Chapter 126: Father Emperor, Your Son Is Willing To Sacrifice For The Nation And Marry The Fairy-like Princess
Just as the common people had imagined.
Going to war is inherently a cruel matter, what are you all excited about?
But the soldiers just want to say, you know nothing, who among those who enlist doesn’t want to achieve merit and success? Under other generals, you might just be cannon fodder.
But following the Great General, the Great General truly wants to lead you to achieve merit and success.
You don’t even bother to inquire.
In the hearts of the soldiers who followed the Great General on his expeditions, how good was the Great General’s reputation and how high was his evaluation in the few times he led troops on campaign?
When they learned that the Great General was going to select iron cavalry from the Capital Garrison for a distant expedition.
They truly displayed their own unique talents.
They scrambled to be chosen.
The selected soldiers were overjoyed, while those not chosen felt like they’d rather die.
Several days later.
Exiting the border.
Night.
The entire army rested, and the officers and soldiers prepared their own meals. Meanwhile, the imperial chefs arranged by the Emperor were also busy, and several fine dishes were brought out.
Just as Lin Fan reached out to pick up a chicken leg, an arm stretched out from the side and snatched the chicken leg away.
Ouch!
Lin Fan was startled. Someone dared to snatch his Divine Martial Great General’s chicken leg? He had to see who was so audacious. But when he turned around, he saw Ning Yu holding the chicken leg and laughing heartily.
“Ning Yu, you’ve gotten quite bold. I didn’t agree, yet you dared to make your own decision to follow the army on this expedition. This is utter nonsense,” Lin Fan reprimanded.
Ning Yu squatted in front of Lin Fan and brought the chicken leg to her master’s mouth. “Master, eat the chicken leg.”
Lin Fan opened his mouth, took a bite of the chicken leg, and tore off a piece. “Who told you to come? Marching and fighting is not child’s play. Swords and blades have no eyes, what if you get hurt?”
“Master, have another bite.”
Lin Fan took the chicken leg and finished it in a few bites. He looked helplessly at Ning Yu, who was clad in armor, and shook his head. “You troublesome girl, the Divine Martial Department still needs you to oversee it. If you run off here, what will happen to the Divine Martial Department?”
“Master, the Divine Martial Department is already on the right track. Yang Ming and the others can handle it. I was too bored staying in the Imperial Capital, so I wanted to come out with Master to see the world. Master, you aren’t really angry, are you?”
“What do you think?”
“My dear Master,” Ning Yu said, shaking Lin Fan’s arm. “I promise to obey the Great General’s command. Wherever the Great General points, I will go. Wherever the Great General tells me to stand, I will remain motionless, just like a turtle.”
“You, you’ve been spoiled by me too much, you’re lawless.”
Lin Fan truly had no way with this disciple.
Ning Yu smiled happily. “Of course, Master should dote on his disciple. I am now the most secure person in the world. After all, others aren’t protected by their masters like I am.”
“You, you,” Lin Fan said helplessly. “Listen carefully. When we get there, you are not allowed to wander around. You will obey me in everything, or I will have someone send you back.”
“Yes, Great General. I promise to obey military orders.”
Ning Yu abruptly stood up, straightened her body, and held her head high.
The night was long. While other soldiers were resting, Lin Fan was absorbing the power of the stars. The stars hanging high in the sky twinkled with faint light, and threads of coldness surged into his body.
The proficiency of the Guiyi Body Refining Method slowly increased.
The principle behind this.
He still hadn’t figured it out.
The only possibility that could cause this situation was that he had chosen the bloodline development route back then and not the non-human one.
But he had a guess in his heart.
It wasn’t cultivation, nor was it fantastical martial arts, but tempering bloodlines. Could it be the path of human self-strengthening?
…
Two days later.
Lai Mu Country.
The King personally led the army, but now they are besieged in the city. Facing the ferocious and ruthless Bei Li enemy, the army’s morale is very low.
Inside the city.
“Report! The Bei Li bandits are again clamoring outside the city walls and have even issued a harsh warning: if we don’t surrender and come out of the city, the day the city gates are breached will be the day the entire city is massacred.”
A general rushed in, his expression anxious.
The King’s face was grim. He led the soldiers to the city wall and saw the Bei Li army approaching the city from afar.
A general with a full beard at the forefront shouted arrogantly, “King of Lai Mu, quickly come out and surrender. I will spare the lives of your citizens then. Otherwise, if you resist stubbornly, don’t blame me for breaching the city and massacring everyone.”
