0p0 Chapter 515 The defeated Northern Li army returns to Tianqi. On the eve of the Tianqi era, Situ Xue
Chapter 515 The defeated Northern Li army returns to Tianqi. On the eve of the Tianqi era, Situ Xue
Jin Xuan finally understood—Xiao Ruojin didn't want to kill Xiao Ruofeng, but rather to seize his power.
But if military power is seized, to whom can it be handed over? The generals in the court who can command troops are either too old, lack sufficient experience, or are former subordinates of Xiao Ruofeng...
"Your Majesty," Jinxuan asked cautiously, "if the Prince of Langya relinquishes his military power, then what about the position of Grand General of the Nation..."
"Military command will be temporarily taken over by the Ministry of War," Xiao Ruojin said calmly. "The title of Grand General of the Nation is just an honorary one and of little importance! As for the person who will lead the troops... I will make the decision myself!"
He sat down again, picked up his pen, and began to review the battle report. The words, written in vermilion ink, were as red as blood.
"Prince Xiao Ruofeng of Langya suffered a setback in suppressing the rebellion in the southwest, losing many soldiers and generals, and failing to live up to my expectations. He is hereby ordered to return to the capital, hand over his military seal and insignia, and recuperate at his residence for six months. All military and political affairs shall be temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Directorate of Ceremonial.
After finishing writing, he put down his pen and said to Jinxuan, "Go and deliver the decree!"
“Your Majesty,” Jinxuan hesitated, “is this… somewhat inappropriate? After all, the Prince of Langya has just suffered a major defeat. If he were to seize power now, there would likely be discontent within the army…”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruojin sneered: "Dissent? Are we supposed to wait until he's lost all his remaining troops, until Baili Luo's army is at the gates of Tianqi City, before we deal with him?!"
He stood up and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the hall:
"Jinxuan, you must remember—sitting in this position means you can't be soft-hearted."
Brotherhood is important, but the fate of the nation is even more so. If I let personal feelings interfere with public duty, the century-old foundation of the Northern Li will be destroyed in my hands!
These words sounded grand and dignified, but Jinxuan sensed a chill in them.
He said no more, bowed and accepted the order: "This servant understands, I will go and draft the decree now."
"Wait!" Xiao Ruojin suddenly called out to him, "How's the investigation going regarding the disappearance of a girl named Situ Xue from the Langya Prince's Mansion?"
Jin Xuan's heart tightened, and she whispered, "The people from the Imperial Palace and the Shadow Sect are still investigating, and there's no news yet. However... a royal physician has confirmed that the young lady was pregnant before leaving the manor, and it should be the child of the Prince of Langya!"
Xiao Ruojin frowned: "My royal brother has never taken a princess as a concubine. How could he have a child with this commoner? Does he know how many months pregnant she is?"
Jinxuan said humbly, "According to reliable sources... it's been about three months, but the pregnancy isn't showing yet, and no one in the Prince's mansion has noticed."
Xiao Ruojin was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, her laughter tinged with sarcasm: "This commoner woman is quite good at hiding her true identity! She is pregnant with royal blood but keeps it a secret, and now she has disappeared at this critical juncture... Interesting."
He paused, then continued, "Send more men to search. We must find them alive or dead! The royal bloodline cannot be allowed to remain outside!"
"Yes!"
After Jinxuan withdrew, the hall returned to silence.
Xiao Ruojin stood alone by the window, gazing at the gradually brightening sky in the east, her expression shifting uncertainly.
Xiao Ruofeng is coming back.
Bearing the weight of defeat, guilt, and countless unanswered questions, how should he, as the elder brother, face the enemy?
Is he a caring older brother, or a king demanding punishment? Xiao Ruojin slowly clenched her fist.
Some paths, once embarked upon, offer no turning back. From the moment Xiao Ruojin sat on that dragon throne, she immediately understood one thing—on the path to imperial power, there is no room for even the slightest softness!
……
As dawn broke, the Beili military camp north of Ezhou was already bustling with activity.
The groans of wounded soldiers, the footsteps of sentries, and the crackling of cooks starting fires mingled in the rising morning mist.
