Chapter 106 King Huan is certain to win this battle!
"Your Highness? Your Highness? Ah Jiao?"
"Um?"
After being gently called by Chu Rou a few times, Shen Yujiao finally came back to her senses. Looking at the mille-feuille pastry in front of her that had been poked to pieces, she couldn't help but sigh and instructed Mu Jin, "Take it away, I don't have much of an appetite right now."
Seeing her like this, Chu Rou comforted her at the right time: "According to the plan of marching, they should have already entered Anqing Prefecture by now, and will arrive at Beiding Prefecture in two days. As long as you return to the Northern Frontier Camp, Your Highness will be able to take control of the overall situation."
It would have been better if she hadn't said those words. As soon as she did, Shen Yujiao's heart suddenly clenched with pain. This inexplicable panic made her instinctively clutch her chest. This wasn't the first time this had happened. The pain didn't come from her, but from Shen Yujiao.
"King Huan..."
Was Shen Yujiao worried about Jiang Yu? Or was Jiang Yu in some danger? After pondering for a moment, Shen Yujiao finally decided to send a letter to Jiang Chen. After all, they had already transmigrated, and she believed in the existence of unseen bonds that existed between them.
The ink scribbled a few lines quickly on the paper, then Shen Yujiao summoned the Shen family's secret guards and swiftly stuffed the note into the letterbox: "Send this to the Crown Prince at top speed."
Jiang Chen's expedition was to repel the invading Northern Di army. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they did not actually want to confront Jiang Yu.
With Li Lu, that cancerous tumor, removed, only the Prince of Zhao, who has vanished from the capital, remains. Due to the severe blow he suffered from the Li Lu incident, it is already a miracle that he has escaped this calamity. Like a grasshopper in autumn, he can't jump much higher. However, if Jiang Yu has any other intentions, it will be troublesome for Jiang Chen.
The person who understands Jiang Yu best in this world is perhaps Shen Yujiao, or perhaps Jiang Yu, but there is another person, Jiang Chen.
Before leaving, Jiang Chen's only instruction to Shen Yujiao was to be careful of the Huan Prince's Mansion. The two had clashed many times, and Jiang Chen greatly admired Jiang Yu's abilities. It could be said that if the two were not naturally on opposing sides, Jiang Chen would have appreciated him.
Among the Huanwang faction, Consort Yao, who was deeply rooted in the harem, was an ambitious but brainless vase. If it weren't for the emperor's early favor which Jiang Yu could take advantage of, Consort Yao would have stopped at the rank of Noble Consort. However, Jiang Yu was able to use her weaknesses to elevate himself to the position, making everyone forget that his birth mother was just the daughter of a lowly official from a poor family.
Consort Yao had no sons, so he always helped Princess Yongjia win the emperor's favor. He may not be the emperor's most valued son, but he managed to cultivate the emperor's most beloved daughter in the harem where the empress had no daughters. It can be said that if Princess Yongjia had not acted in a way that disappointed Jiang Yu, she would not have fallen from grace overnight. Just two years ago, she was the emperor's most beloved daughter, but today she has become just one of the many princesses in the harem.
Jiang Yu had no brothers from the same mother, but he and Crown Prince Jiang Yu were like brothers when they were young. The two brothers were a perfect match. The Crown Prince was known as unparalleled in the world, and Prince Huan was the right-hand man of the heir apparent. One was in the Eastern Palace and the other was in Zhanyun Mansion. They guarded the two wards closest to the palace, which shows how glorious he was in his youth.
After the Crown Prince left, he chose the King of Zhao, whose maternal clan was weak. He introduced famous teachers to the King of Zhao, took him with him to important occasions, and even made the King of Zhao's wife, Lady Liu, the eldest daughter of the main branch of the same clan as the Queen of Huan. He built up the King of Zhao's power and made the King of Zhao devoted to him.
Among the brothers, aside from Crown Prince Yu and Prince Zhao, the other princes also treated their eldest brother with great respect.
