Chapter 228 The Battle of the New Year (Part Two)

The Jiannan Army was, after all, an elite border force of the Da Qian Empire, well-equipped, well-trained, and highly experienced.

Their combat effectiveness was certainly not something the tribal armies of the Indochina Peninsula could compare to.

Although the soldiers of the Xuanjia Army in the Diannan Circuit were well-trained, they lacked actual combat experience.

Suddenly facing such a tough nut to crack was bound to be a bit difficult.

Fortunately, their equipment wasn't bad either. After paying a certain price, they began to slowly advance and compress the Jiannan Army's space.

While the two sides were in a stalemate, the city gate behind the Jiannan Army suddenly opened slowly.

Then, Wen Pin led over two hundred soldiers and charged out from within the city.

Although these two hundred-plus soldiers weren't many, they included one hundred of Wen Pin's personal guards, whose combat power was extremely high.

Most importantly, the Jiannan Army was attacked from both front and back, instantly throwing them into chaos.

Wen Pin's great blade was powerful and heavy; with one swing, even soldiers wearing iron armor were left dazed and disoriented.

The enemy fell into great disorder, and the scales of victory began to tilt, causing the morale of the Xuanjia Army to soar.

Although heavy armor provided excellent defense, it wasn't invincible; soldiers would still suffer internal injuries if struck by heavy blunt weapons.

If they accidentally fell, they couldn't get up for a while and could only be opened like a tin can by others.

The most important factor was physical strength; if one's stamina was exhausted, the fifty or sixty pounds of full-body iron armor became a burden.

The battle lasted for over two hours before the Jiannan Army was finally worn down to their deaths.

By noon, when the registrar reported the results of the battle, Wen Pin felt a pang of heartache.

Over six hundred were beheaded, more than one thousand four hundred were taken prisoner, and the Jiannan Army's Zhonglang General, Su Hao, was captured alive.

They seized over one thousand one hundred sets of intact iron armor and more than one thousand two hundred sets of damaged iron armor.

If not for the eyesore of over one thousand two hundred casualties, this could be considered a major victory.

Seeing Wen Pin's distress, the registrar immediately lowered his voice and suggested,

"Commander, should we underreport the casualty figures? After all, over four hundred of them only have minor injuries..."

To be honest, Wen Pin was tempted, but he quickly came to his senses.

"No, I think such high casualties are actually a good thing. It can serve as a reminder to the entire army not to be like a frog in a well, and it will curb the pride and complacency within the ranks."

The registrar was stunned for a moment, then immediately lowered his head in shame and bowed to Wen Pin.

"The Commander's integrity is truly admirable; this subordinate is impressed."

"Mhm, you may leave. Send the battle report to the Lord as soon as possible, and let the soldiers rest and reorganize."

"Understood!"

After giving the orders, Wen Pin couldn't sit still and took some men to the wounded soldiers' camp. Although the gap in combat effectiveness was a fact, he also had to admit he had underestimated the enemy.

Feeling guilty, Wen Pin publicly apologized in the wounded soldiers' camp. This action, far from making people look down on him, significantly increased his prestige in the army.

On Meng Zhenshan's side, he was still completely unaware that his vanguard had been wiped out. Instead, a few days later, a battle report bearing Su Hao's seal arrived.

"Hahaha, Su Hao has succeeded!"

Meng Zhenshan stood up excitedly, clapping his hands and shouting in praise.

"Pass down the order: tell Su Hao to hold the city well. All armies are to stand by; I will annihilate Gao Yuan's main force under the walls of Zunyi."

Meng Zhenshan's plan was simple: he didn't intend to attack city by city. He wanted to use Zunyi as bait to lure Gao Yuan's main force, then annihilate the Nanyue Army's main force in a single battle to decide the outcome.

Unfortunately, his first step was already a misstep.

Gao Yuan had the same idea. He also wanted to use Zunyi as bait to lure the Jiannan Army deep into Bo Prefecture, then annihilate their main force, and finally use Meng Zhenshan's fratricide as an excuse to officially march into the Jiannan Circuit.

