Chapter 18: The Imperial Court Is Bullying Him Again

But the next second, Bai Wei hesitated.

Mom is still in the modern world; if she cannot return, what will Mom do?

It is better to wait until after the great battle, when she has arranged things in reality properly, then test the wardrobe again to see if she can transport herself over.

Bai Wei returned to the room, took out the Jade Pendant, pricked her finger, and dripped blood onto it.

A familiar wave of dizziness washed over her...

Bai Wei fainted again.

When she opened her eyes once more, the surroundings were already the snow-filled Daliang.

In the dim sky, goose-feather-sized snowflakes were drifting down.

Xiao Moting led the crowd and stood at the entrance of the command tent.

Opposite them, a man looking like a military officer sat on a horse in official robes, his expression arrogant.

"... Fourth Prince, the Emperor has ordered the Second Prince to serve as the Commander-in-Chief to lead the entire army."

"I am acting under the Second Prince's orders to specifically request the Fourth Prince to retreat ten miles and rendezvous with the Second Prince's troops."

Xiao Moting said in a deep voice, "General Yang, the barbarian army is about to arrive; to retreat at this time, is that not disregarding the lives of the fifty thousand commoners in Xuancheng?"

Yang Wei smiled slightly, his expression revealing a trace of disdain.

"Fourth Prince, the barbarians have one hundred thousand elite soldiers, while we only have fifty thousand; do you think we can win?"

"It is better to wait until the barbarians attack the city, let the commoners defend it to exhaust some of their strength, and then launch a surprise attack from the rear; only then will our chances of victory increase."

Xiao Moting gripped the hilt of his Long Sword tightly, suppressing the rage in his chest.

"Letting the Xuancheng commoners who know nothing of tactics defend the city and using them to exhaust the barbarian army—this is sending them to their deaths! I do not allow it!"

Xiao Dabao rushed forward and shouted at Yang Wei.

"You coward! You don't dare to go to the front lines to fight the barbarians yourself, so you want to use the commoners as cannon fodder?!"

Yang Wei's expression turned fierce as he raised his whip to strike at Xiao Dabao, "I am acting under the Second Prince's orders; what kind of thing are you to dare be disrespectful to me..."

Suddenly, Xiao Moting reached out and firmly grabbed the Long Blade.

"Insolent! I am the Fourth Prince of Daliang! What kind of thing are you? Kneel before me!"

He pulled hard and yanked Yang Wei off his horse in one motion.

Yang Wei rolled onto the snowy ground in a sorry state, covered in dirt.

Several thousand soldiers in the camp drew their Long Blades in unison, their roars shaking the sky.

"Kneel!"

Yang Wei trembled all over, forced to kneel on the ground, gritting his teeth.

"Fourth Prince, the Military Order was issued by the Second Prince; I am here to deliver the order by imperial decree, please accept it!"

"If you do not accept it, the Second Prince will not send out his troops."

Xiao Moting's handsome face was cold and stern.

He could not accept this Military Order.

"Someone, take General Yang to Xuancheng to rest; we shall discuss this again tomorrow."

In the air, a bird's cry rang out!

A gyrfalcon flew down from the sky and landed on Xiao Moting's shoulder.

He removed the secret letter from the gyrfalcon's claw, took one look, and his brows knitted even tighter.

Xiao Dabao leaned in, "Prince, where have the reinforcements from the Northern Frontier Camp reached? We still have to rely on our own people..."

"The reinforcements are blocked on the road by the wind and snow and cannot get through."

Xiao Dabao was shocked, "If the reinforcements cannot come, what are we to do?"

"Report!"

A black horse galloped over.

"Delivering the Second Prince's Military Order, please have the Prince of Northern Suppression accept the order!"

Xiao Moting radiated a cold aura, a flash of icy light in his eyes.

Yang Wei had barely left before the second Military Order arrived!

Trying to force him to accept the order?

Qin Zhan said urgently, "Prince, they want to send the commoners to their deaths; you cannot accept this Military Order."

Xiao Dabao, however, had his brows locked in a frown, "If we don't accept the Military Order, that is defying an order! If the Second Prince doesn't send his troops, we don't have enough men, and the brothers will all die if they go to battle!"

