Chapter 1059

On the second day Chen Wuji lingered at the surrender city, Chen Baojia and Qian Fugui on the left wing also brought good news.

They defeated a Uyghur border force at Longing-for-Homeland Plain, killing over three thousand and capturing over a thousand, pressing on to the Uyghur's Nan Jun unbeaten city.

For now, the central army led by Feng Linchuan and Cao Mu is progressing a bit slowly, and still no news has come.

It was still that tavern where perfume lingered incessantly, still that window-side elegant room where one could see the stone carvings on the main street; the young heir clasped his hands together, gazing out the window with continual sighs.

Across from him, the stern-faced general wore a stern face, sipping his dull wine.

What differed slightly from usual was that today both of them had generous, open-armed maidservants pouring tea and serving wine; with the slightest movement of their soft, lovely bodies, the softness and snow-white skin sprang into a lively picture.

But the two men at the table seemed to have no interest, not even glancing.

"General Xu, tell me frankly—do our commanders have some problem?" The heir snapped his head back, his eyes bulging like a bull's; from overexertion, even a flush appeared on his cheeks.

General Xu instantly became displeased, "Your Highness may say they're poor at war, but you can't smear them with dirt; what could they possibly have wrong? I'll stake my life on it—there's no way anyone would defect!"

"I'm talking about actual ability—are there any incompetents posing as skilled?" the heir shouted.

General Xu snapped his mouth shut, thought seriously for a moment, then after a while said uncertainly, "I can be certain my own troops have no such pretenders, but I truly don't know about the border forces."

"The border forces of the southern commanderies are now under your command; if you're uneasy, you can send people to investigate thoroughly. The surrender city fell so easily—I can actually understand that for a moment, since Chen Wuji used fire attacks without restraint; no one defending that city could have held it."

"I've already examined the details of the battle for the surrender city; that dog Chen Wuji set a fire that lasted all night, the whole city fell into a sea of fire—let alone fighting, the soldiers had nowhere to hide, so the city's fall… was to be expected."

"But the defeat at Longing-for-Homeland Plain raises suspicion of improper command by a leader; the enemy cavalry only charged twice, yet he panicked and led his troops in retreat, being cut down by the enemy in a bloody rout—this man should be punished. Your Highness, excuse me, who was that commander again? I can't recall at the moment."

"Li Yuan Shi, crown prince of the Qin King!" the heir said in a low voice.

General Xu opened his mouth, lowered his head to drink, and then fell silent.

"General Xu, you needn't be so cautious; I'll personally investigate Li Yuan Shi." The heir said hatefully, "No matter whose son he is, if he dares to bring disaster to the state and ruin my plans, I'll kill whoever deserves it without hesitation!"

General Xu shifted his gaze to the maidservant beside him and said faintly, "Your Highness, investigate as you wish; just forget what I, the deputy general, just said—I'm lightly built and my neck isn't stiff, so I really can't afford to offend the Qin King's heir."

"You, a left general, can't you stop being such a coward?" the heir shouted impatiently.

General Xu gave a light snort, "Your Highness, I'm merely a left general; the great generals of recent years were all beheaded by the Martial King before the royal carriage, and a left general like me truly doesn't catch the eyes of the princes."

The Uyghurs share the realm with royalty and nobility, with many princes and extraordinarily high status.

Even though a left general may be a minister ranking above the Three Dukes, before these princes Xu General truly can't muster any temper; those bastards, even if they openly target him without reason, the king could never balance that bowl of water.

When that great general was mentioned, the heir fell silent, turning the talk to war: "Old Xu, we've already lost the first battle; let's quickly think of a remedy."

"Your earlier judgment was wrong—Yan Zhou has already fallen, Chen Wuji has no rear worries, and now his entire army is storming into Uyghur territory on three fronts; adding the western front, he's advancing on four lines against us Uyghurs, his arrogance knows no bounds."

General Xu had spoken with utter confidence that day, but today he simply couldn't muster any confidence.

There's no other reason—Chen Wuji's offensive is simply too fierce.

They had just received the news that Yan Zhou had fallen and Chen Wuji had destroyed the Dayu Court army; immediately after came the reports that the surrender city had been taken and Longing-for-Homeland Plain suffered a crushing defeat—all within less than half a month.

Such speed is truly shocking!

"I've mustered my elite forces and divided them into three routes to meet Chen Wuji, while also stationing elite troops in layered defenses along the Demonic Capital Mountain line; even if the front lines fail, Chen Wuji won't get past Demonic Capital Mountain!" General Xu said through gritted teeth.

"Tomorrow I will lead my troops to Demonic Capital Mountain; what are your plans, Your Highness?"

The heir pondered a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brows: "You've dispatched three routes of troops to meet the enemy and set up defenses in the Demonic Capital Mountain area—but what about the border forces? Old Xu, I gave you full command, but I didn't mean for you to ignore the border forces and take only your hundred‑thousand‑strong army to act as a lone hero."

"Please calm down, Your Highness," General Xu said.

"I haven't neglected the border forces; I simply haven't moved their deployments. The border forces remain as they are, defending the key cities."

"The border forces must not only defend the cities but also help pin down Chen Wuji's attention; the three routes I've arranged won't openly charge to meet him—I want to catch him off guard."

"This is Uyghur land, and it's also our advantage—at least we know where ambushes are easier to set and where troops can be hidden. Chen Wuji is too strong; frankly, I don't even have confidence to beat him in a frontal clash, so we must be more cautious and steady."

The heir pondered a moment, then nodded: "I won't interfere with the general's tactical arrangements; what can I do next? Tell me what you need."

"Old Xu, this war concerns our lives; you can't hide your shortcomings any longer. Just fight confidently up front—tell me what you need, and I'll handle the rear‑end petty matters."

General Xu pressed his lips tightly, "Your Highness has said all this; by rights I should have nothing left to say, but I still want to ask you one thing… can I truly trust you?"

The heir was amused by that remark, "You actually still don't trust me?"

But after a moment, the smile on his face faded: "Indeed, you really should doubt me, but Old Xu, you ought to stand in my position and consider what I can do."

"The only one I can rely on now is you, and I can rely on no one else."

"You've spoken a presumptuous word, so I'll tell you a deadly one: if we can't win in open contest, I intend to grant you the title of the first Uyghur prince of a different surname, betting that you'll join me in this gamble."

General Xu's pupils shrank sharply, "Your Highness, I understand."