Chapter 168: Everyone loves a black horse 2

Day's later, Ningzhuo, Northern Wei

As soon as the fire started, everyone worked together to put out the fire while searching for strange faces. A small team led by the right vanguard commander Yin chased after the small crackdown team. They chase them to the frozen river a few kilometres away from the military camp. 

Commander Yin took the lead in front while chasing after the crackdown team. He pulled the reins on his horse as he came face to face with the 250,000 well trained combined army of Wanzhu and Yan state. He frowned when he saw the fully armed army on the other side of the lake and pull the reins of his horse. He raised his hands and balled up his fist, silently signalling for his men to stop. 

The rest of his men followed his gaze, a few gasped as they saw the army up ahead. "Lieutenant Du, ride swiftly to the camp and inform the General of the situation here," Commander Yin said with a neutral expression without looking taking his eyes away from the enemy's army at the other side of the river bank.

"Yes," Lieutenant Du a stick-thin man replied, turning his horse around and quickly rode back to their military camp. Soldiers carried the injured teammates on stretchers to the medical tent for medical treatment. Although no life was lost during the fire, there were a lot of injured soldiers. The medical team were swallowed with injured soldiers, because of the crowd the soldiers were attended to according to the seriousness of their injuries.

He ran straight to where the general stood with the rest of his commanders overseeing the process of putting out the fire. He fell on his knees a few steps away from Lu Yaozhu, as he ran over he called out loudly "report General".

Lu Yaozhu looked to the side as he heard his loud cries and watched him run toward him. He stood with his hand folded behind him at his tail bone and look down at the soldier kneeling in front of him. "Lieutenant Du, what do you have to report?" He asked in a relaxed tone.

The rest of the commanders also turned to face Lieutenant Du, they were curious what the Lieutenant had to report that made him act is over the top. Lieutenant Du didn't falter for a second under all that attention, he knew the level of importance the information he carried had. The lives of his commander and the rest of his teammates were hanging on this.

"General, there is a large army on the other side of the lake. Commander Yin sent me to inform you while he keeps watching the development at the borders".

"what?" 

"This soon?"

"Didn't our scouts report that they were yet to get close to the borders" 

The other commanders and Generals muttered between themselves while glancing example expectantly at Lu Yaozhu who had remained quiet. They waited to see a reaction from him but got nothing out of him. Lu Yaozhu just sighed, his gaze moving from the burned down tents to the injured soldiers that were carried away in stitches. His lips thinned ad he thought of the pain his injured men were undergoing.

"Inform everyone ready for war, we leave in twenty minutes" He ordered turning around and walking back to the commander's tent. Yu Tao went in with him and helped him put on his armour. He stood at the centre of the room hands spread out as Yu Tao walked around him. The sneak attack put them at a disadvantage but Lu Yaozhu intended to level up the playing field before the end of the day.

Since this was their home base they had all the advantages and he fully intended to make use of that advantage. Yu Tao started with the Gold coated heavy chest plate. He pulled it through Lu Yaozhu's head, down his shoulder and chest then tied both ends of the heavy armour at his side.

Yu Tao pulled the strong leather strings through to holes from top to bottom of the armour and tired it at his hips. The chest wear ran from his neck down to his knee, he stepped back after tightening up the strings, picked up the thick letter boots and brought it over to his master. 

Lu Yaozhu sat on the stool changed into the thick leather boots. He called Yu Tao closer and instructed in a tone audible to only the two of them, "Since they are attacking at that end, their camp must be close by. There aren't much available water sources at that side of the lake in the winter apart from the small stream that runs across the mountains at that end.

"While the fighting is going on, lead a small team there to poison all the available water sources. We have over a hundred injured soldiers in our hands thanks to the fire. This will not only buy us some time since a majority of their men would be injured but also thin down their numbers".

Yu Tao whispered, "I will handle everything".

"Good" Lu Yaozhu pulled the put up his left foot and stood. He stretched out his right arm, Yu Tao picked up the wrist shield and pulled it up his arm to his wrist before turning his hand aside as he laced the wrist bands up.

Lu Yaozhu frowned as his eyes fell on Su Liya's brown fur coat lying on the back of one of the wooden seats in the tent. After tying up the lace on the wrist guard on his right hand, Lu Yaozhu put down his hands and held up his left hand to Yu Tao. He waited patiently as Yu Tao tightened the laces before putting on his award belt on his waist. 

He had pulled his sword out of its Sheath, the was a flash of light caused by the reflection of light. From the lamp next to the table, Lu Yaozhu cleaned the sword with a soft piece of clothes and returned it to its sheath. Lu Yaozhu sat on the stool while Yu Tao packed up his hair into a tight bun held by a black iron head crown. 

Yu Tao stepped back when he was done, "You are set, general," he said softly.

"Mmm," Lu Yaozhu said calmly then glanced at him and whispered, "thanks". He picked up the black leather Quiver next to the bow by the wall and hugged it on her shoulder before picking up the bow and Su Liya's fur coat. He. Left for the medical tent.

The tent was very active with the military doctors and their helpers running around the room. He searched around the room for Su Liya with his eye but did find her. She didn't seem to be anywhere in the room and the longer he stop there the more of a nuisance he might become. 

He stopped a young apprentice doctor carrying out the used bandages in a basket and asked, "where is her highness?"

The apprentice was startled, he never expected to run into the commanding general of the black tiger army. He bowed his head attempting to pay respect but was stopped by Lu Yaozhu before he did. Lu Yaozhu didn't have time to waste, the Apprentice blinked and tilted his head sideways thoughtfully, "Her highness?" The teenager asked confused.

"My wife..... Where can I find my wife? He asked.

The teenager's eyes brightened and his lips curved, "oh! Madam is in the other tent attending to men in there. The surgeon has attended to the two men with deep injuries, Madam Lu is in charge of their sedation, she must be done because I haven't heard any noise from in there for some time".

"Okay, I will go meet her in there," Lu Yaozhu said patting the boy on the shoulders as he walked past him. He met Su Liya outside the tent as she walked out carrying a basket of bandages with her following her behind. 

Su Liya walked with her eyes down, she laughed silently at something her maid said. Looking back at her maids and said a few words before turning forward. A black leather male boot cane into her line sight as she gazed down at the basket in her hands. Her gaze travelled up from the tips of the black leather boot up the well-coated armour to Lu Yaozhu's smiling face.

"General Lu," Su Liya said smiling softly, her eyes sparkling a little. The sparkle dimmed as She saw the sword on his waist and the bow and quiver he had on him. This could only mean one thing, it seemed that things were about to get dark in the camp. 

Her maids chorused greetings to Lu Yaozhu before walking forward to collect the basket from their mistress's hands. They returned the basket to the small makeshift storeroom for medical supplies behind the tent giving the couple some much-needed privacy. Lu Yaozhu grabbed Su Liya's hands and led her back to his tent.