Chapter 694
Chapter 694
“My lord, aren't you being too generous with Shen Lang? The man is endlessly greedy. Your promise to completely withdraw your forces from the State of Yue was already a tremendous favor. Yet he demands even more, does he not?”
Queen Saman's words made Prince Gong shake his head, but he offered no defense for Shen Lang. The situation had changed too quickly. He had never imagined Ying Qi was capable of such a grand strategic design. He had drawn both the Great Yan Dynasty and the Hidden Yuan Society's headquarters onto his game board. Prince Gong had originally intended to stay one step ahead and destroy the capital of Yue. That would have stopped the Third Prince's game before it even began. But Shen Lang had blocked that move, and now Prince Wu's withdrawal from the war was a foregone conclusion. If Prince Chu also fell, Prince Gong would become the target of several nations and face a counterattack from Yue. That was why Prince Gong had decided to make a clean break.
But Shen Lang was clearly trying to draw Prince Gong into a new game. What Prince Gong saw was not the immediate outcome of tomorrow or the day after, but the more distant future of the Great Nan Kingdom. If Shen Lang succeeded and Ying Zheng ascended the throne, Prince Gong would have forged a friendship with two nations. Aruna was a straightforward person; a friendship with her could last a lifetime. Ying Zheng was a man of noble character, and if he took the throne, he would pursue a single goal for decades: to govern with all his might, resolve Yue's underlying troubles, push for new reforms, and defend against the clutches of the Great Yan Dynasty. If Ying Zheng became king, he would never attack the Great Nan Kingdom, and their friendship with Yue could endure for a long time.
And Prince Gong's own goal for the next few decades was to foster the great development of the Great Nan Kingdom. He had no ambitions to expand his territory. If Ying Qi took the throne, he would undoubtedly become His Majesty the Emperor's pawn, and to build his prestige and reputation, he would be compelled to seek victory. Prince Gong's Great Nan Kingdom was the most suitable target for Ying Qi's war. He would wage war against the Great Nan Kingdom under the political pretext of spreading the glory of the Great Yan Dynasty to the "barbarians" for the sake of the Emperor. Thus, there was no need to even consider who to choose between Ying Zheng and Ying Qi.
Of course, if Ying Zheng failed in his struggle for the throne, Ying Qi and Prince Gong would become mortal enemies. But since Prince Gong had already privately signed a truce with Shen Lang, he was already an enemy of Ying Qi. The important question now was whether lending five thousand of his elite archers to Shen Lang posed a risk to the Great Nan Kingdom. As a monarch, Prince Gong had to consider that.
***
“Virtuous brother, my elite archers are physically robust, but their ability to withstand the bitter cold is inferior to your Nirvana Legion. I worry they will suffer great losses while crossing the Great Snow Mountain.”
Shen Lang extended his hand and said.
“Give me the liquor.”
Big Dummy opened a box and took out a bottle. The liquid inside was as clear and transparent as water.
“Prince Gong, please have a taste.”
The moment Prince Gong took a sip, his face turned crimson from the intense flavor, something he had never experienced before. His throat felt as if it had been cut by a knife, and soon, a wave of heat spread through his entire body.
‘How can liquor be this strong?’
How could it not be? It was distilled baijiu, over 120 proof. To ward off the cold, ginseng and deer antler blood had even been added.
“Prince Gong, your elite archers' constitutions far surpass that of ordinary men. With this potent liquor, crossing the Great Snow Mountain will be no problem.”
“This march will require a large amount of medicinal herbs and bows. What about provisions? Starting from the State of Jiang, they will have to cross not just the Great Snow Mountain but several other mountain ranges. They can't be resupplied midway, nor can they hunt. The army can't march on empty stomachs, can it?”
“They can eat compressed biscuits.”
Big Dummy took out a piece of compressed biscuit. It was a very small piece. Yet when Prince Gong ate one, he felt full.
