Chapter 93: Factional Strife; His Majesty Distressed for Little Xie; A New Crisis; Imminent…
The rain began to fall again.
Raindrops pattered down in a rhythmic deluge; the summer season was not only humid but also thick with mud.
The Emperor hurriedly left Linchuan, conducting official business within his carriage while contemplating whether to deploy the Great Armies of Jing and Xu provinces to further reinforce Xindu.
Sending reinforcements was not a foolproof strategy. Each province had a fixed quota of troops; if they were gathered in one place, a vacuum would inevitably be created elsewhere. The Great Qinâs strength had far from reached the point where every province was teeming with powerful soldiers and sturdy horses.
Ying Xi observed the map alone, his deep grey pupils flickering.
The Emperor’s concerns were not meant for outsiders. While the Southern Expeditionary Army was at most responsible for the victory or defeat of this specific battle, he was forced to plan for the entire realm.
On the Dating System interface, the envelope icon was still jumping. Flash, flash.
Feeling annoyed, Ying Xi clicked it in a hurry.
The system erupted in a pink glow, instantly filling his entire field of vision:
[Congratulations to the Host for reaching maximum favorability with Su Xueyi!]
[Full background and gallery for this target have been unlocked. Bonus voice clips are now available; please enjoy them in a timely manner~]
Once the message finished, a trial clip began to play.
Su Xueyiâs voice lingered, unable to suppress his excitement, his tone like fertile snow over a glacier:
“Conquer me, and then I shall pleasure Your Majesty.”
Ying Xi felt goosebumps crawl over his entire body!
Outside the carriage window, Lian Qing, mounted on horseback, reported: “The walls of Xindu are high and the moat is deep. There are still famous strategists and fierce generals under the rebel Li who can hold their own.”
“Che Chenren is wielding two board-axes. When engaging our army, he has successively slain several of our generals, greatly boosting the enemy’s morale.”
“Xindu is currently impregnable. The garrisons at every city gate seem to be injected with chicken blood. In just a few days, our army has lost over ten thousand men beneath the city walls.”
This was equivalent to nearly half of the soldiers who had followed them to the rebel capital now sleeping eternally outside the enemy’s city.
Ying Xi frowned and lifted the curtain. “Does Xie-qing know of this?”
Regarding this specific question, Lian Qing seemed well-prepared: “General Xie believes the enemy is at the end of their tether. If we mobilize more troops into Xindu, it will create too large a void in the other provinces. At that time, the world will know our army is trapped, which would instead become a hidden peril.”
Ying Xi ran the map through his mind again; their views coincided.
“I understand.”
A gust of wind sprayed water along Lian Qingâs silver helmet, dripping into the carriage window and staining the wooden frame a deep crimson.
Ying Xi looked at the water stain from the corner of his eye, his gaze flickering in a trance. He vaguely sensed something, and his heart trembled, but in the end, the feeling was not clear.
Ying Xi asked, “How is Xie-qingâs injury?”
“It has greatly improved!” Lian Qing said hurriedly.
That sense of urgency seemed somewhat forced. Ying Xi raised a delicate eyebrow, his gaze suspicious. “Truly?”
“Truly, truly!” Lian Qing replied. “When the blade stabbed him, General Xie had a premonition and sucked in his abdomen. The military doctor said that although there was a lot of bloodletting, the General indeed only suffered a light wound!”
Lian Qing responded to the Emperor with an earnest tone.
However, his fingers gripping the reins tightened involuntarily, and his gaze shifted to the side.
The Emperor tested him coldly: “Che Chenrenâs two board-axes are formidable. What should be done?”
“Your Majesty still has us fierce generals in the army. Using a spear against an axe is using length to overcome shortness. Xieâ”
Bang!
The Emperor furrowed his brows and slammed the carriage window shut.
Only the muffled sound of the Emperorâs coughing remained inside, following the heavy thud of the window.
Outside, Lian Qing was stunned. He tilted his head, his thick eyebrows raised high.
“…”
Sometimes he really couldn’t understand. General Xie was clearly a beloved general for whom the Emperor would risk his life to save, yet looking at His Majesty’s attitude now, it seemed as if he found General Xie quite loathsome.
Was this also the special treatment given to a favored general?
“Your Majesty!”
“This humble general is late to receive your arrival. May Your Majesty forgive me! Long live Your Majesty!”
As the carriage traveled outside Xindu City, a baby-faced general came to welcome them.
This person was exactly the commander of the Eastern Line’s Xuzhou Army and a member of Ying Xiâs personal circle.
