Chapter 374 Roar
Xiao Beiheng returned to the camp and entered the imperial tent. Someone helped him take off his cloak and brought him hot tea. Xiao Beiheng picked up the lid of the teacup, blew off the foam, and sipped it slowly.
Not long after, a general entered the tent and reported: "Your Majesty, an army broke out from Leshan and captured Ji Yunyan."
Xiao Beiheng didn't care about this. He just snorted and asked the general to retreat.
The general left the tent just as Lin Kui entered. He said, "Your Majesty, the messenger reports that General You's Iron Pagoda is still blocking the remaining border troops at Jutie Mountain. Everything is proceeding as usual."
Without even raising his eyelids, Xiao Beiheng replied, "Did you meet General You in person?"
Lin Kui was stunned for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, the Iron Buddha general said that General You is old and frail, and caught a cold during the night and is bedridden. The messenger went to check on him, but seeing General You asleep, he didn't dare disturb him and returned directly."
Xiao Beiheng put down his teacup and said, "Go and treat him immediately. If he is temporarily unable to command, you will take over his command of the Iron Pagoda. Make sure the border troops do not leave Jutie Mountain."
Lin Kui took the order and left, and Xiao Beiheng picked up the teacup again.
He now understood why his mother had chosen to employ these two old men. While she could appoint people based on their abilities in normal times, loyalty was paramount in crucial moments. Lin Kui was his most loyal subordinate. Although he lacked the necessary skills, he felt completely at ease leaving tasks in Lin Kui's care, knowing he would execute without hesitation.
Xiao Zhuo's coalition forces were now completely surrounded in the isolated city of Leshan. Neither Xiao Zhuo, Mei Dai, nor Qiang Lin had anywhere to escape. If Leshan were captured, the border troops would surely surrender, and he would then return to the capital to deal with the rebellious officials. There would be no one left in the world who could threaten him.
The situation was promising, but the only thing that troubled him was Leshan's defenses, which were much stronger than he had imagined. Compared to larger cities like the capital and Yongwei, Leshan's walls were short and dilapidated. But with Xiao Zhuo's leadership and the aid of repeating crossbows, his generals had been able to repel several attacks on the city over the past two days, resulting in thousands of casualties.
Thousands of casualties were nothing to an army of one hundred thousand. He had ways to deal with this small city.
He raised his head and drank the rest of the tea in one gulp. Just as he put down the teacup, Su Mo slowly walked out of the inner tent, her eyes full of resentment as she gave him a shallow bow: "I greet your majesty."
Xiao Beiheng waved his hand to let the servants leave the tent, leaned back in his chair, and said:
"Momo, they refuse to surrender."
Su Mo looked at the ground and whispered, "Your Majesty, do you really want to kill them all? Can't you just let my eldest brother live?"
Xiao Beiheng laughed, "I gave them a chance. Besides, with Xiao Zhuo's ability, if I let him go, I'm afraid he'll revive. You saw it back in Yongwei. He only had Shen Yuexi with him, and later he became a powerful figure."
"Then...if His Majesty captures Leshan, how will he treat my brother?"
"Cut the grass at its roots, and there will be no future troubles." Xiao Beiheng placed the Yanque Sword across his knees and gently stroked it. "Not only Xiao Zhuo, but there's no need to keep the four Xiliang counties either."
Su Mo shuddered slightly, raised her head and said, "Your Majesty, I...I want to go to Yuzhou to find my mother."
Xiao Beiheng's fingers paused on the Yanque sword sheath, and he looked up and asked, "Why, do you want to leave?"
"After my father passed away, my mother took him away." Su Mo avoided his gaze and looked to the side. "As his daughter-in-law, I should go..."
"I won't allow it."
Before Su Mo could finish, Xiao Beiheng rudely interrupted her and slammed the Yanque Sword on the table: "I personally came to rescue you in the battle line between the two armies, not to ask you to leave me."