“The calories in these compressed biscuits are four to five times that of ordinary rice. They are easy to eat and more than sufficient as military rations!”
Curious, Queen Saman cut off a small piece of the biscuit and put it in her mouth.
‘Hmm? It's actually sweet and delicious. Shen Lang, that pretty boy, is truly multi-talented. There's nothing he can't do.’
Then, Prince Gong asked with a strange expression.
“Virtuous brother, how did you come so prepared for all this? You've brought everything needed. You have the strong liquor, and you have the compressed biscuits. It's as if you were just waiting for me to ask, weren't you?”
Queen Saman was startled by his words.
‘It's true!’
In fact, until just a moment ago, she had been feeling quite smug.
‘Shen Lang, as clever as you are, when the two sides talk, it's still my husband who takes the lead.’
In her eyes, it seemed as if Prince Gong was leading every part of their conversation. Even the strategy for Ying Zheng to earn merit by raiding the capital of Chu was a plan Shen Lang seemed to realize only after Prince Gong pointed it out, which made Saman think, ‘As expected, my husband is the smartest.’ But to her surprise, Shen Lang had prepared even the potent liquor and compressed biscuits.
‘You... you planned everything before you even came here. You were just waiting for my husband to bring up the topic himself. This man is too cunning, isn't he?’
Shen Lang waved his hand dismissively.
“Prince Gong, let's not worry about the minor details. If you agree, let's proceed with this plan. The First Nirvana Legion has already returned to the State of Jiang and awaits orders. Queen Aruna's fifty-thousand-strong army has also assembled and is ready to attack the Chu-Jiang border at any moment. They will provide cover when we raid the capital of Chu.”
Prince Gong had no choice.
‘You cunning snake. You had already decided in your heart to proceed this way, hadn't you? You are the true master of the grand design. To even have the Queen of Jiang's fifty-thousand-strong army provide cover while you attack Chu.’
One could imagine how shocked the world would be when news spread that Ying Zheng had led an army on an expedition to attack the capital of Chu. What a huge blow that would be to the Third Prince, Ying Qi. Shen Lang had come to hire his army because he needed it. But it was clear that even without Prince Gong's army, Shen Lang would carry out this world-shaking expedition. Just as Prince Gong was looking at the game two or three moves ahead, Shen Lang had also predicted that game.
In essence, Shen Lang's borrowing of Prince Gong's troops was an attempt to form a three-nation alliance. It was to defend against being devoured by Chu, Wu, and even the Great Yan Dynasty in the future. Moreover, as Shen Lang had just mentioned, the Zhu Clan must have already discovered the existence of the ancient ruins within the Saman tribe's territory.
The scenario where three nations would divide the State of Yue after attacking its capital had already been shattered by Shen Lang. Therefore, Prince Gong had to choose one of the two: Ying Zheng or Ying Qi.
“Very well, it's settled!”
Prince Gong extended his hand to Shen Lang, and the two men clasped hands. Prince Gong suddenly remembered something and asked.
“Virtuous brother, do you know where Jin Mulan is?”
“She's at home.”
Shen Lang answered instinctively, but his expression changed drastically as he asked.
“Don't tell me? Did she... lead the Second Nirvana Legion to attack Nangu City?”
In that moment, a chill ran down Shen Lang's spine. He truly hadn't expected Mulan to do such a thing. After discovering the ancient ruins, Shen Lang had immediately crossed the Saman tribe's territory to enter the Great Nan capital and had not set foot in the State of Yue, so he had heard no news about it.
‘My dear Mulan? Have you become so bold? Was this your way of sharing my burdens?’
Startled, Shen Lang broke into a cold sweat. Attacking Nangu City was a path he had long abandoned for fear of falling into Prince Gong's trap. That was why he hadn't mentioned a word of it to Mulan, yet she had unexpectedly done something so audacious.
“Rest assured. She withdrew completely intact. Your wife is truly remarkable; I can't help but admire her.”
Queen Saman added a remark.
“Shen Lang, you're not worthy of her.”
