Chapter 860 I, Your Emperor, Have Arrived!

For many days, the heavens, which had been expected to cleanse the land, finally grew impatient.

The sky finally cleared, revealing a splendid, sunny day.

"You've worked hard these past few days."

Zheng Fan said to Chen Yuan, who stood before him.

"It is this general's duty; I dare not claim hardship!"

Chen Yuan smiled and added, "Besides, these Qian scouts and sentries are truly not resilient."

Xue San and Chen Xiong had gone to Xiangsi Mountain, so within the main army, Chen Yuan had taken on the responsibility of commanding the outer scouts and sentries. In the recent days of heavy rain and mud, Chen Yuan had personally led his cavalry in a fierce suppression of the opposing Qian army.

The confrontation between scouts actually began the moment both sides discovered each other. Whoever gained the upper hand in the scouting battle gained an advantage in the field of vision.

However, as Chen Yuan had said, the Qian scouts were truly not resilient, and they seemed to have devoted a great deal of energy to capturing deserters from their own ranks. Therefore, the entire front-line situation had long fallen into the hands of the Yan.

Seeing the Prince of Pingxi begin to don his armor, Chen Yuan asked curiously,

"Your Highness, what are you planning?"

"The sky has cleared, the rain has stopped, and this Prince feels the need to go for a stroll. Heh."

Serving the Prince as he put on his armor was much easier than helping him change clothes; Chen Xianba and the others did it methodically.

"Call Zhao Yuannian. I want him to accompany this Prince on another little walk."

"Understood!"

Before long,

Pixiu once again pulled Zhao Yuannian before the commander's tent.

Zhao Yuannian wore a leather armor, and his hairstyle remained unchanged, making for a rather incongruous combination.

Zheng Fan glanced at him and said, "Remove your armor."

Zhao Yuannian was taken aback, but immediately began to take off the leather armor.

"Wear your own clothes. Otherwise, it's an eyesore."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zhao Yuannian changed back into his own clothes as quickly as possible: a dark-blue python robe, seemingly low-key, but actually understatedly luxurious.

The gate of the military camp was opened,

The Prince of Pingxi rode Pixiu out in a rare charge, with Chen Yuan leading his troops closely behind.

…

"Wooo! Woooo!"

After such a long period of peace, apart from the corpses of their own scouts dragged back each day, which served as a reminder that they were still in a war zone, the Qian soldiers had gradually ignored the essence of the battlefield rhythm.

The Yan army on the opposite side,

The Yan Kingdom's Prince of Pingxi,

Seemed to have no intention of attacking at all. With the continuous rain, everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to this state of peaceful coexistence.

Though close at hand, they always fantasized about it being far away, just like the candidates in the capital during the imperial examinations, who tended to indulge themselves even more as the exam drew near.

The sudden appearance of the Yan army, even on a small scale, caused the Qian military camp to erupt.

It was as if a daughter-in-law, who had made a mess of her home, suddenly heard her mother-in-law knocking on the door, and hurriedly got up to wash, dress, and tidy up before going out to greet her.

Three small units of Qian cavalry came out from the three directions of the military camp, and a large infantry phalanx emerged from the main gate.

Although it took a while, they managed to pull it off.

At this time,

The knights behind were still provoking the Qian army on the periphery of the camp from time to time, but the Prince of Pingxi himself was already sitting on the ground covered with a blanket, watching the chaotic scene in front of him.

Zhao Yuannian squatted beside him, his smiling face looking somewhat endearing.

Swordsaint stood by Zheng Fan's side, and Ah Ming stood behind Zheng Fan; this was the unchanging, old arrangement.

At this moment, Swordsaint spoke, "Somewhat unexpected."

Zheng Fan responded, "Unexpected what?"

"You're actually not afraid?"

"Afraid of what? Afraid that the Qian army in front of me will suddenly charge out and surround me like dumplings?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Zheng Fan nodded, patted his knee, and said, "There's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

Swordsaint said nothing more.

The Qian army had deployed part of its forces, numbering nearly ten thousand, while the Yan army, which had come "out for a spring outing," even with the banner of the Prince of Pingxi, was actually less than four thousand strong.

It was more like a reconnaissance mission before a major battle, but the start of the battle had been delayed by the incessant rain of the past few days.

