"I heard Zhao Feng say that you haven't been well since giving birth to the children, always weak and sickly. This blood ginseng is to nourish you, Mother," Wang Yan immediately refused.

"You are my daughter-in-law, and you gave me a pair of granddaughters. You must eat this blood ginseng," Mrs. Zhao said firmly.

"No, Mother."

"Absolutely not."

"I come from a military family and have practiced martial arts since I was young. My body is strong, I don't need such a precious blood ginseng to nourish it," Wang Yan insisted.

Seeing the two of them going back and forth, Zhao Ying, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Mother, Sister-in-law."

"The medicinal effect of this blood ginseng is extremely potent. It's too strong for one person to handle, even after being prepared. For two people, however, it's perfect."

"Leave this to me. I'll prepare it for both of you, and I guarantee you'll both be in excellent health," Zhao Ying said with a smile.

"That's true." Mrs. Zhao nodded and then said, "Yan'er, we'll share this blood ginseng, the two of us. You can't refuse this time."

"Thank you, Mother."

Seeing this, Wang Yan could only nod in agreement.

"That's more like it," Mrs. Zhao said with a satisfied smile.

Afterward, Mrs. Zhao thought of something else. "Xiaolin."

"Madam."

The maid immediately approached.

"Go to my room and get the brocade box from under the bed," Mrs. Zhao instructed.

"Yes." The maid immediately headed into the room.

A short while later, she came out with a small box and respectfully handed it to Mrs. Zhao.

"Yan'er, this is for you."

Mrs. Zhao didn't open it. Instead, she took Wang Yan's hand and placed the small box in her palm.

"Mother, what is this?"

"If it's too valuable, I daren't accept it," Wang Yan said quickly.

"Open it and see for yourself," Mrs. Zhao said with a gentle smile.

Wang Yan slowly opened the box. Lying inside was a jade bracelet.

"This bracelet looks truly extraordinary," Wang Yan remarked with a sigh of admiration.

"Yan'er."

"You came to our home today. Although you have not yet formally married in, you have given our Zhao Family a pair of daughters, which means you are already a daughter-in-law of the Zhao Family. I don't have much to give you. This bracelet is a family heirloom. It may not be exceptionally valuable, but it holds great significance for our family."

"Today, I'm giving this bracelet to you," Mrs. Zhao said with a smile.

"Mother."

"You're being biased! I've had my eye on that bracelet since I was a child, and you give it to Sister-in-law the moment she arrives," Zhao Ying pouted, though it was clear from her demeanor that she was only teasing and held no real resentment.

"Your sister-in-law brought me a pair of granddaughters; she is the family's greatest contributor," Mrs. Zhao said with a laugh. "You can just be envious, young lady."

Without waiting for Wang Yan to refuse, Mrs. Zhao took out the bracelet and slid it onto Wang Yan's wrist.

"You see? It's a perfect fit," Mrs. Zhao said, smiling.

"Thank you, Mother," Wang Yan said immediately.

"Speaking of which," Mrs. Zhao asked, "have my granddaughters been named yet?"

"Not yet."

"I was planning to wait for Zhao Feng to return before choosing their names. They're still so little, after all," Wang Yan replied.

"That's a good idea."

"Let their father name them," Mrs. Zhao agreed with a smile.

"Sister-in-law," Zhao Ying asked with concern, "how long are you planning to stay?"

"Could I... stay here indefinitely?"

"Since Zhao Feng isn't here, I'd like to spend more time with Mother," Wang Yan asked tentatively.

"I couldn't ask for more!" Mrs. Zhao said, her face beaming with joy. "Yan'er, you are already my daughter-in-law. This is your home now. Stay as long as you like."

...

「The Zhao state!」

Beacons of war burned on all sides.

With Jinyang's fall to the Qin Army, the primary defensive line of the Zhao state was breached. The three main forces from Lantian advanced along three separate routes. In just over a month, they had captured dozens of Zhao cities and towns. One-fifth of Zhao's territory had already fallen under the control of Qin.

However, as Qin's military might surged forward, Zhao's Senior General, Pang Xuan, had already led his troops back to mount a defense. More than two hundred thousand soldiers were stationed in Wu'an City, where they had also absorbed Yan Ju's nearly one hundred thousand remnant troops. With Wu'an as its new center, their defense was solidified.

Meanwhile, the three advancing forces from Lantian Camp gradually converged on Wu'an City.

「Inside the main camp tent!」

"General Zhao has arrived!" announced the Personal Guard Commander at the tent's entrance.

Zhao Feng strode in, followed by two Deputy Generals.

Inside the tent, Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe were already present, each accompanied by their own Deputy Generals.

"This general pays his respects to the Senior General," Zhao Feng said, bowing deeply to Wang Jian upon entering.

