Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 162

Chapter 162

In the eighth month, a torrential rain in Chang'an had finally ceased.

On the damp, winding Dragon Tail Path in front of the Hanyuan Hall, Liu Wenji, dressed in the attire of the Grand Superintendent of the Inner Palace, walked with a winding trail of attendants behind him. Following him was Duke Zhao, who was attached to his faction, and behind them, even more eunuchs.

A great debate had just concluded in the Hanyuan Hall between the officials and the eunuchs, with both sides parting on acrimonious terms. The hatred between the civil officials and the eunuchs had become openly hostile since Minister Liu departed for Hexi, no longer capable of being masked. The Emperor was unable to mediate, capable only of watching helplessly from the sidelines.

Duke Zhao followed behind Liu Wenji, trotting along with a obsequious yet gratified expression: "Eunuch, you can rest easy now. His Majesty has dispatched Yan Suchen to Jiannan. Yan Suchen is merely a civil official; he knows nothing of how to conduct warfare. We have all seen the chaotic analysis and amateur commands he scribbled in his memorials... talking about warfare on paper—it is simply laughable."

"Letting a person like that serve as a commander will ultimately still require peace negotiations. And for those negotiations, we will still need you, Eunuch."

Liu Wenji remained silent.

For three or four months, Yan Shang had been preoccupied with the war. At first, he merely suggested that the court should fight, but later, he simply began casually issuing instructions, teaching others how to wage war. The Emperor despised Yan Shang’s interference in his affairs and read the daily memorials with growing impatience.

Now, because of the Minister Liu affair, the scholarly faction and the eunuch faction were locked in such a fierce struggle that the Emperor, feeling in the wrong, dared not defy the will of the officials to insist on peace. Since Yan Shang was so keen on the war, the Emperor—privately having negotiated something with him—had bestowed the title of Marshal upon Yan Shang at court today, making him responsible for the war in Jiannan, if only to appease the officials.

It was only through this compromise that the officials had refrained from tearing down the palace roof during the morning session.

Yet, Liu Wenji felt an lingering unease.

He always felt that letting Yan Shang intervene was not a good thing.

Yan Shang, of course, did not know how to fight. He had never fought a war in his life. Paper talk might sound reasonable, but Liu Wenji had asked several generals remaining in Chang'an, and all of them said that actual battlefields could not be fought that way.

Liu Wenji had privately negotiated terms with the Southern Barbarians and had been subtly assisting them to ensure his own secrets remained buried. By all accounts, sending an Yan Shang who knew nothing of war to Jiannan should have allowed Liu Wenji to rest easy... but Liu Wenji knew this former close friend of his too well.

He never fought a battle unprepared.

He never spoke loosely about other people or affairs.

He adhered to a code of extreme caution in words and deeds.

Would a person like that frequently issue reckless commands in Jiannan?

Liu Wenji exhaled, his voice hushed: "Sending Yan Shang to Jiannan, I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse. Let us not speak of it for now. We have truly had a difficult time lately; that son-in-law of yours who had no fate with his bride is watching us for any leverage, tormenting us day after day."

He was speaking of Wei Shu.

A look of annoyance crossed Duke Zhao’s eyes.

Duke Zhao: "That ignorant, arrogant brat! He will suffer for it sooner or later!"

Liu Wenji rubbed his forehead and sighed: "Enough. Since His Majesty wants Yan Shang in Jiannan, we have no choice but to call off our hands regarding Jiannan affairs. Fortunately, there is still the Hexi battlefield... Peace is the only logical path, but those unyielding officials simply do not understand. They all shout about not dividing the land and not becoming slaves of a conquered nation. But peace negotiations haven't even begun to be discussed—why must they be so intense?"

Liu Wenji paused: "Now even His Majesty is being swayed by them."

Because the Emperor feared the officials' agitation would lead to a great disaster, he dared not speak of peace anymore.

Duke Zhao helped him curse them.

