407. The Lost Dog

In the early morning, when the Mohist army beat the war drums again, the Chu army was defeated. The Mohist army opened the gate of Liyang City with almost no destructive force. With almost all the generals missing and at least half of the soldiers unable to participate, the soldiers on the top of the Liyang City tower lost all their courage when they saw the man with white hair like snow and white clothes under the city. For a moment, the 800,000-man army was in disarray.

At this time, Mo Jingli was still in the prefect's mansion in the city, unaware of what had happened. This injury was undoubtedly a huge blow to him both physically and mentally. Especially when he was still suspicious of whether Mo Xiuyao was still alive, Mo Jingli's temper became even more weird and changeable, and his mood was erratic. He was seriously injured, and it was difficult for him to even get up, let alone go to the battlefield to command the battle.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something bad has happened!" When Mo Jingli was once again furious at the imperial physician who had knelt down, the panicked footsteps of the attendants were heard outside the door.

Mo Jingli frowned and said unhappily, "Come in! What's the matter?"

The attendant knelt on the ground and shouted in horror: "Your Majesty... the Mohist Army, the Mohist Army is coming!"

"What?!" Mo Jingli stood up suddenly, and immediately had a distorted expression with his teeth bared. "How could the Mohist Army break in so quickly?" It's not that Mo Jingli is too arrogant and doesn't believe in the ability of the Mohist Army. It's that Liyang has 800,000 troops. Unless all these soldiers surrender to the enemy at the same time, no matter how powerful the Mohist Army is, it is impossible for it to break in so silently.

"It's true... All our generals above the rank of deputy general are missing. Half of our soldiers... suddenly had stomach problems. Also... also, it seems someone saw Prince Ding appear at the city gate." The attendant who came to report did not see Mo Xiuyao himself, and the person who came back to report the news was also unclear. After all, the sudden appearance of the dead Prince Ding at the city gate really scared a lot of people. Most ordinary soldiers could hardly imagine things like Prince Ding being blown to death, and their first reaction was that they thought they saw a ghost.

"Mo Xiuyao?!" Mo Jingli's face turned pale, and even his hands under his sleeves began to tremble secretly, "What's going on?! Find out for me!" The attendant trembled and said, "Your Majesty... The Mo family army has already entered the city gate. Let's... let's run away quickly."

"Escape?" Mo Jingli's eyes were bloodshot, "Where can I escape to now?"

The attendant advised: "As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Your Majesty... As long as we return to Jiangnan, we will definitely be able to make a comeback. If we are caught by Prince Ding..." The attendant shuddered. He was Mo Jingli's confidant. If he was caught by Prince Ding, he would definitely die. They had heard a lot about Prince Ding's reputation over the years.

After hearing the servant's words, Mo Jingli's expression changed slightly, and his eyes changed unpredictably.

This battle was very easy, with almost no casualties on both sides. When the white-robed Prince Ding landed in the middle of the largest street in Liyang City, everyone involuntarily stopped their weapons. Only Mo Xiuyao's voice could be heard in all directions, "All soldiers of Da Chu, lay down your weapons. This prince will forgive the past."

Some people hesitated. These people were ordinary soldiers. Without the commander, they were scattered and didn't even know what to do next. The Mohist Army and Prince Ding's Palace were indeed the most revered places in the hearts of every native man of Da Chu. The former glory of Da Chu, which was protected by the Mohist Army, was also the deepest memory of everyone who experienced the war in Da Chu. Soon, someone threw down his weapon.

If there is one, there will be another. Soon the sound of weapons falling to the ground filled the entire street, and the people who had been hiding in their homes came out one after another. The heads of the famous families in Yunzhou, led by Chu Shaoying, came forward in unison, "We congratulate His Royal Highness Prince Ding!"

"Welcome to His Royal Highness Prince Ding! Long live Prince Ding!" A cheer broke out in the crowd, and soon the shouts swept across the entire Liyang City like a wave.