Even so, the Qian army still did not choose to take the initiative and initiate a "more against less" situation.

Firstly, due to the Yan army's suppression of the scouts, the Qian commander was unsure whether the main force of the Yan army was hidden behind this small Yan army, or in other directions of his own military camp.

Secondly, the Qian army that had come out was not the main force of the Zu family army in the military camp.

Although they were outside the camp, they were still relying on it. No matter what happened, they would at least have a base to fall back on.

If they were to be careless and be lured out by the Yan army, and then be cut off in several directions, the military camp might become a mere decoration.

Zu Xinyue was commanding the troops, with beads of sweat on his forehead, indicating that he was very nervous.

Back then, when General Nian faced the Prince of Jingnan, he was ridiculed by the world as "Old Turtle Nian."

But only those who had truly experienced such battles understood how much pressure you were under when facing an opponent with impressive experience and achievements.

For a general to have experienced a hundred battles and finally die in battle was not a tragedy, but a very high evaluation. A normal person might be gone after losing once, while a hundred victories in a hundred battles was like a myth.

But even so, Zu Xinyue still did not pull out all of his Zu family army. This military camp, this nail, was all his support.

Seeing that the opposing Qian army was ready, the Prince of Pingxi also ended his rest, mounted Pixiu, and led his men to begin riding in front of the Qian army.

Black armor,

Wuya,

Royal banner,

The Prince of Pingxi was heroic and spirited.

Zhao Yuannian was ordered to be a messenger before the battle. He spurred his horse to the front of the Qian army and shouted,

"My Prince says, the brothers of the Qian army have worked hard!"

Afterward,

Zhao Yuannian spurred his horse back, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

He was truly afraid that a cold arrow would suddenly emerge from behind and end his life.

The situation before the battle was completely different from the previous meetings between the two sides, but when the Prince gave him this order, he had no choice but to accept it.

After returning, Zhao Yuannian lay on his horse, panting heavily.

The Prince did not comfort him but said to Swordsaint beside him,

"Old Yu, do me a favor and show off a little."

"How to show off?"

"Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source, can you do it? You know, the swish, swish, swish kind of thing, summoning hundreds or thousands of swords, swarming and smashing them over there."

"Putting aside the fact that this move is ostentatious and impractical, and actually useless, there are swords are rarely used on the battlefield. The Yan army uses sabers, and the Qian army mostly uses spears, so you can't gather the swords."

"True, then how about a Shooting Star Pierces the Sun? In short, you have to let them know that you, Swordsaint of Jin, are standing here for real."

The Prince of Pingxi was afraid that Swordsaint would not understand what he meant.

He pointed to the sky with his finger from bottom to top,

And made a sound effect: "Zheer... Pa!"

Swordsaint sighed,

Slapped his palm on the sword sheath,

Longyuan unsheathed, sword energy like a rainbow, soared into the sky, from a distance, as if there was a rainbow with a sound like a firecracker, and a diffused rainbow appeared in the air.

"Good!"

The Prince of Pingxi was very satisfied.

Then,

The Prince patted Pixiu's head, Pixiu turned around and began to gallop back to his own military camp, and Chen Yuan immediately ordered to sound the gong to withdraw troops.

The Yan came very presumptuously, and returned very arrogantly.

Zu Xinyue closed his eyes, took a long breath, and ordered to withdraw troops back to the camp.

Inside the Qian military camp,

Han Sui and Zhao Mugou, who did not go to the battlefield to make trouble, stood side by side.

"What is he trying to do?" Zhao Mugou asked.

"Coincidentally, this old man has never fought a war." Han Sui stroked his long beard.

"I think that from the very beginning of the meeting, that Prince seemed a little abnormal, as if he was being a little too deliberate."

"Anyone who isn't blind can feel it, but what's the point?"

"The point?"

"There is a snack in the capital called stinky tofu. Many people want to vomit when they smell it and run away immediately, but there are also some people who smell it like a delicacy, and their saliva can flow down immediately."

"You mean, we feel it's deliberate because it's not meant for us to see?"

"The same is true in the court. Sometimes you can't help but feel that your opponent is suddenly acting a little out of line, even a bit ridiculous.