Liu Wenji pondered that since he could not intervene in the war in Jiannan, he would have to keep his eyes on Hexi. What he feared most was the loss of his power; in order to maintain that position, even if he had to step into a quagmire, he would have to keep walking forward—

In the military camp of Jiannan, Yan Shang served as the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Jiannan Expeditionary Forces.

Judging by how quickly he arrived in Jiannan, he had departed Guangzhou even before the imperial decree from Chang'an could arrive.

The current situation was largely within Yan Shang’s expectations. There were only slight deviations—such as the death of the previous commander.

In the months of correspondence between Yan Shang and the commander-in-chief, the result they had reached was that Yan Shang would find a way to have the commander transferred out of Jiannan so he could take over.

The commander knew how to fight, but he did not understand politics and could not handle the pressure applied by the central government. But Yan Shang could.

The only problem was the time required for back-and-forth transfers. Before Yan Shang could act, the commander had taken his own life, using the fastest method possible to yield his position to Yan Shang. This outcome was, inevitably, distressing.

Yan Shang stood in the former commander’s main tent, flipping through the letters exchanged between himself and the deceased, reading how the commander had constantly shared his torment in Jiannan. A general should have been on the battlefield, yet he had been trapped in the camp playing political games, ultimately leading to this result.

Yan Shang’s finger, resting on the desk, trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes.

He thought to himself that this was the first person he knew who had died in this war.

There would be more who would die for this war in the future.

He would do his best to protect them, but he could not guarantee it.

No matter how painful it was, he had to carry on. Let the true military talents fight the war of smoke and fire; he would hold the line for them, ensuring they had no worries in the rear, and fight this war without smoke or fire well. Only then could he be worthy of the commander's death and the sacrifice of so many others.

To be transferred to Jiannan, Yan Shang had negotiated many conditions with the Emperor. To prevent the Emperor from making peace, he had explicitly promised to end the war within a year, and without the court needing to provide all the pay and provisions. The court only needed to provide half; the remaining half, Yan Shang would raise himself.

In one year, if there was still no result in the war, or if Yan Shang dragged the entirety of Great Wei down to defeat with him, Yan Shang would die to atone for his sins, taking full responsibility for the war.

The Emperor, wanting only to have money to enjoy life, had agreed to Yan Shang’s conditions, which was how Yan Shang was able to come to Jiannan.

Yan Shang sat in the tent, lost in thought for a while, then turned and called out: "Have the generals come in, have the eunuchs sent by the central government come in, and summon Yang Si."

In front of the generals and the eunuchs, Yan Shang pleasantly ordered that these eunuchs be sent back to Chang'an, saying that from now on, on the battlefield of Jiannan, only Yan Shang's words counted; the central government would no longer interfere.

The eunuchs were shocked and suspicious, but the arrow Yan Shang had shot earlier had softened their spines; they dared not argue with this new commander, who seemed gentle but was actually overbearing. One eunuch managed a forced smile, stating that they had not received an imperial decree.

Yan Shang said warmly: "The imperial decree is already on its way. If you eunuchs head back, you might just run into it halfway. Wouldn't that save some trouble and make us all happy?"

The eunuchs were speechless.

The generals in the tent watched with immense satisfaction as Yan Shang packaged up the eunuchs and sent them out of Jiannan in just a few words, feeling that the pent-up frustrations they had suffered were finally vented. Their gaze toward this new commander was not as sharp or disdainful as before—this new commander was refined and elegant, looking like a jade-like gentleman from Chang'an who discussed literature, not a general capable of the battlefield.

They had thought the central government had just sent some weak scholar to dismiss the war, but now it seemed that this "weak scholar" was capable of driving away eunuchs and dared to shoot an executioner the moment he arrived; he did not seem to be on the same side as the Emperor.

Immediately afterward, in front of the generals, Yan Shang had Yang Si’s bonds loosened, and then, as if it were a trivial matter, conferred the rank of general upon Yang Si.

The entire camp was in an uproar.

