Chapter 977 Decisive Battle!

The blood of five hundred thousand elite soldiers of Great Chu,

Into my inkstone,

To moisten my brush.

These words weren't rehearsed or deliberately elevated;

Purely because what this old man said was so ridiculous and absurd, that before listening, Zheng Fan hadn't expected such a low-end and tooth-aching surrender persuasion.

Therefore, this response was just a casual afterthought.

The blind man made hand seals, releasing a mental storm. In an instant, the white mist around the old man dissipated, and he fainted. The three puzzled Youge girls hurried to take care of him.

They were just messengers, and they didn't even know what they were there to do.

Zheng Fan sighed,

Looking at Si Niang,

And asked;

"Logically, I should be more heroic at this time, but I feel a little forced."

Si Niang smiled charmingly and said, "My lord should say that at night."

The blind man and A Ming beside him unconsciously turned their heads, pretending not to hear anything.

Some jokes can be made casually, but some jokes must not be involved in, otherwise, the third rank will truly be hopeless.

Facing his own wife, the Prince didn't feel offended by these words. Instead, he said:

"There's no way. Responsibility, you have to forcibly shoulder it even when you can't, because it's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?"

"My lord is working hard."

"Hahaha."

The old couple's banter ended there;

Zheng Fan twisted his neck, stretched out his arms,

And said:

"No armor today, let's wear the royal robe."

According to Yan system, when conferring a title, corresponding court robes were often brought along, which were formal wear required for grand ceremonial occasions. For ordinary nobles, this set of clothes was a family heirloom, incredibly sacred.

Zheng Fan naturally had them;

From when the late Emperor ennobled him as the Count of Pingye to the Marquis of Pingxi, with each ennoblement, the imperial eunuch would bring the court robes. Here, a set of clothes did not mean just "one piece", but several pieces according to the season and occasion.

When he was made Prince Regent, Ji Laoliu also had the palace’s Embroidery Department specially design and make him a set;

However, because Zheng Fan had Si Niang by his side and didn't lack clothes, and because the more noble the court robes, the worse the comfort due to the full load of meaning and nobility.

Therefore, the various python robes and such that Zheng Fan usually wore were all woven and embroidered by Si Niang for him;

Close-fitting, comfortable, breathable, and of course, not lacking in nobility.

"I used to think that things like etiquette were cumbersome; formalities were a burden;

Now that I think about it, I was too young before. Tiredness and burden sometimes have to be actively shouldered, and that's what's really not easy.

Over the years,

Along the way,

I've told too many lies, maybe made a lot of grand promises, and deceived many people;

But of those who were deceived by me, the enemies are fine, but among our own people, many were actually willing to be deceived.

The fact that I have rebellious bones behind my head is almost obvious;

When I first woke up in the first two years, I thought my acting skills were superb, but in fact they were very clumsy.

The late Emperor once gave me a token, allowing me to go to the lakeside pavilion to see the Third Prince when I had nothing to do;

The old Prince of Zhenbei invited me to eat roasted lamb leg in the imperial garden and asked me questions. I thought I had answered wonderfully, but he immediately wanted to take me back to the Zhenbei Army?

Was it really just because he saw that I was from Beifeng County and cherished my talent?

Lao Tian also deliberately tempered my temper at the beginning.

Heh,

They were all millennia-old foxes, but I was pulling them to show off and chat about the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio;

When I sat on the throne and looked back, I realized that I was still a bit naive back then.

I thank them for not killing me back then,

Today, I, Zheng Fan,

Give the late Emperor face,

Give the old Prince of Zhenbei face,

Give a face to the Yan soldiers who have followed me in life and death over the years,

Give this Great Yan,

A face!"

Si Niang brought the royal robe over and helped Zheng Fan change.

The Prince Regent's royal robe had long deviated from the scope of a prince's python robe. In terms of style, most of it followed the regulations of the Great Yan Dragon Robe. Ji Laoliu, who was willing to share the dragon throne, naturally wouldn't be stingy with a set of clothes.

The main body of the royal robe was black, embroidered with golden dragons, and coupled with the royal crown, it naturally exuded an air of majesty.

However, although people rely on clothes and horses rely on saddles, that refers to bright and beautiful clothes. Things like python robes, royal robes, and dragon robes, on the other hand, require the wearer's own aura to support them, otherwise, it's easy to have the opposite effect.

