Chapter 323: Unexpectedly, his appearance is honest and sincere, but his heart is so cunning!
Wuxi Duke has been captured, and the Innate experts of Wuxi are not feeling well. They want to escape the fortress.
Night Fragrance takes immediate action, preventing them from leaving one by one.
Dayue’s Innate experts also wanted to escape, but was also kept by Night Fragrance.
Finally, General Gongsun stands defiantly alone.
At this moment, General Gongsun is surrounded and besieged by several masked strangers, struggling under the pressure.
Night Fragrance shouts, “I’ll take care of that old man!”
Lin Beifan waves his hand, “Nobody move, just watch quietly, as long as we don’t let that old man escape!”
National hatred naturally feels more satisfying to take revenge oneself!
It’s worth knowing that when the Slanted Moon Dynasty fell, General Gongsun Wudi was one of the culprits.
It was also during that time that he earned the honor and reputation of a war god.
But for the remnants of the Slanted Moon, all of this was an indelible stain, a lifelong shame, as their reputation was built upon their countless sacrifices.
The deep sea of blood feud naturally demands repayment with lives!
Revenge must be personally taken to extinguish the flames of hatred!
Therefore, the innate experts of the court surrounded them like an iron bucket around the city walls, blocking all escape routes for General Gongsun Wudi, allowing the remnants of the Slanted Moon to unleash their full power.
Gongsun Wudi looked at the mountains of corpses piled up in the city, his heart filled with anger and sadness.
Initially, he led 500,000 troops and ambitiously crossed the Qinglong Fortress to come to Great Wu, thinking he could achieve great things, establish a legacy, and become famous…
He had already broken through the Phoenix Fortress, with hope right ahead, but in the blink of an eye, everything changed!
He brought hundreds of thousands of soldiers, all buried here!
Even Wuxi Duke was captured by them!
The tide had turned, and there was no way to turn the situation around!
He not only suffered defeat but also had his lifelong reputation tarnished!
The War God?
It now sounded like a joke!
Now, even keeping his own life was a question!
However, what worried him the most was that the Dayue Dynasty lost 500,000 soldiers and horses, leaving the defense vulnerable. Various scoundrels were bound to take advantage of the situation, neighboring countries would certainly reach out, the court would be in turmoil, and public sentiment would surge…
The country might fall into chaos!
The thought that he had pushed the Dayue Dynasty into the abyss filled Gongsun Wudi with sorrow and indignation.
“I have become criminal of Dayue Dynasty!”
In an instant, a masked woman in black suddenly rushed out. In Gongsun Wudi’s moment of distraction, she pierced his chest with a sword, splattering a burst of blood.
Gongsun Wudi’s face turned pale, his strength weakened by twenty percent.
“Gongsun old thief, you have your retribution today!” the masked woman sneered.
“Who are you? I have no grudges with you. Why harm me?” Gongsun Wudi exclaimed in anger.
“You don’t need to know! Just remember, our blood feud with you is enough! Prepare to die!” the masked woman attacked again, sword light dazzling, with fierce and overwhelming killing intent.
It seemed that unless this person was killed, they would not rest!
Then, the masked woman joined forces with several other innate experts and finally killed Gongsun Wudi with their swords.
Afterward, she nodded to Lin Beifan and the others, and left gracefully.
And so, the situation was settled!
General Zhu waved his hand, full of spirit, and said, “My sons, there are still troops from Wuxi and Dayue outside the city. They are all our enemies! Let’s go kill them all without leaving a single one!”
“Yes, General!”
The city gate opened, and the imperial army marched out mightily.
However, they found that the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers had already been wiped out, and their provisions had been plundered.
There was no need for many words; it was definitely the work of the Slanted Moon Army.
“Soldiers, you’ve all worked hard in today’s battle! Drink and feast, rest well! After a day of recovery, we’ll march out, enter Wuxi, wipe out the remnants of Wuxi, and reclaim our land and rivers!” Lin Beifan called out loudly.
