Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 315 - Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Establishing Authority

Chapter 315: Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Establishing Authority

The Northern Border Government Office exuded a majestic presence, standing like a small fortress at the heart of Northern Border City.

Named as a Government Office, it actually served as a military camp.

The tall courtyard walls functioned like a city within the city, and the duty-bound Feathered Forest trusted aides by the door were tall and mighty. On the streets outside the city gate, squads of soldiers moved tightly and systematically.

Everything appeared solemn and somber, but this solemnity was soon shattered by a voice.

"Make way! Make way!"

A soldier, dressed as a messenger, rode a snow-horned horse from the end of the street, coming at breakneck speed, drawing sidelong glances from the troops on the street and the trusted aides guarding the gate.

Rushing a horse through the city in such heavy snow already constituted a violation of military regulations.

However, the messenger seemed not to care about this rule at all.

Arriving at the main entrance of the Government Office, he dismounted swiftly and shouted:

"Open the gate! Quick! There’s urgent military intelligence that must be reported to Prince Wu Yuan! Hurry up and open the gate!"

"...."

The duty-bound Feathered Forest trusted aides, unmoved by the messenger’s anxious demeanor, demanded:

"Token."

The Government Office stored a massive amount of military supplies. Being in a rush was useless; if spies infiltrated and these supplies were lost, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Grinding his teeth, the messenger fumbled hastily in his bosom and threw a token to the guards:

"Here, take it. Quick!!"

"...."

The Feathered Forest trusted aides promptly and carefully checked the token thrown by the messenger, then gestured to open the gate.

Before they could return the token, the messenger had already dashed into the precincts of the Government Office.

Behind the gate was a spacious stone-paved road, with snow cleared to the sides in heaps. The messenger sprinted northwards, passing through courtyard walls one after another, until finally, he saw an enormous drill field covered in white snow.

Despite the covering blizzard,

A grand council hall appeared faintly in the distance at the end of the field.

The messenger was stunned because,

He could faintly hear some intense questioning coming from within the council hall.

Questioning directed at Prince Wu Yuan.

"The Barbarian Tribes are at least a day away from completely encircling Northern Border City. Why has Your Highness ordered the closure of the North City?"

"The Barbarian Tribes are about to encircle us. This is the last chance to transport supplies to the friendly forces around Houting County. Why won’t you let us leave the city to transport the supplies?"

"If we are completely encircled within the city and our supply lines are cut off, what will become of the three hundred thousand troops in the Houting County area?"

"The granaries in Houting County were damaged in the previous wars, and the newly built warehouses can only support the supply of grain for up to a month!"

"......."

Compared to the storm outside, the great hall was in utter chaos.

On one side were the impassioned Imperial Border Army generals dressed in armor, while on the other side were the silent Feathered Forest Army generals, avoiding eye contact and staying silent.

Amidst this cacophony,

Nobody noticed that not a single person from the third party, the Black Scale Army, had arrived.

Of course, they didn’t need to come.

Because this wasn’t the second military council called by Li Qingyan, but rather, a blatant power struggle.

It was almost absurd,

Just an hour ago, these people had pledged their loyalty in the first military council, promising to obey Wu Yuan’s every order.

Yet an hour later, here they were causing an uproar in the council hall.

Because they discovered Li Qingyan had sealed all the city gates.

Sealed with a formation.

Both Demonic Beast carriages and high-ranking cultivators were all trapped inside the city.

Unless they dared to exit through the blown-open South City gate, there was simply no way out.

And this made them anxious.

So they gathered together to come here, demanding an explanation.

"Your Highness....."

On the side of the Border Army, a middle-aged man who hadn’t spoken until now let out a sigh suddenly.

The man wore the Armor of a Border Army Commander, and the Origin Qi emanating from his body confirmed his status as a Second Grade Origin Initial cultivator.

As he sighed,

The previously noisy hall instantly fell silent with an eerie swiftness.

Clearly, this man was the spokesperson for this "coup."

The man with a goat beard looked at the lady on the platform and said evenly:

"If you cannot provide a concrete reason, we of the Northern Border Imperial Border Army will have to open the North Gate ourselves."

"....."

Hearing this, many of the Feathered Forest Army generals on the other side seemed like they wanted to rebuke, but they all held back, turning their gaze to the impressive woman in red with gold-trimmed dragon armor on the platform.

All eyes converged, and after a moment of weighted silence,

"Open it yourselves?"

A hoarse and low female voice finally rose gently, echoing in the vast hall.

As she put down the scroll in her hand, Li Qingyan slowly raised her eyes to look at the middle-aged man, calmly asking:

"Commander Qi, how do you plan to start the attack? Is it... by using your Zhenhua Army to attack the city from the inside?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Qi’s face turned as still as water, he made a salute without giving an inch:

"How dare I, this humble commander, commit such high treason? Now, with the great enemy outside, we still need to be united at heart. I merely wanted to seek a reason from His Highness to seal the city."

