Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 121 Inspecting the City Walls

After saying that, he gently patted her shoulder, his tone gentle yet firm, "You are in logistics, so opportunities are limited, but as long as you stay true to your original aspirations, you will surely achieve great things in the future."

In the dead of night, Gu Jinyan was alone, sorting through the various situations that Lin Zixuan had mentioned over the past few days.

She constructed a complex network of relationships in her mind, noting down the relationships between generals and soldiers, as well as the situation of patrol posts.

These were not tactics or strategies she was good at, but they were the most real hidden dangers in the army.

As Lin Zixuan said, "On the battlefield, only by understanding people's hearts can one remain invincible."

As night deepened, the hustle and bustle of the military camp gradually subsided, leaving only the scattered campfires and the occasional sounds of soldiers patrolling.

Gu Jinyan sat outside his simple tent, gazing at the distant city of Hesha shrouded in night, and couldn't help but feel worried about the future of that border town.

Several in-depth conversations with Lin Zixuan gave her a better understanding of the situation in Hesha City, and also made her realize that the city's defenses were not as solid as they appeared.

"Although the terrain of Hesha City is treacherous, it is extremely difficult to defend the city," Lin Zixuan said in a low voice. He sat next to Gu Jinyan, holding a bowl of coarse tea in his hands, his expression more solemn than usual.

"The surrounding high mountains and dense forests, while conducive to setting up ambushes, also provide natural cover for the enemy."

The enemy often takes advantage of the terrain, sending small detachments to conduct guerrilla warfare and harass our lines, probing for weaknesses in our defenses.

Gu Jinyan was alarmed and began to waver in his defensive arrangements.

She had drawn several defensive maps of Hesha City based on the strategies in military books, and arranged for the coordinated deployment of infantry, archers and cavalry.

However, it now appears that these designs remained largely theoretical and lacked practical battlefield experience.

She instinctively clenched the booklet in her hand, her brows furrowing slightly.

Lin Zixuan saw through her thoughts, sighed softly, and continued, "The enemy is not only good at using terrain, but also at using psychological tactics."

They knew that some of our generals were too eager for glory and unwilling to take risks, so they would often deliberately create small-scale chaos at crucial moments to undermine morale.

"Psychological warfare?" Gu Jinyan repeated in a low voice, looking up at Lin Zixuan.

“That’s right.” Lin Zixuan nodded, a hint of worry in his eyes. “The enemy is cunning and treacherous. Their strategy is not only about frontal battles, but also about weakening us by demoralizing our troops.”

They often break down our morale before the battle even begins by launching small-scale attacks and repeated harassment.

Some generals, preoccupied with their own military achievements and neglecting the front lines, provided the enemy with an opportunity to exploit.

Gu Jinyan remained silent for a moment, and the details of every defensive line he had designed on the deployment map involuntarily appeared before his eyes.

Strong city walls and a reasonable troop deployment may not be enough to deal with the enemy's cunning tactics.

Defending a city is not only a test of the soldiers' combat effectiveness, but also a test of their ability to remain calm and steadfast in the face of repeated psychological warfare.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, interrupting their thoughts.

Gu Jinyan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a messenger in light armor running over, looking nervous, and he reached Lin Zixuan.

He bowed and reported: "Deputy General Lin, an enemy squad attempted to infiltrate the east gate, but the patrolling sentries discovered them and the enemy has quickly retreated."

The situation has stabilized for now, but the general orders you to go and set up defenses to prevent further enemy attacks.

Lin Zixuan frowned slightly, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "I'll head over right away."

He turned to Gu Jinyan and whispered, "This is the enemy's usual tactic of harassment. They don't need to launch a full-scale attack; such harassment alone can make people panic."

He quickly gathered his belongings and turned to leave.

Gu Jinyan stood up and watched Lin Zixuan's departing figure, but felt increasingly uneasy.

The enemy's harassment tactics had already penetrated every corner of Hesha City, and the internal discord among the generals and the exhaustion of the soldiers made the city face the danger of collapse at any time.

She stood there, her mind racing as she considered how to deal with the current situation.

After a while, Gu Jinyan decided to go to the defensive outposts of Hesha City again to inspect them and personally confirm whether there were any loopholes in her defenses.

Although she was just a logistics staff member, after several conversations with Lin Zixuan,

She realized that simply sitting in the camp and discussing theories was far from enough to solve the current crisis.

She had to personally go deep into the defensive lines to truly understand the situation.

A cool night breeze blew as Gu Jinyan donned his cloak, quickly crossed the camp, and headed towards the east gate.

The soldiers along the way were in a hurry, and the sentries on patrol were more vigilant than usual.

She gripped the notebook tightly, and a plan gradually formed in her mind.

When she arrived at the East Gate, she found that a large number of soldiers had already gathered there, and the city walls were covered with patrolling archers. Lin Zixuan was standing under the city gate, talking quietly with a middle-aged general, his expression focused.

Gu Jinyan stood aside and watched quietly as Lin Zixuan directed the soldiers to readjust the archers' sentry positions.

