Chapter 139: 114, Princess, you are my lucky star, but a disaster for the Song Family (4K Big Chapter, asking for monthly tickets)_2
Do not underestimate this title.
Once I have this title, in the eyes of outsiders, Song Knife will transform from my "enemy camp" into an ally. And I’ll be able to use the name of Song Knife’s relative by marriage to scheme for my own benefit. Those underlings who bully others by relying on their master’s power can swindle food and drink just by invoking their master’s name, let alone someone like me, a true talent, a fine piece of jade.
"Princess Anren..." Xu Xing mused, a smile he couldn’t suppress playing on his lips. "You truly are my lucky star, and the Song family’s bane..."
Four years ago, Princess Anren’s grand wedding bought me a month to live. Recently, using Princess Anren as a pretext, I defeated the Army Seeking Revenge... And this time, Princess Anren herself proposed to become my concubine, giving me the legitimate pretext to plot against Song Knife...
"This..."
Deng An was also greatly surprised to hear this. He had never imagined things would develop to this extent.
However, on second thought, he understood. Throughout history, it wasn’t rare for princesses of vanquished kingdoms to become concubines of founding emperors of new dynasties. Seeking revenge was almost impossible; accepting their fate was the more common path. Conversely, for Princess Anren to align herself with Xu Xing, a genius of the Sect, is indeed a stroke of good fortune.
"Junior Brother Xu, I’ll take the Song family descendants with me then," Deng An said. "As for the matter of the marriage alliance, I will report it to True Lord Song."
Deng An waved his hand, and a spirit boat resembling a flying shuttle appeared in it. The shuttle flew from his palm, emitting a shimmering white light. It expanded in the wind, swiftly growing from two or three inches to about thirty or forty feet in size, large enough to accommodate several people.
"Senior Brother Deng," Xu Xing began, "previously, some friction inevitably arose between True Lord Song and me. Although True Lord Song is magnanimous and doesn’t mind my actions in the mortal world, your junior brother still feels deeply uneasy. If it’s truly as Song Miyao said, then your junior brother can finally be at ease."
With Song Miyao’s proposal on the table, how could I, Xu Xing, easily pass up this chance to backstab Song Knife? He grasped Deng An’s hand and began to appeal to his emotions and reason, not wanting this marriage to fall through so easily. After all, it’s just taking a concubine; it won’t damage my reputation in the slightest. Besides, it’s a huge bargain. If Song Knife ends up dead by my hand in the future, wouldn’t Song Knife’s assets registered with the Sect essentially be gifted to me? Moreover, once I’m connected to Song Knife by marriage, if I kill him and cover my tracks cleanly, others won’t be overly suspicious of me.
"This matter..." Deng An began, thinking, It’s a bit troublesome. But he didn’t want to easily refuse Xu Xing’s request, especially considering the sunk costs like the Purple Blooded Spirit Fruits and the "Soaring Swan Steps" technique.
"I’ll do my best, my very best," he promised.
Then, Song Miyao boarded the Flying Boat and departed with Deng An, vanishing without a trace.
...
...
「On the other side.」
The Army Seeking Revenge, having engaged in infighting for half the night, finally succumbed to internal attrition. Li Xiaozu and the group led by Li Yong entered a standoff.
To prevent Li Xiaozu from engaging in a mutually destructive fight, Li Yong and the others sent an envoy to negotiate. If Li Xiaozu surrendered the cities he had captured in Yan North Path during his southern campaign, they would gift him some of their own troops, allowing him to stake everything on a direct southward assault on Shenjing.
Although the route from Yan North Path to Shenjing was fraught with obstructing mountain passes and intercepting fortified cities, bypassing them by taking treacherous paths was not deemed an insurmountable task.
The plan to directly capture the capital was extremely perilous. Yet, if successful, it would be a renowned campaign worthy of being recorded in the annals of history, much like Deng Ai’s invasion of Shu or the Crossing the River in White.
Li Xiaozu, a veteran of many years on the battlefield, was also highly perceptive. He discerned that the Imperial Court had massed its elite troops on the front lines to halt the southward advance of the Army Seeking Revenge. Furthermore, another large army was garrisoned in Yunzhou City in Yan North Path, serving as mobile support for the various defensive cities while also ensuring the Army Seeking Revenge wouldn’t dare to penetrate too deeply alone.
Since the elite forces are deployed elsewhere, Shenjing must be lightly defended, he reasoned. This is certain. Soldiers and horses don’t just materialize out of thin air.
"So what if they want these cities? Let them have them," Li Xiaozu declared to his subordinates inside the command tent. "Once I conquer Shenjing, secure its vast resources, and then hold the Emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, they will become nothing more than skeletons in a grave, destined for annihilation at my hands sooner or later!"
Thus, after three days of city handovers and troop redistribution, Li Xiaozu led fifty thousand elite cavalry on a daring maneuver. They scaled great mountains, bypassed layers of defensive passes, and stuck to desolate, untrodden paths, secretly advancing towards Shenjing.
