Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 409 - 407. Choice of Battlefield
407. Battlefield Decisions
"It... It’s Mo Xiuyao... The scouts in front report they’ve seen the royal flag of Prince Ding’s Mansion!"
"Mo Xiuyao?!" Lei Tengfeng spun around abruptly, accidentally kicking over the incense burner at his feet. He glared fiercely at the soldier delivering the report. "Are you sure it’s Mo Xiuyao?!"
The soldier, finding himself in a tight spot, looked at the somewhat agitated heir. He was merely repeating what the scouts at the front had told him; how could he be certain? After a moment of thought, upholding his duty, he replied, "The scouts confirmed seeing the royal flag of the Mo Family Army." The Mo Family Army’s black royal flag with a silver python was only displayed when Prince Ding personally led the army.
Lei Tengfeng gathered his composure and said, "Bring in the scout. I need to question him in person."
"Yes."
Soon, the scout who had been gathering intelligence outside was brought in. He bowed to Lei Tengfeng. "This subordinate greets the heir." Lei Tengfeng waved off the formalities, hurriedly asking, "Never mind that. You’re saying you saw eight hundred thousand Mo Family Army troops heading this way?"
The scout nodded. "Reporting to the heir, there’s absolutely no mistake. Eight hundred thousand, if not more. When this subordinate saw them, they were still over a hundred li away. Given their marching speed and the time it took me to return by fast horse, I fear that... in two hours at most, their vanguard will rendezvous with Murong Shen’s and Marquis South’s troops."
Lei Tengfeng asked in a deep voice, "You saw the royal flag of Prince Ding’s Mansion?"
"Yes, this subordinate is absolutely certain. That’s why, upon seeing the royal flag, this subordinate rushed back at top speed," the scout affirmed with a nod. Lei Tengfeng waved his hand. "This Prince knows. You may leave."
"This subordinate takes his leave."
Once the scout had withdrawn, Lei Tengfeng sank dazedly into his chair, murmuring, "Mo Xiuyao... How could Mo Xiuyao not be dead?" General Yang looked at Lei Tengfeng with concern, saying urgently, "Heir... Heir, shouldn’t we notify the Prince immediately? The Prince probably doesn’t know yet." They had only received news when the Mo Family Army was already closing in, a testament to Prince Ding’s secrecy and the swiftness of his actions once initiated. It was likely the Prince was still being kept in the dark.
Prompted by General Yang, Lei Tengfeng immediately snapped back to reality. "Right... Quick! You, send someone on a fast horse to deliver all the information here to my Royal Father. We..." Lei Tengfeng took a deep breath. "We will hold off the Mo Family Army, at least... at least long enough for my Royal Father to regain his composure."
General Yang frowned, disagreeing. "Heir, absolutely not! Prince Ding’s current forces are several times our own. Once they rendezvous with Murong Shen and the others’ troops, Prince Ding’s army will exceed one million. When that happens..." When that happened, they wouldn’t even need to fight; Prince Ding could crush them with numbers alone. After a moment’s thought, General Yang said, "This humble general is willing to stay behind to intercept Prince Ding. Please, Heir, depart for the Prince’s army immediately."
"Absolutely not!" Lei Tengfeng flatly refused. Even if he was no match for Mo Xiuyao, he would never retreat without a fight.
General Yang said anxiously, "Heir, please reconsider! Against Prince Ding, whether it’s this humble general alone or this humble general with you, Heir, it will likely make no difference. Why must you... why must you make such an unnecessary sacrifice? As long as the Prince and the Heir are alive, our Xiling still has a chance to turn defeat into victory."
"General Yang..." Lei Tengfeng sighed softly. He was the heir of the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the future ruler of Xiling. How could he not understand the concept of choosing the lesser evil? But his character made it exceedingly difficult for him to abandon his soldiers and flee the battlefield.
General Yang said resolutely, "Heir, we don’t have much time. This humble general isn’t sure how long he can hold off Prince Ding. Please depart at once!" Lei Tengfeng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He bowed deeply to General Yang. "Lei Tengfeng has failed you, General. Please accept my bow." They both knew the harsh reality: in recent years, no general from Xiling or Beirong who fell into Mo Xiuyao’s hands had met a good end. General Yang’s decision to stay was undoubtedly a path of no return.
