Chapter 145
Chapter 145
The next morning, the sky was filled with the morning glow. A saying went that if the morning glow filled the sky, one shouldn't venture out, but if the evening glow appeared, one could travel a thousand leagues. It meant that it might rain today.
Royal Uncle Ning Ji sought out the two families involved in the Gold Mountain Island dispute.
“Xuanwu, Jinhai, the weather doesn't look good today, and it seems it will rain in the afternoon. The literary competition is held indoors and the military competition outdoors, so let's switch their times. What do you think?”
Although the rain wouldn't hinder the two armies from fighting, it would be a major reason for the spectators not being able to watch the battle properly. All the spectators who had come here were of high status; it would be a major issue if they were to get soaked.
Count Xuanwu and Count Jinhai bowed and replied.
“We shall follow the Royal Uncle's arrangements.”
“Then it’s settled. The military competition will be in the morning, and the literary competition in the afternoon. You two may go and prepare.”
This was not unusual, as there had been precedents. Just as Count Xuanwu was about to leave, Royal Uncle Ning Ji suddenly stopped him and said a word.
“Xuanwu, do you have any particularly close friends here?”
Ning Ji left after asking his question, not waiting for Count Xuanwu's reply. After returning to his quarters, Count Xuanwu relayed the Royal Uncle’s words to Shen Lang, who instantly understood their meaning.
“The Royal Uncle means for us to borrow experts from other nobles.”
Count Xuanwu frowned.
“I will go and speak with them.”
***
Mulan was changing and wore only her under-breeches and a chest wrap. Shen Lang burst into the room and was captivated by the sight.
*My wife is beautiful without clothes, but even more so with them. And when she wears so little, she's breathtakingly beautiful. What beauties are Zhang Chunhua, Chi Yu, or Xu Qianqian compared to her? My wife is the most beautiful. And that figure. It was supposed to be a generously sized chest wrap, but on her, it became as form-fitting as a bikini.*
“What are you doing…?”
Mulan said angrily, instinctively covering her chest. Shen Lang stepped forward, wrapped his arms around his wife’s slender waist, and kissed her back.
“Stop being annoying. Don't bother me while I'm changing.”
Beside her lay a mysterious and splendid purple skirt. It was dyed using Shen Lang’s secret formula and embroidered with silver thread. Mulan, unlike Shen Lang, did not like to show off by using gold thread; she thought silver thread looked more modest and mysterious.
“My love, don’t change.”
Mulan didn’t actually enjoy wearing such ornate skirts, but today was different. She had to stand by her husband's side as a spectator, and amid a garden of beautiful flowers, she had to display her own beauty and overwhelm all the other women. That way, this philandering husband of hers would know exactly who was the most beautiful.
*This scoundrel. With such a beautiful wife watching him, how dare he try to steal a taste of something else outside? Is there something wrong with his eyes? I ought to… pluck out his eyelashes.*
“You must change into your armor and participate in the military competition.”
“Husband, according to the rules, I cannot participate. I already took part in the first match.”
“That rule was ruined by a scoundrel, so there's no need to follow it anymore.”
Mulan was deeply troubled. It was rare for her to attend such a public event. In her heart, she wanted to wear a beautiful dress, sit next to her husband, and show everyone that they were a match made in heaven.
“Then you are not to look at any other woman today. Especially don't exchange glances with that vixen, Zhang Chunhua.”
“I won’t.”
Shen Lang spoke tenderly and lightly bit his wife’s soft, white neck. Besides, Zhang Chunhua wouldn’t be able to give him a single glance today. The two of them would be standing in completely different places. When Shen Lang was on the verge of losing, Zhang Chunhua would try to seduce him with all her might, but if Shen Lang won, everything would change.
“Then leave. I need to change.”
When Mulan fought, she always wore tight-fitting leather garments. This was not to look pretty or to show off her figure, but to exert her utmost combat prowess. Wearing tight-fitting light armor created a sense of pressure that allowed her to draw out all her body's strength.
It was like the full-body swimsuits worn by athletes in swimming competitions. When they first appeared, the performance of every athlete who competed in the new swimwear improved, proving their effect.
She wore a tight-fitting snakeskin light armor and put on her plate armor over it, leaving absolutely no possibility of her skin showing. However, this snakeskin armor was extremely difficult to put on, and nothing could be worn underneath. Every time she took it off, it felt like a snake shedding its skin.
“Wife, let me help you put it on.”
“No.”
Shen Lang was displeased by her response.
“Why not?”
“If you do something strange and my legs go weak, how am I supposed to fight later?”
Satisfied with her answer, Shen Lang left. Mulan felt that her ability to handle her husband was steadily improving. Beyond violence, her other skills in taming him were gradually getting better.
A short while later.
Count Xuanwu returned, his face flushed with anger. He hadn't been able to borrow a single expert. The old, established nobles all said they wanted to help but lacked the power to do so. Others claimed they hadn't brought any experts, while some said their trusted men had fallen ill, unable to acclimatize. The meaning was clear.
*‘Count Xuanwu, we truly sympathize with you, and our hearts are with you. But… don’t drag us into this. Whoever lends you an expert today will be on the King’s kill list tomorrow. We fear the blade of the new government falling on our heads.’*
Count Xuanwu, on the verge of exploding with rage, said.
“Don’t they understand the simple principle that without the lips, the teeth grow cold?”
“Of course, they do. It’s not that they’re foolish, but rather… they’re being clever. One must clear the snow from one's own doorstep. Father-in-law, after we achieve a complete victory, the flames of the new government will fall upon them. When that time comes, we too will throw stones at those who have fallen into a well, just as they are doing, and carve a few pieces of flesh from their bodies.
