Novel Full Chapter 342: Xiao Mo Is So Foolish and So Stubborn, How Could He Surrender!
“What did you say?”
Guo Xin looked at the messenger soldier, suspecting he had misheard.
Xiao Mo actually surrendered?
“Yes, General, the Northern Frontier envoy is already outside the tent, just waiting to see the General.” The soldier said.
“Invite the Northern Frontier envoy in.”
Guo Xin fell silent for a moment, thought it over, and said.
Whether true or false, he ultimately needed to meet the Northern Frontier envoy to see what exactly Xiao Mo was trying to pull.
“Yes, General.”
The soldier quickly withdrew, and before long the Northern Frontier envoy Li Jing walked into the tent.
“Li Jing of the Northern Frontier army, paying respects to the General.”
Li Jing clasped his fists and bowed to Guo Xin, speaking respectfully.
“So it’s General Li.”
Guo Xin looked at Li Jing with a smile.
“General Li has been in the Northern Frontier army for seventy years now, hasn’t he?
I heard that every time the Northern Pacification Prince goes to war, he takes General Li along but in the end, Northern Frontier army generals like Fang Weiming, Huang Long, and Zhang Kui were all enfeoffed as kings, and quite a few other generals were enfeoffed as lords.
Yet General Li to this day hasn’t received a single title of nobility. Even this general can’t bear to watch.”
Li Jing shook his head, “General Fang personally led the army to destroy Langya Kingdom and was enfeoffed as King of Langya with Langya as his domain.
General Huang also led the army to destroy Chang Kingdom and was enfeoffed as King of Chang, with the Chang Kingdom territory all enfeoffed to General Huang.
General Zhang needn’t even be mentioned. He followed two generations of Northern Pacification Princes campaigning north and south. Once he stood alone with horse and blade at Dragon Bridge, shouting back a hundred thousand troops four steps away, severing countless generals and seizing banners, and even destroyed half of Song Kingdom, enfeoffed as King of Song with Song as his domain.
Among the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry, there are quite a few generals enfeoffed as kings and lords. Some remain in the Northern Frontier, some are transferred to other armies, or guard their domains but they all earned it through military merit, so Li naturally has nothing to say.
As for the major battles this one has fought, they went too smoothly without bitter struggles. Everything relied on other generals. This one merely managed logistics and provisions, and is even called the army’s mascot. What merit could there be?”
“Hahaha,” Guo Xin’s lips curved into a smile, “This time General Li defends Yanmen Pass, that would be a great achievement. If you hold it, being enfeoffed as prince or lord is not impossible!”
Li Jing shook his head, “That’s premised on actually being able to hold it. If we can’t hold it and lose our lives, what use would it be?”
“So your Northern Frontier army wants to surrender?” Guo Xin looked at Li Jing, his eyes narrowing.
“Precisely.”
Li Jing nodded, speaking frankly.
“Currently the grain in our city is running low, and the stalemate between the Northern Pacification Prince and the eleven southern cities continues. If this goes on, the common people in the city and more than half the soldiers in the army will surely mutiny.
Our general has pondered for several days and feels that rather than this, it would be better to surrender to the Zhei Kingdom. Better than dying.”
“Hehehe,” Guo Xin looked coldly at Li Jing, his eyes holding blades, “A few days ago, Xiao Mo didn’t say this, and when he raided our camp at night, he looked quite vigorous and lively!”
“At that time provisions were sufficient, so naturally we had to resist. What reason is there to surrender from the start? Moreover, surrendering is easy, but wouldn’t our value also drop lower?”
Li Jing answered calmly and unhurriedly.
“And now, the General must have witnessed our Northern Frontier army’s perseverance.
The stalemate between Yanmen Pass and the General continues. If the General doesn’t accept our surrender, then we’ll defend to the death. At that time, the Zhei Kingdom army’s casualties will be even more severe but if the General is willing to accept our surrender, then we’ll open Yanmen Pass’s gates and together kill our way back into Qin Kingdom!
Everything depends on the General.”
“…”
In the tent, Guo Xin fell silent.
After pondering for a long time, Guo Xin raised his head and looked at Li Jing again, “What are your conditions?”
“Not long ago, General Xiahou of Bichui City sent a letter urging our general to surrender, saying as long as our general surrenders to the Zhei Kingdom, the specifications of the prince title bestowed would only be higher than now, and he would even marry a Zhei Kingdom princess to our general but General Xiahou is merely a general after all. How can our general know whether he can represent the Zhei Kingdom ruler’s intentions?
So we want an official edict from the Zhei Kingdom ruler!
After Yanmen Pass surrenders, General Xiao wants the position of Great Pillar of State, with a domain of no less than three provinces, not including the Qin Kingdom territory conquered in the future.
As for the Zhei Kingdom princess, our general also wants to marry her.
Furthermore, we generals should all be enfeoffed as lords!”
“Hehehe, General Xiao really opens his lion’s mouth wide, quite an appetite!” Guo Xin sneered.
“Whether the appetite is large or not depends on the value of this Yanmen Pass and us.” Li Jing spoke slowly. “General Guo can write to the Zhei Kingdom ruler, or refuse. At worst, our two armies will mutually destroy each other.”