“Then where is my wife now?”
“She led the Second Nirvana Legion west, so it's possible she's heading to join you, or it's possible she's heading to attack our Great Nan capital.”
Shen Lang was rendered speechless.
‘Ugh?! My... my... my love, don't tell me you're not done after attacking Nangu City and now you're going to attack Prince Gong's home base?’
“Rest assured. I have already sent a carrier pigeon to State Preceptor Shayin. He will know what to do.”
Shen Lang was again at a loss for words.
“The military situation is fluid. Tonight, I will have Saman lead five thousand elite archers and depart with you.”
“Prince Gong, didn't you have a secret pact with Chu?”
“We had a verbal agreement to divide the State of Yue among the three nations. But we never signed a written contract. The King of Chu feared the Great Yan Dynasty and did not want to be seen openly associating with us 'barbarians'.”
“Then the five thousand elite archers will all wear our Yue equipment. It would be best to call them the Third Nirvana Legion.”
That night, Shen Lang and Queen Saman led five thousand elite archers and headed west, to begin an even more epic expedition.
***
Capital of Yue.
Ning Yuanxian had truly aged. More of his hair had turned white, his body had grown terribly thin, and his hands trembled noticeably.
‘The crisis of a fallen nation!’
For the past month, a continuous stream of nightmarish news had completely broken him. The Western Sky Battlefield was in grave danger, and the Northern Sky Battlefield was in a precarious situation. The Southern Sky Province battlefield had completely fallen, and Su Nan's army could march on Tianyue City at any moment. Because of this, Ning Yuanxian had long since made all preparations and always carried a sword with him. He was ready to take his own life the moment Su Nan's army breached Tianyue City.
Ning Yuanxian had no desire to see Su Nan's triumphant face, nor did he want to witness the Saman tribe's army storming his city. A monarch would die for his state, and Consort Bian had also prepared poison. The moment Ning Yuanxian died, she intended to follow him. Ning Yuanxian was clutching two walnuts in his hands, but he couldn't stop them from trembling.
‘They'll be here soon!’
Su Nan's army had figured out the secret behind the strengthened defenses of Yangguo City. The effects of the golden dragon blood must have worn off, so news of Yangguo City's fall would arrive any moment. His son, Ying Zheng, would probably try to die on the battlefield.
‘A good son! A good son! In the past, I, Ning Yuanxian, was too foolish, too blind to see the gold right in front of me. Now, even if I want to make up for my mistakes, it is too late. My good son. Shen Lang said he was about sixty percent confident of victory, but from what I see, it looks like he will lose. But that's alright. He did his best. The Second Nirvana Legion's surprise attack on Nangu City to strike the enemy's weak point—what a magnificent picture it was! What a bold move! It's just a pity that Prince Gong had a better grasp of the grand design, and so he lost. Shen Lang, that damn kid. It's fine if you lose; just go beyond the seas and live a carefree life. I, Ning Yuanxian, have gambled my country away like a madman to this day, so even if I lose, so what? I'll just die. It's no big deal.’
At that moment, Eunuch Lü Yin rushed into the room, and Ning Yuanxian's heart pounded.
‘Has the nightmarish news finally arrived?’
Eunuch Lü Yin entered and immediately knelt at Ning Yuanxian's feet, his voice trembling like a cicada's wings as he reported.
“Your Majesty, great news! Tremendous news! His Highness Prince Ying Zheng has sent a secret report. Judging by the fact that Su Nan's army has suddenly halted their advance, it seems Young Master Shen Lang has succeeded. He has defeated Prince Gong! The war on the Southern Sky Province battlefield will stop! Prince Gong will soon withdraw his forces. Young Master Shen Lang has won his contest against Prince Gong!”
Hearing this, Ning Yuanxian's body froze, and for a moment, he was lost for words.
‘Heavens, are you still watching over me at a time like this? Shen Lang, that boy, to think he could truly pull off such a miracle...’