Rebirth of a Lost Nation: Princess, Please Respect Yourself

Chapter 259 War begins

The troops originally stationed in the border town suffered heavy casualties. Now the border town troops had almost no strength to fight against Southern Chu. Under the leadership of Lu Er, they had no choice but to abandon the border town and retreat to Longcheng, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Taking advantage of the terrain, the soldiers held on hard and now finally the reinforcements have arrived.

If the arrival of reinforcements is hope for the border town army, then it is a variable for the Southern Chu army.

"Your Majesty, Sheng Ling's reinforcements have arrived. According to spies, they are quite numerous. If we wait for them to come up with a plan, it will be detrimental to our army. In my humble opinion, we should take advantage of their arrival and catch them off guard!"

As soon as an official made a suggestion, someone next to him immediately expressed his disagreement, shaking his head and speaking righteously.

"There has never been such a lack of integrity in a war between two countries. Han Zhuo is taking advantage of someone's misfortune. Even if he wins, he will still be criticized."

The one called Han Zhuo sneered and said sarcastically.

"When facing a formidable enemy, the key is to achieve victory by surprise! Integrity? Lord Wen, do you know that the last person I discussed integrity with was a member of the Xu family, and didn't they also become traitors to Southern Chu?"

"..."

When he suddenly heard the name Xu family, Lord Wen was still shocked.

He knew what the Xu family was like, like a bright light in his heart. He simply didn't believe that the Xu family was plotting treason.

This wouldn't have happened if Han Zhuo hadn't been behind it.

He knew it clearly in his heart, but now that the Xu family and the Manchu clan were all wiped out, there was no need for him to get involved in this mess.

The others were still discussing, but they heard the Emperor of Nanchu on the throne waving his hand impatiently.

"I'm getting so upset by all this noise. He's just a young boy, what's there to be afraid of? Let's do as Han Aiqing says. Talking about morality and ethics on the battlefield is courting death!"

Han Zhuo smiled complacently upon hearing this, then bowed respectfully and said:

"Your Majesty is wise."

The Emperor of Southern Chu was obviously unwilling to talk any further and waved his hand.

"Send someone down to do it, don't disturb my rest."

"Yes."

Han Zhuo nodded respectfully, led everyone out of the tent, and then spoke in a pretentious manner.

"Pass on His Majesty's order. Prepare the entire army for a surprise attack on Long City tonight at midnight. Take out all our most valuable treasures, prepare a sufficient force, and launch a powerful attack tonight. I will make sure they never return!"

"Yes, Military Advisor Han!"

……

The arrival of Ning Yunxiao and his group finally gave Lu Er a backbone. As soon as they settled down, he pulled them together to complain to him.

It is said that when the Southern Chu army fought, they had no moral principles at all and acted without regard for the laws of nature and human ethics. They were extremely cunning on the battlefield, throwing all benevolence, righteousness, and morality behind their backs and using every possible means.

Hearing Lu Er's indignant words, Jiang Lige was embarrassed and didn't say a word.

In her previous life, she had witnessed the suffering of the people after the tragic defeat of Southern Chu, so she understood better than anyone that the struggle for power among the superiors meant the loss of countless lives and the destruction of homes for the people.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of others, she falls into the category of a superior.

Seeing Jiang Lige remained silent, Ning Yunxiao could probably guess what Jiang Lige was thinking. He grabbed Jiang Lige's hand as if no one was around and squeezed it to comfort him.

Then he asked Lu Er.

"The Emperor of Southern Chu has always been indecisive. Why are his methods so cruel this time?"

Lu Er snorted and said angrily.

"It's not Han Zhuo yet!"

The surname Han is not common in Nanchu, so Jiang Lige asked subconsciously.

"Who is Han Zhuo? Is he related to Concubine Han of Nanchu?"

Although Jiang Lige is the princess of Nanchu, Lu Er and them are close friends who have risked their lives for each other, so naturally he will tell them everything he knows.

"Han Zhuo is Concubine Han's biological brother. I'm afraid Han Zhuo played a significant role in the Xu family's affairs. This time, the Emperor of Southern Chu personally led the army, and Han Zhuo served as his military advisor. It's said that many of the bad ideas came from Han Zhuo. These siblings, one constantly scheming and the other constantly whispering in others' ear, have plunged the world into war. These two have absolutely contributed to this. They are truly a vicious family!"

Jiang Lige pursed his lips and analyzed in a low voice.

"My father was born in a peaceful era, indulging in pleasure. He has never been one for taking risks. The fact that he has been allowed to personally lead this expedition shows that he must be fully confident in this undertaking. We must all be cautious."

Lu Er was extremely disdainful of Jiang Lige's reminder.

"Princess Zhaohua, you're really looking down on our Shengling army! Previously, we were outnumbered by the Southern Chu army. Now that we have people and food, how could we lose to them?"

Jiang Lige had no idea how to respond to the casual remark about being from Nanchu, so he simply kept silent.

"Since ancient times, arrogant soldiers have often been defeated, and those who underestimate their enemies have rarely achieved success. Lü Er, arrogant soldiers will inevitably be defeated. This is a lesson for those who go into battle and kill the enemy. As a general, you are responsible for the lives of countless soldiers. You must always keep this in mind."

On the other hand, Ning Yunxiao, who was standing aside, glanced at Lu Er lightly, and although the warning was not explicit, the meaning of protection was obvious.

As a military general, Lu Er did not have so many complicated thoughts, so he immediately clasped his fists.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. I will definitely keep it in mind."

Ning Yunxiao didn't blame him too much, just nodded and gave another instruction.

"It's getting late. Let's discuss the specific battle arrangements tomorrow. I'll need your attention tonight. Just guard the tower as usual."

"Yes!"

Lu Er clasped his fists in agreement, then lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent to assign the task of defending the city.

Lu Er and Jiang Lige had a life-and-death friendship, but the soldiers under Lu Er did not have that.

Hearing that Lu Er was scolded by Ning Yunxiao because of Jiang Lige, he immediately blamed Jiang Lige for it. Several people gathered together and started cursing at each other.

Soldier A: "Brothers, we haven't had a good rest for such a long time. The large army finally arrived, but we are the ones who have to guard the place."

Soldier B: "Tsk, this is our Shengling Kingdom's territory. When did it become her turn as a Nanchu person to point fingers? It seems that we have become Nanchu's watchdogs?"

Upon hearing this, Soldier C slammed his weapon on the ground and shouted angrily, "What are you defending? I won't give her a bitch like a dog! If you want to defend, you guys do it!"

Soldier A was still hesitant when he heard Soldier B also getting angry.

"Then I'm done with it. It's all perfectly normal, there's no movement at all. What could the enemy do tonight? You're making a big fuss out of nothing!"

Soldier C: "A few days ago, when we were short on soldiers, the enemy was silent. Now that we know a large army has entered the city, are you rushing over to die?"

Soldier B: "That's right? He just gives blind orders!"

As they said this, the two of them lay down in the house, and stopped working.

There were three people in the group, and two of them refused to do it. Soldier A thought for a moment and silently chose to follow the crowd.

On the city wall, the night deepened and the moon quietly hid in the clouds.

Everything was silent, and no one was aware of the approaching danger.