376: Chapter 375: Lin Bai, kneel down!
376: Chapter 375: Lin Bai, kneel down!
“Let’s go, we will talk in the main tent.”
After commanding the warriors around to leave, Princess Chang turned to Lin Bai with a cold look.
Lin Bai was taken aback, thinking to himself how quickly this woman could change her mood.
One minute she was excitedly clinging to him, and the next, she was cold and distant.
After a bitter smile, Lin Bai followed Princess Chang to the main tent.
Once back in the commander’s main tent, Princess Chang told everyone to leave.
Now only Lin Bai and Princess Chang remained in the vast tent.
Without a minute’s delay, Princess Chang’s beautiful face frosted over.
She forcefully slapped the table, her slap sent the objects on it bouncing.
She shouted angrily at Lin Bai, “Lin Bai, kneel!”
What?
Lin Bai, looking perplexed, turned to Princess Chang.
With an awkward smile, Lin Bai asked, “May I ask why Your Highness wants me to kneel?”
With a frosty expression, Princess Chang pressed on, “I summoned you to the frontier three times, so why have you only arrived now?”
As she spoke, Princess Chang’s stern face gradually turned into a distressed one.
Her beautiful eyes started to well up with tears, all the grievances in her heart seemed to burst forth.
Her stern face couldn’t hold back any longer.
It tuned into a look of grievance.
Her expression seemed to be crying out to Lin Bai.
She seemed to be asking Lin Bai, “Why did you only come now?
Do you know how much I have suffered?”
Lin Bai’s heart softened and he responded lightly, “I had just returned from overseas when I received your summons…”
Lin Bai originally wanted to explain.
However, he stopped abruptly, looking apologetically at the princess, he said, “I’m sorry, I arrived late.”
Princess Chang glanced at Lin Bai, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Lin Bai stepped forward, gently taking Princess Chang into his arms.
Princess Chang didn’t resist Lin Bai; she even wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
She desperately needed someone to lean on.
Lin Bai understood that no words could compare to a warm embrace at that moment.
“Uhuh——”
Having buried her face in Lin Bai’s chest, Princess Chang cried for a good while, letting out all her grievances with her tears.
Upon her arrival at Nanning Pass, Princess Chang had suffered a major blow.
The Pass had fallen on the very first night, and they had to retreat to Jia Yueguan in a hasty and disheveled manner.
They had to make way for the Dayue Kingdom’s army to enter the Southern Region.
For more than ten days, while they defended Jia Yueguan, Dayue Kingdom repeatedly challenged them.
Shenwu Kingdom lost seven consecutive days, their morale reached its lowest point.
Such back-to-back failures and heavy blows almost knocked down the prideful phoenix, Princess Chang.
Fortunately, she hung on with gritted teeth.
That is, until Lin Bai arrived at Jia Yueguan and slew several geniuses of the Dayue Kingdom, turning the tide in favor of Shenwu Kingdom.
Only after a quarter of an hour did Princess Chang finally lift her head from Lin Bai’s chest.
Lin Bai smiled, “Done crying?”
“Hmm.” Princess Chang gave a slight nod.
Lin Bai lightly smiled.
Princess Chang said, “I have more important things to do than cry.”
Lin Bai looked at Princess Chang curiously.
With determination in her eyes, Princess Chang said, “I want to reclaim Nanning Pass, reclaim the Southern Region, and drive out all the armies of the Dayue Kingdom.”
Lin Bai inquired, “Is the Qi Family Army also at Jia Yueguan?”
Princess Chang nodded, “Yes, the Southern Region was originally under Qi Prince’s jurisdiction.
Most of the troops stationed at Nanning Pass and Jia Yueguan belong to the Qi Family Army.”
“Why do you ask?”
Lin Bai said, “Last night, outside Jia Yueguan, I encountered your messenger asking for help.
He was severely wounded but I managed to save him.”
“He was ambushed.”
Princess Chang asked in surprise, “Who ambushed him?”
Lin Bai grinned, “You are so clever, you should know, shouldn’t you?”
“Was it someone from the Qi Family Army?” Princess Chang’s eyes turned icy as she asked in a cold voice.
Lin Bai nodded, “Zhan Ying ordered the assault.
I can assure you that apart from the one I saved last night, all your other messengers asking for help were killed by the Qi Family Army.”
Princess Chang angrily said, “Damn it!
When this mission is over and we return to the court, I’ll settle the score with the Qi Prince’s Mansion!”
Lin Bai quietly said, “You should really think about it.
A massive fortress like Nanning Pass, even if Tuoba Feng besieged it with millions of soldiers, how could it fall so quickly?”
“It fell in one night, there must be something fishy.”
Princess Chang seriously asked, “Are you saying that the Qi Family Army was colluding with them?”
“From what it seems like, they must be the ones.
When I was in the Imperial Capital, I felt that things were not that simple.
The Year-end Tail Sacrifice just ended, the Qi Prince’s Mansion just had its military power curtailed, and then, the Dayue Kingdom launched an invasion.
It’s too coincidental.”
“Later, the fall of Nanning Pass in one night was incredibly shocking.
Such a significant military stronghold, did it not have any resistance at all?
It fell in one night, it was truly surprising to everyone.”
Lin Bai expressed his thoughts with a straight face.
Listening to Lin Bai’s analysis, Princess Chang nodded faintly, “You’re right, it must be the Qi Family Army who is messing around.”
Lin Bai said, “But at this point, it’s not important anymore.
What’s important is that we have to reclaim the Southern Region, but first, we need to take control of the Qi Family Army.”
Princess Chang said, “I will take care of this.
I will send Chu Jiangliu to negotiate with the Qi Family Army.
I will have Zhan Ying relinquish his military power and have him confined.
Once we reclaim the Southern Region and return to the court, I will settle the score with the Qi Prince’s Mansion seriously.”
Lin Bai said, “This is indeed the best course of action.”
“Next, we need to figure out how to reclaim the Southern Region.
Now that Tuoba Feng has brought millions of soldiers into the Southern Region, it will be difficult to drive them out now that they are here.”
“Especially since the Dayue Kingdom is not accepting martial arts negotiations now.
They are set on annexing the Shenwu Kingdom, so it looks like we are left with no option but a war.”
Lin Bai said solemnly.
Martial arts negotiations meant a competition.
Diciples from both martial arts kingdoms would fight one on one.
And terms, such as how many cities the winner would obtain, and how many the loser would lose, would be set.
Such martial arts negotiations could significantly reduce casualties.
However, the Dayue Kingdom was not willing to participate in martial arts negotiations.
They wanted to crush the Shenwu Kingdom using overwhelming speed and numbers.
Perhaps they felt that there was no need to resort to martial arts negotiations given the current situation where they had the upper hand.
Princess Chang said, “Indeed, reclaiming the Southern Region is a major issue now.
Even if reinforcements from the Imperial Capital arrive, the situation would still be dire, seeing as Dayue Kingdom would not back down easily.
There will be a river of blood.”
“Even if we win by luck, the Southern Region would be left in ruins, with people either dead or homeless.”
Lin Bai nodded, “If the Dayue Kingdom agrees to martial arts negotiations, that would be the best.
I can help Shenwu Kingdom get the most benefit.”
“But if the Dayue Kingdom rejects martial arts negotiations, then we are only left with war!”