Chapter 364: Shocking Change in Situation
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Something wrong with my head?! Who are you saying has something wrong with his head? It is clearly you who shot an arrow towards me, yet you say there is something wrong with me?" Chen Feiyu was instantly stunned.
He really couldn't understand.
Why do such unreasonable things exist in this world?
You shot an arrow at me, I allowed you to shoot at me once more. Yet, you claim that there is something wrong with me!
Furthermore…
Most importantly, why did these scholars and soldiers have that look in their eyes? What kind of look was that! This isn't right, it is completely different from the outcome I wished for!
Chen Feiyu was on the verge of collapse. He felt that he had already demonstrated sufficient strength.
Yet, not a single person believed him.
This was misery, this was helplessness!
In reality, Chen Feiyu was too involved in the situation. If he could view this situation from the perspective of a third person, it would likely be very easy to understand.
Because, when comparing between whether an eliminated examinee had extraordinary powers and how the formation had been completely destroyed.
Clearly, the latter would evoke more interest.
After all, this demonstrated that Fang Zhengzhi had once again changed the outcome of a stalemate battle.
Why was it that the areas he shot at had just happened to break the flow and variation of the formation?
This was a question that troubled every commander. Because, just as Fang Zhengzhi had said, under circumstances in which your field of vision was blocked, how can one understand the variation of the formation when one isn't even able to have a full picture of the entire formation?
Don't tell me…
All of a sudden, an extremely frightening thought flashed across the minds of the commanders.
Fang Zhengzhi knew that his field of vision was limited.
However, from the moment he reached the exit of the wind valley, his gaze had never shifted for a single moment. That meant that all these time, he had been observing the changes and variation in the formation in front.
If that was the case, then there would only be one possibility.
Fang Zhengzhi had deduced the rules of variation of the entire formation just from observing changes in a small part of the formation under circumstances in which his field of vision was hindered.
Heavens!
What an astonishing act this was.
When each of the commanders looked towards Fang Zhengzhi, they suddenly recalled that Fang Zhengzhi was a miracle that had never before been seen in the Great Xia Dynasty ever since it was founded.
A young mountain villager who had never even studied in the Hall of Dao before. Yet, he was able to soar and perform with flying colours in all of the Law of Dao examinations, a person who was able to attain Double Roll Champion all the way from the county examination, then to the capital examination, and finally to the Imperial examination.
Most importantly, in the theory examination of the Court examination, he came out top as well. And, one who had attained joint first with Nangong Hao. This was something that nobody would have ever imagined.
Yet, he did it.
Just like not too long ago, nobody ever thought that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to overcome the Southern Mountain Range's natural barrier, the wind valley, without losing a single troop just based on twenty Silver Horned Wolf Cavalry troops alone.
Then, in this stalemate and dead-end battle with Nangong Hao, what else was impossible?
"Charge! Fight for General Fang!"
"Those who surrender will be spared!"
"Put down your weapons quickly, we are both of the Great Xia, there is no point in conflict!"
At this moment, the commanders were filled with adrenalin as if they had been injected with chicken blood, shouting loudly for the other side to surrender. They charged into the great formation that was now chaotic and completely broken down like wild wolves.
…
Within the Icy Monkey Settlement.
A soldier quickly passed through the main gate of the settlement and ran towards a large stone house that directly faced the main gate as beads of sweat soaked his face.
"Young Master, Young Master, bad news, the formation has been broken!" Right after he charged into the stone house, the soldier immediately knelt down onto the floor and reported this extremely urgent piece of military report.
"What?! Defeated? How is this possible!" The expression of a middle-aged man immediately changed.
"It is indeed broken, Fang Zhengzhi ordered his soldiers to shoot spears and arrows, destroying the structure of our formation. Now, the soldiers within the formation are almost all captured!"
"Spears and arrows? This Fang Zhengzhi is truly daring, he dares to start a killing spree?"
"No, all Fang Zhengzhi did was to use the spears and arrows to… tear, yes, he tore a hole. And this hole just happened to obstruct the change and variation within the formation, hence, hence…"
"I understand, follow me to meet the visitors!" At this moment, Nangong Hao's voice sounded out. Immediately after, a white figure flashed across the soldier's eyes. Before his voice landed, his person was already out of the stone house.
…
When news of Fang Zhengzhi's grand victory over Nangong Hao's formation reached the Icy Monkey Settlement, another piece of news was rapidly being passed to the Yan Capital of the Great Xia Dynasty.
A noble stallion soared through the East Gate of the Yan Capital at lightning speed and dived straight in until it reached the entrance of the palace. After changing to another stallion, that news once again charged towards the Throne Room of the Imperial Palace.
Now wasn't the period of time for morning assembly, yet, within the Throne Room, the officials stood neatly in two rows, a solemn expression filling each of their faces.
