Chapter 364: Framing (1/2)

The scion didn't have to go to the frontline himself. He'd be making the orders atop the city wall, and the drummer would pa.s.s down his orders. When they ascended to the top, the two armies were already engaged in a battle.

“What happened?” the scion snapped at an officer. “I haven't made an order. Why did they start fighting already?”

The officer didn't say anything. He couldn't talk back to a member of the royal clan no matter how much he wanted to.

The scion looked down at the battlefield and waved the flag to make his orders. When Northern Qi's army circled their left wing, he should've sent the right wing to their aid. However, he had the left wing retreat, hoping to minimize casualties.

He didn't antic.i.p.ate that his backing down would boost Northern Qi's morale. Soon, the left wing was decimated. The right wing was the next to be hit.

Intimidated by Northern Qi's ferocity, the scion went weak in the knees and fell on his hip, too stunned to do anything.

Ji Bo had been watching him coolly. He wanted to take over, but he didn't let his concern show. Instead, he focused on studying Nan Xun's strategies.

The scion had recovered from the failure. He got to his feet and had the troops fan out to circle Northern Qi's army.

Once Northern Qi's right wing and central troop had been surrounded, Nan Xun pulled the left wing back. The scion clapped and laughed.

“Isn't it fun? We sacrificed our left wing but trapped their center and right wing. That's a good bargain!”

Ji Bo pretended to not hear the scion's words. The young man spat angrily. When he was about to compliment himself some more, Northern Qi's center and right wing converged as the left wing abruptly changed direction, trapping Eastern Wu's soldiers between them and striking from both sides. Eastern Wu's troops fell into disarray and almost got eliminated completely.

Ji Bo sighed, shaking his head. The scion had yet to recover from the blow on his ego. He'd thought he'd be able to take down Northern Qi's center, but instead, it was Eastern Wu's troops that suffered. His throat went tight.

Meanwhile, Jun Huang frowned as she observed the battlefield. “This doesn't make sense. Intels said that Ji Bo is in the enemy camp. Why would he make such ridiculous decisions? Is he trying to lure us into a false sense of security?”

Nan Xun didn't say anything. He knew Ji Bo as well as Ji Bo knew him. Past experience had shown him how much of a genius in warfare Ji Bo was. The commander today, though, was a terrible fool.

Their spies soon delivered another message, saying that the one making the orders today was a member of the royal clan whose intelligence and character left something to be desired. Ji Bo had been ordered to step back.

Nan Xun handed the letter to Jun Huang and ordered his men to charge without delay. Northern Qi cut through Eastern Wu's army like b.u.t.ter and soon took back a number of cities. They even conquered a few towns at the border. Intimidated, the Eastern Wu soldiers lost their calm. They were close to losing.

The scion was overwhelmed with his hatred for Nan Xun. He knew the throne would never be his if he let this go on. He had no choice but to surrender the leaders.h.i.+p to Ji Bo.

“Nan Xun is too cunning. If things continue this way, not only will the patriarch blame me, I'll also blame myself. I order you to take over, Ji Bo. You must drive away the enemy troops.”

He threw the flag at Ji Bo, who let it fall to the ground. The scion went red in fury, but he had no other options. He took a deep breath. “We're in the same boat. If Eastern Wu loses, most of the blame will go to you, the strategist.”

“I've offended you, but I'm sure you aren't a petty man. You'll forgive me for my transgression...”

“Sir, the enemy advanced again,” a soldier who had been observing the battlefield ran up to Ji Bo and said, interrupting the scion.

Ji Bo narrowed his eyes and asked for a new flag, turning a blind eye to the scion. “Center, move to the right to delay the enemy's left wing. Left and right wings fan out and attack from both sides.”

Things changed constantly on the battlefield. Nan Xun soon realized that Ji Bo must have taken over. He ordered his soldiers to pull back to avoid further casualties.

The scion didn't expect Ji Bo to turn the tide with such a simple order.

Eastern Wu had managed to maintain its face, but the scion began to resent Ji Bo. He knew what the right thing to do was, but refused to offer me guidance. This man has his own agenda.