Chapter 137

Sun Di raged, “Has the North Camp gone nuts? Attacking their own comrades for a foreign princess?”

The person knelt on the ground and said loudly, “Your Highness, the North Camp did not attack the imperial guards from the royal capital. However, they surrounded General Tie You’s carriage. The 30,000 troops from the North Camp have gone berserk. According to the Xia officials, the person in the carriage, a rebel from Yan Bei, is the mastermind behind this ploy. We have lost over 20 brothers at the frontline to the Xia troops. The troops from the North Camp, having seen blood, have become harder to control.”

Li Ce had a solemn and angry expression on his face. His eyes squinted like a fox. Coldly, he replied, “Zhao Chun’er cannot do so much by herself. There’s something amiss underneath.”

The morning fog had dissipated slightly, causing the sunlight to reappear and shine onto Rose Square. The silver body armor of the troops reflected the sunlight, appearing majestic. 30,000 troops from the North Camp stood on the stone steps of the square. They were all young, their faces carrying the fearlessness derived from ignorance and inexperience. The noble soldiers, who had grown up in the peaceful Tang Jing, stared at the horse carriage which had been forced atop the platform. The way they held their weapons in their hands caused it to give out clanking sounds.

Standing atop the tall Rose Square, staring at the spectacular Tang Jing… Those majestic walls, flashy palaces, rows upon rows of residential areas and shophouses… The soldiers carrying weapons and the onlooking civilians standing at the foot of the square… Chu Qiao suddenly felt peaceful. The wind was heavy, blowing at her cloak. The lower part of her outfit fluttered in the air, like a bird spreading its wings. She reached out her hand and removed the hat from her head, revealing a beautiful, determined face and a pair of peaceful-looking eyes!

In that instant, loud noises of discussion erupted from all directions. One month ago, Chu Qiao’s portrait entered Tang territory from Xia, being pasted all over the streets. The students from Shang Wu Hall had repeatedly studied her ninja-like warfare tactics. However, at this instant, they were stunned when they saw the young lady who was not even 18-years-old.

Was this the rebel from Yan Bei that had infiltrated the Xia capital alone to rescue the Southwest Emissary’s garrison?

Was this the renowned general who had led 4,000 fallen troops through a long journey, without losing a battle?

Was this the leader of Yan Bei who had escaped from the clutches of the Xia Empire tens of times over the long journey?

Was this the mastermind who had infiltrated Tang secretly to plan a terrifying plot?

“I am the Crown Prince’s bodyguard, Tie You! Tell your captain to come out and see me!” Tie You had been heavily wounded but stood upright in front of Chu Qiao. The young man was like a majestic mountain, with his determined look, thick eyebrows, and upright posture. He pointed his sword at the troops from the North Camp, bellowing, “Tell Lu Fangshan to come out and see me!”

He was not aware that the higher-ups from the North Camp had entered Jinwu Palace to plead with the majesty to attack Yan Bei. The army was left with a few junior commanders.

His sword was sharp and heavy, carrying a bloodthirsty aura. A group of about ten soldiers attempted to rush towards him. They were wearing the uniforms of the North Camp, but their strokes resembled those of the Xia soldiers. However, it was too late already. Tie You shouted in rage, “Are you trying to rebel by assembling here?”

200 troops protected Chu Qiao. The majority of them had been injured. One of them had an arrow pierced through his chest but did not collapse. He wielded his spear and stood upright, using his body to shield Chu Qiao from the arrow.

“The Crown Prince was deceived by this evil fiend, causing him to shield and protect Yan Bei. We are soldiers of Tang, the fighting force of the country! We cannot sit back and see our country suffer such humiliation while letting the fiend walk free!”

An unknown voice erupted from within the crowd. The soldiers, who had calmed down slightly, felt a rush of adrenaline again. They shouted, “Right! We cannot let her go!”

“The prince is lustful. He must have been deceived by this demoness!”

“Rebel of Yan Bei! You dare to offend the Tang Empire! You must die!”

“Kill her!”

As the wind blew past, the look in the people’s eyes was sinister. Chu Qiao knew that at this instant, whatever she said would be useless. The rage of the soldiers was sufficient to burn everything in its path. She had seen it for herself in the battles at the northwest and Zhen Huang City. She called out to Tie You loudly, but he did not turn back. Her voice was booming but appeared weak amongst the loud chants.

“Go! Find Li Ce, only he can reverse the situation!” Tie You did not turn back, but his voice carried the determination of a soldier. At this moment, he was no longer the young father who smiled when he mentioned his daughter—he was a determined soldier. Word by word, he replied, “The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you.”

“Brothers, charge! We are not rebels! We are only protecting our country’s pride! History will remember us! Our descendants will judge us fairly. Our actions today are historic! We will use our blood to demonstrate the loyalty of a soldier!”

A sharp swoosh echoed out, together with an ear-piercing roar in mid-air. Tie You’s hair stood up on its ends, and he let out a lion-like roar! He waved his sword, becoming a black shadow with his swift motions. In the blink of an eye, he leaped into the crowd of soldiers from the North Camp and started to hack at them, causing blood to splatter and form a semicircle. Resembling a beast howling in the rain, Tie You held his sword with one hand and lifted up a young soldier from the North Camp with his other hand above his head!

