Chapter 330: Zhao Kuo is a useless armchair strategist; Lord Lin has to step in!
Zhao Kuo could see that things were going south, and he yelled, “All Innates, charge into the Northern Hebei Army and wipe out the martial artists!”
Following Zhao Kuo’s command, 24 Innates immediately charged towards the Northern Hebei Army.
The Prince of Northern Hebei remained composed, “Innates, intercept them!”
More than 60 Innates emerged from the main army, carrying an overwhelming momentum as they swept forward.
Zhao Kuo was taken aback, cold sweat pouring down his face as he exclaimed in shock, “Prince of Northern Hebei… how does he have so many Innate experts?”
It’s important to note that Innates are no pushovers; they are extraordinary experts among the best of the best!
Even if you count all the Innates in the imperial court, there are only around seventy to eighty of them, with half of them stationed within the military and the other half distributed among violent organizations like the Forbidden Army, the Six-Doors, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Yet, the Prince of Northern Hebei possesses over sixty Innates on his own, which is terrifying!
And now Zhao Kuo only has twenty-four, a highly dangerous situation.
The two sides’ Innates clashed quickly!
Only now did Zhao Kuo realize that most of the Prince of Northern Hebei’s Innate experts were somewhat weaker than true Innates in terms of water affinity.
But due to their overwhelming numbers, they were still formidable!
These sixty-five Innates could easily suppress his Innate experts!
They were also putting significant pressure on his regular army.
Zhao Kuo, who was well-versed in military strategy, understood that the Prince of Northern Hebei was not as straightforward as he initially thought; he had hidden depths!
Retreat was now necessary for the sake of strategic planning; otherwise, the losses would be even greater!
“Retreat! Get out of here! Move fast!” Zhao Kuo urgently roared.
The imperial army, upon receiving the command, quickly retreated without even maintaining their formations.
The Prince of Northern Hebei sneered, “Thinking of retreating? Let’s see who gets to stay! My dear friends of the martial world, release yourselves and join the slaughter. This is the moment to achieve greatness!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
After receiving the command, this diverse group of martial artists roared and charged towards the imperial army.
They displayed terrifying strength, covering several yards in just two or three steps and rapidly catching up to the imperial army.
With a casual palm strike, a large crater formed on the ground, killing several soldiers!
A kick unleashed a powerful force, causing several soldiers to spurt blood!
A sword strike descended, causing several soldiers to bow down!
Their destructive power was truly astonishing!
And unbelievably, there were over ten thousand of them!
Only then did Zhao Kuo realize in shock, “They are all Peak Postnatal Martial Artists!”
Peak Postnatal Martial Artists were not daunting; he could handle a dozen of them alone without fear!
But facing over ten thousand Peak Postnatal Martial Artists was terrifying!
Each of them could take on hundreds, making killing ordinary soldiers as easy as killing dogs!
These over ten thousand Peak Postnatal Martial Artists were more terrifying than a million-strong army!
Zhao Kuo was utterly panicked, only able to shout, “Run! Run for your lives!”
However, Zhao Kuo himself faced a dozen warriors, trying to create an opportunity for the soldiers behind. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. He could stop a dozen, but he couldn’t halt the thousands upon thousands.
Seeing the imperial army in retreat, chased by the army of warriors, the Prince of Northern Hebei laughed triumphantly, “Hahaha…”
“Congratulations, Your Highness, victory is assured!” Mr. Zhuge, who stood beside him, bowed and smiled.
“Naturally!” The Prince of Northern Hebei’s eyes shone with confidence, “With my army of over ten thousand warriors and 65 Innates, if I were to lose this battle, it would defy the laws of nature! Hahaha…”
In less than half an incense stick’s time, the 400,000-strong imperial army had been scattered and defeated.
Meanwhile, the Northern Hebei Army suffered minimal losses.
The Prince of Northern Hebei’s triumphant laughter echoed throughout.
Zhao Kuo was driven to madness!
This was his first time leading troops in battle, and in less than a day, he had suffered a disastrous defeat!
The 400,000 troops he had brought had been nearly wiped out!
How was he going to explain this to the court?
To the people?
With bloodshot eyes and a terrifying aura, Zhao Kuo turned towards the Prince of Northern Hebei, shouting, “I’ll kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
“Kuo’er, it’s dangerous! Come back!” His uncle shouted in a hurry.
But consumed by hatred, Zhao Kuo was beyond listening.
He only wanted revenge, to kill or capture the Prince of Northern Hebei, creating an opportunity for a comeback.
The Prince of Northern Hebei remained incredibly composed, a mocking smile on his face.
At that moment, a burly man with a bare upper body and a huge snake coiled around his waist appeared by the Prince of Northern Hebei’s side.
Expressionless, he struck out with a palm, a force that traversed a hundred yards, hitting Zhao Kuo’s chest.
A thunderous boom resounded as the armor on Zhao Kuo’s body shattered.
He was sent flying backwards, spewing blood.
The burly man chuckled coldly, “This armor is quite impressive! If it weren’t for it, one strike would have killed him. But that’s fine; I’ll deliver another strike!”
The Prince of Northern Hebei’s thoughts stirred, “Master Dragon Suppressor, don’t kill him!”
The burly man was puzzled, “Your Highness, why?”
“I plan to establish dominance over the Central Plains in the future, to ascend the throne. I’ll need a great number of talented individuals! This young man possesses exceptional martial skills and battlefield competence. He’s a talent, someone I can utilize.”
The burly man nodded, “Your Highness speaks wisely. In that case, I won’t kill him.”
His massive snake slid to the ground and quickly darted towards Zhao Kuo, coiling around him a few times before retracting.
