Chapter Fourteen
Outside the tents, soldiers were taking turns on duty, everything seemed normal.
"Deputy General Gongliang, Deputy General Shu, the general requests that you two come to his tent," a soldier reported, bowing.
The two strode quickly and soon arrived at Mo Yinghuo's camp.
Inside the tent, Mo Yinghuo, clad in light armor, stood before a table upon which lay a map of the Eastern Liang Kingdom. Zhao Shu stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back.
No sooner had Gongliang Zhong and Shurong arrived than the two scouts who had been there earlier pushed open the tent door and entered.
Mo Yinghuo looked up, revealing a delicate face, yet her aura was as fierce as the sun. Beneath her sword-like brows lay a pair of eyes that shone like cold stars, far beyond her years. These eyes were all too familiar to Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong; war was about to break out.
"General," the two men said, bowing respectfully. Their eyes gleamed, and their voices were filled with excitement.
Mo Yinghuo suddenly drew the sword that Shu Rong was hanging at her waist, pointed it at the map of Dongliang Kingdom, and said, "Two vice generals, we will attack the city in three days, strike straight at the heart of the enemy, and capture the capital of Dongliang Kingdom, Suzang. Although Dongliang Kingdom is weak, the most important thing in military operations is to avoid being careless. In this battle, Yunxiu Kingdom should still not be underestimated. Gongliang Zhong, Shu Rong, what suggestions do you have for attacking Dongliang Kingdom?"
Having been stationed on the border for more than a month, the two had thoroughly learned about the Eastern Liang Kingdom's army and had studied attack strategies many times. They were confident and just waiting for the general's order.
Gongliang Zhong cupped his hands and said, “General, although the Eastern Liang Kingdom is weak, it has a cavalry force of 50,000 men, known as the Iron Cult. Each knight is a strong and robust young man from Eastern Liang, capable of drawing a bow weighing nearly 200 jin (approximately 100 kg), and they are exceptionally fierce. Moreover, all 50,000 warhorses, except for their legs, are protected by iron armor on their heads, bodies, and bellies. Currently, as long as we can defeat this cavalry force, the other forces of the Eastern Liang Kingdom will be no threat and will collapse on their own.”
Shu Rong nodded in agreement, "Yes, Dongliang is a small country, but it occupies 50,000 Iron Xiutu and has repeatedly harassed and invaded Yunxiu's territory."
Mo Yinghuo raised the tip of his sword, pointing it at the map of Dongliang Kingdom, and said, "Indeed, this force of 50,000 iron cavalry, according to scouts, is currently stationed on the outskirts of Suzang, and the old men of Dongliang Kingdom who are sworn to defend the capital to the death are truly loyal. To conquer Suzang, we must crush the Tie Xiutu." Mo Yinghuo exerted force with his wrist, slowly sliding the tip of his sword across the map, and said, "Shurong, select 20,000 elite soldiers from the 50,000 archers to serve under your command."
"Yes," Shu Rong replied, bowing. His 50,000-strong archer force was already fierce, agile, and accurate in its shooting. Now, he wanted to select another 20,000 elites from these 50,000 elites—the cream of the crop. What exactly was the princess planning? However, he didn't ask further. Although he had grown up with Mo Yinghuo since childhood and often addressed her as "Your Highness" in the army, when it came to warfare, Mo Yinghuo was, in his eyes, the Grand General of the Yunzhao Army.
Mo Yinghuo stopped wielding his sword, his gaze falling on Gongliang Zhong, and asked, "Have the warhorses been fed their fill of millet?"
Gongliang Zhongdao said, "When we were stationed, we selected 120,000 purebred horses as the general requested and fed them millet for 20 days."
Millet is the kind of grain with its husk intact. Horses fed on grass have heavy bellies and are not suitable for charging. But horses fed millet are different; millet helps their horses move and prevents them from developing "straw-filled bellies." After hearing this, Gongliang Zhong immediately realized that the general's summons to see him a month ago to select fine horses to be fed millet was in preparation for attacking the Tie Xiutu of the Eastern Liang Kingdom.
"Very good!" A wild laugh appeared on Mo Yinghuo's lips, which vanished in an instant. He said cheerfully, "Let my Yunxiu Kingdom send 100,000 light cavalry to meet the 50,000 Iron Xiutu of Dongliang. Deputy General Gongliang and Deputy General Shu, you two will lead the remaining army to attack Chencheng, flanking from both sides and advancing into Dongliang Kingdom. In every city you pass through, those soldiers who surrender will be spared, and those who do not surrender will be executed."
Upon hearing the last two sentences, a strange expression flashed across Zhao Shu's face.
"Yes!" Gongliang Zhong replied to Shu Rong. Then, as if remembering something, Gongliang Zhong stepped forward and asked, "General, then you..."
