After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 93

The sun sank in the west, the glow like blood reflecting off the cold palace walls of Chang’an.

On the palace road, Pei Zhen, dressed in a dark purple official robe with wide sleeves and a narrow waist, his posture straight as a pine, was walking steadily toward the palace exit.

Before the palace gates were locked, he finally stepped out. The tension in his expression along the way seemed to ease slightly as he unconsciously raised his eyes to look at the fading glow in the distant sky.

Yang Yuanyi had been waiting outside the palace gate. Seeing him come out, he visibly let out a breath of relief and quickly stepped forward. After a brief pause, he said in a casual tone with a smile, “Let’s go. His Highness Yan Wang and the Wangfei are probably already waiting anxiously.”

Pei Zhen glanced at him, said nothing, and directly mounted his horse.

Yang Yuanyi also mounted and followed. When they reached the streets of Chang’an and the evening drum sounded in the distance, he finally spoke cautiously, “His Majesty… what did he say to you?”

Pei Zhen held the reins in his right hand, his tone indifferent. “Nothing much, just the same old things as before.”

Testing, warnings, then offering a small favor, only this time, his parents had been used.

Hearing this, Yang Yuanyi relaxed. Earlier outside the palace gate, he had not dared to ask. Now that he had asked, and hearing Pei Zhen’s tone, he knew that for the time being nothing major had happened.

That made sense, the Emperor still needed Pei Zhen to go to the southwest to suppress the rebellion. At least before the southwest was stabilized, he probably would not pursue the matter of defying the imperial edict.

Thinking this, Yang Yuanyi completely relaxed and said again with a smile, “Forget all that. The day after tomorrow you’ll lead troops to Liangzhou. It’s rare to have a free day in between so you can reunite with your parents, just relax a bit, no need to keep yourself so tense. I wasn’t joking earlier, His Highness the Prince and the Wangfei know you’ve arrived in Chang’an. They’ve already sent people to ask me several times. By now they’ve probably prepared a table of dishes, waiting to welcome you.”

Pei Zhen’s brows furrowed slightly, then gradually relaxed.

***

.

Inside the Pei residence, although it was not yet fully dark, lanterns had already been lit everywhere.

In the main hall, Yan Wangfei, dressed in a light crimson gown with ornaments tinkling, was directing the servants busily.

Yan Wang, over forty and wearing a handsome beard, walked into the hall with steady steps. Before he could even stand still, he was spotted by the busy Wangfei.

Yan Wang stiffened, just about to speak, when he saw his wife stride over, grab his sleeve, and frown, “Why are you dressed like this?”

“What’s wrong with this?” Yan Wang asked, puzzled.

Wasn’t he dressed quite well? A dark brocade robe, dignified and solemn, quite befitting the head of the household, surely enough to keep that brat Pei Zhen in line.

Thinking this, he stroked his beard. The next moment, however, his ear was suddenly twisted by his wife. 

“How many times have I told you? Zhen’er is coming back today, wear something festive! Why are you in such dull colors again? And you’re still putting on that stern face, do you want to seem even more distant from your son? And didn’t you read Lord Zhang’s letter? It said Zhen’er married a woman in the northern lands. It’s a rare family reunion today, he’ll definitely bring his wife to meet us. And you’re dressed like this, you, you’re trying to anger me to death, aren’t you? Go change into something brighter, quickly!”

As she spoke, their younger son Pei Zhao also walked in, tugging at his brightly colored crimson robe, frowning as he said, “Mother, isn’t this outfit a bit too flashy? It’s just big brother bringing sister-in-law home, not me getting married. I’m wearing something this red…”

Before he could finish, he saw Yan Wang having his ear twisted. The seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth froze and stammered, “Father, Mother… what are you doing?”

Yan Wangfei quickly withdrew her hand, stepped forward with a smile, and straightened her younger son’s clothes, saying, “How is it red? It’s not red at all, the color is just right.”

On the other side, Yan Wang had lost face in front of his younger son. Now he put on a stern expression, trying to recover it, and snorted, “Change what? I’ll wear this. He got married without even telling me, and I’m supposed to dress brightly and give him a good face?”

“What did you say?” Yan Wangfei immediately glared upon hearing this and strode back toward him.

Yan Wang instinctively covered his ears.

