42: Chapter 42 The Star Falls at Wuzhang Plain?

"Sir."

Facing the mirror, she revealed an extremely bright smile, tinged with a hint of naive charm.

Just like the shy young girl she had been many years ago.

"It is time for us to descend the mountain."

"Alright."

Su Chen responded, his voice calm.

Zhuge Jinyu carefully hid the mirror close to her body.

She took a deep breath of the icy air and pushed open the door of the stone house.

The cold air from outside rushed in through the doorway with a howl.

It was unknown whose dream had been quietly blown away.

...

Outside, Huang Ying and several generals were already waiting.

"Chancellor, the vanguard scouts have sent intelligence; they have discovered the main force of the Dawei army."

"There are approximately six hundred thousand of them, well-equipped."

"Among them, there are about forty thousand cultivators above the eighth level of Qi Refining, one thousand and eighty at the Golden Core Realm, three hundred and eight at the Nascent Soul Realm, sixty-two at the Spirit Transformation Realm, eight at the Integration Realm, and one at the Mahayana Realm."

"Yet for our Daqian, only thirty thousand remnants remain, with fewer than five thousand cultivators."

"The main force of the Dawei army, led by Sima Yi, should follow the original plan and launch an attack on our remaining Daqian troops."

"Understood."

Zhuge Jinyu nodded, her face no longer showing a shred of the fragility from last night.

Her fox-like eyes swept over the crowd, sharp as knives.

"Pass down the order: the entire army is to be on high alert and act according to the plan."

"Even if the enemy is strong and we are weak, Daqian shall fight to the last person and never surrender."

"In this battle, there is only advance and no retreat; there is death and no life."

"Understood!"

Everyone acknowledged the order and turned to rush to their respective posts.

Zhuge Jinyu took one last look at the stone house and the two dim, red lanterns under the eaves.

Then.

She turned.

And stepped forward.

Heading toward the grim military camp at the foot of Mount Qingcheng, before the Wuzhang Plains.

Her steps were firm, her silhouette resolute.

The makeup had been removed, and the war drums were about to sound.

This stolen year had come to an end.

"For this final journey, I will accompany you."

...

A full day of deploying troops and tactical planning left the Female Prime Minister, whose health was already frail, looking exhausted.

At the front of the command tent, a lamp with a strange design was lit.

It was called the Seven-Star Lamp.

According to a general of Daqian surnamed Jiang, if the main lamp did not go out within seven days, Zhuge Jinyu's lifespan could be extended by twelve years.

Although the Female Prime Minister did not believe in these supernatural ways, she chose to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.

Regarding the tactics to counter Dawei.

All of Daqian's elites discussed it for a day and a night.

The conclusion reached in the end was.

The win rate was zero.

This was not a suppression in terms of intelligence or strategy.

But an absolute suppression in terms of raw strength.

On paper, the Dawei army was ten times the size of the current Daqian army.

And this disparity in strength, when applied to the battlefield, was far more than ten times.

A general mentioned that in ancient times, someone had invented a type of battle formation.

Under the command of a commander, the eighty thousand people forming the battle formation faced the enemy's eight hundred thousand troops.

They were surprisingly fearless and routed them in one blow!

But as soon as these words were spoken, everyone shook their heads.

Not to mention that the battle formation had already been lost to history.

Just the commander, who had reached the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm back then, was something they could not replicate.

Daqian now only had these few ragtag soldiers left, and Zhuge Jinyu, at the Integration Realm, was considered their highest combat power.

Where could they find a commander above the Tribulation Transcendence Realm?

Zhuge Jinyu sat upright in the center of the command tent, looking at these old ministers who had walked this path with her.

Which one of them was not covered in scars and utterly exhausted?

"Everyone."

She said in a deep voice.

"Every one of us has done our best."

"In tomorrow's battle, we only need to give it our all and let go."

"We cannot fear Dawei or Sima Yi; we must show the spirit of our Daqian!"

"Let us uphold the national prestige of Daqian, which has spanned over four thousand years from Chang'an to Luodu, and then to Jinguan City, a legacy of conquering beyond the Wolf Mountains!"

