Chapter 826 Capturing the City! (First Update)

Before dawn, the east was shrouded in gray, indicating it would be a cloudy day.

After autumn arrived, Shengdu suddenly cooled down. Although it wasn't a bad thing, for the people of Shengdu who were used to the late summer heat, it felt strangely unsettling.

The army is setting off today, and with this kind of weather, it's not a good omen.

Many people think pessimistically.

In a dilapidated alley outside the capital, Li Shen spent the entire night without sleep.

He sat there blankly all night, clutching a piece of iron that was almost worn smooth, until he heard a sound of someone turning over in the next room. Only then did he put the iron away, lift the curtain, and go to the kitchen.

He cooked a pot of millet porridge for Li's mother, steamed some white flour buns, and boiled two eggs.

After the soldiers delivered his discharge pay and related compensation, he paid off his family's debts and had some money left over, so he no longer had to live on such a tight budget as before.

He couldn't bear to eat the eggs, so he gave them all to Li's mother.

When he arrived at Li's mother's room, she was already up, dressed neatly, her hair combed and shiny, and she was even wearing the hairpin she wore on her wedding day.

"Mother, you..."

Li's mother was suddenly dressed so formally, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Li's mother smiled and said, "Sit down and eat."

"Hey." Li Shen sat down next to his mother, handed her a spoon, and then took her other hand, guiding her to the bowl of porridge.

Li's mother said with a laugh, "Alright, it's not like I can't get any."

Li Shen peeled two boiled eggs for his mother.

Li's mother skillfully took one and placed it accurately into his bowl: "You eat too, don't just think about me."

“I’ve already eaten,” Li Shen said.

“Mother is blind in her eyes, not in her heart,” said Li’s mother.

Li Shen opened his mouth: "Mother!"

Li's mother smiled wistfully: "I've packed your things. After breakfast, you can leave."

Li Shen was taken aback. He turned his head and looked into his mother's room, and sure enough, he saw a bundle on the bed.

He was utterly astonished: "Mother, you..."

Li's mother said with a smile, "I went to your room to tidy up when you were cooking. Please check if you forgot anything. Don't wait until we leave the city, or you won't be able to get it anymore."

Li Shen took a steamed bun: "...I didn't say I wanted to leave the city."

Li's mother said, "Can you fool your mother, or can you fool yourself? Ever since your friend from the military camp came, you've been taking that iron plaque out to look at it every day. I can't see it, but I can feel it. You've almost worn down the edges of the iron plaque."

The last sentence was obviously an exaggeration, but every time Li's mother went to his room, she could feel the lingering warmth on that iron plaque. Once or twice was a coincidence, but the more times it happened, the more it meant that he took out that iron plaque to reminisce about it all the time.

Mother Li sighed, "I'm not one to be oblivious to what's going on. I've heard everything. The Han family has fallen, and the Black Wind Cavalry has changed hands. The fact that they're returning your demobilization pay shows they're a wise ruler. My son, go on your way. We... can't let those treacherous dogs from Jin and Liang bully us anymore!"

Li Shen's heart skipped a beat as he looked at his mother: "Mother..."

Li said with self-reproach, "I've held you back all these years. I've never been to school and I don't know many characters, but I remember what you said before you joined the army. You said you wanted to serve the court and become the bravest general of Great Yan. If it weren't for me, you would have done it long ago."

Li Shen hurriedly shook his head: "No, Mother, I..."

Li patted the back of his hand: "Alright, no need to say anymore, we'll be too late if we keep talking. Let's eat quickly and go. Don't worry about your mother, I can take care of myself."

"mother……"

"Go, son, go do what you have to do."

Li Shen took a bite of the steamed bun, his throat felt sore, and his eyes felt dry.

He desperately held back his tears.

No one could understand the struggle in his heart. This was his own mother, who gave him life and raised him. His father had passed away early, and his mother had raised him with great difficulty. But in the end, he couldn't even be there to fulfill his filial duties to his mother.

"mother!"

He knelt down with a thud, his forehead touching the ground, and kowtowed three times heavily. His tears fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

"Your son is unfilial! Your son cannot repay your mother's kindness in raising you!"

I don't know if I'll be able to come back alive from this journey to the border.

Please pretend you never had this unfilial son.

In the next life...in the next life I will be your son again!

...

At Xianhelou Restaurant, Zhao Dengfeng was summoned to the kitchen to cook before dawn.

Ever since Gu Jiao forcibly bought his restaurant, he was forced to become a cook.

Every day is spent either chopping or cooking vegetables, and today is no exception.

But today he was unusually absent-minded.

The Han and Nangong families openly rebelled and fled to the border, where they colluded with the states of Jin and Liang to open the border gates.

Even the Crown Princess, a mere woman, is going to lead the army in place of the Emperor.

The Crown Princess's martial arts skills had long been crippled, making her no different from an ordinary person. No, she was still different; an ordinary person wouldn't have several iron nails driven into their back.

Troops that could be mobilized from all over Shengdu gathered at the west gate, and an army from Qiushan Town was also heading there.

The army's lieutenant was a regular at the Crane Tower, a boastful and sycophantic fellow who had racked up a lot of debts there and never intended to pay them back.

Sending people like this to fight is just sending them to their deaths as traitors.

Zhao Dengfeng grew angrier the more he thought about it, and chopped away with the kitchen knife!

