Slope. I intend to take this opportunity to have the Vanguard Camp set an ambush at Niuwei Slope and launch a surprise attack on the enemy’s provisions."

"This tactic is feasible."

Zhao Zun glanced at Li Gang, nodding slightly; this strategy was similar to what he had guessed before coming.

However, ambushes and raids generally fell to the Elite Soldier Camp and the Bowman Camp; Li Gang assigning the Vanguard Camp meant he prominently leveraged Emperor Jing’s imperial edict to give him a hard time.

As Li Gang was now the highest commander of Yong’an City, Zhao Zun did not point this out, only deciding to execute the mission.

Seeing Zhao Zun agreeing with his plan, Li Gang felt significantly more at ease. He was afraid Zhao Zun would try to pull rank or object to being the vanguard on the battlefield.

Li Gang eyed Zhao Zun’s expression, cautiously saying, "When... does the Prince intend to set out? I am willing to fully cooperate."

"Now."

Zhao Zun responded coldly, not looking at him, but turning to Ma Cheng, his tone serious.