The Prince of Han was the first son of the emperor after his accession to the throne. His mother, Consort Zheng, was a founding hero. His status was extremely high, yet he was willing to nod in front of Jiang Yu.
The Thai King's maternal and paternal families are all powerful generals who hold military power. He himself is unruly and fearless in the face of Jiang Chen. He even dares to fight with the Crown Prince. However, when Jiang Yu reprimands him, although he is dissatisfied, he does not dare to offend his elder brother.
If these two treated Jiang Yu this way, one can only imagine how the other brothers who hadn't yet risen to prominence felt.
As for the officials he had befriended in the previous dynasty, there is no need to elaborate. Over the years, even though Crown Prince Chen had secured his position as heir apparent, the calls for the eldest son to be chosen over the legitimate heir had always prevailed. The previous Crown Prince Chen was indeed not a suitable candidate. The emperor was helpless against these officials who were loyal to Prince Huan, so he could only continue to suppress Jiang Yu himself, but he still managed to survive.
King Han was fond of literature, King Tai was skilled in martial arts, King Zhao had only ambition, and Crown Prince Chen only had his birth. Only King Huan, who originally had nothing, single-handedly resisted most of the obstacles. The depth of his mind and cunning was terrifying.
Even Jiang Chen himself said that half of the reason he can now stand on equal footing with Jiang Yu is that the people around him are far more astute than Jiang Yu's people, whether it is the Empress to Consort Yao or Princess Yong'an to Yongjia. And the other half of the reason he can now overpower Jiang Yu is the people around him.
Leaving aside Jiang Yu's feelings for Shen Yujiao, just comparing Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao to Jiang Yu and Liu Shi, the tacit understanding between the couple is far less. Their hearts are not in sync, so naturally they cannot work together. Princess Huan has a good family background and beauty, but she cannot effectively assist Jiang Yu. Compared to Jiang Yu's ambition to seize the throne, she wants to defeat Shen Yujiao and become the one in Jiang Yu's heart.
Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao are different. Jiang Chen doesn't need Shen Yujiao to sacrifice for him. When the two travel, Shen Yujiao always walks alongside him. He is a good Crown Prince in the court, and she works hard to be a good Consort behind him. She is not a woman who hides in the shadows behind Jiang Chen to support him, but a wife who can stand back to back with him and each support her own world. He is willing to share most of the glory that belongs to the Crown Prince with Shen Yujiao.
However, Jiang Chen knew all too well how deep Jiang Yu's obsession ran.
His beloved remarried, his siblings died young, he had talent but no ambition, and now the power he had built in the court over the years has been completely destroyed. He is a man who has been defeated before but has made a comeback. But if he is defeated again, no one dares to imagine how terrible he would be if he became obsessed.
Jiang Chen's concerns were not unfounded. In the capital, just as Shen Yujiao sent out the message, war broke out again in the northern frontier.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, retreat quickly!"
The deputy general behind Jiang Yu kept trying to pull him away, but Jiang Yu ripped the hem of his robe with his long spear. He turned and glared at Liu Ziyue: "Don't retreat! If we retreat any further, we will lose another city! The Xia army has nowhere left to retreat! If we retreat any further, the entire northern frontier will be handed over to others!"
After glaring at Liu Ziyue, he turned his horse around and roared at the soldiers behind him: "On the battlefield today, if even one person dares to desert, I will not let him off lightly! The Northern Di cavalry is powerful, but are the men of my Great Xia just clay? Today's battle is a battle of attrition, and no one is allowed to retreat until victory is achieved!"
The clanging of weapons on the battlefield mingled with the neighing of warhorses. Jiang Yu's already hoarse voice didn't carry very far, but the Xia soldiers beside him could clearly see that their commander was covered in wounds and blood, yet he stood firmly on his horse, his back hunched. The long sword with its missing blade still gleamed in the sunlight, showing an unwavering determination to fight to the death.
Jiang Yu raised his arm and shouted: "Those who dare to die for the Great Xia, follow me and charge!"
