From cute to empress

Chapter 119 The War Reignites

"I..." I clutched the memorial in my hand, my fingertips white. The Human King's name burned like a branding iron, piercing my heart. He had returned, bringing his ambition and bloodshed, once again shattering the hard-earned peace.

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee and said in a loud voice, "I am willing to lead the troops to fight and defend my country!" There was a blazing fire in his eyes, which was the desire for victory and his loyalty to me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within me. I knew this was a huge gamble, one that depended on the fate of my vast country and Zhen Youcai's life. But I had no choice; I had to make a decision.

"General Zhen," my voice echoed in the empty hall, "I appoint you as the General of the Northern Expedition. You must immediately mobilize your troops and march out to fight the barbarians!"

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai kowtowed and stood up, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. I knew he had put life and death aside.

I suppressed my unease and continued to process the mountain of memorials. Battle reports came pouring in like snowflakes, each one filled with tears of blood and anxiety. The barbarian army was advancing with unstoppable force, and the border was in crisis!

I could almost hear the roar of war drums and smell the smoke of gunpowder in the air. My heart tightened as the fighting intensified.

"Report—" A young eunuch stumbled into the imperial study and knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, General Zhen... General Zhen is requesting an audience outside the city!"

I stood up suddenly, the heavy weight in my heart finally falling to the ground, "Hurry up and announce it!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Zhen Youcai, dressed in military uniform, strode in. His armor was still covered in dust, but he had a confident smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" He knelt on one knee and saluted with his fists clasped.

"My dear, please stand up." I walked down the steps quickly and helped him up. "How is the battle going?"

"Your Majesty," Zhen Youcai said with a gleam in his eyes, "I have already made preparations for the battle according to your Majesty's order. I will leave the city to meet the enemy tomorrow morning!"

His tone was firm and full of confidence, as if victory was just around the corner. I looked at his resolute profile and a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

"Okay!" I patted his shoulder vigorously. "I believe in you, and I also believe in the soldiers of the Yuan Dynasty!"

The night was deep, but I had no desire to sleep. I walked to the window and looked at the dark night sky, my heart filled with worry and anticipation.

"Zhen Youcai, you must return safely..." I prayed silently in my heart.

The next morning, before daybreak, I rose and went to the tower. In the distance, the army had assembled, flags fluttering, and a murderous aura filled the air.

Zhen Youcai, dressed in silver armor and riding a tall horse, looked heroic and valiant, like a god descending from heaven. He saw me on the city wall, dismounted, knelt on one knee, raised his sword high, and said in a loud voice:

"Your Majesty, I am a talented minister. I will not let you down. I swear to defend the Yuan Dynasty until my death..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the sound of rapid horse hooves. A soldier covered in blood came galloping from a distance, fell off his horse, and tumbled to us.

"Report—" His voice trembled and he cried, "The border… The border is in danger…"

"Is there an emergency at the border?" My heart sank, and I grabbed the soldier's collar. "Tell me, what happened?"

The soldier raised his head tremblingly, glanced at Zhen Youcai, then hurriedly lowered his head and said in a trembling voice: "The Human... the Human King personally led the army to break through the border. The defending general... the defending general... died in battle, and the border... was lost!"

"What?!" My vision went dark, and I nearly fell off the tower. Zhen Youcai was quick to catch me and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. My gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on Zhen Youcai. I said word by word, "General Zhen, I order you to depart immediately. You must hold the last line of defense. No mistakes!"

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee, kowtowed, and then jumped on his horse. He swung his sword and shouted, "All troops, march!"

The army marched off in a mighty procession. I watched them retreating, feeling a mixture of emotions. I knew my fate was uncertain, but I had no choice but to place all my hopes on Zhen Youcai.

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to return to the palace." The maid beside him reminded softly.

I shook my head, my eyes never leaving the retreating army until their figures disappeared on the horizon. Then I slowly turned around and walked down the city wall step by step.

At the city gate, I personally saw Zhen Youcai off. He was dressed in military uniform, standing tall and straight with a resolute gaze, like a sword about to be unsheathed, emitting a chilling cold light.

"General Zhen, take care on your journey." I handed him the amulet I had sewn myself. "I'm in the palace, awaiting your triumphant return."