When Xiao Ruofeng walked out of the central command tent, there was no sign of him having stayed up all night, except that his eye sockets were deeper than usual.
Xiao Ping was already waiting outside the tent. When he saw him come out, he whispered, "Your Highness, General Ye has woken up."
"Let's go see him."
The two walked towards the wounded soldiers' camp, one after the other.
Inside the largest tent, Ye Xiaoying leaned against a makeshift bed, his left arm wrapped in thick bandages, his face still pale, but his eagle eyes had regained their former sharpness.
Upon seeing Xiao Ruofeng enter, he struggled to get up, but Xiao Ruofeng held him down.
"Lie down!" Xiao Ruofeng sat down beside the bed and carefully examined his injuries. "How is the recovery?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I won't die anytime soon!" Ye Xiaoying grinned, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain. "It's this arm... the army doctor said it can be saved for now, but from now on I will never be able to lift a sword again!"
These words were spoken plainly, but everyone in the tent could hear the bitterness in them.
Ye Xiaoying, who wields two swords, will likely only be able to use a single sword from now on.
Xiao Ruofeng was silent for a moment, then patted his uninjured right shoulder: "It's good that you're alive. You can change your swordsmanship. As long as you're alive, there's still hope!"
Ye Xiaoying's eyes reddened slightly. He turned his face away and said in a muffled voice, "This humble general is incompetent, the three thousand brothers of the Double Blade Camp..."
Xiao Ruofeng interrupted him: "It's not your fault. The Wen family somehow obtained the technique of using medicine to kill people. Even if I went myself, the result would be the same!"
These words were both a comforting statement and the truth.
Ye Xiaoying took a deep breath, turned his face, and his eyes regained their usual determination: "Your Highness, those drug-infused people... are not human at all. They can't be cut by knives, they can't be pierced by spears, and even if their limbs are broken, they can still pounce on you and bite you."
I witnessed with my own eyes a brother being bitten on the neck by a drugged man, who tore off a chunk of flesh..."
He couldn't continue, closed his eyes, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
The tent fell silent for a long time before Xiao Ruofeng slowly said, "I really never imagined that my sworn brother Wen Yanzhao... would use poison to such an extent!"
"That's not poison magic, it's evil magic!" Ye Xiaoying gritted his teeth and said, "Those things have no sense of pain, no fear, and only obey Wen Yanzhao's bone flute commands!"
He only released thirty-odd drug-using men, and they slaughtered my three thousand Double-Blade Battalion soldiers… If I don't avenge this, I, Ye Xiaoying, swear I will not be a man!
“We must avenge our grievances, but not now.” Xiao Ruofeng stood up. “You should recover from your injuries first. We can discuss this further once we return to Tianqi.”
Just then, Lei Mengsha's voice came from outside the tent: "Your Highness, Xun Yichuan has something important to report."
Xiao Ruofeng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this: "Oh? Let Yichuan come in and talk."
Xun Yichuan lifted the curtain and entered, his face solemn, holding a secret letter in his hand: "Your Highness, this is a secret report from the Heavenly Revelation that I just received."
Xiao Ruofeng took it, unfolded it, glanced at it, and his brows gradually furrowed.
The letter was secretly sent by his former subordinates in the court. Its contents were concise yet shocking—since the news of the defeat in the southwest was sent back, the memorials impeaching the Prince of Langya in the court had piled up like mountains.
Even more shockingly, Yi Bu, the leader of the Shadow Sect, entered the palace late at night and had a long private conversation with Emperor Mingde. The specific content of the conversation is unknown, but there were rumors in the palace that His Majesty was "extremely furious" about the defeat of the Prince of Langya.
"Your Highness," Xun Yichuan said in a low voice, "judging from this situation, I'm afraid that after returning to the capital..."
"Hmm...that's all I know." Xiao Ruofeng crumpled the letter into a ball, clasped his hands together, and gently crushed it. The letter then turned completely into dust. He then gave the order:
"Pass on my order: we shall break camp this afternoon and return to the capital ahead of schedule!"
……