Chapter Seventeen: How Much She Hated Him Now

“Your Majesty! Prime Minister Yang! The great Kang has recently mobilized a formidable force of three hundred thousand elite troops as the main strength, supported by various provincial soldiers. Their vanguard has already reached the border of the Qi Kingdom!”

“Their momentum is overwhelming— it seems they intend to annihilate Qi in one decisive strike!”

“Stop this nonsense!”

Upon hearing that the three hundred thousand elite troops of Great Kang had reached Qi’s border, Tian Yueying suddenly grew visibly anxious.

Having been Yang Chuan’s confidante for three years, she was well aware of the history between him and Yan Wugou.

Tian Yueying clearly understood how deeply Yan Wugou once trusted Yang Chuan—and now, how intensely he despised him.

Originally, she thought Great Kang would not launch a retaliatory attack on Qi so soon.

Yet, in just one month, Great Kang’s three hundred thousand troops had already arrived at the city gates.

Now, Yang Chuan had been in power less than a week, and the military only had a fraction of that manpower. To confront tens of thousands from Great Kang was clearly an uneven match.

At that moment, several officials in the hall began to murmur criticisms of Yang Chuan.

“See? I told you! The Emperor dared to employ a traitor of Great Kang—this is nothing but inviting disaster upon ourselves!”

“You must not speak so harshly. Our Prime Minister Yang’s wisdom and valor surpass thousands. With him, we can rest easy.”

“Hmph, rest easy?”

Hearing this, those who doubted Yang Chuan sneered coldly.

One glanced at Yang Chuan seated on the throne with a mocking gaze.

“I wonder if you people are idolizing one man too much.”

“Even if Yang Chuan possesses unparalleled talent and the power to vanquish demons, how can he alone withstand an army of hundreds of thousands?”

“And our Qi’s military is still weak; the troops we can muster from all provinces barely number in the tens of thousands. How can we possibly resist Great Kang’s overwhelming force?”

Though their voices were low, Yang Chuan overheard the exchange. However, he chose not to punish the dissenting official.

After all, the reality was that Qi’s national strength was indeed far inferior to Great Kang’s.

As he had just ascended the throne, ruthlessly executing ministers over a trivial matter would be a display of arrogance and recklessness.

Yang Chuan was a man from another time who had a fondness for classical literature.

He was especially interested in the military conflicts during the late Eastern Han and the Three Kingdoms period.

After the tripartite division, the Northern Expeditions by Eastern Wu’s Chancellor Zhuge Ke against Wei failed due to his stubbornness and disregard for advice, leading to his downfall and retreat.

As a minister who now stood above thousands, Yang Chuan knew that to silence doubt, he only needed to personally lead the defense at Qi’s border and repel the invading Great Kang cavalry. That would bring stability to the court.

At this moment, Tian Yueying, still uncertain, turned to ask quietly,

“Master Yang, the military can only muster about forty to fifty thousand troops. Should we engage Great Kang directly?”

“Your Majesty, follow me to the rear hall. I want to examine the map of Qi.”

Tian Yueying nodded and immediately led him toward the rear chamber.

There, many important artifacts of Qi were kept, including detailed maps of the entire kingdom.

Picking up the map, Yang Chuan pondered. Since this was his first battle, he would personally command on the front lines.

This would not only dampen Great Kang’s morale but also allow him to teach Tian Yueying some military tactics firsthand.

With Tian Yueying’s patient guidance, Yang Chuan discovered that Great Kang’s only route to invade Qi was to launch a direct assault on the first border city: Linde.

Though Linde was small, it occupied a strategic position.

If a capable general were appointed to defend it, and supplies continued regularly, it could hold out for months.

Great Kang, however, suffered from the challenges of a long expedition and inferior supply lines.

Moreover, it lacked advisers comparable to Yang Chuan. Even with its vast army, breaching Linde would be difficult.

“Your Majesty, let us mobilize thirty thousand elite troops today. I will personally lead them to Linde to confront Great Kang’s cavalry!”

Tian Yueying nodded and promptly carried out Yang Chuan’s orders.

At this time, only the two of them were in the rear hall, and Tian Yueying no longer needed to project imperial authority.

Alone with Yang Chuan, she reverted to a more tender demeanor.

...

Three days later, Yang Chuan and Tian Yueying led thirty thousand elite soldiers to the front lines at Linde.

The city’s commander, Qin Yue, had already leveraged the terrain to repel several attacks by the Kang forces.

Recently, the attackers were ordinary troops gathered from Wumeng City.

To display the Empress’s dignity, the leading ten thousand elite troops were personally commanded by Yan Wugou.

When Yang Chuan and Tian Yueying arrived atop the city wall, dust and smoke billowed in the distance.

Countless banners fluttered across the plains, and the sounds of battle cries reached their ears.

“Your Majesty! Prime Minister Yang! It seems Great Kang’s elite troops have arrived. Please discuss plans to repel them soon. Though Linde has advantageous terrain, the city’s funds and provisions are scarce and cannot last long!”

Now that the Empress of Qi and the newly appointed Prime Minister were present, the defenders’ morale had risen considerably.

Qin Yue, a seasoned commander, knew well that this was the critical moment to wield the troops.

Yang Chuan nodded, silently producing a small telescope to observe the enemy’s commander.

“Could it be... General Bao Wenyuan leading this operation?”

With some doubt, as the Great Kang forces deployed beneath the city, a banner emblazoned with the character “Bao” came into view.

The Kang army’s formation was orderly: shield soldiers formed the front line, behind them lay tens of thousands of archers and crossbowmen.

The elite cavalry favored by Empress Yan Wugou was positioned at the rear.

In addition, numerous siege engines—battering rams, ladders, catapults—and war chariots awaited orders at the center of the formation.

“Tch, such a grand formation entrusted to General Bao Wenyuan is truly a pity.”

Back in Great Kang, Yang Chuan knew Bao’s reputation was undeserved; he was an incompetent commander.

Once, Yan’s kingdom sent a small cavalry force to harass Great Kang’s border, and Bao’s twenty thousand troops were utterly routed by guerrilla tactics.

Bao retreated all the way back to Pingtiancheng, pleading Yang Chuan for reinforcements.

Under duress, Yang Chuan personally led the army, marking his first ever campaign.

Now, seeing Bao’s banner again, he couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Just as he was about to confer with Tian Yueying on how to break the enemy’s advance, Qin Yue suddenly shouted,

“Your Majesty! Prime Minister! Look!”

After a brief hesitation, they looked down upon the field once more.

Suddenly, the elite cavalry spread out to both sides, revealing a path through which a yellow carriage adorned with a dragon motif advanced amidst the troops!