Chapter Seven
In the military camp, Gongliang Zhong lifted the curtain and entered. He saw Mo Yinghuo with her eyes tightly closed, her face pale, and her hands tightly gripping the Chang Geng at her waist. He hurriedly stepped forward, about to reach out and wake her, when suddenly, a cold light flashed, and Mo Yinghuo's entire body rose into the air. Her hand had somehow drawn the Chang Geng, and the blade of wind appeared out of nowhere, about to stab Gongliang Zhong in an instant.
"General, it's me, Gongliang Zhong!" Gongliang Zhong shouted.
Mo Yinghuo swiftly spun back to Chang Geng, took a step back, his body still tense and not daring to relax his vigilance. The soldiers outside the door heard the sound and immediately rushed in.
Gongliang Zhong had been a bodyguard of the Princess since he began following her. Upon seeing what had happened, he immediately knew what was going on and said to the soldiers, "Nothing, all of you, get out."
"Gongliang Zhong, are you out of your mind?! Didn't I tell you not to come near me when I'm resting?!" Mo Yinghuo roared.
The entire Yunzhao Army and the entire Princess's residence knew that no one was allowed to approach the Princess when she was resting!
Gongliang Zhong was taken aback, and immediately knelt on one knee. "General, this humble general knows his crime!"
Mo Yinghuo noticed that her hand holding Chang Geng was trembling slightly. She sighed silently, sheathed Chang Geng, and said softly, "Get up, Gongliang Zhong."
"General..." Gongliang Zhong hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Mo Yinghuo knew what he wanted to ask, "Yes, I dreamed about those northern barbarian demons again."
Gongliang Zhong suddenly realized something: the year before the princess was appointed general, the Xiongnu had not appeared in the princess's residence. They had not been seen during the wars in recent years. He thought that the princess was no longer as frightened as before. But he had overlooked that the nightmare that had plagued the princess since childhood could not disappear with the evil spirits. Perhaps she would never be able to completely get rid of it in her life.
Gong Liangzhong: "General, they haven't appeared again."
Mo Yinghuo slowly shook his head.
Gongliang Zhong's gaze remained fixed on the general in front of him, who was now like a wounded bird.
Orphaned at a young age, he was taken in by relatives who treated him coldly and exploited him like an animal, forcing him to do farm work. He toiled in the fields until he was exhausted every day, yet each meal consisted of only a steamed bun. Gritting his teeth and racking his brains, Gongliang Zhong escaped from his relatives' house one night, wandering the streets and begging along the way, until he unknowingly arrived in the capital.
That day, when the Princess and Shurong secretly slipped out of the palace, they saw several beggars beating them over a territorial dispute. The two immediately rushed to help. Because the Princess and Shurong had gone out quietly without any attendants, and being young at the time, although they were skilled in martial arts, they were outnumbered and at a disadvantage. Gongliang Zhong immediately pulled the two away and ran. He was the eldest of the three, and Shurong, feeling indignant, blamed herself for lacking ambition.
"Thank you, but if I lose my life, I lose everything."
Gongliang Zhong had lived a life of hardship and tolerance since childhood, relying on others for shelter. The beating he had just received was nothing out of the ordinary for him. He was dressed in rags at the time, but seeing the two men dressed in fine clothes, he knew they were not ordinary people. He bowed and thanked them, not wanting to be presumptuous, and was about to leave.
The young man standing beside the complaining man, who had remained silent all along, was, as Gongliang Zhong later learned, the current Princess. Dressed in snow-white robes, her skin as white as jade, she smiled faintly and sighed, "Yes, once you lose your life, you can't do anything. Even a wretched life is better than no life at all. By the way, what's your name, and why are you here?" The young man in white asked gently as he straightened his clothes, yet there was something about him that was not typical of someone his age.
Gongliang Zhong stopped and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Gongliang Zhong. My father was a soldier and died in battle. My mother was ill for a long time and passed away as well. I'm all alone now, wandering here." He deliberately omitted the fact that he had escaped from his relatives' house, perhaps because he felt it was unnecessary to mention it at the time, or perhaps because he hated them from the bottom of his heart.
“I am the current eldest princess. From now on, you will stay by my side. How about that?” The young man in white walked over and smiled at him.