One general protested: "Commander..."

Since when does a criminal become a general just like that? The previous commander would have considered everyone’s temperament and wouldn't be this rash! This person clearly wouldn't know how to fight and would issue blind commands!

Yan Shang gently interrupted: "I am the Grand Marshal of the Armies, the only third-rank official here, responsible for all military affairs in Jiannan. I take full responsibility for victory or defeat; you need not worry. If you truly have suggestions, officials of the third rank and above may speak directly to me; those below the third rank need not open their mouths."

The generals: "..."

The only officials whose ranks were higher than Yan Shang’s were likely the current Prime Minister and the Ministers of the Six Departments? Who else had the qualifications to offer suggestions to Yan Shang?

In the tent, Yan Shang looked at Yang Si.

Yang Si smiled at him with a devil-may-care expression, quite playfully—it had been many years, and Second Brother Yan’s temper had grown, indeed—

After the soldiers retreated, Yan Shang kept Yang Si in the camp, and shortly after, Zhao Lingfei came in, bustling with energy.

Seeing her cousin safe, Zhao Lingfei jumped up, crying and laughing, unimaginably happy. Seeing Yan Shang, they felt as if they were seeing family; their hearts were filled with a sense of security.

Zhao Lingfei was radiant: "I was already planning to make my move when Han Shuxing suddenly grabbed my arm from behind and wouldn't let me move. I was just about to fight Han Shuxing when I saw Second Brother Yan shoot that arrow... Second Brother Yan appearing so suddenly, you scared me to death!"

As for Yang Si, looking at Yan Shang’s arrow, he suddenly thought of the arrow Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao had shot together toward Meng Zaishi back at Zhongshan.

Yang Si clicked his tongue: "Second Brother Yan’s archery has always been impressive."

He sized Yan Shang up: "You should really study this skill well; if you studied it properly, perhaps you could be a divine archer today and go onto the battlefield..."

Zhao Lingfei’s eyes were full of adoration for Yan Shang, and she countered Yang Si: "Isn't it a pity for someone like Second Brother Yan to go onto the battlefield? Second Brother Yan not going onto the battlefield is exactly what makes him the most amazing! Second Brother Yan, did Princess Consort not come with you? Tell us, why did you come so suddenly? We didn't hear any news of it. Second Brother Yan, you are too amazing...

"Could it be that you are a deity? Did you calculate that we were in trouble?"

Yan Shang smiled helplessly; after all these years, Zhao Wuniang was still chattering away, lively and vibrant, leaving him no room to get a word in. However, neither he nor Yang Si stopped Zhao Lingfei; she had been suppressed for too long because of Duke Zhao, so it was rare to see her this happy and speaking so much.

Just then, a soldier reported outside that new people had come to visit. The tent curtain was lifted, and Yan Xiaozhou and Han Shuxing entered, one after the other.

Seeing the man she loved with her brother, as her brother had conveyed through Han Shuxing... her brother said he would save Yang Sanlang, and he hadn't lied to her!

Yan Xiaozhou rushed over and hugged Yan Shang, overjoyed: "Second Brother! You really did come... Second Brother, you look much better than when you were in Chang'an. Are you and Second Sister-in-law doing well in Lingnan? Why didn't Second Sister-in-law come? I thought you two always went wherever the other went."

Yan Shang caught the little sister who had rushed into his arms; his little sister was also so talkative, making him smile. Hearing both Yan Xiaozhou and Zhao Lingfei ask about Mu Wanyao, he felt a bit sheepish.

He thought that he always felt like he was with the Princess wherever they went.

He said shyly: "The journey was arduous, and besides, we each have our own things to do; we are not always together."

Seeing her second brother’s blushing face, Yan Xiaozhou politely stopped talking.

Zhao Lingfei was teasing: "I thought that with the Princess’s possessiveness over Second Brother Yan, it would be impossible for him to be separated from her for long. The Princess just wants Second Brother Yan under her gaze at all times so she can feel at ease."