After speaking, the wine cup in Zhuge Jinyu's hand quietly fell to the ground.

It shattered into countless pieces.

"Tomorrow, I, Zhuge Jinyu, will personally command this final battle!"

"I wish you all great success in battle!"

"We wish you great success in battle, Chancellor!"

"Long live Daqian!"

The generals were about to file out when a young soldier suddenly burst into the command tent.

"Report! The Dawei vanguard has already..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that the surrounding Daqian soldiers were looking at him with complex expressions.

Including Zhuge Jinyu.

Her pretty face was full of disappointment.

The young soldier felt his scalp go numb.

He lowered his head slightly.

He discovered that the Seven-Star Lamp, which was supposed to extend her life, had been accidentally extinguished by him.

Realizing he had caused a great disaster, the young soldier hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"I am sorry, Chancellor, I..."

"I only beg for death!"

Zhuge Jinyu shook her head, stopping the surrounding generals who were already preparing to draw their swords.

Extending one's life by twelve years was something mysterious and obscure to begin with.

Not to mention she didn't believe in it at all, even if it were truly extended, Daqian was already doomed, and perhaps...

This young soldier had also achieved great merits.

Thinking of this, she simply waved the vermilion bird feather fan and turned to leave the command tent.

"Forget it."

"Life and death are fated; the laws of heaven are constant and cannot be reversed."

The generals said nothing, but silently watched her leave with respectful gazes.

...

The night quietly enveloped the Wuzhang Plains and the camps on it.

Inside the main command tent.

The candlelight flickered.

Illuminating Zhuge Jinyu's pale and weary face.

She had removed her heavy armor and was wearing only a simple white undergarment.

Her snowy white hair draped over her shoulders, making her figure appear even more fragile.

The pre-battle deployment was already complete.

At this moment, it was the final calm before the storm.

The footsteps of the night-patrolling soldiers outside the tent, along with the ticking sounds, wove together into a disturbing background noise.

Zhuge Jinyu sat on the side of the simple army cot, clutching the ancient mirror tightly in her hand.

Her fingertips, just like every night for the past ten years, caressed the mirror's surface.

The mist on the mirror's surface, after ten years of consistent effort, had finally thinned to the point of near transparency.

Only a final trace of stubborn haziness remained, covering Su Chen's face behind the mirror like a thin veil.

"Sir."

"You said that I would be able to see you tomorrow, right?"

From the mirror, Su Chen's gentle voice came through.

"Yes, the promised ten-year period has arrived."

"When the mist dissipates, it will be the time for you and me to meet."

"Xiao Yu, you must not have rested well for a long time."

"So, sleep well tonight to relieve the fatigue of the past few days and recharge your energy for tomorrow's decisive battle."

"When you wake up tomorrow morning, you will be able to see my true appearance."

"Perhaps... in your dream tonight, you might be able to see me in advance."

Su Chen deliberately hid his reluctance, intentionally creating a relaxed atmosphere.

To let the Young Prime Minister have a good sleep before the impending decisive battle.

"Heh... Sir, you are truly mischievous and truly have great supernatural powers, actually able to sneak into my dreams."

Zhuge Jinyu's fox-like eyes curved slightly.

Revealing an extremely faint and light smile that was enough to make the heavens and earth lose their color.

She carefully pressed the mirror against her heart.

"Then... Jinyu looks forward to meeting Sir in her dreams. Sir must not break your promise."

"Alright, I will not break my promise."

Su Chen's voice became increasingly gentle, carrying a hypnotic magic.

"Sleep, Xiao Yu. Have a good sleep and restore your energy."

"There is still a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

"Mm."

Zhuge Jinyu responded obediently, lay down as instructed, and held the mirror tightly in her arms.

The exhaustion of body and mind from days of agonizing over strategy surged up like a tidal wave.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and in the end, she could not resist the heavy drowsiness.

Her breathing gradually became even and steady.

She fell asleep.

Confirming she was fast asleep, Su Chen finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"System?"

"The energy should still be enough, right?"