Chapter 82
Beguiled King
Qinghai is cold and the snow is thick, and so is Great Summer.
The Great Summer Emperor reads the news and states: "Commercial warfare."
Suddenly, a finger taps the golden table as the divine Emperor thinks deeply about the situation.
After the disappearance of Wei's crown princess Xiao Ba, another problem surfaces.
Tai Wei interrupts and says: "Your Majesty, in other words, there is a trade war."
The Great Summer Emperor may have heard it the first time, but not for Yuwen Yue. He has been exposed to western culture and trade practices, allowing him to seize the rebound of goods and services and deplete Great Summer's black market sources.
Not to mention, the illegal trade of slave labor has slowed down, causing a clamor among the Great Summer Empire's aristocrats, who are eager to know who is behind the stoppage of their usual activities.
The usual activity of the Wei and Yuwen aristocrats, buying slaves, has declined, reducing the manpower needed for elite households. Also, almost half of the storehouses in Wei have not been replenished in time.
Thus, a scarcity report was written by the Ministry of Agriculture, enough to place the Emperor in the uncomfortable position of introspective thinking, and he said:
"This cannot go on, or we will exhaust Xiaoqi army supplies and drive the people of Wei into infighting."
"Yes, Your Grace, aren't you going to summon the Eyes of God?" said Tai Wei.
"The Eyes of God have been passive since then. The Yuwen household must have known this in advance, yet they did not play their role in uncovering the cause. Sometimes, I am more inclined to believe the rumors in the marketplace than the reports I read on this table."
Tai Wei bowed his head to the Emperor and said: "Your Highness, may I ask you something?"
"Ask." The Emperor took the calligraphy brush and began to write.
"Have you heard about the Black Sun Pirate and the White Robin Hood?"
The Emperor continued to write and did not answer Tai Wei, but gave a rhetorical look to his writing. Raising one of his eyebrows, he finally said: "I heard rumors that the Black Sun Pirate escaped the blades of Yanbei. To be specific, he is from the esteemed but slain Ouyang family of the Northland Yanbei."
"Your Highness, you've heard these sorts of stories. Do you believe this rumor without proven evidence?" Tai Wei politely asked the Emperor, but the Emperor continued to display a cold face.
After a while, the Wei Emperor asked Tai Wei: "And the White Robin Hood, what do you know about him?"
Tai Wei did not want to tell senseless information to the Emperor but wanted to answer His Highness, so he said: "I heard he is like a ghost of the past, who came back to reclaim all the time that his enemies stole from him."
The Emperor stopped writing and gave Tai Wei a formal look. But suddenly, the wrinkles in his eyes followed a burst of loud laughter: "Ha…Ha…Ha…"
"Tai Wei, how old are you? You still listen to bedtime stories?" The scene was relaxed, but Tai Wei was anxious, for he did not expect the Emperor's burst of laughter.
"Tell me his name," said the Emperor.
Tai Wei, uncomfortable and more anxious, could not say the name according to palace protocol. The rumors had come from the palace ministry of scullery.
The Emperor sensed that Tai Wei was thinking too much and said: "Come on, sometimes we must be aware of these rumors. I want to know his name."
Tai Wei could not back out from the discussion and said: "It is forbidden to utter this name according to the decree of Your Highness."
The Emperor shook his head from left to right and smiled, an ugly smile. He said: "Are you disobeying me or following an outdated decree?"
Though spoken softly, the Emperor's face was not happy. Tai Wei was left in confusion, unable to respond.
"Was it the late Yuwen heir?" The Emperor continued to sway his head from left to right and looked at him in dismay.
"Your Highness, when you say outdated decree, are you retracting the decree officially today? After all, it is just a rumor; you should not pay attention to it," Tai Wei wanted to dismiss or even sway the matter to avoid further discussion.
"But why do I feel like I want to believe that the dead can rise from the grave?" Suddenly, the Emperor felt alive and wanted more dialogue, but Tai Wei wished to avoid the topic.
"Your Majesty, whatever you choose to believe, do not forget that we need hard facts to support it. You cannot rely on palace rumors, especially when they involve the Yuwen nobles," said Tai Wei.
"Hmmm…" The Great Summer Emperor thought for a while and said:
"The passiveness of the Yuwen household says a lot and attests to these palace rumors that the ghost of the past is alive and is collecting every Yuwen debt to regain its lordship. In fact, it is the noblest thing to do, and if this is true, he must have taken on the responsibility to redeem himself. Another fact is that I have been dreaming of this coming true, and it looks like the heavens have allowed it to happen at this time."