"Take your seats," Wang Jian said with a slight smile, gesturing with his hand.

"Thank you, Senior General." Zhao Feng took his seat along with his two Deputy Generals.

"General Zhao, your offensive has been swift and fierce! Capturing seventeen Zhao cities is the best performance among our three main forces," Yang Duanhe said with a smile.

"Indeed," Wang Ben added with a grin. "General Zhao's command ability is truly remarkable."

"You two are too kind," Zhao Feng replied with a smile. "You have both captured many cities yourselves this past month."

"Alright, enough with the mutual flattery," Wang Jian said with a wave of his hand, his expression turning serious. "Let's discuss the matter at hand."

"Yes, Sir," the three Main Generals responded in unison.

"The Zhao state's reinforcements returned faster than I anticipated. Since withdrawing from Yan, Pang Xuan has already fortified Wu'an City. The number of troops in the city is as high as three hundred thousand. This includes not only the previous remnant troops of the Zhao but also more than two hundred thousand elite troops of the Zhao Jun under Pang Xuan's command."

"Taking the city will be difficult. Even if we succeed, what follows will be a bloody battle of unprecedented scale."

"Are the three of you prepared?" Wang Jian asked gravely.

"We swear to fight to the death for Qin!" the three generals replied in unison.

"However," Wang Jian continued, "there is one piece of good news. Wu'an City is a city in the hinterlands of the Zhao state, not a military stronghold like Jinyang. If our forces can breach the walls, the fighting inside will not be as arduous."

"We will employ Qin's usual tactics," Wang Ben proposed. "First, a bloody barrage with our Stone Throwing Machines and archers. We'll inflict as much damage as possible on the Zhao Jun inside the city, then attack the walls under the cover of our archers to breach them."

"The Zhao Jun in the city may be numerous, but they are exhausted from their forced march. There are also the remnant troops of the Zhao Jun among them. These factors combined mean their morale isn't high," Yang Duanhe added.

"For this battle," Zhao Feng spoke up, "this general suggests we attack three of Wu'an's gates simultaneously, leaving one open to allow the Zhao Jun to flee."

"Attack three gates and leave one?" Wang Jian looked at Zhao Feng, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"If we give the Zhao Jun in the city no path of retreat, they will fight to the death. However, if we leave them a way out, they will cling to the hope of survival and will not dare to fight a desperate battle against our army," Zhao Feng explained with a slight smile, highlighting the key point.

"What General Zhao says makes sense," Yang Duanhe immediately agreed. "Preserving their hope of survival will shatter the morale of the Zhao Jun. This tactic is indeed viable."

"The merit of this battle lies in breaching the city," Wang Jian said, his voice heavy. "Whoever breaches it first will claim the chief merit. Once Wu'an falls, our army can march straight on Handan. The Zhao state will only have Handan left to defend. The decisive moment will not be far off."

"I request to attack the main gate of Wu'an!" Wang Ben declared loudly.

"Since General Wang has requested the southern main gate, I will volunteer to attack the eastern gate," Yang Duanhe proclaimed.

"I'll take the west gate," Zhao Feng said, left with no other choice.

But if they want to compete, let them. The true key to breaching the city is combat strength. With the boost from his Fate Official Seal, Zhao Feng was entirely confident. His forces were undoubtedly stronger than those of Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe. Never mind just them; across the entire world, Zhao Feng was certain he would not lose to any army in a direct confrontation.

"Good," Wang Jian declared. "Since it has been decided, we will proceed as the three of you have determined. I will not say more. In this siege, whoever breaches the city first will claim the chief merit. I will personally request commendations for him. For this battle, I will personally beat the war drums to cheer on all the Sharp Warriors assaulting the city. Once this city is breached, Qin will not be stingy with its rewards!"

Zhao Feng and the other two generals stood up at once. "We swear to fulfill our duty unto death!"

"You are dismissed," Wang Jian ordered loudly. "The army will rest for the night. After noon tomorrow, we attack!"

"We obey!" the generals responded in unison.

After leaving the Senior General's tent, Zhao Feng returned to his own camp.

"Tomorrow, our forces will attack the west gate of Wu'an," Zhao Feng said with a smile to his officers. "Whichever of the three main forces breaches the city first will claim the chief merit. Whether or not we can seize this distinction depends entirely on the valor of you generals."

"We swear to follow the General to the death!" Tu Sui, Zhang Han, Wei Quan, Liu Wang, and the other generals stood and roared in unison.

"Go," Zhao Feng dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"We take our leave." The generals departed.

Wu'an City, where the elite of the Zhao Jun are gathered. I wonder how much my All Attributes will increase after this battle. Once this city falls, we can point our swords directly at Handan. It won't be long before the Zhao state finally falls to Qin.

...

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