He alone was like a thousand troops. The Xia army, which had just been defeated by the Di army, instantly regained its fighting spirit. One after another, they followed him and fought forward. Their bloodied faces showed unprecedented bravery. Liu Ziyue did not expect that just by raising his arm, the King Huan could actually reverse the situation.
An army driven by desperation is bound to win. The northern frontier had been invaded by the Northern Di to the point of having nowhere left to retreat. Now, there were only three cities left in the northern frontier. Jiang Yu was determined not to lose this battle. The Northern Di army had been fighting them for several days and was already showing signs of exhaustion. At this moment, the Xia army unleashed its remaining strength in a desperate fight, causing the Northern Di army to retreat hundreds of miles.
In this battle, Jiang Yu ultimately recaptured two cities.
In the aftermath of the great war, the northern frontier was devastated. When Jiang Yu led his army into Hancheng, he couldn't even bring back his warhorse. He mustered his strength, climbed the city wall, and looked at the distant Northern Di general, Huli Guang. He forcefully shoved his long sword into the city wall and tilted his head to give Huli Guang a provocative smile.
The Northern Di general who led the army to attack Xia this time, Huli Guang, was the eldest son of Huli Zong, who defeated the Xia army years ago. He not only inherited his father's wisdom, but also far surpassed his father in military tactics. As a result, it was rumored in the court that the strategist behind the Northern Di this time was General Qi, who had been captured and disappeared for several months.
The two men faced off for a long time across the battlefield, which was dozens of miles apart. In the end, Hulü Guang led the Northern Di army to turn back and retreat, while Jiang Yu stood firm in the spot until the Di army was no longer in sight.
Seeing that King Huan was standing there for a long time, a deputy general on the city wall stepped forward and reminded him, "Your Highness, the Northern Di people have left. Shall we go down too? You were also injured on the battlefield today. Please have the army doctor examine you."
"Yes, brother, why don't you go back and rest first?" King Wu timidly advised.
On the northern frontier battlefield, ever since Jiang Lin arrived, apart from the initial success with the assistance of General Liu, he suffered repeated setbacks. The Northern Di army attacked several times, making him almost doubt his life.
Although he enjoyed traveling and his maternal grandfather's family was also from a military family, this was the first time he had ever been to a real battlefield. Even with the guidance of two old generals and the protection of his elder brother King Tai's confidants, he still suffered repeated setbacks in the northern frontier until the arrival of King Huan broke the predicament in the northern frontier.
Jiang Yu's arrival stabilized the morale of the army, and he then led a group of generals to fight back. The Xia army stopped suffering successive defeats and began to fight the Northern Di to a standstill. Jiang Yu was even able to recover lost territory. The Northern Frontier Camp naturally turned to follow the lead of King Huan, and he naturally regarded his elder brother as the backbone.
Even though... even though the Northern Di have made a comeback and once again defeated the Xia army, the army still regards King Huan as their commander. Jiang Lin could vaguely see something from this battle.
The imperial edict arrived in the northern frontier three days ago. Now the entire army knows that Fifth Brother is about to lead troops to aid the northern frontier. He will be followed by He Zhiju, who previously held power in the northern frontier camp. The entire He family will be exonerated. This time, the Crown Prince is personally leading the expedition. It is clear that once the Crown Prince arrives, the military power in the northern frontier camp will be transferred from Prince Huan to the Crown Prince.
Therefore, King Huan is bound to win this battle. He needs a campaign to establish a foothold in the northern frontier camp, a victory that will not diminish his authority even if the crown prince arrives.
But Jiang Lin didn't expect that Jiang Yu's determination would be so ruthless, even to himself. He stepped forward and tentatively patted Jiang Yu's shoulder. Jiang Yu's body began to sway because of the light force. He swayed a few times and then fell straight to the ground.
"Big Brother!"
With a cry of alarm from the King of Wu, the longsword that had been plunged into the city wall shattered in two, the already battle-damaged and broken sword completing its final mission at this moment.
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