Chapter 445: Your Highness, don't rush, the viscountess isn't dead yet

Unfortunately, even if his eloquence was superb, he still committed a fatal mistake in the end.

——He shouldn't have asked that question.

So Chongshan immediately latched onto this talk that could be made into a big story, pursing the mustache on his lips, his face full of emotion.

"Mm! That's right, so this time I brought many mages skilled in fire magic!"

"Don't worry, friends, with fire mages helping, we will absolutely not be frozen by the storm; please, come with me!"

Jusen:???

Now that things have come to this, he who had inadvertently dug himself a pit could only nod.

"That's only natural……"

Although the Duke Jusen, who originally came just to loaf around, brought only twenty thousand troops this time, joining forces with Chongshan gave them a full sixty thousand.

Thus, when the Third Prince, who had finally managed to escape, stumbled upon them by chance, the young man was so happy he almost jumped up.

But he ultimately couldn't jump up, not because he was steady, but because he still had to face the doubts of the two dukes.

——"Your Highness, why did you bring so many people here? Have the enemies already retreated?"

"Ah this."

However, this didn't faze Lao San; his face immediately filled with grief and resentment, and he angrily punched his own thigh.

"Without hiding it from the two dukes, after holding out for a full seven days with ammunition and supplies exhausted, we really had no choice but to launch a breakout at dusk……"

After viewing himself as the main perspective and beautifying what had just happened, the Third Prince successfully redefined his betrayal of comrades as the tragic story: "Loyal soldiers voluntarily sacrificed themselves, giving me this escape opportunity QWQ."

"Oh, I see, please mourn, Your Highness."

The two dukes naturally knew what was going on, but they didn't expose it, instead meekly accepting his explanation.

But sometimes in this world things are truly coincidental, coincidental to the point that it seems as if byd fate is deliberately putting on a show.

Because their words hadn't even fallen, they again discovered over a thousand utterly disheveled, scattered figures appearing in the direction from which the Third Prince had come.

A cavalry scout unit immediately set out to check; after a moment, they returned with several timid individuals.

Damn!

The Third Prince already had a bad premonition in his heart; upon seeing that familiar face, he cursed under his breath and rushed forward to block the other party.

"General Feng En! How are you here? Could it be that you also managed to break out? How are they then?"

Although his words were mainly sobs, the Third Prince's speech was full of emphasis, and his hand gripping Feng En's shoulder was extremely forceful.

But even if he didn't hint at it, Feng En could understand what the Prince meant.

So after wiping the ice pellets and dishevelment from his face, his expression hidden beneath the wind and frost, however grim, could only nod at this moment.

"Your Highness, it's Viscountess Ke Li Si Ting! She traded her life for our lives!"

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's heart and spirit were greatly shaken; he cried out heart-wrenchingly.

"How could this be? How could this happen!"

The two dukes quickly lifted the limp Lao San up, one on each side, and exclaimed.

"Your Highness, don't panic, what happened?"

The Third Prince wailed loudly, his face full of sorrow.

"You two dukes don't know this, but on this trip I have met an extraordinarily brave and skilled warrior……"

Good grief, this really just added fuel to the fire and caused a fuss!

All that can be said is that San Zi is useless; he might as well go tell stories under a bridge, and in just a few words he's made Ke Li Si Ting out to be almost the peerless loyal and righteous number one martial god of the age.

Of course, for a noble like him who always looks out for his own interests, willing to bestow a medal on a dead person is mainly because this glory can be doubly returned to himself.

So, at least until he heard Feng En say, "Your Highness, don't rush, the viscountess isn't dead yet," San Zi's mourning was still quite fervent.

"Ah?"

I have to say, the nobles of Deep Forest are no slouches; they truly have more quality than those of Brilliant Light.

Even showing such overflowing surprise on a face streaked with tears and snot can be considered a marvel of humanity.

Feng En naturally knows that saying this is essentially spurning the Highness's dignity, and even more bluntly, it's a slap to his face.

But now the situation is urgent, we really can't worry about that.

He could only kneel with a thud, performing a double-knee great salute that nobles generally wouldn't do, and shouted loudly.

"The loyal viscountess is still leading our brave warriors in unceasing struggle, so we still have a chance to turn things around!"

"Your Highness, please give the order!"

The general's words rang out, but the Third Prince didn't rush to speak; instead, he quietly turned to look at the people behind him.