Seeing that a siege that was originally expected to last for a long time was resolved with almost no casualties, the generals of the Mohist army all smiled with relief. Leng Huai stood on the street, looking at Lu Jinxian not far away and smiled: "It is true that one person can fight against a million soldiers. In the world, who else can have such a reputation except His Royal Highness Prince Ding?"

As a veteran of the Mohist Army, Lu Jinxian was also honored. He nodded and smiled, "General Leng is right. Apart from Prince Ding... who else in the world can have such a reputation?" Leng Huai smiled calmly. Although the war with Xiling was still undecided, looking at Prince Ding's deployment, it was clear that the good days of the Xiling Army were about to end. In this world, who else can control it except Prince Ding? The world that had been separated for hundreds of years will finally be unified again in the hands of Prince Ding's Mansion. A true dynasty is about to come. Even a veteran like Leng Huai couldn't help but feel excited.

"I will send troops to Xiling immediately. All the soldiers of Da Chu who are willing to follow me to fight against Xiling will set off with me tomorrow. Those who are unwilling can stay in Liyang. After the war is over, you can return to Jiangnan." Mo Xiuyao said calmly.

"I am willing to follow His Royal Highness Prince Ding and fight against Xiling!"

"We are willing to follow His Royal Highness Prince Ding!"

"I swear to follow His Royal Highness Prince Ding until death!"

The crumbling Great Chu and the prosperous Prince Ding's Mansion. The incompetent and moody Emperor Chu and the wise and intelligent Prince Ding, Mo Jingli who used soldiers as cannon fodder and Mo Xiuyao who loved his soldiers like his own sons, what to choose is almost a no-brainer.

Mo Xiuyao nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good. From now on, all Chu troops in Liyang City will be subordinate to the Mohist Army."

"I swear to be loyal to you till death!"

After instructing Lu Jinxian and Leng Huai to settle the newly surrendered Da Chu soldiers, Mo Xiuyao led his men to the prefectural governor's mansion where Mo Jingli was. He entered Mo Jingli's room with familiarity, and saw only the dead doctors and attendants on the ground. Mo Jingli himself was nowhere to be found.

"Mo Jingli escaped? Your Majesty, I will send someone to look for him immediately." Xu Qingfeng said in annoyance. Previously, he only sent people to surround the prefectural governor's mansion, but did not send Qilin to keep an eye on it. Who would have thought that under the heavy siege, Mo Jingli could still escape from the prefectural governor's mansion.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "Go ahead, don't blame yourself. Compared to taking over Liyang City, Mo Jingli is not a big deal." Although it is said that Liyang City was taken over without bloodshed, there was not a lot of blood shed secretly. Mo Jingli's trusted guards, the secret guards of the Great Chu Royal Family, some generals who still support Mo Jingli, and some generals who have already defected to Mo Jingli's family, all need to be cleared out in the shortest possible time. Moreover, as an emperor, how could Mo Jingli not have secret guards around him? Although the secret guards of the Great Chu Royal Family are not as good as the Qilin of the Mo Family Army, they are not worse than Lei Zhenting's Golden Guards. It is not possible to fight face to face, but it is not difficult to escape with one person.

Xu Qingfeng nodded and turned away.

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head and glanced at the bloody room, a cold smile appeared on his lips, "Mo Jingli, if I were you, I would rather die here... maybe it would be a little better."

Mo Xiuyao did not stay in Liyang for long because of Mo Jingli's escape. The next morning before dawn, Mo Xiuyao left Liyang with Leng Huai, He Su and a million-man army. Only more than 200,000 soldiers were left, and Lu Jinxian and Yun Ting were responsible for guarding all places east of Liyang. Now that Mo Jingli was seriously injured and defeated, he would not be able to come out for at least a long time. And even if he recovered from his injury and came out, Mo Xiuyao had prepared a lot of things waiting for him, and he was afraid that he would not be able to come out. Under the condition that the military strength was not too disadvantageous, Mo Xiuyao was absolutely confident in Lu Jinxian's ability.