"How is it?"

Zheng Fan looked at Si Niang and asked.

"Majestic and solemn." Si Niang replied very seriously, "Husband is a veritable king."

Si Niang took two steps back, carefully looking at her man.

She still remembered when she helped stimulate Zheng Fan with her hand in order to help him advance to the initial level as soon as possible;

At that time, he still had deep wariness and vigilance towards the Demon King and this world, and often feigned composure.

Now,

Her little man has finally completed his transformation and settling in middle age. Si Niang also felt an indescribable satisfaction in her heart.

It seemed that all of this happened overnight, and yet it seemed that these years of change were so real.

She had never denied her lack of feelings for romance,

Even if her son was born, she would find him annoying;

But perhaps,

Husband and wife,

Is just such a companionship. Simply saying growing old together is too simple and pale;

True harmony and staying together come more from the fusion and harmony of souls.

The Pixiu, who was originally lying there prostrate, slowly raised its head when it saw Zheng Fan change into the royal robe, and a pair of big eyes seemed to light up.

"A Ming, the saber."

"Yes."

A Ming handed over Wu Ya;

Wearing the Prince Regent's robe and carrying a saber, this feeling seemed to immediately establish itself.

Outside,

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were ready.

When Zheng Fan walked out, Eunuch Huang, who had been waiting aside, was stunned. Hearing the shouts of killing and movement outside, coupled with the prelude of the Yan army's constant retreat to Zhennanguan in the past few days, made his heart, as a supervising army eunuch, infinitely uneasy.

He knew that he was mostly a mascot, but as a mascot, he was also afraid that he would not be effective this time.

But upon seeing the Prince Regent coming out in the royal robe,

Eunuch Huang's uneasy heart seemed to be soothed at this moment;

And then murmuring a taboo sentence in his heart, seeing the Prince Regent was like seeing the late Emperor back then, as if no matter how difficult the situation was, it wouldn't be a problem.

The Pixiu followed out from behind, its four hooves steadily stepping on the bluestone bricks, trying its best to make its posture more heroic;

Immediately afterward,

Its body trembled,

And from the position of its back, a layer of exquisite, black, glossy scales spread down, covering its entire body;

From its nostrils, it also exhaled two hot breaths. The demeanor of a divine beast was in full display.

Zheng Fan walked towards the Pixiu,

The Pixiu, who was still immersed in showing its beauty, sensed the gaze from its master and knelt down silently.

Zheng Fan supported himself with his palm and somersaulted onto it.

The Pixiu took the opportunity to stand up and let out a low moan:

"Roar!"

The hair on its body also began to scatter.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards mounted their horses one after another;

The Pixiu strode out of the Zhennanguan Garrison General's Mansion.

For ordinary people, the purebred Pixiu has a sense of mystery and solemnity, not to mention that the prince, who is more respected and fanatical than the Pixiu, is sitting on its back at this time.

There were many civilians on both sides of the street who stopped subconsciously;

There were also wounded soldiers who had just been transported from the front line, silently clenching their fists and placing them on their chests.

The Prince did not stop to say anything to them,

He didn't know since when,

He no longer liked to give speeches or make exhortations.

In his memory,

The last time he made a serious pre-war mobilization was in the Qian Kingdom.

Please, everyone, die for me;

Then, eight thousand iron cavalry died to open the way.

This was a knot that had been in Zheng Fan's heart.

In the past, he might have thought that boosting morale before a war, as long as the war was won, everything would be worth it.

Moreover, he had always been winning battles, so as long as he could win, he could naturally use any means.

That battle was also a victory, after all, the capital of the Qian Kingdom was destroyed;

But for that local battle,

The soldiers who died did not defeat the enemies in front of them, nor did they happily celebrate by drinking wine and raising the enemy's helmets after the alcohol ban was lifted;

They just opened the way for him to escape.

Of course, this was not the main reason.

Zheng Fan was a moral person, but his morality was often just a cover to keep himself comfortable;

When it was not needed, he could throw it on the ground without hesitation, and he didn't care if the ground was dirty.

He stopped giving pre-war speeches,

Because it was no longer necessary.

He still remembered when he followed Tian Wujing on an expedition, the sight of his golden armor riding a Pixiu, followed by thousands of troops;

Without a single word,

He spurred his mount to charge,

And the hundred thousand iron cavalry behind him naturally followed closely, crushing everything in front!