"Tai Wei, send this letter to the Eyes of God. I must know if the Yuwen heir is truly alive."
The Emperor stood up and walked toward the corridor outside the Throne Room.
The dumping of foreign currency has largely affected the main grass dynasties, leading to the depreciation of the Wei rich lords' ability to run their businesses and economy within Great Summer.
While Qinghai's crown prince, Ra Yue, leads a series of retaliations and counter-retaliations to control the trade war between the Wei and Qinghai Empires, Yanbei remains untouched and unaffected.
The Liang State and Huai Song were beneficiaries of their Yan benefactors, and thus, their economies remain stable despite Qinghai's measures to control all sea routes. Competition with foreign markets imposed tariffs and non-tariff barriers to restrict the entry of goods from other countries directly into Qinghai markets.
In other words, no one may buy or sell these exports or imports unless they pass through Qinghai markets first.
Yanbei may have expanded their influence over Ximeng and taken over Liang commerce through the secret chamber commerce called the Datong Way.
While the Wei Empire remains stagnant with its established black markets, it can almost dictate which of the grass dynasties will struggle with famine and scarcity.
However, these black markets and illegal trades were later raided by the Black Sun Pirate, who introduced their ruffian presence by launching voyages to conquer the seas.
These pirates are very cruel and cunning, setting traps that drove thousands of boats and ships into their control, taking over port-to-port trade.
Their leader, called the White Robinhood, once said:
"Whoever controls the sea controls the world's wealth."
"Reporting to Your Highness, the grass economy of Yanbei has a steady flow as the Liang Empire and Huai Song State benefit from your gracious efforts," said Meng Feng.
Yuwen Yue was at ease hearing the report. He nodded at the spy and waved his hand to dismiss her. Meng Feng did not leave yet and said: "Master, I have something else to tell you."
Yuwen Yue suddenly looked in her direction and gave her a cold look. "What do you have to say?"
"Xiaoqi spies may have been lurking around the local warehouses and found our workers and their children. I am sure their next step will be to report to the Seventh Prince of Wei (Yuan Che)." Meng Feng, still on her knees, waited for Yuwen Yue's words.
Yuwen Yue was not surprised. In fact, he secretly hoped his former Commander in Chief would find him in order. He also knew that it was only a matter of time before Xiaoqi's food and shelter supplies would be in scarcity. "There is much to do," he thought to himself.
Yuwen Yue said:
"When the cat becomes hungry, will it not look for a mouse and its cheese? And when this happens, will you not protect the mouse and its cheese?"
Meng Feng answered Yuwen Yue:
"We will have to defend the parents, the children, and the storehouses, but certainly, we will be like ants biting a giant's feet."
"That is not your problem to think about."
Yuwen Yue paused, relaxed his tense mood, and continued:
"But this is good. You have brought this to my attention. It is good to bite the giant's feet for a short while, while waiting for the white rabbit balloons' reinforcements, don't you think?"
Meng Feng couldn't hold it anymore; she let a chuckle escape her lips to the ears of Yuwen Yue. She couldn't imagine what these white rabbit balloons could do to save the ants biting at the giant's feet.
Yuwen Yue gave her a cold look, hearing her chuckle, and said:
"I don't have to explain all these things, but trust that whoever is behind your back is not ordinary, but elite troops."
The smell of fresh bearskin filled the air as the King of the Black Hawk Cavalry strode into Yanbei's so-called War Room Council.
The Yan generals were noisily discussing the attacks and strategy to conquer the Yan Mingguan Pass. They were busy studying the Ximeng map when, suddenly, Yan Xun violently crumpled the map and tore it piece by piece in front of them.
The War Room Council gave the Yanbei King a blank stare.
One of the Yan generals complained:
"This is blunt. This ancient map has been handed down from our ancestors to our generation, only to become trash today? Help me understand."
Yan Xun squinted his eyes but did not bother to answer the question.
It looked as if he had committed a crime in the eyes of the Yan generals, and it seemed as though they wanted to ambush him that night.
To complete the day, he did worse than tearing the old ancient maps of Yan. He said:
"A'Jing, the lamp."
Yan Xun smiled with a debonair expression, mocking the Yan generals as he picked up a piece of the map and began to burn it in the lamp.
Afterwards, he made sure everyone's eyes were on him as he dropped the burning map piece to the ground.
The fire spread and burned all of the thousand-year-old maps of Yanbei.
"Looks dramatic," said Cao Meng Tong, although he liked what Yan Xun did to the old map, even though he couldn't understand the logic or predict his next moves.