Mo Yinghuo accurately thrust her sword back into Shu Rong's scabbard and said, "I will lead 100,000 light cavalry and 20,000 archers to take Su Zang directly." Then, she turned to the two scouts beside her and said, "You two will assist Deputy General Gongliang and Deputy General Shu in destroying the Xuan Shi Formation."
"Yes," the two spies replied, bowing respectfully.
Gongliang Zhong and Shurong exchanged a puzzled glance but didn't ask any further questions. Having been by Mo Yinghuo's side for so long, they actually knew some things. Mo Yinghuo often had several spies around him, and whenever they caught him reporting something, he would dismiss the two of them. Since Mo Yinghuo didn't say anything, the two naturally wouldn't ask. Just as Gongliang Zhong said, she was not only the commander-in-chief of the Yunzhao Army, but also the eldest princess of the Yunxiu Kingdom and the current emperor's elder sister.
Therefore, the word "assist" needs to be considered. Perhaps Mo Yinghuo told Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong that they should assist the two spies in destroying the Xuan Shi Formation; after all, the two were deputy generals, so it couldn't be said outright. Shu Rong suddenly felt very awkward. He glanced at Gongliang Zhong, whose expression remained unchanged.
"General," Zhao Shu, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, "And what about me?"
Mo Yinghuo was stunned for a moment, as were Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong.
A deathly silence followed for a while.
“Um, you…” Mo Yinghuo looked at Zhao Shu’s serious and solemn expression, his eyes fixed on her, and paused for a moment before hurriedly saying, “You, come with me to fight.” She had always thought that Zhao Shu was only there to help Yunxiu Kingdom fight against Shiling Kingdom, but she never expected that he would actually assist in the battle.
In the past, Mo Yinghuo would definitely have considered having him join the battle. After all, this man was not only highly skilled in combat but also exceptionally adept at archery, and he had only shown his abilities a couple of times. However, the Eastern Liang Kingdom was now practically in their grasp, and conquering it was only a matter of time. Furthermore, Mo Yinghuo didn't want anything to happen to this man; without him, how could they deal with the Stone Spirit Kingdom?
This person's life is much more precious than my own!
Gongliang Zhong, Shu Rong, and two spies wisely withdrew.
Mo Yinghuo slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she smiled and suddenly exclaimed, "It feels so good to have more people than people."
"Outnumbering the enemy?" Zhao Shu asked in surprise, as if questioning Mo Yinghuo's strange feeling, or perhaps not quite understanding what she meant.
Seeing that Zhao Shu was taking her words so seriously, Mo Yinghuo couldn't help but chuckle. She rubbed her temples, sighed deeply, and said, "Zhao Shu, if you had come a few years earlier and witnessed my achievements of leading 2,000 elite troops to kill 10,000 enemies and leading 50,000 troops to annihilate 200,000 enemies with fewer troops, you would definitely have bowed down to this princess..." Before she could finish speaking, for some reason, her face suddenly became a little hot.
Zhao Shu, standing to the side, remained unmoved, his handsome profile unchanged.
Three days later, the Yunzhao army, which had been holding back, launched a major offensive, heading straight for Dongliang.
Mo Yinghuo was dressed in silver helmet and armor, holding the White Moon Silver Spear, with 100,000 iron cavalry and 20,000 archers behind him.
Suddenly, from the rear of the military camp, a horse with steady and slow footsteps came and stopped beside Mo Yinghuo.
Mo Yinghuo glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on her lips, a hint of surprise and approval flashing in her eyes. Beside her stood a man clad in black armor, a black sword in hand, his posture impeccable, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his pale, glass-like eyes conveying a mixture of indifference and arrogance.
The black armor was completely devoid of any other color, its lines so fluid and captivating; the black sword, radiating a chilling aura, was intimidating even before it was drawn. The contrast was even more striking as the two rode side-by-side on horseback.
The morning light bathed Mo Yinghuo in her silver armor, the reflected sunlight casting a faint glow on the young general's face, highlighting her resolute and determined nature. In her hand, a white-crowned silver spear, its tip pointing towards the rising sun, exuded a heroic and carefree air. Conversely, the sunlight around her seemed to be completely absorbed by her black armor; any attempt to escape would only be thwarted by the black sword hanging at her waist. The sky was dim and the surroundings were chilling, yet surprisingly, her gaze was clear and indifferent, devoid of any worldly thoughts or vulgarity.
“Zhao Shu.” Mo Yinghuo raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Where did you get this black armor and black sword?”
Zhao Shu replied calmly, "I got it from the manor these past two days."
Mo Yinghuo looked surprised, but did not ask any further questions. He only felt that this person was unfathomable and of pure character.
The soldiers stared in astonishment at the two figures before them: one clad in silver armor, the other in black armor, both seated on horseback, exuding an imposing aura—two born generals. The battle was already not particularly difficult, but seeing the two warriors before them, the soldiers' morale inexplicably soared even higher, each seemingly suddenly filled with a heroic spirit, a sense of invincibility.
