Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by Mianbao
Edited by RED
“Yunzi, you’ve helped get back at them for us. I presume the patriarch wouldn’t blame you for unauthorized mobilizing of the troops, right?” Concubine Kong Tong said after a short while.
Unauthorized mobilization of troops was a grave offense.
Li Yunzi was no longer the Crown Princess, and yet she had gathered her old subordinates in the west. Such an action was no different from rebelling!
Of course, even if it was an offense, it depended on the situation.
If it wasn’t for Li Yunzi privately mobilizing her old subordinates and subduing the ambush team, the four cities in the west would have been lost. After all, the Flying Birds Battalion who had the greatest mobility had been sent to the east. Nothing could have turned the situation around.
That was why Li Ying had kept silent until now.
He had been very clear about how grave the situation was the moment the stronghold was lost. What was most frightening was that Lingxiao City State had no plans on negotiating for peace from the beginning. Asking the Crown Princess to become their city lord’s concubine was but a sham designed to divert their attention and wait for East Dawn Stronghold to be taken down, then their huge army would apply more pressure!
No matter how muddleheaded Li Ying was, it was impossible for him not to understand that!
“You did very well, Yunzi. Those soldiers will return under your management,” Li Ying finally said, revealing a hint of gentleness on his face.
When Li Ying stripped Li Yunzi of her guards back then, he wanted to remove her military power completely. However, Li Yunzi had actually used such a way to regain her subordinates.
How could he possibly punish her?! Without her guards, their western borders would have crumbled from inside and out, suffering great losses!
“Right, it’s better to return those guards to Yunzi. They are her old subordinates, after all.”
“Lingxiao City State’s wild ambitions are really damnable!”
“Speaking of which, why aren’t we aware of why East Dawn Stronghold’s lost?” a general asked.
“A traitor has appeared among our ranks!” Li Ying said gravely.
“We’d better call that student from the Dragon Tamers Academy to the hall. He should be here already,” Kong Tong said.
“Yes!”
In fact, Li Ying had already guessed who it was, but he still wanted to hear it for himself.
The threat to their west had been suppressed by Li Yunzi, and they were even holding Lingxiao City’s Eldest Young Master captive. This gave Ancestral Dragon City State a huge bargaining chip over Lingxiao City State. Would they still dare to cause any trouble?
What was next was the rebel army to the east. They needed to settle this problem as soon as possible!
—–
The pine trees stood tall and straight, but the bridal escort party in festive vermillion clothing appeared lifeless, seemingly no different from a funeral party.
The matter in the palace hall had spread to them, and they were now under the custody of the royal guards. It was very unlikely they would leave the Ancestral Dragon City State alive.
Zhu Minglang walked along the palace court, the stairs, and headed inside the Li Clan’s Affairs Office, looking at those foreigners in such bright clothing in confusion…
After walking into the palace hall, Zhu Minglang saw the members of the Li Clan seated on both sides of the hall. Every one of them wore complicated expressions, like they had just experienced something huge.
At this moment, all their gazes were focused on him.
Zhu Minglang noticed Li Yunzi. She stood at the front of the hall.
She slowly turned around, seemingly extra surprised to see him appearing in the hall. Her beautiful eyes were shining with an unfathomable light.
“Isn’t this Zhu Minglang? The one who posed as one of our clansmen and returned with Yunzi from Wutu?” Kong Tong immediately spoke up, recognizing him right away.
Li Ying also recognized him. Back then, he couldn’t even be bothered to inquire about him.
Zhu Minglang didn’t want to argue with that woman at all. If it wasn’t for him taking pity on the Glory Valley City’s people, and missing that frail scholar in the rain, he wouldn’t even have appeared in this palace hall.
“Luo Xiao intercepted and killed all the messengers…”
Zhu Minglang explained the situation, and informed the Li Clan there were still survivors in Glory Valley City.
The city lord of Glory Valley City, Zheng Yu, was currently defending the narrow path leading to Lichuan Plains bitterly!
“What a load of rubbish! If the stronghold was breached, how could the puny Glory Valley City possibly defend against the tens of thousands strong rebel army? Is their city lord omnipotent?!” the Li Clan’s young commander Li Pinghai challenged him angrily.
Zhu Minglang didn’t have the energy to pay attention to the mentally challenged today. His gaze landed on Li Yunzi in her light armor. Compared to her weak image in the past, she looked vastly different today, with a mighty aura supplementing her beauty, making one very difficult to overlook her.
“Yang Xiu,” Li Yunzi spoke up.
“This lowly one is here, at your service…” That envoy had lost all signs of a backbone.
“Are you done drafting the document?” Li Yunzi asked.
“I’m done, but Your Highness has yet to tell this lowly one which city we have to concede for you to release our young master?” Yang Xiu asked respectfully.
Li Yunzi took over the brush and personally wrote down the name of the city on the document drafted by Yang Xiu.
Yang Xiu picked it up and took a closer look. After reading it, he showed a troubled expression.
Before Yang Xiu could say anything, Li Yunzi walked over to where Li Ying was. She came up to the main seat of the palace hall and said, “Father, give me the command token for the Flying Birds Battalion. I’ll settle this rebellion.”
“Even if you wield a sword, there’s a limit to the number of rebels you can kill. It’s better to let the Flying Birds Battalion’s General Wu handle this matter,” Li Ying said.
Li Yunzi stood in front of Li Ying, looking straight at her father, showing no intention of backing down before his words, leading to a stalemate in the palace hall.
“Although you’ve contributed greatly this time, but military power…” Kong Tong spoke up again.
“I’m not asking!” Yunzi said in a harsher tone, interrupting Kong Tong.
Concubine Kong Tong nearly flew into a rage.
Li Ying’s complexion was ugly, too. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
At this moment, the grand matriarch spoke up, “Li Ying, Yunzi saw through Lingxiao City State’s marital truce conspiracy and helped us preserve the four cities in the west. She’s still capable of assuming great responsibilities. We old fellows have just discussed among ourselves, and we feel that it’s better to reinstate her position as the Crown Princess and let her command the Flying Birds Battalion to settle the Wutu rebellion.”
This grand matriarch had never said a word all this time, like a deaf old lady, silently observing everything happening in the Affairs Office Hall.
“Yes!” Li Ying didn’t dare object to the grand matriarch’s words, and handed the Flying Birds Battalion’s command token to Li Yunzi.
The Flying Birds Battalion had already set off. It was an extremely fast unit that rode Pseudodragon Birds. They could rush to Glory Valley City in a day or so.
Every soldier of the Flying Birds Battalion had great fighting strength. Even their mounts, the Pseudodragon Birds, possessed high combat strength. A thousand of them could rival ten thousand. They were the true elites of Ancestral Dragon City State. It was no wonder Li Ying was unwilling to hand over the command of this unit!
After receiving the command token, Li Yunzi quickly walked out of the palace hall. “Let’s go, Minglang!” Yunzi said over her shoulder.
Zhu Minglang was still focused on Yang Xiu. Earlier, he had barely seen the contents of the document Li Yunzi had written on, but he wasn’t able to see what they were clearly.
After hearing Li Yunzi call his name, Zhu Minglang came back to himself.
“Oh, I’m coming!” Zhu Minglang acknowledged her, catching up to Li Yunzi in a few steps. “Where are we going?”
“East,” Li Yunzi answered.