Chapter 660: Swearing to Die, Guarding Manto City Together!

As for why the Western Region army could so easily advance to the foot of Manto City, it is because Duan Rongshi, although he had previously captured three cities in the Western Region, did not diligently station troops there.

He never intended to bring those three cities under his control.

Even though he took the cities, in his haste he had not yet won the hearts of the people, so what does it matter if he temporarily occupies them?

When that happens, the Western Region populace will unite from within and without, turning their backs into a knife, and the Lan Hai Army will be the one to suffer in vain.

Therefore, Duan Rongshi, aside from deliberately disgust­ing the Western Region, at least for now does not intend to truly swallow those three cities.

When the Western Region forces gathered, the Lan Hai Army immediately withdrew its troops from there and swiftly returned to report.

Manto City, of course, was also prepared, ready to launch another massive assault.

However, the Lan Hai King was absent.

The hundred‑thousand troops left behind naturally felt some wavering morale.

Li Qingluo had long anticipated that this situation might arise.

She did not panic.

She even, with her swollen belly, climbed the city wall together with her grandmother.

"Princess Consort, the defenses over there have been built…"

"Two months earlier, traps were set over there…"

"And the terrain over there…"

Po Feng explained each point to Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo carefully examined each of them.

Then she went to Pei Lao Furen's side and said, "Grandmother."

Pei Lao Furen, clad in armor, grasped her hand and gently tapped, "Are you tired?"

"The grandmother had told you not to come. The wind up here is not something ordinary people can endure."

"Poor you, Luo Er."

Li Qingluo: "Luo Er is your granddaughter; you don't feel tired, so how could I be so pretentious and fragile?"

"If you agree, Luo Er can also raise a spear and charge into battle, certainly not inferior to your former glory."

"Grandmother, you've worked hard."

Li Qingluo felt deeply guilty and ashamed.

The grandmother, already nearing sixty, still has to go onto the battlefield to command because of me.

If it weren't for me, she should be enjoying her twilight years, traveling the world, and would never have appeared in this Manto City.

Beside them, Luo Fan laughed, "Luo Er, you've misunderstood your grandmother."

"Your grandmother may be weary, but she now lives very happily."

"She can don armor again, even feels she's become decades younger; every day she's radiant beyond words, and in my view she has already regained her former brilliance."

"Don't worry about her."

"She could easily live another forty years."

Pei Lao Furen glared at Luo Fan, "You're getting more and more talkative!"

"However, Luo Er, your grandmother is right; she feels fulfilled now and doesn't feel tired, so you needn't worry about her."

"As for you, stop dreaming about going back onto the battlefield."

"The great battle is imminent; you must first take care of yourself and the child in your womb, understand?"

"This is no joke!"

Po Feng, Zhui Yu and the others beside them all solemnly nodded.

Li Qingluo, however, looked toward the soldiers on the city walls.

"Everyone wants to protect me, I know."

"But I swear to die defending Manto City together with everyone!"

"Manto City is Your Highness's defensive line."

"It is also the Lan Hai Army's defensive line."

"If we hold Manto City, we won't disappoint Your Highness nor the people who rely on us to guard the frontier and their homes."

"Also, the King, I, and our child will not let down the warriors."

"We will never abandon the city, nor flee from everyone."

Li Qingluo's words quickly spread throughout Manto City, reaching the hundred‑thousand troops.

A unified shout rang across mountains and rivers, resonant and fierce: "Lan Hai Princess Consort! Lan Hai Princess Consort—Lan Hai Princess Consort—"

When the troops arrived at the city gates, having the elegant veteran general Pei Lao Furen—who had repeatedly defeated the Western Region army—and the Lan Hai Princess Consort, even though she was about to give birth, stationed inside the city, reinforced the hundred‑thousand troops' morale.

Even if the commander was not on the front lines, they would still swear to die defending Manto City.

Protect the Lan Hai Princess Consort!

However, just before the battle began, the truth of the Lan Hai King's lineage and the news that he had ascended as the new Emperor of Great Chu finally reached the front.

Along with that came the report that the new Emperor had already taken the imperial carriage to lead a campaign himself, now personally bringing fifty‑thousand troops en route to Manto City.

All the warriors shouted ecstatically, "May the Emperor live ten thousand years—"

The cries spread like wildfire across the whole land.

The already tense Western Region army was shaken to the core.

"The Emperor?"

"Could their emperor also be coming?"

"But isn't Manto City the Lan Hai King's domain?"

"Then where did this emperor emerge from?"

The Western Region army had already been on a long march; although retaking the three cities was easy, they had not even had enough time to rest before returning to the battlefield.

They also knew that the real life-and-death battle was yet to come.

Now, over at Mantuo City, they were shouting "Long live the emperor," their emperor had arrived; morale was obviously boosted and military spirit stabilized.

The soldiers of the Western Region army naturally became restless and uneasy.

And as for the Western Region… this time they merely sent out two princes from the imperial court.

Because they had retaken the three cities, the two princes now considered themselves invincible, believing they were divine generals descended from the heavenly dragon.

So they never even considered the soldiers' fatigue from the long march.

Just then, the sound of war drums came in waves.