There's no way; even if my former self was full of vigor and commanded over ten thousand troops, now that I'm under someone else's eaves, I might as well lower my head……

Chongshan was using feigned death to buy time, but the essentially treacherous Duke Jusen had already prepared to cause big trouble.

Therefore he stepped forward and voiced his agreement loudly.

"I've heard that the Third Prince is known for his kindness; I suppose it's because he has built quite intimate friendships with his subordinates."

"Such friendship is precious, so now that your troops are suffering on the battlefield, I, as a subject, naturally cannot make things difficult for you."

"So Your Highness, please issue the command; we will certainly help you with all our might, loyal and faithful!"

But he had shouted himself hoarse, while Chongshan beside him was truly numb.

——Nima, when saying nice words it's only "I", but when it's time to exert effort it becomes "we", right!

As for his reason for staying silent, it's quite simple: although it sounds odd, according to the interests of the Third Prince-Chongshan Group, not going or delaying is actually the best strategy.

Including earlier, why did the Third Prince, when he mistakenly thought Ke Li Si Ting had died, cry as if he'd lost his own father?

Because a dead person doesn't speak; even if she was incredibly powerful while alive, now she can only be used as a tool by the living, to be manipulated at will.

But now then.

Well, you're benevolent, you repay kindness, you saved them—then what?

You, you've already sold yourself—you can't gamble on whether the other side has a lump that could completely sever the friendship.

So you flatter? That easily makes enemies; you don't flatter? That easily invites gossip—either way it's a dilemma.

Better to grit your teeth and stall, wait for that troop to be killed by the steppe people—ah, then…

Huh? Oh, sigh, who among us here is clean? You won't still be afraid of a little blood on you, will you? It's fine, it's fine.

The only loophole is that Duke Giant Forest is also there; this guy is very likely to keep tight‑lipped about their betrayal of the viscount and leak it out.

But…

So what then?

As I said before, dead people are just weapons for the living.

Even the Deep Forest ancestor king Giuseppe can't escape this law, let alone a petty viscount.

When the Second realizes over there that this bullet is actually not very useful, time will wear everything down for them—no need to worry!

So…

So they know this—how could Duke Giant Forest possibly not know?

You don't want me to screw you over, right? Ridiculous—if I don't screw you, how am I to answer to the Second Prince?

Thus he started frantically pitting the Third Prince against the Duke of Lofty Mountain, constantly applying moral pressure on them.

Seeing them still stubbornly refusing and hesitating, he simply slapped his thigh and barked.

「Come on, where is General Kelaote? 」

A male draconian with red scales covering his body stepped out from the army behind him and snapped a salute.

「Esteemed Duke, your loyal General Kelaote is always here! 」

Duke Giant Forest nodded in satisfaction.

「Good, I like tough troops! If they're wishy‑washy, what propriety is that? 」

Duke Lofty Mountain: "There's hidden meaning in your words, huh!"

Third Prince: "Who's being a coward? I'm cursing the coward, I'm cursing the coward!"

But Duke Giant Forest couldn't hear their inner subtext; he just raised his whip.

「Since the Third Prince and Duke Lofty Mountain are being cautious, let us scout the path for them. 」

Having said that, he pointed toward the faint, constantly flickering human shape deep in the wind and snow.

「Giant Forest Army, hear my orders! All units, follow me into battle! 」

「Received! 」

The draconian general, of course understanding his lord's intent, immediately began deploying troops; within less than half a minute they were on the move.

「Hey, you, hey, oh no! 」

The Third and Duke Lofty Mountain were left gritting their teeth by this move—really, they've been put on the fire to roast!

Just as they were about to grit their teeth and join the group, who would have thought that damned fate wasn't exhausted yet, because more people came again from ahead.

And this time the sound was a chaotic clatter of hooves; considering there shouldn't be a second wave of cavalry bearing the Deep Forest banner on the battlefield, it could only be…

「Viscount, look quickly—it's the Prince, he's brought the two dukes to rescue you! 」

By rights, Ke Li Si Ting, already deep in the enemy formation, has no chance of breaking out; even in Maxim's original plan, saving just her would have been enough.

But who called for the Deep Forest army to come? He gritted his teeth and covered the entire cavalry unit as they ran that distance.