After the Battle of Zunyi, both sides fell into a brief silence. Everyone was exceptionally busy during this New Year period.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, a carriage stopped in front of the Nanyue Royal Palace. Xian Ying, dressed in elegant and magnificent attire, stepped down from the carriage supported by her maidservants.

A squad of Female Soldiers stood before the carriage and saluted Xian Ying.

"This humble general is acting on the orders of the King and the Commandery Duke to welcome the Madam into the palace."

Xian Ying nodded slightly in return.

"I have troubled the general."

"Madam, please board the carriage."

Transferring to a palace carriage, Xian Ying was escorted by the Female Soldiers and maidservants toward the Chongzheng Hall, the main hall of the Nanyue Royal Palace.

On the throne, Zhao Xiyao sat upright, wearing a Yishan Crown and a cross-collared tea-colored five-clawed Dragon Robe. Seated below her on either side were Zheng Wan, Song Yao, Mu Qing, and Wu Xu.

The four women were dressed in the red silk robes and capes prescribed for a Princess Consort. Although everything followed the regulations, the combination felt a bit strange.

But there was no helping it; who told this Commandery Prince to be the first female prince in this era? There were no precedents to follow in either ritual or custom.

Thus, this comical scene unfolded.

On the other hand, the male protagonist of the day, Gao Yuan, stood there in a red ceremonial robe, quietly watching the woman who was trying hard to suppress all her charm.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..."

Zhao Xiyao's cough interrupted the affectionate gaze of this "scandalous couple."

"Although after today, sister, you and we will be one family, there are some rules that I, as your elder sister, must still explain clearly to you today."

Xian Ying was not surprised; she knelt and saluted Zhao Xiyao.

"I ask for your guidance, elder sister."

Seeing the woman's respectful manner, Zhao Xiyao was quite satisfied. Without further nagging, she signaled with her eyes, and Zheng Wan walked up to Xian Ying, handing her a small booklet.

"From now on, we sisters must work together with one heart to assist our elder sister and our husband."

"Thank you, elder sister."

Since she was only a concubine, there was no formal ceremony. The family gathered for a meal, and the ritual was considered complete.

After the meal, the four women left separately. Gao Yuan watched Wu Xu's awkward walking posture and couldn't help but reminisce about the overbearing little woman from last night.

"An Empress is an Empress; even in this timeline, she doesn't change her nature. Always so domineering, always wanting to take the initiative."

Now that no one else was around, Xian Ying stood up and walked to Gao Yuan. Her nine tails unfurled completely, and with full charm, she said,

"Husband, let your concubine serve you as you retire for the night!"

A simple sentence made Gao Yuan feel a temptation that radiated from her very bones. "Little Gao" immediately became excited.

Regardless of his image, Gao Yuan bent down and swept the woman up in his arms, walking toward the bedroom as triumphantly as a general who had just won a great battle.

"Husband, don't be in such a hurry... let me change my clothes first..."

"No need, I like it just like this..."

"Ah? There's... there's such a thing?"

"You don't understand, this is called a uniform. Come on..."

Although she had only experienced Feng Pu before, she was, after all, the madam in charge of the largest chain of brothels in the south. The techniques she had learned through osmosis were not something ordinary women could compare to.

Facing the man she loved, she used all her skills, making Gao Yuan cry out that he couldn't take it.

Nothing more was said that night.

Although they had tossed and turned until very late last night, Gao Yuan still woke up early in the morning. He carefully moved the jade-like leg resting on him, covered the exhausted woman with a quilt, and then got up to dress and leave the bedroom.

After washing his face and taking his long spear to the drill grounds, Gao Yuan said huffily to the maidservant,

"For breakfast, I want chicken soup—rooster soup."

In the Nanyue Royal Palace, another overalls-wearing big rooster Kun responsible for crowing was turned into chicken soup. Subsequently, another Kun took over as the palace's new dawn-announcer.