Chapter 768

First Volume, Chapter 768: Shocking Heaven

The two stared at each other, not knowing how long they had sat there, before finally snapping out of their shock.

Lü Ci's mouth remained wide open as he stammered: "I… I didn't hear wrong? Lord Qin killed Chen Mou and Chen Li, and annihilated the Snow Wolf Brigade?!"

"How… how is this possible?!"

"The Snow Wolf Brigade is one of the Beidi's most elite cavalry units—even if they couldn't win, they could still escape!"

Lü Ci felt as if he were dreaming; just hearing the words "Snow Wolf Brigade" used to make his legs go weak, yet in a single night, Qin Feng had wiped them out? The Snow Wolf Brigade's combat effectiveness was such that once they decided to retreat, no army under Heaven and Earth could stop them.

The news of the Snow Wolf Brigade's annihilation spread across Jiangnan and Sai Bei in record time, carried by the autumn winds of Sai Bei.

When the Emperor of Liang learned of this, he locked himself in his Book Room for an entire day; only the next day did he summon Li Yu and Chen Si.

After a day and night of adjustment, the Emperor of Liang's mood remained heavy and oppressive.

When the Emperor of Liang turned to Chen Si, he noticed Chen Si's eyes filled with grief and rage—and only then did he remember that the Commander and Deputy General of the Snow Wolf Brigade were Chen Si's kin.

At this moment, Chen Si's heart must be shattered.

Thinking of this, the Emperor of Liang softened his tone as much as he could and said solemnly: "Minister Chen, please bear up."

Chen Si's lips twitched, yet he forced composure and bowed to the Emperor of Liang: "Your Majesty, please bear up as well."

For Chen Si, he had lost only two kin; for the Emperor of Liang, he had lost the entire Snow Wolf Brigade—this was, since the end of the National War, the darkest day in the history of Liang.

Although the Emperor of Liang wished to cut straight to the point, he considered Chen Si's state of mind and followed protocol by first praising the great achievements of Chen Mou and Chen Li.

"Chen Mou and Chen Li were my two most trusted generals—Chen Li was valiant, and Chen Mou was fierce. Since they led the Snow Wolf Brigade, it became like a tiger with wings, winning battle after battle for over a decade without defeat, expanding our territory and earning great merit."

"The Ministry of Rites will deliberate and determine the posthumous title."

Here, the Emperor of Liang changed tone and asked softly: "Minister Chen, I still cannot accept that the Snow Wolf Brigade was annihilated—can you help me understand why?"

Chen Si closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing his boundless hatred for Qin Feng, then replied in a low, steady voice: "My assessment of the Snow Wolf Brigade's destruction consists of only four words."

The Emperor of Liang pressed urgently: "Speak freely."

Chen Si's gaze sharpened instantly: "Deserved fate!"

At these words, the Emperor of Liang froze for a moment.

If these four words had come from anyone else, the Emperor of Liang would have been furious—but Chen Si was kin to Chen Mou and Chen Li; if he judged the matter so harshly, there must be reason.

The Emperor of Liang forced patience and asked: "Why say so?"

Chen Si did not beat around the bush; he analyzed the incident based on information from the Ministry of War and the Black Guard: "Your Majesty, when Chen Mou led a thousand Vanguard Cavalry in a night raid on Lü Ci's ZhuZhen, he chose immediate retreat upon learning enemy reinforcements were approaching—up to that point, his command was flawless."

"But what followed left me deeply disappointed."

"Qin Feng personally led the pursuit, having learned of the Snow Wolf Brigade's night stealth attack—he used himself as bait to lure them in. And indeed, Chen Mou could not resist the temptation; upon learning Qin Feng's identity, he sought to capture and kill him, to remove a threat to Liang."

"Yet time and again, history has proven: killing Qin Feng is harder than climbing to heaven!"

"Had Chen Mou focused solely on retreat, even if caught by Qin Feng, he could have fought while withdrawing, preserving at least half his cavalry and safely returning to camp. And once within fifty Li of the camp, Qin Feng would not dare pursue further—thus, the night raid would have ended in total victory."

"But the moment Chen Mou chose to counterattack, his death was sealed. Qin Feng could annihilate Chen Mou and his thousand Vanguard Cavalry without fail."

The Emperor of Liang pondered, finding Chen Si's analysis entirely logical.

After all, those thousand Vanguard Cavalry had marched through the night and then retreated in haste—their warhorses' stamina was precious; any unnecessary maneuver would exhaust them, trapping them with no escape.

Cavalry versus cavalry does not truly pit men against men—it pits warhorses against warhorses.

Although Beidi horses held an advantage, Qin Feng's warhorses were not mere Liang Kingdom breeds—they were a mix of Liang horses, Beidi horses, and Highland horses. Thus, the Beidi horses' edge was largely nullified. Moreover, Qin Feng employed the "Three Horses, Two Riders" tactic, preserving horse stamina through spare mounts.

Hence, pursuing the Snow Wolf Brigade became far easier.

Chen Si took another deep breath and continued: "Had Chen Li not rushed to reinforce, or had he refrained from reckless revenge upon learning Qin Feng was the enemy commander, only Chen Mou would have perished—not the entire force. Now, not only was the Snow Wolf Brigade annihilated, but Feng Chen and his thousands of soldiers were captured."

"According to reliable intelligence brought back by the Night Owl, Feng Chen has defected to Qin Feng—this will further strengthen the Imperial Party in Sangzhou."

"Your Majesty, events have slipped beyond our control."

The Emperor of Liang's expression turned grim; only now did he realize what Qin Feng's disturbances in Sangzhou truly meant for the entire Liang Kingdom.

Even the unshakable Emperor of Liang could not help but sigh: "First we lost Xiongying Ridge, now the Snow Wolf Brigade—if Qin Feng continues stirring trouble in Sangzhou, who knows what other surprises he will bring me?"

"Minister Chen, Minister Li—what do you suggest we do next?"

Chen Si did not hesitate: "I propose we prepare three moves at once."

"First, pressure Qin Feng to return to Beijing immediately, removing him from Sangzhou. Second, in military matters, we must not show weakness—we must find a way to eliminate or suppress the Imperial Party in Sangzhou, slowing their growth. Third, find a way to make Qin Feng's Back Courtyard burn—strip him of the Emperor of Liang's support."

Beside him, Li Yu spoke gravely: "The first two points, General Chen, are sound—but the third will backfire."

"It is not that the Emperor of Liang supports Qin Feng—it is that the Emperor of Liang fears him and is forced to avoid his sharpness."