“Bei Li bandits! Lai Mu and Bei Li signed a treaty of non-aggression. Why are you breaking your promise?” the King of Lai Mu said angrily.
“Hahaha…” the Bei Li general laughed heartily. “What a foolish treaty! Only the weak take treaties seriously.”
For the Bei Li general, conquering Lai Mu was a certainty. This time, they had united the forces of several tribes. It was truly a case of one man guarding the pass and ten thousand men unable to get through; no one could stop them.
The soldiers of Lai Mu Country were too weak, not enough to fight.
“You group of bandits.”
The King of Lai Mu’s face was filled with anger. He was waiting, hoping the suzerain state would send troops to assist. The envoy sent out had returned two days ago, saying he hadn’t seen the Emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty, but the Princess said the Divine Martial Great General would send troops to help.
He didn’t know who this Divine Martial Great General was.
In his opinion, since he hadn’t even met the suzerain state’s Emperor, nor received the Emperor’s personal consent, the King of Lai Mu was filled with anxiety.
At this moment, a defending general said, “Your Highness, the grain and fodder in the city are almost gone. The common people are panicking, and the soldiers’ morale is low. If there are no reinforcements and we remain besieged, we will fall apart from within long before the bandits attack.”
The Kings of vassal states were all sons of the Emperor of the Central Plains Dynasty.
Therefore, calling him Your Highness was not wrong.
The King of Lai Mu was not skilled in marching and fighting. His personal expedition was merely to boost the soldiers’ confidence, but upon arriving at the scene, he realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined.
Now, the King of Lai Mu looked at the soldiers around him. They were all listless, and facing the Bei Li army, terror flickered in their eyes.
He then turned to look at the common people inside the city.
His heart was filled with complex emotions.
Given the current situation, if there were truly no reinforcements from the Central Plains Dynasty, then there would be no hope at all.
…
Night.
Lin Fan’s iron cavalry of one thousand men were not far from the Bei Li army’s location.
“Report, Great General. The Great General of Bei Li is only about ten miles away. They have the King of Lai Mu surrounded in the city and are not choosing to attack, but rather to wear them down.”
Lin Fan asked, “Approximately how many troops?”
“Reporting, Great General. The Bei Li have deployed about twenty thousand troops this time.”
“Only twenty thousand? How is the equipment of these soldiers? Are they all wearing armor?” Lin Fan inquired.
“No, most of them are only wearing leather armor.”
“Oh.”
Lin Fan nodded, not taking the approximately twenty thousand Bei Li troops seriously.
In his opinion, without armor and without iron cavalry, how could they withstand his one thousand fully equipped iron cavalry? A single charge would be enough to break them.
In ancient times of cold weapons, how terrifying was heavy cavalry and iron cavalry?
It could only be said to be extremely terrifying.
A thousand iron cavalry charging through would create a massive impact, capable of instantly shattering the enemy’s morale and instilling fear.
Once fear sets in, it’s like a collapsing mountain of defeat.
They were all no match for him.
…
The next day, early morning.
The Bei Li army once again approached the city walls, while the situation for the King of Lai Mu was very dire. This was because he learned that last night, some soldiers had secretly escaped the city through a dog hole and their whereabouts were unknown.
The soldiers’ desertion caused the morale of the entire city’s soldiers to plummet to freezing point.
“King of Lai Mu, how long do you intend to hold out? If you don’t surrender, don’t blame us,” the Bei Li general continued to taunt.
Seeing that there was no response, he beckoned.
A group of soldiers who had escaped last night were brought to the front. The soldiers on the city wall trembled upon seeing this scene.
“Execute them.”
Following his command.
The Bei Li soldiers swung their swords down, and in an instant, heads rolled to the ground.
The bloody scene before them struck fear into the hearts of the defending soldiers.
The Bei Li general raised a head and shouted, “Soldiers inside the city, listen up! Open the city gates and surrender now, and I promise not to kill you. But if you continue to stubbornly defend the city with your king, it will be too late for you to live.”
These words struck the soldiers inside the city with great unease.
They looked at each other.
In the current situation, they knew well that if they couldn’t wait for reinforcements, it would be a dead end. In the face of death, any composure and calmness were false.
A general on Lai Mu’s side said angrily, “What are you doing? As soldiers, how can you be afraid? Do you really believe his words? If you surrender, the outcome is still death. Now you…”
Just as the general was about to continue speaking.
