Chapter 314 - 96: Offense and Defense

Chapter 314: Chapter 96: Offense and Defense

Zhong Changrong and Xie Yanlai also learned of Chu Zhao’s movements immediately.

However, they hadn’t known beforehand that Chu Zhao planned to walk into the Zhongshan King Mansion alone.

Upon hearing the news, Zhong Changrong’s first thought was that Miss Chu was going to die. He nearly dropped everything to rush to Zhongshan County, intending to besiege it with a massive army and threaten the King of Zhongshan not to harm her.

"There’s no need for you to threaten him," Xie Yanlai said, pushing him back into his chair. "If she dies in the Prince Zhongshan Mansion, that in itself would be the greatest threat to the King of Zhongshan."

Zhong Changrong didn’t quite understand. For the King of Zhongshan, wasn’t Miss Chu a sheep walking into a tiger’s den?

"What kind of sheep is she?" Xie Yanlai scoffed. "Chu Ling’s daughter, the Empress of Great Xia, the one who commands the Dragon Power Army and personally led over a hundred thousand Border Army troops against the King of Western Liang—that’s Chu Zhao. She’s clearly a wolf."

Zhong Changrong almost laughed. ’Miss Chu, a wolf?’ He didn’t think so, but Xie Yanlai’s words did put him slightly at ease.

"The King of Zhongshan wants to become the Emperor, not just stage a rebellion. His troops are approaching the Capital City under the pretense of ’protecting the capital,’ ’disputing with the Minister of Announcing Imperial Decree,’ and ’the Princely Heir’s defiance.’ He cares about face, about legitimacy. He wants to vent his past grievances and become emperor in a grand and righteous way. If the Empress dies in his mansion, his reputation as a traitor will be sealed," Xie Yanlai said with a raised eyebrow. "So rest easy. Right now, the ones who want the Empress dead most are not the King of Zhongshan, but Xie Yanfang and Deng Yi."

That didn’t sound reassuring at all! Zhong Changrong was torn between anger and amusement. Didn’t that mean they couldn’t count on the court to rescue the Empress?

"The King of Zhongshan... he really wouldn’t dare kill her?" he asked, uncertain.

His own mind was in turmoil, and this young man before him had somehow become his pillar of support.

It seemed that whatever this young man said was the absolute truth.

It was just that the things this young man said were never quite what one wanted to hear—

"Well, that depends on whether the King of Zhongshan is afraid of death," Xie Yanlai said with a small smile. "If he’s not afraid to die, then Chu Zhao will die."

With that, he patted Zhong Changrong’s shoulder again.

"Don’t worry. If that happens, we’ll all die anyway."

’We’ll all die anyway?’ Zhong Changrong stared at the young man.

The young man’s phoenix eyes slanted upward. "The court and the King of Zhongshan will fight to the death, the King of Western Liang and Great Xia will be locked in an endless war... the world will descend into chaos—"

From the look on his face, he actually seemed to be looking forward to it. Zhong Changrong scoffed. ’Madman.’

But ever since the King of Zhongshan made his move, the King of Western Liang’s attacks had grown fiercer, putting the Border Army under immense pressure. But would they really just ignore Miss Chu’s plight?

Zhong Changrong gazed into the distance—

"Just defend the Border County," Xie Yanlai said. "That’s the only thing that can help her. If something happens to the Border County, the whole world will—"

"—descend into chaos," Zhong Changrong finished irritably. "You say that all day long. It sounds to me like you can’t wait for the world to fall into chaos."

Xie Yanlai smiled. "Chaos in the world doesn’t matter to me, or to the Xie family. If the world falls into chaos, we just have to pacify it again. Don’t you know what pacifying the world means?"

Zhong Changrong fell silent. As a Military General, he of course knew that times of chaos were when great merits were won.

"Preventing the world from falling into chaos—that will be Miss Chu’s greatest achievement," Xie Yanlai said lightly. "If you want to seize merit and snatch glory, you have to take risks. You won’t get it by sitting around waiting for it to come to you."

After speaking, the young man vaulted onto his horse.

Zhong Changrong watched him and sighed. "Who doesn’t understand the logic in what you’re saying? But... that’s Ah Zhao we’re talking about—"

Night had fallen, blanketing the land. He gazed into the distance.

’Ah Zhao is in a fight to the death.’

’If she loses, she dies.’

’And if she dies, she’s gone forever.’

The urgent thundering of hooves reached his ears. Zhong Changrong turned to see Xie Yanlai shooting like an arrow into the northwestern night, his soldiers following close behind, their torches converging like a smattering of stars.

"Remember to dress your wounds!" he shouted. "And don’t you dare die, you Xie! If you die, you’ll miss all the fun of the world falling into chaos!"

Galloping through the night, Xie Yanlai took the lead, and no one could overtake him. He had always loved to ride, to be at the very front. That way, he could leave everyone behind, until he was the only one between heaven and earth—free, unrestrained, and without a care in the world.

’He had no ties to begin with. What was there in this world worth caring about?’

’But... that’s Ah Zhao.’

Xie Yanlai gripped the reins tightly.

’What right did he have to call himself unattached!’

’The one who was truly unattached was Chu Zhao!’

’Unattached, dauntless, and fearless. She’d face death without a second thought, not caring what happened afterward. She didn’t care who worried about her, who couldn’t bear to lose her, or whose heart she would break. She would just throw her head back, let out a hearty laugh, and be on her way.’

"But you’d better not die," Xie Yanlai gritted his teeth. "If you die, and this world descends into chaos and the people are plunged into suffering, you won’t have a day of peace even as a ghost!"