The other Yan generals could only stare at the horrible scene, unable to utter any words of disappointment. They shrugged their shoulders and complained slyly:
"This is the end of Yanbei."
Yan Xun, his face expressionless, took the lamp from A'Jing's hands and raised it for the Yan generals to see his now-antique face.
He gave an evil smile to everyone and grunted:
"Why do you all have those looks on your faces? Have I committed a crime against the ancestors?"
One of the oldest and wisest Yan generals stepped forward and said:
"We have followed this map for a thousand years. It led this empire to its former glory, success, and wealth, yet your hands tore it apart as if it were of no value at all. Today, it is just a piece of trash, but burning it? Now, it has turned to ash."
Yan Xun couldn't hide his amusement. He clapped his hands and said:
"Bravo! I knew you would give a speech like this. Isn't it true that you are the oldest of the War Room Council? But you were not able to save any of the Yan grass cities or Yan blood, except the one in front of you."
As Yan Xun shamed the oldest Yan general, everyone's faces grew uglier as they swallowed each word that came from Yan Xun's mouth.
"They will have more blunts tonight than yesterday," they whispered.
"We're screwed," said General Cao Meng Tong.
"What? You're the only one who's screwed here. Don't include me in it," replied one of the Yan generals.
Cao Meng Tong looked at the general and asked, "Does he know about Huan Huan?"
The Yan general pulled a dagger from his side and pointed it at him, saying: "If this Datong secret gets out tonight, I will be the first to cut your throat!"
As the War Room Council held their breath and controlled their tongues, Yan Xun confidently walked toward the old Yan general and whispered:
"Don't you think it's time for a new map, one without Datong?"
Yan Xun put his fingers to his mouth and whistled.
Young servants marched into the War Room Council and spread out a carpet-like map where the old one had been on the wooden table.
This time, the new map was hung on the wall of the War Room Council, and lamps behind it illuminated it even at night.
All eyes were glued to the new map, and everyone was astonished because the brooks, mountains, rivers, valleys, command posts, and even the Nada Palace in the XuiXui mountains were depicted exactly as they were.
The materials used were genius, and the artist who made this true-to-life map on fabric was truly amazing.
It was as large as the entire wall of the War Room Council, and everyone forgot about their regrets and heartache over the old map.
"Come closer and feel the difference. This is not a cheap map," said Yan Xun.
The Yan generals approached and touched the map. Some smelled the fabric and said:
"This is no ordinary map; it has been dipped in gold and silver metallic compounds."
Cao Meng Tong said: "I can smell fresh blood in it."
"Now, we can begin to form Yan's strategies and attacks. Using this map will ensure accurate locations, calculated distances, and here…"
Yan Xun pointed to a new location that looked like local warehouses with small huts added.
"This is new, and it's interesting. I've just added it to the map."
"A'Jing, explain the terrain we must navigate," ordered Yan Xun.
The handsome king threw himself on the main couch made of suede fabric and relaxed a bit.
"We believe the Xiaoqi camp has built large storehouses in this area," A'Jing said, pointing to the exact location.
"We also think these storehouses were built to reinforce the Xiaoqi camp at this strategic pass."
Cao Meng Tong, growing curious, asked:
"Why would they build such a storehouse in a place that's difficult to reach and hidden from everyone's eyes? And, let me see, it's close to the land of deadly scorpions and venomous snakes in the Qinghai Empire."
Shaking his head, Cao Meng Tong couldn't understand the logic of such a storehouse.
"You make good points," A'Jing said, stirring the interest of the Yan generals.
Yan Xun listened but appeared indifferent.
Another general posed an opinion: "Since General A'Jing said earlier that they think, but are not entirely sure, maybe this is a decoy storehouse meant to confuse, or a trap location for an ambush."
Another Yan general spoke: "I believe a new troop presence has encamped at this location, a troop we know nothing about."
Yan Xun suddenly stood up and said:
"This is it! I knew Yan is never short of thinkers. How can we confirm your theory?"
"Send spies!"
A female voice rang in the ears of the War Room Council.
It was not a mere suggestion, but an urgent directive.
"Ah, the feather girl! Were you late?" said A'Jing.
Zhong Yu had apparently been observing the entire dramatic scene and bloody strategic discussion with the new Yanbei map. She was taken aback by the notion that Yan Xun's whispered comment "Don't you think it's time for a new map, one without Datong?" might not have been a joke.
Every path of Yanbei leaders, generals, military troops, and even its citizens has been forced and pushed to take a test of loyalty.
Recalling the forsaken Xuili army, the former renowned firefox dogs of Yan Schicheng were stripped of their core and oath of loyalty to their own flag, forcing them to leave Yanbei and settle in a less hospitable and unfriendly land.
