Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 109: Great Victory

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Great Victory

It seemed that the heavens heard Feng Shu’s heartfelt desires; just after the first month of the year, urgent news arrived from Ningzhou, covering eight hundred miles in haste.

Great Victory in Ningzhou!

The eldest son of Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Zhang, shot the Beiman King, Dugu Zonglie, piercing his throat amidst ten thousand troops, a feat that shocked the army’s morale. The Northern Iron Cavalry seized the momentum to pursue, forcing the Beiman Army to retreat to the far side of the Shaling River.

There is the Sha Ling Snow Mountain, a natural barrier between Ningzhou and Beiman; beyond the snow mountain lies Beiman territory. It’s a natural barrier easy to defend but hard to attack. For the cavalry to cross the snow mountain is nearly impossible; countless soldiers’ bodies would have to pile up to form a crossing over the snow mountain. In front of the snow mountain lies the Shaling River and the Gobi Desert; after years of warfare, no grass grow on the front lines. The Beiman relied on the natural barrier to advance step by step, and their army had crossed the Shaling River over a year ago.

Beiman King Dugu Zonglie and Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Yuan, were hailed as two god-like generals of their generation. Their use of troops was miraculous, their willpower resolute, and they excelled in desert warfare, having been old rivals for decades. The Beiman Army was strong, brutal, and physically superior to the soldiers of Yanyang. With a natural barrier, the battles greatly relied on the main general’s military strategies.

Xie Yuan and Dugu Zonglie fought for decades, mortal enemies. Though Beiman had vast but barren lands, plagued by harsh environments. Their desire to cross the snow mountain and invade Yanyang was to seize land and resources for their people’s stable life. The Beiman King spent his entire life wanting to lead his people to a stable and prosperous life.

The decades-long duel between the two divine generals finally came to a close.

The great victory in Ningzhou brought joy to all, from Emperor Jianming to the common people. Emperor Jianming, once the Ningzhou Prince, was very familiar with the situation in Ningzhou. After ascending the throne, he feared the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion and even thought it would be better if the Northern Iron Cavalry were defeated. However, upon hearing the Beiman King was killed, Emperor Jianming almost issued a general amnesty, his joy hard to conceal.

Despite his fear of the Marquis Mansion, he also wished for Ningzhou’s victory. In the past, the Beiman King led troops across the Shaling River, breached Ningzhou City’s defenses in a day, and ransacked the city, bringing massacre and ruin. Back then, he was just the Princely Heir, hidden by his father in a cellar, watching the Beiman Army storm his manor, slaughtering his attendants, wet nurses, and violating the women of the Prince Manor. That scene became a nightmare for Emperor Jianming.

That year, the Old Marquis Zhenbei descended like a heavenly god, rushing from the Jiangnan battlefield to Ningzhou, driving away the Beiman Army. That year, the Beiman King was vigorous and ambitious, invincible, having successively slaughtered the Old Marquis Zhenbei and his eight sons, all falling under his curved blade. Only Xie Yuan remained in the entire Marquis Zhenbei Mansion.

Everyone thought Yanyang was doomed; Dugu Zonglie would surely make a comeback, and Ningzhou was in imminent danger. Citizens fled south, leaving ten rooms empty for every one occupied.

But the Vassal Prince Mansion could not flee, and the Vassal King could not leave his fiefdom without an edict. The young Emperor Jianming believed he would die in Ningzhou, and his line would end.

But Xie Yuan came!

Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Yuan, had eight older brothers courageous and battle-hardened above him. He was raised in the luxurious nest of the Capital City, known as a notorious playboy. Yet, after his father and brothers passed away one after another, he shouldered the heavy responsibility, reorganized the army, and led the mere ten thousand Northern Iron Cavalry against Dugu Zonglie in a life-and-death battle.

The battle was extremely fierce; half of the ten-thousand-strong army perished but gravely wounded the Beiman King, relieving Ningzhou of its peril. This opened the deathless grudge between him and Dugu Zonglie.

The ten thousand Iron Cavalry gradually developed into forty thousand, stationed at the Ningzhou border, harshly halting Dugu Zonglie’s steps and causing him to die with regret in his heart.

Xie Yuan and Dugu Zonglie, like the proverbial Zhuge Liang meeting the Zhou Yu; if it weren’t for Xie Yuan, Dugu Zonglie would have long crossed Ningzhou, with half of Yanyang under his command.

