Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Who Did You Think You Were?

Su De Yun’s eyelid kept jumping.

Emperor Chong Sheng’s breathing suddenly turned sharp. “How could this be?”

Northern Di’s army counterattacked, and Wu Du Pass fell.

After that battle, the Mo Bei army suffered terrible losses. Corpses lay everywhere, and the remaining troops had all retreated into Yu Wen County.

Emperor Chong Sheng felt blood surge up. Emperor Chong Sheng forced it down again and again, until he finally suppressed the metallic sweetness in his throat.

In a single day, the palace summoned more than ten important ministers and old generals to discuss matters.

The news spread into the Duke Residence.

Duke Qi collapsed into a chair and could not come back to himself for a long time.

The entire Duke Residence was gripped with panic.

Now Qi Shu Xian was the Duke Residence’s hope. When news of a great victory came, His Majesty’s attitude toward the Duke Residence was obvious to all.

But if Qi Shu Xian was defeated…

In Xiao Lan Courtyard, Meng Yang, who had been under house arrest, heard the news and refused to believe it.

In Meng Yang’s memory, Right Chancellor Qi had never lost a battle.

Fake. The news had to be fake.

Meng Yang bribed a servant in the residence, put on a veiled hat, and secretly went to the Third Prince’s residence to ask for an audience.

Sheng Yuan Hao was not in the residence at all.

Meng Yang endured the bitter cold and waited until night, until Sheng Yuan Hao’s carriage finally returned.

Meng Yang rushed forward, only to be stopped by Sheng Yuan Hao’s guards.

When Sheng Yuan Hao saw it was Meng Yang, irritation rose in Sheng Yuan Hao’s heart, but Sheng Yuan Hao forced it down.

Recently, the scented dew Meng Yang made had indeed earned Sheng Yuan Hao a lot of silver.

“Third Highness, the news that Mo Bei lost was fake, right?” Meng Yang asked, eyes bright with desperate hope. “How could the Heir Apparent lose a battle?”

“The Heir Apparent was so powerful. He never lost. He absolutely couldn’t lose.”

Sheng Yuan Hao sighed. “Victory and defeat are common in war.”

“Today, several generals already analyzed it. If Qi Shi and Governor-General Xu command properly, they may still have a chance to seize Wu Du Pass back.”

So it was true.

Meng Yang returned to the Duke Residence in a daze.

Even though the message from Mo Bei was delivered in secret, that day the courier rode hard on a fast horse, covered in dust and frost, and people saw it.

The court kept silent, but there were bound to be guesses in the streets.

Still, guesses were only guesses. Everyone waited for a definite answer.

Not only the commoner waited. Emperor Chong Sheng and the court officials waited too.

They waited for the next report from Mo Bei.

If it was a victory, everyone would rejoice, and victory and defeat were common in war.

If it was a defeat, the court would have to start preparing reinforcements to send to Mo Bei.

At the Princess’s residence, Nanny Yu discussed the details of the wedding dress with Sheng Zhi Wan.

Although there were strict rules for a princess’s wedding robes, some finer details could still be adjusted based on preference.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not care much about such things. Sheng Zhi Wan casually pointed out a few choices, and Nanny Yu left.

Sheng Zhi Wan was not very surprised by Qi Shu Xian’s defeat.

Qi Shu Xian had courage and plans, yet neither was enough.

In the past, Sheng Zhi Wan valued Qi Shu Xian’s loyal heart.

But after living through her previous life, Sheng Zhi Wan learned that hearts changed easily, and even a loyal heart could be an act.

Someone who was not firm, who wavered and drifted, was bound to lose.

Sheng Zhi Wan simply did not expect it to come so fast.

Soon, the next letter from Mo Bei arrived.

Yu Wen County fell again.

The atmosphere in the Imperial Court grew even tenser.

Rumors also spread through the streets. The Mo Bei army suffered a crushing defeat and lost Wu Du Pass and Yu Wen County in a row. If the enemy pushed south for another month or two, they would seize the entire Ji Zhou Prefecture.

The capital city was in Qing Zhou, and Qing Zhou bordered Ji Zhou Prefecture.

If Northern Di occupied Ji Zhou Prefecture, wouldn’t that mean they had reached the capital city?

The moment people said that, the peaceful illusion in the capital city cracked.

Even more people grew anxious and refused to believe it.

“Heir Apparent Qi Shi could even turn around a battle that was doomed to fail at Cang Nan. Why would he lose this time?”

“I heard every Northern Di man is tall and strong, born knowing how to ride. Their commander could lift a millstone with one hand.”

“No matter how good Qi Shi’s tactics are, if the troops he led are weak, it’s hard to win.”

In Gathering Sages Teahouse, one table was especially loud.

“Bullshit!” another voice suddenly shouted.

The loud table looked up. Before they could even see who spoke, tea splashed down over their heads.

“Raising the enemy’s courage and crushing your own!” the voice snapped. “Are you really Sheng Kingdom people?”

“Or are you Northern Di scouts planted inside Sheng Kingdom?”

Shang Xing Yu leaned against the railing, holding an empty kettle.

The men at that table felt embarrassed at first.

But once they saw it was Shang Xing Yu speaking, one of them hardened his gaze. He wiped the tea off his face and sneered, “If we’re scouts, then what are you, Shang Xing Yu?”

“A parasite?”

“A shameless trash who lived off a woman, a useless coward with no spine. What do you know about matters of the state?”

That man was Tian Meng Nian.

Tian Meng Nian was the brother-in-law of Yang Jun Nan, the eldest legitimate son of the Minister of War. Tian Meng Nian’s learning was average, but with the Yang Family behind him, he had a group of followers in the capital city.

As soon as Tian Meng Nian spoke, the people beside him echoed, “Exactly! We’re only stating the facts!”

“Even Qi Shi lost to Northern Di. What’s wrong with admitting Northern Di are strong?”

“Know yourself and know the enemy, and you can win a hundred battles. You don’t even dare to face the enemy’s strength. No wonder you’re useless!”

Tian Meng Nian’s eyes were full of contempt.

Shang Xing Yu raised his brow. “Northern Di were strong?”

“Of course!” Tian Meng Nian said. “Otherwise, how could Qi Shi have lost?”

“Shang Xing Yu, you don’t actually think that just because Qi Shi lost, Qi Shi became worse than you, do you?” Tian Meng Nian mocked.

“Even if Qi Shi lost, Qi Shi was still a general. What are you?”

“Have you ever been on a battlefield? Have you ever seen the dead?”

“If you ask me, these hands of yours probably couldn’t even kill a chicken…”

As Tian Meng Nian spoke, Tian Meng Nian jabbed Shang Xing Yu’s shoulder with his fist.

It did not move.

Tian Meng Nian refused to believe it and tried again.

Shang Xing Yu grabbed Tian Meng Nian’s wrist, twisted it, and pinned him in place.

“Aaah! Help! It hurts, it hurts!” Tian Meng Nian screamed.

Two bodyguards outside heard the shout and immediately burst in.