Yan Wangfei: “……”

Pei Zhao: “……”

After realizing it, Yan Wang hurriedly lowered his hands, somewhat embarrassed: “……”

Yan Wangfei coughed lightly. In front of their younger son, she still needed to leave her husband some face, so her tone softened as she said reproachfully, “What nonsense are you saying? Zhen’er is already twenty-three, at such an age, finally willing to marry, what a good thing! I’m telling you, when he comes back later, you are absolutely not allowed to say anything about his wife’s low birth, and you are not allowed to put on a stern face or act superior.”

Just as she finished speaking, a servant outside came to report, his face full of joy: “Wangye, Wangfei, His Highness the Shizi has returned!”

Hearing this, Yan Wangfei immediately showed delight and, unable to conceal her excitement, went out to receive him.

Yan Wang had no time to change clothes and hurriedly followed. Pei Zhao tugged at his crimson robe, let out an “ai,” and somewhat embarrassed, also followed out.

Outside the residence, after dismounting, Pei Zhen had just entered the gate when he ran into the three people coming to meet him, and stiffened slightly.

Yan Wangfei had come out excitedly, and upon seeing her eldest son covered in the dust of travel, her eyes reddened uncontrollably. Yet when she came close, she became awkward and unfamiliar.

Yan Wang stroked his beard and stood beside his wife somewhat unnaturally, speaking stiffly and seriously, “You’re back?”

As for their younger son, he properly performed a formal bow and respectfully called, “Elder brother, you’ve returned.”

Pei Zhen: “……” Still so bookish.

However, Pei Zhen had long expected such a meeting scene, even found it familiar.

Back then, the old Yan Wang and his eldest son Pei Song had been fighting at the border, while the second son Pei Cong and his wife, Pei Zhen’s parents, were sent to Luoyang as hostages. Naturally, the official explanation sounded better: that the Emperor, sympathizing with the hardships of the Yan Wang family at the frontier, allowed his son to live in Luoyang.

Originally, it should have been Pei Zhen’s uncle, the then Yan Wang Shizi, Pei Song, who went to the capital as a hostage. But Pei Song was a natural military talent, already following the old Yan Wang to the battlefield at fifteen or sixteen, indispensable in war. By contrast, Pei Zhen’s father only understood romance and literature, enjoying poetry and prose, with little interest in military affairs.

After weighing the options, the old Yan Wang could only painfully send his second son and his wife to the capital.

At that time, Pei Zhen was not even a year old. Pei Cong and his wife both knew what going to Luoyang meant and could not bear to take their young son with them, so they left him at the frontier, asking his elder brother and sister-in-law to help raise him.

Thus, from the time Pei Zhen had memories, he lived with his grandfather and his uncle’s family. His uncle and aunt, knowing that his parents had gone to Luoyang in their stead, felt guilty and practically raised Pei Zhen as their own son, caring for him even more attentively than their biological child.

It was not until Pei Zhen was thirteen or fourteen that he went to Luoyang to reunite with his parents. But by then, his parents already had a younger son. Moreover, having grown up in the military camp, Pei Zhen had matured early and was not the type to cling to his parents affectionately. Pei Cong and his wife, too, felt both close and unfamiliar toward this son they had not seen for years, unsure how to interact with him.

Later, the old Yan Wang, the then Shizi Pei Song, and Pei Song’s son all died in battle. Pei Zhen’s father, who had remained in Luoyang, instead inherited the title of Yan Wang, and Pei Zhen was then established as the shizi.

This sudden change did not bring joy to the current Yan Wang and his wife. At the time, they were immersed in shock and grief, and afterward, they found it difficult to face elder sister-in-law.

At the time, people all said that the Yan Wang couple had picked up a windfall, if Pei Song and his son had not both died in battle, how could the title of Yan Wang have fallen to their branch?

The couple was extremely angered by such remarks. They knew clearly that this title had been earned by Pei Zhen risking his life on the battlefield. Yet facing their sister-in-law, who had suddenly lost both husband and son, their feelings remained complicated.

Eldest sister-in-law had raised two children in total, one her biological son, and the other their eldest son, Pei Zhen. Now her husband and biological son were both dead, the title had passed to their branch, and her only remaining support was Pei Zhen, whom she had also raised.