「Seven days later,」 Li Xiaozu arrived before Shenjing with his army.
"Dog Emperor!" Li Xiaozu bellowed from below the city wall, at a distance of two arrow flights. Protected by layers of guards, he brandished his Longdan Liangyin Spear, pointing it at Xu Xing, who was observing the scene from atop the towering city wall. "Release my Queen Consort, and This King might spare your life! Otherwise, once I breach Shenjing, I swear I will subject you to death by a thousand cuts to vent the hatred in my heart!"
To think I once considered Emperor Tiande a man of honor! He caught me off guard, incited Li Yong, Li Dan, and the others, and then abducted Princess Anren, subjecting me to such a monstrous disgrace! This is the hatred of having one’s wife stolen!
"Li Liang, the tiger father, has no cowardly son, indeed." Atop the city wall, Xu Xing appeared entirely composed. He remarked with a smile to the civil and military officials beside him, "That old fox Li Liang has sired such a valiant and skilled son; he certainly doesn’t diminish his father’s renown. However, he possesses mere brute courage, not the acumen of a... strategic commander."
At this, he shook his head, speaking disparagingly of Li Xiaozu. To praise another’s spirit is to diminish one’s own prestige.
"Come, Third Brother, you have a loud voice," Xu Xing said, calling over Chang Kun, who had been conferred the title of King Kun. "You shout for me."
With the two armies engaged in a verbal battle, it wouldn’t do for him not to respond.
...
"You there, whelp!" boomed Heavenly Kun King Chang Kun. Having received his orders, he leaned over the crenellations, using a megaphone fashioned from bronze sheeting to shout down at the white-clad Army Seeking Revenge below. Every word dripped with extreme insult:
"When your Father King was on the throne, even he dared not affront His Majesty’s imperial might! By what virtue or ability do you dare to commit treason and rebel, defying the condemnation of the entire world?
During the former dynasty, your Li Family failed to serve the nation loyally by eradicating rebels.
Now, the New Dynasty is established. Your father presented a declaration of surrender and willingly guarded the borders for the nation. So why has your Li Family rebelled again?
I hear from the soldiers beyond the pass that your Li Family has defected to the Tartars!
From this, it seems you, Li Xiaozu, are nothing more than a three-surnamed slave! What right do you have to bark like a dog here?
As for Princess Anren, she has already entered the palace to serve the Emperor.
You can’t even hold onto your own wife’s heart; what audacity do you have to covet the national foundation?"
"You... You..." Hearing these tirades, Li Xiaozu trembled with rage, despite having steeled himself.
The earlier insult about being a ’three-surnamed slave’ is one thing, he fumed internally. The accusations of disloyalty and unfilial conduct are stigmas the Li Family has long endured together; my Father King, Li Liang, bore an even greater share. Besides, I am not without a counter-argument. The very name ’Army Seeking Revenge’ is my strongest rebuttal! ’Seeking Revenge’ means demanding the Imperial Court answer for the life of my Father King, Li Liang! This is a family feud, vengeance for my father... Compared to such a righteous cause, what does being called a ’three-surnamed slave’ even matter?
But the part that followed... The claim that Princess Anren had entered the palace to serve the Emperor in his bed—that was what made him utterly lose his composure. ’You can’t even hold onto your own wife’s heart...’ How then can one speak of winning the hearts of the people? A wife’s heart, indeed, cuts like a knife!
"Xu, you traitor!" Li Xiaozu roared, gripping his Longdan Liangyin Spear so tightly his knuckles whitened. Clad in silver armor, he erupted in a torrent of curses directed at Xu Xing. "You rebelled against the former dynasty, murdered my own father, and defiled my wife! I swear I will capture you alive, devour your flesh, and sleep on your hide!"
The rage searing his heart was truly unbearable.
"Relay This King’s order!" Li Xiaozu commanded, taking a deep breath. He decided against a pointless battle of wills fueled by anger. "Make camp, prepare meals, and assemble the siege engines! In half a day, we will attack the city!"
He retreated to his command tent and issued orders to his generals one by one. The plan for the siege was already methodically laid out in his mind. When they had set out from Yan North Path, scaling mountains and crossing ridges, they had brought components for siege engines with them. It was just that the mountains were high and the road long, making it impractical to transport them fully assembled. This allotted half-day was precisely for assembling those engines.
"Yes, Your Highness." The remaining generals acknowledged the order and departed one by one to return to their encampments and prepare.
Once Shenjing is conquered... Li Xiaozu seethed internally, his fury uncontrollable. I will personally kill that shameless woman! Previously, when Princess Anren was a princess and I was merely the Prince Consort Commandant, I dared not overstep any boundaries with her and had to swallow a bellyful of grievances. Later, when she lost her power, although I had no intention of settling old scores, my impatience in my speech towards her was evident. Now that Princess Anren has lost her chastity, I will absolutely not endure such a disgrace!