Su Mo was startled by the sound of the scabbard hitting the table. She instinctively took a step back and said, "Your Majesty, I am just a woman and cannot help you."
"You are not allowed to leave," Xiao Beiheng stood up and walked to Su Mo, grabbed her wrist and lifted it between them, "I am about to succeed. Momo, stay and share this joy with me."
Su Mo was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Xiao Beiheng's haggard face. Her eyes gradually turned red, and she suddenly shouted:
"Your Majesty, I do not want this kind of joy. I do not want it!"
"You..." Xiao Beiheng was extremely angry. He grabbed her wrist and pushed hard, pushing Su Mo to the ground.
"You still side with Xiao Zhuo and Shen Yuexi in your heart, right?" Xiao Beiheng turned around angrily and didn't look at Su Mo. "You are not satisfied with being the queen. I am about to take over the world, and you are still not satisfied. It's fine if you don't help me, but why do you want to leave?"
"I don't want to see you brothers killing each other," Su Mo said with tears in her eyes, supporting herself with her hands. "Bei Heng, please let my brother go. Our father is gone, and my brother will be your only blood relative from now on."
"Momo, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Beiheng turned around with trembling hands. "Do you want Xiao Zhuo to win? He's my enemy. If I don't kill him, he'll kill me. Even if he doesn't kill me, he'll still take my throne and turn me into a commoner. Don't you know that?"
Without waiting for Su Mo's reply, Xiao Beiheng raised his hand and pointed outside the tent: "Are you willing to live a life of being naked and hungry like those common people outside? ... If you don't want to, then don't mention this anymore. As long as Xiao Zhuo is not dead, I will not be able to sleep or eat in peace."
Su Mo just lowered her head and cried, without answering.
Xiao Beiheng listened to Su Mo's crying and became even more irritated. He shouted, "Someone come."
Two guards entered the tent upon hearing the noise. Xiao Beiheng said, "Keep a good eye on the Queen. If she leaves the barracks without permission, I will chop off your heads."
The guards didn't dare to say a word. They carefully invited Su Mo out of the tent and went to the rear camp to rest.
Xiao Beiheng paced back and forth in the tent, gritting his teeth.
It was all Xiao Zhuo's fault. Before he showed up, his family had lived such a happy life. Now his father was gone, his mother wouldn't come to see him, and his wife cried all day long. It was all Xiao Zhuo's fault.
Only when Xiao Zhuo died would everything return to normal. He would no longer have nightmares, and Su Mo would no longer be so sad...
He walked faster and faster, venting the hatred in his heart.
"Your Majesty." A general's hesitant voice sounded at the door.
"What's the matter?" Xiao Beiheng stopped, grabbed the Yanque sword on the table, and then turned to look at the door.
The general was startled by him, but after calming himself down, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the ten Tiger Crouching Cannons have been transported to the camp."
Xiao Beiheng laughed heartily: "Okay, push the cannons to the foot of Leshan City immediately."
Previously, when the Tiger Crouching Cannons were besieging Shengjing, they were destroyed by Shengjing's cannons before they could even reach the city walls. Later, Shen Yuexi used a trick to send the white silk to Qi Wang Xiao Ming. When Xiao Ming learned the truth, he immediately withdrew his troops, and the Tiger Crouching Cannons were not fired at all.
Now no one will stop him. He wants to see if the small Leshan City can withstand the bombardment of ten Tiger Crouching Cannons.
He left the tent, mounted his black horse, and, surrounded by his generals, arrived in front of Leshan City. Ten tiger-crouching cannons had been pushed into firing position and loaded with ammunition, their black muzzles pointed at the walls of Leshan.
A general in charge of artillery, holding a small red flag, ran to Xiao Beiheng's horse and said with a bow, "Your Majesty, the Tiger Crouching Cannon has..."
Xiao Beiheng raised his whip impatiently and pointed at the city wall: "Fire."
Ten tiger squat cannons roared at the same time, shaking the earth and mountains.
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