The King of Lai Mu pointed into the distance and said, “What… what is that?”
The general followed the direction the King pointed. The terrain there was slightly higher. A flag slowly rose from the horizon, fluttering in the wind, like a glimmer of light in the darkness.
Immediately after, a figure appeared. Although far away, it was clearly discernible that the person was riding a horse.
“Reinforcements?”
The King of Lai Mu murmured to himself.
As he wondered if it were reinforcements, more figures appeared. In the sunlight, these figures radiated a faint glow, which was very dazzling.
“Iron cavalry! That’s iron cavalry!” the general shouted excitedly.
How could he not know that anything that could refract such a faint glow must be iron cavalry?
“Your Highness, reinforcements from the suzerain state have arrived! We are saved,” the general said.
The King of Lai Mu clenched his fists, his blood surging to his face, causing it to turn red.
The King of Lai Mu shouted loudly, “My people, my soldiers! The suzerain state has come to save us! We have hope! Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid!”
At this moment, he had to boost the morale of his soldiers.
Indeed.
The soldiers who had lost hope, upon hearing the King’s shouts and seeing those figures glittering in the distance, suddenly felt confidence surge from the depths of their hearts.
The Bei Li general frowned.
What’s going on?
Why have these lambs to be slaughtered inside the city suddenly become so excited?
“General, a group of unidentified iron cavalry has appeared in the rear,” a soldier reported.
“What?”
The Bei Li general’s face showed surprise. He turned his head sharply and saw not far away a line of iron cavalry radiating a faint glow.
This situation made the Bei Li general feel a great sense of unease.
At this moment.
Lin Fan looked ahead at the seemingly vast army, but it felt fragile. He frowned, “Can these soldiers fight? They are invading, yet they don’t even have equipment for their soldiers.”
Ning Yu said, “Master, Bei Li are a tribal people. I suspect these soldiers are from several tribes combined, so their equipment cannot compare to ours.”
Lin Fan said, “His Majesty is truly… Since Lai Mu Country is a vassal state, he should at least provide some equipment. To be besieged by a group of unprofessional tribal natives like this is a disgrace.”
Thinking this, he couldn’t be bothered to say more.
“You all wait and charge. Let this general charge first for a while. Also, two people, keep an eye on my beloved disciple. Don’t let her participate. If any of you fail to watch her, you will be punished.” Lin Fan said.
Ning Yu had been itching to fight for a long time. She was now clad in armor, impervious to swords and spears. Charging with the main force would definitely be fine.
But to her surprise, one of the two iron cavalry guarding her actually lay down in front of the horse, holding its hooves with both hands, while the other lay behind, holding the hind hooves.
“Great General, rest assured, we will watch her closely.”
The two iron cavalry solemnly guaranteed.
“Hmm, good,”
Lin Fan nodded with satisfaction. He liked soldiers who followed him to be sufficiently clever.
He didn’t like slow-witted soldiers.
“Watch carefully, this general is about to unleash a massacre.”
“Giddy up!”
Lin Fan roared and charged his horse down the slope, rushing towards the nearly twenty thousand strong Bei Li army, shouting, “You are all surrounded. Quickly lay down your weapons, or face the consequences.”
The Bei Li soldiers were stunned by the opponent’s actions.
Huh?
Charging alone?
Is he trying to court death?
The Bei Li general had intended to retreat, thinking that despite their superior numbers, they might not have a chance against the iron cavalry and that it would be wise to avoid their sharpest edge.
But who would have thought that the opponent would come alone?
He wasn’t even wearing armor.
He was only wielding an iron rod.
Thinking this, the Bei Li general couldn’t help but laugh heartily and spurred his horse to meet him. “Men, watch how your general slays this person!”
He himself was encased in armor, completely safe. Even if a thousand arrows were shot, he only needed to protect his face to be completely secure.
Therefore, facing the charging Lin Fan, he was not flustered at all.
He raised his Guan Dao, waiting to get close enough to cleave the opponent in two with a single blow.
In a moment.
The two horses were about to pass each other.
“Get the hell out of the way!”
Lin Fan swung his rod, as fast as lightning. The Bei Li general was still holding his Guan Dao and laughing arrogantly, not knowing what had happened, when he heard a “bang” and saw what seemed to be a large black rat being sent flying.
This scene happened too quickly.
Everyone was caught off guard.
Lin Fan, of course, didn’t even glance at the man who had been sent flying. Instead, he spurred his horse into the midst of the army and then swept his rod left and right.
