Chapter Seventeen
Before dawn the next day, the 120,000-strong Yunzhao army had already silently arrived at the outskirts of Suzang, less than a hundred miles from the capital of Dongliang.
The autumn wind rustled, and withered grass grew thickly. Fifty thousand Ironclad Warriors, warhorses and knights, all clad in heavy armor and wielding curved swords, stood menacingly before the Yun Zhao army, their fierce visors radiating a hundred thousand chilling gazes.
Behind them was Su Zang. The blue begonia flag of the Eastern Liang Kingdom was planted above the city wall, making a rustling sound.
Captain An's cat-like eyes were faintly bloodshot, as if he had smelled the blood of his prey.
Pu Xiaowei's thick beard twitched involuntarily, revealing no emotion.
Commandant An led 20,000 elite archers, riding behind 100,000 light cavalry. His expression was less solemn than the night before, and more calm and composed.
Mo Yinghuo, clad in silver armor and helmet, had a slight smile on her lips, exuding an air of grandeur and magnanimity. However, her eyes seemed to have been tempered by fire, and beneath her beautiful eyebrows lay two abysses of chilling coldness. Her delicate features were completely reflected in her eyes as she coldly stared at the fifty thousand Iron Warriors opposite her.
"White Moon Silver Spear!" The person opposite, wearing a blue mask with a begonia flower carved on the left side of the mask's forehead, exuding an aura of martial prowess, raised the curved sword in his hand and pointed it at Mo Yinghuo, asking sternly, "Are you the eldest princess of Yunxiu Kingdom?"
The eldest princess of Yunxiu Kingdom wielded a white moon silver spear, its cold light gleaming, its bloodthirstiness untainted. In just five years, its fame had spread far and wide among the surrounding kingdoms. The speaker was the commander of this Ironclad Cavalry, but he hadn't expected that the rumored cold-blooded, ruthless general of Yunxiu Kingdom would possess such delicate features and exquisite beauty. They all knew she was a woman, but they were unaware that she was such a beautiful woman.
Mo Yinghuo stared at the begonia flower on the man's blue armor, as if remembering something, and laughed, "Not bad, what, do you want to pay your respects to this princess!" In battle, life and death are at stake; a mere flick of the finger can send someone to their grave. Mo Yinghuo, however, remained unperturbed, raising an eyebrow at the blue-armored man. Seeing him standing in the center of the Iron Cavalry, she already knew he was the commander of this iron cavalry. She smiled again and said, "Hey, you call yourselves the Iron Cavalry, then you should be called General Iron." Her tone was half contemptuous, half mocking, utterly devoid of seriousness.
The man in blue armor shuddered suddenly and gripped his scimitar even tighter. Although his expression was not visible, one could clearly sense that his gaze had become fierce and sinister, as if he wanted to tear the 120,000 Yunzhao soldiers apart through his eyes.
Zhao Shu stood behind Mo Yinghuo, expressionless, calmly watching the Eastern Liang army ahead.
Suddenly, Mo Yinghuo turned around, a smile playing on her lips, and said to him, "Zhao Shu, isn't that blue-faced man's mask imposing?"
After saying that, without waiting for Zhao Shu's reply, he turned his face away abruptly, as if he had only said it on a whim. And that was the end of it.
Zhao Shu frowned slightly upon hearing his words, gazing at the back of the person in front of him without replying or speaking. After a moment, his expression returned to normal, composed and handsome, as if no one else was around.
The man in blue armor vaguely heard Mo Yinghuo's words, and glanced at Zhao Shu slightly.
Zhao Shu's calm gaze met that of the man in blue armor.
The man in the blue-faced armor gasped for breath, nearly dropping his curved sword. His gaze became unfocused, and he quickly turned slightly to the side.
Mo Yinghuo chuckled inwardly, "I don't even dare to look him in the eye. Aren't you asking for a beating?"