Back then, Zheng Fan thought that this was because Lao Tian was a peak martial artist, because he himself was very strong, so he dared to charge at the forefront;

It wasn't until later,

That Zheng Fan gradually understood.

It wasn't because Lao Tian charged first that he achieved this effect,

In fact,

It had nothing to do with whether he charged first, stayed in the middle, or stayed in the rear.

The soldiers just needed to know that he was here, that the Prince of Jingnan was here, and that was enough.

They were willing to do anything to break through the enemy, so that their prince wouldn't even need to draw his saber. This was their faith, and this was their fanaticism.

Liu Dahu raised his arm,

And the Embroidered Uniform Guards at the front on both sides raised their flags.

The Great Yan Black Dragon Flag, the Jindong Army Double-Headed Eagle Flag, and the Prince Regent's banner.

Liu Dahu then drew his saber and held it horizontally.

The rest of the Embroidered Uniform Guards all drew their sabers and held them by their sides.

The team still maintained its advance, but the suffocating atmosphere had arrived, like the unbearable heat before a storm, making people can't help but look forward to the thunder that will follow.

The distance to the fiercely contested wall was getting closer and closer, and there were more and more auxiliary soldiers, civilians, and soldiers waiting to replace the ones in the battle.

The Chu people's last offensive had just ended, and many people were panting.

Then,

They saw their prince, riding a Pixiu, walking at the forefront, followed by the prince's Embroidered Uniform Guards;

The soldiers placed their fists on the position of their chest armor, the Jindong Army law and the Great Yan Army law, no grand salute during wartime.

However, there were still many less experienced auxiliary soldiers and civilians who knelt down following their instincts.

On the city wall, Xue San, who was sitting with Fan Li drinking water, swung his three legs and looked towards this side.

Third Master reached out and poked Fan Li's arm,

And said;

"Have you noticed, my lord has really become my lord."

Fan Li glanced at Xue San and said nothing.

"He's getting more and more like us, King, Demon King." Xue San continued.

Fan Li rolled his eyes,

And said:

"He's our dad."

Does your dad look like you?

Xue San frowned. He couldn't refute, because theoretically, Fan Li was right.

But Third Master immediately realized something,

And said:

"Hey, I didn't expect you to say such a thing."

……

Below,

A Ming, riding a horse beside the prince, was now looking up at the sky.

There were several eagles circling in the sky;

In fact, the efficiency of carrier pigeons was very low, far inferior to the urgent delivery of eight hundred li; sending messages with eagles was better than sending messages with carrier pigeons, but it was also very chicken-rib.

Because its best way to use it was to quickly deliver military orders when it was inconvenient to communicate on a local battlefield, and this military order had to be extremely concise.

In the current situation, the Chu army was attacking the city, and the military strongholds on both wings of Zhennanguan were also fighting each other. The Chu army almost encircled the entire battlefield in a large semicircle.

Both sides' scouts and light cavalry were engaged in extremely tragic fighting and attrition.

Therefore, using trained eagles to transmit military orders was extremely suitable.

"My lord, the Yingdu Yan Camp and Jin Camp have been positioned."

"The Litian Yan Camp and Jin Camp have been positioned."

"Qu He has been positioned."

"The Imperial Guards of the capital have been positioned."

The troops dispatched by the imperial court this time numbered 230,000.

This was the first batch of troops to enter Jindong, not all of them, because in the original strategic plan, this was a protracted war, so more reinforcements and more civilians would follow.

The 30,000 Imperial Guards sent from the capital were Ji Laoliu's elite family fortune. The Imperial Guards in the capital had just been trained in recent years, and their foundation was not deep, but even so, Ji Laoliu was still considered generous.

The remaining 200,000 were collectively dispatched as Yan and Jin troops from the three major directions in the Jin region. They were all regular soldiers, that is, fully armed, and most of them were veterans who had experienced the last Yan-Chu war.

War will destroy the army, but war can also train the army. Veterans can be said to be a guarantee for the combat effectiveness of an army.

A Ming, as a vampire, had very good eyesight, and he was still using his eyes to continue searching in the air.

Soon,

He said:

"Li Chenghui has been positioned."

"Jin Shuke has been positioned."