Under such circumstances, the Yan Wang couple suddenly did not dare to grow too close to their eldest son, fearing that the already grief-stricken sister-in-law might think they were trying to take even Pei Zhen away, though Yan Wang himself did not believe he had taken the title.

But hearing such words repeatedly inevitably weighed on his heart, and he worried even more that the sister-in-law might overthink.

As for Pei Zhen, he also could not suddenly become close to his parents under such circumstances. On the contrary, he had to show even greater respect toward his aunt.

Thus, his relationship with the Yan Wang couple fell into a strange kind of distance.

On top of that, apart from some talent in literary matters, Yan Wang was not particularly capable in other areas. Especially in Luoyang, he had often been schemed against or had misspoken.

The Emperor had already been wary of their family, and this only gave him more opportunities to reprimand him. When the old Yan Wang was still alive, he could rely on his military merits to plead on behalf of his younger son.

After the old Yan Wang passed away, the one who cleaned up Yan Wang’s messes became Pei Zhen. Later, through various efforts, Pei Zhen finally managed to bring the whole family to Jinling two years ago, allowing them to stay away from the Emperor’s watch and live more peacefully.

Who would have thought that with just one lapse of attention, his parents and younger brother would come rushing over on their own and be caught in one net, all trapped in Chang’an again. He did not know why his aunt had not stopped them at the time.

But then again, they had heard from Yang Yuanyi about his troubles and, worried about him, had wanted to go to Bingzhou to see him.

Thinking of this, the bit of resentment Pei Zhen had when returning completely dissipated.

Yet the distance had already become a habit. He let out a silent sigh, bowed, and said, “Greetings, Father, Mother.”

Yan Wangfei restrained her excitement, gripping her husband’s hand tightly as she said, “Good, good, quickly rise.”

Yan Wang stroked his beard, somewhat calmer, and said, “We’re family, no need for such formalities.”

After speaking, he could not help but crane his neck to look outside.

Wasn’t it said he brought his wife back, why wasn’t she anywhere to be seen?

Influenced by him, Yan Wangfei also forgot her excitement and looked outside as well.

After Pei Zhen straightened up, he had just been about to greet his younger brother again when he saw the three people in front of him all craning their necks to look behind him. Feeling puzzled, he turned around to take a look too.

There was nothing unusual behind him. He frowned slightly.

“Ahem.” Yan Wang was suddenly pinched on the back of his hand by Yan Wangfei, came back to his senses, and hurriedly put on a serious expression. “Where is your wife? Why didn’t you bring her along?”

Pei Zhen: “……”

He suddenly turned expressionlessly to look at Yang Yuanyi beside him.

Yang Yuanyi: “!”

Wronged! This really wasn’t something he had said! Well, the Yan Wang couple had asked him about it, but he truly hadn’t dared to say much, and this matter absolutely hadn’t been revealed by him in the first place.

“Well then, Wangye, Wangfei, General, you rarely get to reunite as a family, so I won’t disturb you further. I’ll take my leave first.” He gave an awkward dry laugh, then under Pei Zhen’s gloomy gaze, hurriedly turned and slipped away.

Pei Zhen watched his retreating figure disappear before finally turning back and saying to his still-confused parents, “Let’s go inside first.”

Yan Wang and Yan Wangfei were at a loss, but after entering the main hall and just about to ask again, they were interrupted by Pei Zhen: “I’m hungry. Let’s eat first.”

Yan Wangfei felt sorry for her eldest son and quickly had the dishes served.

Halfway through the meal, Yan Wang could not help but try to speak again, only to be interrupted by Pei Zhen once more.

“Father,” Pei Zhen set down his chopsticks and looked at him, “I heard you caused trouble again in Chang’an?”

Yan Wang’s expression stiffened. Beside him, Yan Wangfei, who had been picking food for Pei Zhen, also paused. The younger son Pei Zhao, sensing the tension, hurriedly lowered his head and ate, not daring to lift it.

Yan Wang quickly forced a stiff expression and said, “Nonsense! Who told you that?”

Pei Zhen replied blankly, “His Majesty told me you injured Anyang Marquis.”

Yan Wang: “……”

Pei Zhao continued eating with his head down.