“…”
Guo Xin clenched his fists tightly, staring into Li Jing’s eyes.
“This matter, I still need to consider.” After thinking, Guo Xin didn’t immediately agree. “Someone, escort General Li out of the camp first!”
“If that’s the case, then we await General Guo’s news.”
Li Jing clasped his fists in salute and took his leave.
“What do you all think?”
After Li Jing left, Guo Xin looked toward the several generals beside him.
Left General Yu You frowned and said, “This person Xiao Mo is proficient in military strategy and full of schemes. We must be on guard!”
The Right General shook his head, “This subordinate feels we can trust him. After all, Xiao Mo’s martial talent is astonishing, and he’s young with an unlimited future. Naturally he doesn’t wish to just die at Yanmen Pass like this. Perhaps he truly wants to surrender!”
“This subordinate also thinks so. General Xiahou may truly have urged Xiao Mo to surrender, but we couldn’t give any commitments. The other side wanting an edict to be publicly announced in the Zhei Kingdom is also quite normal.”
“If we don’t accept the surrender and fight Xiao Mo to mutual destruction, our army’s casualties will likely be even more severe!”
“Moreover, if we cut off their path to surrender, won’t their will to resist become even more resolute?”
“This subordinate suggests accepting Yanmen Pass’s surrender. The General should immediately write to His Majesty!”
“Indeed so. We’ve completely lost contact with Bichui City and the other eleven cities, and don’t know the situation. The pressure there is also considerable. If we don’t accept Xiao Mo’s surrender and Xiao Mo defends to the death while something happens at Bichui City, how will we account to His Majesty?”
“General, Xiao Mo was indeed arrogant before, and this subordinate also wishes to cut him into a thousand pieces, but at this time we cannot act on impulse. Everything must prioritize the greater good.”
Listening to the generals in the tent speaking one after another, Guo Xin lowered his head, looking at the sand table, falling into contemplation.
Finally, Guo Xin shook his head, “Write to Yanmen Pass. We accept Yanmen Pass’s surrender. Additionally, I’ll immediately send a flying sword message to His Majesty. But during this time, the entire army must not slack off. Be vigilant against Xiao Mo raiding the camp.”
“Yes!” All the generals clasped their fists in acknowledgment.
Two days later, outside Bichui City, in the Northern Frontier army camp tent, Xiao Shi was discussing siege strategies with various generals.
For these seventeen days, the Northern Frontier army had attacked the city day and night at any cost.
Although Xiahou Nan still resisted to the death, Bichui City’s situation was now extremely pessimistic, and the other ten cities also found it difficult to protect themselves.
What Xiao Shi most hoped for now was that Xiao Mo could hold firm!
Just as he had initially predicted, as long as Xiao Mo could hold for thirty days, he would certainly take the eleven southern cities!
“Your Highness! A letter from the Zhei Kingdom imperial capital!”
Suddenly, a soldier ran into the tent, clasped his fists, and knelt on one knee.
Xiao Shi furrowed his brow.
The Qin Kingdom had quite a few spies in the Zhei Kingdom imperial capital.
If there was any relatively major matter, they would immediately send word to the Qin Kingdom!
Xiao Shi took the envelope and opened it to look.
As he read, Xiao Shi’s expression became increasingly wrong.
“Your Highness, what happened in the imperial capital?” Fang Weiming asked.
Xiao Shi passed the envelope to Fang Weiming and spoke slowly, “Yanmen Pass has requested surrender to the Zhei Kingdom.”
“What?”
General Huang and the others were all shocked, their eyes full of disbelief.
Upon hearing that Xiao Mo had surrendered, a flash of joy passed through Xiao Yishe’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and put on a face full of righteous indignation, “This Xiao Mo! Father trusts him so much! We attack the city day and night, suffering such severe casualties! He surrenders at this time, what about the Northern Frontier men who died? Shameless traitor! He deserves death!”
After Xiao Yishe finished cursing Xiao Mo, Xiao Shi merely slowly turned his head and looked at Xiao Yishe indifferently.
Just from his father looking at him once, cold sweat broke out on Xiao Yishe’s forehead, even his hair stood on end involuntarily, and his mouth quickly shut.
“Mati City’s breakthrough was opened using Xiao Mo’s strategy. After capturing Mati City, Xiao Mo took four more cities in succession. Breaking through Yanmen Pass was also Xiao Mo’s capability! Without Xiao Mo, there would be no hope of breaking the cities now. This prince says this, do you understand?” Xiao Shi said coldly to his second son.
“Your child… understands.”
“Also, there are no father and sons in the military camp. What should you call me? And what should you call yourself?” Xiao Shi asked.
“This subordinate knows his error and begs Your Highness for punishment!” Xiao Yishe quickly clasped his fists to beg forgiveness but at this time, Xiao Shi didn’t even want to acknowledge Xiao Yishe.
He withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the letter in his hand.
“Your Highness, could this be false news transmitted from the imperial capital?” Liu Xing, who handled matters prudently, stepped forward to ask.