Struggling, Zhao Kuo found himself unable to break free.
The chief commander of the imperial forces was captured, and the imperial Innates had no more will to fight, intending to retreat and regroup.
The Prince of Northern Hebei called out, “Masters Dragon Suppressor and Tiger Tamer, leave them to me!”
“Yes, Your Highness!” The two grandmasters acted in unison. None of the 24 Innates could escape; all were apprehended.
Witnessing this overwhelming victory, the Prince of Northern Hebei once again burst into uncontrollable laughter, “Hahaha… I’ve won!”
News of this battle spread rapidly across the land, leaving the world in shock.
“The court actually lost? In less than a day, they were defeated by the Prince of Northern Hebei?”
“The imperial 400,000-strong army was completely wiped out! Are these 24 Innates, including General Zhao Kuo, all captured? Has the Prince of Northern Hebei truly become this powerful?”
“The Prince of Northern Hebei is so terrifying! He’s even more formidable than the Prince of Southern Jiang and the Wuxi Duke!”
“I believe it’s not that the Prince of Northern Hebei is too strong; it’s just that Zhao Kuo is too inept! With such a massive force and strong warriors, they should have won, but they lost to the Prince of Northern Hebei. It’s not just a loss of face; the court suffered heavy losses!”
“I told you that spoiled brat wasn’t capable. If only Lord Lin had taken action!”
“Exactly! Lord Lin, the Brave and Loyal Duke, would have assured victory!”
…
The Prince of Northern Hebei’s morale soared!
And the reputation of Lin Beifan also received a boost!
Only Zhao Kuo, and the Zhao family behind him, suffered heavy losses and were utterly disgraced!
With the situation dire, the Empress immediately convened a court meeting to discuss countermeasures.
In the Golden Phoenix Hall, the Empress sat high on her dragon throne, her expression terrifyingly dark, her gaze seemingly capable of killing everyone present.
The civil and military officials below were trembling in fear, cold sweat streaming down their faces.
Just then, the Empress slammed the table and stood up, her anger akin to thunder, “So this is the chief commander you recommended? Truly excellent! Very, very impressive! In less than a day… I should say, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he managed to wipe out my 400,000-strong army!”
“I can’t understand it at all. With 400,000 troops, even if they were killed one by one in a line, it would take until nightfall. How could he lose so quickly? Why did he lose so quickly?”
Li Kaiguang, the Minister of War, was drenched in sweat, and he stammered, “Your Majesty, it’s not entirely Zhao Kuo’s fault…”
The Empress exploded, “Silence! Did I ask you anything? I only care about the outcome, not the process! The result is that he lost, lost completely. He has thoroughly disappointed me!”
Li Kaiguang quickly recoiled his head.
The Empress continued her tirade, “That Zhao Kuo, that good-for-nothing, not only caused me to lose 400,000 troops but also lost more than a dozen Innates! He caused me heavy losses and damaged my reputation. I’m so infuriated!”
“He’s nothing more than an armchair strategist. I wish I could tear him apart! As his recommenders, you’re equally at fault. How do you think I should punish you?”
“Your Majesty, please forgive us!” The civil and military officials trembled in fear.
… … …
The Empress furiously declared, “Cut their salaries for three years! Furthermore, each of you must write a self-examination letter, reflecting on your words and actions, engaging in a serious and profound self-examination, and make it public!”
The civil and military officials instantly lost their composure.
Cutting their salaries was acceptable; after all, they didn’t rely on that for their livelihoods.
However, having to write self-examination letters and making them public was utterly nauseating.
They could be shameless, but they couldn’t afford to lose face!
“Your Majesty, about these self-examination letters…”
The Empress roared in anger, “Silence! Say one more word, and the cudgel will be ready!”
The officials quickly retracted their heads.
The Empress continued with a grimace, “After writing them, hand them over to Lord Lin for inspection. If he’s dissatisfied, keep writing until he is!”
The civil and military officials exclaimed, “Damn it!”
Lin Beifan promptly and happily accepted the task, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The officials wore a look of resignation.
After venting her anger, the Empress finally calmed down. She turned to Lin Beifan and spoke softly, “Lord Lin, this time it’s up to you! The Prince of Northern Hebei’s forces are strong and imposing. Among the court, only you can shoulder this heavy responsibility.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lin Beifan replied calmly. “Leave this matter to me. I promise I’ll ensure that he won’t return.”
The Empress was delighted and said after three affirmatives, “I entrust this matter to you, Lord Lin. I’m very confident in you. Whatever personnel or resources you need, just ask. I’ll fully support you.”
“Thank you for your support, Your Majesty, but I don’t need anything,” Lin Beifan replied.
“What?” The Empress was dumbfounded, and so were the officials.
“How can you not need anything?” Li Kaiguang, the Minister of War, advised, “You must understand, the Prince of Northern Hebei is coming with great force. He’s even more terrifying than the former Prince of Southern Jiang and the Wuxi Duke! He’ll reach the capital in two or three days. It’ll be too late if you’re not prepared!”
“Lord Lin, how many troops do you need, how many experts do you need? Just say the word! I’ll dispatch them to you immediately!”
“Whatever you want, as long as you open your mouth, I’ll arrange it for you right away!”
…
The civil and military officials offered advice and suggestions enthusiastically.
Now everyone was on the same boat, so they had to fully support Lin Beifan.
Lin Beifan smiled calmly, exuding confidence, “I truly don’t need anything. Not only that, but I also don’t need to take any action. As long as the Prince of Northern Hebei reaches the capital, I guarantee he won’t be able to escape.”
…