Zhen Youcai took the amulet, solemnly placed it in his arms, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, rest assured. This time, I will kill the Hu Man King and will not return until I win!"

"Okay, I'll wait for your triumphant return!" I suppressed the sadness in my heart and tried to force a smile.

Zhen Youcai jumped on his horse, looked at me deeply, then turned his horse around and rode away.

I stood there, watching him go away, until his back disappeared in the dust, then I slowly withdrew my gaze.

"Your Majesty..." the maid beside her called out worriedly.

I waved my hand, signaling her to stop talking, and turned to walk towards the palace. My back, in the afterglow of the setting sun, looked particularly lonely and desolate.

……

The war drums thundered and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

On the vast grassland, two armies faced each other, with flags fluttering, swords flashing, and blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Zhen Youcai, holding a spear, led the Yuan soldiers in a desperate battle with the Human army.

His spear skills were sharp and deadly, and every strike took a life. Soon, dozens of barbarian soldiers' bodies fell around him.

"Kill!" Zhen Youcai roared angrily and rushed into the enemy camp again, like a tiger coming down the mountain, invincible.

"You Yuan dog thieves, stop being so arrogant!" A loud shout was heard, and a tall and strong man with a full beard rushed out from the Human camp riding a tall warhorse.

He held a huge axe in his hand and rushed towards Zhen Youcai with great momentum.

"Come on!" Zhen Youcai did not retreat but advanced, leaped up and rushed forward.

The two men fought in a group, with spears and axes flying back and forth, and the fight was difficult to separate.

"Are you the commander-in-chief of the Yuan Dynasty?" asked the Human King while waving a huge axe.

"It's this general!" Zhen Youcai replied in a deep voice.

"Hmph, you think you can stop my cavalry?" King Human sneered and chopped Zhen Youcai with even greater force with the giant axe in his hand.

"It is still unknown who will win!" Zhen Youcai was not willing to be outdone. He brandished his spear and started a fierce battle with the Human King.

The soldiers of both armies stopped fighting and watched this ultimate showdown intently.

Time passed minute by minute, both sides were exhausted, but no one retreated.

"Kill!" Zhen Youcai roared angrily and used all his strength to stab the Hu Man King in the chest.

King Human was horrified and wanted to dodge, but it was too late.

"Puchi!" With a light sound, the spear pierced through his armor and stabbed into his chest.

"You..." King Hu Man looked at the spear in front of his chest in disbelief, his eyes full of unwillingness and anger.

Zhen Youcai drew out his spear, and blood gushed out, staining the armor of the Human King red.

King Human's body shook, and he eventually fell off his horse, hitting the ground heavily and died.

"Your Majesty!" Upon seeing this, the Human soldiers immediately fell into chaos.

"Kill!" Zhen Youcai seized the opportunity and shouted loudly.

The morale of the Yuan soldiers was greatly boosted, and they rushed towards the Human army like a tide.

The Human army lost its commander, its morale was low, and it was quickly defeated.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

The remaining barbarian soldiers abandoned their armor and fled in panic.

Zhen Youcai led the Yuan soldiers in pursuit of the victory, and continued to chase until dark before returning to the camp.

It's late at night and everything is silent.

Zhen Youcai stood in front of the tent, looking at the starry sky, but his heart was filled with uneasiness.

"General, what are you worried about?" asked the deputy general on the side.

"Although we won the battle today, the Human army only retreated temporarily and was not seriously injured. I'm afraid..." Zhen Youcai suddenly stopped talking here.

"Report—" a soldier hurried over, "General, there's movement in the enemy camp!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Youcai suddenly raised his head, a gleam in his eyes, "Pass the order down, all troops on alert!"

"Yes!"

Soon, shouts and screams came from the direction of the enemy camp, and flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half of the sky.

Zhen Youcai watched this scene, his lips curled slightly as he muttered to himself, "It seems they can't hold it back anymore..." Night fell, and the flickering candlelight in the tent illuminated my exhausted face. The Hu Man King was dead, but the battle was far from over. My intuition told me that things weren't that simple.

"Report - General, the fire in the enemy camp has weakened, it seems..." The soldier who came to report was a little hesitant.

