Chapter 132: But How Could She Be a Woman...
In April, the Capital was a magnificent sight, its flowers in full bloom. The border, however, remained cloaked in frost and snow, where a biting wind raged, sharp as a knife against the face.
"General."
A captain walked up the ridge with heavy steps. This was the highest point of Changlu Pass, offering a view of the boundless Xirong grasslands.
A tall figure sat on a jutting rock, toying with something in his hands that looked like a piece of wood.
The captain frowned. "General, we’ve all heard. The Emperor has killed one of the Xirong again. This time, it was one of their princes."
He looked into the distance. Signal smoke filled the air—the Xirong’s call to assemble their troops.
"The Xirong have gotten the news too. I’m afraid it won’t be long before they launch a full-scale assault on Changlu Pass."
The captain was filled with anxiety. "The Xirong have been provoking us relentlessly these past few days, and our soldiers are suffering terribly. We don’t have enough warhorses, and many of the men haven’t recovered from their injuries. If the Xirong attack in full force, I’m afraid we won’t be able to hold the pass."
Li Wei had brought too few men with him; most of the soldiers defending the pass were from the original garrison.
Attacking Bafang City, retaking Changlu Pass—when have we not suffered devastating casualties?
Right now, Changlu Pass has barely thirty thousand soldiers. But if the Xirong attack with all their might, they’ll bring at least fifty thousand troops, and elite cavalry at that.
Li Wei is powerful, yes, but a general’s divine valor alone can’t win a war if his soldiers can’t keep up.
The last time the Little Emperor killed one of them, the Xirong retaliated. We were lucky Li Wei was there to drive them back, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. And now, the Little Emperor has done it again.
"The West Rong people are despicable, I know, but for the Emperor to stir up trouble like this is just reckless. Is this his way of forcing our soldiers to their deaths?"
"A woman on the throne is a calamity for the realm. I don’t know what the hell those officials in the court are thinking..."
"Enough!" Li Wei cut him off. "War is upon us. Go make the preparations. We have to win this fight."
The captain departed reluctantly. A figure popped his head up from behind a slab of rock. "I’ve carried out Your Majesty’s request. As for everything else, I didn’t hear a thing."
The newcomer was none other than Marquis Pingchuan, Xiao Lin. He looked far more disheveled than he ever did in the Capital City. He hadn’t packed enough warm clothes and was shivering despite being wrapped in a padded cotton coat.
He was only there to secretly deliver something to Li Wei on the Emperor’s behalf. As for Li Wei and his subordinate having a few choice words for the Emperor, he was conveniently deaf to it all.
He was useless when it came to warfare; all he wanted now was to get back to the Capital City in one piece.
Fortunately, Li Wei had no intention of making things difficult for him. He simply asked, "Did His Majesty send anything else for me?"
Xiao Lin shook his head. "Prince Jing assigned this mission to me in secret. His Majesty didn’t make an appearance, and there’s nothing else. Prince Jing did say, however, that the Xirong barbarians have been spouting arrogant trash and disrespecting His Majesty, who is furious. He said this thing is incredibly powerful and that you, General, should feel free to use it. It would be best, he said, to drop it right on the King of Xirong’s head and properly vent His Majesty’s anger."
Li Wei glanced down at the object and nodded. "I understand."
Xiao Lin was so cold his brain felt sluggish. He mumbled a few more words, "Reinforcements arrive tomorrow. That’s all I know."
With a wave of his hand, he added, "That’s it for me, I have to go..."
Watching Xiao Lin stumble away, Li Wei leaned back against a tree trunk.
’Her Majesty has an eccentric and unpredictable personality; nothing she does is ever a surprise. So, producing a powerful new weapon isn’t strange either.’
’But... how could she be a woman?’
’He’d had those improper thoughts before, and it had taken all his effort to suppress them.’
’When the news had arrived from the Capital, he’d been stunned. But the moment he processed what he’d heard, those forbidden thoughts had sprung up like wild weeds.’
’He couldn’t stay at Changlu Pass forever. He had to end this war as quickly as possible. He had to go back and see for himself.’