Ch.1 A Dire Situation For The North

"Emergency Report! The City of LingCheng has fallen!"

"Emergency Report! The City of TianAn has fallen!"

From the initial jubilant cheers of victories to the later haunting rings of defeats ever since the start of the Southern Expedition 4 years ago, the two emergency reports that resounded in the Imperial Court were the last straws.

No one dared to look up at the darkened face of the Emperor sitting on the throne, but one thought was on all their minds.

'This young Emperor really is incompetent!'

Compared to the late Emperor, whose mere mention of his name could bring about deafening cheers of reverence from the people, Emperor Xuan, who has ascended at the barely ripe age of 21 and ambitiously declared war on the Southern Kingdom in his second year of reign, was like a stain on a white robe.

Before the passing of the late Emperor, with The 3 Great Heroes by his side, the people in the Northern Kingdom have always enjoyed peace and prosperity. With an army widely recognised as the strongest of the 4 Kingdoms, the other 3 Kingdoms have always stayed within their boundaries. Who would have thought that at his peak, he would return to the dust, leaving immense authority in the hands of the Crown prince then?

In merely 4 years, nearly all available troops have been sent to the frontlines and even more, have gone to meet their ancestors. The military might of the North has withered even faster than the lifespan of a mayfly.

If the late Emperor were to see the current state of the Northern Kingdom he had so painstakingly fought for, it’d be a surprise if he doesn’t end up coughing enough blood to die his own robes red!

This Expedition cannot go on. At least, not like this.

"Your Majesty! We’ve lost 2 cities in a row this time, and we’ve almost exhausted all our military resources! Forget capturing the South, This Subject is afraid that even protecting the Capital has become a daunting task." One young Official couldn’t help but cry out. His lovely wife had just shyly announced that she had become pregnant with his child the day before. How could he possibly keep quiet and risk having his child be born into a country that was on the brink of death?

By the time he realised that he had spoken up without thinking, it was already too late. All eyes were already on him.

"So," with Emperor Xuan’s temper, his stare was particularly nerve-wracking, "what brilliant idea can you suggest, Official Li?"

All he could do was bite the bullet as he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. He cautiously continued, "Your Majesty, General Wu is still awaiting orders…"

"Nonsense!" The Minister of Revenue was a short man with a nose that hook down at the end, giving those bead-like eyes of his a slightly guileful foreshadow. He frowned as though he had heard some ridiculous notions, "Is Official Li not aware that General Wu is the Leader of the Imperial Hounds Army? His Majesty's personal troop? Pardon my directness, but have you thought about who will protect the Capital if we were to send our last capable General to the frontline?"

Hearing those words, countless voices of discussions broke out in the Court.

"That-…!" the young official wanted to retort that if the frontlines were to be broken, then only the nobles and the royalties would have any chance at surviving an unavoidable onslaught. However, in the presence of the Emperor, no amount of guts could give him enough bravery to voice those thoughts. His lovely wife cannot become a willow and his unborn child still needed a father. Thus, those words rolled about on his tongue and were immediately swallowed back.

"Silence!" the Emperor massaged his temples in frustration. The face that was once so full of youthful energy had already grown weary after the past few years of dealing with the countless court affairs. If only his Imperial Father were still alive, what would he have done in this situation? He turned to a person who had been standing quietly by the side, the one who scarcely ever partake in such useless squabbles, and his tone instinctively took a more respectful note. "What are your thoughts on the current situation, Imperial Teacher?"

The noisy Court immediately fell silent.

Xu Shi Jing, the teacher of the current Emperor when he was still just a prince was held in high regard not just for his teachings but also...

For his title as the Late Emperor’s Left Hand, one of The 3 Great Heroes who had personally stood on the battlefield, leading the Northern Kingdom to years of stability in the Era of War.

It was once said that as long as Xu Shi Jing was the one leading the army, the only chance the enemies could have at winning would be to charge headfirst. Because against the intellect behind The Northern Army, no strategy could ever escape from The Gifted Scholar’s eyes.

However, behind that face of composure, no one could imagine that he has also had his own share of misfortunes. He was only in his thirties when he became a widower and although there had only been one stone-cold body lying in the coffin, it had been a funeral for two. It had taken him years to return to court affairs but now that he was back, his opinions naturally held more weight.

He looked up once called upon, his movements gentle like the night waves. Even the passage of time seemed to have conceded to him and allowed him to retain those soft, scholarly features. His lips lifted into a small smile as he bowed. "General Wu is known for his reckless attacks and on the other hand, as the general who has defended the Capital since the last era, General Sun is known to be cautious in his actions. While they are both rare talents, the allocation of these talents will determine the result of this battle.”

In other words, while the Capital needed to be protected, the battlefield needed a leader to raise morale in the Army.

The eyes of the Emperor darkened as he thought over his Imperial Teacher’s words before he turned to a Royal messenger standing beside him.

"Pass down my orders. General Wu is to leave the Imperial Hounds Army behind and depart to the frontlines in the City of JiangNan immediately and…" he paused, "have General Sun return this instance. Tell him to protect the Capital with his life. This will be his last chance!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Just as the messenger has hurriedly left and the Emperor was about to end the Court session, a soldier anxiously entered and quickly knelt. "Your Majesty! This Subject has something important to report!"

With the creases on his forehead deepening, he sighed and waved his hand, "speak!"

"T…The LanLing village…" he hesitated, not knowing how to explain the strange occurrence, "there have been reports that over the past 5 months, a large amount of people has entered the LanLing village. It is suspected that the Eastern Kingdom is the one secretly sending people over. The latest report estimated that the amount of foreign people currently in LanLing village is around… five thousand."