His history could be traced back to when the Longwu Army was restructured. The Emperor had scouted several promising talents to secretly learn the Xie familyâs methods of training soldiers, and he was among them.
This time, Ying Xi had boldly employed him, arranging for him to lead the troops in Xuzhou and promoting him several ranks out of turn.
Who wouldn’t be grateful for the Emperor’s grace of recognition?
“Xindu is massive in scale, built on the high slopes of a hill. This city is naturally several degrees higher than other places, forming a terrain that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.”
Lu Heyu invited the Emperor into the observation platform.
The observation platform was in a hidden location. War drums thundered all around the city, and the sound of rain was like a waterfall. The generals were lined up on the left and right as Ying Xi sat upon the Dragon Throne.
“Gentlemen, please be seated.”
Lu Heyu did not dare sit. His baby face was solemn as he stood to introduce the situation to Ying Xi.
At this moment, they happened to see a general outside the gates of Xindu, leading soldiers in a fierce battle.
The Jiangbei Army had this person surrounded; the two armies were like two clashing, chaotic currents.
Within the battle formation, that martial general galloped to and fro. It was impossible to clearly see the opponent’s appearance; one could only see two flickering shadows of light in the rain.
“The enemy general is named Che Chenren. He is bloodthirsty by nature and possesses immense strength.” Lu Heyu pointed.
the shadows of light came from the two board-axes.
Below the hill, Che Chenren was engaged in a chaotic fight with several generals. He was surrounded in the center, yet the encirclement was becoming increasingly sparse. Men and horses were continuously hacked down.
Ying Xi leaned forward, his palm gripping the rounded dragon head on the armrest of the throne. “Who is currently engaging him?”
Lu Heyu stepped forward, pushing Lian Qing aside to whisper: “This humble general is incompetent. After taking over, the Xuzhou Army is now like an iron bucket. I used a bit of a trickâduring the encirclement, I let the Jingzhou Army go first.”
“Xie Meng is currently in a bitter battle with the enemy.”
Ying Xi froze slightly.
He understood Lu Heyu’s meaning; that was exactly the original intention of cultivating them. He wanted military power.
Absolute control over the military could not forever remain in the hands of the Xie clan.
He was not Emperor Yuantai; he could not form an unbreakable matrimonial bond with the Xie family. Gou-er had long said he didn’t want to marry his Imperial Sister.
Therefore, weakening Xie Mengâs Jingzhou Army was equivalent to strengthening the Emperor.
Lu Heyu was indeed a confidant he had personally trained; his guesses were just like his own.
If this were his past life, where conflicts with the Xie family were numerous, Ying Xi would likely have acquiesced.
However, this life was different.
Ying Xiâs lip line tightened.
Imperial power is supreme, yet this journey had reflected the hot-blooded loyalty of the two Xie family generals.
Xie Meng led from the front in every battle.
Xie Qianli had personally slain Xu Youyi for him.
This caused him to waver between logic and emotion, his brow trembling slightly. Finally, Gou-erâs dark, moist eyes surfaced in his vision.
Ying Xi sighed softly. “I understand.”
The corners of Lu Heyuâs eyes turned up, emitting a bright light.
In the next moment, however, Ying Xi grabbed the strap of his cloak and pulled him over to deliver a chilling lecture: “Lu Heyu, the battle isn’t even over and youâre already engaging in internal strife? Is this the reason why you all haven’t been able to take Xindu for so long?”
Lu Heyuâs baby face changed color.
Ying Xi lowered his voice, a cold killing intent bursting forth: “To hide the bow once the birds are gone, to cook the hound once the rabbit is dead! Back then, the death of Xie Ji almost ruined My reputation. If another Xie Meng dies, into what kind of righteousness do you intend to trap Me!”
Lu Heyuâs mind suddenly roared.
He only wanted to curry favor and hadn’t thought of anything else.
Lu Heyu knew clearly that His Majesty was deeply wary of the Xie clan, who had held military power for years, yet on the surface, His Majesty still treated the Xie family generously. This was truly the Emperor’s unique scheme.
The relationship between sovereign power and military power was so subtle. He had been superficial.
Lu Heyu was terrified. “This general will go support General Xie Meng immediately!”
After speaking, he led the Xuzhou Army, raising their twin blades to join the battle.
Beneath the curtain of rain at the observation platform, the faces of the Jingzhou Army generals, who had followed the Emperor through blood and fire, finally relaxed slightly.