General Yang hurriedly helped Lei Tengfeng up. "Heir, you speak too gravely. As a general of Xiling, it is this humble general’s duty to sacrifice himself for the country. Besides... to be able to fight Prince Ding, even if I die in battle, this life will not have been lived in vain. Please leave quickly, Heir."
Fleeing before even seeing the enemy was indeed not a glorious act. But the lessons learned over many years told Lei Tengfeng that if he didn’t leave now, he likely wouldn’t be able to leave at all. More importantly, while he had the courage to die for his country, he could not, for a moment of valor, disregard the Southern Garrison Prince’s Mansion. In this battle, Lei Tengfeng had not witnessed any bloodshed, yet it was destined to become his lifelong nightmare.
On a mountain path not far from the Xiling army camp, Lei Tengfeng glanced back one last time at the still-peaceful encampment. Finally, steeling his heart, he turned, whipped his horse, and ordered in a deep voice, "Go!" The guards and soldiers following Lei Tengfeng silently spurred their horses after the heir. They didn’t understand why the heir had suddenly left the camp, but as subordinates and soldiers, they had no room to question; all they could do was obey.
Lei Tengfeng and his men rode at top speed. Covering several hundred li, they arrived by the fourth night watch the next morning. Lei Tengfeng’s sudden arrival also startled Lei Zhenting. He knew something major must have occurred; otherwise, given Lei Tengfeng’s character, he would never have abandoned his own camp so readily. Lei Zhenting quickly rose to meet him. He saw Lei Tengfeng covered in dust from travel, his eyes bloodshot, clearly exhausted.
"Tengfeng, what happened?" Lei Zhenting asked, frowning. Seeing Lei Zhenting, Lei Tengfeng quickly rose, somewhat unsteadily, walked over, and grabbed Lei Zhenting’s arm. "Royal Father... Mo Xiuyao, Mo Xiuyao..."
Lei Zhenting’s heart sank. He firmly gripped Lei Tengfeng and said sternly, "Tengfeng, calm down! Speak slowly..." Lei Tengfeng looked at Lei Zhenting, took a deep breath, and said in a hoarse voice, "Royal Father... Mo Xiuyao is still alive."
Lei Zhenting was shaken internally but didn’t lose his composure. From the moment Lei Tengfeng, in his distraught state, had mentioned Mo Xiuyao, Lei Zhenting had already anticipated something of this nature. He looked calmly at Lei Tengfeng and asked, "Mo Xiuyao isn’t dead, so you ran back?"
Perhaps Lei Zhenting’s calm demeanor influenced Lei Tengfeng, as he gradually composed himself. Closing his eyes, his eyelids twitching slightly, Lei Tengfeng said, "Mo Xiuyao is leading an army of at least eight hundred thousand from Liyang. Adding Murong Shen’s and Marquis South’s forces... Royal Father, behind us, there’s a Mo Family Army of at least one million."
Lei Zhenting sighed softly, patted Lei Tengfeng’s shoulder, and said, "I understand. You did the right thing." Those two hundred thousand-odd Xiling troops could be abandoned. General Yang could die. Even he, Lei Zhenting, could die. But Lei Tengfeng could not. He was old; Lei Tengfeng... was the future hope of Xiling. Lei Tengfeng looked guiltily at Lei Zhenting. He understood the reasoning, but he couldn’t help feeling ashamed of his own incompetence. If he had the ability to resist Mo Xiuyao, what would it matter even if Mo Xiuyao had returned from the dead?
Watching Lei Tengfeng gradually calm down, Lei Zhenting then walked to the side and sat down. Mo Xiuyao’s sudden return from the dead was also a significant shock to him, forcing him to re-evaluate everything. Mo Xiuyao would never have faked his death for no reason, especially not at the cost of abandoning all the advantages the Mo Family Army had gained earlier. At this point, Lei Zhenting could naturally discern some of the scheme. If things had continued according to the original situation, it would have taken at least three to five years to determine a victor. Now it seemed... Mo Xiuyao’s ploy of faking death was clearly intended to quickly resolve this stalemate. And it was obviously very effective; at least... Mo Jingli had very likely already been dealt with by him. Otherwise, the Mo Family Army couldn’t have crossed Liyang so quickly. And that army of nearly one million... it must have originally been Mo Jingli’s forces.
"Mo Jingli, that useless fool! This Prince truly overestimated him," Lei Zhenting said in a deep voice.
