I accepted the command order thrown to me by the Crown Prince. I should have pretended to be sick and not come today. No wonder Xie Yuancheng and I both told me to stay away from him; this man probably wants to kill me.
"Your Highness, the Prince Consort..."
"General Yan need not say more. The Prince Consort is a man of both literary and military talent. I believe that having him step forward this time will not only win over the people but also demonstrate the bravery of our Great Zhao."
I rolled my eyes inwardly. If you want to mess with me, just say so. Stop with this nonsense.
Another soldier ran in with an urgent report. I realized I couldn't delay any longer, so I grabbed the Phantom Sword and followed him out.
The absence of Father and Xie Yuancheng is highly likely due to prior arrangements by the Crown Prince. However, how could he have known that Lin Yu would personally confront the General today?
I mounted my horse and followed the soldiers in front of me onto the battlefield. The atmosphere between the two sides was already tense.
Dong Qin was quite imposing, and this time I got a clear look at Lin Yu's face.
He rode ahead on horseback, tall and handsome, with an upright-looking face. No wonder Li Zhaole liked him; he was just a power-hungry commoner. Although a king would stop at nothing to seize the throne, as a woman myself, I felt guilty towards Li Zhaole. As long as she didn't go too far, I wouldn't hold it against her.
Thinking about what he did to Li Zhaole, and seeing the righteousness on his face, it's truly ironic.
The soldiers beside him whispered, "Your Highness, you must be careful on this journey."
I nodded to the side, spurred the horse's belly, and stepped forward.
I was about ten meters away from Lin Yu, and before I could even speak, he started talking.
"The Great Zhao is truly full of talented people. Even a pretty boy like this, who is not very good-looking, can come to fight."
A burst of mocking laughter came from Dongqin's side, and Lin Yu's face became even more arrogant and domineering.
"Although I am handsome and dashing, Your Majesty should not underestimate yourself. Look in the mirror and you'll see that we are actually about the same."
This time, it was the soldiers of Da Zhao who laughed. To compare an emperor like him with a mere imperial relative like me, Dong Qin automatically lowered his head.
"Hmph, enough nonsense, take this."
Lin Yu charged at me angrily, gun in hand. I drew my Phantom Sword, hoping to hold him off.
He swung the gun at me, and I ducked to avoid it. But then he caught it and slammed it down, hitting me squarely in the stomach.
My hand holding the Phantom Sword almost trembled. Less than three months after giving birth to Yu'er, my stomach was hit hard again, and blood even seeped from the corner of my mouth.
"I thought the prince consort of Da Zhao was quite capable, but it turns out he's a spineless coward, all he's good at is talking."
"Is that so? Your Majesty only won one game by a small margin, so why be so smug?"
As the saying goes, you can lose the battle but not the morale; you can't afford to lose the momentum.
Lin Yu fired another shot. He has a strong grip, so I would be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation and had to resort to a sneak attack.
As he turned his gun, I ambushed his horse, which stumbled back a few steps in fright. I seized the opportunity to thrust my sword, which, though not wounding him, pierced his armor.
The soldiers of Dazhao rallied their troops from behind, the drums beating incessantly.
Lin Yu felt wronged, so he started to use his full strength. After a few rounds, I endured the discomfort and rode my horse around him. Lin Yu closed his eyes, shook his head, and pushed the gun towards me.
When the gun hit me, I could feel how heavy it was. Luckily, I was knocked down as soon as the gun got close.
"Since Your Majesty has personally led the expedition, you should naturally challenge me, since we parted ways in Linyang last time and only meet again today."
Xie Yuancheng's appearance was just in time. I rode back to where the soldiers were.
He picked up the gun and tossed it to Lin Yu, then remained standing in the same spot.
"Very well, since Marquis Anle has said so, we will not compete with the Prince Consort today."
Both men dismounted, one carrying a black iron sword and the other a spear.
I watched them fight for several rounds; this is what a real battlefield contest looks like. Luckily, I managed to stab Lin Yu two or three times with my sword just now; otherwise, it would have been too embarrassing if word got out.
They were all very skilled in martial arts. Lin Yu was knocked away by Xie Yuancheng several times when he got close. Yellow sand flew up with their movements.
The soldiers and common soldiers around were stunned, because Xie Yuancheng's sword was not even drawn, yet he was able to deflect Lin Yu's attacks.
This was the first time I had seen Xie Yuancheng spar with someone. Every move he made was ruthless, leaving no room for error.
The spot where my sword pierced Lin Yu quickly split open, revealing his clothes underneath. He was momentarily distracted and was stopped by Xie Yuancheng's sword hilt, with some blood dripping from his chest.
"Your Majesty, shall we continue the contest today?"
"Let's set off back."
Several tall and strong Dongqin generals led Lin Yu's horse over, and after he mounted it, the soldiers of Dazhao began to beat drums and cheer.
When they returned to the main camp, the Crown Prince praised Xie Yuancheng in every way, but he missed the point entirely. He took all the credit for himself, saying that Xie Yuancheng was a brilliant strategist.
I sat to the side, clutching my stomach, too lazy to pay attention to the prince's grand pronouncements.
This time, the fighting in Dongqin was different from the chaotic battles on the border; the fighting scenes were the most "gentlemanly" on the battlefield.
When I got back to the tent, I was already feeling dizzy. I was just about to take off my armor to check how badly my stomach was injured when Xie Yuancheng came in.
"Why are you here?"
"Ying'er, let me come and see your injury."
"fine."
I was worried that some informant would find out and report me to the Crown Prince.
Those who wield imperial power disregard the lives of their subordinates, knowing that they can rise to power even by stepping over corpses to achieve their goals.
"don’t worry."
Fortunately, it was just some bruising. It's probably because I just gave birth that I vomited blood.
"Yuancheng, you must be tired after fighting Lin Yu today. You should go back and rest." Dongqin might still be angry this afternoon and come to challenge you again.
"Dongqin will come up with a new plan now and will not come again today."
He actually guessed what I meant. I casually wiped myself with water, took the pills he gave me, and then fell asleep.
For several days in a row, the people who came from Dongqin all returned defeated.
After winning for ten consecutive days, the Crown Prince ambitiously declared that he would bless Sizhou this time and planned a night attack.
The father tried to persuade him, saying that Dongqin was full of talented people, and it was very likely that this was their scheme.
Ever since I led the army into battle last time, Dad has shown up every time. Xie Yuancheng only appears occasionally, and I don't know what he's doing. He only comes back when I go to bed at night, and he's gone again when I wake up in the morning.
I smelled it several times, but he said the time wasn't right and wouldn't tell me yet.
Now that it's April, the weather is starting to get warmer, and visibility is very good at night, so a night raid would be too risky, but a night visit would be fine.
I'm thinking of volunteering to go there. If something happens in Sizhou City, I can disappear without a trace.
"Your Highness, the moon and stars have been sparse these past few nights, but Sizhou is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is also protected by a moat. I'm afraid the casualties will be unpredictable."
General Yan also disagreed and joined his father in trying to persuade him.
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