"Likely defenseless?" I took over, a gleam in my eyes. "Pass the order down, all troops, lightly pack, and follow me on a night raid on the enemy camp!"

The soldiers could no longer suppress their anger for revenge. After hearing the order, they rubbed their hands together, with excitement flashing in their eyes.

The night was as dark as ink. Under cover of darkness, we quietly approached the enemy camp. As I expected, the Human army was immersed in the grief of losing their commander and their vigilance was extremely low. There were only sporadic fires in the camp and few patrols.

"Kill!" With the order, I led the soldiers who had been lying in ambush and rushed into the enemy camp like a tiger descending from the mountain. Amidst the flashes of swords and shadows of knives, the enemy was panicked and had no power to fight back.

This night raid caught the Human army by surprise and achieved a temporary victory. However, I know in my heart that this is only temporary. Although the Human King is dead, his army still exists, and this army is battle-hardened and its fighting power cannot be underestimated.

As expected, just three days later, the Human army returned. This time, their offensive was more fierce and their tactics were more cunning, and our army gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"General, the enemy is coming in full force, we..." The deputy general spoke in a serious tone, his eyes full of worry.

I gazed at the dark mass of enemy troops in the distance, my mind racing. A head-on confrontation would be a dead end for us; we had to devise another strategy.

A bold idea emerged in my mind, "Pass the order, the entire army should prepare to retreat."

"Retreat?" The deputy general was puzzled. "But General, we..."

"I've made up my mind. No need to say more." I interrupted him, my eyes firm. "I have other plans."

Late at night, I changed into the clothes of an ordinary soldier, left the tent alone, and walked into the vast night.

"General, where are you going?" A familiar voice came from behind.

I stopped and looked back. It was Li Hu, my personal soldier who had followed me for many years.

"I have to find out what they are planning." I patted Li Hu's shoulder and said firmly, "You stay in the camp. No one is allowed to act rashly without my order."

With that, I resolutely turned and headed toward the faint glow of fire in the distance... that was the direction of the Human camp. Li Hu's words reminded me that, though I was the empress, I was surrounded by loyal ministers and generals willing to risk their lives for me. I quickly returned to my tent and lit an oil lamp, its dim light illuminating the parchment map.

"Someone, call General Zhen!"

In less than a moment, Zhen Youcai arrived, dusty and exhausted. He was wearing armor, his face was resolute, but there was a hint of unshakable worry between his brows.

"Your Majesty, you summoned me here so late at night. Do you have a plan to defeat the enemy?"

"The barbarians are coming with such force that we can't confront them head-on." I pointed to a valley on the map and said gravely, "Only by understanding their strengths and weaknesses can we find a chance to defeat them."

"Your Majesty means..."

"I have made my decision. You will lead an elite squad and set out overnight to infiltrate the enemy's rear and investigate their deployment." I paused, then added, "This journey is extremely dangerous. You must proceed with extreme caution."

"I obey your command!" Zhen Youcai accepted the order without hesitation. His eyes gleamed with determination, and I knew he would complete the task.

As I watched Zhen Youcai leave, my heart couldn't calm down. On the battlefield, things were changing so fast, and I could only pray silently in my heart, hoping that he would return safely.

A few days later, Zhen Youcai returned to the military camp exhausted. The news he brought back made my heart tighten: the Hu Man came well prepared, not only with a strong army but also with a large number of siege weapons, obviously intending to defeat our army in one fell swoop.

"Your Majesty, I have discovered that the enemy's food supplies are stored in..." Zhen Youcai lowered his voice and pointed to a hidden valley on the map.

I looked at the map, lost in thought. The enemy is strong, and we are weak. A strong attack will only result in unnecessary casualties. I must find their weakness to turn the tide of battle.

"General Zhao!" I suddenly raised my head, a gleam of light flashing in my eyes.

"I am here!" A tall, armored general stepped forward. His name was Zhao Xianfeng, a renowned general in the army, known for his bravery and resourcefulness.

"You must lead a team immediately..." I laid out my plan in a firm tone, "Remember, this is a quick victory!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will complete the mission!" Zhao Xianfeng clasped his fists, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

"General Zhen," I looked at Zhen Youcai, a glimmer of hope in my eyes, "Now, it's up to you..."