For some reason, Gongliang Zhong, who had never shed a tear before, had endured being whipped and beaten until his skin was torn, starved to the point of dizziness, and silently wounded by countless cold words. Yet now, upon hearing just one sentence from this handsome young man in front of him, his eyes welled up with tears.
"Princess, what merit do I possess..." For some reason, Gongliang Zhong did not doubt the young man's words at all.
"Your father was a soldier of Yunxiu Kingdom, and he died for Yunxiu Kingdom. As for you, you are resilient and determined. I believe you will be a rare talent in the future," the princess said humbly, her tone full of certainty.
With just a few words, he became convinced that he was a resolute person.
In recent years, his cautious words and actions, and his willingness to charge into battle, have indeed proven Mo Yinghuo's sharp insight. However, only he knows that he does not want to disappoint the Princess.
From then on, Gongliang Zhong became Mo Yinghuo's bodyguard. Only then did he understand the meaning of her words "rotten life" back then.
The princess, once a beautiful and delicate woman, deeply loved and admired by the late emperor, has now become a shrewd and ruthless general who strikes fear into the hearts of enemies and shocks the court. He watched as this woman, once dressed in pristine white robes on the street, changed into silver armor stained with blood. Her once gentle eyes now retain only a trace of warmth, leaving behind only unfathomable depths and ruthless decisiveness.
Seeing Gongliang Zhong looking at him with a melancholy expression, Mo Yinghuo asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Gongliang Zhong immediately came to his senses. "It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things from the past."
Mo Yinghuo recalled the two dreams she had just had, feeling that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. So, she rested her hand on her forehead and unintentionally blurted out, "Gongliang Zhong, let me ask you something. Have you ever dreamed of meeting a woman?"
"..."
Dead silence.
Mo Yinghuo immediately realized that he had forgotten to think before asking such a question, and that he had asked the most serious person he was ever, and that the person was... his own bodyguard.
Gong Liangzhong: "I...I've done it."
Mo Yinghuo really wanted to slap himself unconscious. This Gongliang Zhong was really too honest; he actually answered.
Suddenly, Shu Rong lifted the curtain and came in, smiling, "Gongliang Zhong, what have you done?"
...
Mo Yinghuo suddenly stood up. "I'm a little tired. I'll go out for a ride." Before he finished speaking, he swept away the silver spear beside him like the wind.
Shu Rong: "Tired? Taking a ride? By the way, what were you guys talking about just now?"
Gong Liangzhong: "It's important!"
Shu Rong: "Deputy General Gongliang, why is your face so red?"
Gongliang Zhong: "I... am also a bit tired, I'll go out for a walk with the horses."
...
When did horse riding become a secret remedy for relaxation and rejuvenation?
Three days later.
Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong stood silently in the general's tent, watching the general, dressed in plain clothes, sitting diagonally above them.
"You went again, didn't you? Did you find out anything?" The princess straightened her sleeves and asked leisurely.
Shu Rong crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, and snorted, "He's eating, and he won't answer when I ask him. He even politely said not to disturb him while he's eating, and to talk to me after he finishes. Princess, has this person ever been hungry? He values eating so much."
Mo Yinghuo rubbed his temples and said with a wry smile, "I only asked for his name, Zhao Shu." He paused, then looked at Gongliang Zhong and asked, "Deputy General Gongliang, have you noticed anything?"
Gongliang Zhong frowned and cupped his hands, saying, "Judging from his eating manners and demeanor, he should not be an ordinary person, nor a wealthy family, but rather a scion of a prominent family."
Mo Yinghuo nodded slightly.
"But General..." Gongliang Zhong seemed doubtful and asked, "Is it appropriate to only have a few soldiers guarding it?"
Mo Yinghuo stood up, picked up the Chang Geng from the table, hid it at his waist, and said, "Zhao Shu's skills are no less than the three of us. If he wanted to escape, he would have already done so. Since he hasn't escaped, it means he wants to stay in the military camp. Therefore, he won't escape; to be precise, he won't leave."
Gongliang Zhong nodded.
"However, we don't know whether this person is friend or foe. Leaving him in the military camp isn't very dangerous," Shu Rong asked.
A smile played on Mo Yinghuo's lips as he slowly said, "Shurong, which is harder to defend against, an open enemy or a hidden enemy?"
