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墨書 Inktalez
"Knowing the crime, what good does it do? You should just catch the person!"
"Each of you is just a useless drunkard, sleeping away? What use is it for Western Moon to support you? As soldiers, it is our duty to protect our homeland and our families, but what about you?"
The general had a bushy beard, stood eight feet tall, and was muscular. When he got angry, his voice rang out like a bronze bell.
This man was named Zhong Kui. True to his name, he was strong and upright, unable to tolerate the bad practices in the army. He had devoted himself to guarding for decades and had some experience in dealing with enemies, but he was straightforward and not adept at schemes.
Thus, he suffered a significant loss at the hands of that group.
The sight of the common people's corpses made him furious; he wished he could skin those people alive.
Meanwhile, twenty miles from the border of Western Moon, a fierce group of horses gradually slowed down. The men on horseback sang loudly, returning with spoils of war and young women enough for them to enjoy for a long time.
"Hahaha, this time we have achieved a great victory!" One of them shed his disguise, revealing the uniform underneath.
It turned out that this group was none other than soldiers from Dark Moon, who were negotiating with Western Moon.
Dark Moon was located further north than Western Moon, where the weather was even colder. If Liu Qingxi's location in Linyi County became icy and difficult to travel during winter, then Dark Moon was perpetually cold.
Even after surviving winter, they faced severe shortages of supplies. Therefore, they relied on burning, killing, and looting every year to sustain themselves. Last winter, due to tight defenses from Western Moon, Dark Moon had gained nothing.
Now that spring had arrived, it was a time of renewal for Western Moon, but for Dark Moon, it was the most difficult period between late summer and early autumn when resources were scarce.
The strongest soldiers from Dark Moon disguised themselves as ordinary people and caught Western Moon off guard.
The only fate for the women who were captured would be to become military prostitutes for those men, while chickens, ducks, and food would last their army for several days.
"Zhong Kui, that barbarian surely has no idea it's us; he might still be scratching his head trying to find us."
"Fortunately, Western Moon has such a brave but reckless Kid, otherwise we would be in for a tough time!"
The men sang and laughed all the way.
Zhong Kui was still searching like a headless fly. As the highest general guarding the borders of Western Moon, there were not many who could match him in a direct confrontation.
However, when it came to schemes and tactics, Zhong Kui truly struggled.
Soon, similar groups would appear from time to time, always coming and going without a trace. By the time Zhong Kui led his men to chase after them, only smoke and dust remained.
This left him with a sense of helplessness, like hitting a fist against cotton.
"General, should we send a message to the capital?" one of the officers respectfully suggested.
Zhong Kui lowered his head and thought for a moment. This kind of tactic was genuinely not his strong suit; he was aware of his weaknesses. Finally, he made up his mind: "Send an urgent message to the capital within eight hundred miles."
To be honest, he had never encountered such consecutive ambushes in previous years.
But this year, for some reason, Zhong Kui felt a bit uneasy—a feeling he had not experienced in many years.
What he did not know was that those who were burning, killing, and looting were enemies he had fought against on the battlefield multiple times.
Problems that could not be resolved needed to be reported to the capital as soon as possible.
Three days later, after several horses had died from exhaustion, an urgent military message was delivered to Golden Throne Hall. The emperor, over fifty with graying hair but a rosy complexion that made him look only in his forties, exclaimed in anger:
"Despicable! They dare to rob my Western Moon citizens!" The Sovereign shouted furiously, and the civil and military Officials immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger; I know my crimes!"
As for what crime they committed? How could they know why the Emperor was enraged?
At this moment, calming the anger of the person on the dragon throne was of utmost importance.
"Urgent matter from North: the border villages of Western Moon have been repeatedly attacked. The enemy is elusive, with horses, and has never failed. Up to now, we Western Moon Warriors have yet to see the true face of the enemy. What do you all think?"
The people below exchanged glances, and no one dared to speak casually.
Who didn't know that speaking up at this moment would expose oneself in front of everyone? Those who appeared to be smiling might very well be political rivals waiting to seize any opportunity.
The Emperor looked at his ministers, all of whom bowed their heads in fear of being called upon, feeling a surge of frustration in his heart.
"What use are you to me?" At a critical moment, not even a sound could be made.
Suddenly, a man dressed in a four-clawed python robe stepped forward. He was in his twenties, with slicked-back hair and a delicate appearance. The slight lift at the corners of his eyes lacked masculinity and instead carried a hint of feminine charm.
"Replying to Father Emperor, I believe we should send soldiers to every village to prevent these people from raiding again. Once we spot them arriving, we can annihilate them in one fell swoop and avenge our Western Moon citizens."
"Mm! Not bad, well said, Crown Prince!"
The young man was none other than Beiming Li, the Crown Prince of Western Moon. Compared to more masculine figures, he appeared overly effeminate.
His slightly raised eyes were strikingly similar to those of the current Queen Wang. It was her captivating eyes that had drawn the Emperor's attention and led him to favor her until now.
After the death of his first wife, Empress Yu, he directly elevated her to Queen and she had maintained her position ever since.
The Crown Prince was the son of the Emperor and Queen Wang. Due to his resemblance to the woman he favored, it was only natural that he became the Crown Prince and received immense affection from the Emperor.
Beiming Li's smile grew wider and wider, and he couldn't help but feel proud of his recent suggestion.
In front of the entire court, his abilities were evident. Was there anyone who could question his understanding of governance?
Those officials who were fixated on this matter were definitely blind. Hmph! When he one day ascended to the throne, those who had opposed him would surely regret it.
"The strategy proposed by the Crown Prince just now seems quite good to me. Do any of you have other suggestions? Speak boldly; I assure you, you will not be punished," the Emperor said.
With the first person speaking up, others finally began to voice their opinions.
After all, it was merely about capturing those who had committed crimes and ensuring they were dealt with severely. There was nothing substantial in their suggestions; honestly, they were worse than the Crown Prince's flawed idea.
It must be noted that everyone was deliberately acting this way. If they proposed a better strategy than the Crown Prince's, wouldn't that be a blatant slap in the face? How could they not fear retribution from both the Crown Prince and the Queen?
Among the civil and military officials, a man dressed in black royal attire kept his head down, not even blinking, showing no reaction to the discussions around him.
His detached demeanor suggested he was not one of the Western Moon people.
This man was Beiming Hao, another son of the Emperor. He was generally uneducated and lacked talent in both literature and martial arts, which made him unpopular with the Emperor. Therefore, he usually had no voice in such occasions and was unwilling to speak.
Moreover, he often skipped court sessions, fishing occasionally and sunbathing at other times. The Emperor had long since given up hope for him. However, having a son with lesser abilities was preferable as it would not threaten the Crown Prince's stable position.
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