Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 112 Vanguard Squad

"The matter of supplies cannot be delayed. We must travel day and night. Don't worry about my old bones. Grandpa is here to fight for the country, not to hold us back," Xiao Zhan said firmly.

"But has Grandpa considered that this might be a trap?" Shen Li calmly analyzed, "The guards escorting the military supplies are all elite troops. How could they be wiped out and robbed of all the supplies by bandits who suddenly appeared?"

"Moreover, as far as I know, the governor of Yuezhou sent troops to suppress the bandits afterward, but the bandits quietly disappeared into the mountains, and even the military rations vanished without a trace."

"How could those hundreds of cartloads of goods have been transported into the mountains so smoothly? There wasn't a single bandit in sight, not even a thousand. How could this have been possible without outside help?"

After hearing this, Xiao Zhan said, "I have thought of that. Those officials probably have some problems, but no matter what the tricks are, they will all behave themselves once the 50,000 troops arrive."

“It’s not just probably, it’s definitely true.” Shen Li handed the strip of cloth that Lin Wan’er had given her to the old man: “Take a look at this.”

"A mole?" Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.

“Only high-ranking officials can accomplish this. Fifty thousand people is neither a small number nor a large number. It would be too risky to rush in without understanding the situation,” Shen Li continued.

After seeing Lin Wan'er's message, Xiao Zhan's heart sank: "It seems best to send a vanguard to meet up with Governor Xu, who was ordered to suppress the bandits, and to find out the situation before the main army goes deeper."

“Grandpa is wise. That governor has 50,000 men under his command. Even though 30,000 of them have already been sent to reinforce the front lines, he still has 20,000 men under his command. If the bandits are successfully suppressed, that will be enough.”

Xiao Zhan nodded, wondering who should be sent.

He had never used these deputy generals before, and he didn't know which one was the most clever. This job was not easy; it required a general who could adapt to changing circumstances and make accurate judgments.

"Leave it to me. Assign me a deputy general and two hundred men. I can arrive in ten days on horseback," Shen Li said.

"You?" Xiao Zhan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Shen Li nodded seriously: "Yes, in terms of individual combat ability, no one is more suitable than me, right?"

"Leaving aside combat ability and cleverness," Xiao Zhan said with a smile, "how can you ride a fast horse? Have you ever touched a horse's reins since you were a child?"

"What's so difficult about that? I'll learn it." Shen Li said nonchalantly, "I see that the spare horse you brought out is quite good. Would you give it to me?"

As Xiao Zhan spoke, he looked Shen Li up and down, his eyes showing a mixture of surprise and delight: "I didn't expect that you, who usually seem so quiet and gentle, would actually have such a sharp and capable air about you, like you were a soldier in your past life."

"So you agree?" Shen Li asked with a smile.

The old man immediately shook his head: "That horse is named Chasing Night. It is indeed a rare and excellent steed, but it is also extremely difficult to tame. Not to mention someone like you who has never ridden a horse before, even those men who have fought on the battlefield would not be able to handle it."

"What if I could handle it?"

"Then I'll give it to you." Xiao Zhan realized he had spoken too quickly after saying that, and hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, what if you fall and get hurt? How am I supposed to explain that to your parents and Gu Chang'an?"

"You know my body, I won't break even if I fall. I'll get used to it after a few falls." Shen Li just wanted to face the challenge head-on.

Disliking someone and not being able to learn them are two different things.

Xiao Zhan was still somewhat hesitant, but he couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only agree to give it a try.

So when they set up camp that night, a group of soldiers heard the noise and came to see what was going on. When they saw the white "Night Chaser," they all exclaimed in amazement.

The white horse was without a single blemish, stood seven feet tall at the shoulder, and had eyes that shone brightly in the darkness, making it look not only beautiful but also very intelligent.

"You should see how others train," Xiao Zhan said, then asked the people who had gathered around, "Who wants to try?"

“I’ll do it.” A deputy general in his early twenties stepped forward, rubbing his hands together, eager to try.

The people around them tacitly stepped back a distance.

After warming his hands by rubbing them together, the lieutenant grabbed the reins, mounted the horse, and spurred it forward with a quick movement of his legs, gripping the reins tightly around the horse's belly.

"Ang~"

The horse was clearly a spirited one. It immediately raised its head and neighed loudly, forcefully throwing the person on its back off. The lieutenant, who was also experienced in training horses, held the reins tightly and used his waist and abdomen to lower his center of gravity, as if he were firmly nailed to the horse's back.

"Ang ang~~"

The horse shook even more violently, and the man and the horse were locked in a stalemate. In just a dozen breaths, the man's originally pale face turned visibly red.

"Ang ang~~"

The horse struggled desperately, and in the end, it almost stood up on its hind legs, with its front legs off the ground.

The young man persevered for a while but eventually collapsed from exhaustion. Fortunately, he was prepared and rolled on the ground to dissipate the impact, thus avoiding injury.

"Ma Zheng, are you alright?" The other soldiers gathered around to ask.

The groom quickly tried to rein in the horse to prevent it from running amok and injuring someone.

Xiao Zhan nodded repeatedly, "This young man is quite capable; he seems to be a master."

"Grandpa, is this a master?" Shen Li didn't understand, but she was curious.

"What do you think? This guy Zhuiye is incredibly strong. Most people would be thrown off in the first three moves. The fact that he can last this long shows he has a solid foundation." Xiao Zhan praised him while beckoning, "Young man, come here."

Shen Li blinked in confusion. So this is what a normal person's fighting ability is like?

When Ma Zheng heard Shen Li's question, he felt that Shen Li probably looked down on him, so when he walked over, he also glanced at Shen Li a few more times, and looked very dissatisfied.

Xiao Zhan praised Ma Zheng a few times before asking, "Has no one else wanted to give it a try?"

The soldiers, who had just been eager to fight, fell silent.

"Young man, you're really capable. It seems everyone admires you." Xiao Zhan patted him on the shoulder again, his expression appreciative.

“Miss, my sister and I can’t even ride this horse together, it’s definitely a fine horse.” Peony whispered to Shen Li, “You should choose a gentler one.”

Lianqiao, who had changed into the guard's armor just like Shaoyao, nodded in agreement: "Yes, Miss, if you don't train properly, you might get hurt."

"I won't even mention Forsythia, but you," Shen Li said, looking at Peony, "why are you always advising me lately? Didn't you always think I was too cautious and lacked drive and temper?"

“But you’re being too energetic right now, it’s scary for me to watch.” Peony was telling the truth.

"Don't worry." Shen Li teased her, then gently patted the armor on her chest with the back of her hand and stepped forward: "Watch me."