How could soldiers wearing only leather armor withstand this? But Lin Fan felt that it was too slow to kill while riding a horse.
Without thinking, he placed his palm on the ground, leaped off his horse, raised his iron rod, and brought it down heavily onto the ground.
Bang!
The roar echoed.
The moment the iron rod collided with the ground, it was as if the earth itself shook. A deep pit appeared, and the resulting shockwave swept out, sending soldiers within its range spitting blood and flying backward.
In an instant, the scene became chaotic.
The King of Lai Mu, standing on the city wall, stared at the scene unfolding before him.
His mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.
Is this human?
This was the only thought in the King of Lai Mu’s mind. Could a human possibly do this?
A general beside him murmured, “Is this the strength of a military general from the suzerain state?”
He used to think the Central Plains Dynasty was powerful because of its vast territory and strong development. But now… he had changed his mind.
Were the people of Lai Mu Country and the people of the Central Plains Dynasty the same species?
“Comfortable, so comfortable!!!”
Lin Fan roared. Ever since he had entered the beginner level of the Guiyi Body Refining Method and could absorb the power of the earth, sun, moon, and stars, he felt an inexhaustible supply of strength coursing through his body.
In the Central Plains Dynasty, he had no one to fight.
That’s why he wanted to conquer other countries. Ostensibly, he told His Majesty that he wanted to conquer a vast territory for him, but in reality, he wanted to vent the excess energy within him.
He was feeling very stifled.
People who are often stifled can understand the feeling of their muscles becoming stiff from time to time.
At this moment.
The terrified Bei Li soldiers snapped out of their stupor.
“The general is dead.”
“Run! He’s not human.”
Indeed, it was difficult to describe Lin Fan as human now. Holding his iron rod, he charged into the army of nearly twenty thousand men. With himself as the center, a vacuum zone was almost formed around him.
No one could get close.
The waiting iron cavalry saw the Great General wave at them and immediately shouted.
“Charge!!!”
Rumble!
The thundering hooves of horses.
A mighty torrent of iron cavalry poured forth.
“When will my Lai Mu Country ever have such iron cavalry?” the King of Lai Mu muttered to himself.
A general beside him said, “Your Highness, absolutely not.”
If the King of Lai Mu truly had such iron cavalry, then the Central Plains Dynasty would not be coming to aid them next time, but to attack them.
Bang!
Bang!
As the iron cavalry charged, the Bei Li soldiers suffered heavy casualties.
The iron cavalry charged once, adjusted for a moment, and then charged again. They were like a meat grinder. How could these soldiers, wearing only leather armor, withstand such an impact?
In the blink of an eye, their defeat was sealed.
They fled in all directions.
In the distance, Ning Yu watched the scene, her blood boiling and her hands itching. She looked at the iron cavalry restricting her movement and said, “Can you loosen up? I want to charge.”
“My lady, you absolutely cannot! We were given the task of watching you by the Great General.”
“Yes, my lady. It wasn’t easy for me to be chosen as one of the Great General’s soldiers. If we don’t have merit in charging, only by watching you will we gain merit,” they said.
Faced with the earnest pleas of the two iron cavalry,
Ning Yu was speechless.
At this moment, what else could she say?
She believed she had learned true skills from her master. When it came to being a constable, she was proficient in interrogation and had a pair of discerning eyes.
She could tell whether someone was good or bad at a glance.
After joining the Divine Martial Department, although she was responsible for administrative work, she handled officials very effectively.
If anyone didn’t believe it, they could ask around the Imperial City. Which official didn’t tremble at the sight of her? They would avoid her if they could, and if they couldn’t, they would put on a fawning smile.
As for formations and tactics, she was actively learning from her master.
She hoped that one day she could assemble her own female army, charge into battle, and strike fear into enemy nations.
Thinking this,
Ning Yu chuckled.
The two iron cavalry lowered their heads, finding this lady’s smile a bit unnerving.
After a long while.
The battle ended.
Bodies littered the ground, and deep pits, filled with blood, dotted the landscape.
The Bei Li soldiers fled quickly. As for those who couldn’t escape, they all lay on the ground as corpses.
Ning Yu hurried over. “Master, you are truly my idol.”
Lin Fan said, “Stop flattering me.”
“Master, this isn’t flattery, it’s my heartfelt words.” Ning Yu’s greatest desire was to learn this powerful strength, but her master always said it couldn’t be taught, and he would teach her when he could.
