The Lord Of Blood Hill

Ten days later, Nangong Ying approaches Henwell and the others again.

He feels the time has come to retreat. Outside the capital, the main camp now hosts a massive gathering of troops.

The private armies of the eight major families, along with the local garrison forces they support, have steadily arrived in the capital and joined Nangong He’s command.

More than two hundred thousand reinforcements have arrived, shaking the morale of the Forbidden Army and the standing army nearby.

Now, both the Forbidden Army and the standing army each have a whole guard unit that has defected to Nangong He’s side.

At the anti-rebellion camp outside the capital, Nangong He commands a formidable force of four hundred thousand troops.

In contrast, Nangong Ying’s suburban camp holds only seventy thousand soldiers.

The visible disparity in strength has caused a major shift in attitudes throughout the court and the country.

Many begin to criticize Nangong Ying, and other families start to stir with ambition.

Nangong Ying isn’t cowardly or afraid of battle, he understands that with such a gap, retreat is the wisest choice.

If the stalemate continues, the remaining tens of thousands in the Forbidden Army and standing army near the capital will surely side with Nangong He.

By then, it won’t just be about losing the throne, it might be impossible to even escape.

Taking advantage of the fact that Nangong He’s diverse forces still need reorganization and can’t launch a pursuit, leaving now is the safest option.

If the remaining Forbidden Army and standing army choose to support Nangong He, his forces will include four armies from the Forbidden Army and four armies from the standing army.

These troops are essentially one unified force with a well-established command system, no reorganization needed.

Both these armies possess high combat effectiveness and can serve as the left and right wings of the imperial suppression force.

With these two elite groups of eighty thousand each pushing forward, Nangong He can use his thirty-plus thousand troops as the center, directly overwhelming Nangong Ying’s forces.

Henwell advises Nangong Ying to stay calm and patient. Everything is proceeding according to plan.

Compared to Nangong Ying’s anxiety, Nangong He feels much more at ease.

Today, he receives good news that finally puts his restless mind to rest.

In Nangong He’s view, the tens of thousands of troops Nangong Ying currently commands are troublesome but not the greatest threat.

What truly worries him is the elite 150,000-strong Imperial Forbidden Army stationed in the South Regions.

If Nangong Ying manages to escape there and take control of that force, far from the capital’s reach, he could carve out territory and effectively sever the empire’s four southern prefectures.

In the short term, Nangong He lacks the strength to launch a southern campaign. By the time he stabilizes the court, Nangong Ying will have solidified his foothold in the South Regions.

Therefore, immediately after ascending the throne, Nangong He secretly sends envoys to the South Regions.

He bribes Benjamin with the title of a feudal prince of a different surname to keep the 150,000-strong Forbidden Army in check.

At the same time, he appoints Liu Mang as the Grand Commander of the three southwestern prefectures, securing his loyalty to also restrain the stationed Forbidden Army.

Though both command over a hundred thousand troops each, Nangong He believes their combat power cannot match the Forbidden Army.

His goal is simply to have them contain the Forbidden Army and prevent it from marching north.

They don’t need to risk everything in battle, given such generous offers, Nangong He doesn’t doubt they would refuse.

As expected, both readily accept Nangong He’s orders.

They even lavishly bribe the envoys to secure more rewards.

To prove their loyalty, their troops adopt a pincer stance, forcing the Forbidden Army to stay put.

Now, the envoys return, reporting their observations.

With Nangong Ying’s rear cut off, Nangong He no longer feels urgent.

He originally planned to slowly erode Nangong Ying’s strength, but a letter from the northern border forces him to speed things up.

The letter is from his elder brother, the former crown prince.

It urges Nangong He not to go too far, warning of instability along the border.

The elder brother advises Nangong He to spare Nangong Ying, promising to recognize Nangong He’s claim to the throne.

Though this is exactly what Nangong He wants, he refuses to accept the mercy from this Fifth Rank Martial Warrior brother this time.

He decides to act as if he never received the letter and launches a full assault to kill Nangong Ying, with Lucy as a target as well.

He cannot allow Nangong Ying to survive and retreat to the South Regions, especially not with Lucy accompanying him.

Years of cooperation have shown Nangong He just how formidable Lucy is.

Only blinded by emotion does she underestimate him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be her match.

Despite operating covertly, Lucy has amassed a tremendous power base.

If allowed to develop freely, she could become unstoppable.

Nangong He believes that given a few years, Lucy and Nangong Ying will not only secure their foothold but control multiple prefectures.

At that point, he will face their furious counterattack.

So he resolves: he cannot let this couple live.

So, Nangong He decides not to delay any longer.

If the former crown prince really comes personally to plead for mercy, Nangong He knows he cannot refuse this imperial Fifth Rank Martial Warrior, his noble elder brother who commands a powerful army.

Three days later, he plans to launch another offensive.

His generals protest, saying the troops haven’t finished reorganizing and the command structure is still chaotic. Under such conditions, combat effectiveness is low.

They focus solely on military considerations, but Nangong He looks at the bigger picture, politics, strategy, and the future.

No matter the objections, he insists on swiftly crushing Nangong Ying and his allies.

After three days, the massive army moves out as scheduled.

Four hundred thousand troops on the march create an awe-inspiring spectacle.

Including conscripted laborers from nearby, the total numbers approach a million.

Simply building the floating bridges to cross the Fengyue River takes five days.

Fortunately, Nangong Ying’s forces are too limited to disrupt the river crossing.

At last, this enormous army is deployed onto the designated battlefield.

Faced with such odds, Nangong Ying remains calm, unlike others who might blame Henwell and the others. He carefully arranges his defense lines.

Privately, he approaches Henwell. “I can’t win this battle. You and Lucy should leave. This is my fate. The throne is not meant for me. I won’t drag Lucy into this fire again.”

Henwell smiles calmly. “Tomorrow, Your Highness only needs to face the enemy with full spirit. Leave the rest to us.”

The next morning, both armies form ranks and advance onto the battlefield.

From afar, the mass of troops looks like a dark, unbroken wave. Birds in the sky and beasts on the ground fall silent. Even the insects hide deep in their burrows, afraid to make a sound.

This time, Henwell does not take the field. Fang Yuan and Nathan each command thirty thousand troops to meet the imperial forces head-on.

The fighting is fierce and evenly matched.

Then, suddenly, both sides notice Henwell charging into the battle.

After a fierce clash, Henwell abruptly leaves the battlefield, racing southward.

Nearby civil and military officials loudly curse Henwell for cowardly fleeing.

Nangong Ying simply sighs softly, saying nothing.

Upon hearing the news, Nangong He bursts into laughter. “Ha ha ha… I knew all along these barbarians aren’t loyal or brave. When things turn against them, they choose survival above all else!”