Chapter 35: Chapter 35: March on Huaibei

"Good! General Sun!"

"Yes, Your Highness?" A middle-aged man suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bowed.

"Get the troops ready. We set out in a shichen時辰 shíchén - double hour (2 hours)."

"As Your Highness commands."

Li Yingshan turned towards Miao Chuntao. "You can stay or go. It's your choice. I won't force you to fight for the Ninth Prince."

"You're the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda. Of course I will follow you wherever you may go. I will fight by your side despite the obstructions."

Li Yingshan nodded. "Very well. I won't persuade you otherwise."

∇

A shichen later, the troops moved out. Chen Chengxian and his generals rode horseback behind the archers and heavy calvary. Behind them were the catapults and other warfare machinery. In front of everyone, Li Yingshan and Miao Chuntao sat proudly on stallions.

They made their way north slowly. Five days later, the Ninth Prince and his army arrived outside Huaibei. Chen Chengxian pulled up beside Li Yingshan and cleared his throat. She turned her head and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Your Highness."

"Ms. Li, have you heard anything?"

"I have contacts in Huaibei. They should be coming out to meet with me."

"Very well. Let me know what they have to say."

"Yes, Your Highness."

He turned his horse around and commanded, "Let's make camp here! Everyone, be on guard!"

In the next few hours, tents were pitched and fires were started. Soldiers gathered around the fires, eating supper. Chen Chengxian was inside a large tent, discussing strategies and tactics with his generals and Li Yingshan.

"Your Highness, we have twenty five thousand less men than the Crown Prince," General Sun said. "We need to keep our casualties to a minimum."

"I agree. But we need a great strategy to do so. General Dai, do you have any ideas?"

A man in his mid-fifties, dressed in the military uniform, saluted. "Your Highness, there can never be a complete assurance as to the prevention of loss of life. But with that being said, I think our best chance is the Pentagonal Defense Array."

Chen Chengxian held his chin, pondering the suggestion.

"Defense? We're here to attack!" General Wan cried. "We should use the Soaring Eagle Stratagem!"

"How will that help?" General Dai countered.

"It's for attacking!"

General Sun cut in, "It attacks, yes. But it leaves the soldiers open for attack as well and is also known to the Crown Prince. Chen Kai is smart. He'll probably have already come up with a way to counter the Soaring Eagle Stratagem."

General Dai added, "Even I could come up with a way to break through the Soaring Eagle Stratagem! It's too easy to figure out!"

"If you're so great," General Wan taunted. "Then why don't you invent a tactic?"

Chen Chengxian massaged his temples in agitation. Li Yingshan remained silent.

"That takes time, and time is what we don't have," General Dai said.

General Sun nodded. "General Dai is right in that regard. Time is not on our side."

Before the three generals could argue further, a figure burst into the tent. Miao Chuntao appeared at Li Yingshan's side in seconds, leaning in towards her ear.

"Goddess," she murmured. "It's all set. Those from the Jade Bell Inn here in Huaibei await your command."

"Got it. Good work, Miao Chuntao."

Miao Chuntao bowed.

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"Your Highness, why is she even here?" General Wan asked as he pointed towards Li Yingshan. "Isn't she just your mistress?"

Li Yingshan choked, and Miao Chuntao patted her back. Chen Chengxian glared at him.

"No. Ms. Li is a friend. She's here to help us win Huaibei."

General Sun scoffed. "Her? She's so frail and delicate! How could she be of any help?"

Though she had healed from her near-death experience, her constitution was still a bit weak. On top of that, Li Yingshan had worn herself down during the journey back to Nanjing. Unable to recover her internal force yet, she was still a bit unwell. Miao Chuntao clenched her fists, unwilling to hear someone badmouth her Goddess.

Luckily, General Dai was smarter. "Wait... Ms. Li? Your Highness, you don't mean the young lady who died trying to assassinate the Crown Prince four months ago?"

Chen Chengxian smirked. "That's exactly who. Ms. Li?"

She took a deep breath and introduced herself. "Generals, my name is Li Yingshan. I am an Elite of the Jianghu..."

Her gaze swept over to the Ninth Prince. He nodded towards her in encouragement.

Li Yingshan added, "And I am the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda."

The generals all gaped at her. "B- but you're supposed to be dead!"

She gave an evil smile. "Luckily for His Highness, I'm not. And I'm no one's mistress. I have a husband, and he's a good man."

And I won't betray him again.

Chen Chengxian stepped forward. "I have partnered with Ms. Li on this. Generals, please trust me."

The three could do nothing but give in. They cast side-glances now and then at Li Yingshan but didn't say another word.

Meanwhile, she turned towards the Ninth Prince and suggested, "What about if you use my Full Moon Formation?"

"Hmm. I'm intrigued. Say more."

So, she told them the logistics of it.

"It can allow the soldiers to attack and defend. Though it was originally created to suit martial artists, I can tweak the Formation so it works better with the soldiers."

"So this is a strategy from Moonlight Pagoda?"

"Yes," she nodded. "And it's only been used once in training back at Moonlight Pagoda's headquarters. I can guarantee that the Crown Prince won't know of it. It's also complex so he'll have a hard time figuring out a way to break through it. Back then, I designed it with the intent of making it unbreakable."

Chen Chengxian smiled. "Let's try it. I want to see how my seventh brother feels about betraying the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda after this."

∇

The next day, the Ninth Prince and his troops sneaked around the outside of Huaibei. When they were in position to attack the Crown Prince's stationed troops, Chen Chengxian nodded towards Li Yingshan.

Dressed in white and silver armor with her hair tied up with a single silver hairpin, she exuded grace and a noble bearing. A white facial veil covered the lower half of her face, hiding her true identity. Her eyes narrowed.

She had meditated most of the night, regaining her strength and working her internal force. It was time.

Her usually gentle voice resounded with a cold tone, "Assume the Full Moon Formation!"

The soldiers moved on her word. When everyone was in position, she looked towards Chen Chengxian.

"I'll stay back for now, but if peril finds out, I will act."

He nodded. "Stay safe, Ms. Li."

"You as well, Your Highness."

Facing forward, both of their eyes fell on the troops ahead. The Ninth Prince gave the command.

Brimming with killing intent, he roared, "Attack!”

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