Xiao Shi shook his head, “Our Qin Kingdom people planted in the Zhei Kingdom couldn’t fail to distinguish false news. This matter is most likely true.”
“We have no way to contact Yanmen Pass from here. Even flying swords can’t fly over.” Zhang Kui angrily pounded the table.
Everyone was momentarily speechless.
If they could contact Xiao Mo, they could still learn Xiao Mo’s true thoughts.
If Xiao Mo truly wanted to surrender, the Northern Frontier army could also urge him to persist a bit longer but now, not even a fly could reach Yanmen Pass.
“Then Your Highness, if Xiao Mo truly surrendered, Yanmen Pass will certainly fall. Do we continue attacking Bichui City on our side?” Xiao Yishe said carefully, appearing very concerned.
As Xiao Yishe’s words landed, the other generals also looked toward Xiao Shi.
Although they didn’t take this second young master of the Xiao Manor seriously, he had indeed raised the most critical question at present—do we still fight?
If Yanmen Pass truly surrendered and supplies arrive, continuing to forcibly attack the city would merely add to casualties.
Xiao Shi stared intently at the eleven southern cities and Yanmen Pass on the sand table.
After a moment, Xiao Shi raised his head and said to the generals, “Continue attacking the city! Additionally, whoever leaks the news of Yanmen Pass’s surrender, come see me with your head. Is that all clear?”
“This subordinate understands!” Fang Weiming and the others shouted in unison.
…
Qin Kingdom imperial capital.
At the residence of the First Prince, Cloud King Qin Jingsu, a young girl happily walked through the courtyard carrying a food box.
During this time, Qin Siyao often went to the Xiao Manor to keep Zhou Ruoxi company, then had Auntie Zhou teach her how to cook dishes Xiao Mo liked.
After making them, Qin Siyao would take turns delivering them to her first and second brothers, having them “test for poison.”
After all, they were her real brothers. If she didn’t use them at this time, when would she?
Once her culinary skills became proficient, she would cook for Xiao Mo.
“Big Brother! Little Sister has come to bring you lunch again.”
Qin Siyao happily walked into her big brother’s study, only to find it empty.
“Didn’t Big Brother say yesterday he had nothing to do today? Where is he? Could he be avoiding me because he dislikes my cooking?”
Qin Siyao pouted and muttered.
“Hmph, I don’t care! Even if it’s unpalatable, you have to eat it! If you don’t eat, how can this princess’s skills improve? If this princess’s skills don’t improve, how can I cook Xiao Mo’s favorite dishes for him?”
Qin Siyao placed the food box on the table, planning to wait for Big Brother to return.
Bored, Qin Siyao flipped through the documents Big Brother had left on the table, wanting to know what governmental affairs Father Emperor had recently assigned to Big Brother.
As she looked, when Qin Siyao came to a bundle of documents, her eyes froze, suspecting she had read wrong.
This document was a battle report sent from the Northern Frontier army front lines…
The battle report roughly stated that Xiao Mo defended the Zhei Kingdom’s Yanmen Pass to the death, surrounded on all sides, with the grain in the city nearly depleted, the enemy’s forces ten times that of Xiao Mo’s. Three days ago, the Zhei Kingdom ruler received Xiao Mo’s letter of surrender. The Zhei Kingdom ruler issued an edict to Xiao Mo accepting his surrender request, enfeoffing Xiao Mo as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households with real power, granting him three Zhei Kingdom provinces as his domain, and bestowing the eldest princess in marriage to Xiao Mo.
“Xiao Mo…”
Qin Siyao read it again and again.
The young girl’s eyes wavered, her face growing paler and paler, her fingers gripping the document already turning red.
Lifting her skirt, Qin Siyao grabbed the document and ran out of the Cloud King’s residence.
Returning to the princess manor, Qin Siyao hurried to the back courtyard.
In the back courtyard, Huasheng was shelling peanuts one by one.
“Sister Huasheng!”
Qin Siyao ran before Huasheng and gripped her hand tightly.
“What’s wrong with Her Highness the Princess? Why such urgency?” Sister Huasheng looked at Her Highness the Princess in confusion.
In Huasheng’s memory, this was the first time Her Highness the Princess had been so anxious.
“Sister Huasheng, can you take me to the Northern Frontier front lines?” Qin Siyao’s eyes held a thin mist, as if she would cry the next moment.
“The front lines? What is Her Highness the Princess going to the front lines for? That’s not a place for us women.” Huasheng was even more confused.
Although Her Highness the Princess was pampered and spoiled since childhood, she also knew propriety.
Even if she normally missed Xiao Mo, she wouldn’t go to the front lines to affect him.
“Sister Huasheng, look at this.”
Qin Siyao hurriedly handed the document to Sister Huasheng.
After Huasheng finished reading, she was also shocked, “Young Master Xiao surrendered to the Zhei Kingdom?”
“If only Xiao Mo had surrendered to the Zhei Kingdom.”
Qin Siyao gripped her sleeves tightly, her eyes red, crystalline tears sliding from the young girl’s eyes.
“But Xiao Mo is so foolish and so stubborn, how could he surrender!”