Yang Si looked at Yan Second Brother, thought of Mu Wanyao’s temper, and revealed a somewhat suggestive smile, staring at Yan Shang. With Yaoyao’s domineering temper, only someone with a good temper like Second Brother could endure it.

Yan Shang coughed, unwilling to discuss his private feelings with them anymore. He said: "Yang San, for this war, I strongly insist that you be the lead general. If you lead the charge, are you confident you can win?"

Seeing that he didn't want to satisfy the girls' gossip, Yang Si followed Yan Shang’s lead and changed the subject. Yang Si said slowly: "If the reserves are strong and the grain and fodder are sufficient, I will definitely make sure the Southern Barbarians have no way to return."

Yan Shang nodded: "A one-year deadline."

Yang Si’s eyes flickered; he contemplated for a moment before nodding slowly.

Yan Shang: "In that case, go and fight. I will find a way to handle the military supplies behind us."

Zhao Lingfei, sensitive to court affairs, and Yan Xiaozhou, with her keen mind—once Yan Shang said this, both girls looked at him with slight surprise. Yang Si, however, was a step slower than the two girls to react: "The imperial court won't provide grain?"

Yan Shang said: "Only half. It doesn't matter; I can raise grain from local gentry, noble families, and influential clans everywhere. Third Brother, just focus on fighting. Regarding these matters, the clashes with the central government, you don't need to worry. You only need to win the war... and that will be helping me."

Yan Xiaozhou’s eyes were filled with worry, suspecting her brother had made a pressure-filled promise. She volunteered: "If it’s raising grain, I will help Second Brother..."

Zhao Lingfei interrupted: "No, Sister Xiaozhou should continue to look after the wounded. For a delicate girl like Sister Xiaozhou, visiting the homes of influential noble clans has many inconveniences. And Second Brother Yan has friends all over the world; Second Brother Yan raising grain should be easier than for any of us."

Yan Shang nodded with a smile.

Zhao Lingfei’s eyes were bright: "I will join Second Brother Yan too! I am the daughter of the Minister of War, and I can attack from a different direction than Second Brother Yan. I will borrow grain from the local governments, and Second Brother Yan can raise grain from the noble families. No matter how much grain Cousin needs, we can afford it! Having these things in our hands is much better than letting others manipulate us."

Yan Shang sighed: "Wuniang has grown up a lot."

What followed was a discussion on how to fight the war. Although Yan Shang had said he didn't know how to command, he still wanted to hear Yang Si’s thoughts.

After hearing Yang Si describe how he would surround the Southern Barbarians and deceive them, Yan Shang’s eyes flickered slightly, and he said slowly: "The previous rhetoric in Jiannan was always about wanting to negotiate for peace with the Southern Barbarians, right? Why don't we notify the Southern Barbarians to come for peace talks and let their generals come? If we could wipe them out all at once..."

Yang Si raised his eyebrows.

He crossed his arms and sighed: "Second Brother Yan, you are truly insidious. Is it not breaking the rules to act like this? If the world finds out you schemed against the Southern Barbarians like this, using peace talks to lure them in, the world will never call you a gentleman again."

Yan Shang: "There are no gentlemen in officialdom. Those who want to be gentlemen cannot be officials."

In the middle of the eighth month, Great Wei began peace negotiations with the Southern Barbarians in the Jiannan border county.

After receiving the message, King Ale roared with laughter three times, half of his pressure lifted. He had poured the strength of his entire nation into this war with Great Wei; if they lost, the Southern Barbarians would likely cease to exist as a nation. With all their military strength committed to the war, the Southern Barbarians' reserves were already strained. Great Wei’s peace offer was like a life-saving straw.

Meng Zaishi warned King Ale: "The new commander transferred to Jiannan is Yan Shang. This man is not easy to deal with. Your Majesty, be careful that he uses deception; he is not the type to offer peace before even fighting."