"Five thousand?!" a ripple broke out in the Court as the officials mumbled anxiously among themselves.

"How did they manage to sneak in five thousand people right under our nose?!"

"Your Majesty! It is obvious that the East wants to take advantage of our current state to attack. We must be the first to strike!"

"Your Majesty, we mustn’t act rashly! If we were to kill recklessly without any proof, we will only raise the people’s distrust."

"We do not have time for that! LanLing village is located right next to the City of JiangNan. If General Wu fails in his attack and the East forms an alliance with the South, General Sun alone will not be enough to defend the Capital."

It was only when their own lives were concerned did the respective Ministers rush to speak up one by one.

The conflicting opinions were so loud that it was making Emperor Xuan’s head throbbed.

"We cannot send nor do we have the troops to attack." The calm voice of Xu Shi Jing was like a never-changing anchor that pulled them back to the spot. "However, if they really are soldiers from the East and we leave them be, our Great North will fall in their hands. This is really... a dire situation."

"Do you think I am unaware of that, Imperial Teacher?" no patience left, the Emperor’s voice carried annoyance.

"That is why," Xu Shi Jing continued just as collectedly as though he had not heard the irritation in the Emperor's voice, "we are left with no choice but to ask ‘that person’ for help this tim-…"

"That's enough!" the Emperor cut in immediately, his face darkening even more than the moment he had received the emergency reports. "Have you forgotten that it is a crime punishable by death to speak of 'that person'? Even if you are my Imperial Teacher, I will not tolerate anyone going against my orders!"

If Xu Shi Jing was said to be the Left Hand of the Late Emperor in the past, then, of course, there existed a Right Hand as well. As another one of The 3 Great Heroes, The Red Lion, Gao Peng was revered for his strength and military might. It was said that he was once surrounded by all sides by enemies. Having fallen into a desperate situation, he threw down all strategies and tactics, and with one deafening roar, led a group of merely 500 surviving soldiers through a bloody fight.

If the people of the North were to name someone who was the complete opposite of Xu Shi Jing, then it could only be Gao Peng.

Despite his abilities, after the passing of the Late Emperor, he retired and had been living his life as an Old Marshal.

However, he wasn’t the only one to have retired.

The Gifted Scholar, Xu Shi Jing.

The Red Lion, Gao Peng.

And then… there was the owner of the Immortality Token whom the Late Emperor had even treated on equal terms with himself…

The God of War, Luo Yue.

Despite that person’s contributions, he was a mysterious existence who only appeared on the battlefield, so not once had the common people of the North seen his face. Yet, with his achievements in the frontlines along with the Late Emperor and his notoriety in the other 3 Kingdoms, it was his enemies who have attached this title onto him.

To the people, he was an existence they feared and revered at the same time. 'The God of War, Luo Yue, can scare the enemies away with just his name!' became a cheer among the people, showing just how prideful they were of him.

However, it seemed like only those who had seen the face behind his silver helmet, or his bamboo hat knew that…

It was never a 'him'.

But,

A 'her'…

The girl was only 10 years old when the Late Emperor found her. Following behind the Late Emperor, she grew up under the teaching of Xu Shi Jing and Gao Peng. Only when she had completely surpassed them did they realise, the Late Emperor had picked up a one-in-a-lifetime genius!

She followed the Late Emperor all the way into the battlefield at the young age of 14 and left a name for herself a few years later. Never leaving the Late Emperor’s side, she was only 2 years older than the young Crown prince then but everyone in the Imperial Palace could tell.

All of the Late Emperor’s affection was left to her.

Because of all the things she had gone through before getting saved by the Late Emperor, she was extremely fierce, and later on, even if her personality had been somehow tamed, the words that left her mouth could never be curbed. She said whatever she wanted, to whoever she wished to, and not to mention the 6 Ministers, even the young prince then had been on the receiving end.

To the point where to protect her, the Late Emperor had granted her the Token of Immortality, turning a deaf ear to all the objections from the Court at that time.

As its name suggests, the holder of the Immortality Token would be granted immunity to all sins and thus, shall never be punished whatsoever.

In other words, she had become an existence where even the Empress or the princes would not be able to touch. That was unheard of, not only in the North but also in the other 3 Kingdoms as well. It went to show just how treasured she had been by the Late Emperor.

The enemies feared her, the people revered her, but the Imperial family… loathed her.

With her fame, what if she were to hold more authority than even the Imperial family one day? Then with the Token of Immortality in her hands, does that mean that even usurping the throne cannot be deemed a crime?!

However, despite their worries, she retired to live in the mountains in the year of the passing of the Late Emperor.

And now, to call upon that existence that was even harder to control than any enemy, how could the Emperor be willing?

Furthermore, the Late Emperor was so lenient with her that there had been a scandalous rumour in the past. That she was an illegitimate child of the Late Emperor. After all, the Late Emperor was 17 years older than her and royalties started taking in concubines at the age of 14.

Even with so many reasons to deter him from doing so, has the situation really become this dire that he must call upon her?

"That person's help is needed this time." Xu Shi Jing was not deterred by the Emperor's words. He was one of the few people who knew her the best. Not only had he fought hand-in-hand with her before, but he had also taught her for a short amount of time before she became so well-versed in the art of war that even the Gifted Scholar had nothing left to teach her. "Else, our Great North will fall."

For once, the Ministers and Officials present in the Court did not refute. While they would rather not wake the sleeping lion, their lives were all on the line this time. Now that even the Gifted Scholar had so boldly spoken up, they went along with the flow.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"