Chapter 166 - Jiang Ying Yue (62)

The reason for the bald general's reaction earlier became clear half an hour later. A few rows of soldiers stood atop the tall walls of the imperial palace and began hate-staring at the soldiers belonging to Chen Wang.

All their eyes were bloodshot and they seemed to have great hatred against the armored people below, but that was just very perplexing since personally, these soldiers had nothing against the enemy's army. They were only forced to fight due to their loyalty to their superiors. But that was it.

It was weird especially since even if the world turned upside down a few more times, in the end, the two camps were still from the same Empire and were defending the same land. The hate would only be justifiable if the two were from opposing countries where wars frequently erupt. But that was clearly not the case.

Mao Hong laughingly whispered to Jiang Li, "Your Highness, this subordinate doesn't know what's wrong with this bunch, but under the dancing light of the torches in such a moonless night, they appear like red-eyed demons. They look funny."

Jiang Li's eyes were checking the daggers in the hands of the soldiers above. Those people remained hate-staring at them, a few even huffing madly to show how much resentment they harbored against the Southern army.

A second later, all of them simultaneously raised their hands... Yet when the Southerner soldiers were preparing for a battle, expecting the red-eyed soldiers to retrieve a bow and shoot arrows at them, they only saw them clutching on their daggers... Not long after, they all slowly started to slit their own throats!

"Heavens! What the f*ck!" Mao Hong and the other officers almost fell off their horse.

Did they see correctly?

More than a thousand soldiers. All of them cutting their own necks while madly laughing and at the same glaring at each enemy with hate-filled bloodshot eyes? Those from below rubbed their eyes and checked again. But they really did not see wrongly!

Who could stand such a sight? It was just too hair-raising, making it hard for the prince-general's soldiers not to fall into panic and disorder.

"L-lunatic!!! They're a bunch of lunatics!!!"

"G-general! They are demons from hell! They are all damned demons! How else could they keep laughing while taking their own lives!? A-and that kind of look.... N-no, I don't want to fight them!"

"I, I am not a coward and had been with His Highness since five years ago. But I, I also think we should not fight them!"

"Me too! I agree!"

"L-Let's retreat!"

"Please, General!!!"

Jiang Li raised his hand and turned around to show his calm face to his soldiers. That seemed to have some effect since at least the number of protests from his frightened soldiers dwindled down.

He then looked back to the slowly opening gate which would definitely reveal the real army of Lin Wang. His eyes shone with a glint so icy and chilling. Which commander would let his soldiers do that? Unless... It was the higher-ups' orders, to begin with?

If his guess was true, Lin Wang truly deserved to be called a villain. And he was the type of villain he would want to kill using his own hands.

'I need to do something about my soldiers first. Damn.' His mind worked furiously, aware that if the enemy's ploy succeeds, then his five hundred thousand soldiers would become run away. He couldn't let that happen!

"My soldiers!!!"

With his voice powered by his internal energy, he roared in the middle of the night.

"Get yourself together! Don't let fear consume you! The enemy is just definitely confusing us with a stupid scheme. What demons from hell? Stop spouting nonsense!!! They're just poor soldiers forced to commit suicide by the only devil in the palace, that traitorous prince who kidnapped his own father and forcefully occupied the palace. It's the Southern Army's duty to rescue the Emperor from Lin Wang!"

"Long Live The Zhao Empire! Rescue the Emperor!"

Hearing their general shouting the true cause of their army, they subconsciously followed him and also raised their weapons, "Long Live The Zhao Empire! Rescue His Majesty!"

Jiang Li repeated the chant a few more times and his army followed. Now gone were a large part of their fear from the scene witnessed earlier. In fact, their eyes started to redden upon learning that their fellow Zhao soldiers, brothers from different camps, were forced to die such a humiliating death. Weren't soldiers supposed to die on the battlefield? How come those people were made to do something brainless as that?

Now they knew the Marshal's men were only showing those red eyes because they felt humiliated and were on the verge of tears yet could only cut their throats since it was an order. While Chen Wang's soldiers were happy to serve a master like Chen Wang who cared greatly for them, they couldn't feel angry for the fallen soldiers of the Marshals.

"Avenge the Empire's fallen soldiers! Long Live The Zhao Empire! Rescue His Majesty!"

Their anger replaced the fear in their hearts, fueling the desire to battle and rescue their Emperor who might also be receiving unjust treatment from Lin Wang.

The intended result on the fourth prince's side showed as expected, under the brainwashing of their commanders, their men saddened by their comrades' death also had their eyes turning red, really giving off a demonic hue under the illumination of the torches.

Yet to the woes of the commanders under the fourth prince, the other's army not to be intimidated, but even looked to be in the same state as theirs.

Since Chen Wang's army did not become disoriented as expected, Lin Wang's army suffered a crushing defeat. The battle did not even last for more than thirty minutes. The Southerner soldiers rushed into the palace grounds but Jiang Li only brought in a few thousand to barge into the grand chamber.