Chapter 661: First Capture the King to Capture the Thief! Sound the War Drums Personally!

Li Qingluo: "Counting the days, A Shi will be back soon."

"Grandmother, you go."

"At this time, the people of Yuncheng are more important than Li Qingluo, and Li Qingluo also hopes you can go personally."

"It's just the journey is arduous; still, Grandmother, please refrain from self‑consoling and avoid overexertion."

Pei Lao Furen, eyes reddened, said: "Grandmother won't go."

"Grandmother, may Leng Dian and Sha Yi go?"

"Grandmother cannot …"

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, the Pei family's old military manual, A Shi left it to me before departing, but I have already handed it to Zhui Yu."

"He has little battlefield experience, so Li Qingluo is uneasy about him going to Yao City."

"Now in Yuncheng, if Leng Dian and Sha Yi go, it may not be that smooth."

"You yourself are the Pei family's military manual; only you have a hundred percent confidence in retaking Yuncheng."

"Grandmother, the people of Yuncheng are still waiting for you."

"Li Qingluo has Po Feng here."

"Zhui Yu will also hurry back."

"Even if there is something, it can be delayed ten days to half a month."

"You really need not worry about Li Qingluo; go."

"Don't let yourself be left with regret."

Li Qingluo repeatedly assures, guaranteeing that there will always be someone by her side, and that once she goes into labor she will immediately send someone to inform Pei Lao Furen.

Luo Fan also examined Li Qingluo's fetal signs and took her pulse, repeatedly confirming that Li Qingluo's fetal condition is very stable; in the end Pei Lao Furen still listened to Li Qingluo.

"Grandmother promises to go quickly and return quickly, doing her best to be back before Li Qingluo gives birth."

"Grandmother intends to give Yuncheng to the unborn great‑grandchild as a gift."

Since Pei Lao Furen has made the decision, she does not delay; that day she hurriedly leads thirty‑thousand troops toward Yuncheng.

Although she wanted to keep Luo Fan to personally tend to the imminently birthing Li Qingluo, Li Qingluo still chose Qin Ling.

And Li Qingluo still assigned Leng Dian to Pei Lao Furen.

"My Grandmother's body is still robust, but she is of advanced age. She can advise on the battlefield, but it is best that she not lead the charge again."

"Leng Dian, she entrusts you."

"Not only Leng Dian, Li Qingluo also dispatched ten Sha Zi along the way before feeling completely at ease."

However, as soon as Pei Lao Furen's front foot left, a new batch of Western Region army emerged behind her.

This time, they rushed straight at Manduo City, where the main army's numbers had sharply dwindled, launching a fierce attack again.

Nevertheless, Li Qingluo had already been waiting for them.

In the council hall, as soon as Li Qingluo appears, Po Feng immediately rises to pay his respects: "Princess Consort."

Because the coronation ceremony has not yet been held, Li Qingluo is still only a Princess Consort.

She herself does not care about this, because she knows that when Duan Rongshi ascended the throne, she was shocked for a good half hour.

That throne, she has no desire for it at all.

That Empress title, she cares even less.

Now it's merely forcing a duck onto a perch; she temporarily has to accept it.

Nevertheless, the war remains the most urgent matter.

Li Qingluo's appearance not only prompts Po Feng to rise, but a host of Deputy Generals also stand up.

"Paying respects to the Princess Consort."

However, everyone's mind is filled with doubts.

What time is it now, why does she still come here?

Isn't this just creating trouble for everyone?

Even if she is the future Empress, still bearing the new emperor's heir, it is still too immature.

On a man's battlefield, what could a woman possibly say?

Even if she is General Pei Lao's granddaughter with battlefield insight, her pregnant belly is towering and labor is imminent; she cannot stay peacefully in the rear, let alone actually go to the front.

Everyone also knows that the two times she went into the city she served as a model to soothe the people and steady the troops.

But this time is different!

The commander is absent, and the two Minor Generals are also absent.

Although there is another equally decisive City Lord stationed here, the Western Region army this time is definitely prepared, and cannot be dealt with easily.

South attacks Yao City, north occupies Yuncheng.

And just so conveniently, as several senior generals arrive with large numbers of soldiers to reinforce both sides, the main Western Region army also arrives!

Who can say this isn't the Western Region army's strategy of feigning east while striking west and encircling Manduo City?

Now several Deputy Generals feel a bit restless.

Even though Po Feng, the City Lord, appears fairly steady, there are already some uncontrolled people in the army panicking.

At such a critical moment, this woman still comes out to cause trouble; the faces of several Deputy Generals show uncontrolled agitation, and their respect for her naturally wanes.

Li Qingluo does not care.

Her pregnant belly is large, yet she walks both quickly and steadily.

Arriving at the sand pit, Li Qingluo lifts a banner and plants it directly into the interior to the southeast.

"The leading General of this Western Region army is the Imperial Court Chanyu Gudu Marquis's younger brother—known as the Wolf Third King."

"He employs ruthless tactics and always favors surprise attacks on unprepared foes…"

After an analysis, Li Qingluo pointed to the spot where she had just planted her flag: "Lure the Wolf Three King here, and we can rely on Po Feng, Sha Yi, and Xuan Cang; you three work together to kill him!"

Po Feng: "The consort says, to capture the thief we must first capture the king?"

"But the Wolf Three King surely has many guards and deputy commanders beside him; it's probably not that easy to lure him away."