The true main force of the Jindong Army had been positioned.

Moreover, these armies had long been lurking to the east, west, and north of Zhennanguan, eating well, drinking well, and recuperating, sharpening their knives.

They were even eager to fight.

Like a pack of wolves that were locked in chains, staring at their prey right in front of them, they had been struggling and roaring frantically, and countless saliva had been dripping from their mouths. If it could appear, a large puddle would have accumulated on the ground.

But the person who locked them up was the Prince Regent of Great Yan. They couldn't be presumptuous, and they didn't dare to be presumptuous. There was no possibility of rushing to attack in a hurry.

In Jindong,

No,

In the entire Great Yan army,

No one dared to disobey the military orders from the Prince Regent!

This was status,

This was prestige.

Restraining hundreds of thousands of ordinary people was already an extremely headache-inducing project, but restraining hundreds of thousands of veterans who had been in battle and killed people was even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

Therefore, the Qian people would be extremely pained after losing Prime Minister Ciemian and then losing Old Prime Minister Zhong, because even if they could gather a large army, there would be no one who could come forward to properly command them;

Therefore, the Chu people would be extremely uneasy after successively losing Pillar State and the Great General. This was not something that the imperial court or the emperor could immediately implement by conferring official titles, giving Shangfang swords, or something;

The soldiers who lived a life of putting their heads on their belts could even ignore the emperor when they became truly angry!

Therefore, a military god was extremely important and precious to a country.

Zheng Fan pointed forward,

And said;

"Open the city gate."

"The Prince has ordered, open the city gate!"

"Pass down the Prince's order, open the city gate!!"

"Prince's order, open the city gate!"

The city gate of Zhennanguan was opened.

The Chu army, which had just ended a round of fruitless attacks and was retreating to prepare for the next round, was a little confused. It was understandable that the Yan army would come out of the city to attack during the previous siege, but what were the Yan people doing now?

In the distance,

Xiong Tingshan, who was standing on the battlements to command the battle, suddenly felt his broken arm stinging again after seeing this scene.

A kind of anxiety and uneasiness was enveloping him.

Then, the garrison in the city, including infantry and cavalry, came out of the city one after another and began to form formations.

Faced with this situation, the Chu army, which was originally planning to take a breath, began to reorganize their formations under the organization of their respective generals. As the attacking side, they had suffered enough from the high and strong walls of Zhennanguan and the abundant defensive armaments. Unless ordered by the above, they would of course prefer that the garrison could come out by themselves.

Zheng Fan rode the Pixiu out of the city gate.

The cold wind howled through the thousands of troops, but it became gentle here;

The black royal robe, exuding nobility,

Even the sleeves were not blown up at all.

Zheng Fan looked at the vast, boundless Chu army in front,

Suddenly,

It seemed that the shadow of a fire phoenix spread its wings from the front and hissed at him.

Alchemists, when all is said and done, cannot escape the saying: believe it or not.

But if something has existed for so long, there must be a little bit of reason;

Just like this fire phoenix that appeared in Zheng Fan's vision at this moment,

It can not exist, and it can exist;

It might even be just an illusion in his mind... the incarnation of the national fortune of Great Chu.

It was roaring,

It was roaring,

And endless flames poured down from its body.

If someone was standing in front of the prince at this time and looked back, they might be able to see the reflection of the fire in the prince's eyes.

The Pixiu under him also rarely put away all frivolity, and its eyes were fierce as if an enemy was in front of it.

"Hurry, hurry, aren't you going to cut this dragon vein? Cut it and show it to me, I'm waiting to see it."

"The family fortune is thin, just a lamb leg, and it's not enough to eat in the first place. What's the point of fighting over and over again?"

"In my opinion, there are two types of iron cavalry in the world. One type is my Great Yan iron cavalry; the other type is not worth mentioning."

"Brother Zheng, this time I had a great time killing!"

"The surname is Zheng, come over and let's sit on this dragon chair together."

……

"Heh."

Zheng Fan closed his eyes,

Then slowly opened them again,

From the scabbard, Wu Ya was slowly drawn out,

Then,

He slashed forward!

In an instant,

A silent wail sounded, as if it resounded through half of the sky, and the flames in the prince's eyes were extinguished.

The next moment,

Rhythmic roars came from all directions,

Black clouds,

Began to sweep everything... as far as the eye could see!