241: Chapter 241 The Marquis's Righteousness

"Those who defy the Princess's military orders shall be executed without mercy!!!"

Using Li Cong's voice, Lin Xiao roared with wide, furious eyes, instantly plunging the entire field into a dead silence!

Li Xinglan, standing behind him, was startled, nearly breaking her character!

He had only said she needed to act and memorize lines; he hadn't mentioned there would be actual bloodshed on the spot!

Wei Kongming and the other pro-war faction members watched with trembling hearts!

They couldn't believe that "Li Cong" had actually killed seven of his most trusted subordinates!?

This display of loyalty to Li Xinglan completely fired up Wei Kongming and the others.

The members of the wavering faction were as quiet as cicadas in winter, utterly terrified of harboring any disloyal thoughts.

"The Marquis is truly righteous!!"

Wei Kongming felt somewhat ashamed. He had truly underestimated the Marquis of Ruyang in the past. Who would have thought he was enduring humiliation and heavy burdens, just waiting for an opportunity?!

Indeed, defeating the White Wolf Cavalry on the plains was something even Zhao Yunting hadn't managed.

But if it were a siege, where the White Wolf Cavalry's mobility couldn't be utilized, things would be different!

Thinking carefully, this entire plan might have been a grand game of chess played by the Marquis of Ruyang!

"Princess, we are willing to be the vanguard!"

"This general is willing to lead the charge!!"

Lin Xiao, however, waved his hand grandly. "All of you, stand down! The only one capable of battling General Yelu Chuku is I, the Marquis!!"

"Princess, I have received great favors from the Prince. In this decisive battle, I am willing to be the first to charge into Qizhou City!!"

The two had already planned this out; Li Xinglan now displayed a look of deep emotion.

"The Marquis's loyalty to my father is as clear as the sun and moon. I grant your request!"

A group of officers and soldiers looked at the "Marquis of Ruyang" with incredulous gazes.

Though they didn't fully understand, they were clearly deeply shaken.

Li Xinglan continued, "Wei Kongming, I officially promote you to Vice Commander of the Yan Kings Army. Command the siege. Within one hour, I want the gates of Qizhou City broken!!"

"Your servant obeys!!"

Wei Kongming had long been impatient. He had rehearsed how to conduct a siege and how to trap the wolves within the gates thousands upon thousands of times in his mind.

As one military order after another was issued, the army of seventy thousand rapidly attacked the city from both the north and south directions simultaneously!

To the surprise of the Yan Kings Army, although they knew the Khitan Army lacked experience in defending cities, the level of their failure far exceeded their imagination!

The Khitan soldiers defending the city weren't so much under chaotic command as they were under no command at all!

The group of Khitan people seemed to have lost their souls, appearing to have no determination to defend the city, looking more like they were ready to flee at any moment.

Naturally, they didn't know that from the moment General Yelu Chuku "disappeared" last night, the entire White Wolf Cavalry had fallen into chaos!

The several Khitan generals below him refused to yield to one another; some wanted to break out, others wanted to defend to the death, and they were nearly fighting amongst themselves!

Under such circumstances, when the Yan Kings Army suddenly attacked at dawn with a completely desperate momentum, how could they resist?

What was supposed to be an hour-long siege took less than half an hour for the battering rams to smash open the North Gate!

Lin Xiao drew his blade and led a group of elites.

"Kill!!!——"

Accompanied by bursts of lion-like roars, the cavalry of the Yan Kings Army drove straight in, braving sporadic arrows to charge directly into the city!

Qizhou City, which was covered in the blood of innocent civilians, once again welcomed a bloodbath!!

After the hour of the Horse (noon) had passed.

In the entire Qizhou City, not a single Khitan person remained standing.

The Yan Kings Army had lost half its strength, but the faces of the surviving soldiers showed not only blood but also gazes as resolute as iron.

They had won. They had defeated the White Wolf Cavalry that had galloped across the grasslands for decades!

When Li Xinglan, accompanied by Wei Kongming, arrived at the back garden of the Prince's Mansion, three corpses were lying there...

