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Giving a disgusted look at her, The Majesty's favorite yet despicable courtier who had such a slippery character, Xie Yu contemplated for a moment and answered, ”Alright.”
He ran through his considerations in his mind. 'Meng Fuyao is only bringing one-third of the Imperial Army forces towards the city gates, and no matter what, she cannot possibly stir any trouble under my watch. With my presence, how will Meng Fuyao be able to command the Imperial Army? But I wonder what went wrong with His Majesty for him to keep giving ridiculous orders tonight. Minister Kui and I are only trying to save the city from danger by rebelling against the decree. Later, when I enter the palace, I must persuade Old Minister Xi to not overtly trust Meng Fuyao. After getting the new decree, I'll still be able to grab back the control of the Imperial Army.'
…
Pandu had strong walls and powerful bombs, and its high city walls were the best in the Continent. Furthermore, there were five layers of defenses, the enceinte and drawbridge were intact, and there were three segments of moats to especially defend the city against knights. With elite soldiers, sufficient food and flawless weapons in the city, they were at an advantage compared to Zhan Beiye's exhausted and poorly-supplied army which had dashed to the city without any sleep or rest. Xie Yu was confident that once he was able to regain control of the Imperial Army, he would definitely be able to slaughter Zhan Beiye in front of the city gates.
With suspicion in mind, he glanced at Meng Fuyao, who was grinning widely, as though she had nothing to hide. Minister Kui had repeatedly said that this lad harbored unfathomable thoughts and had to be guarded against, but she was willing to hand over the authority of the camp. 'Minister Kui might have had a wrong judgment of him,' he thought.
Meng Fuyao did not miss out on any change in his expression. Her lips curled up as she commanded the Flying Fox camp to follow her and Xie Yu to the city gates. Seeing that Tie Cheng was hurrying a horse carriage behind them, Xie Yu could not help but give a surprised glance.
”His Majesty asked me to bring the family members of Jin Yan and Ming Lun, the two Commanders-in-chief, up onto the city gates. We'll follow the original plan,” said Meng Fuyao.
Feeling relieved, Xie Yu nodded in agreement. At this point in time, both of them had already arrived at the city gates, and from afar, they could see the burning flames and hear the deafening war cries. Black-clothed soldiers and purple-clothed imperial guards were running up and down hurriedly like ants, while the crossbow machinery made squeaking sounds as it spun 360 degrees to fire torrents of arrows. They had just reached the top level of the gates when they saw the disheveled Minister Kui striking clumsily at a Black Dragon soldier who had just climbed up. When the soldier packed a punch back at Minister Kui, everyone rushed forward to pull Minister Kui down from the edge of the wall, but he still struggled to climb forward while he gave loud commands. ”Shoot! Go shoot! Drop the stones! Roll the logs! Pour the burning oil! Throw down the sandbags!”
He barked until his throat became hoarse. When he looked back, he saw Xie Yu and the black-robed Meng Fuyao, who stood quietly in the vibrant sea of red light and the pouring rain of arrows. Her face was slightly ashen, and her expression seemed dark when she looked at the loyal official, causing his heart to skip a beat. However, that feeling did not remain for long, as in the next moment, Meng Fuyao was already walking up to him in smiles.
”Sir Kui, you're loyal to the nation. I admire a non-combatant official like you who is willing to lead a charge!”
In heavy breaths, Minister Kui waved his hand in exhaustion. Meanwhile, Meng Fuyao walked to the edge of the gates and looked down.
Then, she saw Zhan Beiye!
In the vast field, amongst the ferocious cavalry lined up in formation, a black figure rode on a black horse. With a team of elite, brave and aggressive soldiers following him, he dashed across the formations like a furious dragon. In his hands lay a golden pike that was heavy but bright, drawing golden arcs of light across the night sky like a shooting star. The fierce and resilient expression on his face when he occasionally looked up could be felt even from a far distance away, and he dazzled like a glistening diamond, seemingly breaking open the night sky in a lustrous and searing manner, causing the night sky to explode into a star-studded galaxy.
Wherever he passed by, soldiers would split apart like ocean waves, and he zoomed towards the city gates seamlessly. Those gigantic stones that fell from the top of the gates were an easy piece of cake to him, as they were instantly destroyed by his golden pike. In the continuous sounds of explosion, he flung one of the stones back up to the gates, creating a massive hole in the sturdy wall that was already strengthened by cement.
This was a true, heroic general who should be the one leading a charge, who was wise and fierce, and whose bravery exceeded that of anyone!
With a swing of his pike, he took the opportunity to glance up, but his body instantly froze.
He saw Meng Fuyao.
High on the walls, she had her hands placed on a battlement, and her attitude was one of nonchalance, strikingly different from the nervous atmosphere that surrounded her neighboring guards. In smiles, she looked down, and her black robes and silver hair tie swayed in the wind casually, against the backdrop of the towering city.
Her calmness just seemed so poised and steady amongst the crowd of soldiers who were busy fighting a bloody war - nothing seemed to frighten her.
It was the confidence of a natural leader.
As Zhan Beiye looked at her, he felt a wrench in his heart, and he almost dropped his golden pike to the floor. Hurriedly, he regained the grip on his weapon, but he realized that his palm was full of perspiration and it was too wet for him to have a stable hold.
During the six months that they were separated, he had thought of her day and night. His thoughts of her, if they could be stacked up, were even taller and wider than the city wall before his eyes. When he traversed in his dreams, her figure was omnipresent, and he would bump into her everywhere he went. When he walked, he thought of how she looked when she rode on her horse; when he drank water, he remembered how she was more fond of hot water; when he ate, he recalled her slightly ungraceful manner of finishing the food, and when he slept, he often reminisced about the night that the two of them laid in the same bed. He had stared at her figure, which was beautiful but meager, like a crescent moon that seemed so close, yet so far.