Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 160: Burning Xinyang at

160. Burning Xinyang

「Early October」

After enduring continuous and relentless attacks for several days, just over a month later, the Xiling army stormed into Xinyang City once again with tremendous ferocity. However, this time, they were greeted not by heaps of gold and silver treasures, not by supplies of food and military necessities, nor even by panic-stricken civilians. Instead, what lay before their eyes was an utterly deserted city. The only sounds throughout the city came from their own movement.

All the houses in the city had long been abandoned, and within the empty buildings, not a single grain of food could be found. All the shops had either been emptied out or destroyed on the spot. Even the city’s wells had been filled with assorted debris, so reclaiming the well water would undoubtedly take considerable effort.

The vanguard leader, mounted on his horse, looked at the deserted city ahead with a grim face.

"General, there’s nobody in the city!" reported a scout who had returned from the front.

"Damn it!" The vanguard leader was furious, unsure whether he was cursing the soldiers of Great Chu or himself. After hurling a string of abuses, he had no choice but to send someone to report to the Southern Garrison Prince, who was following behind and hadn’t yet entered the city.

"What is that?" The vanguard squinted, pointing at an inconspicuous dark object in a street corner. The soldier standing before his horse went to investigate and, after a while, returned to report, "Reporting to the General, it seems to be some tung oil and petroleum. Likely left behind when the people of East Chu fled." The vanguard furrowed his brows, feeling that something was amiss.

Upon closer observation, he discovered many such traces. Moreover, the air seemed to be filled with a strong smell of alcohol. They hadn’t paid much attention initially because there were several wine shops along the streets where they had first entered the city. However, upon closer inspection now, the smell of alcohol was far too strong, even outside the wine shops. Before he could ponder it further, a window on the upper floor of a building along the street was suddenly pushed open from within.

A man in black gave the people below a cold look, swiftly nocked an arrow, loosed it, and then disappeared from the window. These actions were completed in an instant. By the time the soldiers reacted and aimed their arrows at the window, the man had already vanished.

"Fire! Fire!" someone suddenly exclaimed. Flames sprang up from both sides of the street and spread with incredible speed. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Ambush! Retreat quickly!"

At the same time, Xinyang City erupted into chaos once again. "The city gate is also on fire!" A deafening BOOM resounded from the city gate, followed by flames leaping into the sky. Even from their position within the city, they could clearly see the red glow on the horizon, a testament to the fire’s intensity.

"Quick! Put out the fire!" The Xiling army was instantly thrown into confusion. Extinguishing the fire was easier said than done. Xinyang City was inherently arid and lacked water; its few wells had been either sealed or filled with debris. At this point, the only liquid readily available in the city was alcohol. It seemed these jars of wine had been intentionally placed outside the wineshops, some even left out on the street. If anyone accidentally broke a jar, it would fuel an even larger blaze. Xinyang City, which should have echoed with triumphant songs, was now instead enveloped by soaring flames and filled with cries of despair.

「From a mountain peak several miles from Xinyang City」

Ye Li gazed at the distant city, now a sea of fire, and sighed softly, "Xinyang is ruined."

Qin Feng stood behind Ye Li, draping a thin cloak over her shoulders. "Princess Consort, you needn’t worry," he said. "Xinyang City is largely constructed from earth and stone. Even if most of the houses are destroyed, rebuilding them won’t be too troublesome. Moreover, in this battle, we can eliminate at least 50,000 Xiling troops without losing a single soldier of our own. It’s better to burn Xinyang to the ground than to leave it for the Xiling people to inhabit."

Ye Li offered a faint smile, adjusted the cloak around herself, and turned. "Let’s go. After this battle, the Southern Garrison Prince will undoubtedly be furious. We must hurry to Hongzhou."

"Yes, Princess Consort."