"Royal Father, Mo Jingli was never Mo Xiuyao’s match," Lei Tengfeng said with a frown. Lei Zhenting sneered, "A match?! If this Prince is not mistaken, that useless fool was taken down by Mo Xiuyao without even putting up a fight. Otherwise, where do you think Mo Xiuyao’s several hundred thousand troops came from? Mo Xiuyao isn’t a god. The north has suffered from continuous warfare for years and is sparsely populated. By what means could he conjure an army of seven to eight hundred thousand in such a short time? An army isn’t like other things; it’s not just a matter of gathering people. They must be young, able-bodied men, and they must undergo basic training. Otherwise, with so many people on the battlefield, if chaos erupts, they’ll trample each other to death without the enemy even needing to attack."
"Royal Father, are you saying that Mo Xiuyao’s eight hundred thousand troops were seized from Mo Jingli?" Lei Tengfeng asked in shock.
Lei Zhenting gave a cold sneer. "Are there any other possibilities? You just said... Murong Shen and Marquis South weren’t in the army?" Lei Tengfeng nodded. Although he hadn’t fully understood the matter, connecting it with Mo Xiuyao’s sudden appearance, Lei Tengfeng still felt something was amiss. So, he reported everything in meticulous detail to Lei Zhenting. Lei Zhenting frowned. Even he himself, let alone Lei Tengfeng, couldn’t figure out where Marquis South and Murong Shen could have gone at this time, instead of waiting to rendezvous with Mo Xiuyao and return to Feihong Pass together. He decided to temporarily set aside what he couldn’t understand. After instructing his subordinate generals and advisors to monitor the movements of Mo Xiuyao, Mo Jingli, and Nanchu, he refocused his attention on Feihong Pass. Things had reached this point; given Mo Xiuyao’s speed, it was already too late for them to retreat. Besides, if they just scurried away like this, where would Xiling’s honor be? If Mo Xiuyao pursued them relentlessly, it would be even more detrimental to Xiling. Moreover, Lei Zhenting had a vague premonition that this... would be his last confrontation with the Mo Family Army in his lifetime.
「At Feihong Pass, the Mo Family Army, still in their white mourning attire, stood in stern formation. Below the pass, the Xiling Army was equally imposing, eyeing them like tigers. On the city wall, Ye Li and Veteran General Yuan Pei stood side by side, flanked by Feng Zhiyao, Leng Haoyu, Han Mingyue, Qin Feng, and others. General Yuan Pei chuckled, "It seems Lei Zhenting is determined to take Feihong Pass. Looking at this formation... he vows not to retreat until Feihong Pass is captured." Feng Zhiyao frowned, "What’s gotten into Lei Zhenting? Aren’t his injuries healed yet?"」
Ye Li nodded her head, calmly saying, "His injuries won’t heal for at least two or three months." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Look over there..." Han Mingyue, standing to the side, pointed and said coolly. Everyone followed his gaze. Behind the main army, where the battle flags fluttered, stood a tall man in armor and battle robes. Feng Zhiyao frowned. "That’s... Lei Tengfeng. Why is he here? Shouldn’t he be with General Murong and the others... Don’t tell me..." Ye Li stated firmly, "No, Lei Tengfeng alone cannot handle Marquis South and General Murong combined. Lei Tengfeng looks pale; something must have happened on their end." Han Mingyue raised an eyebrow. "Princess Consort, you’re so confident? If that’s the case, why haven’t General Murong and Marquis South returned yet?" Ye Li frowned and shook her head. "That... I don’t know either."
Han Mingxi rubbed his forehead, groaned, and pointed down. "I say, shouldn’t we be worried about these people down there now? Over six hundred thousand troops... Even throwing stones could break open Feihong Pass, right?"
General Yuan Pei glanced at Han Mingxi with displeasure. "Kid Han, what kind of talk is that? As long as this old man has a breath left in him, Feihong Pass will not fall!"
"Then you, old sir, must make sure to live a very, very long life," Han Mingxi said with a twitch of his lips and a smile.
While those on the city wall tower chatted cheerfully, the mood of the Xiling generals below was anything but. This was especially true when they saw the vast expanse of white mourning attire. What had once seemed somber and grave to the Xiling forces now appeared as blatant mockery. A hot-tempered Xiling general charged forward on his horse, pointed his spear at the city wall, and bellowed, "Men of the Mo Family Army, come down and meet your death!"