At this time, there was a quiet courtyard a few dozen miles outside of Liyang City. It looked like an ordinary farmyard from the outside, but the atmosphere inside was chilling. Several men who looked like guards stood in the courtyard, listening to the painful groans coming from inside with a sullen look. In the dark room, Mo Jingli stared at the man who was being forced to kneel not far away with a distorted look. The man was beaten all over his body and blood was stained, and he was already dying.

"Tell me, how did the Mohist army enter the city?" Mo Jingli asked grimly.

The man shook his head with difficulty, his eyes full of pleading. He really didn't know how the Mohist army entered the city, and he didn't know why the Chu army soldiers suddenly had diarrhea after eating the newly delivered food. He was just a small grain escort officer. If he knew that he would be punished like this if he escaped, he would rather stay in Liyang City as a captive. Mo Jingli immediately lost his patience and said in a deep voice: "Throw them out!"

The man wanted to beg for mercy in fear, but now he couldn't even make a sound. Being thrown out didn't mean the end of the torture, but it meant that his life would end here. He was not the first person to suffer these tortures these days, and he would definitely not be the last. Soon, the man who had been beaten into a bloody mess was dragged out. No one would pity him. Mo Jingli's injuries had not improved in the past few days, and his temper became more and more violent. Most people had already gotten used to it.

A man who looked like an attendant pushed the door open cautiously and said, "Your Majesty?"

"What's the matter?" Mo Jingli asked coldly. Ever since he suffered such an embarrassing injury, Mo Jingli has become particularly gloomy. Even the room he lives in has become gloomy, and he is not allowed to see the light at ordinary times. The servant came in and finally adapted to the darkness in the room, but was still frightened by Mo Jingli's gloomy appearance. Suppressing the fear in his heart, the servant whispered: "Your Majesty... Prince Ding, Prince Ding has subdued all the soldiers and horses in Liyang. Yesterday morning, he left Liyang with his soldiers and horses and headed west."

There was silence in the dark room for a long time, and only after a while did Mo Jingli's slow and fierce voice come out, "Mo Xiuyao... take my troops to fight Lei Zhenting?"

"Your Majesty, yes. The 800,000 Mohist troops in Liyang City have all surrendered to Prince Ding." The attendant said in a suppressed voice.

"Assholes! These traitors! I will exterminate all of their clans!" With a whoosh, something passed by the servant's ear and hit the ground behind him. The servant's legs went limp and he quickly fell to the ground, "Your Majesty, calm down. Your Majesty, take care of yourself." Mo Jingli sneered and stared at the servant kneeling on the ground, "Take care? You all wish I would die soon, right?"

"I dare not... Your Majesty, please spare my life." The man lying on the ground said tremblingly: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, calm down. When we return to Jiangnan, we can reorganize our troops and seek revenge on Prince Ding's Mansion. Now... the north is almost entirely populated by Prince Ding's Mansion's troops. We, we really should not stay here for long." After venting his anger, Mo Jingli gradually regained some consciousness. Looking at the sweaty attendant in front of him, he said coldly: "Get up."

The attendant knew that he had passed the test today, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly thanked the emperor and stood up. His respect seemed to make Mo Jingli very satisfied, and Mo Jingli's voice became a little more peaceful. "Go and get ready, and return to Jiangnan early tomorrow morning."

“Yes, yes…”

"Your Majesty, Lord Qiu wants to see you." The guard outside the door reported. Mo Jingli frowned slightly and asked unhappily, "What is he doing here?" Outside the door, Lord Qiu's voice was still panting, and it was obvious that he came in a hurry and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister has something urgent to report."

"Come in."

Lord Qiu pushed the door open and walked in, but frowned at the dimness in the room. Just as he was about to say something, Mo Jingli asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter?" Lord Qiu took out a folded paper from his sleeve and said, "Your Majesty, please look, this is what I just tore down from the county town not far away. It is a joint announcement issued by several Yunzhou families." Mo Jingli sat up suddenly and said, "Chu Shaoying? Quick, bring it over to me." The attendant took the paper from Lord Qiu and presented it to him, and lit a candlestick not far from the bed. The two of them could see Mo Jingli clearly on the bed. Because of the serious injury and the anger in the past few days, Mo Jingli's face was obviously very pale and he became very thin. Most importantly, he gave people an extremely uncoordinated feeling. Lord Qiu frowned and dared not look at him. He was neither Mo Jingli's confidant nor an important official, and he didn't know Mo Jingli well. Although he knew that there was something wrong with the emperor's behavior, he didn't have time to care about these things now.