“Yes, Commander!” the crowd replied in unison.
After a day of recovery, Lin Beifan led the army into Wuxi.
They annihilated the remaining Wuxi soldiers, captured the remnants of Wuxi, and brought the territory back under imperial jurisdiction.
News of this great victory quickly spread far and wide!
“The Great Wu Court won again? How is this possible?”
“Wuxi and Dayue joined forces with a total of over a million soldiers and horses. How did they lose so quickly?”
“Alas! One can only say that fate plays tricks on people! Their defeat was caused by various factors! For instance, the hot weather, interrupted river flow, and the Wuxi rebels hindering them from behind!”
“After finally breaking through the Phoenix Fortress, victory was within reach. Yet, in the end, the entire army drank contaminated water and collapsed like a mountain! It’s fate, and timing. It’s just a pity!”
“Indeed, it’s a pity! But Wuxi Duke deserved to lose! A person who forgets his roots and lacks loyalty and righteousness, if given supreme power, would be a disaster for the people of the world!”
“So, even the heavens couldn’t stand by and let him win! It’s his own doing!”
“Since this year began, the Great Wu Dynasty has won several major battles. Impressive! The Great Wu Empire is no longer the same as it used to be; it can’t be easily bullied anymore!”
“What I’m more concerned about is the loss of 500,000 soldiers and the War God Gongsun Wudi. They’re both overwhelmed, and they’ve provoked the powerful Great Wu. The Dayue Dynasty is in danger!”
“They brought this upon themselves!”
…
Some were joyful, while others were worried.
Naturally, the imperial court was delighted, and their morale soared!
From top to bottom, the Dayue Dynasty was filled with fear and anxiety, afraid of the advancing Great Wu forces!
Now that they had lost the War God Gongsun Wudi and suffered a loss of 500,000 troops, their defensive strength had greatly diminished. They had no way to counter the imposing Great Wu army!
Even Prince of Northern Hebei wasn’t happy at the moment.
Sitting on his dragon’s seat, he grumbled, “Wuxi Duke is such a waste! With Wuxi and Dayue teaming up, that’s a million-strong army. I thought he could penetrate into the Central Plains heartland, but they collapsed so quickly, hmph!”
“And Sir Lin, what’s going on with him? Didn’t I instruct him to prolong the war, causing both sides to suffer heavy losses? Why did it end so quickly?”
At this moment, Prince of Northern Hebei was truly frustrated!
He had originally been waiting for the moment when both sides were in chaos, people’s livelihoods were ruined, to make a dramatic call and rise up, ending the turmoil. Then, he could smoothly ascend the throne, wear the imperial robes, and rule the world!
Who would have thought that before he could even react, the war had already ended, shattering his dream.
Having missed such a heaven-sent opportunity, it wouldn’t be so easy to rise up in rebellion later on.
“Reporting to Your Highness!” Military strategist Zhuge addressed with a respectful hand gesture. “The swift conclusion of this battle was unexpected even for me. But, Your Highness, this isn’t Sir Lin’s fault! Wuxi Duke’s defeat was entirely his own doing!”
“Strategist, what do you mean by that?” Prince of Northern Hebei asked.
“Your Highness, I learned from a letter sent by Lady Rushuang that when the Wuxi and Dayue forces gathered at the Phoenix Fortress, there was a severe drought and scorching heat. Under such circumstances, there was simply no way to engage in battle. It’s likely that Wuxi Duke’s recklessness and disregard for tradition led to his downfall, and that’s why he suffered heaven’s punishment! With heaven not on Wuxi’s side, that’s why he lost!”
Prince of Northern Hebei nodded, “Strategist, you’re right. Please continue!”
“Besides the weather factor, there’s also the factor of certain individuals! Your Highness, you’re aware that since the beginning of the year, a group of elusive rebels rose up in Wuxi, opposing Wuxi Duke!”
