Chapter 223 Cold Iron Armor

If they had intervened to save him then, Wen Zhiming would have been easily exposed, and the entire plan would likely have failed.

Wen Weizhu was certainly not that important to him.

From the moment Wen Weizhu stole the key, he had already foreseen her death.

Whether she lets the enemy general go back to camp or goes to Lanyu Kingdom with Lan Ying, Wen Weizhu will not escape death, and will die a humiliating death, despised by everyone.

Dying here would at least preserve her dignity.

This was the only thing he, as the eldest brother, could do for Wen Weizhu.

When Wen Zhiming carried Wen Weizhu back to the military camp, the camp was calm and peaceful, as if nothing had happened the night before.

It wasn't that no one noticed Lan Ying's escape; rather, Wen Zhiming had made prior arrangements. The generals in the army knew that Wen Zhiming had a plan last night, but they didn't know the specifics of the operation. They were all gathered in the military camp's council hall waiting for him.

Upon seeing Wen Zhiming bring Wen Weizhu's body back to camp, they all stood up in shock.

"Your Highness, you're finally back! What happened to Miss Wen?"

"Wen Weizhu deliberately entered the game, pretending to help Lan Ying escape, which caused a misunderstanding between Lan Ying and the soldiers of Jin Yue Kingdom, resulting in a fight. Now that the two armies have clashed, there will definitely be a major battle in the next few days. But we must not be careless. We must always be vigilant in the military camp, pay attention to the movements of both armies, and be prepared to attack or defend as needed."

Wen Zhimo succinctly stated.

"Miss Wen's righteousness is truly admirable; she is a woman who is just as capable as any man."

“We are ashamed, for we are not even as good as a woman. Your subordinate will arrange for a proper burial for Miss Wen, and will posthumously confer titles upon Your Highness when you ascend the throne.”

The generals believed Wen Zhiming's words wholeheartedly and praised Wen Weizhu.

Wen Zhimo said.

"Now that she's in the military camp, a simple burial will suffice. Make a note of the location; when we return to the capital, we can relocate her grave later."

The generals nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness, since General Leng is going to fight a major battle with the Blue Feather Kingdom, should we take advantage of their battle to clean up the mess? Maybe we can annihilate the other two armies in one fell swoop," a young general said, mustering his courage.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to Wen Zhiming, as they all indeed thought the same thing.

Although this move could be considered taking advantage of someone's misfortune and kicking them when they're down, the battlefield is a place where cunning is the key.

On the battlefield, where each side fights for its own master, only victory and defeat matter, not morality or righteousness.

The greatest victory is the one achieved with the least cost.

“Although a major battle is imminent between them, they will certainly be wary of our army, so let’s observe first and not act rashly,” Wen Zhiming said. “We will determine our next move based on the situation on their battlefield.”

He had already used trickery to instigate the war between the other two armies.

Therefore, he was not showing mercy to the enemy, but rather cherishing the lives of his own soldiers.

The generals were overjoyed upon hearing this and began discussing where to place sentries, how to monitor the situation of both armies, and how to get to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

When Meng Lingge learned of Wen Weizhu's death and the reason for her sacrifice, she was not surprised at all.

It's just a bit disheartening.

Wen Weizhu came from a good family. As the only daughter of a prince, if she had been a little kinder, she could have lived a life of luxury even if she had just lazed around all day. But she insisted on courting death and causing all sorts of trouble, which eventually led her to her doom.

If Wen Zhiming hadn't considered the last bit of family affection and portrayed her intentional release of the enemy general as a self-inflicted sacrifice, then not only would she have been despised after her death, but even her mother would have been unable to hold her head high because of her.

It's already quite fortunate that she can preserve her posthumous reputation and allow her mother to live a comfortable life in her later years.

...

Dongjunling.

General Leng's real name was Leng Tieyi, and he was a second-rank military officer in the Golden Moon Kingdom.