As Qin Feng had said, Xinyang City was indeed largely built with earth and stone and wasn’t very flammable. Even so, the great fire raged for a full day and night. Because the city gates were blocked by the inferno, those inside could not get out, and those outside could not get in. By the time the fire finally began to subside the next day, allowing the army outside to enter, almost everyone inside the city had been annihilated. Even those not burned alive had long since suffocated from the dense, rolling smoke. Xinyang City, once grand and magnificent, was now a pitch-black ruin, exuding an air of deathly stillness.

When the Southern Garrison Prince stepped into Xinyang City, his expression could not be described as merely gloomy; it was downright sinister. Gazing at the ruined walls before him, the lingering smoke from fires still smoldering along the streets, and the nauseating odor in the air, the Southern Garrison Prince’s face was savage and grim. He ground his teeth, "Ye Li..."

The commanders who entered the city with him looked terrified, afraid of saying or doing anything to further provoke the already grim-faced Southern Garrison Prince. After a long moment, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "Good! I didn’t expect to encounter such an adversary after more than a decade! Mo Liufang, your fine daughter-in-law! Ye Li... If I don’t capture you alive, I swear I am not human! I hereby command: whoever captures the Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom alive will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of gold and ennobled as a Marquis of a Thousand Households!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Such a bounty was almost comparable to those historically offered for the Princes of Ding Kingdom. The Southern Garrison Prince swept his gaze around, sneered, and commanded, "Leave some men to garrison Xinyang. The rest of the army—onward to Hongzhou!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

「Hongzhou City」

Hongzhou was not the largest city in the Northwest, nor was it the most fortified. However, due to its geographical position, the Xiling Army had been consistently blocked by the Mo Family Army, preventing them from truly approaching the vicinity of Hongzhou City. Although the Northwest was engulfed in the flames of war, the citizens and merchants of Hongzhou City still lived in relative peace and security. This was because their city lay on the vital route leading from the Northwest into the Central Plains. Even if Hongzhou City were to be breached by the Xiling Army, they would still have ample time to escape into the Central Plains region. Furthermore, the Northwest was not the only region within Great Chu currently embroiled in war, so the number of people fleeing for safety was consequently lower than might be expected.

"Your humble servant, Sun Xingzhi, Supervisor of the Northwest, along with the officials and merchants of Hongzhou City, respectfully welcomes Your Highness, the Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom." At the city gate, the Governor of Hongzhou, leading a retinue of officials, had come to greet Ye Li and her party.

Feng Zhiyao glanced at the beaming middle-aged man before them. This man is considered part of the pro-imperial faction. As soon as the war began, he fled from Xinyang to Hongzhou. He has consistently ignored the Mo Family Army stationed near Hongzhou and even deliberately delayed the grain supplies he was supposed to provide. To have the audacity to stand at the city gate and welcome the Princess Consort now... his nerve is certainly something.

Ye Li was dressed in a simple, plain aquamarine robe, its hem trailing gracefully. She lacked the opulent splendor of noblewomen in the Capital of Great Chu, yet the robe’s very ordinary and unadorned style commanded respect, deterring any hint of disrespect or slight. Leaning on Zhuo Jing’s hand as she dismounted, Ye Li calmly regarded the two respectful rows of people before her and nodded slightly. "Lord Sun, you may dispense with the formalities."

Sun Xingzhi stepped forward, an obsequious smile on his face. "Princess Consort, you must be weary from your long journey. Please, enter the city first and have some tea. Tonight, this subordinate has arranged a banquet to welcome Your Highness and wash away the dust of your travels."

Ye Li’s elegant eyebrows arched slightly. Is he so eager to establish our respective positions as host and guest?

"I’m afraid I must decline Lord Sun’s kind intentions," she said. "The Xiling Army is currently wreaking havoc within Hongzhou’s territory. Does Lord Sun perhaps have a solution to this pressing matter?"

Sun Xingzhi offered a placating smile. "With the Mo Family Army present, how could the Xiling people dare to act so recklessly? This humble official, like the citizens of Hongzhou, feels quite at ease, very much at ease!"