“In this battle, they weren’t mere bystanders; they often launched sneak attacks, disrupted water sources, set fires, and more. This incessant interference caused both Wuxi and Dayue to suffer casualties and losses, significantly weakening their strength!”
Prince of Northern Hebei nodded once again, “You’re right, strategist. Please, go on!”
“Just dealing with the weather and the rebels had already exhausted the Wuxi and Dayue forces. And now, they also have to face the court. But the court is not an easy target to bully; the difficulty can be imagined!”
“In the end, although the large army broke through the Phoenix Fortress and victory was in sight, due to the water issue, the entire army was annihilated!”
Mr. Zhuge shook his head in amazement, “It’s truly so dramatic! As Lady Rushuang said, it was actually General Zhu Xingyu who secretly put drugs in the water. Seeing that the fortress couldn’t be held, he secretly drugged the water, and unexpectedly it worked. It had nothing to do with Sir Lin!”
Prince of Northern Hebei stood up excitedly, slamming the table, “So it was that old scoundrel Zhu Xingyu! I never thought that his outward appearance of loyalty and honesty would hide such cunning and deceitfulness. I almost misjudged him!”
“So, this matter has nothing to do with Sir Lin from start to finish! Sir Lin didn’t do anything, and yet Wuxi Duke lost. It can only be said that destiny cannot be violated. Wuxi Duke brought misfortune upon himself, practiced unscrupulous methods, and invited disaster. Even the heavens couldn’t tolerate it, which led to his defeat!” Mr. Zhuge praised.
Prince of Northern Hebei nodded with his hands behind his back, “It seems I truly misunderstood Sir Lin! But…”
Prince of Northern Hebei’s expression turned distressed, “Now the imperial court is victorious, their morale is high, and their influence has spread far and wide! We missed this golden opportunity, and in the future, it won’t be so easy to raise an army!”
Just then, a familiar laughter sounded from outside, “Your Highness, I’m back!”
Prince of Northern Hebei’s heart leaped with joy. He recognized the voice and realized it was the former Tianmen Master, Leng Ruochen, who had fled in defeat before.
On that day, after being chased away by the Spear God, he found a hidden place to recuperate. However, he maintained secret contact with Prince of Northern Hebei.
Now that he had returned, it seemed his injuries had healed, giving him a newfound strength.
Prince of Northern Hebei smiled as he went to greet him and indeed found Leng Ruochen, exuding an intimidating aura that made people avoid his gaze.
He brought two individuals in peculiar attire.
One of them had a bare upper body, with a dark complexion, and a giant snake coiled around his waist and arms. His gaze was chilling.
The other was clad in tiger skins, immensely huge, with arms thicker than thighs and thighs thicker than the waist. He seemed to weigh around four to five hundred catties, walking like a giant beast.
Both of these individuals appeared difficult to provoke.
“Master Leng, you’ve finally returned! I don’t know who these two are…”
“Your Highness, allow me to introduce them!” The Tianmen Master smiled with a flushed face, “These two are fellow good friends I encountered deep in the mountains. One is known as Dragon Suppressor, and the other is known as Tiger Tamer. They’re a pair of brothers! Your Highness, they possess the prowess of grandmasters!”
“Is that so?” Prince of Northern Hebei’s eyes lit up.
“Your Highness, we pay our respects!” Both of these men placed their right hands over their hearts, simultaneously speaking.
“Haha! Two friends, there’s no need to be so formal. Please, have a seat quickly, and I’ll have tea brought in!” Prince of Northern Hebei warmly received them while secretly considering how to win them over.
At this moment, the Tianmen Master spoke triumphantly, “Your Highness, both of these men are righteous heroes! After my persuasion, they’ve decided to leave seclusion and help Your Highness establish a great undertaking!”
“Really?” Prince of Northern Hebei exclaimed in excitement.