Meng Zaishi said coldly: "If we want to win, we should actually assassinate Yan Shang. Now, while the Jiannan side hasn't yet realized Yan Shang’s capability, if we assassinate Yan Shang, this war might be half won."

King Ale was unconcerned: "You, I’ve heard about your affair in Chang'an back then. Didn't you just lose out in competing for a woman with Yan Shang? It was just a Great Wei princess; once we win, won't we have as many as we want? You are just too obsessed with that princess, which is why you care so much about Yan Shang."

"Peace is their Emperor’s idea; aren't you saying that those Great Wei officials dare not resist their Emperor? And didn't you say that Yan Shang is soft-skinned and tender, and knows nothing of war? Meng Zaishi, are you being too cautious about Great Wei just because you suffered a loss in Chang'an yourself?"

Meng Zaishi wanted to persuade him further, but upon second thought, why bother? King Ale suffering a loss was a good thing for him.

He then admitted he was the one who was afraid.

King Ale laughed loudly.

But King Ale, in the end, was not entirely overheated by the joy of victory. On the first day of negotiations, held in a Jiannan border county, King Ale did not attend himself, but sent Meng Zaishi and other major generals to negotiate in the opposing camp.

In the camp, Meng Zaishi walked at the very back of several generals. He lazily raised his eyelids, looking at the banners in the camp, and saw Yan Shang, who stood at the camp entrance welcoming them with a smile. When the Southern Barbarian generals saw that Yan Shang was truly such a refined and polite man, their last shred of worry vanished immediately.

Yan Shang smiled: "I have prepared wine and food in the camp for the generals; let us eat while we talk."

One Southern Barbarian general was tempted: "I’ve heard there is a kind of wine in Jiannan that is particularly strong..."

Yan Shang understood: "Jiannan Chunshao? Yes, we have it."

The Southern Barbarians were itching for it; they were used to being savage, and just being able to drink a cup of Great Wei’s wine made them feel that their lives would not be in vain... Great Wei was so wealthy; why wouldn't they want it!

Yan Shang toasted the guests one by one at the banquet, excusing himself from drinking by claiming his capacity for liquor was poor. The Southern Barbarians, upon seeing good wine and food, lost all self-control, and those with even a shred of self-restraint were shaken at this point. Undoubtedly, the Southern Barbarians were truly too poor.

Poverty makes one lose one's will, makes one unable to resist temptation, and makes one ambitious for wealth.

Yan Shang toasted Meng Zaishi, but Meng Zaishi sat with his knees bent and did not drink. Watching the artistry of the dancing courtesans at the banquet, Meng Zaishi and Yan Shang sized each other up.

Meng Zaishi smiled faintly and lowered his voice: "Second Brother Yan, is the wine drugged?"

Yan Shang did not change his expression, keeping a smile on his face: "If the General tries it, won't he know?"

Meng Zaishi: "Such inferior means."

Yan Shang smiled: "Inferior is fine, as long as it works."

Meng Zaishi: "When we met in Chang'an back then, I never imagined this day would come."

Yan Shang turned his head and set down the wine cup in his hand. He lowered his eyes and smiled: "You never imagined it? Why did I imagine it back then?"

A sharp light flickered in Meng Zaishi’s eyes.

He lowered his voice: "We can still cooperate."

Yan Shang sighed softly: "Then, General, give me a little dividend first so I can see the benefits of cooperating."

As the words fell, Meng Zaishi’s muscles suddenly tensed throughout his body, and he felt an unprecedented danger. His body, like a leopard’s, leaped up violently, flipping the table in front of him and rolling several times onto the open space in the hall. Behind him, the sound of pursuit was incessant; Meng Zaishi leaped, flipped, and rolled, dodging several times.

He lifted a long table to block the swords behind him.

At the same time, the entire banquet was in chaos. The Great Wei generals all drew their swords from under their tables, the dancing courtesans revealed looks of panic and fled in all directions, and from all four sides of the hall, Great Wei soldiers surrounded them. The Southern Barbarians, who had been admiring beauties and drinking fine wine, drew their swords and stood up violently, but all of them were losing their strength, feeling dizzy and nauseous.