At his side, Feng Zhiyao’s sharp brows rose, and he sneered, "When Lord Sun speaks of the ’citizens of Hongzhou,’ is he referring solely to those within Hongzhou City? This General recalls that Lord Sun is the Supervisor of the Northwest, not the Governor of Hongzhou. Furthermore... did Lord Sun just imply that the Mo Family Army is at fault for the Xiling forces currently rampaging across the Northwest?"

Sun Xingzhi’s face stiffened, but he quickly forced another smile. "This official wouldn’t dare."

He says he wouldn’t dare, not that it isn’t so, Feng Zhiyao thought, snorting derisively before dismissing the man.

The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward. A middle-aged man with a rather timid demeanor, who had been standing behind Sun Xingzhi, quickly stepped forward. "This humble official... Qi Anrong, Governor of Hongzhou, pays his respects to the Princess Consort."

Ye Li nodded. "Lord Qi, this Princess Consort has heard that the grain supplies Hongzhou was supposed to provide to the Mo Family Army were significantly delayed. For what reason?"

Qi Anrong shot a quick glance at Sun Xingzhi beside him and stammered, "Th-this... Princess Consort, please forgive this official. Various parts of the Northwest have been plundered by the Xiling forces, and Hongzhou has been hit particularly hard. So... so the grain supplies were delayed by a few days. Please, Princess Consort, forgive this oversight..."

Ye Li pursed her lips into a faint smile. "So that’s how it is. Lord Qi has indeed been through much trouble."

Hearing Ye Li’s words, even in the October air, Qi Anrong couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from his brow. The skin around his eyes, faintly bruised from excessive indulgence in wine and women, twitched slightly as he repeatedly offered placating smiles, "It was nothing... it was nothing..."

With a cold expression, Zhuo Jing glanced at the officials. "Are you not going to make way? Do you intend for the Princess Consort to rest outside the city walls?"

Qi Anrong hastily stepped back, clearing a path. "Princess Consort, please proceed. Princess Consort, please proceed..."

Just as Ye Li was about to walk towards the city, Sun Xingzhi’s voice, who had been momentarily ignored, called out from behind, "Princess Consort, a moment, please!"

Ye Li turned, calmly looking at Sun Xingzhi. Her elegant eyebrows arched slightly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as she waited for him to continue. Sun Xingzhi glanced around, swallowed nervously, then puffed out his chest. "Princess Consort, your arrival in Hongzhou City is, of course, most welcomed by all its officials and citizens. However, the Mo Family Army cannot enter the city with Your Highness!"

A smile touched Ye Li’s lips as she asked, "And why is that?"

Sun Xingzhi replied sternly, "Allowing so many soldiers into the city will inevitably cause chaos. I implore the Princess Consort to reconsider. Moreover, according to the laws of Great Chu, the garrison in any city must not exceed 50,000 soldiers. The forces Your Highness has brought... surely number over 100,000, do they not?" As if he had found solid ground for his argument, Sun Xingzhi’s voice grew louder and more confident.

Ye Li showed no anger, merely staring calmly at the smugly self-satisfied middle-aged man before her.

Seeing Ye Li remain silent, Sun Xingzhi grew even more pleased. Even the modicum of caution he initially possessed had mostly vanished. He chuckled, "Princess Consort, is this official’s reasoning not sound?"

A cool, beautiful smile blossomed on Ye Li’s lips. The gloating Sun Xingzhi failed to notice that several people standing near Ye Li, their brows furrowed, had silently taken a couple of steps back to avoid becoming collateral damage.

"Lord Sun," Ye Li’s voice was clear and cold, "are you aware that this Princess Consort has just burned Xinyang to the ground?"

Sun Xingzhi couldn’t help but shiver. His smile froze on his face as he stared, dumbfounded, at the woman whose demeanor had suddenly transformed. "P-Princess Consort..."

"If this Princess Consort dared to burn Xinyang, do you think I would scruple to eliminate a couple of useless officials?"