“Of course…” Shu Rong immediately understood what Mo Yinghuo meant, and bowed admiringly, saying, “General is wise.”
"General, why are you dressed in plain clothes?" Gongliang Zhong asked. In the military camp, Mo Yinghuo always appeared in front of the soldiers in full silver armor. In the past few years of fighting, except when she was injured and had to remove her full armor, Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong had never seen her wear civilian clothes.
The general was like this, and so were all the soldiers in the army.
Mo Yinghuo walked between the two, patted Gongliang Zhong on the shoulder, and couldn't help but smile. He said with emotion, "Gongliang Zhong understands me. When I first saw you, my eyes lit up. I was right, wasn't I? It's hard to find such talent in the future. These past few years, I'm so glad to have you by my side."
Gongliang Zhong still stood there tall and straight, but his eyes were bright and his determination had only grown stronger.
"We have to thank this young marquis for taking you out of the palace," Shu Rong said with a grin.
The eldest princess crossed her arms and nodded solemnly, saying, "Young Marquis, you have made an indelible contribution."
Then, the three exchanged knowing smiles. The eldest princess and Shu Rong laughed the loudest.
“Stone Spirit Kingdom,” Mo Yinghuo suddenly said.
Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong immediately held their breath and listened intently, knowing that Mo Yinghuo was about to talk about the war.
"As you've probably noticed, the city gates of Chencheng in Dongliang are not secure at all. Breaking through the city would be an easy task," Mo Yinghuo said. "However, have you considered how Dongliang compares to the Fengge, Nanjin, Xijin, and Hu kingdoms we previously subjugated?"
Shu Rong rested her chin on her hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "Weaker than Fengge, Nan Jin, and Xi Jin, but slightly stronger than Hu."
"Indeed, the strength of Dongliang is only slightly stronger than that of Hu, yet Hu has already surrendered without a fight; all other more powerful nations have been defeated. At this point, Dongliang has two choices: either surrender like Hu, or fight a bloody battle. The people of both countries now understand that a bloody battle is merely a matter of pride, and the outcome will still be defeat. It is undeniable that each country has brave warriors, but things are different now. When two countries clash, it is not just a matter for civil and military officials, but also for the common people."
Mo Yinghuo looked out of the tent, his expression serious, and continued speaking.
"Now, the Eastern Liang Kingdom neither surrenders nor has the determination to fight to the death. Don't you find this strange? Once Chencheng is besieged, the Yunxiu Kingdom's army will advance unimpeded."
“Xuan,” Shu Rong said again.
Gongliang Zhong remained silent, clearly unable to understand as well, and simply gazed at the general.
Mo Yinghuo turned around, stood with his hands behind his back, and said softly, "Have you heard of the Stone Spirit Kingdom?"
“A foreign kingdom of the Xiongnu in the north,” Gongliang Zhong replied. The two men were puzzled as to why their general had suddenly brought up this country.
Mo Yinghuo nodded slightly.
Shu Rong frowned and said, "The Xiongnu are in the north, and our main army is in the east. Shouldn't the Marquis of Beiding be worried about the Shiling Kingdom?"
Mo Yinghuo turned around, placed one hand on the Chang Geng at his waist, and slowly spoke.
“When the late emperor was alive, Fengge, the Southern Jin Kingdom, the Western Jin Kingdom, the Hu Kingdom, and the Eastern Liang Kingdom repeatedly invaded Yunxiu Kingdom. However, the late emperor only sent generals to resist them and did not send troops to attack. The main reason was that at that time, the late emperor wanted to recover the lost northern territories and unify the various small Xiongnu kingdoms.”
Vice General Gongliang and Vice General Shu had been in the military for many years and were naturally familiar with the military affairs of Yunxiu Kingdom. However, the two did not know why the general suddenly brought up this matter.
"Later, the two deputy generals also realized that the late emperor had passed away before the royal army had pacified the north."
Mo Yinghuo stopped, a hint of disappointment and resentment flashing between his brows. He let out a soft breath and continued speaking.
"At that time, General Long, who was fighting against the Xiongnu, had actually recovered more than half of the small Xiongnu states. However, in the battle against the Shiling Kingdom, the elite troops led by General Long were completely wiped out, including General Long himself. Only one soldier escaped, protected by General Long and three deputy generals. That soldier was actually seriously wounded, but he held on to his last breath, just to deliver a message from General Long to the late emperor."
