Zhao You rode swiftly to Yan Chi's side. Having already learned from scouts about the Northwest Frontier Army being stabbed in the back, he couldn't help but share their grief upon witnessing the scene.
"Your Highness, please accept my condolences. There must be a reason behind this. Once we investigate, we will surely not spare those behind it."
Zhao You's white hair and deeply wrinkled face bore witness to a lifetime of hardships. Hearing this, Yan Chi composed himself and asked, "How is the Northern Garrison Army?"
Zhao You quickly replied, "We noticed something amiss and headed southwest. Halfway there, we encountered the Rong barbarians retreating northward. After clashing with them, they showed signs of defeat. The remaining twenty thousand or so fled toward Cangzhou. We were about to pursue when we encountered your scouts."
Yan Chi nodded. The rain showed no sign of stopping, making the scorched corpses scattered across the plains appear even more tragic.
Yan Chi said, "In that case, our Northwest Frontier Army has already done all we could."
Zhao You, hearing this, didn't know how to comfort Yan Chi. But then he saw Yan Chi suddenly turn toward the direction of the charred bodies and issue a resolute command: "Xiao Cheng, leave ten thousand infantrymen to clear the battlefield and prepare to send our brothers home. The rest, follow me!"
Xiao Cheng choked back a sob and shouted, "Yes! This general will ensure not a single man is left behind!"
Yan Chi looked at Chu Fei Sheng beside him. Chu Fei Sheng raised his long blade and cried, "Your Highness! Let us avenge our brothers!"
With his words, all the Northwest Frontier Army soldiers joined in the rallying cry:
"Avenge them! Avenge our brothers—"
The downpour was deafening, but the roars of the Northwest Frontier Army soldiers were even more soul-stirring.
Seeing this, Zhao You's frown deepened. Such a calamity befalling the Northwest Frontier Army was undoubtedly deliberate. And since someone had dealt such a blow to them, the Northern Garrison Army might be targeted next. Thinking of Zhao Shuhua and the others still at the main camp, Zhao You's heart tightened with anxiety.
Just then, Zhao Jing rushed over from behind. "Father! The main camp is in trouble!"
Zhao Jing's voice was loud enough for the Northwest Frontier Army soldiers to hear. They watched as he rode straight to Zhao You and said, "Father! Last night, the camp was ambushed. They tried to capture Elder Sister and the Crown Prince. They managed to escape the camp, but half our men were shot dead. Elder Sister, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess were separated from them and are now missing!"
Zhao You's worst fears had come true. He felt his vision darken.
"How could this happen! Just as I thought... This isn't just targeting the Northwest Frontier Army..."
Zhao You turned to Yan Chi. "Prince Rui, the Northern Garrison Army has also been ambushed. Under these circumstances, we must take our leave."
Yan Chi was not surprised by the news. He nodded and clasped his hands in farewell.
Zhao You tightened his reins, turned his horse, and galloped away. Watching Zhao You and his men disappear into the distance, Yan Chi finally turned back. Chu Fei Sheng asked, "Your Highness, where do we go now?! This matter... must be connected to the Jinzhou Army! Let's head straight to Wei County!"
Before he finished speaking, another group of riders appeared from the southwest. Yan Chi looked closely and saw it was Bai Feng returning.
Bai Feng rode up quickly and said, "Your Highness! The Northern Garrison Army has also met with disaster—"
Bai Feng had come from the southwest. How could he know?
Yan Chi frowned. "How do you know?"
Bai Feng turned and pointed to the person beside him. "Your Highness, this is someone sent by the princess consort to deliver a message. I encountered them while investigating the fire oil matter... Your Highness, Gu Ling and the others..."At this point, Bai Feng's expression shifted slightly, for all the soldiers were looking in one direction. Following their gaze, Bai Feng immediately understood the situation of Gu Ling and the others. Yan Chi paid no attention to Bai Feng and instead looked directly at the messenger. The man dismounted and saluted, then said, "Your Highness, an hour ago, the deposed Crown Prince brought the deposed Empress and the Crown Princess to our camp seeking help. The deposed Empress is severely injured. They claimed their camp was attacked and had no choice but to come to us!"
Yan Chi's brow furrowed deeply. After a moment, he turned to the scouts who had earlier headed north. "Quickly catch up with the Northern Garrison Army and inform General Zhao of this matter."
The scouts mounted their horses and rode off. Yan Chi then asked the messenger, "How is the princess consort?"
"The princess consort is well. She is likely tending to the deposed Empress at the moment—"
Yan Chi nodded, while Xiao Cheng was already directing his soldiers to collect the remains of the Northwest Frontier Army soldiers on the field ahead.
The intensity of the heavy rain seemed to be easing, and the previously gloomy sky was clearing. Yan Chi did not immediately order an attack on the city. Instead, he gazed thoughtfully at the vast, charred field. Those who had fallen and turned to ash were all soldiers who had followed him for years. This battle should have been a certain victory, yet they had lost over ten thousand troops.
