Chapter 255: Father and Son Confrontation
On the day when Xiao Zhuo led his army to Xiaogang Village, Mei Dai personally led the generals of the Xiliang Army to escort them ten miles to the east.
Mei Dai couldn't accompany them on this expedition; she had to lead the Western Liang army to garrison Zhangwu and Leshan to resist the attacks of the Western Rong army from the north. Now that the Western Liang army had expanded to over 20,000 men, relying on the city's defenses, Shen Yuexi wasn't worried.
But she felt that Mei Dai seemed to be worried about something. She kept looking at her all the way, and her lips moved several times, but she didn't say anything.
Shen Yuexi guessed that Mei Dai was worried that Xiao Zhuo would not come back to help her fight Yong Wei.
"Sister Mei, there's no need to see me off. It's almost noon. Let's go back," Shen Yuexi looked at the glaring sunlight overhead and said to Mei Dai, "Since my husband has promised to help you take Yongwei, he will never go back on his word. Once we defeat King Qi, we will come back and take Yongwei."
She and Xiao Zhuo have a sense of belonging to Xiaogang Village. From the dilapidated village they first saw when they arrived outside the Great Wall to the prosperous town with tens of thousands of people now, neither she nor Xiao Zhuo can tolerate it being occupied by the enemy.
As for Bai Ling's matter, Xiao Zhuo didn't take it seriously at all, so she naturally didn't take it to heart anymore.
Mei Dai held the reins of the warhorse and said to her, "Sister, I..."
Seeing Mei Dai hesitate to speak, Shen Yuexi smiled and said, "Sister Mei, I know you will definitely have to stay in Xiliang and won't be able to fight with us. Don't worry, we will definitely come back to help you fight Yongwei. I have to go chase my husband."
After saying this, Shen Yuexi took the reins of the warhorse from Qiang Lin and mounted it neatly. The warhorse circled halfway, neighed, and galloped forward along the long line of troops.
Mei Dai watched Shen Yuexi's back gradually disappear in the dust, lowered her head and said, "Sister, forgive me..."
Shen Yuexi rode his horse along the avenue, looking at the marching army with joy.
The army that went on this expedition consisted of 40,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry.
Under Xiliang King Mei Cheng's command, these troops were equivalent to 4,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. Under Xiao Zhuo's command, these troops were 80,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry.
Beneath the fluttering banners were the armored infantry, their halberds like a forest, reflecting the midday sun, a murderous aura. On the other side of the column, the cavalry's hooves rumbled, and thousands of horses galloped.
She caught up with Xiao Zhuo, and rode side by side with him, saying with a smile: "My husband finally has his own army. We don't have to look at other people's armies with envy. Do you have any feelings?"
"I have so many feelings that I can write a book." Xiao Zhuo rarely joked.
"Then I'll write it."
Shen Yuexi regretted it the moment she finished speaking, and decided to forget about her handwriting.
Xiao Zhuo said, "After defeating the King of Qi and avenging my father, we will return to Xiliang to recapture the remaining two counties. Then I will lead my army to wipe out the Western Rong and Northern Di until peace reigns."
"Sweep the world?" Shen Yuexi turned her head and looked at Xiao Zhuo playfully, "Are you going to be the emperor?"
"Of course I want to be the emperor," Xiao Zhuo looked at her with tenderness in his eyes, "but this kingdom is only fought for you."
Shen Yuexi's heart began to beat fast when she heard this.
In fact, she preferred to live an ordinary life with Xiao Zhuo. But since God had given him invincible military talent, if he didn't use it, wouldn't it be a shame to be blessed by God? Besides, men should have lofty ambitions, how could they be like women, only thinking about their own little world?
The King of Qi and his son are still alive, and no one can predict what will happen in the future, but there is one thing she can be sure of.
Since Xiao Zhuo wanted to unify the world, she would fight with him.
We will be together through life and death, and never leave each other.
She had been with Xiao Zhuo since she came into this world, and they had endured countless hardships and overcome countless difficulties to reach this day. She believed that the future would only get better and better. When Xiao Zhuo unified the world, she could stand beside him and tell everyone that her position as queen was not easy to come by.