Chef Zheng, who was standing nearby, noticed that something was wrong with him and frowned, asking, "Hey! Chef Zhao, why are you so angry? Who upset you! Don't break the cleaver!"

Zhao Dengfeng retorted angrily, "It's none of your business!"

Chef Zheng was startled by the cleaver the man raised. Remembering that this guy had killed people before, he dared not confront him directly and rolled his eyes before walking away.

The sound of chaotic horse hooves echoed through the street...

Why is it messy? To an ordinary person, it sounds quite orderly, but Zhao Dengfeng is a cavalryman from the Black Wind Camp. He can find fault even with a horse's hoof not being in sync!

"How did you lead your troops? How did you train your horses? With this kind of horsemanship, the formation will be in chaos before the battle even begins!"

Chop, chop, chop!

I'll chop it up!

I'll chop it up!

I chop, chop, chop, chop...

Chop your grandpa's ass off!

I'm not chopping anymore!

Zhao Dengfeng slammed the cleaver onto the cutting board, turned around, and left!

...

At the west gate, the king, along with his civil and military officials, saw off the soldiers of the three armies.

Earlier, there were rumors circulating among the people that the states of Jin and Liang had invaded, and the king was so frightened that he suffered a stroke on the spot.

The leak of this news was a fatal blow to morale and public confidence.

It was already a battle with little chance of victory. If even the ruler of a country was so frightened, then the Great Yan would truly perish.

But today, all the people have seen a vigorous and energetic emperor.

The emperor's appearance dispelled the rumors and demonstrated to the world that the ruler of the Great Yan Kingdom was not only not intimidated, but was also full of boundless fighting spirit!

The aging king, still eager to serve his country, revived the flying eagle banner of the Great Yan dynasty, reigniting the almost extinguished confidence in the hearts of his people.

Perhaps this battle... can really be won?

We absolutely, positively must win.

After watching the Crown Princess and Gu Jiao lead their army out of the West Gate in a grand procession, Xiao Heng, standing at the back of the crowd, said to Long Yi beside him, "It's time for us to set off too."

Long Yi held a box of unfinished charcoal pencils and stared blankly for a long time until he could no longer see Gu Jiao's back.

...

Xiao Heng and his aunt's group headed east. After leaving Liaozhou, the two sides split into two groups. Xiao Heng, Long Yi, and Wang Xu's army headed northeast to Cangxue Pass, while Duke Anguo, his aunt, and the army led by Feng Wuxiu headed southeast to Chishui Pass.

Master Qingfeng also accompanied them.

After Shangguan Yan and Gu Jiao left Shengdu, the first message they received from the border was from Yuzhou, a hundred miles away.

They had just set up camp outside a village.

Kind villagers invited them to stay in the village, but Shangguan Yan refused.

Shangguan Yan sat in her tent, with Wang Man, the infantry commander, to her left. Wang Man was Wang Xu's uncle and a veteran general.

The Wang family was not a family with military power. In Wang Man's generation, only he was a martial artist, and in Wang Xu's generation, only Wang Xu inherited his martial arts skills.

However, Wang Man had fought alongside Xuanyuan Li in the past and had experience in fighting against the armies of Jin and Liang. Therefore, the king suggested that he be brought along and appointed him as the Jianwei General.

He was the highest-ranking general in the camp.

He had many military achievements and was quite arrogant and conceited. He hardly paid any attention to anyone except the Crown Princess, especially the youngest, Gu Jiao.

On his other side sat General Wei Juntin of the Archery Battalion, who was thirty-eight years old this year.

To Shangguan Yan's right are Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen, in order.

Mu Qingchen accompanied the Crown Princess as her personal bodyguard. His main responsibility was to ensure the Crown Princess's safety, and he held no official position in the military camp.

Gu Chengfeng did not come over for the time being.

Until the king recovers, he must continue to play the role of the king, remaining in the capital to stabilize the morale of the army and the people.

Shangguan Yan said, "All of you ministers have read the urgent secret letter that was just delivered. I wonder what your thoughts are."

Wang Man said angrily, "Hmph! The Nangong family has gone too far! They actually used the name of acting on behalf of Heaven to fool the people on the border! They are utterly shameless!"

Shengdu is rarely at war, and most of what is said about the Xuanyuan family is hearsay. However, the border has experienced countless battles, and everyone has witnessed how the Xuanyuan family fought desperately to protect the people on the border.

After the Xuanyuan family was wiped out, the border was filled with mourning.

The Nangong family had grasped this point. After arriving at the border, they first announced the crime of the king destroying the Xuanyuan family because of a prophecy, and then lied that they had only just received the news and that they had been deceived by the king all these years.

They want to avenge the Xuanyuan family!

Even more outrageous, they claimed that there were still members of the Xuanyuan family alive, and that they were protecting them in the shadows.

They are willing to fight for the descendants of the Xuanyuan family, even at the cost of their lives, to choose a true wise ruler for the Great Yan Kingdom!

The people were persuaded and opened the city gates, lining the streets to welcome the Nangong family's army into the city.

Many of the garrison troops in the city were former subordinates of the Xuanyuan family. Since they were here to avenge the Xuanyuan family, they were all on the same side.

The Nangong family captured Quyang City at Yanmen Pass with almost no effort.

(End of this chapter)