Now it is time for the Datong Way. It has never been tested on the path of loyalty, until today.
If Qinghai planned the Moon Kingdom's extinction, Yanbei began arranging the funeral party to cremate the Datong Way.
Even if Wei successfully deployed the Blackguards' mass destruction over the grass empire of Yan, there is a seed that has been set apart to take over the cold, harsh lands of Yanbei.
This new seed is like stubborn grass growing in the vast graveyard of the slain empire. Under the protection of Wu Daoya and the non-governmental elite spies, Zhong Yu and Viper, Yanbei is likely to flourish under a new regime that will shape the future of its citizens.
The secret chamber of commerce, or the Datong Way, was mainly composed of loyal subjects like Yanbei military generals and filthy rich merchant traders from the elite business class of Yan nobles, who kept several secrets equivalent to the value of their blood.
Even though the Yan royal family suffered contempt and annihilation at the hands of the Great Summer, the Datong Way's vision was one of continuation without distraction.
The last history should prompt the Datong Way to reflect and never forget that the Great Summer's grass mower, the Blackguards of the Batuha State, will one day trim and cut Yanbei's tall grass.
The Yan royal family gained immense affection from its people, spreading its wings across Chang'an, the capital of Wei.
It is not beyond suspicion that one day they shall rise to take over Wei State.
Even if the entire Yan royal family swears and offers their last drop of blood to prove loyalty to the Great Summer throne, they are never seen as friends but always as potential rivals who wouldn't hesitate to strengthen their grip on the Great Summer throne.
Therefore, the prospect of mass destruction becomes a regular agenda, and Yan citizens will not survive unless a seed from the Datong Way guarantees a sprout for the future.
The Datong Way understands this, the rise and fall, the losses.
As long as the Datong Way continues to steer the trade and economy of each state underground, it ensures that their vision can be achieved at any point in time.
A thumping sound was heard from a table full of crumpled snow papers.
The Master's hand could not finalize a response to the letter, preferring instead to wallow in darkness, cold, alone, and fuming with beautiful hatred.
Yuwen Gao wanted to reply to the Emperor's letter; however, he could not find the suitable words to explain the Eyes of God's passiveness.
It was clear that he had deceived the Emperor twice. First, with his own fake death. Now, with the fake death of the Yuwen heir. How is he supposed to explain further?
He should either cut off his own head or drink poison, and maybe that would make his life easier.
When the Emperor learns of this fake death, all Yuwen Gao deserves is to be called a traitor to the Empire. However, it remains shrouded in mystery, as the Emperor made the final call an hour before Yuwen Huai to cancel the execution of the uncle from the fourth branch of the Yuwen household.
Even though Yuwen Gao did not participate in the public trial known as the Shen Jin Gong Execution, Wei Guang reasoned that the Shen Jin Gong is a sacred execution reserved for royals. Though the Yuwens are considered a noble household, they do not meet the predetermined criteria for this execution.
Yuwen Gao no longer has any relatives in the Yuwen fourth branch household.
The Eyes of God was also abandoned by its slaves and servants. After the execution was canceled, Yuwen Huai was exiled to the farthest north, while Yuwen Gao was imprisoned for half a year.
Two swift spies had just finished surveying the terrain. One of them removed his extended telescopic device made of steel and wood, nodded to the other, and they both moved.
Suddenly, a sharp wind followed their trail, and two arrows trailed behind them.
Time rushed to seal their fate. One of the spies was shot in the back and died on the spot.
The other spy remained calm, ignoring his fallen comrade. He reached for a lever at his waist.
The spy seemed to defy gravity, floating in the air. Fast and smooth, he trailed along a horizontal zip line, then pushed another lever from his waist.
He twirled, transferred to the other side, and cut the first rope, now trailing along a vertical zip line from the other side of the mountain.
The execution was perfect and flawless.
Meng Feng arrived late at the spy's location and saw the dead body.
The hunt had succeeded in taking one life but missed the other target.
She removed the arrows from the dead body, took the evidence, and hid it in her backpack.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince received the spy's report and twitched his palms.
He was likely to order the Xiaoqi army to raid the local warehouses found in the hidden valley of YanMing Guan Strategic Pass and find out who they belonged to.
Yuan Che's infallible mind considered whether they were adversaries or potential allies.
He leaned toward the second option for peace of mind but prepared for the first, as peace of mind is a fleeting luxury.
"Ah, this is going to be a mind-wrecking situation if I stay here and do not scrutinize the latest developments of any facilities built at my perimeter."