In response, Ning Yu felt she hadn’t flattered him enough and needed to be even sweeter.
Creak!
The city gate opened wide.
The King of Lai Mu came before Lin Fan, looking at Lin Fan, who was spotless of blood but whose iron rod dripped with fresh blood. “Thank you for your aid, General. May I ask who you are?”
Before the King of Lai Mu could speak.
Ning Yu said, “You are the King of Lai Mu, how can you not even know my Master? My Master is the renowned Divine Martial Great General of the Central Plains Dynasty, bestowed the title ‘Number One Under Heaven’ by His Majesty, and his divine might is unparalleled.”
“Ah! So you are the Divine Martial Great General. I apologize for my rudeness,” the King of Lai Mu said quickly.
He appeared very respectful and full of awe.
Lin Fan said, “Consort Zhuang requested me to come to your aid. These Bei Li tribes are truly audacious. Knowing that Lai Mu Country is a vassal of the Central Plains Dynasty, they still dare to invade. They are simply courting death.”
The King of Lai Mu said, “Great General, you may not know, but Bei Li is a vassal state of Ding An Country. With their assistance, their military strength has greatly increased. I am helpless.”
Lin Fan waved his hand. “It’s alright, don’t worry. Ding An Country, as it is called, will soon be territory of the Central Plains Dynasty.”
Upon hearing this.
The King of Lai Mu was shocked.
The information revealed by the Divine Martial Great General was explosive. Wasn’t this saying that the Central Plains Dynasty was going to send troops against Ding An Country?
As far as he knew.
Ding An Country had developed very well over the past century, showing a trend of surpassing the Central Plains Dynasty in all aspects. If allowed to continue developing, it would become a powerful nation.
It seemed the suzerain state had noticed this and wanted to nip this crisis in the bud.
As expected!
The suzerain state is worthy of being the suzerain state.
If nothing else.
Their ability to understand surrounding forces is still very strong.
“Great General, why don’t you come into the city to rest? Allow me to host you and your soldiers well,” the King of Lai Mu said.
Lin Fan had intended to pursue the victory and directly destroy the Bei Li tribes’ effective forces, but seeing that the soldiers were a bit tired, he didn’t say much.
Upon entering the city.
The defending soldiers looked at the royal troops sent by the suzerain state with awe.
They truly felt they were worthy of being called royal troops.
Their presence alone was formidable; the aura of killing intent they exuded was like the scent of blood.
Led by the King of Lai Mu, they soon arrived at the highest-ranking mansion in the city. At this point, Lin Fan saw a stone tablet standing next to the mansion’s entrance.
Judging by the marks on the stone tablet, it had been there for a long time, likely many years.
“King of Lai Mu, what is the meaning of erecting a stone tablet by the entrance?” Lin Fan asked.
The King of Lai Mu said, “Great General, you may not know, but this stone tablet was not erected by us. Before our Lai Mu Country was even founded, this tablet was already here. We even built our city on top of this tablet.”
“Oh.”
Lin Fan couldn’t help but look at it a few more times. When he clearly saw the words inscribed on the stone tablet, he was somewhat stunned.
On this stone tablet were carved six ancient characters.
‘Immortal is not Sage, God is not Ancestor.’
When Lin Fan transmigrated here, his initial thought was to find masters, the kind who could fly through the air and escape the earth. But so far, he hadn’t found any.
He felt that perhaps there were only exceptionally talented individuals in this world, but no means of cultivation.
Now, seeing this stone tablet, he couldn’t help but pay attention.
As a modern person, he was very sensitive to words like “immortal” and “god.”
Seeing the Great General staring at the stone tablet in a daze, the King of Lai Mu whispered, “Great General, is there something wrong?”
Lin Fan came back to his senses and calmly asked, “Is there something underneath this stone tablet?”
The King of Lai Mu shook his head. “No, when the city was built, my ancestors excavated the area. There was only this stone tablet, nothing else.”
Lin Fan approached the stone tablet and ran his hand over it. Nothing unusual happened, but for some reason, he felt a special sensation, a sense of melancholy within his heart.
This feeling was as if the person who erected this stone tablet was filled with a sense of despair and unwillingness, and had infused this emotion into the characters.
“King of Lai Mu, could you do me a favor?” Lin Fan asked.
“Great General, please speak.”
Lin Fan pointed at the stone tablet and said, “Could you help me find any records related to this stone tablet? I want to know its origin.”