...

...

Night blanketed the land. The fighting had stopped and not resumed. The gentle night breeze was thick with the stench of blood. Corpses had not yet been collected, survivors were weeping in grief, and the wounded were crying out in agony. The world seemed like a living hell.

The clash of swords and glint of blades was gone, but Xiao Yu, sitting in the Central Army’s main tent, was deathly pale.

At this moment, he could no longer hear the people’s reverent shouts of "Long live Your Majesty!" His ears were filled only with the sound of weeping.

The reverence of the people was thrilling; their cries were terrifying.

"Your Majesty," Eunuch Qi couldn’t help but put an arm around him. "A calming soup has been prepared. Would you like some?"

Xiao Yu shook his head, looking completely dazed.

Eunuch Qi glanced around before taking out a bamboo tube and stuffing it into Xiao Yu’s hands. "Your Majesty, I brought it for you."

When Xie Yanfang had rushed Xiao Yu out of the Imperial City, Eunuch Qi had brought nothing but that bamboo tube. However, after leaving the palace, Xie Yanfang had stayed by Xiao Yu’s side as he rested, and the emperor had slept soundly, so he never took it out.

Now, seeing the child so panicked and lost, beyond the comfort of words, Eunuch Qi took out the bamboo tube. As expected, when Xiao Yu saw it, his lifeless eyes brightened, and he quickly hugged it tight.

Eunuch Qi breathed a sigh of relief. Although the boy still seemed uneasy, at least his spirit had returned. But what would happen next? He looked up and could see Xie Yanfang’s silhouette outside the tent.

"They aren’t reinforcements?" Xie Yanfang asked a General.

"They are reinforcements, but they show no intention of attacking," the General said in a low voice. "They even recalled their previous troops and have taken up a defensive formation outside the city. Our Scout vanguards have provoked them several times, but they just turtle up and refuse to come out."

"Just now, they even started to strike camp and retreat," another General whispered.

Retreat?

Retreating—

Xie Yanfang’s gaze hardened. "Continue the attack."

The main general was taken aback. Now?

"Of course, now," Xie Yanfang said. "The war has already begun. Do they think they can just end it by retreating?"

’This matter absolutely cannot end here.’

’This battle must be fought!’

...

...

"This battle cannot be fought."

Deep in the night, the Imperial City was ablaze with lights. The Grand Tutor Hall, in particular, was filled with people watching as Deng Yi opened a letter and read out a single line.

The Emperor had gone to lead the army in person, but the court carried on as usual.

Although many officials had clamored to accompany the Emperor on his campaign, few had actually gone in the end.

Deng Yi’s people would naturally not go to bolster Xie Yanfang’s prestige, and Xie Yanfang’s people would not abandon the court to Deng Yi. With the Jade Seal and the late emperor’s decree naming him Regent in his hands, Deng Yi was firmly in control of the court. To put it disrespectfully, it hardly mattered whether the Emperor was present or not.

For the past few days, the court had been bustling, busy day and night. They kept a close eye on news from His Majesty’s side but had not forgotten about the Border Army. Ever since Empress Chu led her troops to besiege Zhongshan County, the King of Zhongshan had been too preoccupied to interfere, and the previously blocked posthouse dispatches had resumed their flow.

Letters flew in like snowflakes.

The Grand Tutor did not need to handle everything personally; there were others to deal with such matters—except for a letter in the Empress’s own hand.

Deng Yi stopped reading and asked the person beside him, "This letter from the Empress didn’t arrive via the usual posthouse dispatches?"

A young official beside him nodded. "Captain Li of the Posthouse Soldier Camp said it was placed directly on his desk. After confirming the Empress’s seal was authentic, he had it delivered to you immediately. But they never saw the person who delivered it."

Another, slightly older official speculated, "Could it be the King of Zhongshan sending you a letter in the Empress’s name?" He then sighed, "The King of Zhongshan’s men are truly everywhere."

The Empress had been captured by the King of Zhongshan—or rather, the dispatch reported that the Empress had walked into the Prince Zhongshan Mansion of her own accord, intending to persuade him to surrender.

In the eyes of the world, this act was valiant, but to these officials, it was simply laughable, absurd, and childish—a sheep walking into a tiger’s den and creating more trouble for the court.

So, was the King of Zhongshan now writing to Deng Yi, using the Empress as leverage?

"Grand Tutor," an official said in a solemn voice, "even if Chu Ling were alive, faced with this situation, he would have chosen righteousness over kinship."

And Chu Ling was no longer among the living.

"If the King of Zhongshan dares to harm the Empress, the whole world will know of his treasonous intentions," others chimed in, nodding in agreement.

Deng Yi paid no mind to these words. He knew that girl wouldn’t care either. When she walked into the Zhongshan King Mansion, she wasn’t relying on the court’s protection or concern.

Besides, if the King of Zhongshan wanted to send him a letter, he could have done so through a eunuch in the palace. The King of Zhongshan’s people were indeed everywhere—he swept his gaze across the hall. It was brightly lit, with Clerks and Imperial Guards standing at attention. Eunuchs moved through the space, carrying tea and late-night snacks from the Imperial Kitchen.

’Actually, Empress Chu’s people are also everywhere,’ Deng Yi thought, looking down at the letter. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, it was placed directly on Captain Li’s desk—she even knew that this very captain was one of his men.

The resolute and decisive opening was also just like that girl.

Seeing just that one line, Deng Yi felt as if he could once again see the girl standing before the palace gates, demanding he open them.

’Even at a time like this, she still says the battle must not be fought.’