Yan Wangfei’s chopsticks remained frozen for a long while before she finally placed the food into Pei Zhen’s bowl and said with a smile to ease the atmosphere, “This matter can’t be blamed on your father. It was really that Anyang Marquis who spoke too infuriatingly. Your father just couldn’t stand it and pushed him once, and he fell down pretending to be injured. You know your father, he can’t even carry things on his shoulders or in his hands, and he’s timid. How could he really injure someone…”

Before she could finish, Yan Wang could no longer bear it. His face flushed red as he tried to recover his dignity: “Who said that? I was teaching that old fellow a lesson so he won’t speak without restraint in the future…”

“Pa!” Pei Zhen suddenly set down his chopsticks, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said wearily, “You shouldn’t have come to Chang’an in the first place. Since you came, can you at least keep a low profile?”

As his words fell, the atmosphere at the table subtly changed.

Yan Wangfei’s expression stiffened slightly, and her eyes gradually reddened. Pei Zhao paused with his chopsticks and stopped eating.

Yan Wang, being spoken to like this by his son, could not maintain face. Seeing Yan Wangfei also upset, he immediately wanted to flare up, but when he turned and saw Pei Zhen’s tired expression, he had grown noticeably thinner compared to earlier in the year, and recalling that he had recently been seriously injured, most of his anger suddenly dissipated.

Beside him, Yan Wangfei quickly forced a smile and gently persuaded, “Alright, it’s rare for the whole family to be reunited. Let’s eat first and not talk about those things.”

Yan Wang followed the cue, lowering his head and continuing to eat.

For a while, the table was filled only with the sound of chopsticks, the atmosphere heavy. Pei Zhao glanced at his elder brother, his expression somewhat complicated.

Pei Zhen picked up his chopsticks again but did not move them for a long time. He also felt a bit of regret, he shouldn’t have made the atmosphere like this, especially when he saw Yan Wangfei’s reddened eyes.

But somehow just now, one sentence led to another. He had only…

Thinking of being reprimanded by the Emperor in the palace, Pei Zhen felt even more exhausted.

In truth, this matter could be big or small, it was only that the Emperor was watching their family. He had not meant to complain just now; he was only worried that his parents did not understand their current situation, and if they did not keep a low profile, one day they might truly be caught in a fault and fall into danger.

Yet once the words were spoken… perhaps he should have been more tactful, softened his tone, or chosen a more appropriate moment.

But in the end, he had never spent long periods with them, nor had he ever been close. Unlike his younger brother, he was not easygoing or warm, and could not naturally speak affectionately with his parents.

Pei Zhen sighed silently. After finishing the meal, he used the excuse of military matters and left home.

Pei Zhao looked at his elder brother’s departing figure, wanting to speak but stopping himself, ultimately not daring to say anything.

Although the head of the household was their father, Pei Zhao could feel that both he and his parents were somewhat afraid of his elder brother. Perhaps it was because of guilt, or perhaps because his elder brother was always stern and unsmiling, too cold.

Pei Zhao shrank his neck and could not help but think, it would have been nice if his elder brother had really brought his sister-in-law back today.

Someone his elder brother would marry without a word must be someone he liked, right? Maybe in front of his wife, his elder brother wouldn’t be so cold, and the atmosphere at dinner wouldn’t have turned out like that.

.

After leaving the residence, Pei Zhen had not gone far before he ran into Yang Yuanyi.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Yang Yuanyi knew it was again a matter of poor interaction with his family. He could not help sighing, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, “Come on, I’ll treat you to a drink.”

Pei Zhen did not refuse, but his mind involuntarily recalled what Yang Yuanyi had said before, that “if a husband drinks too late outside, his wife will get angry.”

Fortunately, his wife was not by his side now… though that didn’t seem like something worth being fortunate about.

Expressionless, Pei Zhen went with Yang Yuanyi to a tavern in the marketplace.

They ordered a few dishes and a pot of wine, but Pei Zhen did not drink much.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Yang Yuanyi probed, “What is it this time? Could it be… related to your wife?”

Thinking of how the Yan Wang couple had been asking about Pei Zhen’s wife when he left the residence, he could not help guessing: Could it be that they thought Pei Zhen’s wife’s status was too low, causing his friend to fall out with his family again?

But that shouldn’t be the case. He knew Pei Zhen’s family situation very well. The Yan Wang couple felt guilty toward him and did not dare to get close. Precisely because of this, Pei Zhen had never married, and they had not dared to ask much, only entrusting Yang Yuanyi to inquire on their behalf.