Above, Feng Zhiyao curled his lips. "It seems the Xiling people have all taken the wrong medicine today. Fine. This Young Master will meet you." With a push of his right hand against the rampart, his flamboyant red figure drifted down from the top of the city wall. On the battlefield, Feng Zhiyao had put away his usual folding fan; drawing his long sword, he lunged at the general. That general was also a renowned fierce warrior in the Xiling Army and harbored a blood feud with the Mo Family Army; his family members were among those Mo Xiuyao had killed in the Xiling imperial city. Seeing Feng Zhiyao charge over, he too raised his spear and thrust it at Feng Zhiyao without dodging. In an instant, they had exchanged seven or eight blows, neither gaining an advantage. Feng Zhiyao’s thin lips curved slightly as he murmured, "A bit interesting. This Young Master would like to see what skills you possess to dare tell the Mo Family Army to come accept death."
"Princess Consort, something’s wrong..." Yuan Pei, who was observing the battle, suddenly narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Quick, call Third Feng back!" But it was too late. Before Yuan Pei could finish his sentence, a volley of arrows shot from the Xiling Army towards Feng Zhiyao. Everyone on the wall cried out in alarm, "Third Feng?!" Though caught by the sudden change, Feng Zhiyao remained composed. He lunged forward, landing on the back of the Xiling general’s horse as the general was trying to retreat. The Xiling general twisted, trying to throw Feng Zhiyao off, but felt a cold sensation on his neck and tumbled from his horse. After killing the Xiling general, Feng Zhiyao dared not linger. He leaped towards the city tower and, at the very last moment before the arrows reached him, threw himself into a defensive barrier built before a city gate, thus avoiding disaster.
Lying on the ground, Feng Zhiyao panted heavily, drenched in sweat. He had clearly felt an arrow graze his forehead as it flew past just now. To have dodged such a sudden attack was indeed a stroke of immense luck.
Just as Feng Zhiyao was catching his breath and silently cursing Lei Zhenting’s treachery, the armies on both sides had already clashed. Soon, the city gates opened, and countless Mo Family Army soldiers surged out. The Xiling Army was too numerous. If the defenders didn’t go out to meet the enemy, and if Lei Zhenting recklessly used human lives to continuously assault the walls, Feihong Pass would eventually fall. The best method was to prevent the Xiling Army from even approaching the walls of Feihong Pass. However, this would lead to enormous losses for the Mo Family Army, and it was uncertain how long they could hold out. But at this point, they had no choice but to defend to the death.
Once outside the city, the Mo Family Army was quickly enveloped by the Xiling Army. With fewer than one hundred thousand troops, they were vastly outnumbered by the Xiling Army’s force of over six hundred thousand. Although the Mo Family Army fought with incomparable ferocity, their chances of victory in such a battle of numbers were slim. However, in this situation, a group of men in yellow attire suddenly charged into the fray from within the Xiling Army’s ranks. These men were even fiercer and more formidable than ordinary Xiling soldiers. In one-on-one combat, they were even somewhat superior to the Mo Family Army soldiers. Shortly after they joined the battle, many Mo Family Army soldiers had already died tragically. Although this was not yet enough to break the defensive line built by the Mo Family Army soldiers with their very flesh and blood, the eventual outcome was foreseeable if this continued.
"It’s the Golden Armor Guards," Leng Haoyu said gravely. Similar to the shadow guards of Prince Ding’s Mansion and the Great Chu imperial family, the special troops under Lei Zhenting dedicated to his personal protection were called the Golden Armor Guards. Lei Zhenting had even deployed his private guard, effectively his hidden ace. Everyone could sense not only Lei Zhenting’s determination to breach Feihong Pass but also an undercurrent of impatience.
"Qin Feng, how many Qilin did you bring?" Ye Li asked in a deep voice.
Qin Feng replied, "Three squads are garrisoned in Licheng, two squads are with General Lv, one squad is with General Zhang, and the remaining six squads are all at Feihong Pass." Over the years, the Qilin had grown to about three thousand members, divided into twelve squads. This time, understanding the difficulty of defending Feihong Pass, Qin Feng had transferred all available Qilin members here for contingencies. Ye Li nodded. "Very good. Four squads will intercept the Golden Armor Guards. The remaining two squads... target their command!"
"This subordinate obeys the order!" Qin Feng replied with a solemn expression. After bowing to Ye Li, he turned and descended the city wall tower to dispatch the men.