Li Qingluo: "Who says he's not easy to lure away?"

"This Wolf Three King's favorite thing to do is to disguise himself as an ordinary soldier or a regular deputy commander."

"Moreover, he is arrogant and loves glory; he enjoys personally sneaking up close to the enemy, seeking to take their heads when they are off guard."

"So on the battlefield he is always appearing and disappearing unpredictably; even his deputy commanders don't know where he will be."

"Even if he has guards around him, they are merely a few shadows following him."

"As long as you are fast enough, you can easily lure him away."

Another deputy commander felt it was complicated: "But how do we know which one is him?"

"Moreover, how do you, consort, know all this?"

Li Qingluo looked at that deputy commander, knowing he was unconvinced.

Her eyes turned cold, and she pulled out a sheet of paper from her sleeve.

Unfolding the paper, Li Qingluo said: "This is his portrait."

"As for how I know these inner details, do I need to explain them to you now, consort?"

"This time the Western Region army numbers 100,000, while we, left to guard Mantuo City, are only 40,000."

"To win, we can only rely on this one strategy."

That deputy commander lowered his head.

"That sounds simple enough."

"Those Western Region folks all look alike; to find a hidden Wolf Three King on the battlefield, do you really think we all have heavenly eyes?"

Po Feng: "Shut up!"

"Don't you know to use your brain?"

"Since the consort has proposed this method, she must also have a way to overcome the difficulties."

Li Qingluo, instead, did not get angry.

She said in her usual calm tone: "Finding the Wolf Three King in a sea of people is indeed no different from looking for a needle in a haystack."

"So, we must make him come looking for us himself!"

"By then, those of you who have seen the portrait will easily be able to tell which one is him."

Po Feng: "Subordinate will obey all orders from the consort!"

Po Feng had no hesitation at all.

He immediately expressed his stance.

The other deputy commanders, seeing this, could only nod in agreement.

Li Qingluo knew that they still half-believed, half-doubted her plan, and it could not convince those few deputy commanders wholeheartedly.

But for now, to avoid the 40,000 soldiers bleeding and sacrificing in a stubborn defense to hold Mantuo City, she could only resort to an unorthodox method.

And this method at least has a fifty percent chance of success.

She nodded toward Po Feng.

"Let's meet the battle."

The Western Region army had arrived at the city walls.

The battle began with a barrage of arrows and crossbow bolts from afar.

The defenses on the city walls were caught off guard.

Amidst the carnage, Li Qingluo resolutely donned her armor, belly protruding, and climbed onto the city gate.

Her hair was tied up high.

Her red cape fluttered behind her like blood drinking.

She lifted the drumstick and personally beat the war drum, sound after sound.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom—"

"Soldiers—"

"Western Region bandits, you dare to defy the heart of the Central Plains!"

"For years they have been plundering our cities—"

"They have captured and slaughtered our people!"

"They have occupied our homeland!"

"They have displaced innocent civilians, oppressed and enslaved them, even causing countless wives to be separated from husbands, families torn apart, lives destroyed!"

"For our homeland, for our mountains and rivers, to defend the people's peace and the nation's stability—"

"Today I, Li Qingluo—"

"am standing right on this city wall!"

"standing with you to resist the foreign invaders!"

"sharing life and death—"

"vowing to die, to exterminate the Western Region bandits—"

"Kill—!!"

The shouts rang out wave after wave, piercing through tens of thousands of troops, reaching every heart.

Drive out the external enemies!

Protect the mountains and rivers!

Queen!

Queen!

Queen——!!

The warriors fervently went up to meet the 100,000-strong Western Region army, and below instantly turned into a sea of blood.

Li Qingluo immediately arranged on the city wall for the kill-word people to set up the crossbows.

And the new batch of weapons she designed were finally set up on the city wall.

When the Western Region soldiers approached the city wall, set up the scaling ladders, and then densely crawled upward.

The fire oil that had already been poured down instantly ignited with a 'whoosh' sound.

One by one, living people fell from the city wall.

And the long-range fireballs also smashed into the rear of the Western Region army.

On the battlefield, Po Feng deliberately donned the marshal's battle robe, wore that blue-faced fanged mask, and ostentatiously slaughtered in all directions.

Sure enough, soon he saw in the crowd the face from that portrait.

The queen truly did not deceive him; indeed there is such a person!

Even though he wore the ordinary armor of a Western Region soldier, his face and the ferocity bursting from his whole body were anything but ordinary!

Po Feng naturally pretended to know nothing, merely exchanging glances secretly with a few people.

And then he continued to cut down the crowd.

Suddenly, Western Region soldiers disguised as the Kill Four brought a small team and scattered Po Feng's defense.

Po Feng was attacked from front and back, and a blade struck his back.

He had no choice but to turn and flee.

And the Kill Four shouted in clumsy Central Plains speech: "Where to flee, King of Lanhai——"

He turned and pursued.

A group of Western Region soldiers behind him, seeing this, also immediately followed.

Among them, naturally there was the Three‑Wolf King, eyes blood‑red, like a wolf poised to attack, ready to devour people and drink blood!

When they reached the territory demarcated by Li Qingluo.

Po Feng, wearing the blue‑fanged mask, was shot in the horse's buttocks from behind, swaying as he fell off the horse with an 'oops'.

A group of Western Region soldiers immediately, under the Kill Four's loud shout, surrounded and attacked.