Now that they knew Pei Zhen had married, the Yan Wang couple should have been delighted. In other families, they might dislike a daughter-in-law of low status, but Pei Zhen’s parents likely would not, more precisely, they had no way to interfere in Pei Zhen’s marriage.

Pei Zhen had just downed a cup of wine when, hearing this, he suddenly looked up at him, his gaze deep.

Yang Yuanyi stiffened and hurriedly waved his hands. “Don’t look at me like that, it really wasn’t me who said it, it was Lord Zhang, Zhang Boqian.”

Then he explained, “When you left Yongzhou before, didn’t you ask Lord Zhang to look after your wife? But what kind of relationship does he have with your family, you know that. The old man directly wrote to congratulate Wangye and Yan Wangfei.”

Originally, in his letter, Zhang Boqian had even “complained” that the Yan Wang couple were not being considerate, saying that such a big event as Pei Zhen getting married, and they hadn’t invited him, had they grown distant?

Who would have thought that when the Yan Wang couple received his letter, they only then learned that Pei Zhen had married, and hurriedly wrote back to ask. Only then did Lord Zhang realize they didn’t know about it either, and afterward, for some reason, he never replied again.

Unable to find anyone to ask, and just as Pei Zhen and Yang Yuanyi had arrived in Chang’an, the Yan Wang couple quickly asked Yang Yuanyi.

“So this really wasn’t me saying it. And when Wangye and Wangfei asked me, I didn’t dare say much either, I only said…” He carefully glanced at Pei Zhen and chose his words, “…that you quite like her. I didn’t reveal anything else.”

Pei Zhen gave him a cool glance, then after a moment turned his head away, downed another cup of wine, and suddenly asked, “Has there been no letter from Yongzhou?”

Perhaps because his throat had been soaked with wine, his voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a trace of dullness and disappointment, especially in this lonely moment after having just “fallen out” with his family.

After leaving Yongzhou, he had actually written several letters to his wife.

It wasn’t that he missed her, rather, he had used the excuse of going out to trade furs and had not returned for a long time, so he needed to find more excuses to explain, such as being blocked by chaotic troops, or encountering heavy snow and being unable to return on time… Alright, he did miss her. There was nothing wrong with admitting that.

Newly married and suddenly separated, wasn’t it normal to miss each other?

But… why had his wife never written back?

Or perhaps he could write to Zhang Hu or General Chen to ask? But he couldn’t make it too obvious. Better to use the excuse of asking about border defenses and casually inquire about his wife’s situation?

Pei Zhen lowered his head and drank another cup of wine.

***

Yongfeng garrison.

General Chen paced back and forth in the central command tent. He had never imagined that a minor soldier he had promoted would actually be Pei Shizi from Bingzhou. Even more unexpectedly, just after learning this, that man’s wife had been abducted and killed by bandits right under his nose, with even her body never recovered.

General Chen anxiously circled the tent. He had already reported the matter to Lord Zhang, who had hurried over personally and gone with him to investigate the scene. In the end, they confirmed that Pei Zhen’s wife was most likely truly gone.

Lord Zhang also felt deep regret, but after that, he worried that if the news reached Pei Zhen, it would affect his battle against the rebel forces in Luoyang. After much deliberation, he ultimately instructed General Chen to suppress the news for now.

But General Chen had personally seen how much Pei Zhen cared about his wife. As a mere frontier general, unlike Lord Zhang, how could he dare to truly conceal such an important matter from Pei Shizi?

After thinking it over again and again, he still felt it inappropriate. And today, he had heard that Pei Zhen had already lifted the siege of Luoyang and reached Chang’an. After careful consideration, he finally made up his mind, lifted the tent flap, and called out, “Someone, call Zhang Hu… no, call Chen Qing instead.”

Zhang Hu had handled this matter extremely poorly, not only failing to protect “Shen Xiu,” but also failing to pursue immediately after she was abducted. After returning, since General Chen had not been in camp, he delayed reporting and took no further action. General Chen could not help but wonder if something was wrong with his brain.

If Zhang Hu were sent to deliver the message, once Pei Shizi asked for details, how could Zhang Hu possibly have a good outcome? Although General Chen was greatly angered by him, Zhang Hu had improved significantly in leading troops under Pei Zhen and was now highly valued in the army. Reluctant to lose such talent, and with the camp still needing him, General Chen decided to send Chen Qing instead.