Her greatest achievement was battling a powerful pheasant...
Forget it, if that day ever comes, I'd better not tell anyone about that embarrassing incident. It was so embarrassing that I cried so hard when the pheasant pecked me.
Overall, she basically won without any effort.
"Yuexi, come, let's compete," Xiao Zhuo increased the speed of his mount, "and see whose horse is faster."
Before Shen Yuexi could come to her senses, Xiao Zhuo had already run several meters away.
"You, you, you... you actually cheated." She shouted and spurred her mount to chase after him.
…
On the other side, the King of Qi and his son personally led an army of 100,000 to attack Xiao Zhuo.
Xiao Beiheng rode his horse to the top of the high slope and looked at the mighty army below. The 100,000-strong army stretched as far as the eye could see, the flags covered half of the sky, and the sound of their footsteps made the earth tremble slightly.
"Father, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day," he said proudly to Qi Wang Xiao Ming in front of him, "Why don't you ascend the throne first? I will conquer Xiao Zhuo on your behalf."
He didn't understand why his father didn't ascend the throne quickly since Emperor Yongde was dead.
As long as his father ascends the throne, he will be the crown prince.
The governor of Yuzhou had been defeated by the combined forces of father and son. Now, apart from Xiao Zhuo, no other army posed a threat to them. However, as long as his father did not ascend the throne, his title as crown prince would remain unsecured.
Xiao Ming turned his head and looked at him and said, "You are no match for Xiao Zhuo. You should lead the army for your father."
Xiao Beiheng was unhappy and said, "Father, you think too highly of Xiao Zhuo. I defeated his entire army in Xiliang, and you know that, Father."
"That's because Xiao Kai's Jingzhou Army is holding you back in the south," the King of Qi said coldly. "If you were to face Xiao Zhuo alone, your chances of victory would certainly be slim."
"Father, why do you always want to boost others' ambitions and destroy your own prestige?" Xiao Beiheng's anger grew.
He didn't understand why his father still thought he was no match for Xiao Zhuo, even though he had clearly defeated Xiao Zhuo.
"A proud army will surely be defeated." The King of Qi glanced at him and rode away down the hillside.
Xiao Beiheng stood there, lowering his head in hatred.
As the saying goes, "Pride comes before a fall." In my father's eyes, I can never compare to Xiao Zhuo. Perhaps only when Xiao Zhuo dies will my father stop comparing.
Well, this time when the two armies face off, he must defeat Xiao Zhuo thoroughly and fairly in front of his father.
"Song Zhen, order my 30,000 Dingbei troops to speed up." He turned to Song Zhen behind him and said, "I want to go fight Xiao Zhuo first."
Song Zhen hesitated for a moment and said to him, "Your Highness, I also think what the King of Qi said makes sense."
Xiao Beiheng glared at Song Zhen and said, "You think so too?"
"Your Highness, please forgive my bluntness. If the Xiliang army had been able to support Nanping, Your Highness would have been the one defeated." Song Zhen whispered, "Now that only Xiao Zhuo is left, I suggest Your Highness exercise more caution. After defeating Xiao Zhuo, no one in the world of Great Yan will be able to stop Your Highness. Don't lose the big picture for the sake of small gains."
Xiao Beiheng closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and said in a deep voice, "You're right."
He knew in his heart that if it weren't for Mei Dai's letter, he would have been defeated by Xiao Zhuo. Song Zhen was telling the truth.
"You used to be Xiao Zhuo's military advisor. Do you understand his tactics?" He looked at Song Zhen.
Song Zhen said awkwardly, "Your Highness, Xiao Zhuo's tactics have no fixed rules at all. They change according to the actual situation of the battle. Although I follow him, I don't know how he arranges his tactics."
"That's fine," Xiao Beiheng waved his hand, signaling him to stop talking. "My father and I have an army of 100,000. I don't believe Xiao Zhuo can compete with us."
He didn't believe that with the combined strength of the King of Qi and him, plus more than twice the number of troops, they would be unable to defeat Xiao Zhuo.
When the two armies fight, everything will be revealed.
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