Li Cong lay in a pool of blood, his body beaten beyond recognition, his head missing.

General Yelu Chuku was a bloody mess, seemingly having been hacked no less than dozens of times.

And Prince Yan, Li Siyan, was dressed in women's clothing, seemingly unable to bear the humiliation, having hanged himself in a pavilion.

No one knew exactly what had happened here.

It was too bizarre; how exactly did General Yelu Chuku die?

No one would truly believe that Li Cong could kill that monster; there must have been another reason.

But that was no longer important. What mattered was that he was dead!

Even Li Xinglan wasn't actually clear on the whole process.

Li Siyan was dead; she felt a bit uncomfortable, but because she had been mentally prepared, she wasn't particularly affected.

The girl took a deep breath of the foul-smelling air and said, "Wei Kongming."

"Your servant is here!"

"Sever General Yelu Chuku's head and hang it from the city tower to offer as a sacrifice to the souls of the fallen citizens of Qizhou and Great Gan!!"

Wei Kongming's eyes were red. "By your command!!"

The soldiers of the Yan Kings Army all showed expressions of grief.

The battle was over, but in the Yan Region, too many families had been torn apart, and many had even vanished without a trace.

Fortunately, the Khitan Army had lost two major forces this time: the White Wolf Cavalry and the Iron Hawk Cavalry.

Within ten years, they would find it difficult to pose any threat to the Yan Region.

Two days later.

Emperor Hong's imperial decree arrived at Qizhou City.

Emperor Hong greatly appreciated Prince Yan Li Siyan's loyalty to the sovereign and protection of the nation, officially conferring upon Li Xinglan the title of First-Rank Imperial Princess.

Not only that, he also gave a pile of rewards that would be difficult to fulfill in the short term.

When Li Xinglan received the imperial decree, she happened to be standing before the Yan Region's royal tombs, having just finished burying Li Siyan.

Listening to the crowd below shouting "Long live the Princess," Li Xinglan felt it was somewhat ironic.

As Li Siyan's most unfavored, rebellious daughter, she had actually "laughed" last.

Just then, a fast horse approached.

"Reporting to the Princess, thirty thousand soldiers of the Zhenbei Army are approaching from the direction of Songyuan!"

The expressions of Wei Kongming and the others changed. They naturally knew the situation regarding this Zhenbei Army.

Although there were certainly many veterans of the Yan Kings Army among them, the composition was now complex.

"The Khitan people have all been killed off, and they're showing up now?"

"Hmph, they probably want to share some of the military merit. That Lin Xiao is called the God of Slaughter, but he's nothing more than this..."

"That Lin Xiao took away the Cold Iron Guard, and now he wants the rest of our army too?"

"The brothers under me will only follow Princess Xinglan. We won't submit to anyone else who comes!"

Li Xinglan suppressed her awkwardness and said with a cold face, "The battle of Qizhou is a victory for our Yan Army. No one can take it away!"

"The Three Prefectures of Yan were passed to me, Li Xinglan, by my father. His Majesty personally issued the decree; his word is final!"

"Just do your duties. With me, Li Xinglan, here, that Lin Xiao of the Zhenbei Army won't be able to stir up any trouble!!"

Wei Kongming and the group of generals felt their blood boil with excitement as they respectfully obeyed.

Two hours later.

The Zhenbei Army was stationed outside the city.

Prince Yans Mansion.

Lin Xiao walked into the study with Zhao Caiwei.

Li Xinglan was pacing back and forth, and when she looked up and saw the man enter, she beamed with joy.

She walked forward and threw a playful punch directly at Lin Xiao's chest!

"You ghost! You're so heartless, leaving without even saying hello, just dumping me here!"

"Do you know how I've spent these last two days alone? I was terrified, afraid I'd talk in my sleep and let something slip. I was so nervous I couldn't even sleep well!"

Zhao Caiwei, who had been somewhat apprehensive, stood by with a completely dazed expression.

Lin Xiao had told her he had known Li Xinglan for a long time, but he hadn't said it was *this* kind of "knowing"!?