A cold gleam flashed in Yan Chi's eyes. Beyond grief and fury, a deeper rage emanated from his very bones.
He stared fixedly at the sky above, gripping his spear so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if he might hurl it at any moment to pierce the heavens!
After a long silence, Yan Chi suddenly twirled his spear and sheathed it.
Sitting upright on his horse, he looked at Chu Fei Sheng and said, "Withdraw the troops. We return to camp first!"
Chu Fei Sheng was momentarily taken aback but did not question the order, immediately proceeding to rally the troops. After a brief pause, Yan Chi turned to the messenger sent by Qin Guan and said, "Ride back to camp at once and inform the princess consort and Xia Xu to prepare the army and await my return!"
The soldier acknowledged the order, mounted his horse, and sped off like an arrow from a bow!
Soon, Chu Fei Sheng had the troops organized, and at that moment, Zhao You, having received the news, returned!
Seeing the Northwest Frontier Army preparing to return to camp, Zhao You hurried forward and asked, "What are Your Highness's plans? Is Shu'er truly in the Northwest Frontier Army camp?"
Yan Chi was not particularly warm toward Zhao You and simply replied, "If you do not believe it, you may go yourself. If you wish to see the Empress, follow us!"
With that, he turned his horse and headed toward the Northwest Frontier Army camp in the southwest!
The Northwest Frontier Army moved out in an orderly formation. Zhao You hesitated briefly, then instructed Zhao Jing, "I will take five hundred light cavalry and follow Prince Rui. You stay with the main army and wait for us two li away from the Northwest Frontier Army camp—"
Zhao Jing frowned at this. "But... Father, could this be a trap?!"
Zhao You shook his head, glancing in the direction Yan Chi had left and then at Xiao Cheng and the others collecting the remains. "A commander like him would not resort to tricks."
With that, he urged his horse forward and followed behind the Northwest Frontier Army.
...
Qin Guan waited anxiously in the camp, but Yan Chi did not return for a long time. When dawn finally broke, she saw the messenger she had sent out.
The man rode into the camp and went straight to Qin Guan. "Princess Consort, the battle situation changed last night. The prince has ordered that you and General Xia prepare the army and await his return!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Guan's heart leaped into her throat. "Is the prince alright?"The messenger immediately nodded, "The prince is well, but... the casualties are extremely heavy. You'll understand when the prince returns!"
Qin Guan gritted her teeth hard to steady herself. Though Yan Chi was unharmed, she couldn't bear any casualties. Taking a deep breath, she immediately had Baiying summon Xia Xu. After delivering the military order, Xia Xu was also startled but dared not delay, promptly mobilizing the troops.
The commotion was considerable, and Yan Che and Qin Chaoyu, who were accompanying Zhao Shuhua, quickly emerged. Qin Chaoyu approached and asked, "What's happened?"
Qin Guan's heart was deeply unsettled, and she had no mind to deal with them at the moment. She simply said, "There was a change in last night's battle with the Northwest Frontier Army. We must prepare our troops immediately."
After speaking, Qin Guan turned and saw Yue Ning standing frozen in place.
Yue Ning seemed to have guessed something, her expression now quite grim. Qin Guan stepped forward and said, "What's wrong? Don't overthink it. Yan Chi is mobilizing the troops, likely planning to head somewhere immediately. Let's get ready..."
Yue Ning took a deep breath to compose herself. "Alright, I understand."
As they spoke, the two returned to their respective tents. Qin Guan took nothing with her, only draping a cape over her shoulders before having her white pony brought over. She mounted and rode to the camp entrance, where Xia Xu had already assembled twenty thousand troops. All stood in orderly ranks at the camp gate, anxiously awaiting Yan Chi's return.
After waiting roughly the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, a tide of dark shadows appeared on the horizon, banners fluttering fiercely—it was the returning Northwest Frontier Army.
Yan Chi had led fifty thousand troops when he departed, but now only slightly over twenty thousand returned. The numerical difference was evident even to Qin Guan, let alone the battle-hardened soldiers. Instantly, everyone's hearts grew heavy.
Qin Guan pressed her lips tightly together. Seeing Yan Chi leading the vanguard, she urged her horse forward.
Soon, the two met. Up close, the details became painfully clear.
Outwardly, Yan Chi appeared no different from usual, his eyes still as dark and unfathomable as an abyss. But only Qin Guan knew—his eyes held unmistakable, heart-wrenching pain. Her own heart aching, she suddenly felt her breath grow stifled. She hurried forward, wanting to say something, yet found her throat choked with unspoken words.
Seeing Qin Guan like this, Yan Chi understood her silent comfort. He forced a faint smile. "We won."
These should have been joyful words, but spoken by Yan Chi now, they were filled with weary anguish. The subtle, bitter tremor in his voice was something only Qin Guan could detect.