Yuan Che finally approved his thought and passed an order to the Xiaoqi generals.
Yuan Che called for an emergency meeting and opened with:
"How many of you think we have an enemy closer to us than we realize?"
General Xue answered:
"Your Highness, based on the spy report, I think they are not new enemies but possibly not new friends either. I have seen the maps where the local warehouses were built. We all know the hidden valley is impassable, almost impenetrable."
One of the Xiaoqi generals nudged and said:
"If it never existed before and now exists, we might as well call it a ghost town."
Yuan Che looked at the general in confusion, while the other generals, including General Xue, looked lost.
The general continued his half-joke:
"For only ghosts can enter that area. It is highly airtight, hermetic by nature. Unless our friend or foe has an airborne unit to breach its skies, they are still considered flesh and blood."
General Xue, feeling proud, said:
"I'm buying this, even if it's an expensive thought."
General Xue nailed Yuan Che's suspicions when he heard:
"Pass the decree to Cipher 1. Xiaoqi shall attack at dawn!"
Everyone knew what a Cipher 1 code meant.
It contained the Seventh Prince's jade pass, which would be surrendered to the Great Summer Emperor and did not need approval.
This also meant that Crown Prince Yuan Song would be forced to oversee the Xiaoqi camp while Yuan Che focused on securing the frontier.
Yuan Che wanted to see the hidden valley himself, even though it was considered a suicide mission.
Casualties were already expected, though not projected to be high, as security measures would be taken to protect the Commander in Chief, who volunteered himself.
It was a no-turning-back event.
The Great Summer Emperor wanted to laugh and cry when he received the Cipher 1 code.
It could not be questioned; the authority was firm and resolute as he read the seal of the Seventh Prince. The Emperor knew his son must have a serious reason for his decision to surrender his jade pass.
Though it guarantees no safe return, it comes with the assurance of maximum security to ensure the Seventh Prince's safety.
The Thirteenth Prince received the decree from his father. It was earnest and required him to take over the Xiaoqi camp as he touched the seal of the Seventh Prince.
Yuan Song, who was grappling with numerous imbalances in his royal house after the crown princess's disappearance, was forced to don his warrior garments and leave the Crown Prince Palace.
After Xiao Ba's disappearance, Yuan Song wanted to declare her dead. However, the people of Wei, both nobles and slaves, disliked the idea since her body had not been found.
The Yingge Hospital of the Yuwen Household performed a post-mortem on the body found at the crime scene and handed over the results to Wei's Justice Council.
After a series of debates in Yuwen Huai's justice council meeting with the Wei valve circle, Yingge Hospital issued a press release the next day.
It shocked everyone in Great Summer.
Princess Chun'er did not believe that Xiao Ba was dead either; she suspected she had been abducted. She thought it was an inside job and that someone from the Great Summer Palace was the perpetrator.
"I know you hate Xiao Ba, little brother. Did you do this to her?" Princess Chun'er asked curiously.
Yuan Song, surprised by his sister's remark, replied, "Big sister, I thought we knew each other since birth. Even if I had ill feelings toward her, I would never do such a vile thing. I am noble by blood and at heart. Though I can choose to fight in the right or wrong way, only a savage beast would do such a thing, and I am not a savage. Remember my place, I am the Crown Prince of Wei, the Great Summer of this Empire."
Princess Chun'er became serious as her curiosity shifted to concern for the empire, and she asked:
"If you were to put any of your close royal family members to death, how would you do it? Shen Jin Gong?"
"No," Yuan Song replied, clearing his throat to ensure Princess Chun'er heard him clearly. "I would choose a silent lethal killing. Everything can be arranged in the wind for the sake of peace in the land."
Princess Chun'er considered his answer very seriously and realized her brother was not the same man he used to be.
As Crown Prince Yuan Song prepared to depart from the Great Summer Palace, Yuwen Huai arrived with his men for the send-off ceremony.
Princess Chun'er stepped forward while Yuwen Huai bowed and greeted, "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure is mine," Chun'er replied as she passed Yuwen Huai and placed Yuan Song's damask cape on him.
"Little brother, please don't be foolish, Prince," Chun'er smiled and tapped his shoulder.
"And please don't become a dull princess. Can I expect that Great Summer will still be Great Summer when I return?" Yuan Song gave his sister a slight hug and looked at Yuwen Huai.
Yuwen Huai handed a book to Yuan Song and said: "Your Highness, your protocol guide is within this book. If the Crown Prince follows it according to the laws and tradition, it will lead your mission to political success."
"And who can I expect to guide me for military success?"