Chen Qing was quick-tongued and clever, unlike the dull Zhang Hu. Moreover, he was not sending Chen Qing alone, it was just that Chen Qing had been at the scene and could describe the situation when questioned by Pei Zhen.

***

One day earlier, within Qinzhou territory.

After Li Chanxiu met with those left behind to receive him, he also learned that Pei Zhen had led the Bingzhou army, lifted the siege of Luoyang, and was now marching toward Chang’an.

Hearing this, he froze, his tone incredulous. “Are you certain it was Pei Zhen?”

The black-clad guard who had just joined them clasped his hands and said firmly, “Certain. The lord’s side should have received the news even earlier.”

Li Chanxiu could not help frowning. This had not happened in the dream. Of course, because of some of his actions, many things had already changed, for example, the northwest had not fallen, and Lu Zhi had been recruited by him… but Pei Zhen should not have changed.

From what he had later learned through correspondence with Pei Zhen in the dream, the man should currently be so severely injured that he could not even get out of bed. Even a year later, when Li Chanxiu had returned from Western Qiang and was accidentally captured by Pei Zhen’s subordinates, Pei Zhen had still been gravely ill, sitting inside a carriage, coughing from time to time, unable to get down or even face the wind… so how had he suddenly come to lead troops?

Li Chanxiu’s expression turned complicated. Based on what he knew of Pei Zhen in the dream, such an upright and honorable man would not lie to him, nor would there be any need.

Thus, it could only be that reality had diverged from the dream, had someone healed Pei Zhen’s injuries?

Or had the Emperor, disregarding his severe condition, forced him to take command?

Thinking of the former, Li Chanxiu relaxed slightly. Thinking of the latter, his heart tightened again, and he frowned faintly.

The latter was not impossible, in fact, it was more likely. After all, in the dream, even a year later, Pei Zhen had been so ill he could not leave his carriage, yet still had to obey imperial orders and go to the already fallen border of Yongzhou to take command.

With that thought, he could almost picture the man dragging his sick body, unable to stop coughing, yet still having to direct troops at the front.

Li Chanxiu could not help but sigh softly, feeling somewhat weighed down. But after regaining himself, he did not dare underestimate this “teacher” and friend from his dream.

Since the one sent to attack them was Pei Zhen, even if the man might be gravely ill, he could not afford to be careless.

Lu Zhi couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

On the battlefield there are no private feelings, not to mention that the current Pei Zhen does not recognize him at all.

Especially now, while Pei Zhen’s army is still advancing toward Chang’an and will stop for a day near the city, he should make preparations quickly and strike first.

So, if it were Pei Zhen, how would the other side attack Liangzhou?

Li Chanxiu rested his fingers against his chin, his pair of refined eyes fixed on the map before him, sinking into thought.

Beside him, seeing that he remained silent for a long time, the black-clad guard could not help asking, “Little Highness, when shall we set out for Pingcheng?”

Li Xuan, who had departed earlier, was at this moment in Pingcheng, and the black-clad guards left behind had also been ordered to escort Li Chanxiu there.

But when Zhou Kai heard this, he glanced at the guard and subtly shook his head.

Li Chanxiu studied the map for a while longer before finally speaking: “No, we won’t go to Pingcheng for now.”

The black-clad guard was surprised upon hearing this, but Zhou Kai was not so surprised. As for Xuanping, he had even guessed a few of Li Chanxiu’s thoughts; he could not help leaning in to look at the map and said, “You want to strike before Pei Zhen does, build a defensive line, and block his army?”

Li Chanxiu nodded. “It won’t be easy to stop Pei Zhen. We must move ahead of him and seize several key cities so that when his army arrives, it won’t be able to concentrate its forces to attack any one point of ours.”

As he spoke, he tapped several spots on the map and said, “Right now we haven’t taken the prefectural city of Liangzhou. Once Pei Zhen’s army arrives, we’ll have no barrier and will inevitably find it hard to defend, we’ll only be able to keep retreating south. If that happens, all the cities we previously captured will have been taken for nothing. I suspect my father’s side is also trying to find a way now. But to take the prefectural city, we cannot attack it directly.”