Mo Jingli unfolded the paper in his hand, and the smile on his lips froze. The notice did not contain the various charges against Mo Xiuyao and the Dingwang Mansion and the declaration of loyalty to him as he thought, but various accusations against him. From his poisoning of Mo Jingqi, imprisonment of the Queen Mother, and killing of Mo Suyun, to his abandoning the city and fleeing, and forming an alliance with Xiling Beirong, etc., every single thing was described clearly as if he had seen it with his own eyes. The pens of these writers are sometimes sharper than knives. In their writings, Mo Jingli is a despicable villain who killed the king and seized the throne, was disloyal and unfilial, and even ignored the safety of the world. What made Mo Jingli even more angry was that this notice was posted before the Mo family army broke through Liyang. The signature below indicated that the notice was announced to the world the day after Chu Shaoying expressed his loyalty to him, and the people who signed the notice happened to be the heads of several families who followed Chu Shaoying in declaring their loyalty.

"Chu, Shao, Ying." Mo Jingli gritted his teeth, his eyes shot towards Lord Qiu like lightning, "Why was there no news in Liyang before?" Lord Qiu hurriedly said: "They were not suitable to announce it in Liyang at first. At first, it was in a small county town thirty miles away from Liyang. After that, it has been spreading to all directions, but no news was announced in Liyang. So...so we..." Lord Qiu said while lowering his head, but he kept thinking in his heart. Judging from the emperor's appearance, what is written here is probably true. Although he doesn't know the truth about the death of the two previous emperors, the emperor abandoned Chujing and could not escape, and after taking back Chujing from Prince Ding's Mansion, he joined forces with Beirong and Xiling to attack the Mo family army. Everyone in the world knows. The emperor...is over...

"Waste! Pass the order down, bring Chu Shaoying and those bastards' heads back to me!" Mo Jingli roared.

"Your Majesty..." the attendant beside him said in embarrassment, "I'm afraid... Prince Ding left a team of 200 Qilins in Liyang City. I'm afraid that those of us in Liyang..."

As the saying goes, good fortune never comes in pairs, and misfortune never comes singly. When Mo Jingli thought he had suffered enough misfortune, there were still more misfortunes waiting for him. The group did not even have time to heal Mo Jingli's injuries, and they concealed their whereabouts and quietly went to the south of the Yangtze River. But less than two days after leaving, another piece of news spread across the country again. The Empress Dowager of Da Chu and the officials of Nanjing deposed Mo Jingli on the grounds that the emperor had murdered two previous emperors one after another, and had raised troops without reason, causing the deaths of millions of soldiers. They supported the fourteen-year-old Mo Suiyun, the son of the previous emperor Mo Jingqi, as the emperor. They also announced that they would make peace with the Dingwang Mansion from now on and jointly attack Xiling. Without waiting for Mo Jingli to return, Mo Suiyun ascended the throne with the support of the Empress Dowager and the officials. On the second day after he ascended the throne, he ordered 300,000 troops to cross the Yunlan River and march towards Xiling. Upon hearing this news, Mo Jingli vomited blood and passed out. After waking up, he screamed crazily and smashed everything in the room. However, his already seriously injured body became even weaker, but Mo Jingli still refused to stop, "Mo Xiuyao! Mo Xiuyao! I must kill you! I must kill you!"

Outside the door, Mo Jingli's high-pitched and gradually piercing screams made the guards outside tremble involuntarily.

