Chapter 85 Zheng Fu, the Young Master of the Zheng Family, Returns to the Capital in Triumph
The soldier followed the sound to the east corner, looked around, and found that everything in the corner was normal, with no unusual movements, as if the dark shadow that had flashed by just now was just her imagination.
Could it be that she was too tired from patrolling and her eyesight was failing?
Confused, the soldier was about to turn and leave when, by chance, he glanced down and saw the dangling rope ladder.
"Stairway to the city?"
The soldier reacted immediately, and just as he was about to shout out to signal an enemy attack, an arm reached out from behind and swiftly grabbed her neck, covering her mouth.
In an instant, a cold glint flashed in the darkness. The short blade sliced open the throat like water, and the soldier's eyes widened immediately. He wanted to shout but could only gasp for breath, and then fell silent.
Yuan Yan's actions were so smooth and seamless, as if he had done it many times before, swiftly nipping any signs of danger in the bud.
The system was once again astonished. It had a feeling that its host was capable of everything, omnipotent. Even killing was so swift and efficient—could he have been a professional assassin in his past life?
Yuan Yan laid down the soldier's limp body and nodded slightly to the soldiers following behind him. Xue Lang and the others immediately understood.
The elite troops of the Ruijian Battalion scattered like beans, and, following the same tactic, pounced on the patrolling enemy soldiers from the shadows.
The first few enemy sentries were killed in one shot before they could even utter a sound.
The moment the bugle sounded, the enemy soldiers were killed by Aman who had rushed over.
But it was too late. The loud bugle call had already spread, and lights lit up everywhere, as if the enemy camp had woken up in an instant.
"It's the enemy...the enemy troops have entered!"
"Phoenix Army Night Raid!"
...
"Your Highness..." Xue Lang's expression was solemn. They had been discovered for venturing deep into the enemy city, and danger was rapidly approaching.
However, Yuan Yan had already considered this possibility when formulating his plan.
Although they were discovered too quickly, they didn't have much time left.
But at least everyone has successfully entered, so there's still a chance to try and win.
Upon seeing this, Yuan Yan merely furrowed his brow for a moment before issuing the order in a deep voice.
"Quickly, seize the opportunity and continue according to plan, divide the forces and proceed!"
Upon receiving the order, the soldiers swiftly divided into three teams and rushed towards their respective destinations.
Led by Xue Lang, Yu Liu, and others, a group of men began setting fires throughout the city to create chaos and disperse the enemy forces.
Yuan Shi led another group of men directly to the city gate, fought with the enemy guards, seized control of the gate, and let the Phoenix Army, which had been lying in ambush outside the city, in.
The last elite force was personally led by Yuan Yan, who, along with A Man, charged straight into the enemy camp.
The firelight illuminated the city, and thick smoke billowed.
"Men, go and capture them!"
The enemy commander, Jin Yuelun, cursed angrily and ordered his men to put out the fire quickly, guard the key locations in the camp, and search for enemy troops in the city.
The first place Yuan Yan rushed straight to was the enemy's granary.
The granary was a vital military location, heavily guarded by a large number of soldiers.
However, no matter how many people they had, these ordinary garrison soldiers were no match for the elite soldiers of the Ruijian Battalion brought by Yuan Yan.
After a fierce battle, Yuan Yan and his men wiped out all the guards at the granary. A single fire then set the vast granary ablaze.
Aman wasn't done burning yet, and rubbed her hands together eagerly: "Your Highness, where do we burn next?"
"To the stables," Yuan Yan said without hesitation.
【Host, that's a really ruthless move. Burning down the granaries, stables, and armories means that even if we fail to capture the city today, the Wu army won't be able to stay in the city without supplies!】
The system's eyes lit up as it watched Yuan Yan slaughter the enemy and burn down their camp. It wished it could conjure up two small flags to cheer her on in Yuan Yan's mind.
However, things obviously won't go that smoothly.
When Yuan Yan and A Man came out after burning down the granary, they ran into Duan Xuchao, who had come to inspect the granary.
Upon hearing that the Phoenix Army had infiltrated the city, her first reaction was to guard the granary, which is why she arrived faster than the other Wu Army forces.
The moment the two armies met on the narrow road, Duan Xuchao immediately recognized the leading Phoenix Army general as none other than Prince Qin, Yuan Yan.
"You've already burned down the granary!" Duan Xuchao was surprised by Yuan Yan's swift actions and did not expect that she, as a princess and a commander of an army, would dare to personally lead troops to infiltrate the enemy camp.
Isn't she afraid of being sent into the enemy camp and never returning?
Duan Xuchao stared intently at Yuan Yan, feeling for a moment that he couldn't see through the man.
"Heh." Yuan Yan didn't waste time getting entangled with the enemy general. Without saying a word, he raised his long sword and slashed down at Duan Xuchao.
Duan Xuchao had heard of Yuan Yan's bravery and skill in battle, and seeing the gleaming sword, he dared not be careless and used all his strength to meet the attack.
"You're good."
Yuan Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise, slightly astonished that Duan Xuchao was able to catch her force, and uttered her first words to the enemy army that night.
"Your Highness, I'm here to help you!" Aman had just killed one of Duan Xuchao's soldiers when he turned around and saw this scene. He immediately shouted and joined the battle, brandishing his broadsword.
At this moment, Yuan Shicheng, before the enemy reinforcements could arrive, killed the guards and suddenly opened the city gate.