Li Qingyan nodded, his breathtakingly beautiful face showing neither joy nor anger:

"Fine, since Commander Qi wants a reason, then this palace will give you one,"

Saying so,

Li Qingyan stood up, slowly walking down the steps while speaking softly:

"The Barbarian Tribes have indeed not yet besieged the city, but the Wolf Cavalry of the barbarians has already been roaming outside the city walls. Do you intend to transport these supplies through the three hundred li of snowy forest under the watch of those Wolf Cavalry?"

"....." Silence.

Seeing no one respond, Li Qingyan let out a light chuckle, continuing softly:

"It seems you are all aware of this. But since you know it, why do you insist on transporting grain out of the city?

"Is it because of the way to treat guests? They traveled great distances and bypassed the city to attack, weary from their carriages and horses, so you thought to reward those barbarians with this gesture?"

The hall fell deathly silent.

After several of the Border Army generals exchanged glances, a man wearing the armor of a Colonel stepped forward, saluted, and spoke righteously and respectfully:

"Your Highness speaks very truly, the ground supply line is already unsafe, but why not let the high-ranking Cultivators and the flying Demonic Beasts leave the city? Their chances of being intercepted are very low."

Li Qingyan glanced at the man who had spoken:

"I remember your name is Nie Yu?"

The stepping-out Colonel let out a slight smile, and the rubbing of his armor made a clinking sound:

"His Highness remembering this lowly officer’s name fills me with trepidation."

Li Qingyan turned and approached the man, coming within two meters, and casually threw the scroll in his hand at the man’s feet:

"Colonel Nie, pick it up and take a look.

"Afterward, explain to this palace why the flying Demonic Beasts transporting military supplies have your Nie Family wife, children, and kin? Why are there also a great deal of valuables on those flying Demonic Beasts? Why are there two Fourth-Grade Integration Body guards!"

"....." Colonel Nie.

Seeing the other party silent, Li Qingyan swept a cold gaze over this group of generals who were nominally the Imperial Border Army but actually private armies of the Sects:

"Colonel Zhou, School Captain Chang, Colonel Liu... never mind, there are too many of you for this palace to call out by name, choose a representative and come explain to this palace together."

Colonel Nie, after listening, maintained an unflinching expression and merely cupped his fist:

"Your Highness, this humble officer is willing to let his wife and children stay behind as an exemplar for the Dayan Border Army, but those guards are all servants of our families, and the people being escorted are esteemed guests of the Northern Border Sects... "

"Esteemed guests of the Sects? It seems they are all Cultivators."

Li Qingyan’s words were clear: "Since they’re Cultivators, they should stay and defend the city starting now."

Colonel Nie furrowed his brow, his tone growing heavier:

"Your Highness, they are not soldiers of The Imperial Court, and each of them is the child of a Sect Master, with distinguished status. If there’s another loss, I fear Your Highness you... "

Boom!

A stream of Origin Qi descended from the sky, penetrating the entire hall, and Colonel Nie was instantly smashed into pulp from top to bottom.

The smell of blood quickly spread throughout the silent hall.

Li Qingyan surveyed the room, his phoenix eyes filled with chilling cold:

"I am also not a soldier, every child of Dayan has a duty to fight for our country’s soil!

"Also, don’t think that this palace is unaware; the Sumeru Rings in your hands filled with supplies have already been sent to Houting County by those few high-ranked message-carrying Cultivators.

"Put away your petty tricks, whoever dares to speak of this matter again will be dealt with by military law."

Having said this,

Li Qingyan’s gaze fell on Commander Qi, who was leading the group.

Commander Qi raised his eyes slightly, feeling that the Formation in the sky had already locked onto him.

However, he did not immediately speak, calmly meeting the gaze of the princess whose intent to kill could not be more apparent.

Now that the Sect elite had been fully deployed, with almost all the high-ranking officers around Houting County, he was the only one with authority in Northern Border City. If he died, the 100,000 sect troops would become disorganized, like scattered sand.

Everyone harboring their own agendas, without coordination, this princess would find it very challenging to manage them.

Moreover, the consequences of killing a Second Grade Origin Initial Commander were not comparable to the death of a mere Colonel.

Would he gamble?

Gamble that this madwoman wouldn’t dare kill him, gamble that this woman wouldn’t dare to stir up internal strife at this critical juncture.

In the midst of the standoff between the two Origin Initial powerhouses, the atmosphere grew so tense that it seemed almost to condense into liquid.

But in the end, Commander Qi lowered his head and spoke in a heavy tone:

"Your Highness... speaks very truly, everything will be as Your Highness arranges."

In the current situation, Prince Wu Yuan, this madwoman, would definitely dare to kill him.

The lives of those high-ranking sect children were important. If those individuals died in Northern Border City, most likely, he would be held responsible.

But between being held responsible and dying right here in this hall, he still knew which was lighter and which was heavier.

No other sounds were heard, only the footsteps of the Border Army generals, who left without accomplishing anything, echoed back through the hall.

And that puddle that was Colonel Nie was collected by one of his old friends and taken away.

Li Qingyan was about to dismiss the direct subordinates and elite troops to set up defenses when he saw a hurried figure running against the stream of Border Army generals into the hall:

"Your Highness, Your Highness! The Black Scale Army... The Black Scale Army has forcibly left the city through the South City gate, attacking the Barbarian Tribes’ camp!"

"...." Li Qingyan’s vision darkened.