Li Man'er said seriously, "Third Uncle, I'm not joking. My biggest worry right now is Qingyan."
Li Nian replied, "As long as the city doesn't fall, Qingyan will be safe." Besides Qin Si, Old Sun, and Liu Ya, four guards arranged by Li Nian were secretly protecting Li Qingyan, so he was at ease.
As long as the city held, no matter how chaotic it was outside, Li Qingyan would be safe.
Li Man'er nodded, already having a plan. If it came to it, she would directly abduct him and place him in her space. There was no safer place in the world.
"Don't worry, Third Uncle, the city definitely won't fall," Li Man'er said. "It's getting late, you should get some rest. As soon as dawn breaks, the barbarians will surely attack."
Li Nian said sternly, "Man'er, you must be careful. That fellow surnamed Lu didn't gain anything today, so he'll likely harbor ill intentions later. Especially now that you've taken command of the Iron Blood Camp, you'll inevitably have to face battles, and there might be underhanded tactics waiting for you. Third Uncle knows you're capable and have your own ideas, and I'm not lecturing you, I just hope you can stay safe and sound. Don't let a small loss lead to a great regret, causing your loved ones to resent you and your enemies to rejoice."
Li Man'er nodded. "Don't worry, Third Uncle, I know what I'm doing." She seemed to remember something. "Oh right, Third Uncle, I have something for you."
Li Man'er hurriedly opened her trunk and took out a bulletproof vest for him. This kind of bulletproof vest was light and thin, completely inconspicuous when worn under clothes. Although ancient times didn't have guns and cannons, swords and blades were equally blind. The material inside this vest, while not as good as Qi Yihan's, was still a rare treasure.
When they were on missions, their equipment from head to toe was custom-made to avoid revealing their identities. There wasn't a single letter on them, precisely to prevent others from discovering the origin of these items and thus deducing their identities.
She never expected that something unused back then would be put to use now.
"This is..."
"Third Uncle, this is a protective vest similar to a soft golden silk armor. It's inconspicuous when worn inside. It can block blades and swords, keeping you safe." Li Nian had been pulled into this mess by her, and he was one of the few people in the Li family who cared about her. Li Man'er naturally wanted to protect his life.
Who could predict what would happen on the battlefield?
Li Nian's eyelids twitched. He instinctively reached out and touched the soft armor in front of him. He didn't know what material it was woven from. It wasn't a soft fabric, feeling slightly rough. The contents inside weren't heavy and were laid out very flat. It was quite different from any armor he had seen before.
"Man'er, this is too valuable. Keep it for yourself."
Li Man'er thought to herself that she had plenty of these, but she wasn't foolish enough to reveal it carelessly. Even Qi Yihan couldn't know her secret, let alone Li Nian.
Strange, why did she feel Qi Yihan was more trustworthy?
"Don't worry, Third Uncle, I have them. I also gave one to Qingyan. Afraid that he's too young and might let it slip, I told him not to tell anyone, not even you." Li Man'er smiled. "Third Uncle, please accept it as a filial gift from your niece."
Li Nian sighed inwardly, thinking that he was merely Man'er's third uncle, and from a concubine, a generation removed. This child was still so sincere and open with him. If his elder brother had been more kind to this child, less calculating and dismissive, and more caring and loving, would this child have been so heartless towards him?
He was foolish!
"Alright, I understand," Li Nian said. "Daughters are indeed thoughtful. I only hope that Xing'er, when she grows up, will be as brave, resourceful, pure, and intelligent as her elder sister. If she has half your capabilities, I'll be content."
Li Man'er smiled, knowing that Li Nian was just trying to comfort her. He thought she would remember Li Shu and be sad and upset.
In reality, she hadn't thought of him at all!
"Xing'er has her third aunt's careful guidance, your protection, and an elder brother like Qingyan. She will undoubtedly walk a much smoother path in life."
Li Nian couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Wasn't this the life Man'er had yearned for since childhood?
"Good, you should rest early too. If the barbarians attack, there might not be time to rest."
"Okay!" Li Man'er nodded, walked Li Nian to the door, and then turned to rest.
Liu Ya and Ah Si were waiting outside. Li Man'er took the opportunity to enter her space, organize her preparations, and drink some spirit mist spring water.
She slept for about an hour in her space and then heard a commotion outside.
Li Man'er instantly exited her space, got up, put on her shoes, and donned her cloak.
"Miss, the barbarians have arrived."
It was just before dawn, the time when people were most groggy. It wasn't unreasonable for the barbarians to attack the city at this hour.
"Who is guarding the city wall?"
"General Xi Kaiyuan and his two sons."
Li Man'er asked as she walked, "What about the North Gate?"
"Third Master and General Jia Er are guarding it together."
It was Jia Er's men on duty last night, and again today? Fortunately, they were guarding the North Gate, so there was some time to rest.
With Li Nian there, there should be no need to worry.
"Miss, aren't we going to the city gate?"
"No."
Li Man'er slung her saber behind her back. "To the camp."
"Yes!" Ah Si's eyes lit up, and he followed Li Man'er towards the camp.
"When we get to the camp, we'll pick out two horses first."
"Okay!" Ah Si said, "We must pick good horses. Running on two legs like this, how long will it take?"
As they spoke, they arrived at the Iron Blood Camp. This time, no one stopped Li Man'er.
Inside the camp, all the soldiers were on high alert, as if awaiting orders.
Li Man'er arrived quickly and, without any unnecessary words, immediately got to work.
"Order someone to inspect the horses, equipment, and weapons. We might have to step in at any moment, or we might have to ride out of the city. Everyone be prepared."
"Yes!"
This time, no one gave Li Man'er any trouble. It was as if they had already accepted her as the main commander of the camp.
"Also, General Lu."
"Your subordinate is here."
Li Man'er said, "Could you prepare two horses for me and my maid? At least let us get familiar with them."
"Yes!" Lu Fang replied, "But I wonder about the General's riding skills. What kind of horse do you prefer?"
Riding skills.
Li Man'er said, "They're quite good. As long as the horse isn't too spirited, I'm fine with any. Military horses are trained warhorses that obey commands, so there shouldn't be any inferior ones, right?"
"Naturally not, General, please be assured."
"That's good."
Li Man'er immediately led Ah Si towards the main tent.
Feng Wuyun was quite adept at enjoying himself. The tent was even carpeted, had a soft couch, and even a very ancient and sturdy desk with a armchair.
If one didn't know he was here to fight a war, they might think he was here to put on airs.