Xiao Moting's expression was cold and stern, icy light flickering in his eyes.

He could not let the commoners of Xuancheng lose their lives, but if Xiao Rui did not send his troops, his own thirty thousand personal soldiers would also all die here facing one hundred thousand barbarian soldiers.

On one side were the lives of the commoners, on the other were the lives of thirty thousand personal soldiers!

How was he to choose!

Suddenly, another messenger rode over at full speed.

"Please have the Prince of Northern Suppression accept the order!"

"Prince of Northern Suppression, the Second Prince says that a Military Order is like a mountain; if you defy the order, you will be dealt with according to military law."

Three Military Orders, each more urgent than the last.

The entire camp was deathly silent.

Under the night sky, all the soldiers raised their heads and looked quietly at Xiao Moting.

They were waiting for their Chief Commander to give the order.

Thirty thousand lives were all in his single thought.

Xiao Moting gripped his fists tightly, bloodshot veins appearing in his eyes.

To accept it is to send the common people to their deaths!

To refuse it is to defy an order, and to send my own personal soldiers to their deaths!

At this moment, a general stepped out from the ranks and came forward to cup his hands in salute.

"Prince, since our duty is to protect the common people, please allow us to go to the front and kill the enemy."

Another ordinary soldier stood out.

"Prince, we are not afraid of death! Even without reinforcements, we are willing to go fight the Barbarians!"

The soldiers shouted one after another, their eyes firm, their loud cries reaching the heavens!

"That's right, we are not cowards like Yang Wei who fear death; let us go and trade our lives one-for-one with the Barbarians!"

Xiao Moting raised his head and scanned the dense mass of troops before him, his eyes growing slightly warm!

The soldiers he had trained were all fine men!

There was not a single coward among them!

To let the common people lose their lives—he could not do it!

This Military Order, he would not accept!

Xiao Moting took a deep breath and shouted in a deep voice.

"Those willing to stay with me and resist the enemy together, take one step forward."

"Those willing to follow Yang Wei and retreat to find Xiao Rui, stand by where you are!"

The moment his voice fell!

"Clatter!"

The sound of uniform, synchronized footsteps rang out!

All the soldiers stepped forward in unison, and no one retreated!

Qin Zhan stepped forward quickly and knelt on the ground, "Prince, please allow this general to follow you and live or die together."

Xiao Dabao also knelt and roared loudly, "I, Xiao Dabao, am also willing to stay and resist the enemy; if I kill one, I break even, and if I kill two, I make a profit!"

All the soldiers knelt together, their roars shaking the heavens.

"We swear to follow the Prince to the death."

Not a single person feared death.

Bai Wei watched them quietly, her eyes slightly moist.

She could feel the heart beating violently in Xiao Moting's chest, and the hot blood burning in his body.

Her gaze seemed to pierce through time, seeing the sons and daughters of Huaxia who had sworn to fight the Japanese invaders to the death in those years!

Countless heroes used their own lives to trade for today's peace.

History would not repeat itself!

She would let them live.

The cold wind whistled, and the night was deep.

Xiao Moting turned around, and just as he raised his head, he held his breath.

On the wooden board of the wardrobe, several lines of elegant handwriting appeared.

"Xiao Moting, I will help you."

"I will do my best to help you win this battle."

"You must believe that you will win!"

The handwriting slowly disappeared after he saw it.

Xiao Moting, however, was stunned.

He stood at the entrance of the main camp; behind him were thirty thousand dense troops, and in front... was the hope she had brought.

The sentences were very short and vanished in a flash.

Yet, in Xiao Moting's heart, a fierce flame had been ignited!

He opened his mouth but could not speak.

Deep in his heart, it felt as if a feather had brushed past, causing a light tremor.

Xiao Moting took a deep breath.

He turned around and spoke loudly to the crowd.

"Shennü Daren says she will help us win this battle!"

The night wind was silent.

But the next moment, the excited cheers of the soldiers rang out from all directions.

"Long live the Goddess! May she bring blessings to Daliang!"