"I, Your Highness," General Bali said, approaching to join the Seventh Prince's envoy. The Duke of the Batuha family had never looked more fearsome or handsome, despite the gray showing in his hairline.
Yuan Song smiled and said, "I never expected you to still be this active in service, General." General Bali bowed in front of the Crown Prince and waited for his command.
"General Bali, you will have much work to do and teach this novice military commander-in-chief," Chun'er said.
"I have political and military counsel, but who will advise me on the economy?" Yuan Song joked.
Yuwen Huai laughed and said, "Your Highness, you will be taught along the way when you meet the Black Sun Pirate and the White Robinhood."
After Yuwen Huai made everything legal and binding, Yuan Song's royal envoy followed the necessary military protocols for the send-off ceremony. The separation and formation of troops were neatly arranged, and the military envoy of Yuan Che accepted the chain of command from Yuan Song as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Xiaoqi camp for an indefinite period.
The send-off ceremony lasted for a while but not long.
Before long, Yuan Song and the Great Summer of the Seventh Prince began to whip their horses, and dust rose from the grounds of the Great Summer Palace, where the Emperor sat watching from his outside throne seat.
"Your Majesty, do you have anything to say?" Tai Wei asked, sensing the Emperor's gaze, as if he were looking at his most beloved son pitifully.
"No, I have nothing to say. I just realized that he is a grown man now, where he once played on the Great Summer Palace grounds as a child. Now, he is like a piece of meat ready to be devoured by the world. I hope I have prepared him more than the enemy can. I hope I have given him enough wisdom to win this battle."
Tai Wei, turning the serious conversation into a lighter one, replied, "Indeed, Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has now reached his prime."
The Emperor responded, "There is one thing I have not told him, that he is truly alone in this world. No one will come to rescue him but himself. Whoever sits on this throne is like an animal ready to be slaughtered."
Sensing the Emperor's fatherly emotions, Tai Wei asked, "Do you want me to stop the Scribes from writing this?"
"No, let it be written in the official log. I want my son to see the true face of the world," said the Emperor as he stood and walked toward Chisui Lake.
Chun'er watched her father walk sadly.
They had not spoken since the day he pardoned her, but Chun'er didn't want to force her father to talk to her. Instead, she said to herself, "I will wait patiently for the day you can call me your daughter again."
The sound of mighty horse hooves echoed.
Dust and grass dew were carved into the ground as the horses' footprints trailed behind them.
Two figures in military uniforms knelt in kowtow position. The deputy stood behind, ready to defend or attack. How could the Beauty Emperor refuse the civet cat's request?
This morning, an urgent military communication was sent to Liang's forces.
Xiao Ce had to read it within four hours, or a threat to the empire's security would arise.
"Your Majesty, it is time," said Chu Qiao of the Beauty Army.
"You finally came with those lovely winter boots," Xiao Ce teased, wanting to buy more time. He knew Qiao Qiao's request would break his heart.
Chu Qiao remained in her kowtow position and said, "Your Majesty, we have served you for long and followed all your commands. This event is not new to you, as we have been preparing for it. May the heavens respond to you with a thousand rainfalls, may your courtyards be blessed with beautiful days, and may your fields yield a bountiful harvest. In my deep respect and honor, please accept this humble gift."
One of his servants took a beautiful silk fabric and revealed a birdcage full of amber phantom butterflies. Xiao Ce held his breath as he gazed at the butterflies and said, "The only butterfly that lives in deep rainforests, its crepuscular nature makes it invisible in sunlight. Should I be transparent so the world can see the other side?"
Xiao Ce knew this bittersweet moment was not far off. Though he had rehearsed many times how to react and mask his emotions, he always failed.
Speaking from his heart, this meant he would finally unveil the curtain of destiny and show the world how he cared for the Beauty Army and its Beauty General.
He intended to keep them in this Liang paradise, sunny rainforests under fading moonlight.
Aside from giving the Beauty Army a wonderful homeland, what could he offer to heal the Beauty General's heart?
Chu Qiao did not respond. She let Xiao Ce decide whether to allow the Beauty Army to leave Liang's borders and become independent.
Some of the Beauty Army's men had already married Liang's finest women. Chu Qiao gave them a choice, to settle with their families in Liang or take them on their journey to find their promised land and become free citizens. Some chose to stay, while others took their families along.
It was bittersweet and, at the same time, refreshing as these families and relatives bid their goodbyes.
"This is the first deployment. We will test the winds and seize the grand entrance to shock the enemy.
They know our location is nearly impassable, reachable only by wings.