After all, he knows the Third Prince's nature too well; expecting him to come rescue you voluntarily is impossible—you have to force him to do it.

And upon seeing Ke Li Si Ting, the Third once again performed a face‑changing stunt, immediately claiming the credit for rescuing her for himself.

That's right, I, the Prince, didn't run off—I went out to meet the two dukes to rescue you (tough as nails)!

???

Duke Lofty Mountain: "Uh, you definitely have to go along with what he said, otherwise what?"

Duke Giant Forest: "Oh wow, you can even rack up merit from this."

General Feng En: "Hehe, what else can I say? Fine."

Everyone unanimously chose silence, and the situation no longer allowed them to hesitate.

Because right after the cavalry came the main force of the steppe people.

At this point the combined numbers of both armies on the field exceeded a hundred thousand, a gray‑black mass covering the earth—truly a sky‑to‑ground shroud.

If fighting resumed, it would surely shake heaven and earth, make ghosts and gods weep—a bloody battle worthy of being recorded in the annals of Deep Forest.

——So they never actually fought until the end.

After capturing that point that had surrounded them as prisoners, the Bai Mo people slowly withdrew amid low, mournful steppe songs.

「This… this is? 」

The Deep Forest soldiers, who had been ready for slaughter, stared at each other, none understanding what the enemy was doing.

But some elite cadres had already begun contacting their peers and superiors, preparing to join forces and hunt down the steppe people together.

Regardless of what they intend, since they dare turn their backs on us, the Deep Forest people must rush forward and take a bite of flesh—this is the ancestral instruction!

Yet unexpectedly, facing this delightful scenario of sixty thousand elite troops attacking forty‑plus thousand weary soldiers, the superiors issued no orders at all.

Because on what grounds?

On what basis should I, as a member of the Second's household, Duke Giant Forest, help you win a splendid victory?

Indeed, this might benefit me, but a quick look at the histories shows that the fate of those who betray their side and get crushed is hardly pretty.

This is also why, although five hundred years have passed and the twenty‑four northern border ducal families still exist, not every one of them can still bear the 'Grand' in Grand Duke—the fundamental reason.

Keeping you is for everyone's face; casting you out is because you truly are shameless.

So when faced with such a sweet situation where a move yields gain, this time it was Duke Giant Forest's turn to drag his feet ruthlessly.

He kept dawdling, holding his troops back, until the steppe people had completely withdrawn, then he set up rear‑fire cannons and began a concentrated bombardment.

"Hey, if they could just be a bit braver, they'd definitely be able to withstand my terror!"

"Moreover, although they didn't dare to step on the Third Prince, secretly stepping on the foot of the not-so-tall Duke of Chongshan was still no problem."

"But next time, you must come riding a tall, big-headed horse, and absolutely not be as stifled as today—ah, so frustrating!"

"And with his trash talk, the snowfield battle that raged from evening till dawn finally came to an end."

"Interestingly, after news of the battle reached the ears of both sides' peoples, they discovered that each side actually declared it to be their own victory."

"The Beimosi Khanate declared it to be their victory, for under the leadership of the great khan, they successfully crippled the Deep Forest Third Prince's core troops, and also restrained at least five powerful dukes and over ten castles' forces, enough to stir up the winds and clouds."

"The Deep Forest Kingdom declared it to be their victory, for under the leadership of the Third Prince, they successfully showed off their might on the steppe, and repelled the steppe army that had entered Deep Forest's borders seeking revenge, objectively ruining the Beimosi Khanate's last chance this year to move south."

"Although it sounds like each side is just popping their own cheap champagne, upon closer look it actually does make some sense."

"And since this battle was a great victory for our army, the Lionheart King, delighted, will surely bestow rewards according to merit."

"But since the Third Prince and the two dukes had already been granted all possible titles, this tremendous merit fell to Ke Li Si Ting and Feng En."

"Thus Old Feng finally got his wish, attaining the viscountcy he had long dreamed of, and with his wife and daughter began a leisurely vacation that could last at least until spring."

"And Ke Li Si Ting also stepped up from viscount to earl, a title that's not huge but barely qualifies as a high noble, and received a decent fief."

"It sounds easy, and the two of them just saw their life dreams fully realized in such a simple way."

"But if you lift the curtain and steal the script, you'll find that it actually wasn't that smooth to begin with; it was the result of someone pulling strings behind the scenes."

"(End of chapter)"