They then joined forces with the ambush troops led by generals Zhang Yu and Huang Gao outside the city, stormed into the city, and rushed towards the enemy camp.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night filled with the flickering flames and the glint of blood.
The deafening shouts of battle echoed throughout the city, and fierce fighting took place both inside and outside the enemy camp.
Yuan Yan ended the battle in the shortest possible time.
Somewhat surprisingly, Duan Xuchao was able to withstand several attacks from her and Aman.
When Duan Xuchao heard the sounds outside and realized that the Phoenix Army had entered the city, his heart sank.
This momentary lapse in concentration was immediately seized upon by Yuan Yan. With a powerful swing of his arm, Yuan Yan actually severed Duan Xuchao's longsword in two.
It seems she is going to lose her life here today.
As Duan Xuchao's broadsword fell, this thought flashed through his mind, and he closed his eyes.
“Aman tied her up.”
Yuan Yan suddenly interrupted A Man's actions and gave an order.
"Oh, it's Your Highness." Aman was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down the broadsword in her hand and, together with the soldiers, tied up Duan Xuchao.
Yuan Yan, on the other hand, immediately led his men to join the army entering the city and join the battle to kill the enemy.
After a fierce battle, the turmoil of the night finally came to an end.
"Your Highness, the enemy has been defeated, and their commander, Jin Yuelun, has fled Jicheng with his defeated troops!" a soldier reported.
"May I ask Your Highness, shall we pursue them?" Zhang Yu and the other generals asked for instructions.
"Don't chase."
"We have also suffered heavy losses tonight. We should first gather our remaining troops, quickly repair the city's defenses, and secure the city to prevent the enemy from launching a counterattack."
Seeing the devastation in the city, Yuan Yan did not choose to continue the pursuit. Instead, he ordered his men to extinguish the fire, collect the bodies, and appease the people in the city.
"Congratulations, Your Highness, on leading our army to another victory and recapturing Ji City," said Zhang Hanwu, the supervising officer.
Liang Yijiong and Zhang Yu, among other generals, also said: "If it weren't for His Highness coming up with this plan and taking the lead, risking danger to infiltrate the city, our army would not have been able to recapture Jicheng so quickly."
"Generals, you flatter me. This victory was achieved by sheer luck, with favorable timing, location, and popular support. It was not a victory through battle," Yuan Yan said.
"Your Highness's consecutive victories cannot all be due to luck. I must immediately submit a memorial to His Majesty to report this good news." Zhang Hanwu could hardly contain his joy.
[Host, that's great! The Wu army has suffered heavy losses and is probably unable to continue fighting.]
"As long as the Wu Kingdom withdraws its troops, this war can end," the system said happily.
"Well, that depends on whether Wu Kingdom has any plans to send more reinforcements," Yuan Yan said.
...
When news of the victory at the front reached the palace, Emperor Yuanhao was overjoyed.
Yuan Yan's reputation on the battlefield spread far and wide. His victories in several major battles spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
On the other hand, Emperor Wu learned that there was a figure named Yuan Yan in the Huang Kingdom's army who had repeatedly led his troops to defeat the Wu army and even reclaimed the city of Ji that they had already occupied. He was deeply wary of him.
After several small-scale battles, the Wu army was unable to gain any advantage from Yuan Yan.
Unwilling to suffer further losses, Emperor Wu had no choice but to announce a retreat, causing the Wu army to slink away in disgrace.
The people spread the word.
"Your Highness, the King of Qin, is a skilled warrior who has repelled the enemy for the country. She is truly a great heroine of the Phoenix Kingdom!"
"Without Your Highness, we don't know how long this battle would have lasted."
"I've heard that His Highness will soon be returning to the capital in triumph. We'll be waiting to greet him by the roadside. I really want to see what His Highness is like..." a commoner said.
Meanwhile, the young men and women of the capital all greatly admired Yuan Yan.
"Your Highness is returning in triumph, and there will surely be many people to greet you. Let's book a private room facing the street as soon as possible! I'm afraid there won't be any rooms left if we wait too long."
In the boys' school, a young master and his girlfriend discussed something.
“Alright, then let’s get the servants to do it quickly. Father has already promised me that I can leave earlier that day.”
The young master beside him was also very excited. Upon hearing that they were going to welcome His Highness the Prince of Qin, he stopped his embroidery and immediately urged his friend to hurry up and prepare.
"Brother Fu, are you going to see His Highness the Prince of Qin?"
Young Master Wang asked his cousin, Zheng Fu, the son of the Zheng family.
Zheng Fu put down her needlework and smiled.
"Of course I'll go when His Highness returns in triumph; I've already booked a private room."
"When did this happen?" The young masters were all somewhat surprised.
"I didn't realize it. Brother Fu, you're the one who moves the fastest among us, all without making a sound," Young Master Wang said with a smile, covering his mouth.
"I dare not accept such praise. It's just that my elder sister is well-informed and learned of His Highness's triumphant return earlier," Zheng Fu explained.
The other young masters understood immediately. Zheng Fu came from the prestigious Zheng family, and his sister held a position in the imperial court, dealing with the Ministry of War. It was normal that she knew about it earlier than they did.
"Oh, so it was Sister Wen who said it." Young Master Wang nodded upon hearing this.
Knowing that Zheng Fu had booked early, he was sure to get one of the best private rooms. Several young men asked Zheng Fu if they could squeeze into a private room with him.
“If my brothers want to come, of course they can,” Zheng Fu readily agreed.
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