But ultimately, he could only die with regret, his eyes unclosed in death.

With Dugu Zonglie’s death, the Beiman’s morale plummeted. Despite the Beiman Army’s fierceness, internal faction fights were intense. The Beiman King had eleven sons, with different mothers, skilled in both writing and martial arts. Second Young Master, Xie Jue, had infiltrated the enemy camp for two years, sowing discord among the princes. With the Beiman King’s death, internal strife was inevitable. Under attack from both internal and external forces, the Beiman surrendering was a matter of time.

When Feng Shu heard Xie Zhang mention in Ningzhou that they might win before spring, she was worried, thinking Xie Zhang was merely comforting her, not expecting a real victory.

The Beiman King was a nightmare for many Ningzhou people.

In her happiness, Feng Shu lavished rewards in the mansion, doubling the monthly silver, and granted a two-day leave. Fengyu leaned on the windowsill, watching the servants come to receive rewards, each beaming with joy. Feng Shu’s smile was uncontainable, and for those who sweet-talked and praised Xie Zhang’s bravery, she rewarded with two extra taels of silver.

The servants followed suit, and the distributed monthly silver was almost double the expected amount.

Fengyu tapped the windowsill, speaking in a peculiar tone, "Sister, you’re so happy."

Feng Shu gently tapped her nose, "Little jealous pot."

"Brother-in-law is amazing, brother-in-law is brave, I praised too." Fengyu extended her hand, "You need to reward me too!"

Feng Shu placed a piece of broken silver in her palm, "Sister will buy you sweets."

The great victory in Ningzhou made everyone in the Yanyang Dynasty jubilant, from top to bottom. The Zhenbei Marquis Mansion people received discounts from merchants during their purchases, with some even sending various foods to the mansion’s entrance.

After the great victory of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, Xie Xun became even more low-key in the court. Minister Gong dared not delay the silver any longer, preferring to defer the Forbidden Army’s payment rather than the Kyoto Capital Guard’s.

Xie Zhang’s fame soared, and he was praised by everyone. Some court officials deliberately praised Xie Zhang while casting sympathetic glances at Xie Xun, highlighting the stark contrast: his brother shining on the battlefield while he was relegated to the Kyoto Guard. Xie Xun scorned such clumsy attempts to sow discord.

Marquis An Yuan and the direct line of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion sincerely praised Xie Zhang. Watching the group congratulating Xie Xun, the Crown Prince had a smile on his face.

His appearance was handsome and proper, his stature not tall, but having held the position of Crown Prince for ten years, his accumulated authority was formidable, one that others did not dare to directly face, yet it didn’t seem imposing. He had eyes that smiled, with deep sockets and long eye slits, giving him a scholarly, refined air when he smiled.

He walked towards Xie Xun, heard the Marquis An Yuan praising Xie Zhang as a young hero with unparalleled bravery, comparable to Xie Xun’s past single-handedly saving a master, to which Xie Xun repeatedly waved, saying compared to his two brothers, he was like dust, not worth mentioning, and so forth.

As the Crown Prince approached, several people bowed one after another. Marquis An Yuan, knowing they had words to exchange, excused himself after bowing. The Crown Prince said, "Marquis, the battle report mentioned that by spring, a grand victory would return, and I knew that the ones capable of subduing Beiman would be the good sons of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. The Eldest Young Master is a young hero, and I deeply admire him from the bottom of my heart."

Xie Xun replied with a smile, "The feat of my elder brother shooting the Beiman King was not the work of one person, but a concerted effort of forty thousand troops. Your Highness overpraises us."

"I have long admired the Eldest Young Master, but alas, we haven’t had the chance to connect deeply. When the Eldest Young Master returns to court, I must have a good drink with him."

Indeed, the Crown Prince didn’t have much contact with the Xie brothers. He and Xie Zhang were of the same age, having grown up in Ningzhou, while Xie Zhang was born and raised in the Capital City. After Emperor Jianming ascended the throne, the Crown Prince came to the Capital, and Xie Zhang happened to go to Ningzhou to engage in battle. Even when he returned to the Capital, the three brothers of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion didn’t mingle much with the nobility in the Capital, preferring to go horse racing at the manor together.