Amidst the chaotic battle, a group of men in black appeared on the field. Numbering less than a thousand, and also clad in black, they didn’t stand out amongst the Mo Family Army. However, it was only when they charged into the enemy ranks that their terrifying combat prowess became apparent. The Mo Family Army soldiers, who had been perilously engaged with the Golden Armor Guards, were separated from them. The Golden Armor Guards, whom the Mo Family Army soldiers had struggled to resist, seemed fragile and easily broken in the hands of these newcomers. Their martial arts were not necessarily superior to those of the Golden Armor Guards, but their methods were clearly more effective, and they understood cooperation far better than the arrogant guards. The five thousand Golden Armor Guards, once seemingly invincible, were swiftly fragmented into countless small sections by the over one thousand Qilin and annihilated piece by piece. Meanwhile, the other two Qilin squads charged with unstoppable momentum towards the rear of the Xiling Army. In the process, many fell behind or even died, but those remaining pressed forward without the slightest pause.
Watching the Qilin clash with the Golden Armor Guards in the distance from horseback, Lei Tengfeng asked, "So, this is the Qilin?"
Lei Zhenting nodded, his expression grave. Even amidst the chaotic battlefield, he could see his ever-reliable Golden Armor Guards diminishing at an alarming rate under the Qilin’s sharp blades. Such a terrifying force absolutely could not be allowed to exist. "Fire arrows!" Lei Zhenting pointed with his whip and ordered sharply.
"The Black Cloud Cavalry, fire arrows!" On top of the city tower, Ye Li gave the same command. Arrows rained down on the battlefield, resulting in countless casualties on both the Mo Family and Xiling armies.
"Royal Father, look over there!" Lei Tengfeng exclaimed in alarm and anger, pointing ahead.
Lei Zhenting was startled. A unit of no more than five hundred men, like a black arrow, shot straight towards the heart of the Xiling Army. On the battlefield, amidst hundreds of thousands of Xiling soldiers, they had carved a bloody path and were charging towards their position. Lei Tengfeng frowned. "Are they trying to assassinate Royal Father?! Quick, fire arrows!" But it wasn’t that easy. Just as the Xiling Army’s first volley of arrows was released, these men swiftly dispersed and merged into the Xiling ranks. If they were to fire arrows now, they would inevitably hit their own men, and given the skills of these assassins, it was likely that more of their own would die than enemies. However, once the immediate danger of arrows passed, these men regrouped with the same astonishing speed, all while maintaining their forward momentum. If one looked closely, one would discover that these men maintained a specific formation whether they scattered or regrouped.
"Royal Father, you should retreat for now," Lei Tengfeng suggested with concern. Normally, he would never make such a suggestion, but his Royal Father’s severe injuries had not yet healed, and he couldn’t fight at all. If these men reached him... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Lei Zhenting’s eyes darkened slightly. He glanced down at his injury and sighed. "No need! They won’t break through!"
"Royal Father!" Lei Tengfeng said, disagreeing. Lei Zhenting waved his hand, signaling him to say no more, and simultaneously ordered the generals around him, "Stop these men at all costs!"
"Yes!"
With a wave of the command flag, countless Xiling soldiers gradually converged on the Southern Garrison Prince’s position. The two Qilin squads were finally heavily surrounded. Yet, even so, they showed no sign of disorder or panic, as if they had only one target in their eyes, relentlessly pressing forward, forward...
"Princess Consort, we can’t kill Lei Zhenting now. Have them retreat," Leng Haoyu urged anxiously from the city wall tower, gazing at the black specks moving within the vast dark yellow expanse of the enemy army in the distance.
Ye Li closed her eyes but did not respond.
Nearby, Qin Feng said quietly, "They can’t retreat, and they won’t." It was because these two Qilin squads, numbering merely five to six hundred men, had forced nearly a third of the Xiling Army on the battlefield to fall back to protect their commander. The Southern Garrison Prince’s importance to the Xiling Army was no less than Mo Xiuyao’s to the Mo Family Army, if not more so. And the current Southern Garrison Prince was far too weak; he couldn’t withstand any unexpected incident. They didn’t necessarily need to kill Lei Zhenting; merely giving the appearance of an all-out attempt to assassinate him was enough to throw the Xiling Army into a state of extreme tension. And these Qilin... were destined to become the sacrifices of this battle.