The King of Lai Mu said, “Great General, rest assured, I will do my utmost to search through ancient texts and find the origin of this stone tablet for you.”
Lin Fan nodded and patted the King of Lai Mu’s shoulder. “Search well. If you can find it, I guarantee you a great reward.”
The King of Lai Mu, being patted on the shoulder, was slightly taken aback. He wasn’t quite used to it.
Regardless, he was still a king of a country.
In the past, he was the one who made grand promises to others.
Now, being made such a promise by a Great General from the suzerain state felt… well, it spurred his motivation to search. However, he didn’t think he would find anything, mainly because his ancestors had searched but found no clues whatsoever.
Led by the King of Lai Mu, Lin Fan walked towards the mansion, but he kept looking back at the stone tablet every three steps.
At the welcoming banquet.
Lin Fan was distracted, constantly replaying the meaning of those six characters. The meaning of these six characters was not incomprehensible.
“Immortals are not sages, gods are not ancestors?”
Is that right?
…
Night fell.
The cold wind whistled, and the moonlight cast its glow.
Lin Fan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the stone tablet. He occasionally reached out to touch it. He had tried many methods, using all the techniques he had learned from professional books.
For example:
Dripping blood for consecration.
Activating with pure yang saliva.
Enhancing activity with a virgin’s urine.
And so on. He had tried a series of methods, but unfortunately, there was still no reaction.
Footsteps sounded from behind him. Lin Fan turned around and saw Ning Yu curiously approaching him. “Master, is there anything special about this stone tablet? I’ve noticed you’ve been rather absent-minded all day.”
Lin Fan smiled and said, “It’s not that the stone tablet is special, but the characters on it. What do you think they mean? After all, the age of this stone tablet is unfathomable. But it’s unlikely that someone went to such great lengths to bury a stone tablet just to carve these six words, right?”
Ning Yu looked at the stone tablet and also shook her head.
She didn’t understand what it meant either.
But she kept her master’s thoughts in mind. The Central Plains Dynasty had many books, and she would search them thoroughly for her master upon their return.
Lin Fan didn’t say much more. “It’s getting late, let’s go back to sleep. We have to set off early tomorrow to destroy these so-called Bei Li.”
“Oh, understood, Master.”
Several days later.
Bei Li faced utter destruction. The main reason was that the Bei Li tribes were simply not strong enough to fight. The soldiers left behind in the tribes could not withstand the impact of the iron cavalry torrent.
If Lin Fan had led a thousand ordinary soldiers without heavy armor, he couldn’t have guaranteed that Bei Li would be swept away without a single casualty.
But now, with these thousand iron cavalry, even if someone stumbled and fell from their horse, was surrounded, and attacked with knives, they would discover after hacking for half the day that at most, only their armor would bear marks.
Ding An Country.
Having learned to develop discreetly, they now wished to avoid any conflict with neighboring countries, especially the Central Plains Dynasty.
Ding An Country was currently experiencing strong development momentum.
Like the Central Plains Dynasty, they were an agricultural society, self-sufficient. Furthermore, their people were not only martial but also cultured, deeply understanding that reading could make their country more civilized and martial prowess could make their country prosperous.
Moreover, they had a sense of belonging to the court.
Any dynasty, even a declining one, could become prosperous if it possessed these factors.
Heritage is the foundation for a nation’s prosperity.
The imperial court.
A Bei Li envoy knelt in the hall, crying, “Your Majesty, the Central Plains Dynasty’s reinforcements are about to trample all over the Bei Li tribes. I implore Your Majesty to send troops to our aid!”
The Emperor of Ding An Country, Dong Sheng Wang, sat on the dragon throne with a furrowed brow. In his prime, he possessed great ambition, and the title Dong Sheng Wang signified that he was the extreme sage of the east.
A minister said, “Your Majesty, the Central Plains Dynasty has gone too far. They know Bei Li is our vassal state, yet they dare to intrude so deeply now. If we don’t show them a bit of color, they’ll truly think our Ding An Country is easy to bully.”
“Your Majesty, this minister is willing to lead troops to campaign and capture the Central Plains Dynasty’s Divine Martial Great General,” said a military general.
In the Imperial Court now, the ministers were in an uproar.
They all felt that the Central Plains Dynasty’s assistance this time was rather fierce, directly entering the crucial areas of Bei Li and killing countless Bei Li people. It had reached a critical juncture of life and death.