"What did you say?" Shu Rong asked impatiently.
Mo Yinghuo's eyes were sharp as he coldly said, "The Stone Spirit Kingdom is not to be fought."
"We must not fight," Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong said in unison.
The two exchanged a knowing glance, unable to believe it. Shiling Kingdom was merely a small kingdom among the northern Xiongnu. Why would General Long, who had led the Yunxiu Kingdom's iron cavalry to nearly conquer half of the northern barbarian lands, risk his life to have a single soldier bring back such a message?
Mo Yinghuo naturally understood their confusion. She grabbed her left wrist with her right hand, shook it slightly, and laughed.
"In the future, you will know that Shiling Kingdom is Yunxiu Kingdom's greatest enemy. This is why His Majesty changed his strategy and gave Yunxiu Kingdom's most elite troops to my eldest princess. The purpose is to have us first pacify the countries in the east, west, and south that have repeatedly invaded Yunxiu Kingdom, and then go to the north to assist Marquis Beiding in recovering lost territory. As for the Xiongnu countries in the north, His Majesty's greatest concern has always been Shiling Kingdom."
She suddenly paused, her brows furrowing slightly, and said thoughtfully, "This small country is very strange."
"The general suspects that Dongliang Kingdom has connections with Shiling Kingdom," Gongliang Zhong said.
Mo Yinghuo nodded and said, "There are only two reasons for the current state of Dongliang Kingdom."
“Either other countries are helping us,” Gongliang Zhong said slowly.
“Either the Eastern Liang Kingdom is in turmoil and has fallen into the hands of others,” Shu Rong continued.
Mo Yinghuo nodded in acquiescence.
Gongliang Zhong pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, and asked in confusion, "However, the country that is helping may not necessarily be Shiling Kingdom. No, General, you just met with the scouts, and they made a discovery." Gongliang Zhong suddenly remembered that he had encountered two of the scouts he had sent out earlier on his way to the general's camp.
"Yes, the scouts report that the King of Dongliang is unwell and has not attended court for many days," Mo Yinghuo said.
Shu Rong was even more confused after hearing this. She sighed and said helplessly, "Then, are they going to fight or not? If they're not going to fight, they should just surrender. Why are they acting like a sulking wife, not saying a word and not making a move?"
Gongliang Zhong's brows were almost furrowed into a knot.
Upon hearing this, Mo Yinghuo clutched his stomach with both hands and burst into laughter, "Shurong, your analogy is so vivid and apt! You're a master of wit and humor!"
“General, be serious,” Gongliang Zhong said softly.
Both being generals of Yunxiu Kingdom, the Marquis of Beiding was not much different on and off the battlefield; he was upright, brave, and forthright. This princess, however, was awe-inspiring and ruthless on the battlefield, but off the battlefield, she was sometimes unconventional and unrestrained. Gongliang Zhongshi, unable to bear it any longer, would offer a gentle reminder.
Mo Yinghuo straightened up, coughed lightly, and said seriously, with a smile that had not yet faded from his lips, "Deputy General Shu, come with me tonight to be a scout."
Shu Rong asked, puzzled, "Chen City?"
Mo Yinghuo nodded slightly.
"General! This humble general..." Marquis Gongliang said urgently.
Mo Yinghuo was well aware of his concerns and worries. Before he could finish speaking, he waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. There are some things that I need to verify personally. You will guard the camp for me these next few days."
Gongliang Zhong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Yes."
The two then realized that the general's plain clothes tonight were a pre-arranged plan.
"Shurong, find a few sets of clothes for soldiers from Dongliang Kingdom," Mo Yinghuo said.
Shu Rong cupped her hands and said, "Yes."
"By the way, keep an eye on Zhao Shu," Mo Yinghuo said, then paused and said sternly, "Also, neither of you is allowed to divulge a single word about the matter concerning the Stone Spirit Kingdom tonight."
"Yes!" Vice Generals Gongliang and Shu replied in unison. They both knew full well the impact and consequences of General Long's six words, given his formidable reputation. Especially the words "Do not fight"—if the people of Yunxiu heard them, it would inevitably cause panic and unease; and if the soldiers knew, their morale would certainly be significantly weakened.
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