But that's how it seems to you. At the same time, that opponent doesn't necessarily have to deal with you all the time; he may be going to deal with other people."

"Then what should we do?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm asking you?"

"I'm also asking you."

"This..."

"This old man has never led troops or fought a war. It's already a lot of effort to pull out these troops based on my reputation and prestige.

In terms of combat ability, this old man is not necessarily much better than that Yao Zizhan."

After a pause,

Han Sui continued:

"Back then, the Prince of Pingxi, who was just a Yan border guard, pointed at our Emperor's face and said very impolitely that our Emperor didn't know soldiers.

That year, the Yan army went south, but if our Three Border armies could have taken the opportunity to respond, the Yan would have had a hard time borrowing the road to open up to Jin."

Han Sui closed his eyes,

Waved his hand,

And said:

"Let's see what happens today."

…

After riding around, he was covered in sweat, but sometimes sweating could make him feel more refreshed.

Inside the commander's tent, a large wooden barrel was set up, and when the Prince returned, it was already filled with hot water.

The Prince liked to take baths very much. Since the Battle of Tiger Head City, the residence had been changing, but what had remained the same was the bathhouse that was bound to be in his house.

With the help of Chen Xianba and the others, Zheng Fan took off his armor.

Chen Xianba and the others withdrew;

Shortly after,

Princess Consort Fu walked out from behind the curtain and helped Zheng Fan untie the last of his shirt.

"Your Highness, you're all soaked."

"Smothered by the armor."

After taking off all his clothes, the Prince sat in the wooden barrel.

Princess Consort Fu began to rub his back.

"Yuannian told you?"

"Yes."

"Afraid?"

"Yes."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that Your Highness will not want me anymore."

"Am I that important to you?"

"How could Your Highness lack women by his side?"

"Oh?"

"But this concubine is willing."

"You say you're afraid, but you also say you're willing."

"First, this concubine has no choice. Now that there is a choice, I will try my best to do it well. Yuannian should think the same way."

The Prince of Pingxi closed his eyes, did not speak, and enjoyed the back-rubbing service.

"Moreover, what kind of woman has Your Highness not seen? I'm afraid that even the Queen Mother, Your Highness has taken liberties with more than just this concubine, right?"

When the two of them were alone, they could speak more casually; this was a kind of atmosphere.

The Prince showed a smile on the corner of his mouth, everything in his smile.

"This concubine thinks that since I am going to be a vase, I don't ask to make Your Highness love me from now on, but at least, I must have once amazed Your Highness."

"Good."

"But Your Highness must take good care of yourself."

"To be honest, this Prince has never had good luck on the battlefield. The heavens always seem to want to make this Prince die suddenly on the battlefield, but this Prince is careful enough, and has not let the heavens succeed all these years.

This time,

It's the same."

"Your Highness is the sun in the sky. It can be cloudy, it can be rainy, but everyone knows that the sun will come out one day."

"Alright, I'm going to sleep for a while."

The Prince walked out of the bathtub, Princess Consort Fu helped him wipe his body, and then the Prince lay down on the military blanket.

Princess Consort Fu helped cover him with the bedding;

The Prince twisted his neck, chose a good position, closed his eyes,

And said;

"Go inform Xianba outside that before this Prince wakes up naturally, there is no need to come in to report military intelligence."

"Yes."

Princess Consort Fu went out.

After a while,

Chen Xianba walked into the commander's tent, bypassed the curtain, came to the couch where Zheng Fan was sleeping, knelt down on one knee and reported:

"Before Your Highness wakes up, this subordinate will ensure that Your Highness is quiet here."

"Hmm…"

Chen Xianba got up and walked out of the commander's tent.

Shortly after,

Princess Consort Fu walked in and smiled, "General Chen is very responsible."

If Ah Ming or Xue San were to report this order, Chen Xianba would have directly agreed, but since it was Princess Consort Fu who was reporting, in order to avoid "isolating the inner and outer courts," Chen Xianba would still come in to report, even at the risk of offending the Prince. This was called a sense of responsibility.

Zheng Fan did not respond; he was really going to rest.

Princess Consort Fu lifted the quilt,

And said:

"Your Highness, it's easier to fall asleep after coming out."

…

Here,

The Prince of Pingxi in the commander's tent was sleeping soundly.