Their paratroopers will surely ambush us to make the raid successful. I estimate 30 percent damage to these local warehouses, but Meng Feng, ensure the 360-degree auto crossbows are ready around our perimeter."
The Seventh Prince's cavalry employed the art of war called, "capture the prey by stealth and strategy, rather than speed and strength."
Yuwen Yue offered brief advice on how the enemy operates and how to protect the freedom community from the ambush raid.
Yue Lui nodded, saying, "Master, you taught me to lie, conceal, and wait for the surprise attack."
Yuwen Yue nodded in agreement, saying, "This is exactly our advantage, and you know how to handle it."
"Master, why do you know him so well?" Meng Feng asked.
"Because I used to be his comrade-in-arms. I fought side by side with him in the past. He is highly skilled and almost impossible to kill. In battle, he fights with ease and grace, flawlessly executing Sun Tzu's art of war," Yuwen Yue replied in a cold voice.
"Master, if we can't beat him, what do we do?" Yue Lui asked.
"You'll see. By then, I'll already be in the air," Yuwen Yue said.
Meng Feng and Yue Lui nodded, silently preparing their weapons and setting traps in the freedom community.
The people were also advised to stay low underground and protect the children at all costs.
Flashbacks of the moment came to paint the picture of this fateful day.
Yuwen Yue was right, Xiaoqi's paratroopers suddenly appeared in the skies, landing to inflict damage and spread fear.
The quietness of the hidden valley was deafening. No weapons or people were seen on the ground.
It looked as though General Xue had to accept that this was, indeed, a well-maintained ghost town!
General Xue said, "I'm afraid we've brought more military science than our enemies. It'll be overkill. I can already smell victory."
Yuan Che began arranging for a certain outcome.
Hidden from everyone's eyes, Meng Feng silently counted, whispering, "Twenty-five percent."
After five excruciating minutes, she whispered again: "Twenty-six percent."
It was nearing the 30% expected damage, yet nobody appeared in the skies, not even a gust of wind.
Exhausting the 360-degree auto-crossbows, Meng Feng frequently glanced above as if she was waiting for the gods to intervene. As the auto-crossbows fell silent, Yue Lui prepared for a surprise attack, employing the lie-and-conceal tactics. Meng Feng felt a pang of regret, those white rabbit balloons had not yet appeared in the smoke-filled skies.
After the mechanical crossbows, it would be Yue Lui's turn to fire. This was Yuwen Yue's unbeatable strategy his secret style of capturing the target and Yue Lui had mastered the art.
It would require human effort to fight the elite troops.
You could say this was a little off-tangent because Yue Lui would be fighting the very empire he once served, using knowledge of its land to make the tall grass empire stand out.
Panting heavily, Yue Lui thought to himself: "I never imagined I'd fight the very empire that raised me and taught me the art of warfare."
There were seven local warehouses above ground in the hidden valley, but what Yuan Che didn't know was that three more were buried underground, ten in total.
Yuan Che thought it was no match and laughed at the auto-crossbows, finding them easy to dismantle.
"Whoever designed these cold defensive weapons is a true genius," Yuan Che said sarcastically, smirking.
Then, he found something else and continued laughing before adding sarcastically, "This is child's play. I expected something grand to happen here. The mouse has run away, abandoning its cheese!"
These were the terms Yuan Che and Yuwen Yue used whenever they went to war. They referred to each other as the cat and the mouse, like Tom and Jerry's endless chase.
For Yuan Che, he was the cat, and Yuwen Yue was the mouse who always had the cheese. In military terms, the mouse controlled the logistics, and the cat decided whether to force the mouse to give up its cheese to supply its operations and rearm its weapons.
But now, the cat couldn't figure out what the mouse was up to.
Meng Feng finally declared the figure she had been counting: "Thirty!" She pressed a button, and boom!
It was too late to react. The ground erupted in smoke-filled craters. Yuan Che and the Xiaoqi generals found themselves dizzy but managed to counteract by covering their mouths with state-of-the-art gas masks. Everyone was alert.
Yue Lui, meanwhile, made sure the elite troops were at ease before launching his earth-shattering offensive attack.
Dressed in an all-black ninja suit, riding a black horse, Yue Lui embodied the ghost shock warfare. He looked like a ghost, and soon the enemy would regret their arrogance.
Before anyone could react, their metal helmets, arm guards, breastplates, and leg armor were sucked away, along with several swords except for Yuan Che's sword.
Yuan Che found himself like a naked warrior, facing the ghost shock warrior.
He now realized this was definitely one of Yue's guards. No one else in the Great Summer Empire could execute this attack so flawlessly.