The man in blue armor realized his lapse in composure, thankfully all the Ironclad warriors wore masks. He tightened the reins, gripped his scimitar tightly, and declared with imposing force, "Your Highness, I am the Marquis of Haitang of Dongliang, and I have long desired to fight you! Today, I will show you what it means to ride a fine horse, clad in heavy armor, and be invincible!"
Mo Yinghuo gently tapped the silver spear against the ground, then softly uttered an "Oh," and asked in a seemingly casual tone, "In that case, why doesn't Marquis Haitang come to Chen City to fight me?" Upon hearing his general's title, Mo Yinghuo was startled and paused for a moment. He had been looking at the imposing and awe-inspiring general in front of him, but upon hearing the five words "Marquis Haitang of Dongliang," he couldn't help but restrain himself, lest the smile on his lips become too unrestrained.
He seemed to recall something, glancing at the chess piece of Dongliang Kingdom not far away—the Begonia Green Flag. A green mask, the Begonia Flag—it seemed this Marquis of Begonia before him must have achieved great military exploits in Dongliang Kingdom and was not to be underestimated.
The man in the blue-faced armor fell silent for a moment, and the sound of teeth tearing seemed to come from inside the armor.
Mo Yinghuo smiled slyly, "Why don't you go back to Suzang and see if your King of Dongliang is still alive? What are you doing fighting with our Yunxiu Kingdom here? Perhaps the Dongliang court has already become someone else's court. Who knows which country's monarch General Tie's 50,000 Iron Cavalry are protecting?"
A murmur rippled through the crowd beneath the 50,000 masks.
"Silence!" Marquis Haitang shouted authoritatively, instantly bringing the entire army to a standstill. Then, in a resolute tone, he said, "Unless His Majesty orders a retreat, every last soldier must fight to the death!"
In fact, Mo Yinghuo's words struck a chord with his long-held doubts: Why abandon the border city of Chen without even fighting? Why not let him lead the troops into battle? Why keep him guarding the outskirts of the capital? Could their small Dongliang Kingdom possibly withstand the hundreds of thousands of Yunzhao troops who had ravaged the four kingdoms? If they couldn't stop them, why not surrender and negotiate peace? If they wouldn't surrender and negotiate peace, why not fight? However, every time the king summoned him, nothing seemed amiss.
What's heartbreaking is that the people of Dongliang have witnessed the court's actions over the past month, and the soldiers in various cities are even more bewildered, completely unaware that the mighty Yunxiu Kingdom has already reached their doorstep. With the court inactive, the people and soldiers of the various cities have become even less inclined to resist. What's even more perplexing is the strange behavior of the Yunzhao army; they waited a month before attacking the city, spending their days simply stationed below Chencheng, practicing their military drills. If the Yunzhao army hadn't stormed the city three days ago, how much longer would this phenomenon have continued, Marquis Haitang?
Three days ago, Yun Zhao's army finally broke into Chen City with a single command. The King of Dongliang urgently summoned him. Marquis Haitang thought he was to lead troops to provide support, but instead, he was ordered to gather Dongliang's most powerful weapon—the Iron Pagoda—and defend Suzang to the death, preventing the enemy from entering the city.
Marquis Haitang had many questions, but that was all. The king waved his hand, leaving all the questions stuck in his throat.
The emperor's command will be obeyed.
Fifty thousand ironclad warriors brandished their swords, the scimitars clashing against the iron armor on their horses' backs with a clanging sound like metal and stone, and the fifty thousand warhorses neighed in unison.
He died in a hundred battles, and never returned.
It truly lives up to its reputation as a powerful weapon of the Eastern Liang Kingdom. No wonder such a small kingdom as the Eastern Liang Kingdom has been able to harass the Yunxiu Kingdom for so many years.
Mo Yinghuo's smile faded, a hint of shock flashing in her cold eyes, replaced by a touch of respect. She glanced at Captain An and Captain Pu beside her, nodding knowingly. Then, she pointed her white moon silver spear towards the sky.
"Take Dongliang!" A clear, cold voice pierced the heavens.
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