And in the east of where the Yan army camp was located, troops were marching out from the Xishan Camp. They should have been ambushing the advancing Yan army in Xiangsi Mountain in the west, but obviously, they were not.

The Xishan Camp, as the last line of defense north of Bianzhou County, its predecessor was the various troops that had once blocked Li Bao. After integration, although the combat effectiveness was certainly not as good as the traditional Western Army and Zu Family Army of the Qian Kingdom, it was not too bad.

At this time,

This army was marching out.

At the same time,

In the west of the military camp,

A group of sparsely clothed cavalry appeared, with very few armored soldiers, but with fierce faces and superb horsemanship.

"Lord Luo, this Dutong has brought all his children, and I hope the imperial court will also keep its promise, otherwise, my Northern Qiang warriors will definitely not agree!"

"Dutong Mingya can rest assured that as long as the Dutong can block the possibility of the Yan army trying to escape here to the west, the imperial court and the Emperor will definitely reward you generously!"

For a long time, the Qian Kingdom had two hidden dangers that would be pacified and then rebelled.

One was the Tusi in the southwestern mountains, and the other was the Northern Qiang in the northwest.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong, the Northern Qiang even established a country and declared himself Emperor, which caused the Qian court a great headache.

Later, after Xiang Gong, who had tattoos on his face, put down the rebellion of the Southwestern Tusi, he led the Western Army to subdue the Northern Qiang, established a system belonging to the imperial court in the Northern Qiang, and used it as a horse-breeding place for the imperial court.

Now, the Northern Qiang are divided into several leaders, who are basically conferred by the Qian court. The so-called Dutong is no different from the Tusi of the local people.

"Hehe, the Yan people are nothing. It is said that the Yan people's iron cavalry is the best in the world. This Dutong would like to learn from them this time!"

"Dutong Mingya, you must not underestimate the enemy."

"Hehe, underestimate the enemy? The Yan people are wolves, could it be that the 20,000 Northern Qiang warriors under this Dutong are made of mud? You Qian people... no,

If the imperial court had conscripted us earlier, with enough wealth and food, my Northern Qiang warriors would have beaten down the Yan people's arrogance long ago!"

"That's right, that's right."

…

South of the Yan military camp, at the border between Xishan County and Bianzhou County, an army was marching north.

At least in terms of formation, this Qian army could be said to be one of the best in the Qian Kingdom.

Back then, when the Yan army went south, the Qian Kingdom's million-strong army either had to guard the city walls in the Three Borders and dare not come out, or they were just Yin soldiers living on the military register. Among these Yin soldiers, the Forbidden Army of the Qian capital was the worst.

In recent years, the Qian Kingdom had compiled new armies, and one of the focuses was to overthrow and rebuild the originally corrupt and unusable Forbidden Army.

The one who trained this Forbidden Army was Li Xundao, a disciple of Cang Fuzi, and also the posthumous son of Xiang Gong, who had tattoos on his face.

The reason why the rebellion of the Southwestern Tusi was quickly put down again was also because Li Xundao took this Forbidden Army with him, fighting and training at the same time. After the Southwest was re-pacified, this new Forbidden Army was also soaked in blood.

And in the center of this marching army,

A Jinwu Dragon Banner was erected high.

In this world, only one person could be qualified to erect this Dragon Banner, and that was… the Emperor!

On the chariot,

The Qian Emperor supported the railing with his left hand and held the Emperor's sword at his waist with his right hand.

Beside him, Yao Zizhan stood on the left, and Li Xundao stood on the right.

"The world says that the Yan people like to gamble, and my Qian people are cowardly!

This time,

I want to let the world see,

My Qian people,

Can also afford to go all out."

The Emperor gently patted the railing,

And smiled;

"That Zheng Fan didn't get any advantage in Liang, so he thought of going all out again and repeating the old story. Maybe he was even thinking of going to the capital again to say hello to me.

Those who walk by the river often get their shoes wet;

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I will teach him this lesson well."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly,

And he shouted in a low voice:

"After this battle, the situation of the Xia, the situation of Qian and Yan, will be rewritten.

His Yan Kingdom has always been unable to afford to lose,

Then this time,

I will force them to lose!"