The common people were unaware that the imperial army had already arrived. After returning home, they discussed with their neighbors what knowledge they had gained that day.
Through the live broadcast, they had also seen some simple tools used in the fields that they could try to make themselves.
"Look, I made this thing based on what I learned from the future. When it's time to harvest rice in autumn, we can put the rice in here, step on this part, and it will automatically thresh the grains."
"Not bad, but not as impressive as mine. I made a windmill based on future tools that can be used to winnow grain."
"Mine is amazing, it even received praise from Master Mo."
"As if my windmill wasn't praised as well."
"Stop arguing, you're both impressive. One for threshing in the field, and the other for winnowing the threshed grain. You're both so skilled, why compete?"
The surrounding villagers burst into laughter upon hearing this, praising the two for their handiwork.
With these tools, they would be of great use during the autumn harvest.
Some villagers noticed soldiers passing by on the street and enthusiastically invited them over to take a look.
Under the Elder Princess's iron-fisted rule, soldiers were strictly forbidden from bullying civilians and had to adhere to eight principles of conduct.
As a result, even when civilians saw these soldiers on the streets, they weren't afraid. Sometimes they would even warmly call them over for a chat.
"What are you busy with? If you're not occupied, come and see my new invention."
"Next time, we have business to attend to now," the soldier shook his head and replied, quickly walking towards a house.
"Sister Ge, there's an urgent order to cancel your leave and return immediately."
Hearing this, Ge Qing immediately understood that a new mission was about to begin. She quickly returned to her room, saying hurriedly:
"Alright, I'll change my clothes and return right away."
The soldier didn't linger, immediately heading to the next location to notify others on leave to return to their posts.
Meanwhile, the Elder Princess had just returned to her residence.
Zhou Qichen immediately came to report: "Elder Princess, the imperial army is heading this way. It seems they want to resolve this quickly."
The Elder Princess frowned slightly, feeling a vague sense of unease.
Typically, when the imperial army reached the Plague City, they would be exhausted. Commanders would choose to set up camp and wait until the next day when the troops were fully rested before launching an attack.
Clearly, the army's commander-in-chief was no fool. They couldn't be unaware of the consequences of fighting with exhausted troops.
Anyone capable of being a commander-in-chief, unlike that incompetent Pei Changying, would surely understand the consequences!
For an army to act like this despite knowing the consequences, they must have great confidence in taking the Plague City. The Elder Princess, Zhou Qichen, and General Qin all knew that the army sent this time must be an elite force.
But no matter how hard the three of them racked their brains, they couldn't figure out when the capital had acquired such an elite force.
When the Elder Princess climbed the city wall and saw the commander leading the army, her mind buzzed with shock.
Has Pei Changying gone mad?!
"Elder Princess, this is terrible! The emperor has actually sent the iron-blooded army stationed at the border!"
"Madness! Madness! Has that imperial dog's brain been trampled by a pig? These are well-equipped and highly experienced fierce troops!"
"Forget about that for now, how did these fierce troops even get to the Plague City? They're supposed to be guarding the border, specifically to counter the Xiongnu."
"With these 200,000 troops leaving the border, who's left guarding it?"
"What on earth is the imperial emperor thinking!" Counselor Fang beside them was so angry his lips turned white, inwardly cursing Pei Changying.
Without these fierce troops, wouldn't the Xiongnu be able to march straight into the Central Plains?
When Zhou Qichen and General Qin saw General Guan leading the troops, even though they were battle-hardened and widely experienced, their jaws nearly dropped to the ground in shock.
Even if the current emperor had come in person, they wouldn't have been this surprised!
General Guan's appearance left the three feeling both furious and utterly bewildered.
The Elder Princess, General Qin, and Zhou Qichen looked at each other, all at a loss for how to fight this battle.
These were good men who protected their homeland and guarded the borders, far from their families. Facing them, the Elder Princess really didn't have the heart to use weapons like guns and cannons against them.
But if they didn't use such weapons, the Plague City's troops hadn't trained in combat for long. The newer soldiers who had joined the Plague City's army might not be a match for these battle-hardened fierce troops.
They immediately summoned Counselor Fang, Advisor Xu, and others to discuss strategies together.
Before they could come up with a good plan, the fierce troops had already reached the city gates.
The Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen stood atop the city wall, looking down at General Guan.
Zhou Qichen shouted to General Guan: "General Guan, you've always been stationed at the border. How did you come to be at the Plague City?"
"The Elder Princess doesn't want to be your enemy, nor the enemy of these border-guarding soldiers."
"After all, this is just a royal dispute. Why should General Guan get involved in this muddy water?"
General Guan, already fifty years old, was a famous figure from Zhou Qichen's father's generation.
Zhou Qichen naturally held great respect for him.
General Guan's weather-beaten face was taut, his eagle-like eyes, glinting with sharp light, locked onto Zhou Qichen.
He snorted coldly, his tone full of disgust: "It's been just a few years, and your Zhou family has become traitors."
"Considering my old acquaintance with the Zhou family, I'll give you one chance. Open the city gates immediately, or don't blame me for not recognizing anyone on the battlefield!"
Zhou Qichen looked back at the Elder Princess, his handsome young face full of helplessness.
It seemed this battle was unavoidable!
Seeing Zhou Qichen's lack of response, General Guan didn't wait any longer and immediately ordered the attack on the city to begin.
The Elder Princess stepped back a few paces to avoid any sudden arrows from the enemy.
"So be it. Given the circumstances, we must protect ourselves."
"Qichen, prepare to throw the grenades."
Boxes of simple hand grenades had already been brought to the top of the city wall and distributed to the soldiers there.
At Zhou Qichen's command, the soldiers lit the fuses. Hundreds of grenades flew towards the enemy like fiery meteors.
"Wh-what's that?"
"General Guan, what's flying in the sky? It's trailing sparks!"
"Scatter! Scatter first!"
After a brief moment of panic, the army spread out in an orderly manner. When someone was hit by a grenade, another soldier immediately filled the gap in the formation.
The hand grenades, making their debut on the battlefield, did not inflict significant casualties on the enemy.
This was not due to the grenades' lack of power, but rather because these battle-hardened troops, as fierce as tigers and wolves, were capable of minimizing the damage from the grenades.
The Elder Princess raised her hand, ordering a halt to the grenade assault.
At this moment, General Qin had already opened the city gates and led his soldiers in a charge.
Watching General Qin lead his troops out to engage in battle, the soldiers behind him formed an unusual formation for combat.
Observing this unfamiliar formation, General Guan became cautious and refrained from rashly charging in with his troops.
Shortly after, about a dozen dark, ominous objects were wheeled out from within.