“If you wanted to speak, why did you not do it openly? Why did you hide behind other people!”

With a thud, Tie You threw the man onto the ground, causing dust to fly everywhere. Tie You took a few steps forward, staring at the man’s timid eyes with a death glare. “Who are you? Are you a soldier of the North Camp? I’m from the North Camp. Why have I not seen you before?”

The man retreated in fear, saying hurriedly, “Commander, what are you trying to do? You can shut me up, but can you shut the entire world up?”

“I’m only asking you this. Who are you?”

“Haha,” the man suddenly laughed. “Commander, you are a soldier of Tang. Instead of capturing the rebels who plot against us, you are asking who I am instead. Don’t you know your priorities? I’m a normal soldier. I don’t have any rewards, your great skills, nor your status! However, I have the characteristics of a soldier, a patriotic heart!”

Tie You grabbed the man’s collar in rage. “You’re not from Tang! You’re from Xia! What motives do you have, sowing discord here?”

“General Tie You!” the man raised his voice and said. Eyes bloodshot, he bellowed, “You used to be the pride of the North Camp! You used to be our idol! What has happened to you now? You follow the Crown Prince, condoning his misdeeds, allowing him to disregard the country’s interests, humiliating the entire Tang Empire! Where’s your inner soldier? Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?”

The winds blew violently, causing even the sun to appear cold. The crowd was stirred up, with many shouts and noises echoing around. Tie You’s eyes were red with rage. He bellowed, “I’ll kill you if you say any more!”

“Kill me then!” The man was unmoved. He raised his arms towards the soldiers of the North Camp, saying, “If my blood is able to excite the souls of Tang, I will die with no regrets! The ancestors, Emperor Wu, Saint Xuan, General Gao Lie, the King of Ling, they are looking at us! Long live the Tang Empire!” Finishing his sentence, the man tilted his body, embedding himself into Tie You’s sword!

In an instant, gasps echoed out from the crowd. The cold sword severed the man’s throat. Blood oozed out onto the ground. Tie You was shocked, taking a few steps back and letting the corpse collapse onto the ground of Rose Square.

The man’s body did not touch the floor, as the sword’s sheath supported his body. He was unable to speak despite attempting to. Large mouthfuls of blood oozed out from his mouth, staining his silver body armor in front of his chest. The silver rose seemingly bloomed, giving off a sinister aura!

Behind the crowd, Chu Qiao closed her eyes slowly. She knew that it was too late.

“Kill her!” an unknown voice echoed. The enraged crowd, like water flowing out of a collapsed dam, streamed towards her!

“Tie You! Go! Find Li Ce!”

Tie You held his sword upright and spit a mouthful of blood out. He said in a low voice, “Crown Prince told me to protect you.”

With a swoosh, Chu Qiao took out a sword from a deceased imperial guard and stared coldly at the soldiers who were approaching her. Slowly, she said, “Okay then. Let’s fight this battle together!”

“Haha! To fight alongside the renowned general of Xia, I have no regrets even if I die!”

The footsteps were deafening. The young soldiers let out loud war cries. Although the strength of the enemies opposite them were only about two hundred, they acted as if they were on the battlefields in the northwest, or in Liaodong. Their silver body armors were like avalanches, enveloping the entire Rose Square. They raised their swords, inching their way forward. The ground shook beneath their feet. The army was like a tall mountain, swallowing everything in its way.

Tie You was muscular, standing upright. He joined the army at fourteen, participating in the battles to defend Liaodong and to exterminate the rebels at Nanqiu. He acted as a reconnaissance soldier, traveling thousands of miles to convey news on military warfare, becoming known as a role model and an idol to the soldiers of Tang. This moment, he was standing there alone. Resembling a sharp knife, everyone believed that anything which got in its way would be annihilated!

“For the glory of the royal empire!” the North Camp let out a synchronized cry. The soldiers charged forward like streaming water!

Suddenly, a spurt of blood flew up in mid-air! With a swing of his arm, three heads flew up in the air and dropped onto the ground like cabbage, becoming squashed amidst the stampede! Both armies clashed together, resembling two fierce tsunamis meeting each other head-to-head. Waves of blood flew in the air. The deafening sounds of weapons clanking together reverberated in the air. 200 bodyguards stood in a single file to defend, their postures upright.

Although the North Camp was superior in terms of numbers, they stood on the stone steps. Less than ten percent of them were on the platform located high up. They dashed towards the platform but were powerless to stop the army led by Tie You.

The first row, the second row, the third row, the fourth row… The soldiers collapsed row by row. Their youthful eyes were passionate, along with their blood. Tie You’s soldiers, facing their own comrades, started to feel the despair. Some of them no longer wanted to kill, some of them hesitated, and others were shouting, “Don’t come up! Don’t come up already!” However, in their split second of hesitation, the swords were held to their throats. The next second, their throats were severed by their own comrades.