After the former Prince Anshun returned to the capital, the Emperor secretly sent him to this place to take command of the Chixuan Army.

Besides Leng Tieyi, there were also two civil officials from the court. The three of them came together to discuss a peace treaty with the Blue Feather Kingdom.

The three of them thought that once they arrived here and signed the treaty, they would be able to return to the capital smoothly, at most it would only take a month or two.

Unexpectedly, after the three arrived at this place, a series of accidents occurred.

First, Prince Anshun, who was returning to the capital to report, suddenly became a traitor. Then, the Kingdom of Lanyu broke its promise, and the two countries were unable to reach a peace agreement.

Before Leng Tieyi could come up with a solution, Anshun King's mentally challenged son, Wen Zhiming, actually rebelled and marched north, heading straight for the battlefield where the Chixuan Army and the Lanyu Kingdom were fighting.

Jin Yue was beset by internal and external troubles. Leng Tieyi originally wanted to meet with Wen Zhiming to discuss how to defend against the external enemies together.

First, they should join forces to defeat the Blue Feather Kingdom, and then, based on their victory, they should request the Emperor to designate the Northern Frontier as a fiefdom and place it under Wen Zhiming's jurisdiction.

Unfortunately, the Emperor issued two decrees in succession, both ordering him to suspend the peace talks with Lanyu Kingdom and to destroy Wen Zhiming's Tiger Soaring Army at all costs.

However, as far as he knew, the Tiger Soaring Army now had more than 100,000 men, which was comparable to his Crimson Profound Army. The two armies would be locked in a battle for a short time, and it would give the Blue Feather Kingdom an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, making the situation even more uncontrollable.

Leng Tieyi replied with the truthful account of the situation and finally received the Emperor's third decree.

After opening the door with great hope, Leng Tieyi was instantly disheartened.

Seeing that he was unable to sit down, the civil official beside him asked anxiously.

"General Leng, what did the Emperor say?"

With a livid face, Leng Tieyi pushed the letter in his hand to the other party.

The civil official took it and saw that it contained only one sentence: "You must wipe out the Northern Frontier King's faction. As long as the Blue Feather Kingdom agrees to lend troops and take the head of the Northern Frontier King Wen Zhiming, we will agree to any conditions of the Blue Feather Kingdom."

The civil official was also very disappointed after reading it.

The Emperor was so wary of Wen Zhiming that he actually made them agree to any conditions set by the Blue Feather Kingdom in order to kill him.

The biggest point of contention in the peace talks between the two countries is the cession of cities to the Blue Feather Kingdom.

If they really did that, the people of these cities would live in misery, and when they returned to the capital, they would be looked down upon by their colleagues.

But if one does not do so, it is considered disobeying an imperial order, a crime punishable by death.

The civil official bowed his head and offered his advice.

"General Leng, we have done our best. Since it is the Emperor's decree, we must obey. It has been four or five months since we arrived here. We should resolve this matter here as soon as possible and return to the capital."

He had long wanted to return to the capital; his wife and young children were waiting for him at home. The longer he stayed in this desolate northern frontier, the more uneasy he felt.

Leng Tieyi was still hesitant. They could go home after resolving the matter here, but what about the homes of the people in the northern frontier, and the homes of the people in the cities they had ceded?

The unconditional agreement to the peace treaty has emboldened the Blue Feather Kingdom's ambitions. They will want more cities from the Golden Moon Kingdom, and the Golden Moon Kingdom's military strength will be weakened after the war, making it very likely that they will suffer repeated defeats. At that time, they may not even be able to defend their home in the capital.

Leng Tieyi said, "His Majesty is far away in the capital and is unaware of the dangers of the battlefield. Lord Chen and I have been here for several months and should know how the Blue Feather Kingdom is untrustworthy and fickle. We should agree to their unreasonable demands. I'm afraid that in the end, it won't just be the Northern Frontier King whose head will be taken, but also the three of us!"

The civil official's face changed color: "Could it be that General Leng is also planning a rebellion?"