Chapter 865: Chapter 599 The Grand Finale (Final Chapter)_7
"I will take the command."
-
The Winter Solstice in the Eighth Year of Jingning Era was a day destined to be remembered in history.
In the sky hung a full moon, radiant as silver.
Pei Jue, leading the Da Yong Army, advanced upstream along the Changhe River, breaking through the Andu Army’s defenses with a long breach.
He arrived quicker than imagined.
Banners fluttered in the night wind, hooves thundered incessantly, and the glow of fire lit up shadows, surging forward like torrential waves.
In recent days, the frontlines of the two armies stretched long, from the Huaishui River to the Andu County Office.
Wen Xingsu, year after year, studied Pei Jue’s tactics, formations, and deployments, preparing meticulously for this battle.
The full moon above quietly watched this heart-stopping clash unfold.
A hundred thousand soldiers roared in unison.
A hundred thousand horses neighed together.
The smoke from torches seemed to light up the heavens.
Spears, blades, shouts, madness. On the real battlefield, soldiers were numb, moving like ants caught in a flood, swallowed by the tumult of banners, driven by the urgency of war drums, advancing in clustered formations...
"Kill! Kill them all..."
The shouts were deafening.
Arrows flew wildly, warhorses shrieked, and amidst the fiery chaos, formations surged like swarms of locusts filling the sky...
Running, charging, dying.
The Andu Army’s flag fell first...
The heavy infantry formations collapsed into disarray, the shieldmen couldn’t repel wave after wave of assaults, and the arrows from the crossbows were nearly depleted...
Meanwhile, reinforcements for the Da Yong Army flowed endlessly...
Even the gates of Xinjing City, sealed for nine months, had opened.
The garrison troops inside Xinjing charged out to align with Pei Jue’s army.
Shentu Jiong led the charge, wiping the blood off his face as he rushed to Wen Xingsu’s side.
"My king, retreat. Abandon Andu!"
They had tens of thousands of soldiers—find a city with weak defenses, settle down temporarily, and make plans later.
Both Shentu Jiong and Yang Qi agreed.
"The well-formed battalions have been breached; we must retreat..."
They knew Pei Jue well.
They even understood the methods he used to crush every defense.
Once the formations crumbled, the elite cavalry of the Northern Yong Army would pierce through the gaps, cutting them off and annihilating them one group at a time...
"My king, leave now," Shentu Jiong shouted.
"We can’t hold on anymore," Yang Qi said anxiously.
Wen Xingsu remained still, slowly listening to the rumbling thunder of hooves, then said calmly:
"Inform Pei Jue that I am willing to negotiate."
Shentu Jiong froze, exchanging glances with Yang Qi.
Negotiations should have happened long ago—holding onto leverage and delaying until now...
A heavy weight seemed to settle steadily.
Yet another tension arose.
-
The South Gate of Andu City.
Ao Qi stood atop the city wall, holding Little Ruibao, gazing downward.
Rui Bao wide-eyed, searched the crowd for his parents...
The light was too dim.
The distance was too far.
The moat of Xinjing was also too wide.
He couldn’t see clearly, rocking back and forth on his feet.
"General Ao, will Father Emperor win?"
"He will," Ao Qi reassured her, his voice warm and gentle.
Three months ago, he became a father.
Becoming a father, and then holding Ruibao’s hand, felt entirely different.
"Your Majesty should step back a little," he said.
"I’m not afraid," Rui Bao clung to him, her gaze unwavering, her voice lowered as she blinked at Ao Qi, "Mother said, Big Brother will protect me; with Big Brother, there’s nothing to fear."
Ao Qi was startled.
He lowered his gaze to Ruibao’s clear eyes, filled with complete and utter trust. A sudden chill surged in his heart.
Fortunately, he was not Wen Xingsu, not stubbornly rushing down a path of no return.
He clasped Rui Bao’s small hand, smiling faintly.
"Indeed, I will protect Your Majesty."
Rui Bao waved him closer, and when Ao Qi bent down, Rui Bao whispered in his ear, "In the future, I’ll make Big Brother a great official—the greatest!"
Ao Qi lifted his head:...
-
Wen Xingsu’s idea of negotiation required Pei Jue to go alone.
One man, one horse, without attendants.
How was this different from walking into death?
Jiu You was the first to object, "That damn scoundrel is brewing all sorts of schemes—Your Majesty absolutely cannot fall for it."
Others also voiced their disapproval.
The raging fires burned fiercely, illuminating the sky brightly.
Pei Jue dismounted, calmly loosening the heavy weapon at his waist and tossing it aside.
"I will go."
"Your Majesty!"
The crowd cried out together, their voices choked with emotion.
Jiu You, in particular, was furious to the extreme, his grip on his blade cracking audibly.
He snarled curses, spurred his horse forward ready to charge and end Wen Xingsu in a deadly duel.
Zuo Zhong reached out, stopping him.
He shook his head, "The Emperor has made his decision."
His heavy voice struck solemnly into everyone’s hearts.
In truth, they all knew—they couldn’t stop him.
Wen Xingsu was emboldened because the Empress was in his hands.
With the Empress as leverage, the Emperor was bound to go.