Meng Zaishi watched coldly, seeing that the person holding the long sword with an imposing aura was Yang Sanlang, Yang Si. Yang Si squatted on a flipped table, looking over with sharp eyes.

Meng Zaishi dared not be careless.

Other Southern Barbarians shouted: "You poisoned the wine! You are treacherous! To use poison during peace negotiations!"

Yan Shang did not move.

He remained kneeling at the table where he had just been negotiating with Meng Zaishi, watching the chaos in the room. Yan Shang said calmly: "I don't understand what the barbarians are saying."

He gave the order: "Kill—"

Meng Zaishi watched Yang Si, seeing Yang Si stand up, watching the Great Wei soldiers surrounding them from all sides. Meng Zaishi smiled: "Impressive. So Great Wei people are also this unscrupulous, playing this kind of game."

Yang Si smiled: "Learning from each other, that’s all."

Meng Zaishi: "Is Yang Sanlang just going to stare at me to kill me? Among all these people, I might be the one most inclined toward you."

Yang Si was slouching, yet somewhat serious: "Who told me that you are the only one I know? I think... a formidable figure like you dying is better for my Great Wei. What do you think?"

Meng Zaishi: "Coincidentally, I also feel that you and Second Brother Yan dying is better for my Wu Man."

Yang Si still smiled, and Meng Zaishi watched him smile. Smiles hung on both their faces, but the light in their eyes grew sharper and sharper. Then, without warning, the two leaped up simultaneously, their bodies like lightning and leopards, attacking the other. The gleam of their swords illuminated both their eyes—

"The unfinished battle of the military exercise in Chang'an back then reopens today—let us see who among us truly holds sway!"

Great Wei’s lie about peace negotiations caused the Southern Barbarians to suffer heavy losses. Meng Zaishi fought to the death with several Southern Barbarian generals to break out of the Great Wei camp; in that peace talk, half of the Southern Barbarian generals who had gone to negotiate died in the Great Wei camp. King Ale was furious and launched an attack on Jiannan that very day.

The war, which had been paused for a month, started again.

From this point on, it entered a period of fierce, unending flames.

This period lasted for half a year.

Yang Si grew on the battlefield like a god of war; his military talent won over the generals of Jiannan, who no longer dared to underestimate him. And their commander, Yan Shang, made these soldiers admire him even more. Yan Shang rarely intervened in the war, generally only listening in on the generals’ strategies.

Yan Shang blocked all kinds of opinions and meddling from the central government for them.

When the Hexi battlefield was dragged by the central government into a sticky whirlpool, the Jiannan battlefield was not influenced by the central government at all.

And the grain was plentiful.

Yan Shang raised grain everywhere, borrowing it from local noble families, wealthy influencers, and village gentry. The breadth of his friendships made the soldiers of Jiannan admire him endlessly. Because Yan Shang did not only borrow grain, he could even borrow troops from the subordinate forces of regional governors in neighboring provinces, such as Huainan.

Everything was supporting the battlefield.

The war had its wins and losses at the start, but as time passed, the natural problems of the Southern Barbarians made them start to struggle—the Southern Barbarians were too poor.

They had to fight this war because of poverty, and they could not afford the consumption because of poverty.

Yang Si’s military talent made the Southern Barbarians feel immense pressure; even the stalemate on the Hexi battlefield could not alleviate the pressure on this side. Yan Shang was as difficult to capture as an iron barrel, and the traps they left behind, and Liu Wenji’s power in the central government, could not penetrate Jiannan at all.

King Ale became increasingly irritable, and he also understood more and more how correct Meng Zaishi’s initial decision to assassinate Yan Shang had been. What use was knowing how to fight? Being able to block all political attacks from the rear and letting his soldiers fight freely was what was truly impressive.