"I plea for Your Majesty to send out troops as fast as possible, I'm afraid any further delays might lead to situation changes!" A minister knelt in the center of the Throne Room and brought his head to the ground.
"Your Majesty, please send soldiers to support. The Stable Mountain Gate is the main gate that separates us and the Southern Mountain Range, we mustn't lose it!" Another military officer dressed in armour similarly knelt down onto the ground.
"Report!"
"Urgent report from the Stable Mountain Gate!"
Right at this moment, two voices closing in from afar that seemingly sounded out at the same time travelled into the Throne Room. This caused all of officials within the Throne Room to look towards the main entrance of the Throne Room.
Not too long later, an armoured soldier was brought by four guards in golden armour into the Throne Room, raising a letter high up in his hands.
"Just read it out." Emperor Lin Mubai, who was sitting on the Dragon Throne and dressed in a golden dragon robe, finally spoke after remaining silent for the entire time when he saw the soldier enter.
"Roger!" The soldier nodded and then carefully tore open the letter in his hand. After sweeping his gaze across it, he began to recite it loudly.
"The Stable Mountain Gate guard commander Yu Tianfeng was drunk last night and didn't notice the soldiers until they were right at the city gates. He had suicided in the military camp due to knowing that his crimes would not be forgiven. Even though the fifty thousand guards at the Stable Mountain Gate defended the powerful soldiers with their lives, the disparity in military strength between our army and the enemy as well as a lack of leadership caused the loss of the Stable Mountain Gate…"
"Lost?!"
"What, how long did it take, it hasn't even been a day. The Stable Mountain Gate is already lost?!"
"There are fifty thousand soldiers guarding the Stable Mountain Gate and the resources and rations are plentiful. Other than natural disasters, no matter how powerful the enemy troops are, these would definitely be sufficient to defend for at least half a month. How can it be lost so quickly?"
"That's right, now that the four main settlements are all controlled by our Great Xia Dynasty, which direction can the soldiers of the Southern Mountain Range attack the Stable Mountain Gate from? How can there be a great disparity in strength when there isn't even any soldiers!"
When the officials in the room heard the word 'lost', they were truly shaken. Because, not even a full day had passed from the moment that the military report of the Stable Mountain Gate being surrounded was passed to the Yan Capital.
It was too sudden!
Nobody dared to believe it.
In the hearts of the officials, it was indeed possible for the Southern Mountain Range to begin their assault at this moment. However, it was definitely impossible for them to attack the Stable Mountain Gate.
After all, settlements such as the Yan Ya Settlement which were close to the Stable Mountain Gate were all under the control of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Then...
Where did an army capable of taking down the Stable Mountain Gate appear from? Even if the guards of the Stable Mountain Gate was really drunk the previous night, it still wouldn't warrant a suicide at this moment, didn't he know that accomplishments were able to make up for mistakes?
There were too many suspicious points in this letter.
Nobody could understand a single one of them. However, there was one point that everybody could be sure of. That was that the Stable Mountain Gate had been lost. This also meant that the gate between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Southern Mountain Range had opened.
And, most importantly, the Stable Mountain Gate was lost at this moment.
What was happening at this moment?
The combat examination was deep in progress. Almost thirty great scholars of the Great Xia Dynasty were battling in the Southern Mountain Range. A hundred thousand soldiers were distributed among the four main settlements of the Southern Mountain Range. The current Crown Prince Lin Tianrong of the Eastern Palace was also in the Southern Mountain Range.
The Stable Mountain Gate, the throat that connected the hundred thousand soldiers and the Great Xia Dynasty.
The throat was slit!
How could the hundred thousand soldiers, the Eastern Palace Crown Prince, and the almost thirty great scholars survive?
"Your Majesty, at this moment, the three hundred thousand soldiers of the Eastern Liang are closest to the Stable Mountain Gate. Please give the order quickly, if there is any further delay, I fear that the lives of His Highness the Crown Prince and the hundred thousand soldiers will be at risk!"
"That's right Your Majesty!"
'I feel that General Wang's words aren't appropriate. The Stable Mountain Pass has been compromised. If the Southern Mountain Range takes advantage of this and advances, even our Yan Capital will be in danger. If we were to move troops from the Eastern Liang at this moment, it would probably be too late. I suggest ordering the army of the Northern Desert to move East in order to protect the safety of the Eastern Capital, the Yan Capital, after which we will combine the forces from the Northern Desert and the Eastern Liang to battle with the enemy forces of the Southern Mountain Range!"
"General Liu's words do make sense. We must ensure the safety of the Yan Capital!"
"Yes, yes yes, first protect the Yan Capital, then combine forces from the two sides. This is a better plan!"