In the Xiling Lei Tengfeng army, Lei Tengfeng, who had been dealing with Murong Shen, Nan Hou and others these days, also had a tired look on his face. Nan Hou and Murong Shen were veterans who had been on the battlefield for a long time. Even though Lei Tengfeng had more troops, he still didn't gain much advantage in the confrontation with them. These days, the two sides can only be regarded as a stalemate with both sides winning and losing. However, the situation was not as smooth as they had expected. The Xiling army suffered a heavy blow as soon as it arrived at Feihong Pass, and even Lei Zhenting was seriously injured. This was definitely something that no one had expected, so the morale of the Xiling soldiers surrounding Feihong Pass was low. On the contrary, because of Mo Xiuyao's death, the entire Mohist army at Feihong Pass was in mourning, full of murderous intent, bent on revenge for Prince Ding. Under such a momentum contrast, even though the Xiling army was several times larger than the Mohist army, it was not so easy to take Feihong Pass in a short time.

In the past two days, Murong Shen and Nan Hou, who had been provoking each other almost every day, disappeared. Lei Zhenting, who had been holding his breath and wanted to destroy them in one fell swoop, felt like he had punched cotton. And this sudden change made him feel a little uneasy and a hint of conspiracy.

"I have come to see the prince." A general in military uniform came in hurriedly. Lei Tengfeng's expression perked up, he sat up and said, "General Yang, why are you in such a hurry?"

General Yang frowned and said, "Your Highness, I just got the news that the troops of Murong Shen and Nan Hou suddenly retreated thirty miles last night and set up camp. It seems that they are not going to fight us in the next few days." Lei Tengfeng frowned, "Not going to fight? Could it be that they have some tricks?" It's no wonder that Lei Tengfeng was suspicious. They might be able to get away for a while. Anyway, the mission of their troops is to drag Nan Hou and Murong Shen to death here. But the other side definitely doesn't have this time. After all, Feihong Pass is still surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Xiling troops. And behind Feihong Pass is the headquarters of the Mohist Army. Murong Shen and Nan Hou can't afford to take the risk.

General Yang frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I thought that Nan Hou and Murong Shen were no longer in the army."

"What did you say?" Lei Tengfeng stood up suddenly and said in a deep voice: "Did they rush back to Feihong Pass? This is impossible. Even if they have Qilin escort, we have blocked all roads leading to Feihong Pass. It is impossible for them to go back to Feihong Pass without alarming us." In order to trap Nan Hou and Murong Shen outside Feihong Pass, Lei Tengfeng spent a lot of effort. Without these two strong generals in their prime, the most capable fighter in Feihong Pass besides Ye Li and Feng Zhiyao is Yuan Pei, an old general who is already over 70 years old.

General Yang was silent for a moment and said, "But... I have sent people to investigate, and they are at least 50% sure that these two people are not in the army." If Murong Shen and Nan Hou were afraid that one of them was still there, the Mohist army would definitely not retreat so far and set up camp. It was clear that they did not want to confront them head-on for the time being.

Lei Tengfeng frowned with some anxiety, "If they didn't return to Feihong Pass and are no longer in the army, then where did they go? No, let's send someone to test it first. What if this is a trap they designed in advance..."

"Yes, I obey your command!" General Yang replied with a bow.

"Prince! My Lord, something terrible has happened!" There were hurried footsteps outside the big tent. Lei Tengfeng frowned unhappily and said, "Come in and talk."

The person outside the door came in quickly, panting as he said, "My Lord, my Lord, a large group of people are coming from the direction of Liyang to kill us. According to the estimates of the spies ahead, there are at least... at least 700,000 or 800,000 people!"

"What? Mo Jingli was defeated?!" General Yang was shocked.

Lei Tengfeng looked solemn, "No, where did the Mohist Army get 700,000 or 800,000 people?" Even if Leng Huai and Lu Jinxian's troops were combined, even if there was no casualty, there would not be enough 800,000 people. Moreover, after fighting for such a long time, how could there be no casualties, and how could there be no need to stay behind. Moreover, the Mohist Army has always strictly prohibited conscription on the battlefield, so it is impossible for the Mohist Army to have so many people.

"Who leads the troops?" Lei Tengfeng asked.

"Yes... it's Mo Xiuyao... the spies ahead said they saw the flag of Prince Ding's mansion!"