Unfortunately, the Southern Barbarians no longer had the capacity to send anyone to assassinate Yan Shang. Yan Shang didn't even leave the camp all day, nor did he ever go onto the battlefield... what could King Ale do?

As the Southern Barbarians were dragged into this war, as the weather grew colder, the Southern Barbarians’ inability to adapt to Great Wei’s climate began to show. The Southern Barbarians began to fall ill, and more and more people in the army were collapsing. They hadn't gained many advantages from the battlefield, and the war was dragging into winter... the Southern Barbarians simply couldn't hold on!

In the tenth month of that year, seeing the soldiers becoming increasingly strained, King Ale knew it couldn't go on like this.

But how could he be willing to let the Southern Barbarians admit defeat?

After much thought, killing Yang Si on the battlefield was important, and killing Yan Shang outside the battlefield was also important. If these two died, the Jiannan battlefield could be turned around.

King Ale discussed it with Meng Zaishi, saying: "I plan to divide the troops."

Meng Zaishi remained expressionless, thinking to himself that dividing the troops at a time like this was just asking for death.

But King Ale then took a look at him and said: "Divide the troops to attack Lingnan and kill our way to Guangzhou."

Meng Zaishi’s eyelids flickered slightly, and he looked toward King Ale.

King Ale stared fixedly at him: "I sent people to investigate; before arriving in Jiannan, Yan Shang was the Governor of Guangzhou, and even to this day, his wife remains in Guangzhou, and his family is also in Guangzhou. I looked into Yan Shang’s life, and I have to say, I underestimated him. But while investigating these things, I accidentally discovered that Yan Shang seems to have a very deep affection for that princess."

Meng Zaishi still remained expressionless.

King Ale: "If something happens to that princess, we can force Yan Shang to withdraw his troops from Jiannan to rescue her! His feelings for his wife can definitely be exploited! What do you think?"

Meng Zaishi said coldly: "A good idea."

He lowered his eyes and smiled faintly: "Is Your Majesty sending me to kill that princess?"

King Ale laughed loudly and patted Meng Zaishi’s shoulder: "My meaning is that I want you to stay on the Jiannan battlefield and resolve Yang Si for me. As for me, I will personally lead the troops to kill that princess. You have an old history with that princess, so I certainly wouldn't dare let you kill your old flame."

Meng Zaishi laughed softly: "Just a youthful past; I have long since forgotten her. Your Majesty underestimates me."

King Ale smiled with him, half-true and half-false, yet he truly did not dare to trust Meng Zaishi to go to Lingnan. That same night, having discussed the new military strategy, King Ale led a portion of the troops to withdraw from Jiannan, taking a water route thereafter to attack Guangzhou, swearing to force Yan Shang to withdraw his troops from Jiannan—

In the city of Guangzhou, enemy forces arrived by water to attack. At the very first moment, the regional governor came to find Mu Wanyao.

The governor was slightly panicked; after half a year of military exercises, he didn't expect the day to use them would truly come. He rushed to the Princess’s residence to find the Princess, and Mu Wanyao stood up, slowly fanning herself with a silk fan.

She said coldly: "What is there to panic about? A thousand days of military exercises are for a single moment of use. I, the Princess, calculate things with divine accuracy, and now I am personally overseeing the defense; what are you afraid of?"

"Attack—"

Her robes flew, and the lightning in the sky illuminated Mu Wanyao’s eyes. She was cold and ruthless, looking straight at the governor. The governor yielded and led the Princess out of the residence together to observe the battle from the Tongqu Watchtower—

"Her Highness is personally present, soldiers—fight for me!"

Mu Wanyao watched the neat ships and soldiers below in silence. The war drums beat, war banners flew in the sky, and the governor accompanied the Princess to watch. Seeing the soldiers’ voices shaking the heavens, it made one’s blood boil with excitement.

Mu Wanyao closed her eyes, her heart boiling with hot blood, scalding her skin: the defense of Guangzhou, at last, had begun.