The generals had never faced this strategy, even though they owned it.
They had never been on the receiving end until now. Fear gripped them, as their half-naked bodies, stripped of weapons, were left defenseless after the ghost shock magnet had collected their armor in midair.
The armors were all attached to Yue Lui's body and horse.
It was hard to comprehend.
The goal was to shock the enemy by exposing their own vulnerability and foolishness.
Their weapons had become useless, transferred to another body!
Yuan Che shouted, "Everyone, hold and stand still! Do not move. This wasn't written in Sun Tzu's Art of War. Generals, meet the Great Summer's Eyes of God ghost shock warfare!"
The generals murmured among themselves:
"What?"
"This is the Eyes of God warfare?"
"A shock wave of what?"
"This is dumb."
"It's called ghost shock warfare!"
"It's not written down, but this is our very own strategy."
"What do we do now?"
"We're screwed!"
Yue Lui, his eyes closed, breathed in and out as the armor attached to him and his horse grew heavier.
In minutes, all the armor would fall to the ground, and he would execute the final phase of this killing spree.
Yuan Che shouted, "To kill or not to kill. Everyone, prepare to taste our very own defeat."
Ghost shock warfare, whenever deployed, had never failed. It always won any battle, regardless of the enemy, as long as they were made of flesh and blood and their weapons of metal.
The enemy was forced to accept defeat.
Weapons clattered to the ground, but Yuan Che's pulse raced, he still couldn't predict the outcome.
One of the generals didn't heed Yuan Che's warning and stepped forward to grab a sword from the ground. Yue Lui raised his hand, and the general was struck by a bolt of lightning, dropping dead on the spot.
Yuan Che, growing angrier not at the aggressor, but at his generals shouted, "Obey orders, or I'll cut off your heads!"
Meng Feng, watching this unfold, couldn't comprehend what kind of warfare this was. It was far more advanced than she had ever imagined, some sort of technology courtesy of the Eyes of God.
Yue Lui remained unmoved, waiting for his prey to act defensively.
The generals complained, "Your Highness, what's happening? This wasn't the outcome we planned!"
Yuan Che, knowing exactly how this worked, opened his mouth but hesitated before finally explaining:
"The ground you're standing on and everything around you, is deadly. There is swirling electricity, and every time you move defensively, the ghost shock warrior passes it through his body. When he activates it, it will electrify your body and cause your heart to explode."
One of the generals shouted, "Then the ghost shock warrior will die too, since it passes through his body first!"
Yuan Che rolled his eyes impatiently and replied, "The Eyes of God trained this ghost shock warrior well. His body has been conditioned to withstand the electric shock waves, so he can handle the pain."
The generals realized, "He must be in meditation, he's in a hypnotic state."
"Your Highness is right!"
"Do not move, or if he senses vibrations, his mind and body will endure the pain to kill the target."
Yuan Che, caught off-guard, had to admit defeat. He was surprised by this turn of events.
A junior spy ran toward Yuan Che, stopped, and stared at the holes in the ground. Shocked, he said, "Your Highness, these local warehouses are empty. There's nothing inside."
Yuan Che, dismayed, whispered, "I've been tricked by the mouse."
He looked toward the sky and shouted, "Where are you? Show yourself!"
The Xiaoqi troops couldn't believe their eyes, Yuan Che was crying out in despair. They had never seen him surrender to the heavens like this before.
Suddenly, the white rabbit balloon appeared in the smoke-filled skies.
It was so huge it covered almost half of the freedom community's perimeter.
The generals were in awe and asked themselves, "How did they hide this rabbit monster balloon?"
The white rabbit balloon displayed its archers, ready to kill anything that moved on the ground.
Another ship swayed the pirate flagship, while thick twine ropes dropped from all four corners.
"Oh, skulls and bones! The pirates!" exclaimed General Xue, while Yuan Che still stared at the sky.
To distract the Seventh Prince and the generals, Meng Feng shot an arrow into a nearby tree. Many eyes followed the trail.
One of the junior spies exclaimed, "The White Robinhood is below, and the Black Sun Pirate is above. Where do we run?"
Mo'Er climbed down from the monster rabbit balloon, along with three other pirates, to park the hot air rabbit balloon. Soon, every eye turned to the godlike figure sitting in the balloon, dressed in white Hanfu, calm and fresh, meeting their gazes.
One of the generals managed a joke, "Your Highness, you said it was a mouse, why am I seeing a monster rabbit in a godlike figure?"
Yuan Che, his eyes fixed on the figure, whispered, "The mouse sank in the frozen lake years ago and transformed into the rabbit you see today."
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