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On the first day of the chaotic war —
The Dragon King issued a decree, demanding that all the remaining kings surrender, abdicate from their imperial titles, and wait for the new Khan's inauguration. Of course, such a rude and tyrannical order received no approval, and war broke out right that afternoon.
To distinguish it from the tangled warfare that had started the night the old Khan died, this second war was named the ”One Month War,” to indicate that it started exactly a month after the Khan's death.
The Court Attendants Army had been reorganized into ten contingents of 10,000 troops each. Half of them were sent to clear the ruins of the Royal Court, while the other half marched forward, each in different directions, the furthest target being hundreds of miles away.
The 30,000 cavalrymen of Shulitu were also sent to the battlefield of the Royal Court as the army reserve.
On the other side, the surviving kings had immediately fled to King Shengri for shelter, holding a banner of the ”Five Kings” with troops numbering around 50,000 to 60,000 strong.
The Court Attendants Army displayed great strength, but they also exposed the immaturity of their newly-promoted officers. They defeated enemies of similar numbers with thousands of casualties, and it was not until the 30,000 reserve army launched an attack after dark that they finally annihilated the enemy.
Gu Shenwei watched the battle, but didn't take part. Throughout it all, the giant red-crowned roc stood beside him, launching a wild assault with each take-off.
The victory was not a decisive one. Although King Shengri's army was forced into one retreat after another, abandoning their major camp near the ruins, and re-encamping tens of miles away, they still numbered tens of thousands.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click visiting.
Eventually, under Shulitu's name, the Dragon King took over the entire Royal Court. Large numbers of corpses appeared in the ruins. Gu Shenwei had to try very hard to stop the giant roc from pecking out the eyeballs of those dead bodies.
After returning to the camp, Shulitu became much quieter than usual. He took off his armor and took his leave very early. He had heard far more intense war stories from others and had also seen them described in books, but words and thoughts, no matter however vivid and rich they were, could not possibly compare to the gory reality.
He needed time to accept all this.
Fang Wenshi didn't witness the battle. He had found himself an excuse: I'm an adviser, which makes it highly inappropriate for me to see too much blood. And that's because both fear and sympathy may cloud my judgement in the future.
But he said that Dragon King and Shulitu must be on the battlefield, and he had a different theory for that as well. Rulers must be ruthless. How can they rule a nation if they can't handle a few scenes of death?
Fang Wenshi was satisfied with the results of the battle, saying, ”King Shengri is about to lose. Winning this battle in Royal Court has given us the absolute initiative. With just one more victory tomorrow, all of the kings will undoubtedly surrender themselves to us.”
”We can't fight tomorrow,” Gu Shenwei said.
”Why now?” Fang Wenshi was a little surprised, ”If King Shengri refuses to fight us, then we can have the Court Attendants Army lead the attack. They're yearning for a fight, which is perfect.”
”King Shengri will hold his ground. Besides, our troops need rest.”
Fang Wenshi became even more surprised. Although he could tell that there was something going on beneath the surface, he trusted the Dragon King's judgement. ”Isn't it better this way?”
A tired army attacking a scared one was the perfect setup for a pyrrhic victory.
”You don't want the whole army to question your leadership, do you?”
”No, of course not.” Fang Wenshi hesitated for a moment, then said, ”Well, taking a break for a day or two might be nice as well. ”Dragon King, you won't… change your mind, will you? I know that this is tough for you. You're used to being known for your reputation of protecting your men with even your own life, and yet now… ”
”We will rest for two days and then resume the attack. Any news from the southeast?”
”Not for now. But I think that it's almost time. We need to finish this as soon as possible.”
The armies in the Royal Court were only a part of the Norland's military strength, not even a majority of it. The main forces were deployed at the southeast frontier, always ready for a final battle against the Central Plains.
Ever since the death of the old Khan, the situation at the frontier regions had always been a matter of great concern. But now that a month had passed by, and there was still barely any news coming in. Gu Shenwei only knew that the riots there were flaring up, but the final winner to reap all the benefit still remained unknown.
Fang Wenshi retreated. He had barely stepped out of the tent when he saw a small group of people heading towards him, but they passed by him as if he didn't exist. He thought for a while and then tried followed them inside the tent, but was abrasively asked to leave by two officers.
The group numbered eleven in total, and had the Second Consort as their leader. The followers were all young officers, among whom were included Azheba and Liman who was promoted recently.
Gu Shenwei intended to reorganize his troops, so he had forcefully combined several camps into a single major one. The Second Consort's camp was at the center, surrounded by the others like a central camp.
Seeing these people, Gu Shenwei had a vague conjecture of their purpose.
The officers bowed to Dragon King respectfully, but the Second Consort, unlike usual, stood arrogantly.
She was discontented by the ultimatum issued by Dragon King. Much as she would like to see the kings surrender and prostrate themselves, there was another result she would enjoy more. ”It seems like the Dragon King's almost forgot about Prince Duodun.'
These eleven people were the backbone of Duodun's military strength in Royal Court, and the first group who had taken the Dragon King's side.