The surging undercurrents were suppressed, and the conflict turned outward.
The sound of torrential rain mixed with the increasingly rapid war drums. Che Chenren swung his axes wildly, killing another general. The enemy soldiers he led also displayed a combat strength that completely surpassed all previous battles.
Three to five Imperial soldiers had surrounded a single enemy soldier, yet the enemy soldier actually managed to kill them in return. That soldier had been hacked into a bloody mess and could not be saved; he used his last strength to turn toward the city, staggering before falling dead in battle.
Ying Xi’s expression was incredibly grave.
Suddenly, a soldier reported: “ReportâChe Chenren has killed two more of our great generals! General Xie Meng is wounded!”
An uproar broke out below the observation platform.
The generals ran out to receive him.
A stretcher carried the blood-soaked Xie Meng into the platform.
Xie Meng had multiple external wounds, yet he was still cursing: “Who the hell told you to carry me back? That bastard’s axes are already chipped; what’s there to fear? Put me down, put me down!”
The soldier who carried Xie Meng in reported: “There is something wrong with Che Chenrenâs head; he only knows how to kill. General Xie Meng took two axe hits. General Lu arrived to rescue him, and the bitter battle continues.”
Lu Heyu had been promoted out of turn and was extremely young.
The various generals of the Jingzhou Army said one after another: “Your Majesty, we shall go together to reinforce them!”
The factional strife vanished in an instant.
[Sweetie System: Your Majesty, fortunately, you have more foresight than this ‘Deer.’]
His perspective was opened by the experiences of two lives, including the accumulation of trust in this life.
Ying Xi pursed his lips, only distracted for a moment; he was in no mood to banter with the system.
Right now, the discussion regarding Che Chenren became loud, comparing him to the head of the rebel stars:
“Xu Youyi could command troops in battle, but this Che Chenren is just a fool.”
“When a battle reaches this stage, even a fool must be given heavy responsibility. This fool is full of brute strength; those two board-axes must weigh over a hundred catties.”
“If we’re talking about heavy weapons, who in the army can compare to Little General Xie? When the Duke of Ying led the ships to take down Xu Youyi, hearing about it was truly heartening for us all!”
[Sweetie System: Oooooh, big wolf dog~]
At this time, Lian Qing took a step forward. With orders to fulfill, he hurriedly recommended: “Reporting to Your Majesty, General Xieâs injuries have recovered significantly. He said…”
“Your Majesty, the enemy is sounding the gongs to retreat!”
The urgent sound of gongs pierced through the torrential rain, and the gates of Xindu opened a crack.
Che Chenren turned his horse around to withdraw his troops.
In the thick curtain of rain, Xindu City seemed like a massive beast, closing its eyes and shutting its giant mouth.
In an instant, the sounds of battle could no longer be heard outside the city.
Only the torrential rain splashed down, washing away the thick, bloody filth. Because the terrain outside the city was lower, there was mud and puddles everywhere.
Accompanied by the sound of rain, Ying Xi’s thoughts were slowly stirred.
From the blood on the ground, he thought of the blood on Xie Qianliâs body; he thought of the wound on his abdomen, the blood soaking through the gauze; he thought of how Xie Qianli had dared to ask Lian Qing twice to request combat from him.
He didn’t feel gratified; instead, his heart trembled slightly.
Every time the other party disregarded his own life, it made Ying Xi feel very uneasy.
But aren’t martial generals meant to be used?
Ying Xi could only understand it as loving a blade but fearing the blade would break.
The Emperor hid it well, saying calmly: “Che Chenren is only one of the defending generals. Currently, the various gates of Xindu are difficult to break, and the enemy’s will to fight is high, even surpassing when the war first started. We must find the root cause.”
“But currently, Xindu City is impenetrable to even a drop of water,” a general said. “We have also heard that Rebel Li has a strategist who is skilled at presenting poisonous schemes. However, scouts trying to gather intel are always discovered. In the end, no one has been able to enter Xindu.”
“That is because you all are stupid.”
Outside the observation platform, a voice suddenly chuckled.
The speakerâs tone was ornate, with an upward inflection at the end. The voice was exceptionally pleasant to hear, yet the tone was extremely punchable.
The generals could not help but glare, yet they happened to see the other party’s noble status, making it impossible to strike him or even open their mouths to curse him.
Prince Yong walked lazily toward the Emperor. He looked up at the sovereign, his heart beating strongly in his chest, yet he still said with a grin: “This younger brother requests the mission to scout for intelligence. Imperial Brother, will you let me go?”
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