Father-in-law, be patient. Before long, they will be crying and begging before you, shouting about how the teeth grow cold without the lips. When that day comes, you must stomp on their heads with all your might.”
There was no such thing as considering the greater good, uniting with one heart, or mutual cooperation. With the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s betrayal, the alliance of the old noble families had completely crumbled. In an hour, the second match of the Gold Mountain Island dispute, the military competition, would officially begin.
Originally, the military competition of the Gold Mountain Island dispute involved cavalry clashes. The cavalry from both sides would engage in a bloody contest, and the bodies of the fallen soldiers were trampled beyond recognition, becoming masses of flesh. Thus, it was natural to lose over a hundred warhorses each time a cavalry clash occurred. As this contest was repeated, the King could no longer bear what he felt was a waste of warhorses and issued a decree that only infantry would clash in the military competition, and cavalry was never to be used. Since then, the magnificent momentum of clashing cavalry could no longer be seen in the military competition. However, its cruelty remained, and the fighting, which drained every last drop of blood, remained unchanged.
Count Xuanwu’s one hundred warriors stood in formation, not making a sound. They were solemn and reverent, thinking that they might not be able to return home safely after this match. They thought this because Shen Lang, for the sake of secrecy, had not yet distributed the new armor and combat swords to them. In any case, the new equipment was identical in weight and shape to the old, so there was no need to distribute it to the warriors for training in advance; they could use it immediately.
Although the soldiers here had never participated in the Gold Mountain Island dispute, they knew its history. Every time there was a military competition, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate lost. This was not because their skills were inferior, but because their weapons and equipment were worse than the enemy's.
They would never retreat, even in death. They were the elite soldiers of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. They were the children the estate had raised since they were young, soldiers who had endured arduous training with swords and equipment, who lived for the glory of achieving victory in battle. They might be afraid inside, but they were not soldiers who would fail to advance out of fear of death. Originally, Jin Shiying was supposed to lead them, but now Mulan was in command, and he was her second.
Boxes filled with equipment were continuously brought before them. When the boxes were opened, every warrior’s eyes sparkled with admiration. They were incredibly sharp, keen, and rather beautiful combat swords. Their shape was the same as the old ones, but the color and pattern of the blades captivated them. A weapon was a soldier’s second life. Even if they knew nothing about steel, they could tell a good sword from a bad one at a glance.
Furthermore, there were helmets and armor. While the old helmets and armor were a whitish dark color, the ones they received now were all gleaming. The heart-guard plate on the chest, in particular, was so polished it could be used as a mirror. The new combat swords and armor they received were incomparable to the old ones. They were so beautiful it was thrilling. Even Jin Shiying, who had not known about the new equipment, let out a small gasp upon seeing it.
“Equip!”
Under Mulan’s command, the soldiers began to don their new armor, and in less than five minutes, all of them had finished. Their delight did not end there, extending to the new shields. However, the shields they received this time were much lighter than the old ones, so they couldn't guess how effective their defense would be.
Shen Lang personally helped Mulan put on her helmet and armor, then playfully rubbed his nose against hers. Mulan’s face reddened slightly, embarrassed as everyone was watching.
“My love, remember one thing firmly.”
“Yes.”
“No matter what happens, don’t get hurt. You must not suffer a single scratch.”
“Is not getting injured the main objective?”
“Yes.”
In the past, Mulan would have immediately shaken her head and said she would not retreat even in death, but now she simply nodded obediently and replied, “I understand.”
“Go.”
Shen Lang patted her bottom.
*Hitting a goddess’s bottom while everyone is watching, isn’t that a bit much?*
But she was wearing steel armor, so Shen Lang couldn't feel a thing and could only imagine the sensation in his mind.
***
On the side of the Count of Jinhai's Estate.
Leading the troops into battle this time was Count Jinhai’s eldest son, Tang Zong. As he was the son of a concubine, he could not be the heir, despite being the eldest. But that didn't matter, as he controlled half of the military power of the Count of Jinhai's Estate's private army.
Unlike the Jin clan, which had only one son and one daughter, the Tang clan was overflowing with talent. There was Tang Yan in martial arts, Tang Yun in literature, and Tang Zong in military affairs, in addition to a dozen other sons. Perhaps this was a perk of being a womanizer? Tang Lun had over a dozen concubines and had fathered many children, so it was only natural that a few outstanding ones would emerge among them.
Although Tang Zong’s battlefield martial arts were inferior to Nangong Ping, the heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate, he was still one of the top experts among the younger generation.
“Equip!”
At his command, the one hundred warriors of the Count of Jinhai's Estate equipped themselves with new armor, combat swords, and shields. Of course, forty of these men were elite experts selected from other armies. Twenty were borrowed from the Marquis of Zhenbei's Estate, ten from the Count of Jing'an's Estate, and ten from the Marquis of Zhenyuan's Estate. Looking at the one hundred warriors, Count Jinhai’s heart swelled with the feeling of victory as he gave his pre-battle speech.
“You are my pride! Our Count of Jinhai's Estate has been victorious in countless military competitions without fail. Today will be no exception. Victory is already assured, but I demand something more from you. End the battle before a single stick of incense has burned. Otherwise, even in victory, the fight can be considered a failure. Uphold the undefeated tradition of the Tang clan, crush your enemies, kill them, and make them howl!”
As Tang Lun shouted, the warriors beat their shields with their swords and roared.
“Kill the enemy!”
“Kill!”
“Crush them!”
The shouts of a hundred men raised their morale to the heavens. The experts among them, being the finest elite soldiers, felt their blood boil with the urge to taste blood.
*The battlefield is my home, and slaughter excites me.*
The soldiers of the Count of Jinhai's Estate radiated a murderous aura that reached the sky, but the Count of Xuanwu's side was silent and still. Even from the outside, the difference in morale between the two sides was stark.