Instantly, Qin Guan felt her nose sting. She knew—this was likely the most tragic "victory" Yan Chi would ever declare in his life.
Suppressing the urge to look toward the rear of the column, Qin Guan turned her horse and rode alongside Yan Chi back to the camp gate. Upon arrival, Yan Chi saw Xia Xu waiting with the remaining twenty thousand troops. All gazed at him earnestly, their eyes also drifting toward the end of the returning column.
Yan Chi's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice heavy as he said, "You must be wondering why Gu Ling, Yu Qi, and Xiao Cheng haven't returned. You're also wondering why some of our brothers are still missing... This battle, our Northwest Frontier Army won, but..."
Yan Chi's voice suddenly faltered. "But Gu Ling and Yu Qi will never return. Xiao Cheng is now leading ten thousand brothers... collecting their Skeletons."Yan Chi's voice dropped for only a moment before suddenly rising sharply. "Last night's fierce battle was originally a sure-win strategy, but when it came time to engage, someone with ulterior motives set a prairie fire. The flames split the Northwest Frontier Army into two sections, ultimately leading to the complete annihilation of the ten thousand troops led by Gu Ling and Yu Qi."
Without pausing, Yan Chi continued, "As the commanding general, I cannot shirk responsibility!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Fei Sheng urged his horse forward and addressed the twenty thousand troops who hadn't responded to the battle, "This isn't His Highness's fault! That fire was set by despicable scoundrels trying to harm us. His Highness led us in fighting desperately to rescue them, but by the time we repelled the Rong barbarians, it was already too late..."
Chu Fei Sheng, over forty years old and a military elder of equal standing with Yan Lin, spoke with a trembling, choked voice!
"They set the prairie fire to kill us all! We all know that now we're fighting under the label of rebels. Now, at this final battle, the ancient saying 'hounds are cooked after the hares are caught' has come true. Not just us—last night, the Northern Garrison Army was also ambushed..."
Even without Chu Fei Sheng saying this, everyone could see the caked dark red bloodstains on Yan Chi's body.
Despite the heavy rain, the blood on him remained undiminished, showing just how fierce last night's battle must have been!
The soldiers following behind Yan Chi looked as if they had crawled out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
Xia Xu, one of the army's main commanders who had joined around the same time as Yu Qi and Gu Ling, reddened his eyes upon learning both had died in battle!
He stepped forward abruptly, "Your Highness! How did it come to this?! Who—"
Yan Chi looked at Xia Xu, then at the soldiers behind him. "The Rong invasion wasn't originally our responsibility to stop. But for the land beneath our feet, for the Zhou blood flowing in our veins, we came. Through days of fierce fighting, we men of the Northwest Frontier never retreated. Yet now we're met with such an end—are you satisfied?!"
"Not satisfied!" Xia Xu roared.
Instantly, all the soldiers echoed, "Not satisfied! We're not satisfied!"
Yan Chi's gaze swept across each person as he nodded. "Good, very good. I had you prepare the army early because I want to lead you immediately to find the mastermind behind our fallen brothers' deaths. I, Yan Chi, if I cannot avenge our wrongfully dead brothers, am unworthy of being commander of the Northwest Frontier Army!"
His resolute words echoed throughout the camp, instantly stirring everyone's shared hatred.
Yan Chi pointed his spear toward Wei County's direction. "March on Wei County—"
At his command, all Northwest Frontier troops began to move. Zhao You and others who had just arrived, seeing this formation, originally intended to greet Yan Chi before entering the camp. But now, intimidated by Yan Chi's murderous aura, they could only wait aside for the army to pass.
Zhao Jing watched the scene and asked, "Father, are they about to start fighting?"
Zhao You narrowed his eyes with a cold smile. "I'm afraid we'll be marching on Wei County soon too—"
After avoiding the Northwest Frontier Army, Zhao You quickly rode toward the camp. Just as he reached the camp entrance, he saw Yan Che and another.Yan Chi led his army with great momentum toward Wei County. Since it wasn't far, they arrived in less than half an hour. From a distance, the sentinels of Wei County had spotted Yan Chi and his troops early on and promptly reported the news to Yue Qiong, who had just returned to the city.
Yue Qiong had been entangled in battle with over ten thousand Rong barbarians at Fallen Phoenix Slope the previous night. After the fight concluded, he sent scouts to investigate and learned that the Rong barbarians had fled north. Having just returned, he was still unaware of the matters concerning the Northwest Frontier Army and the Northern Garrison Army. Upon hearing that Yan Chi had arrived with troops, Yue Qiong immediately mounted his horse and rode out of the city to greet him—
Just as he reached outside the city gates, Yan Chi and his men arrived.
Yue Qiong was about to speak when he saw Yan Chi raise his spear, its gleaming tip pointing directly at him, and shout sternly, "Seize the Anyang Marquis for me!"
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