They ordered the defense to cover as wide an area as possible and to deploy several cavalry units in a dispersed manner to prevent further enemy attacks.

She carefully observed Lin Zixuan's defenses and couldn't help but nod in approval. His approach was quite flexible, making good use of the terrain and troop strength, and not being bound by conventional formations.

"Miss Gu." Lin Zixuan suddenly turned around and saw her standing not far away. He smiled slightly and walked closer, asking, "What brings you here?"

Gu Jinyan smiled and shook his head: "I just came to take a look and learn about actual defense deployment methods."

Lin Zixuan nodded, a hint of relief on his face: "It's good that you're observant. Theory is important, but there are too many variables on the battlefield, and sometimes experience is more important than books."

Gu Jinyan's gaze was firm as he earnestly said, "Brother Lin is absolutely right."

After these few days of conversations, I realized that I knew too little about the actual battle situation. If I wanted to truly contribute to Hesha City, I had to go deep into the defensive lines and experience the changes in the battle firsthand.

Lin Zixuan looked at her, nodded slightly, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "With such determination, you will surely achieve something in the future."

However, the Battle of Hersha City was not only a test of combat strength, but also a test of willpower.

The enemy is cunning; besides being tactically prepared, we also need to maintain a strong psychological resolve.

After listening, Gu Jinyan deeply felt the complexity of this war.

She secretly resolved to gain a deeper understanding of every aspect of military life and to make thorough preparations for future battles.

At that moment, a sharp whistle rang out from the city wall. The patrolling sentries spotted enemy figures faintly visible in the distant mountains and forests. The enemy seemed to be probing and approaching again.

Lin Zixuan's expression hardened, and he immediately ordered, "All personnel on alert! Archers, prepare!" He quickly turned to Gu Jinyan and said, "It's not safe here. You should go back to your tent first."

Gu Jinyan shook his head, his tone firm: "I want to stay here and see this battle clearly."

Lin Zixuan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement: "Okay, then stick close to me and be careful."

Gu Jinyan nodded emphatically, took a deep breath, hid himself behind Lin Zixuan, and looked past him to carefully observe the outside of the city through the railing.

The dark mountains surrounding Hersha City were shadowy and indistinct, with faint lights flickering in the forests, like torches from an enemy squad, or perhaps a deliberate illusion they had created.

Gu Jinyan's heartbeat gradually quickened, but she forced herself to calm down, silently drawing out the defensive layout in her mind and memorizing the surrounding terrain one by one.

Just then, a deep horn sound suddenly rang out from the distant mountains and forests, slow and long, like the low roar of a lurking beast awakening.

Then, a string of torches illuminated the distant night sky, and the figures of the enemy could be seen in and out of sight, suggesting that a large number of troops were gathering.

The archers on the city wall became even more tense, their arrows already nocked, ready to be released at any moment.

"The enemy intends to attack the east gate! Maintain formation and do not attack rashly."

Lin Zixuan gave the order in a low voice, his gaze cold and stern, without a trace of panic on his face.

Gu Jinyan watched the enemy's movements nervously. She saw a small cavalry unit slowly advancing from the foot of the mountain, holding long spears, their formation neat and orderly. The sound of their hooves seemed to strike her heart.

She couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "The enemy squad knows our defenses are strong, so why are they still closing in like this? Aren't they afraid of suffering losses?"

Lin Zixuan sneered and replied, "This is the enemy's probing tactic."

What appears to be a charge is actually a bluff. They don't intend to attack head-on, but rather to disrupt our defenses, forcing us to reveal the specific details of our deployment so they can analyze our weaknesses.

Sure enough, the enemy cavalry quickly dispersed and circled around to the sides after getting close enough, as if just to attract the attention of the people on the city wall.

A look of realization flashed across Gu Jinyan's eyes as he understood Lin Zixuan's intention.

Since they know that the enemy intends to harass them, they need to remain calm at this critical moment and not be easily led by the nose by the enemy.

Suddenly, a low, muffled thud sounded from the southeast side of the city wall, as if something heavy had struck it.

Gu Jinyan's heart tightened, and he turned to look southeast. He saw a stone brick shaken off and smashed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Lin Zixuan's expression changed slightly, and he immediately called out to the nearby soldiers, "Quickly, check the city wall to prevent the enemy from using shockwaves to damage it!"

The soldiers responded and left. Lin Zixuan turned back to Gu Jinyan and said:

"This is part of the enemy's harassment tactics, using shockwaves to create illusions and disrupt our defenses."

At the same time, the durability of the city wall was tested, looking for any potential cracks.

The slightest carelessness could damage the city wall, making it a true weak point.

Gu Jinyan felt a slight tremor in his heart as he listened, and couldn't help but re-examine the defensive structure in front of him.

She had never felt so keenly that the enemy, knowing they could not break through the defenses head-on, could still use such a variety of methods to test the city's defenses.

She secretly thought that this might just be a test, and a real large-scale attack might follow.

As she was pondering, Lin Zixuan suddenly pulled her aside, pointed to a shadowy spot under the city wall, and whispered, "Look there."