“Grand Tutor, what are your thoughts?” Dong Sheng Wang asked.
Ding An Country’s court system completely copied the Central Plains Dynasty’s system, learning from it in all aspects, even establishing a special pavilion for analyzing the Central Plains Dynasty’s systems.
From the bottom to the top, good systems were directly copied, while those that seemed good but would actually lead to disaster were directly discarded.
The Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, I believe we should send an envoy to the Central Plains Dynasty to negotiate, rather than dispatching troops for a distant expedition and causing conflict. Our country is currently developing at a high speed, and any conflict must be avoided. After all, the future is most important.”
Dong Sheng Wang nodded in silence.
What the Grand Tutor said made sense.
Hadn’t Ding An Country been lying low for so many years precisely to annex the Central Plains Dynasty when their wings were strong enough?
And in the meantime, what were the humiliations they suffered worth?
The Bei Li envoy became flustered, “Your Majesty, Grand Tutor, my Bei Li tribes are loyal to Your Majesty. Now Your Majesty cannot stand idly by, can you? Otherwise, wouldn’t this chill the hearts of the Bei Li tribes.”
“Presumptuous!”
“Audacious!”
The officials berated him angrily.
The Bei Li envoy lowered his head, trembling, not daring to speak.
Dong Sheng Wang looked at the Bei Li envoy with gradually chilling eyes, without speaking.
The Grand Tutor said, “Your invasion of Lai Mu Country this time was supposed to be a raid and plunder before retreating. But who would have thought you would march straight in, attempting to annex all of Lai Mu? Now that the Central Plains Dynasty has struck into your territory, it is entirely your own doing.”
“It is already heavenly grace that Your Majesty is willing to send an envoy to plead for you. Do not be ungrateful.”
The Bei Li envoy turned pale with fright, “Yes, yes, thank Your Majesty, thank Your Majesty.”
“You may withdraw,” the Grand Tutor said.
The Bei Li envoy left the court.
After the other party departed, the Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, this old official has investigated this Divine Martial Great General of the Central Plains Dynasty. This person is very skilled in warfare; Tudan, the Great General of Mengye Country, was captured by him. If our country goes to war with him, in terms of generals, our court may not be his match.”
“Without a foolproof plan, one must never act on impulse.”
“Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain.”
The Grand Tutor’s expression was solemn.
Ding An Country had developed very well in recent years.
The Central Plains Dynasty naturally knew the current situation of Ding An Country. Fortunately, Mengye Country was keeping them occupied, preventing the Central Plains Dynasty from having the spare capacity to deal with Ding An Country.
This was also the fortune of the nation.
It gave them more opportunities for development.
Dong Sheng Wang said, “Grand Tutor, who do you think would be suitable to send as an envoy?”
The Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, dare to suggest sending Ding An Princess for a political marriage. Simultaneously, Minister Chen should accompany her. Firstly, the political marriage can show the Central Plains Dynasty that our country dares not contend with them. Secondly, it will allow Minister Chen to observe the military development of the Central Plains Dynasty.”
“As long as another ten years are given, just ten years, I believe our country will be able to annex the Central Plains Dynasty and thereby rule the Central Plains.”
Upon hearing this.
The court officials were speechless. It wasn’t that they had nothing to say, but rather they were astonished by the Grand Tutor’s idea.
Who didn’t know that Ding An Princess was the Emperor’s beloved daughter?
The Emperor had once declared that anyone could go for a political marriage except Ding An Princess. “I want to keep her by my side for a lifetime. No man in this world is worthy of my pearl.”
The officials cautiously looked at the Emperor.
They thought the Emperor must be furious now.
After all, this had challenged the Emperor’s bottom line.
But to their surprise, the Emperor merely took a deep breath, his expression returning to normal as he said, “Grand Tutor, must it truly be this way?”
The Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, the current situation is not clear. For now, we can only stabilize the Central Plains and let them see Ding An Country’s sincerity. For the sake of the greater good, I implore Your Majesty to grant your approval.”
Dong Sheng Wang was extremely reluctant, “This is my heart’s treasure.”
“Your Majesty, that is the Central Plains,” the Grand Tutor said with high spirits.
“Alas!”
Dong Sheng Wang thought of the Central Plains, the center of the world. Once it was annexed, he, Dong Sheng Wang, would look down upon all under heaven. Just thinking about it made him feel that even his most precious heart’s treasure could not compare to the Central Plains.
“Granted.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
……
Several days later.
Central Plains Dynasty.