The two armies went to war, finally opening the fierce curtain once more—

Inside Mantuo City, Li Qingluo again refused the pleas of the killers asking her to leave first.

"Stop saying it! I will not agree to this."

"If you defy my will again, I will disperse all of you, leaving not a single one behind."

"I don't need subordinates who go against my will—do you understand?"

"I have said that I will swear to die together with all the city's populace and the soldiers outside, guarding Mantuo City."

"If it weren't for my pregnancy, I wouldn't even just stay in the city waiting to be slaughtered."

"I will personally take up a sword and go onto the battlefield, rather than hide in the city and have you protect me."

"If I were to flee now, wouldn't that chill the hearts of all the city's people and soldiers?"

"I also believe in them; they will certainly not be defeated."

Even without the Grand Marshal present, she could certainly help Duan Rongshi steady the troops' morale.

If she really left, that would utterly chill everyone's hearts.

Li Qingluo, thinking thus, already led everyone to the street inside the city gate.

She held the Azure Fall Sword, standing at the forefront, listening to the battle cries and slaughter outside, as if she had already stepped onto the battlefield, standing together with all the soldiers.

Meanwhile, the townspeople inside the city saw the pregnant queen consort with her belly prominently protruding come out, and she was only a few steps from the city gate.

In the hearts of the townspeople, who could not be deeply shaken and moved by this?

If the city gate were breached, she would be the first to face it directly.

Is she truly not afraid?

Of course she is afraid!

How could she not be afraid? She is also about to become a mother.

She does not fear her own bleeding, nor fear her own death, but she fears that the child still unborn in her womb will be implicated by her.

At this moment, Li Qingluo's hand unconsciously moved to rest on her belly, which was soon to go into labor.

"Good child, will you guard this city together with Mother?"

The townspeople all grabbed whatever implements they could from their homes, ran to the street, and stood behind the queen consort.

The queen consort does not even avoid her large belly, and tens of thousands of soldiers outside are defending their homeland; how could they merely hide at home and wait idly?

When necessary, they can also charge out!

They can also protect the queen consort!

"Everyone..."

Que'er looked moved at those behind her, eyes red, supporting Li Qingluo.

"Miss, everyone is behind us."

Li Qingluo dared not turn back.

She merely gave a slight nod.

"We will absolutely not betray their trust."

"Absolutely not."

The result was naturally a complete victory.

Pei Lao Furen commanded the battlefield.

Po Feng, Zhui Yu, and Leng Dian each led troops, dividing the forces into three routes to again completely encircle and suppress the Western Region army.

The Lanhai army even suffered hardly any significant losses.

They easily routed the Western Region army.

The Western Region army again discarded armor and fled, but at least three thousand were captured.

Pei Lao Furen ordered the bugle sounded, recalling the troops and ending the battle.

Do not pursue the defeated bandits.

Although pursuing this time might again swallow three cities.

But the commander-in-chief of the three armies has not yet returned; any overly large undertaking should not be lightly decided.

Pei Lao Furen merely intended to continue defending the city; being able to hold Mantuo City would already be her greatest congratulatory gift to the new emperor of Da Chu!

Half a month later, the Western Region army again rose to probe.

Upon discovering that Mantuo City was still only defending with no intention to counterattack, the Western Region army finally had other thoughts.

They took a detour and went to Shuocheng, three hundred li away.

However, Zhui Yu had already, under Pei Lao Furen's arrangement, led troops to Shuocheng.

Everything as Pei Lao Furen had anticipated: the Western Region army intended to again attack Mantuo City by encircling it.

However, Mantuo City and the other cities of Da Chu are now copper-walled, iron-clad fortresses, with no place that can be breached.

After suffering defeat at Shuocheng, the Western Region army turned back and could only head north.

Half a month later, Yuncheng on DaLiang's border was attacked, and within three days news came that it had been captured by the Western Regions.

Pei Lao Furen, after all, is a DaLiang native and once the elegant general who defended the border passes, how could she ignore it?

She could not sit still, so Li Qingluo handed the tiger tally that Duan Rongshi had given her before departing to Pei Lao Furen.

"Grandmother."

"Go."

"Retake Yuncheng and drive the Westerners away."

Pei Lao Furen stared at the tiger tally in her hand, utterly shocked.

"This—how is this in your hands?"

It turned out that before leaving, Duan Rongshi had passed a regular tiger tally into Li Qingluo's hand.

It was to prevent anyone from challenging Li Qingluo at a crucial moment, so that she could carry it and freely command the army.

Li Qingluo had never taken it out, not because she was protecting anyone.

She simply had never needed to use it.

Now that she must go retake Yuncheng, the tiger tally must finally be employed.

"Grandmother need not worry about the soldiers' discontent; retake Yunchen and plant the Lan Sea army's banner."

Pei Lao Furen's eyes brightened.

"Exactly!"

"I am not here to recapture the city for DaLiang, but to raise the Lan Sea army's banner."

"Thus, the soldiers will naturally follow me there."

"Yuncheng and its people will no longer fall into the hands of the Westerners."

"Qingluo, Grandmother will go to Yuncheng herself, and you—"

Pei Lao Furen glanced anxiously at Li Qingluo's belly.

"Qingluo is about to give birth; can I really set her aside and leave?"