With a loud crash, the city gate of Chencheng was breached. However, a large wooden pillar opened automatically after the soldiers rammed it a few times.
The Dongliang soldiers on the city walls lazily fired a few arrows, dropped some logs and stones, and upon seeing the Yunxiu soldiers breaching the city, they swiftly laid down their weapons and surrendered with their hands raised. The speed and decisiveness with which these Dongliang soldiers laid down their weapons gave the breaching Yunxiu soldiers a moment of disorientation—finally, their perseverance had paid off, and this moment had arrived.
Mo Yinghuo looked helplessly at the Dongliang soldiers inside Chencheng, and smiled bitterly. This was the easiest city gate she had ever captured in all her wars. As she had guessed, Dongliang was in complete chaos, and even Chencheng, such an important border city, hadn't sent reinforcements. It seemed that the soldiers of Chencheng had already guessed the upheaval in the court, but hadn't received orders to surrender, so they could only helplessly hold their ground.
The fewer than ten thousand soldiers of Chencheng, having watched the hundreds of thousands of Yunxiu Kingdom soldiers below the city walls for the past month, felt an incredibly complex mix of emotions. This also included the common people living within Chencheng. The Eastern Liang Kingdom's court neither sent reinforcements, nor surrendered, nor negotiated peace; they simply left Chencheng stranded, as if they had forgotten about it. Even the soldiers they sent out couldn't get Su Zang in.
The soldiers defending the city had long lost their will to fight. The people of Chencheng who wanted to flee had already done so, while those who didn't continued their lives as usual. After all, they had heard that Yunxiu Kingdom didn't mistreat the people of defeated nations. With the emperor far away and the mountains high, it was just a matter of a change of emperor; they could continue living their lives as before, without much impact. Moreover, they might even be able to live a better life. After all, in recent years, Yunxiu Kingdom had become wealthy and militarily powerful.
After the Dongliang soldiers of Chencheng put on a show of "holding their ground," the city fell.
Although Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong had anticipated this situation, they were still somewhat dumbfounded when they saw the Dongliang soldiers who looked relieved to have finally entered the city. Some of the girls and children from Chencheng who had secretly run out to get things for the soldiers peeked out and waved to them.
The young women, in particular, mistook Mo Yinghuo and Zhao Shu for two generals from Yunxiu Kingdom, finding them not only imposing but also incredibly handsome. They blushed and frequently stole glances at them. Mo Yinghuo, with a beaming smile, acted as if a prince from his own kingdom had come to inspect the country, waving and greeting the girls a few times.
Zhao Shu, on the other hand, remained completely oblivious, his face expressionless.
Do not listen to or look at strangers.
After the city of Chen finally "fell", Mo Yinghuo only stayed for a short while before galloping forward with 100,000 light cavalry and 20,000 archers straight to Suzang, the capital of Dongliang Kingdom.
Shu Rong looked at the two scouts not far away and said to Gong Liangzhong beside her, "Tell me, why did the general personally lead the troops to attack those 50,000 Iron Fu Tu?"
"What, you want to go?" Gongliang Zhong asked in return.
Shu Rong smiled and said, "It's you who wants to go, isn't it?"
“General, his true intention is not what it seems,” Gongliang Zhong said slowly.
Shu Rong understood immediately.
Two scouts, noticing Shu Rong's gaze, rode over on horseback and greeted her with a bow, "Two Vice Generals."
The two of them naturally understood what they meant.
Shu Rong said to the military envoy beside her, "You take the soldiers and assist these two officers, obey their orders and carry out their duties."
The military envoy cupped his hands and said, "Yes." He then led a squad of soldiers, followed by two scouts, toward an old-fashioned building in Chencheng.
Gongliang Zhong: "Although we have a numerical advantage of 100,000 against 50,000, plus 20,000 archers, those are 50,000 heavy cavalry. Are we really sending light cavalry and archers to fight them head-on? I don't understand why the general made this arrangement this time."
Shu Rong watched Mo Yinghuo's departing figure, his tone unusually serious, "Gongliang Zhong, I have a feeling that the bitter battle in Yunxiu Kingdom has only just begun. Perhaps, General's target isn't the 50,000 Iron Cavalry, but Su Zang. I have a feeling she's in a hurry to get there." Shu Rong and Mo Yinghuo had grown up together, and although there were things he didn't know, Shu Rong understood that this feeling wasn't unfounded.
Gongliang Zhong nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Shurong's statement. Light cavalry was undoubtedly highly advantageous for rapid running; and warhorses well-fed with millet would run like shooting stars.
However, even if they arrived in Suzang at the fastest speed and in the shortest time, facing 50,000 enemy cavalry fighting to the death would still be a bitter battle.
How will the general fight then?
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