“Master, those Bei Li tribes really ran fast,” Ning Yu thought about the events of the past few days. A few days ago was very stimulating, but afterward, it wasn’t stimulating anymore, as there was no one left.
“Nonsense, could they wait for us to kill them?” Lin Fan said.
Ning Yu said, “Master, when will we make a move against Ding An Country? Bei Li was so bold, it must have been instigated by Ding An Country.”
Lin Fan said, “Ning Yu, you must remember, in large-scale warfare, one cannot be hasty. One must be fully prepared. Either don’t fight, or if you do fight, you must completely destroy them.”
Ning Yu nodded upon hearing this.
What Master said was very reasonable.
Learned it.
Thus, the iron cavalry returned triumphantly with a large amount of supplies. Unlike Lin Fan and Ning Yu, who returned disappointed, the iron cavalry were all extremely excited.
Some, afraid of forgetting how many enemies they had killed, directly made marks on their armor with their swords.
For example, “I killed ten.”
In their eyes, this was a military achievement, a record of accomplishments, something worth boasting about for a lifetime.
……
At this time, in the court.
The officials in the hall were still immersed in the beauty of Ding An Princess.
My goodness!
It wasn’t that they had never seen a beauty in their lives, but this was the first time they had seen someone as beautiful as Ding An Princess.
Her aura was indescribable.
One could only say she was a fairy descended to earth for a visit.
The Emperor coughed lightly and said, “My beloved ministers, what are your thoughts on this? Ding An Country has sent their beloved daughter for a political marriage. What do you think?”
The Minister of Revenue said, “Your Majesty, Ding An Country is clearly afraid that our Dynasty will hold them accountable, so they are sending a princess for a political marriage. This minister believes the marriage can proceed. Firstly, it showcases our Dynasty’s magnanimity, and secondly, it lets other barbarian countries know that the Central Plains Dynasty is not to be trifled with.”
The Emperor nodded, very pleased with this explanation.
“My beloved ministers, who do you think should marry Ding An Princess?” the Emperor asked.
The old ministers in the court all cried out in their hearts, “If Your Majesty is willing, this old minister would like to marry her.” Of course, they only thought about it.
Suddenly.
The Second Prince decisively said, “Father Emperor, as a Prince of the Imperial Family, I am still unmarried. Now Ding An Country is sending a princess for a political marriage, I am willing to contribute to the country.”
As he said this, his face did not blush and his heart did not skip a beat, giving the impression of a noble sacrifice, as if he were about to suffer hardship.
“You think you are worthy?” the Emperor said.
Huh?
The Second Prince was stunned. No… Father Emperor, we are still in court. I am willing to make such a great sacrifice, how can you show me such disrespect?
The Second Prince lowered his head and said, “Father Emperor’s admonishment is correct, I am indeed not worthy. Then… Father Emperor, you go?”
“You are talking nonsense!!!” The Emperor was furious. “Rebellious son, if you cannot speak properly, then shut your mouth for me.”
“Father Emperor, please calm your anger. This son knows his mistake.” The Second Prince was extremely contrite, wanting to cry inwardly. “Father Emperor, if you would show me but a tenth of the favor you show the Divine Martial Great General, this son would die without regret.”
The Grand Tutor and the Grand Protector exchanged glances.
They sighed inwardly.
The Second Prince was truly quite foolish.
With such peerless beauty, could you really not fathom the Emperor’s intentions?
No choice, it was still up to them.
The Grand Tutor said, “Your Majesty, I believe Ding An Princess can be betrothed to the Divine Martial Great General. However, since Your Majesty has long wished for the Eighteenth Princess to be the Great General’s wife, then Ding An Princess can only be a concubine. But the Divine Martial Great General is the stabilizing force of our Dynasty, and for a mere Ding An Country princess, being a concubine is sufficient.”
The officials all nodded.
They still had to rely on the Grand Tutor.
With the Grand Tutor absent, the Grand Tutor was the foremost person in guessing the Emperor’s intentions.
“Hmm…” The Emperor said with satisfaction, “My minister speaks with reason. Then this matter is decided. Ding An Princess will be betrothed to the Great General as a concubine.”
At this time.
The voice of an eunuch could be heard from outside.
“Divine Martial Great General returns to court.”
The Emperor stood up. His beloved minister had been away for nearly a month, and he missed him dearly. Now he had finally returned.
“Quick, announce him!!!”
“No, I will personally welcome him.”