"Coward! The traitorous officials of the Southern Mountain Range would never dare to attack the Yan Capital! Furthermore, we have a hundred thousand members of the Imperial Ranger Squad guarding our Yan Capital, how will we be in danger? Now, the most critical action to take would be to resolve the threat at the Stable Mountain Pass, else if we take too long, the hearts and loyalty of the people might change!"
Very quickly, the officials began to discuss and put forward their suggestions one by one. Some wanted to send troops to the Stable Mountain Pass, and some wanted to gather troops at the Yan Capital for defence.
As he listened to the spirited discussion below, Emperor Lin Mubai waved his hand with a tinge of annoyance.
Hence, the entire Throne Room regained its calm.
Each of the officials gazed at Emperor Lin Mubai, who sat on the Dragon Throne, with their eyes wide open as they awaited his decision.
"The majority decides to send out troops?"
"Yes!" The military generals quickly responded.
"Is there any differing opinions?" Emperor Lin Mubai nodded and continued to ask.
"I have a different opinion!" After hearing Emperor Lin Mubai's question, the Law Official, who had remained silent the entire time, finally stood out.
"Speak."
"Based on my opinion, the Great Xia and the Southern Mountain Range had generations of friendly neighbour relations and strong, deep ties. There is definitely a reason behind the Southern Mountain Range's sudden attack on the Stable Mountain Pass this time. We the Great Xia have always valued diplomacy. Hence, I suggest for Your Majesty to send a messenger to the Southern Mountain Range to investigate whether it is due to inappropriate actions of the people of our Great Xia, or due to goading from certain races. If it is due to the inappropriate actions of our people, we will punish them accordingly. If it is due to incitation from other races, we need a clear and logical explanation to avoid harming the hundreds of years of friendly relationships between our countries! Of course, if the Southern Mountain Range indeed harboured ill intentions, there would still be time for Your Majesty to send out military forces. This is also in line with the values of our Great Xia Dynasty, diplomacy before military action!"
After finishing his speech, the Law Official bowed and slowly knelt onto the ground.
"I agree!"
"I agree as well!"
Not too long later, another two officials stood out to express their support towards the Law Official.
When the other military officials heard the words of the Law Officials, a spiteful expression appeared on their faces. However, civil officials indeed had the right to voice out, and, Emperor Lin Mubai had indeed asked for differing opinions.
Hence, even though the military officials were all furious, they still held themselves back.
However…
Nobody believed that Emperor Lin Mubai would accept such a suggestion. Because, even though the Great Xia valued diplomacy, it was still a powerful country that had stocked up on its reserves.
Now that resources were plentiful and military forces were well established, they didn't fear war at all.
If they allowed a subordinate country like the Southern Mountain Range to unscrupulously invade their own land without fighting them head-on, could they still be considered the grand Great Xia Dynasty?
"I feel that the Law Official's words do make sense. Then, I'll send the Law Official to personally enter the Southern Mountain Range and investigate this issue!" At this moment, Emperor Lin Mubai finally nodded and gave his order.
In the throne room, the military officials stared at Emperor Lin Mubai, who sat on the Dragon Throne, with an expression of disbelief. Because, none of them could understand why Emperor Lin Mubai would listen to the words of the Law Official.
Don't tell me that he still believes the Southern Mountain Range is the same Southern Mountain Range as before?
Could the Southern Mountain Range who dared to trespass their territory and occupy the Stable Mountain Pass still be the same loyal vassal state that presented them with gifts each year?
"Roger, I will definitely investigate this matter fully to return Your Majesty's grace!" The Law Official didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to the expressions of the surrounding military commanders. After hearing Emperor Lin Mubai's words, a smile broke out on his face.
Understanding the Emperor's intent and carrying the Emperor's heart.
That was the way of an official. If one wasn't even able to notice whether the Emperor wanted to fight, what was the point of being a part of the Six Council Officials? Why not just stay at home and continue farming!
A bunch of simpletons!
The Law Official swept his gaze contemptuously across the surrounding military officials and his gaze instinctively landed onto the last member who wore a red official robe, Left Prime Minister You Yiping.
Ever since the urgent military report, Left Prime Minister You Yiping hadn't uttered a single word nor opened his mouth. This caused him to feel somewhat confused.
However, confusion was just confusion. This achievement had already landed into his pocket.
The Law Official didn't continue thinking and respectfully bowed in gratitude. After which, he swiftly left the throne room and prepared to journey to the Southern Mountain Range.
When Left Prime Minister You Yiping saw the Law Official's respectful bow, a faint glow flashed across his eyes as his lips curved into a light smile.
That was a form of pity.
Or, it could also be described as a form of pity wedged between spite and contempt.
Understanding the Emperor's intent and carrying the Emperor's heart.
Left Prime Minister You Yiping glanced at Emperor Lin Mubai, who was sitting on the Dragon Throne with a neutral expression and smiled coldly to himself. In this entire throne room, was there a second person other than himself who dared to claim dominance in this area?